Brandon Graham

[bucky]

That is part of the problem, the Pats system needs adjusting. This is the same bs we have been hearing forever. Back to Woodley / Merriweather / Mayo, all have been good picks:
Mayo - Defensive Rookie of the year
Merriweather - probowl
Woodley - probow

Of the three only Woodley has been a game changer, but this is related to his position. OLB/DEs are impact players, game changers. Safeties and ILBs rarely are. That is why I would have drafted Woodley ahead of Mayo / Merriweather, all things being equal some positions Safety, ILB, TE, Guard have less value than premium positions QB, OT, OLB/DE, CB. The premium positions cost more in free agency and if players are about equal it is better to take the player at the premium position.

I kind of agree AND disagree with you here. You can have game changers at any position. Look at Harrison and Bruschi - just to name 2 guys on the Pats. Both were game changers in a big way (Bruschi before his stroke). You're right though that an edge pass rusher can be a game changer just by the fact that he's hard to block. So yes, Woodley is a game changer from that perspective alone and it's why I would take him over Merriweather and Mayo as well.

Having said all that, the Patriots' problem isn't the system. It's that they have NO playmakers anywhere on the defense. Bruschi, Harrison, Samuel, Law, Vrabel, McGinnest, Seymour, even Colvin were all game changers at some point in the Patriots' system. Even AD was pretty good in 2007 and part of 2008.

Graham will not be a game changer for the Patriots. And for that matter, neither would Freeney. That's just the way it is and I'm pretty sure you'll never see BB switching to the Tampa 2 style of defense.

 

[MaineMan]

That is part of the problem, the Pats system needs adjusting. This is the same bs we have been hearing forever. Back to Woodley / Merriweather / Mayo, all have been good picks:
Mayo - Defensive Rookie of the year
Merriweather - probowl
Woodley - probow

Of the three only Woodley has been a game changer, but this is related to his position. OLB/DEs are impact players, game changers. Safeties and ILBs rarely are. That is why I would have drafted Woodley ahead of Mayo / Merriweather, all things being equal some positions Safety, ILB, TE, Guard have less value than premium positions QB, OT, OLB/DE, CB. The premium positions cost more in free agency and if players are about equal it is better to take the player at the premium position.

Pretty good way to look at it - impact players versus "solid base" players. It's tough to be really successful without both. On defense, we have a lot of solid base players, but no real impact players. With WR, we have a couple of impact players, but no real solid base. At RB, we don't have a real impact player, AND our base could use some upgrading/youth.

So, maybe the strategy should be to focus on defensive impact players early and WR later (since it seems like this draft might be deep in solid #3 guys). With RB, outside of Spiller, I'm not confident that any of the top prospects will be a real impact guy, so maybe we simply upgrade/freshen the base later in this draft as well.

TE I'm not worried about. It would be nice to have an impact player (strong receiving TE), but I kinda doubt that's where the offensive scheme is headed. Guys who block real well and can catch a bit from time to time will be available later. And the O-line isn't a concern for me unless Neal actually retires.

So, I'm thinking (assuming Neal does NOT retire):

#22 - Defense, impact

2nd RD (A) - Defense, impact
2nd RD (B) - Defense, impact -or- WR #3
2nd RD (C) - WR #3 - or - Defense, impact -or- RB base upgrade

4th RD - RB base upgrade -or- WR #3 -or TE

6th RD - BPA in any of those categories

 

[mayoclinic]

Here's Nolan Nawrocki's take on Graham post-Senior Bowl: "A short, square-cut, power-leverage rusher with a throwback mentality, Graham consistently powers his way into the backfield and leverages the edge. Could warrant looks as a base end, but his best fit likely will come as an outside linebacker in an aggressive, one-gapping '30' front such as the Ravens', Steelers' or the Chargers."

ProFootballWeekly.com - Michigan's Graham fits as pass-rushing OLB

I can see Graham as a 3-4 OLB in a one-gapping system where he is primarily moving forward. To me, he compares with Larry English last year, whom the Chargers drafted #16. Similar kind of player. In a "read and react" 2 gapping system where there are more responsbiltiies involving coverage, setting the edge, and reading and diagnosing the play, I see his skills being less useful and his liabilities being exposed more.

