Defensive Line

[jmt57]

Lewis Adjusting To Patriots' D by the AP's Howard Ulman for South Coast Today

The 3-4 is "a totally different ballgame" than what he's used to, Lewis said Friday, but he's not intimidated by the adjustment.

"I'm a football player so I'm going to go out and do what they ask me to do," he said. "If it's a change of system, if it's me going from one team to another, whatever it is. I love the game and I have a true passion for the game and any opportunity that I have to play, I'm going to come out and play."

"I've known Gerard (Warren) for a long time and he's been a good friend of mine for years," Lewis said. "So it helps sitting there talking to him, just gathering what he's thinking and what I'm thinking and we're just trying to help each other grow."

"Our defense is just structured a little differently, but I think they have adapted very well," coach Bill Belichick said. They're "both smart guys, very professional, work hard, both in good condition. They've taken a lot of snaps out there. They've, overall, I'd say performed very well both in the running game, the passing game, (and) the communication."

"They've been around this game," Wilfork said. "They know exactly what they need to do. Now they're in a different scheme, but their professionalism is outstanding."

"They can certainly handle themselves without any help," Belichick said, "but then when you put it all together, I think that the chemistry and those guys playing and working off each other has been good and I think will continue to improve. I like both of those players. I think they've done a good job for us."

 

[jmt57]

Ron Brace doesn't shape up; source: DT failed conditioning run by Ian Rapoport for the Boston Herald


During the spring, Ron Brace spoke of a renewed focus on conditioning for his second season. He aimed to make more of an impact on the field than his eight tackles in 2009.

“I just want to feel like I’m part of it,” the Patriots defensive tackle said in March.

Instead, the 6-foot-3, 330-pound Brace is on the outside looking in.

A source close to Brace said the former Boston College star has missed the first 15 practices because he failed his conditioning test. Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio disclosed for the first time that the 2009 second-round pick did not pass a physical, though he did not provide additional details.

While Brace’s inability to complete the conditioning run did not garner as much publicity as Redskins star Albert Haynesworth’s, it is still noteworthy. Other than potentially retiring pass-rusher Derrick Burgess, Brace is the only player under contract not to participate in any practices.

 

[jmt57]

Christopher Price of WEEI has Brace being on the bubble to make the roster.

It Is What It Is Five Patriots who might be feeling bubblicious

Defensive lineman Ron Brace: Brace is the only player currently in camp who hasn’t been pads yet, which means it’s a pretty safe bet that no matter what happens with him this week in the days leading up to the Saints game, he won’t play on Thursday night. I don’t think the Patriots would release him after one season, but what has transpired for him thus far has to be considered tremendously disappointing, especially after he told the media in training camp that he was embarrassed after what transpired his rookie season and wanted to re-commit himself to the game.

 

[jmt57]

Ty Warren's Injury Status In Focus by Mike Reiss for espnBoston:

Bill Belichick addressed the status of Kaczur and Warren this morning.

"Ty and Nick both have missed a number of practices and they're both being evaluated by our medical staff," Belichick said. "We'll see what comes of that. We'll just have to wait until we get a little more information there.

"Otherwise, everybody is in a day-to-day situation. We got some guys back at the end of last week. Hopefully we'll see more back this week, as we get closer to full strength."

With Warren not falling in the "day to day" category, it adds more context to the potential severity of his injury.

Backup Ron Brace remains on the phyiscally unable to perform list, so the Patriots are a bit thin at end. This shines the spotlight on veterans Damione Lewis, Gerard Warren and Mike Wright, first-year player Darryl Richard, and rookies Kade Weston and Brandon Deaderick as players whose opportunities have increased with Warren and Brace out.

 

[jmt57]

Mike Wright returns and Adrian Grady is cut.

Official Patriots Football Weekly Blog Blog Archive From the Hart: Practice 19 observations

–Mike Wright returned to the practice field after an extended absence. He took plenty of reps at right end next to Vince Wilfork, as well as work in sub packages next to Myron Pryor on two-man fronts.

