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Carucci: Pats still interested in Peppers [merged]


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Re: Reiss: Peppers chatter persists

I agree. Peppers or no Peppers, for a multitude of reasons, the team needs Seymour 2.0 at the other DE/DT position. I'll take another Warren though....

The problem is finding him.

I think this is a misconception that a lot of people have on my position when I discuss the need for an improvement at DE. I'm not expecting the team to find another Seymour. Seymour was dominant in the run game and effective in the passing game as well. Finding a DE like that for our system would be extremely difficult to impossible. However, like you said, another Warren would be a bit easier to find. A dependable guy that can control the one or two blockers in front of him to make it easier for the OLB (in this case, Peppers) to do his job against the run or the pass.

Personally, I will trust Belichick's judgement on the guy. He has converted so many DEs into LBs over the years (McGinest, Bruschi, Vrabel, Colvin although he converted out of college, Lawrence Taylor who converted in college) that I think he has a pretty good eye for who could be converted and who can't. Although he isn't perfect at it. It seems that he truly believes that Peppers can make the conversion.

I personally don't know that if Belichick is right about Peppers (assuming I am reading him right), I don't know if the Pats need what you say for him to be dominant.

I want the Pats to get Peppers just because the guy is an elite player who could be even better coming from the standing position. He could be worse, much worse. But I like his chances of converting to OLB assuming that Belichick believes it strongly.

Like I said, I'm not against getting Peppers. Of course there are chances that he could fail at the conversion project while there are chances that he could pass with flying colors. I have faith in the latter happening should we sign him. However, there are issues with him doing that and those issues revolve around the guy in front of him. As has been acknowleged, Peppers is not a run stuffer. He's not terrible at it, but he's not good either. Continuing to put a guy like Wright (who I like as a passing down DE) in front of him would allow opposing offensive lines to dedicate one guy to Wright (just using him as an example) while having either the tackle or the guard, depending on their personnel package, come out to seal off Peppers. This is where my concern lies. Peppers is 6'7". In taking on a tackle or a guard standing up as an OLB, he completely loses the leverage that he had with his hand in the ground. However, if we can get a DE who the offense has to dedicate a guard and a tackle, or a guard and a tight end, to then that gives Peppers the ability to roam and make plays either in the opposing backfield or in our defensive backfield.

Heh, I really hope I'm making sense here. I apologize if I'm not. I've had to dedicate the better part of the last six hours to cramming for Micro Economics and Accounting III tests that I have tomorrow and my brain is a little fried.
 
Re: Reiss: Peppers chatter persists

Like I said, I'm not against getting Peppers. Of course there are chances that he could fail at the conversion project while there are chances that he could pass with flying colors. I have faith in the latter happening should we sign him. However, there are issues with him doing that and those issues revolve around the guy in front of him. As has been acknowleged, Peppers is not a run stuffer. He's not terrible at it, but he's not good either. Continuing to put a guy like Wright (who I like as a passing down DE) in front of him would allow opposing offensive lines to dedicate one guy to Wright (just using him as an example) while having either the tackle or the guard, depending on their personnel package, come out to seal off Peppers. This is where my concern lies. Peppers is 6'7". In taking on a tackle or a guard standing up as an OLB, he completely loses the leverage that he had with his hand in the ground. However, if we can get a DE who the offense has to dedicate a guard and a tackle, or a guard and a tight end, to then that gives Peppers the ability to roam and make plays either in the opposing backfield or in our defensive backfield.

Heh, I really hope I'm making sense here. I apologize if I'm not. I've had to dedicate the better part of the last six hours to cramming for Micro Economics and Accounting III tests that I have tomorrow and my brain is a little fried.

One thing. As an OLB, Peppers would not face a guard unless the guard pulls and then the leverage issue would be moot because they would meet behind the line of scrimmage and after Peppers would have gotten out of his three point stance. As a 3-4 OLB, he would line up outside the tackle. Usually, he is not lining up over the tackle at all. Typically a 3-4 OLB, doesn't make contact with an offensive player until they have gotten completely out of their three point stance and even after they have taken a step or two. Where there is an advantage for a guy like Peppers is that he can get a jump on his rush to the QB where he didn't before lining up over the tackle in the 4-3 as a DE. This is why I think Peppers might even be a better player in the 3-4 because at 6'7" he never relied on getting under the lineman's pads as much as a smaller player.

