Belichick on TBC:

[patsox23]

Belichick said at his press conference today that Tully Banta-Cain is having an impressive camp up to this point. “I think this has been Tully’s best camp and the one where he’s gotten the most opportunities. He’s had a good camp so far and I think he can help us if he keeps progressing.â€


Obviously, take it for what it's worth, but I do recall someone here posting that, along with Woods and Mincey and Alexander, Tully did a nice, solid job. Some here heckled this wise soul. Sorry, fellas.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

I've been waiting for him to show up so I'll take any encouragement on the issue that I can find. We need some fresh LB's to show up this year.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

In my book he didn't stand out like he needed to after two years in the system. He missed a tackle or two and he was out of position at least once.

However the defense as a whole couldn't tackle so maybe it's not as bad as it could be.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

TBC looks incredibly fast coming off the corner the problem that i saw that he had wasnt tackles but over pursuing the ball carrier. He very fast to run back into coverage so he could work out and be a great player for us especially if BB goes out of his way to praise him.

 

[PATRIOTS-80]

My bet is that Vrabel moves inside to help the ILB position. At OLB, all TBC (and maybe occasionally Mincey) has to do IS SET THE EDGE. Make everything go back inside towards Vrabel and Bruschi. And half the time, we won't have TBC at OLB, we will be a nickel/dime defense on the field. He did get a sack in the game, and I distinctly remember on the Falcon TD after the Cassell fumble, that TBC beat the LT and almost got the QB.


11 LB

ILB
Bruschi.......Vrabel
Gardner.......Beisel

OLB
Colvin.........TBC
Chad Brown........Mincey

ST....Izzo, Don Davis, Alexander

PS Woods, Roach (if 32 teams didn't draft them, there is a good chance they can land on the PS)

 

[rookBoston]

Yeah, Tully is getting his shot.

Noteworthy is that Vrabel is playing inside again in camp. Not that it's carved in stone, but if Bruschi and Beisel cant find the field, our depth at OLB is way better than ILB, so Vrabel needs to shift.

It's good that MV has the ability to do this for us, but it's better to have him on the edge because he has really special abilities to get around the OT get to the ball.

Anyone else spot that Bobby Carpenter has been raising eyebrows in Dallas, playing at ILB? Goddamnit. I love Moroney and have high hopes that he'll become a perennial all-pro; but I'd be sorely tempted to swap him to Dallas for Carpenter, straight up.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Of the two positions, there is no doubt that OLB is easier to learn for a youngster in the Pats defense than ILB. Also ILB is a much more physical position.

The key with the OLB position is coverage. Not many youngsters can cover coming out of college and neither Woods nor Mincey has been asked to do it for about 50% of the plays. Even if healthy, Brown brings little to the table at this point in his career.

I think at some point, Vrabel has to move inside. Gardner looked terrible, Biesel is horrible, and Davis is too small. One of the kids has to get a crash course in the OLB spot.

 

[PATRIOTS-80]

Yeah, Tully is getting his shot.

Noteworthy is that Vrabel is playing inside again in camp. Not that it's carved in stone, but if Bruschi and Beisel cant find the field, our depth at OLB is way better than ILB, so Vrabel needs to shift.

It's good that MV has the ability to do this for us, but it's better to have him on the edge because he has really special abilities to get around the OT get to the ball.

Anyone else spot that Bobby Carpenter has been raising eyebrows in Dallas, playing at ILB? Goddamnit. I love Moroney and have high hopes that he'll become a perennial all-pro; but I'd be sorely tempted to swap him to Dallas for Carpenter, straight up.

yeah, Carpenter was on our list .... but Dallas picked before us. I am happy about Maroney too though. Our RB core was getting older.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

My bet is that Vrabel moves inside to help the ILB position. At OLB, all TBC (and maybe occasionally Mincey) has to do IS SET THE EDGE. Make everything go back inside towards Vrabel and Bruschi. And half the time, we won't have TBC at OLB, we will be a nickel/dime defense on the field. He did get a sack in the game, and I distinctly remember on the Falcon TD after the Cassell fumble, that TBC beat the LT and almost got the QB.


11 LB

ILB
Bruschi.......Vrabel
Gardner.......Beisel

OLB
Colvin.........TBC
Chad Brown........Mincey

ST....Izzo, Don Davis, Alexander

PS Woods, Roach (if 32 teams didn't draft them, there is a good chance they can land on the PS)

If the LB's turned out like that i think most of us should be pretty haapy. Woods might be a dark horse candidate but dont completely shut him out just yet. Bruschi and Vrabel inside makes me feel a bit better as they seemed like a smart dual hard hitting tandem. Can stop the run and also pass protect. Chad Brown, TBC and Colvin are the speed guys who rush off the edge and create pressure on the pocket and QB. Mincey can be used more as the McGinest/Elephant man role until he can fully take on the position himself.

 

[Remix 6]

i feel better with Vrabel inside and straight up finding someone to replace McGinest

i mean..Alexander-Woods or TBC are all better than or have more potential than Beisel anywhere on the LB

 

[patsox23]

In my book he didn't stand out like he needed to after two years in the system. He missed a tackle or two and he was out of position at least once.

However the defense as a whole couldn't tackle so maybe it's not as bad as it could be.

Sounds like BB saw something different - and I know we both HOPE he did - but, as I said originally, you never know what to make of BB's words, pro or con.

