ESPN Insider already declaring Ron Brace a bust?

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Too early for the bust label. However you gotta admit it's a tad concerning that Terdell Sands, a guy who's not even on the team anymore, was active over him. Especially with the success of the other rookies this year.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I'll be honest, I am slightly a disappointed that a 2nd round pick, 330 lb DT has not shown the coaching staff enough to get 5-10 snaps with the D and the opportunity that he did get did not go very well.

Still, in no way is Brace a bust. Terrence Wheatley is much farther down the path of "bust declaration" than Brace.

 

[NE39]

I'm not really concerned about him being outplayed by a lower-drafted prospect. Ultimately, who cares where they were drafted? Seems to me we had a 6th round QB outplay our established 1st-overall pick guy at one time, and it worked out pretty well. Maybe Pryor ends up being really good, in which case it is a bad thing he out-played our 2nd rounder?

Maybe Brace needs some time to develop, a year of Pro conditioning. I haven't heard anything about the coaching staff being unhappy with his effort and work ethic. Let him work behind the scenes and wait his turn. Seems early to label him anything, whether it be a bust or success.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Of all the Pats draft picks, I thought that Brace would be the quickest one to get on the field. Pryor has been a pleasant suprise (althouh he was 2nd team all SEC, and did have a knack for causing fumbles and tackles in the backfield while in college) Pryor played at Kentucky and went un-noticed. I think most of y'all saw Brace play every weekend and expected more from him. I would not label Brace a bust right now, rather I would label Pryor a sucess for the drafting team that plucked him. It is obvious that Pryor can play in the NFL, I went back and read some draft day stuff about Pryor and they compared him to Mike Wright.

You have to remember that anyone who plays in the SEC, is going to have a advantage coming into the NFL, as the talent level in the SEC is the only thing that is even close to the NFL in college.

Brace shold see some more time now that Green is out for a few weeks, but as of now, Pryor has simply beat him out for the job, I think that says more about Pryor than it does Brace.

 

[patchick]

According to the guy who wrote this article, Brandon Merriweather is a bust.

Seriously, he's SEVEN games into his NFL career.

To be fair, Brandon Meriweather has made the active 45 for every single game of his career. People also like to compare Brace to Ty Warren "starting slowly," but Warren also played 16 games as a rookie, and started 4 of them.

Of course it's silly hyperbole to call a guy a "bust" after 7 games. But it's also unrealistic to pretend that Brace is following a perfectly normal development path and is just buried by a deep roster. Remember, for one of his inactive games, Terdell Sands made the 45 instead.

Brandon McGowan was a bargain-basement signing late in free agency who looked like a long shot to crack a safety roster that included 2 returning starters and the team's top draft pick. He's now entrenched as a starter. Darius Butler was looking up at Bodden, Wilhite and Springs, but he's already drawn a starting assignment. Etc. If Brace were looking impressive, it's fair to assume he'd be on the field.

No panic here, but some modest disappointment seems fair.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

I know players progress at different rates but I'd feel MUCH better if Brace was viewed by the coaches as being capable of starting on this team right now. Far too early to label any draft pick from this class a bust but I gotta say I'm starting to get worried that Brace has been silent up to this point.

 

[thodoks]

the reason we get these posts is there exists a certain core group of Pats fans that are totally immersed in fantasy football and get so deep into their mountains and mountains of stats that they begin to think THEY know more than the Patriot organization about how to run this football team.

THIS

10chars

 

[patchick]

the reason we get these posts is there exists a certain core group of Pats fans that are totally immersed in fantasy football and get so deep into their mountains and mountains of stats that they begin to think THEY know more than the Patriot organization about how to run this football team. This is why you see so many "I say this player is this" and "I say this player can't play that" after tiny samples of seasonal data are in.

There's no question that phenomenon exists. But how does it apply in this case? Nobody is analyzing stats at all here. And far from second-guessing the coaches, we're basing our concern on the coaching staff's own judgment in benching the player.

 

[Ice Cold Bruschi]

I remember when Warren was allegedly a bust because Dan Klecko was getting more playing time than him.

 

[Rob0729]

If Brace was a high first round pick, I would label him a bust so far (I wouldn't label him a complete bust yet). Being a midround second round pick, it is far too early.

Hey Ziggy Hood was drafted in the first round and 9 spots ahead of Brace and he has an assisted tackle and that is it for his career so far.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

We've hardly seen him and thats no reason to label a player a "bust" when you take into acount the complex nature of football and the jump up. Some players can come out of college and get it done and some need a little time, Brace obviously needs a little time for now and the Patriots can afford to give it to him.

Time will soon tell.

 

[Frezo]

There's no question that phenomenon exists. But how does it apply in this case? Nobody is analyzing stats at all here. And far from second-guessing the coaches, we're basing our concern on the coaching staff's own judgment in benching the player.

The stats say he's a 2nd round pick and FF people will grab him based on that and then complain that he must be a bust because a 6th rounder is playing instead.

 

[patchick]

Hey Ziggy Hood was drafted in the first round and 9 spots ahead of Brace and he has an assisted tackle and that is it for his career so far.