 

[jmt57]

More pre-camp roster rankings from WEEI's Christopher Price:

It Is What It Is Rating the Roster, Training Camp Edition (Part 4)


45. Defensive lineman Damione Lewis: A tough call. The 6-foot-2, 301-pound Lewis has always been a fairly reliable veteran, but there’s no way of knowing how he will fit in the New England defense. There’s room for him to move up or down as training camp continues. But for now, he remains something of an unknown quantity.

 

[jmt57]

Nick Caserio Q&A, 8/10 by Christopher Price for WEEI:


Q: Obviously Ty Warren’s status is kind of up in the air, and it seems the other defensive end spot is open, too. What options do you have there? Is the entire defensive line an option? Is a guy like Myron Pryor an option?
NC: There are a lot of guys that have worked there. Damione [Lewis] has worked at end. Gerard [Warren] has worked at end. So we have a lot of players who are working at that spot. Myron is probably more of an inside player. He’s played nose tackle or played more three-technique. [He’s] maybe a little bit more of an inside rusher. You have to be careful; sometimes an inside player or a zero-technique nose tackle, his skill set is a little bit different than playing on the edge as a five-technique. Myron has worked primarily at nose, but between Warren, between Lewis, between [Brandon] Deaderick, those guys have all sorts of… and Mike Wright’s been in there, as well. There are a lot of guys who are shuffling through.

 

[jmt57]

WEEI's Christopher Price has Gerard Warren eleven spots ahead of Damione Lewis in his pre-camp roster rankings:

It Is What It Is Rating the Roster, Training Camp Edition (Part 5)


35. Defensive end Gerard Warren: Like Damione Lewis, the 6-foot-4, 325-pound Warren is a veteran defensive lineman in his first year with the Patriots, which means he has the potential to slide up or down this list depending on how things go this summer. At the start, Warren figures to slide into the end position the Patriots worked hard to fill last season after the trade of Richard Seymour.

 

[jmt57]

For those wondering about the timing of his surgery, the Boston Herald's Ian Rapoport gives us Further Explanation On "Why Now?" From Patriots DE Ty Warren:

The move to Injured Reserve represented, among other things, a choice for Patriots defensive end Ty Warren. Faced with the prospects of gutting through the season with a painful hip injury, Warren decided to have surgery.

For a player who has played in pain at several points in his career, it was an eye-opening call. The questions linger… Why?

Warren explained some of his decision here, but in a busy night, we didn’t get a chance to offer his full explanation to anything else you wanted to know. Like… how long this been an issue?

”I think it stemmed from ‘05,” Warren said yesterday. “In ‘05 in training camp, I had an MCL/hip. But I don’t think it’s any one thing. I just think it’s the wear and tear from over the years, the power lifting and squats. And getting in and out of your stance (on the field).”


Warren re-injured the hip in the third practice of the training camp. He expects a pretty decently long rehab.

”It’s along the same lines as a guy like A-Rod, or Brandon Marshall, or Ed Reed,” Warren said. “He had surgery very much like this. The only difference is the position we play. I’m not playing third, or nothing like that. I think it revolves around the position I play, and the twisting and torquing, and getting in and out of the stance, and exploding out of the stance, and the pushing and pulling that comes along with playing my position. I’ve been told it’s a 4-to-6 month recovery. After 4 months, I should be able to build up all my strength again.”

Asked about adding another rehab to his lengthy list, Warren shrugged: “Whatcha gonna do, though?” He said of the team playing without him, “I hope they do well. I think they’ll do just fine.”

Michael Hurley of NESN says it is a case of Ty Warren Leaving Patriots High And Dry But Making The Right Decision

The NFL is a gruesome game. It chews up young men and spits them out, with many of them retired or permanently injured by the time they turn 30.

So good for Ty Warren for saving himself.

Obviously, his decision to undergo season-ending surgery on his torn hip leaves the Patriots in a difficult position, just a month away from the season opener. Rounding out the defensive line around Vince Wilfork won't be easy for Bill Belichick, but really, that's not Warren's problem to worry about.

