Kyle Love released

[Claremonster]

With the twin releases of Love & Deaderick, that essentially releases one of the two flippy-floppy DT starters in the Patriots 4-3 defense.

Myron Pryor is still available. At one point, before a bunch of injuries, he and Love were no-neck and no-neck for the spot next to Wilfork. At least someone potentially able to fill the role - not certain of the impact of his injuries.

On the other hand, this sure improves the chances for some of those UDFA's - Forston, Grissom, and Cherington.

They sound like Dolphins then! Well, Love anyway.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Love didn't do much last year. Belichick must think that he isn't worth that contract that he signed anymore, and is ready to give a combination of Armstead and Kelly a go, with Forston available if needed?

Not sure I get this, but gutting a position that was already weak on depth is something that stopped surprising me a while ago. Seems like it happens every year, almost.

 

[patsinthesnow]

2012

Wilfork: 81% of snaps
Love: 49% of snaps
Deaderick: 34% of snaps

Curious to see how those snaps are dealt this season between Wilfork, Kelly, and Armstead. I didn't realize Love played that much last year.

 

[supafly]

2012

Wilfork: 81% of snaps
Love: 49% of snaps
Deaderick: 34% of snaps

Curious to see how those snaps are dealt this season between Wilfork, Kelly, and Armstead. I didn't realize Love played that much last year.

Yeah, as much as some may disagree with me, I think that Belichick would have rather seen Love around--at the very least through the hot days of training camp as another capable body for camp fodder.

I think that there's something more to this story like Love's reported diagnosis, or possibly just not being able to manage and maintain his weight. Stamina issues etc make a lot more sense as to why he'd choose to cut a player at this stage of the game as opposed to the fact that we automatically have a better replacement in the folds already, which I find hard to buy at this early stage of minimal evaluations.

Just my opinion though. We'll never know the full story. I don't see the media just making this up though to try and portray Belichick as "cold hearted" as another poster said. I don't think that would even work. It isn't cold hearted if you're running and managing an NFL football team and the player is question is experiencing some health complications.

 

[Danger Zone]

Yeah, as much as some may disagree with me, I think that Belichick would have rather seen Love around--at the very least through the hot days of training camp as another capable body for camp fodder

Belichick stated (in I believe A Football Life) that he releases veterans earlier than might be convenient for the team out of respect to the player, so that they might have time to be picked up by another team.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Yeah, as much as some may disagree with me, I think that Belichick would have rather seen Love around--at the very least through the hot days of training camp as another capable body for camp fodder.

I think that there's something more to this story like Love's reported diagnosis, or possibly just not being able to manage and maintain his weight. Stamina issues etc make a lot more sense as to why he'd choose to cut a player at this stage of the game as opposed to the fact that we automatically have a better replacement in the folds already, which I find hard to buy at this early stage of minimal evaluations.

Just my opinion though. We'll never know the full story. I don't see the media just making this up though to try and portray Belichick as "cold hearted" as another poster said. I don't think that would even work. It isn't cold hearted if you're running and managing an NFL football team and the player is question is experiencing some health complications.

Agreed. 50% of snaps are a lot to give to a declining veteran who mailed it in last year or a CFL rookie.

 

[andrewgarrr]

Can Chandler Jones play OLB? Is the team going back to 34?

 

[rainmaker]

Wondering why we didn't trade Deaderick and Love. Jax picked up Deaderick off waivers and I expect Love to also be picked up. I suspect there is at least one more team with lower priority interested in these capable players.

 

[NE_PATS_FAN_54]

Love didn't do much last year. Belichick must think that he isn't worth that contract that he signed anymore, and is ready to give a combination of Armstead and Kelly a go, with Forston available if needed?

Not sure I get this, but gutting a position that was already weak on depth is something that stopped surprising me a while ago. Seems like it happens every year, almost.

