Banta-Cain happy to be back in New England

[PATRIOT64]

Return to Patriots thrills Banta-Cain - The Boston Globe

Nice to hear he was looking forward to reuniting with the team and hopefully give the team something that the Pats have been lacking the past several years since Willie Mac left .... A genuine and constant pass rush pressure to the QB

 

[Tunescribe]

Return to Patriots thrills Banta-Cain - The Boston Globe

Nice to hear he was looking forward to reuniting with the team and hopefully give the team something that the Pats have been lacking the past several years since Willie Mac left .... A genuine and constant pass rush pressure to the QB

Any idea here why the 49ers let him go? I didn't see anything in the article. The obviously had high hopes for him signing him to a pretty lucrative contract.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

SF obviously overpaid. However, for TBC, this might work out perfectly. He has made some money and now he can come back and anchor special teams (is Izzo gone?) and be a situational pass rusher.

Besides, at 28, he has several years left and will be back in the seven digit range id this works.

I wonder if MC noted this?

 

[Ring 6]

Any idea here why the 49ers let him go? I didn't see anything in the article. The obviously had high hopes for him signing him to a pretty lucrative contract.

I think it was pretty obvious. They overrated him, paid him to be better than he is, and cut him because he didnt prove to be worth it.
The golden rule of the NFL, Every player has a price and a role. They are bad players if the price is too high and the role too big, and good players if the price is low enough and the role small enough.

 

[j00fek]

players get cut for a reason, think about it

 

[TrueBeliever]

But the REAL question on everyone's mind is this - what number will he wear? When he was in NE he first wore 48 and then switched to 95. (I know this because he was my first "Adopt-A-Patriot" when I was on the Planet.)

 

[VJCPatriot]

Welcome back TBC! It's certainly a plus that he already knows the system and he doesn't seem to have a big ego. I'm hoping he will fit right in and be able to contribute to this defense.

 

[unoriginal]

I don't believe San Francisco runs the Parcells-style 3-4 defense either, all their players are listed smaller their ours, and Patrick Willis plays a kind of Donnie Edwards-style WILB, so I assume they one-gap a lot. It may be TBC was simply a worse fit for their system than ours, too big and too slow for them, since he had 4 years of developement here.

 

[tanked_as_usual]

I don't believe San Francisco runs the Parcells-style 3-4 defense either, all their players are listed smaller their ours, and Patrick Willis plays a kind of Donnie Edwards-style WILB, so I assume they one-gap a lot. It may be TBC was simply a worse fit for their system than ours, too big and too slow for them, since he had 4 years of developement here.

they tried to run a 3-4 but never had the bodies up front to do it very well

 

[RoughingthePasser]

We need back-up in this area of defense. Don't forget we have Shawn Crable coming back too.
Good Thread O.P!
Found this cool article too...
Group dynamic: Patriots may take linebacker again in draft - The Boston Globe

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Welcome back TBC! It's certainly a plus that he already knows the system and he doesn't seem to have a big ego. I'm hoping he will fit right in and be able to contribute to this defense.

Don't be the least bit surprised if Banta Cain is near the top on the team with sacks by years end - I say somewhere between 5-8 sacks for Tully in 2009

 

[OhExaulted1]

Don't be the least bit surprised if Banta Cain is near the top on the team with sacks by years end - I say somewhere between 5-8 sacks for Tully in 2009

That's the high-end of potential. The low-end is he gets released in TC. My unfortunate downer of a guess is he gets IRed before game 1 sometime in the Pre-season. Like the guy, but I've seen it before.

 

[signbabybrady]

I don't think it is too hard to figure out what TBC gives you...

He is a really good STs guy and an average to good pass rusher...

I'ld say 2-5 sacks as a sub rusher and he'll serve as a good back up.

Glad to have him back especially at vet min.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Interesting...

Per the Patriots.com 2006 roster TBC was 250. Per the NFL.com SF roster for 2008, he was 265. I guess he will be taking part in the offseason program.

 

[satz]

First time every i see excitement over a OLB who could not play running downs and is an avg pass rusher.

 

[JSn]

First time every i see excitement over a OLB who could not play running downs and is an avg pass rusher.

Been a long off-season, bro...

 

[Tunescribe]

First time every i see excitement over a OLB who could not play running downs and is an avg pass rusher.

I agree. People are excited because he's a recognizable name who always seemed like he had "potential." But the fact is, his potential was never realized -- anywhere. I don't think BB would've let him go in the first place if he believed TBC could blossom into a starter. Then he goes to the 49ers, who are coached by a HoF linebacker, and does next to nothing there. Singletary releasing the guy says something to me regardless of the salary/system arguments. At best, TBC is a special teams/limited role player who's "adequate" at vet minimum. At this stage, he is what he is.

I get frustrated with mediocre linebackers. By definition in the 3-4 alignment it's the most aggressive position on the football field, yet we seem to get our share of guys like Alexander and Woods who show flashes but then go into stasis for long periods. OK, maybe Woods will become something special, but I don't quite understand why some of these guys aren't more consistent after being in the league a few years.

 

[shmessy]

I agree. People are excited because he's a recognizable name who always seemed like he had "potential." But the fact is, his potential was never realized -- anywhere.

"Potential"????

He was a 7th round draft choice!

The guy had 5 and 1/2 sacks for us at the age of 25.

He's back at vet minimum after the Niners drove a Brinks truck up to his house and BB said "We won't overpay".

This is another textbook win for the organization. TBC is a $1-1.5 million effective role player in his prime and the Pats get him for $620K.

 

[Lampshade]

Interesting...

Per the Patriots.com 2006 roster TBC was 250. Per the NFL.com SF roster for 2008, he was 265. I guess he will be taking part in the offseason program.

Last night I was watching some games from 2004, and he looked tiny. I'd be surprised if he was much above 240 at that point. He has definitely piled on the pounds since.

 

[Tunescribe]

This is another textbook win for the organization. TBC is a $1-1.5 million effective role player in his prime and the Pats get him for $620K.

OK, let's hope his whiff in San Fran was an aberration.