What Warren cared about was his health. He could have played through the pain this year, much like he did last year, but there was a good chance he'd end up developing arthritis.

"I've been laboring around for about a year-and-a-half," he told CSNNE.com's Tom E. Curran. "To have arthritis and not be able to be me ... I'm going to sacrifice one year for the next couple.

"Getting the problem fixed now is the difference between me playing a couple more years, Lord willing, or my hip being arthritic down the line," Warren said.

Regarding his decision to undergo surgery, Warren is just as comfortable.

"I made the right decision and I'm in good spirits with it," Warren told CSNNE.com. "It pains me not to be able to play, but it's something I had to get done."

Warren is clearly a man who, at age 29, knows what he wants out of life. At 6-foot-5, 300 pounds and with truckloads of athletic ability, he's earning millions in football, but he knows that won't last forever. Anyone who spends five seconds thinking about the dangers associated with playing professional football should be able to appreciate that prescience.

 

[jmt57]

Rapoport also says DL Myron Pryor Pops In The Video To Improve Pash Rush Skills

While the Patriots defensive line battles depth issues, Myron Pryor plugs along. The second-year player from Kentucky is quietly carving out a role for himself as Vince Wilfork’s backup at nose.

But it’s as a third-down inside pass-rusher where Pryor may make the most impact. Without Jarvis Green, there is a void there. While he is convinced he can also stop the run, Pryor is embracing the playing time opportunity to rush the passer.

“To become a good (situational) player,” Pryor told me after Thursday’s game, “I’m just working on my get-offs, my technique, reading the offensive line better, how they slide protections. Whatever Bill (Belichick) puts me at, I’m going to try my best to do what I can.”

I recently asked Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio if Pryor could be an option at end ifTy Warren was out (this was before the announcement), and he didn’t seem thrilled about the idea. Pryor does lack the stoutness necessary to do what Warren did.

So the 6-foot-1, 310-pounder will stick to his situational role now. I asked Pryor who he leans on for advice and he said he picks Wilfork’s brain on how to stop the run “because he’s excellent at that.”

But when it comes to pass-rush moves, Pryor looks back at other big men who fit his profile just a little bit more.

“I’ll normally pull out some old films of Warren Sapp and some of the great guys that pass-rush and are quick and explosive… like myself,” Pryor said, cracking himself up at his own joke. “I can’t watch Vince because I’m not big like V, I’m not as strong as V. You got to watch guys (like you).”

 

[jmt57]

A few more post-game comments from Jeff Howe of NESN:


Downward Trending

2. Defensive lineman Ron Brace and wide receiver Torry Holtdidn’t dress for the game, and Brace still hasn’t even passed his physical. With each passing day, it seems more and more unlikely Brace will make the team, and he might wind up on the physically unable to perform list or injured reserve for the Patriots to hold onto their 2009 second-round investment.

 

[jmt57]

From the last segment of WEEI's Christopher Price's final segment of roster rankings:

It Is What It Is Rating the Roster, Training Camp Edition (Part 7)



17. Defensive lineman Mike Wright: The single most versatile defensive lineman the Patriots have, Wright has improved greatly over the last couple of seasons. He’s still not the kind of player you want starting all 16 games, but the fact he can serve as a spot starter and a situational player in a pinch at any one of the three down linemen positions makes him very valuable in New England’s defensive scheme.



Unfortunate that the #7 guy on the roster is gone for the season.