I think people are discounting what Love meant to the defense. Was Love a showstopper type of player? Absolutely not. But to just dismiss him as 'Just Another Guy' is wrong. He was one of the most underrated players on the defense last year and in 2011. You don't play 50% of the defensive snaps if your "JAG". Love was a solid contributor on defense and filled a big role. Bedard graded him out as the 4th best on the DL, saying:
"Kyle Love: Was fourth on the team with 12 run stuffs, and posted a respectable 11 total quarterback pressures. Very solid player who continues to excel at disengaging from blocks. Grade: B-minus."

In context, Love got the same grade as: Hernandez, Dan Connolly, Francis, Spikes, Hightower, Arrington and Dennard, among others. Obviously its hard to compare positions, but don't discount the impact that Love had on the team. He was a solid contributor.

The departures of Deaderick and Love highlight both the Pat's lack of depth behind #75 and their inability to draft DT's since '04. Since 2004, DT's that the Pats have drafted include: LeKevin Smith (6th), Kareem Brown(4th), Kade Weston (7th), Myron Pryor (6th) and of course - Ron Brace (2nd). The Brace selection sticks out the most, as he did absolutely NOTHING to contribute on the team. Add that to the fact that players selected after Brace include but aren't limited to: Jarius Byrd, Max Unger, LeSean McCoy, William Moore, Fili Moala, Connor Barwin, Sean Smith, Michael Johnson, Mike Wallace, Henry Melton(just imagine a Melton/Wilfork combo). And I won't even go into the Jonathan Fanene debacle or Red Bryant pursuit.

Thinking long term, the Pats aren't in good shape for DT. You won't find a bigger fan of Vince's than me (besides Bianca), but he is going on his 10th year at one of the most grueling positions in the game. How long can he keep producing at his level? Again, I'm not saying Love was the lynchpin of the team and obviously we don't know the whole story but the two releases have turned a source of depth into a somewhat glaring hole.

 

[mgteich]

????

We cut a pure 3-4 DE and a backup NT. And your conclusion is that we're going back to the 3-4?

Can Chandler Jones play OLB? Is the team going back to 34?

 

[Ivan]

Didn't read the whole thread but I would say they are committing to a 4-3 base . Love, Pryor, and Deaderick are all 3-4 DL and they got rid of 3 in a week.

 

[kudzif]

This reminds me of the inexplicable cuts of bmw and sanders. Why cut them now?. Why no wait until training camp. Please don't tell me he saw something from the rookie mini camp were they are no veterans or pads. We have a guy who had heart issues, vince and not much else. Wait until camp cuts around the NFL and if someone else better gets cut then you can release these guys.

 

[Oswlek]

I think people are discounting what Love meant to the defense. Was Love a showstopper type of player? Absolutely not. But to just dismiss him as 'Just Another Guy' is wrong. He was one of the most underrated players on the defense last year and in 2011. You don't play 50% of the defensive snaps if your "JAG". Love was a solid contributor on defense and filled a big role. Bedard graded him out as the 4th best on the DL, saying:
"Kyle Love: Was fourth on the team with 12 run stuffs, and posted a respectable 11 total quarterback pressures. Very solid player who continues to excel at disengaging from blocks. Grade: B-minus."

In context, Love got the same grade as: Hernandez, Dan Connolly, Francis, Spikes, Hightower, Arrington and Dennard, among others. Obviously its hard to compare positions, but don't discount the impact that Love had on the team. He was a solid contributor.

The departures of Deaderick and Love highlight both the Pat's lack of depth behind #75 and their inability to draft DT's since '04. Since 2004, DT's that the Pats have drafted include: LeKevin Smith (6th), Kareem Brown(4th), Kade Weston (7th), Myron Pryor (6th) and of course - Ron Brace (2nd). The Brace selection sticks out the most, as he did absolutely NOTHING to contribute on the team. Add that to the fact that players selected after Brace include but aren't limited to: Jarius Byrd, Max Unger, LeSean McCoy, William Moore, Fili Moala, Connor Barwin, Sean Smith, Michael Johnson, Mike Wallace, Henry Melton(just imagine a Melton/Wilfork combo). And I won't even go into the Jonathan Fanene debacle or Red Bryant pursuit.

