If Ninkovich or Chandler Jones get injured....

[Ring 6]

In the event either were injured Smith would play DE in the base, and Buchanan would spell him, mostly in sub.
As far as rest, the same scenario will apply as backups.

 

[BradyFTW!]

If either gets injured, Smith becomes the starter probably. Or maybe Buchanan is he's earned the staff's trust. It's not ideal, but losing a starter never is; if nothing else, the depth is much better than it was last year at DE.

 

[strngplyr]

I do not want to see Easley anywhere wider than the OGs outside shoulder.
He will be a beastly inside rusher, and will be neutralized by being moved further from the ball.

Agreed, his biggest strength is arguably how quickly he reacts to and predicts the snap, I want him as close as possible to the ball at all times.

 

[PATS16N0]

dat jynx tho

 

[Archeryaddict12]

This has jinx all over it like last years thread

 

[Mack Herron]

If either gets injured, Smith becomes the starter probably. Or maybe Buchanan is he's earned the staff's trust. It's not ideal, but losing a starter never is; if nothing else, the depth is much better than it was last year at DE.

If Smith is what makes depth "much better" I'm not not sure I see it because he has been unable to set the edge in games and in 1 on 1's, he has about the worst record on the squad. Most writers' projections have him being released. Buchanan has speed but is a liability against the run. Along with TE2 and LB4-6, I see DE3 as a position that could stand upgrading. I wonder if we might swap our areas of strength (CB, OL)?

 

[supafly]

This has jinx all over it like last years thread

Agreed.

 

[BradyFTW!]

If Smith is what makes depth "much better" I'm not not sure I see it because he has been unable to set the edge in games and in 1 on 1's, he has about the worst record on the squad. Most writers' projections have him being released. Buchanan has speed but is a liability against the run. Along with TE2 and LB4-6, I see DE3 as a position that could stand upgrading. I wonder if we might swap our areas of strength (CB, OL)?

Smith could be cut, but I'll believe it when I see it. I just don't particularly care for W/L stats on 1v1 camp battles, and he's recovering from a significant injury last year. I think Belichick will give him every opportunity to show that he can still produce at something close to 2012 levels, and I'm not betting against him getting most of the way back to that. If nothing else, he should have more to offer than Andre Carter did last year.

I agree that Buchanan wouldn't be ideal as a starter, but your backups rarely are ideal starters. In much the same way that the Pats had Mark Anderson start after Carter went down in 2011, they've shown that they'll start a liability against the run if he's their best overall option.

I don't think it's reasonable to expect the answer to this question to be "there's someone waiting behind the starters who's just as good as they are". When that's the case, it usually just means that your starters aren't any good anyway, so I'm fine with there being a starter-to-backup drop-off.

 

[Mack Herron]

Smith could be cut, but I'll believe it when I see it. I just don't particularly care for W/L stats on 1v1 camp battles, and he's recovering from a significant injury last year. I think Belichick will give him every opportunity to show that he can still produce at something close to 2012 levels, and I'm not betting against him getting most of the way back to that. This is the same team that kept Andre Carter around last year, after all.

I agree that Buchanan wouldn't be ideal as a starter, but your backups rarely are ideal starters. In much the same way that the Pats had Mark Anderson start after Carter went down in 2011, they've shown that they'll start a liability against the run if he's their best overall option.

Fully agree. I just don't yet see the case that we are improved. I would love to see Smith progress, but he has not looked like the 2012 player so far.

 

[Brady6]

Honestly I think the base should be a 3-4 designed to rotate Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich so they are not on the field as much this season.

LOLB – Donta Hightower, Rob Ninkovich, Darius Fleming
LE – Tommy Kelly, Chris Jones, Jerel Worthy
NT – Vince Wilfork, Sealver Siliga
RE – Dominique Easley, Jerel Worthy, Zach Moore
ROLB – Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Michael Buchanan
SILB – Jerod Mayo, Steve Beauharnais
WILB – Jamie Collins, James Anderson

If you look at Seattle last season none of their DE or DT played a high number of snaps, something like 65-70% was the max.

 

[strngplyr]

Honestly I think the base should be a 3-4 designed to rotate Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich so they are not on the field as much this season.

LOLB – Donta Hightower, Rob Ninkovich, Darius Fleming
LE – Tommy Kelly, Chris Jones, Jerel Worthy
NT – Vince Wilfork, Sealver Siliga
RE – Dominique Easley, Jerel Worthy, Zach Moore
ROLB – Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Michael Buchanan
SILB – Jerod Mayo, Steve Beauharnais
WILB – Jamie Collins, James Anderson

If you look at Seattle last season none of their DE or DT played a high number of snaps, something like 65-70% was the max.

Seattle was able to achieve the numbers they did by signing so many talented players in the off season along the defensive line giving them the likes of Bennet, Avril, Bryant, Clemons, McDonald, Mebane.

Even suggesting Hightower at end/rush OLB is a complete unknown because he has never played defensive end in the NFL and his responsibility has been more coverage based than pass-rush/run-stuff.

They're not all superstars on Seattle's roster but they're quality depth that we don't yet know if we have. I bet come 2014 Bennet and Avril will be well over 75-80% of the snaps with the known depth jettisoned.

The 65-70% model only works when your backups are atleast near the quality of your starters so you see very little dropoff, allowing your starters to come back into the game without having to correct a disaster.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

Doesn't sound like Smith is gonna make the team.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

This has jinx all over it like last years thread

If the words I type had that much power, I wouldn't be posting at PatsFans.com

 

[supafly]

If the words I type had that much power, I wouldn't be posting at PatsFans.com

While true, somehow these threads often bring about a jinx. Hopefully, that doesn't happen here.

The simple answer to your question is that we'd be screwed but could get by with lesser talent, much like past years.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

if ninkovich or chandler jones get injured...i cry