7. Defensive lineman Ty Warren: Now that Richard Seymour is almost a year into his career with the Raiders, Warren has asserted himself as the top defensive end on the team, and if he can steer clear of injuries, there’s no reason to think he won’t continue to fill that role nicely for the next few seasons (he’s signed through 2013). It’s hard to believe that the soft-spoken Warren is entering his eighth season in the NFL



2. Nose tackle Vince Wilfork: If you are looking to run an effective 3-4 defense, you need a world class nose tackle, and Wilfork fills the bill nicely. After signing a five-year, $40 million contract in the offseason, there’s no reason that Wilfork won’t be the Patriots’ nose tackle for the next five years. Like Mayo, we know what he brings to the table from a skill standpoint. What really demands watching is how much he ramps it up from a leadership perspective. Shortly after signing his contract this past offseason, Wilfork had an epic conference call where I asked him about the state of leadership on the team, and he went off. (Listen to it here.) Look for him to be more vocal as a leader this season.

 

[jmt57]

Richard Hill of Pats Pulpit with a roster ranking/prediction:

Patriots Roster Prediction #27: DL Mike Wright - Pats Pulpit


Past Role: Wright has been the ultimate defensive lineman for the Patriots, having stepped in at 3-4 DE and NT, as well as 4-3 DT at some point in time during his tenure. Last year was a semi-breakout year for Wright, who saw his play time increase with the departure of Richard Seymour. He had 5 sacks, 2 passes defended and started 9 games. He was a solid overall player, but was no more than average. He is a strong pass rusher, but struggles against the run. More of a one gap player, Wright isn't a prototypical 3-4 DE, but he has still managed to have some success.

Predicted Role: Due to the unfortunate injury to Ty Warren, Wright will most likely be asked to be a starter again. The addition of ILB Brandon Spikes should help limit the damage opposing running games will wreak against Wright, but look for Wright to have another solid pass rushing year. Although he's better fit to be used on only passing downs, Wright will have to stretch himself and be better at stopping the run. Wright will start at LDE, in place of Ty Warren, and will have a linebacker near him on obvious rushing downs.

Summary: Wright is better fit as a 4-3 DT, or a 1 gap 3-4 DE, but he'll have to try and be a successful 2 gap 3-4 DE. He'll have another solid, but unspectacular year. He'll provide clear pressure on passing downs, something that was consistently missing last season, but don't be surprised if Wright gets subbed on running downs (1 Gap DEs need more support on running downs than 2 Gap DEs). He'll be a solid contributor, but he won't be the answer for the position.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Spikes better bring that run-stuffing tackling-machine game of his big-time, if that write-up is correct. It would be a nice surprise if Wright's gap-minding skills improved, so we don't have to cheat Spikes further forward and toward Wright's side of the line... but you have to wonder how BB will make a virtue of that necessity, using Wright as a pressure guy on an either/or down with Spikes lining up right on the line or just off it, etc. I'm nobody's football guru but it seems that the 3-4 2-gap system will have some wrinkles this year if we really believe Wright can't cover his responsibilities (but adds a wildcard penetration possibility). Worrisome, but things that worried me in the past have always been opportunities as well. Getting penetration for a tackle for a loss involves a lot of the same skill set as getting penetration for a hurry or a sack; getting that out of Wright and plugging the hole with Spikes may give us something we weren't counting on.

Sorry, just looking for ways my glass might be half-full

 

[Joker]

Spikes better bring that run-stuffing tackling-machine game of his big-time, if that write-up is correct. It would be a nice surprise if Wright's gap-minding skills improved, so we don't have to cheat Spikes further forward and toward Wright's side of the line... but you have to wonder how BB will make a virtue of that necessity, using Wright as a pressure guy on an either/or down with Spikes lining up right on the line or just off it, etc. I'm nobody's football guru but it seems that the 3-4 2-gap system will have some wrinkles this year if we really believe Wright can't cover his responsibilities (but adds a wildcard penetration possibility). Worrisome, but things that worried me in the past have always been opportunities as well. Getting penetration for a tackle for a loss involves a lot of the same skill set as getting penetration for a hurry or a sack; getting that out of Wright and plugging the hole with Spikes may give us something we weren't counting on.

Sorry, just looking for ways my glass might be half-full

OK...Spikes better do all THIS or else.....oh wait....