 

[alvinnf]

Here's Nolan Nawrocki's take on Graham post-Senior Bowl: "A short, square-cut, power-leverage rusher with a throwback mentality, Graham consistently powers his way into the backfield and leverages the edge. Could warrant looks as a base end, but his best fit likely will come as an outside linebacker in an aggressive, one-gapping '30' front such as the Ravens', Steelers' or the Chargers."

ProFootballWeekly.com - Michigan's Graham fits as pass-rushing OLB

I can see Graham as a 3-4 OLB in a one-gapping system where he is primarily moving forward. To me, he compares with Larry English last year, whom the Chargers drafted #16. Similar kind of player. In a "read and react" 2 gapping system where there are more responsbiltiies involving coverage, setting the edge, and reading and diagnosing the play, I see his skills being less useful and his liabilities being exposed more.

I think our D is evolving. There were many instances last year where two DL were used on 2nd and 3rd down. There are times where I swear they are begging other teams to run. In the preseason I remember them using a one sided approach to the 34. So Wilfork on the nose and Pryor at the 5 with a straight bull rush. I wouldn't be surprised if the 2 gapping days are going away. I don't think they are going to be more like SD and Pitt, but I do think that they will be experimenting with different approaches to the 34. So I wonder where a player like Graham might fit in.

 

[mayoclinic]

I think our D is evolving. There were many instances last year where two DL were used on 2nd and 3rd down. There are times where I swear they are begging other teams to run. In the preseason I remember them using a one sided approach to the 34. So Wilfork on the nose and Pryor at the 5 with a straight bull rush. I wouldn't be surprised if the 2 gapping days are going away. I don't think they are going to be more like SD and Pitt, but I do think that they will be experimenting with different approaches to the 34. So I wonder where a player like Graham might fit in.

It's possible. Graham's an excellent player, no doubt about it, and I expect him to thrive in the right system. I'm not sure we're the right system, but if we wanted to we could clearly make it work.

My personal take on Graham:

The Good:

- He has an unbelievable motor and work ethic, which this defense could use
- He's a high character kid
- He's one of the best pass rushers in the draft
- He's very strong, and relatively adept at taking on linemen

The Questionmarks:

- He's short (6'1") with short arms (30.5")
- He's not particularly fast
- He's operated exclusively as a DE, and there's no existence proof that he could handle 3-4 OLB
- He's almost exclusively a forward-moving player
- He doesn't seem to have the loose hips or agility to play in coverage

Add those up and I see a kid who could be great when used properly, but who could struggle tremendously if used as a traditional Pats strongside OLB. The Pats have not impressed me terribly by their judgment in playing several players out of position (Mayo and Meriweather, among others) instead of playing to their strengths.

Could Graham be successful on the Pats? Undoubtedly, if we used him properly. Will he be successful? I'm not so sure. Is he worth taking at 22 give all of those issues? Not for me. I'd take him in the 2nd round, though.

 

[MaineMan]

I think our D is evolving. There were many instances last year where two DL were used on 2nd and 3rd down. There are times where I swear they are begging other teams to run. In the preseason I remember them using a one sided approach to the 34. So Wilfork on the nose and Pryor at the 5 with a straight bull rush. I wouldn't be surprised if the 2 gapping days are going away. I don't think they are going to be more like SD and Pitt, but I do think that they will be experimenting with different approaches to the 34. So I wonder where a player like Graham might fit in.

I concur again.

Of course, I'm among those who think BB is a mad defensive genius who's been cooking something up in his Lab (film room) that he's about to launch on unsuspecting OCs with terrifying effectiveness that they'll be spending years trying to figure out how to overcome.

And, yes, I do watch "Fringe."

 

[MaineMan]

The Questionmarks:

- He's short (6'1") with short arms (30.5")

Well, like Mae West said, "It's not the size of the ship, it's the motion of the ocean."

Or, wait. Maybe that was on the dramamine insert.

 

[mayoclinic]

Well, like Mae West said, "It's not the size of the ship, it's the motion of the ocean."

Or, wait. Maybe that was on the dramamine insert.

Mae West could "stack and shed" with the best of them.

 

[alvinnf]

I guess I like our chances of finding one gem better than two. We took years to draft a MLB and the one we got is better suited in the 43. So do I think we can find a rush OLB for the 34 base, a player like Vrabel and Mcginnest and a two gappin end. It seems slim to me. I think we are closer to having success by picking up one impact player and changing the front. Even if it is temporary.