 

[D-cleater]

I think we all agree ( or hope), given the current situation, that Vrabel moves inside, and BB commits to TBC outside or lets him get beat out by one of the rookies. It's his time to step up.

Either way, having Bruschi and Vrabel inside just seems like the safest bet. There is a great comfort level between the two and I think Vrabel is big enough and definitely tough enough to take on guards.

Remember: Bruschi and Phifer were OLB's before moving inside ( granted, in different schemes). Why should Vrabel not also make this transition? We have no one that can play ILB besides Vrabel and Bruschi, and like others have said, we do have guys that can play OLB, or at least grow into it.

The only way I can see us surviving *one* of Beisel, Gardner, Davis, or Izzo starting at ILB is if Wilfork turns All Pro overnight AND Harrison returns 110% and plays the run , like , all the time.

I hope Vrabel moves to ILB permanently. I will just feel much better about our defense for the next several years if Vrabel is starting ILB in Week One.

 

[fgssand]

I think we all agree ( or hope), given the current situation, that Vrabel moves inside, and BB commits to TBC outside or lets him get beat out by one of the rookies. It's his time to step up.

Either way, having Bruschi and Vrabel inside just seems like the safest bet. There is a great comfort level between the two and I think Vrabel is big enough and definitely tough enough to take on guards.

Remember: Bruschi and Phifer were OLB's before moving inside ( granted, in different schemes). Why should Vrabel not also make this transition? We have no one that can play ILB besides Vrabel and Bruschi, and like others have said, we do have guys that can play OLB, or at least grow into it.

The only way I can see us surviving *one* of Beisel, Gardner, Davis, or Izzo starting at ILB is if Wilfork turns All Pro overnight AND Harrison returns 110% and plays the run , like , all the time.

I hope Vrabel moves to ILB permanently. I will just feel much better about our defense for the next several years if Vrabel is starting ILB in Week One.

NO, I do not agree - Vrabel is more effective playing outside. Barring further injury and assuming the return of Bruschi by week 2 or 3, BB will be able to make it work inside with current personnel. All of this will be done without Vrabel moving inside (except, maybe, only for the games Tedy misses).

 

[AzPatsFan]

My bet is that Vrabel moves inside to help the ILB position. At OLB, all TBC (and maybe occasionally Mincey) has to do IS SET THE EDGE. Make everything go back inside toward Vrabel and Bruschi. And half the time, we won't have TBC at OLB, we will be a nickel/dime defense on the field. He did get a sack in the game, and I distinctly remember on the Falcon TD after the Cassel fumble, that TBC beat the LT and almost got the QB.


11 LB

ILB
Bruschi.......Vrabel
Gardner.......Beisel

OLB
Colvin.........TBC
Chad Brown........Mincey

ST....Izzo, Don Davis, Alexander

PS Woods, Roach (if 32 teams didn't draft them, there is a good chance they can land on the PS)

I think that is a creditable set of starting ILBs and OLBs too. Deeper than last year too.

But I am sure there are people that feel we we still need to trade a conditional 7th rounder for Urlacher and Bridges to serve as backups...

 

[captain stone]

In my book he didn't stand out like he needed to after two years in the system. He missed a tackle or two and he was out of position at least once.

However the defense as a whole couldn't tackle so maybe it's not as bad as it could be.

This is actually TBC's 4th TC (7th round 2003). Sorry to nitpick, because otherwise I agree with your assessments. The good news, however, is that he recorded a sack; almost every other time in his career, he would either overpersue or allow himself to be taken out of the play. At this point in time, I also would rather have TBC at OLB and Vrabel at ILB, instead of Beisel at ILB and Vrabel at OLB.

 

[mgteich]

Chad Brown could still win the OLB spot.

 

[captain stone]

Chad Brown could still win the OLB spot.

True, but Chad needs to be on the field, beginning this weekend. What's the deal with his hand, anyway?

 

[shakadave]

I'll never be comfortable with Vrabel at ILB because it doubles his chances of getting injured.

 

[patsox23]

More proof that TBC is doing better than some of us may have thought:

From Tom Curran at Projo...

In the second quarter of Friday night's game, Atlanta quarterback Matt Schaub completed a 14-yard pass to tight end Dan Blakley , who had run from the left side of the line of scrimmage and across the field behind the linebackers. In coverage was Pats outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain , who had good coverage but was beaten by the throw.

Not necessarily, said Belichick.

"It was an interesting play because really that wasn't (Banta-Cain's) man at all," said Belichick. "It wasn't his responsibility. The way the play unfolded, he kind of saw that there wasn't anybody else there where there really should have been, and he just hung with him.

"I'm sure it looked like to anybody watching the play that he got beat on the play, and it was close. He was pretty competitive. He was right there to make the play on the tackle on the catch. He just kind of instinctively saw that nobody else was going to get him and he stuck with him. Even though the guy made the catch and all that, I thought it was a really good play and a heads-up play on his part.

"It was poorly played by two other players. Really, the guy should have been wide open -- nobody within 20 yards of him based on the way the other people reacted. I thought that was one of the best plays in the game that he made. It wasn't even his play."

 

[14thDragon]

I guess to most of us it looked like he had been taken to the wood shed on that one. But then again we do not have the luxury of knowing what is supposed to happen on these plays. But if he was able to see that the coverage on the guy was wrong, reacted and got almost into position to break up the pass, it is defintly a good sign for his abilty to play.