Brady2Welker
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 407
Default Re: B. Spikes the MAN at ILB?
Spikes better be able to cover seeing as with the way that even weak offenses try and go after the weakest point of the defense, he will get abused. Teams can still line up in a 2/3 WR 2/1TE 1RB package which has the capacity to both run and pass and let us put Spikes on the field and make him cover passes.

Spikes better do all THAT or else.....

How about if everybody just gave the kid a chance to work himself into a role and GROW in his first, ROOKIE, season...instead of heaping every known responsibility any GROUP of veteran LB's have ever faced as a UNIT,on one player. There is no possible way Spikes will meet the expectations demanded in these two posts.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

Spikes better bring that run-stuffing tackling-machine game of his big-time, if that write-up is correct. It would be a nice surprise if Wright's gap-minding skills improved, so we don't have to cheat Spikes further forward and toward Wright's side of the line... but you have to wonder how BB will make a virtue of that necessity, using Wright as a pressure guy on an either/or down with Spikes lining up right on the line or just off it, etc. I'm nobody's football guru but it seems that the 3-4 2-gap system will have some wrinkles this year if we really believe Wright can't cover his responsibilities (but adds a wildcard penetration possibility). Worrisome, but things that worried me in the past have always been opportunities as well. Getting penetration for a tackle for a loss involves a lot of the same skill set as getting penetration for a hurry or a sack; getting that out of Wright and plugging the hole with Spikes may give us something we weren't counting on.

Sorry, just looking for ways my glass might be half-full

I think the comment that Wright is a 1-gap DE is more related to his size. It's harder for a smaller man to fully engage and control a OL and break off to seal the gap where the play is going than it is for him to slip by the larger OL, as he is supposed to do in a 1-gap system. Wright knows his 2-gap responsibilities well. He just has a harder time holding his ground in that role than Warren, Wilfork, or Seymour did.

Wright will start at RDE, and it looks like Spikes will line-up strong-side. Sometimes that will be behind Wright, but his quick reads (way more important than top-end speed) could make him a force, even when the play is going away from him. Recall that Mayo is no slouch, either. I expect our run defense is one player better than last year this year. I was simply hoping for two players (plus a pass rusher, a TE, another CB, a powerful C, a million $,...)

 

[jmt57]

Some commentary regarding the return of Ron Brace:



Burncoat's Brace Back On The Field For The Patriots by Jennifer Toland for the Worcester Telegram:

Former Burncoat High star Ron Brace, who had been on the active/non-football injury list since the start of training camp, practiced for the first time today.

"It feels really good," Brace said. "Words can't describe it. I'm happy to be out here working, catching up with these guys."

"Every time you come out here it's an opportunity to get better," Brace said. "I missed out on a great deal of my opportunities, but now I'm trying to make up and catch up to the group."

Brace adds some depth to the defensive line, which took a big hit on Friday when Ty Warren (hip) was placed on season-ending injured reserve.



Pats Defensive Lineman Ron Brace Now Hopes To Be Conditioned For The Future by Ian Rapoport for the Boston Herald:

We don’t know how many tries it took, but 18 days after the start of camp, Ron Brace finally passed the conditioning test, and he was out on the field today practicing with his teammates. His presence and return could be significant given the loss of defensive lineman Ty Warren, who is out for the season.

What did he while he was away from the field in terms of film, playbook, etc.?
"Just taking the playbook. Gotta know what you gotta do. Basically just study up so when I got back out here, hopefully just try to catch back up with everybody else," Brace said. "They got the reps, and now I need to catch up with the reps. It was basically just focusing on trying to remember the plays and everything, just catching up. Everybody’s in a rhythm. I’m just trying to get back in that rhythm."

How difficult was it to watch?
‘It’s hard any time a football player has to sit down and watch those other players practice," he said. "But I’m back out here working, getting ready for this week coming up this, we’ve got a big game against Atlanta, another chance to get ready for the season."

How much time have you spent playing Ty’s position Is it 40 percent, 50 percent of the snaps, or are you more of a nose behind Vince?
"I say I’m basically whatever they want me to be," the Boston College product said. "Any day I could be at left end, one day I could be nose, one day I could be at right end. I’ve just got to be ready for every position on that line."

