Are you happy with our LB situation this year?

[Born_a_Patriot]

Who is Bravel?...A mystery Free Agent?...Probably will take VRABEL'S place eh?

Looks like I got M BVs mixed up.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Looks like I got M BVs mixed up.

BVD QSL SOS WTF Hike!

 

[braveht]

Yes !!!
Very happy!

We have Four very good, experienced 3-4 LBs who are also very versatile.

Woods and Alexander are good back-ups for the $$$ we can afford for backups.
We also play a fair no. of downs in a 4-3 which gives some relief,

To have spent a 1st day pick would have been wasteful of the pick and the roster spot. Getting Seau or another vet is OK if cheap.

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

I can't say I'm displeased given the rotation on the outside, but I still think we're weak in the middle as presently constituted without Seau. And if Seau doesn't return, we need a run stuffer on the inside.

 

[mgteich]

I'm fine with our linebackers.

We need a veteran linebacker. We'll get one. We have four solid starters. Alexander is ready for more reps. They have two sophs they like in Woods
and Mays. Finally they have a couple of rooks for the future.

 

[fair catch fryar]

I am content w/ our LB's heading into TC. Maybe I am just crazy in thinking this, and I certainly have no stats to back it up, but I have a good feeling about one of these guys: Woods, Mays, and Alexander stepping it up this year and becoming a future starter. Or maybe Justin Rogers or Oscar Lua getting a chance to shine. I know that the latter two are a longshot because of the learning curve associated with acclimating to the 3-4, but this year seems to present a perfect opportunity for someone to step it up. With Thomas, Bruschi, Vrabel, Colvin and ,hopefully Seau, there to learn from and the ultimate scenario with Harrison, Samuel, Wilson, Hobbs, and Meriweather all healthy and able to contribute...wow.....it gives me goose bumps just thinking about it. Of course, I know that going injury free is highly unlikely, but at this point I am very content with the state of our defense for '07!!

 

[aluminum seats]

Put me in the camp that thinks an addition at LB--a meaningful one--could be determinative this year. I think, honestly, the Pats are due for a pleasant surprise......somebody stepping up and contributing beyond what we (or they) might be thinking right now.

 

[VJCPatriot]

I wanted a rookie or 2 to train this year so I am not as happy as I could be.

So my question to you is....
Are YOU happy with our LB situation this year?

The Pats drafted Rogers and Lua. Last time I checked they counted as rookie linebackers.

This team as constructed is 99% complete. They need to add a bit of depth at ILB but that's about it. There's still plenty of time to acquire veteran depth at that position if the Patriots want to. And they certainly won't be restrained by the rookie pool in the moves that they can make. I believe that Tom Brady's restructure followed by Moss' restructure freed up several million dollars more for the Patriots to use this year for free agents if they want to sign some.

PS Adalius Thomas was originally a 6th round pick, so don't completely discount the chances of one of the rookies to stick. The Pats must have seen something good in them if they decided to draft them.

 

[mgteich]

Why do you believe this? It is not clear that the patriots saw anything good in anyone after the 4th round. They drafted players that were undrafted on mosts lists. Yes they saw something, but not necessarily more than a hope that some will worth keeping on the Practice Squad.

The Pats must have seen something good in them if they decided to draft them.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Why do you believe this? It is not clear that the patriots saw anything good in anyone after the 4th round. They drafted players that were undrafted on mosts lists. Yes they saw something, but not necessarily more than a hope that some will worth keeping on the Practice Squad.

Oh come on. You know by now that the Patriots don't go by draft guides or draft lists to stack their board. It is quite possible that if the Pats hadn't snagged Brady in the 6th round that he would have become a UDFA going by those "draft lists". So I don't put stock in draft lists at all. And once a rookie is ON the team they still have to earn a spot, and then draft position becomes even more irrelavant. Because at that point it becomes a prove it or lose it scenario. 1st round picks may get more leeway as far as making the cut but they still have to show SOMETHING to move into the starting lineup.

