Armond Armstead signs with Patriots

[mayoclinic]

Great big play player, but sorry, he doesn't set the edge.

Will truly excel as a 3rd down player and not hurt the team with RB's who go outside.

Just rewatch where Rice and Pierce killed us on Sunday.

This is exactly right.

The Pats can go with Armstead-Love-Wilfork-Jones and teams won't be able to run outside on them. Armstead and Jones are both excellent edge setters, with the length and strength to 2-gap. Ninkovich is a gamer, but he's just not big and strong enough. He's good for his size, but we need more.

Jones can also stand up at times, and we can run a 3-4 with Jones and Hightower outside and Mayo-Spikes inside.

On 3rd down and sub package situations Ninkovich can move to LDE and Armstead can move inside for Love, to get the benefit of Nink's playmaking ability.

 

[mayoclinic]

Again, I would like to point out how OTAs haven't started yet, the draft is 3 months out, and Training Camp even more so. Things can and will change as it relates to plans.

Armstead has potential, yes. But what about the last guy we hyped up (Markell Carter) and look where he ended up. Armstead could be a great NFL player, he could be a total bust signing. We have to see how he is with the team first and see if he even makes the 53 before declaring the return of the 3-4 Defense.

To that last point, I don't see a return to the 3-4. Bill VALUES consistency. Why would he switch to a 4-3 two years ago, and then switch back to a 3-4 after drafting and acquiring 4-3 personnel all because Armstead can play the 5-tech?

Let's avoid the hype and therefore avoid the potential for letdown.

Fair enough. But Markell Carter was never a highly regarded talent, and he never really produced much. He was a 250# kid who bulked up with an offseason on the PS, and then was cut.

Armstead was a highly regarded talent. He's a legitimate 6'5" 300#, and has been at that weight for several years. He has had a dominant season in the CFL, FWIW. He's played both inside and outside. He's shown the ability to get pressure inside and outside, to block the passing lanes, to 2-gap, and to pursue. That's at least a decent starting point, and a lot more than Carter ever showed.

 

[mayoclinic]

One addition to that list:

Dwayne Bowe comes here as a free agent because of Brian Daboll (Lloyd-McDaniels situation, but it may cost us more).

I had forgotten about the Daboll-Bowe connection. Wonder if the Daboll signing might signal some intention to go after Bowe? I had suggested him recently as an alternative to Welker, possibly costing more - it might require not signing both Welker and Vollmer.

Bowe is only 28, and would give us the big, physical receiver with the large target and catching radius who can go outside, and match up with physical DBs. Welker would be a huge loss, but Hernandez, Vereen, Edelman, Woodhead and Demps together could probably pick up most of the slack in the short-intermediate "move" passing game.

 

[ausbacker]

I resided in the anti-Bowe camp but no longer.

Hes 28. Been productive. To your point, hes been in the Weis offense and has been productive. Only question is some of the character stuff and dumb things hes said in the past.

To me it's a choice.....Welker or Bowe. You can't have both.

I'm a huge fan of Welker but if the Patriots could sign Bowe and acquire Tavon Austin in the draft I would have to seriously consider that at the expense of Wes Welker. I don't say that lightly as he's one of my favored Patriots of all time.

The issue here is signing people like Bowe and Austin doesn't equate to chemistry with Brady. With Welker we know what we have and I fear the grass may always be greener.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I'm a huge fan of Welker but if the Patriots could sign Bowe and acquire Tavon Austin in the draft I would have to seriously consider that at the expense of Wes Welker. I don't say that lightly as he's one of my favored Patriots of all time.

The issue here is signing people like Bowe and Austin doesn't equate to chemistry with Brady. With Welker we know what we have and I fear the grass may always be greener.

This is important for sure but y'know, it's up to BB and JMCD to make the chemistry work. Ocho was a case of the team not doing their homework.

With all that said, my #1 priority is defense, defense, defense. More receivers is nice, but if I had my drothers, I'd rather have a hard-hitting, good cover strong safety, another man to man CB (or 2) another, run stuffer, a cover LB and all the pass rushers than can set the edge that I can fit in a UHaul.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I'm a huge fan of Welker but if the Patriots could sign Bowe and acquire Tavon Austin in the draft I would have to seriously consider that at the expense of Wes Welker. I don't say that lightly as he's one of my favored Patriots of all time.

