If healthy, the 2014 Patriots defense has no weak links

[goheels22002]

We are still looking through the lens of a 2013 defense severely diminished by injuries, and one that was still very young.

Entering 2014 with the players on the roster (we have to go with the cards we're holding here), the picture is this:

DL: Ninkovich, Kelly, Wilfork and Chandler Jones with Siliga and Chris Jones as depth, and tremendous potential in Armstead

LB: Hightower, Mayo and Collins (depth is needed here)

CB: Dennard, Revis and Arrington in the slot with Logan Ryan as depth

Safety: McCourty and Adrian Wilson with Duron Harmon as depth

Not a rookie in the mix, and speed and smarts at every level. The only real hole here is safety if Wilson can't run, which is quite possible. It looks like Wilfork will depart, which is sad. But, plugging his spot with Siliga, Chris Jones and Armstead is not a terrible place to be with the other three guys on the DL.

The importance of continuity cannot be understated with a defense that looks like this. When you have 13 or 14 guys who have been together as a unit you worry about introducing new guys. In the current picture, the "new guys" are Adrian Wilson and Darrelle Revis, two smart accomplished leaders.

This is a very impressive group from which to approach the draft.

 

[ausbacker]

I see a significant issue at DT if Kelly is injured and Armstead doesn't prove to be as good as advertised.

 

[Gronkandez]

Adrian Wilson???. Wilfork?? I doubt either guy will be back

 

[Big-T]

Defensive Tackles needed.

Preferably 1 gapping pocket collapsing beasts.

 

[mayoclinic]

Defensive Tackles needed.

Preferably 1 gapping pocket collapsing beasts.

This defense + Aaron Donald = top 2.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

the team was 30th in the league against the run. adding a 32 year old wilfork, kelly and mayo will help but will not solve this. they will be better in this area but it needs work

 

[Keyser Söze]

Wilson needs to go just because we need #24. That and he is WAY past his prime.

 

[JMC00]

Who would you prefer at DT in the draft if Donald isn't an option?

 

[Nitro]

Wilson needs to go just because ..... That and he is WAY past his prime.

Same thing the chargers said about some dude called harrison.

 

[goheels22002]

the team was 30th in the league against the run. adding a 32 year old wilfork, kelly and mayo will help but will not solve this. they will be better in this area but it needs work

It's March 2014. Take off your 2013 glasses and look at what it is, not what it was.

 

[Marqui]

They don't really have a good pass rush right now. That's a weakness.

 

[Rob0729]

They don't really have a good pass rush right now. That's a weakness.

They will be able to blitz more with Revis and if Kelly is close to 100% he will help with the up the middle rush. It may not be as bad as you think.

I still think DT is an area of need of an upgrade and they need to get a rotational DE.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

DT is a need

 

[goheels22002]

They will be able to blitz more with Revis and if Kelly is close to 100% he will help with the up the middle rush. It may not be as bad as you think.

I still think DT is an area of need of an upgrade and they need to get a rotational DE.

Excellent discussion of how to upgrade DL and SS on the draft section of the board:

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/13/1097184-my-blueprint-defense.html

 

[ctpatsfan77]

They don't really have a good pass rush right now. That's a weakness.

As Mike Greenberg noted, Revis improves the pass rush all by himself.

 

[patsfan-1982]

the inside pass rush is not great and the LB's are also not great in coverage they are still not a top 5 defense but they should be worlds better then the defense that end it the year in Denver

 

[JMC00]

They don't really have a good pass rush right now. That's a weakness.

Well then neither does 27 other teams.

Sack Rankings last year
Carolina
Buffalo
St. Louis
New Orleans
New England

 

[Marqui]

They will be able to blitz more with Revis and if Kelly is close to 100% he will help with the up the middle rush. It may not be as bad as you think.

I still think DT is an area of need of an upgrade and they need to get a rotational DE.

I don't buy this. You still need good individual pass rushers to take advantage of the one-on-one matchups blitzing creates.

As Mike Greenberg noted, Revis improves the pass rush all by himself.

How in God's name is a defensive back going to improve the pass rush?

Well then neither does 27 other teams.

Sack Rankings last year
Carolina
Buffalo
St. Louis
New Orleans
New England

Ah yes, the "sacks are the everything of pass rush" argument.

 

[BradyFTW!]

DT still looks like a pretty significant weak link to me, and that's with the assumption that Kelly is able to produce. I'm not particularly worried about it, since I assume it's getting addressed in a significant way in the draft, but it is what it is. Another DE and LB would also be big. Ninkovich is ideally a rotational guy, with a starter opposite Jones who can routinely exploit the single teams that he'll be facing.

 

[JMC00]

Ah yes, the "sacks are the everything of pass rush" argument.

Where did I say sacks are everything. You said the pass rush was a weakness I was just making that point that they were top 5 in sacks which means pass rush wasn't a weakness.

Did it have some bad games? Yes. But it wasn't a weakness.

3 starters on defense out for the majority of he year, the #1 & #2 CB missing time, a LB playing out of position for most of the year, the other LB playing on one leg for two months, 2 rookie DT playing 68 and 58 percent of the snaps. Not having a proven 3rd edge rusher (as both DE played 95 percent of the snaps)

Yet with all that managed to somehow finish 5th in sacks.


Run defense now that was a weakness.