Conversely speaking, even if you only believe that a player has a chance of making your Practice Squad, you must believe that they have a chance of contributing depth in the future. And if you believed that, you must have identified some skills that player has that could be valuable to your organization.

BB is a fan of the skillset assessment of a player more than just looking at how high can he jump or how fast can he run. I believe that is a big reason he went so hard after AD. He sees a lot of skills in AD that can be used to the Pats advantage in a number of scenarios.

I'm not saying these 2nd day guys are the second coming. Half of them won't even make the team. But there is no need to discount them out of hand as many posters tend to do. Please recall that both AD and Tom Brady were once lowly 6th round pick rookies fighting just to get a roster spot.

Is your cup half empty? The 2007 draft may quietly go down as the draft that solidified the Pats dynasty for years to come for all we know.

 

[Brady to Brown]

I missed the boat on the LB situation. First I thought they would sign Edwards from the Chargers. Then I thought they would sign London Fletcher from the Bills. After neither of these things happened I thought they would use pick 24 or 28 on an ILB.

The ILB situation is looking much like the WR situation last year to me.

 

[aluminum seats]

I'm not saying these 2nd day guys are the second coming. Half of them won't even make the team. But there is no need to discount them out of hand as many posters tend to do. Please recall that both AD and Tom Brady were once lowly 6th round pick rookies fighting just to get a roster spot.

Is your cup half empty? The 2007 draft may quietly go down as the draft that solidified the Pats dynasty for years to come for all we know.[/QUOTE]


Exactly. What would really be terrific would be the emergence of a guy that nobody is really paying all that much attention to.

 

[aluminum seats]

I obviously didn't use the quote feature right on my last post, but anyway.

I disagree that the LB situation is analagous to wide receiver last year, because of the Branch holdout. The Pats braintrust did NOT plan on that being the WR group. So I'm more optimistic about the LBs next year. Still want a nice addition, though.

 

[patriotsdynasty12189]

I think Belichick said he wants Lua to become an instead contributer. Pretty high expectations for a 7th rounder.

 

[RayClay]

Wait! We have a linebacker situation? I'm stunned and appalled.

- There will be four rookie linebackers in Rookie Camp;
- before Training Camp starts, rookies who took tryouts or UDFA contracts elsewhere, and were subsequently released, will get looked over;
- not to mention NFLE Free Agents;
- and veterans cut for roster space;
- Seau remains available;
- Gardner may need another year (if he doesn't retire outright), or he may be a late "in-season" hire if his rehab moves beyond quality of life concerns and allows him to resume his career;
- August cut-downs may create opportunities;
- there is always the conditional draft pick option for a borderline player on another roster;
- while I expect Asante to be here for 2007, a trade still remains an option and could include a mix of players and draft picks;
- with a number of wide receivers battling for a roster slot, there is always a chance some other club who needs a veteran WR or has a critical camp injury could offer up a player-for-player swap;
- then again, there is always the good old straight up trade with that extra 2008 third rounder for the next Duane Starks (ducks into his underground bunker chuckling evilly).

I may be a blind optometrist D) Tony, but the Pats could still have some options left.

They will at least have some competition this year, which they haven't in the past.

Beisel and TBC were defeated by their own incompetence,in the absence of any real competition.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

They will at least have some competition this year, which they haven't in the past.

Beisel and TBC were defeated by their own incompetence,in the absence of any real competition.

Beisel I'll grant, and TBC being signed by SF for relatively little money may support your position absent any other information on the Pats' interest/disinterest in re-signing him, but I still don't see his performance as a starter approaching the level of incompetence. He may not have been the stoutest run defender, but he wasn't the swinging door a number of posters have made him out to be.

 

[RayClay]

Beisel I'll grant, and TBC being signed by SF for relatively little money may support your position absent any other information on the Pats' interest/disinterest in re-signing him, but I still don't see his performance as a starter approaching the level of incompetence. He may not have been the stoutest run defender, but he wasn't the swinging door a number of posters have made him out to be.