I obviously think if the Pats get a very good DE to line up next to him, it will make his job easier. But it may not be neccessary for him to be an elite pass rusher in the Pats' system. I think Mike Wright might be adequet enough. I could be wrong though.
 
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Re: Reiss: Peppers chatter persists

One thing. As an OLB, Peppers would not face a guard unless the guard pulls and then the leverage issue would be moot because they would meet behind the line of scrimmage and after Peppers would have gotten out of his three point stance. As a 3-4 OLB, he would line up outside the tackle. Usually, he is not lining up over the tackle at all. Typically a 3-4 OLB, doesn't make contact with an offensive player until they have gotten completely out of their three point stance and even after they have taken a step or two. Where there is an advantage for a guy like Peppers is that he can get a jump on his rush to the QB where he didn't before lining up over the tackle in the 4-3 as a DE. This is why I think Peppers might even be a better player in the 3-4 because at 6'7" he never relied on getting under the lineman's pads as much as a smaller player.

I obviously think if the Pats get a very good DE to line up next to him, it will make his job easier. But it may not be neccessary for him to be an elite pass rusher in the Pats' system. I think Mike Wright might be adequet enough. I could be wrong though.

Sorry for the confusion. I meant to put "tight end or tackle" instead "tackle or guard". Regardless, if Peppers is brought in, teams would most likely line up a TE to his side assigned to block him.
 
Not sure why folks want him here when it'll cost them a FORTUNE to have him.
 
It may not cost as much as some people think with all uncertainty surrounding the cap, and the elite-8 rules. throw in the possibility of a lock out in 2011 and a lot of owners are probably tighten up the check book. I doubt washington could fool themselves into thinking it would be a wise move with all the money they have tied up in haynesworth. Time will tell, but I don't think Peppers is going to get as much money as he thinks he should.
 
Not sure why folks want him here when it'll cost them a FORTUNE to have him.

Sacks, forced fumbles, Qb hurries, Qb hits...

If the math works, gotta do it...
 
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Not sure why folks want him here when it'll cost them a FORTUNE to have him.

Ok but is his salary coming out of your pocket?
 
It may not cost as much as some people think with all uncertainty surrounding the cap, and the elite-8 rules. throw in the possibility of a lock out in 2011 and a lot of owners are probably tighten up the check book. I doubt washington could fool themselves into thinking it would be a wise move with all the money they have tied up in haynesworth. Time will tell, but I don't think Peppers is going to get as much money as he thinks he should.

Great post, I was thinking the same thing. Peppers will most likely be pissed, but what's he going to do, not play football? I see him here or Washington.
 
I'll take him for 1 year ... that's all he gets.
 
Great post, I was thinking the same thing. Peppers will most likely be pissed, but what's he going to do, not play football? I see him here or Washington.

Washington might offer him more money, but I still think he ends up in NE due to the fact he can play the OLB position here, and we contend for a championship on a yearly basis and Washington pretty much sucks. Doubt he wants to go from a sucky QB in Deldumnass to the other scrub in Wsh.
 
Washington might offer him more money, but I still think he ends up in NE due to the fact he can play the OLB position here, and we contend for a championship on a yearly basis and Washington pretty much sucks. Doubt he wants to go from a sucky QB in Deldumnass to the other scrub in Wsh.

I just hope it's not ALOT more. It is the redskins. Their the team that could mess this up for the pats if they offer some insane, unmatchable contract.
 
I just hope it's not ALOT more. It is the redskins. Their the team that could mess this up for the pats if they offer some insane, unmatchable contract.

Time will tell, sit back n enjoy the ride....
 
Time will tell, sit back n enjoy the ride....

Can't wait for the ride. Will it be wilfork, peppers, or wilfork and peppers in the same defense. One week till the madness begins.
 
Can't wait for the ride. Will it be wilfork, peppers, or wilfork and peppers in the same defense. One week till the madness begins.

I think they will manage both, Wilfork is too important to the defense to lose, and Peppers is someone who the defense desperately needs. Im confident BB agrees...
 
Can't wait for the ride. Will it be wilfork, peppers, or wilfork and peppers in the same defense. One week till the madness begins.

I hope it will be Wilfork and Peppers in the same defense.
 
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