Yep, even as veterans fall to injury on the Pittsburgh DL, other JAG vets get the call ahead of Hood. And you know what? Steelers fan are seriously pissed and think it's a very bad sign. (But psst...even Hood has managed to make the active roster for every game.)

There's plenty of time yet for Brace, but the string of inactive games certainly isn't a GOOD sign.

Here's an honest question: can you think of any BB-era Pats rookie, at any position except QB & OL, who spend a significant chunk of his rookie year as a healthy scratch but ended up a starter?

 

[BradyManny]

There is no excuse for this. Myron Pryor is making this guy look really bad.


And last but not least, Dean Peas doing his best politician impression.


Saying all the right things, huh? To translate, Pees really is saying: "Brace needs to get his sh*t together and he's not active because he flat out isn't getting it done".

Ron Brace is a run stuffing guy they want to mold into Big Vince's potential replacement as a two-gap NT. Myron Pryor is a penetrating DT they have used primarily as a 1-gap 4-3 DT, mostly to rush the passer.

They aren't playing the same position and they aren't fighting for the same playing time.

Pryor is getting PT b/c we traded Big Sey and we need a guy with a good motor for some interior pass rush, like Mike Wright. If Wilfork walks this offseason, Brace will have to step in for him.

 

[patchick]

The stats say he's a 2nd round pick and FF people will grab him based on that and then complain that he must be a bust because a 6th rounder is playing instead.

FF? You think people are concerned about Brace because they drafted a run-stuffing backup NT for their fantasy teams?

 

[JSn]

Good points, actually. It would be nice to see Brace get snaps and get up to speed, but who do you bench? Consider the amount of sub-packages and I think it becomes clear he's a game-plan casualty - or that is at least part of it.

Ron Brace is a run stuffing guy they want to mold into Big Vince's potential replacement as a two-gap NT. Myron Pryor is a penetrating DT they have used primarily as a 1-gap 4-3 DT, mostly to rush the passer.

They aren't playing the same position and they aren't fighting for the same playing time.

Pryor is getting PT b/c we traded Big Sey and we need a guy with a good motor for some interior pass rush, like Mike Wright. If Wilfork walks this offseason, Brace will have to step in for him.

 

[mgteich]

The pats took some flack for drafting one of the three slowest players in the entire draft. We then have our top draft choice inactive in almost every game. When help is needed, we bring in a street free agent to be active instead of our healthy top pick. Some have suggested that our top pick be good enough to be an emergency backup?

The comparisons to Meriweather and Warren are misplaced. They were active and took time to develop. They were deemed to at least be available in emergency situations and roles in their rookie years.

Having said all this, being slow to develop does not mean that a player is a bust. There is nothing wrong with a team with 12 draft picks using one or two of its picks for players not expected to produce for a year or two. USUALLY, this is not a high second rounder. However, given Wilfork's contract situation, this was the path Belichick chose to go. There is no reason to believe that he had made an unreasonable choice until we find that Brace is a non-contributer at this point in the 2011 season.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

The pats took some flack for drafting one of the three slowest players in the entire draft. We then have our top draft choice inactive in almost every game. When help is needed, we bring in a street free agent to be active instead of our healthy top pick. Some have suggested that our top pick be good enough to be an emergency backup?

The comparisons to Meriweather and Warren are misplaced. They were active and took time to develop. They were deemed to at least be available in emergency situations and roles in their rookie years.

Having said all this, being slow to develop does not mean that a player is a bust. There is nothing wrong with a team with 12 draft picks using one or two of its picks for players not expected to produce for a year or two. USUALLY, this is not a high second rounder. However, given Wilfork's contract situation, this was the path Belichick chose to go. There is no reason to believe that he had made an unreasonable choice until we find that Brace is a non-contributer at this point in the 2011 season.

Is it at least possible that Brace was, in an almost literal sense, an insurance policy for Wilfork (i.e., if the Pats extend Wilfork this offseason, then Brace will find himself on the trading block)?

And, of course, Brace was their second pick of the draft, not their first.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

probably not the place for this but. Does anybody know what is happening with shaun crabble? Exactly what his injury is e.t.c i know he is IR'd but there has been little to no actual info about what has been wrong with him.

Continuing off topic a bit here...I can't conceive how this could be, but this may come as a rude shock to you, Belichick and therefore the Patriots do not give out detailed information on injuries or updates. Really, they don't.

Now, you may decide to look for 'information' from noted sports medicine writers like Tom Curran who gave us status, details and prognosis on Tom Brady's injury. That would be your decision.

 

[Patspsycho]

Here's an honest question: can you think of any BB-era Pats rookie, at any position except QB & OL, who spend a significant chunk of his rookie year as a healthy scratch but ended up a starter?

Wilfork did. I believe he had a few scratches.

There's plenty of time yet for Brace, but the string of inactive games certainly isn't a GOOD sign.

I would say that if he continues to be inactive this Sunday, that would not be a good sign (because Green will be inactive). However, I do not think his consecutive inactives is necessarily indicative of anything.