My only claim of lack of competence is he was benched for the AFC Championship game when the only other option was a totally untested special teamer at ILB.

I am not dogging TBC, or saying he didn't do his best.

I am saying the team failed to have any young player in development besides Chatham and TBC in 6 years and if you risk having only one player ready as the default starter, he better be a stud, not a 7th rounder or a free agent.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

My only claim of lack of competence is he was benched for the AFC Championship game when the only other option was a totally untested special teamer at ILB.

I am not dogging TBC, or saying he didn't do his best.

I am saying the team failed to have any young player in development besides Chatham and TBC in 6 years and if you risk having only one player ready as the default starter, he better be a stud, not a 7th rounder or a free agent.

Fair enough, my qualifications don't allow me to second guess BB as often as I might like when it comes to LB development.

As far as "benching" TBC, I have yet to read any articles where there has been enough digging into the situation to make the claim stand. We know Bob Kraft has referred to 15 or so players who suffered from the flu that week, and I read the Vrabel remarks, which some here tried to parse as a dig at TBC, and came away with a personal impression more in keeping with the leadership/we-don't-air-our-laundry role Vrabel plays for this team. Until some 'tell all' tome comes out in the future, I'm content to call it a game plan decision, possibly affected by health concerns. As it stands, I appreciate TBC's contribution to the team and wish him well in SF, though not at the expense of devaluing that 2008 draft pick.

 

[RayClay]

Fair enough, my qualifications don't allow me to second guess BB as often as I might like when it comes to LB development.

As far as "benching" TBC, I have yet to read any articles where there has been enough digging into the situation to make the claim stand. We know Bob Kraft has referred to 15 or so players who suffered from the flu that week, and I read the Vrabel remarks, which some here tried to parse as a dig at TBC, and came away with a personal impression more in keeping with the leadership/we-don't-air-our-laundry role Vrabel plays for this team. Until some 'tell all' tome comes out in the future, I'm content to call it a game plan decision, possibly affected by health concerns. As it stands, I appreciate TBC's contribution to the team and wish him well in SF, though not at the expense of devaluing that 2008 draft pick.

Whether TBC was benched or not is irrelevant to my point. With the age of the linebacking corps, we lucked out once picking up Seau.

We had 1 (one) injury during the season and we had one 7th round pick, who hadn't even played last year when we were short, as the only option.

That was the problem. Not the relative competence of theindividual, but the fact that he was untested and the only option.

my qualifications don't allow me to second guess BB as often as I might like when it comes to LB development.

Comments like this are weak, Box. You might as well say "I have no argument so I'll say how dare you question our front office?"

I believe this forum is about second guessing and if we can never question the judgement of BB we'll be left with 25 threads about which uniform number is the tightest.

Now get some sleep, Box, it's late.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Comments like this are weak, Box. You might as well say "I have no argument so I'll say how dare you question our front office?"

I believe this forum is about second guessing and if we can never question the judgement of BB we'll be left with 25 threads about which uniform number is the tightest.

Now get some sleep, Box, it's late.

Oh puh-leeze, I've managed to get a post count to make Keegs envious without repetitiously saying an individual(s) sucks and BB needs his head examined. Discussing the Pats' moves and activities doesn't need to be whine-a-thon, I-paid-for-my-right-to-boo-a-winning-team biatchfest as some around here have demanded. There is room to discuss all the implications of the team's moves without decending into second guessing. As Pats1 was pointing out in the Seau thread, the LB corps hasn't been all that deep over BB's tenure. Given the closest BB came to changing his M.O. was the report from Reiss of warroom groans after Philly selected a Nebraska LB at #87, we can all drool over LBs in next season's draft class, but BB is still shopping in the discount aisle if the highest LB/LB-conversion he's drafted has been a 5th rounder (2001/2005, http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/teams/NE).

As for sleep, the joy of long naps brought about by medicinal side affects is late night wakefulness. The grumpiness I throw in free.