Brace Returns To The Field by Christopher Price for WEEI:

And then, there were none.

The last Patriots’ player who was there since the start of training camp but had yet to put on the pads finally got a chance on Sunday. Defensive lineman Ron Brace — who was in Foxboro since the start of camp on July 29 but was unable to pass his conditioning test — put on the pads for the first time all summer on Sunday afternoon.

The Boston College product, who missed a total of 18 days and 22 practices, was excited to be back out on the field.

Brace’s return may have been accelerated by the news that veteran Ty Warren will be out for the season after he was place on injured reserve with a hip injury over the weekend. Brace has some positional versatility, and while he might be known primarily as Vince Wilfork’s backup at nose tackle, he has spent a lot of time at defensive end.

On Sunday, he was out there at left defensive end, working with a reasonable facsimile of the starting defense as the Patriots continue to try and examine their options at the position now that Warren is gone for the season.

"I say I’m basically whatever they want me to be," he said. "Any day I could be at left end, one day I could be nose, one day I could be at right end. I’ve just got to be ready for every position on that line."



Situation Is Firming Up: Brace practices, still has shot with Patriots by Robert Mays for the Boston Globe:

When Brace was drafted in 2009, the conventional wisdom was that the 6-foot-3-inch, 330-pounder would give the Patriots another option at nose tackle; Pro Bowler Vince Wilfork’s contract situation remained uncertain at the time. But Brace said he has no problem with sliding into the vacancy left by Warren if asked.

"I say I’m basically whatever they want me to be,’’ Brace said. "I could be at left end, one day I could be nose, one day I could be at right end. I’ve just got to be ready for every position on that line.’’

New England’s two other main options at Warren’s position face a learning curve of their own.

Lewis has primarily played defensive tackle in a 4-3 during his career, which has included stops in Carolina and St. Louis. Playing defensive end in the Patriots’ system is different from playing defensive tackle in a 4-3, which involves being more aggressive.

Gerard Warren has some experience in a 3-4, but the intricacies of each system he’s been in have required him to do plenty of studying on his own this camp.

Coach Bill Belichick said last week that Gerard Warren has shown a willingness to adjust his game to the new system, and that he thinks Warren is capable of aiding New England’s pass rush from the end position.

"I’m trying to work a different technique, penetrate, and get into the backfield, trying to work across the line, building a wall,’’ Warren said last week. "Still attack, but it’s patience as well. [It’s] organized chaos.’’



Ron Brace Prepares For Moment by Steve Buckley for the Boston Herald:

This is the way it was supposed to work for Ron Brace: Having already obliterated all the schoolboy competition out in Worcester, and then, having made a name for himself during his years at Boston College, he was going to march right on into Gillette Stadium and be a real, live NFL star.

They say two out of three ain’t bad.

In this case, however, two out of three ain’t good.

Nine games. That’s how many games Brace played last year. Nine games.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he had been a Worcester Telegram & Gazette All-Star back in the old days. Yeah, yeah, yeah, he was part of a Boston College defense that had three shutouts his senior year.

But this was, this is, the NFL. And Ron Brace did a lot of watching last year.

It is not too late, however, for Ron Brace to make it three out of three. It is not too late for Ron Brace to turn what has been a disastrous turn of events for the Patriots - this being the date with the surgeon’s blade that will keep Ty Warren out for the season - into a chance for him to prove he belongs.



Brace Trying To Get Rhythm Back by Mark Farinella for the Attleboro Sun Chronicle:

It didn't approach the notoriety of Albert Haynesworth, but Ron Brace's absence from the practice field lasted longer.

With just three practices remaining in the training camp portion of the preseason, however, the Patriots welcomed back the second-year defensive lineman from Boston College on Sunday.

"It felt really good," Brace said. "I can't describe it. It just felt really good to be back out here working and trying to catch up with these guys and getting ready for Atlanta."