Thinking long term, the Pats aren't in good shape for DT. You won't find a bigger fan of Vince's than me (besides Bianca), but he is going on his 10th year at one of the most grueling positions in the game. How long can he keep producing at his level? Again, I'm not saying Love was the lynchpin of the team and obviously we don't know the whole story but the two releases have turned a source of depth into a somewhat glaring hole.

Little bit of hyperbole, isn't it?

4 6th rounders or later and another who was graded out as a UDFA in the 4th? What kind of success do you expect from that group? Hell, having two of them still in the league in their third years is actually a positive, as was Deaderick, who was good enough start as a rookie 7th round pick. Only Brace stands out as a genuine swing and miss, though you neglected to mention Marquise Hill, who might've been worse than Brace.

Over that same time, however, NE also snagged Mike Wright and Kyle Love who were both very successful UDFAs.

Really, the only conclusion one can draw from that data is that, for whatever reason, NE hasn't invested draft capital on the DL since 2004.

 

[jah]

Didn't read the whole thread but I would say they are committing to a 4-3 base . Love, Pryor, and Deaderick are all 3-4 DL and they got rid of 3 in a week.

Pryor was way more of a 4-3 DL. Too small for 3-4 NT, not mobile enough for 3-4 DE. And Love's release was more about health. That being said, I do agree that they're committing to a 4-3, but I think it's signaled more by players like Bequette and Francis who don't really fit anywhere but 4-3 DE.

 

[Oswlek]

This reminds me of the inexplicable cuts of bmw and sanders. Why cut them now?. Why no wait until training camp. Please don't tell me he saw something from the rookie mini camp were they are no veterans or pads. We have a guy who had heart issues, vince and not much else. Wait until camp cuts around the NFL and if someone else better gets cut then you can release these guys.

The funny thing about those "inexplicable" cuts is that they were entirely justified by season's end. Meriweather was a complete disaster in Chicago and Sanders was an early offseason cut by Atlanta. Ultimately, NE ended up with the #1 seed in the AFC anyway and a playoff defense that didn't miss either safety.

All their releases cost NE was a few spots on the pass defense rankings.

 

[mcmurtry86]

Didn't read the whole thread but I would say they are committing to a 4-3 base . Love, Pryor, and Deaderick are all 3-4 DL and they got rid of 3 in a week.

Pryor was not a 3-4 DL

Love can play either.

 

[Mack Herron]

????

We cut a pure 3-4 DE and a backup NT. And your conclusion is that we're going back to the 3-4?

Agreed. I was thinking that we no longer have anyone who has played 3-4 DE, right?

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

The D just wasn't good enough last year and these two guys - at times - played large roles on defense. It's not like they were the reason the D couldn't deliver when the chips were really down, but - and it's a big but (ha ha, I know) they were never a 'force to be reckoned with.'

I can't say BB is making the D better without Love and Deaderick, but he isn't losing a key cog in either one.

I like them and they were mostly contributors, but I think they generally benefited from being a low pick and a UDFA. Thus even average performance was seen as an accomplishment. The Pats need impact players, not good-story overachievers.

 

[BradyFTW!]

The D just wasn't good enough last year and these two guys - at times - played large roles on defense. It's not like they were the reason the D couldn't deliver when the chips were really down, but - and it's a big but (ha ha, I know) they were never a 'force to be reckoned with.'

I can't say BB is making the D better without Love and Deaderick, but he isn't losing a key cog in either one.

I like them and they were mostly contributors, but I think they generally benefited from being a low pick and a UDFA. Thus even average performance was seen as an accomplishment. The Pats need impact players, not good-story overachievers.

That's the optimistic view. I agree that upgrading guys like Deaderick and Love into genuine starter-caliber players is the correct way to upgrade the defense. I just really hope that the Pats actually do upgrade from these guys, and that we don't end up with another Sanders/Meriweather > Ihedigbo/Barrett situation.

 

[BradyFTW!]

????

We cut a pure 3-4 DE and a backup NT. And your conclusion is that we're going back to the 3-4?

Agreed. Cutting these guys makes a move back to a base 3-4 significantly less likely. They're both holdovers from the 3-4 era, and part of the reason why they were released is probably because don't really have a position outside of that.