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http://www.newburyportnews.com/pusports/local_story_179094013
Makes sense if Asante really believes he is that good.
Makes sense if Asante really believes he is that good.
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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.While I'm not a graduate of Coach Tressel's class http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/patriots/?p=1274,Now … Samuel started three games at LCB in 2004, 17 in 2005 and the final nine (including playoffs) in 2006. That, by the way, is Ty Law’s old spot. And it’s where Chris McAlister and Champ Bailey, the two best cover guys in the league, line up for the Ravens and Broncos respectively. The fact that Law, McAlister and Bailey all play the left is no coincidence.
Nor is it a mistake that Samuel, clearly the team’s best defensive back in 2006, has been there for the majority of the last two years. Another thing to remember, too, is that the wealth of picks (an overrated statistic in evaluating a corner’s overall play) he collected on the left doesn’t speak to the challenge of playing that side as much as it does to the fact opportunities are increased playing on the left, where, typically, better receivers that come up earlier in a QB’s progression are.
I am a graduate student at Patsfans U. Now the problem I have with Albert's point that Samuel is "...clearly the team’s best defensive back in 2006..." ignores the starting line-up for the start of the season - Hobbs, whom I felt was the Pats #1 CB at the close of the 2005 season, started the season at the LCB position. Samuel got moved over there only after a cast wearing Hobbs' began struggling. Asante was the best DB by default, Hobbs has been just as effective against top talent and would be pushing Asante for any #1 CB ranking.... the following is an e-mail last night from colleague Albert Breer after bouncing the idea off of him.
Bert raises some interesting points, and though he’s normally encouraged to agree with everything I say, in this case we’ll make an exception. He did, after all, earn a higher grade in Jim Tressel’s “Coaching Football” class at Ohio State than Pats wideout Bam Childress. True story.