The issue here is signing people like Bowe and Austin doesn't equate to chemistry with Brady. With Welker we know what we have and I fear the grass may always be greener.

I wanted Jarius Wright last year as an eventual replacement and this year I'm banking on Austin. This is one of the few scenarios I can see going after Bowe. One of the others being Edelman. I prefer Austin by miles.

 

[ivanvamp]

Not to be knocking Welker but in that situation i might even go with Bowe. I think we have enough talent to pick up the slack from the loss of Welker.

If we had Hernandez/Gronk/Ballard and Bowe then this O suddenly becomes huge. If healthy of course.

"Suddenly becomes huge"?? They had the third highest scoring team in the history of the National Football League. It's already "huge".

Unless by "huge" you meant "physically larger".

 

[DarrylStingley]

"Suddenly becomes huge"?? They had the third highest scoring team in the history of the National Football League. It's already "huge".

Unless by "huge" you meant "physically larger".

I read his comment as referring to size.

 

[BrickPat]

Awesome news

Armond Armstead 2012 CFL All-Star Highlight Video - YouTube

Am I the only one who wishes that next season would start tomorrow after seeing that?

 

[Tunescribe]

THE...HEART....ATTACK......

They needed a season of CFL to convince the world that the heart ids fine - - - it just was the painkillers the USC staff injected.

I know that. But the fact he likely was OK was known to NFL teams before he went to the CFL. That's why I don't understand why no one signed him, at least to check him out for themselves, if he supposedly had so much potential.

 

[DarrylStingley]

Am I the only one who wishes that next season would start tomorrow after seeing that?

Exciting stuff but I dunno, I can wait a little while. The pats need to do some work in free agency and the draft. I don't feel the urgency to start again that I did after Indy. Maybe that's because they showed up for the last game of last season.

 

[ausbacker]

I know that. But the fact he likely was OK was known to NFL teams before he went to the CFL. That's why I don't understand why no one signed him, at least to check him out for themselves, if he supposedly had so much potential.

Drafting is an inexact science Tune. The same goes for hidden gems unearthed as UDFA. Good to great players slide all the time. There's only so much time in your day!

 

[Bhelmet]

I haven't seen the guy play, but from what I have read it sounds like he could help this D tremendously. Can't wait to see what he can do.

 

[randomk1]

"Suddenly becomes huge"?? They had the third highest scoring team in the history of the National Football League. It's already "huge".

Unless by "huge" you meant "physically larger".

Physically larger of course.

 

[TomPatriot]

Here's a nice piece on him when he was playing in Toronto - from the Argonauts website: LANDRY: ARMSTEAD'S PRE-ARRIVAL AN EXCITING ONE | Toronto Argonauts

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Drafting is an inexact science Tune. The same goes for hidden gems unearthed as UDFA. Good to great players slide all the time. There's only so much time in your day!

Heck, look at Marques Colston. How the heck did he fall to the 7th round? It's not like Hofstra's never produced good receivers.

 

[Tunescribe]

Drafting is an inexact science Tune. The same goes for hidden gems unearthed as UDFA. Good to great players slide all the time. There's only so much time in your day!

This states the obvious without answering my question. I suppose only Armstead or his agent can answer whether he had any feelers from NFL teams before entering the CFL.

 

[Deus Irae]

One addition to that list:

Dwayne Bowe comes here as a free agent because of Brian Daboll (Lloyd-McDaniels situation, but it may cost us more).

I don't want Bowe anywhere near the Patriots.

 

[JMC00]

Ya not sure I would want Bowe either. Pats could draft a guy in the 2nd or 3rd round and

1. He'll be tremendously cheaper
2a. Will actually be 100 percent committed
2b. Did you see that that Pittsburgh game in 2011?

If anything i'd want them to sign someone like Brandon Gibbons. McDaniels is familiar with him. He would cost a lot less. Younger.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

6'5 300lbs Defensive Lineman who can execute spin moves with ease.... uses his hands well... bats down passes... and is hungry to prove himself.



Anymore questions why he was a highly sought after free agent?