 

[jmt57]

Patriots NT Vince Wilfork reacts to losing Ty Warren: "It's just sad to hear something like that." by Ian Rapoport for the Boston Herald:

Patriots NT Vince Wilforkhas lost his sidekick. The Pro Bowler will be without Ty Warren at end for the entire 2010 season now that Warren has been placed on Injured Reserve.

Of course, it’s something that absolutely pains Wilfork.

“That’s a personal friend of mine on and off the field,” Wilfork told WEEI’s Dale & Holley Show today after practice. “It’s just sad to hear something like that, sidelined for the season. I talked with him afterwards and everything and he’s in high spirits. It’s something he said he needs to take care of and I support him 100 percent. As far as the player, that’s a guy I will miss out there on the field with me but I think the guys that stepped in are doing a good job. I mean we’ve been working every day, everybody has been doing their thing and hopefully we can get better as a team.”

There is a lot more to the interview, so check out the audio link right here. But Wilfork also addressed facing the Falcons in practice tomorrow. No, he won’t be nice to Atlanta center Todd McClure.

“I won’t help him up,” Wilfork told WEEI. “He’s not my teammate, that’s not my problem. I don’t know if you call it personal or what but it’s not a teammate of mine. It’s just a mindset I always have. I don’t know him and I don’t plan on knowing him. I’m going down there for one reason and that’s to win and compete. That’s it, nothing more than it, nothing less than it. Hopefully everybody is one the same page as me.”

 

[jmt57]

Patriots Roster Prediction #29: DL Myron Pryor by Richard Hill for Pats Pulpit:

Past Role: As a rookie, Pryor passed fellow draftee Ron Brace on the depth chart and emerged as the apparent successor to Jarvis Green. With 20 tackles (12 solo), Pryor can handle himself on the line and hold the point of attack. Pryor and Green, it could be said, shared time as Green was prepared to leave in free agency. Pryor was a slicer, often getting into the backfield, but had a difficult time closing and sacking the quarterback.

Predicted Role: While he lacks the height to be an every down defensive end in the 3-4 (he lacks the range to cover two gaps on his own, every down), he should be able to provide solid depth and give the starter some rest. Pryor will be what Jarvis Green was- a pass rushing defensive end who can manage one gap on his own. Pryor will be the second defensive end off the bench and should have a solid sophomore season.

Summary: Pryor won't be lighting any stat sheets, but 3-4 defensive ends rarely do. He'll fill the spot left by Jarvis Green and will have a solid season. Pryor won't be the next Richard Seymour, but he'll prove more than worthy of the 6th round pick used on him.

 

[jmt57]

A Look At The Patriots' Defensive Line Play in the Saints game by Greg Knopping for Pats Pulpit. In his opinion most of the defensive linemen played well, with the exception of Damione Lewis.

It seemed that, on a lot of plays, the Patriots used their defensive lineman in more of an attacking role (with the first unit). Not that they didn't have their traditional two-gap roles most of the time, but it just seemed that the defensive line was penetrating the backfield a little bit more than usual.

Brandon Deaderick, #71: Anyone who read my recap last night will know that I was very impressed with Deaderick. At this point, Deaderick looks to have moved up the depth chart, past the likes of Damione Lewis and Daryl Richard. He lined up at right defensive end, and showed a high motor, good hand use, and good athleticism. He held up well against double teams and got a consistent pass rush. One impressive play came just under the 2 minute mark in the third quarter. Deaderick got a double team, threw the first man off of him, then got under the Saints' guard, drove him back, and managed to make the tackle.

Damione Lewis, #92: Took over Gerard Warren's spot on the 2nd string defense. He played alright, but didn't amaze, and didn't hold up that well against the double teams. He's certainly on the roster bubble right now.

Kyle Love, #74: Love didn't get much playing time, but he seemed to take advantage of what he got. Looked strong, playing some nose tackle in the 4th quarter, getting a nice quarterback rush that forced an incomplete. Consistently pushed upfield against the double team.