Lance Briggs: FA Want List?

[Brady-To-Branch]

I'm sorry if I'm wrong, but weren't the best linebackers gone before the Pats were on the clock ???
Bill always said, he'll grab the best player available when it's his turn, which seems to work pretty well !! I like our new running back. I understand the need at linebacker is scary, but I wasn't scared until Jr broke his arm ! I suspect Bill will figure something out

According to rumor, the Pats wanted Bobby Carpenter but Minnesota wouldn't trade down. Carpenter rarely plays. Even after Ellis' injury, Carpenter can't get on the field.

If there was one LB I would have liked the Pats to get in last April's draft, it was Demeco Ryans, who went #1 in the 2nd to Houston and is now their starting MLB.

 

[Seneschal2]

Y'all forget that Belichick was the DC under Tuna when the Pats drafted Tedy Bruschi. He started the conversion to DE, situational rusher and OLB. I'm certain thart he had input on drafting Tedy. It wasn't until he returned in 2000 as HC that he moved him inside to ILB and stardom.

So Tedy is a draftee (3rd round) and a four year transition to LB.

And in the famous words of Bobby Grier:

"We project him to be an inside linebacker. He's very competitive and he's very instinctive. He's very smart."

:eat3:

 

[Miguel]

Miguel, do you have any Bears cap info?

I was able to find some cap-related info on the Bears.

http://www.ianwhetstone.com/football/CHICap.xls
http://www.theredzone.org/2007/freeagents/showteam.asp?Team=Bears

The Bears already have 52 players signed for the 2007 season. I see no reason why the Bears would not franchise Briggs.

 

[Brady-To-Branch]

I was able to find some cap-related info on the Bears.

http://www.ianwhetstone.com/football/CHICap.xls
http://www.theredzone.org/2007/freeagents/showteam.asp?Team=Bears

The Bears already have 52 players signed for the 2007 season. I see no reason why the Bears would not franchise Briggs.

Thanks!

 

[DaBruinz]

Y'all forget that Belichick was the DC under Tuna when the Pats drafted Tedy Bruschi. He started the conversion to DE, situational rusher and OLB. I'm certain thart he had input on drafting Tedy. It wasn't until he returned in 2000 as HC that he moved him inside to ILB and stardom.

Just a point of information, Tedy didn't make the transistion to ILB until 2001. During the 2000 season, Tedy was the starting WOLB.

http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=153

So Tedy is a draftee (3rd round) and a four year transition to LB. TBC is a draftee (7th) and a four year project who is now seeing snaps.

Any draftee at LB that they pick is probably a 2 or 3 year project as well. thats why he wants someone else to pay the tuition first.

I think that they had high hopes for Jeremy Mincey. The problem was that Mincey came in with the attitude that the wouldn't have to work as hard because he'd have 2-3 years to develop. BB didn't like that attitude and cut him.

Any LB that comes in to the system, needs to come in with the attitude that he needs to be going "Full Tilt / Full Time." The LB can't assume that because he'll have time to develop, that he doesn't have to give 110%. The Pats want someone who is going to contribute right away, but on special teams and then develop into a starter. Its how Bruschi developed.

 

[DaBruinz]

According to rumor, the Pats wanted Bobby Carpenter but Minnesota wouldn't trade down. Carpenter rarely plays. Even after Ellis' injury, Carpenter can't get on the field.

If there was one LB I would have liked the Pats to get in last April's draft, it was Demeco Ryans, who went #1 in the 2nd to Houston and is now their starting MLB.

Ryans is the Texans starting MLB in their 4-3 offense. They don't use the 3-4. There is no telling whether or not Ryans would have the success in the Pats system that he's having in the Texans system.

 

[Brady-To-Branch]

Ryans is the Texans starting MLB in their 4-3 offense. They don't use the 3-4. There is no telling whether or not Ryans would have the success in the Pats system that he's having in the Texans system.

Right, but he had good instincts and playing 4-3 MLB is similar to ILB in the 3-4. The only significant difference is size. That's why the Pats would use a player like Briggs or Ryans on the Weak ILB spot (opposite the TE).

 

[DaBruinz]

Right, but he had good instincts and playing 4-3 MLB is similar to ILB in the 3-4. The only significant difference is size. That's why the Pats would use a player like Briggs or Ryans on the Weak ILB spot (opposite the TE).

Briggs plays OLB for the Bears. Ryans plays MLB.

If the position of ILB and MLB were so similar, then the Patriots could Plug & Play whomever they wanted into the ILB position. That just isn't the case.

MLBs need to have VERY GOOD sideline to sideline speed and don't have to worry, as much, about taking on guards because the D-line takes out the O-line. ILBs don't need the same sideline to sideline speed as MLBs. However, the ILBs need to have the strength and/or agility to fight off guards who make it to the second level.

Its a very common misconception that Good MLBs can make good ILBs. That just isn't the case.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Briggs is 6-1 240 and he's a beast tackler. He doesn't register a lot of sacks though. So I'm thinking he'd fit in as a run plugger. He's also only 26 years old. The Pats shelled out for Colvin, they'll probably make a play on Briggs.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

According to rumor, the Pats wanted Bobby Carpenter but Minnesota wouldn't trade down. Carpenter rarely plays. Even after Ellis' injury, Carpenter can't get on the field.

If there was one LB I would have liked the Pats to get in last April's draft, it was Demeco Ryans, who went #1 in the 2nd to Houston and is now their starting MLB.

This was the first i have heard of this rumor. When did it start?

 

[cstjohn17]

Re: Thomas (NY Jets) extended

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2682516

If Bryan Thomas gets $25 with $9 up front, what are Briggs and Adalius Thomas going to get?

We are going to see a lot of money being spent on FAs, and a lot of it will leave us scratching our heads...

 

[smg93]

Re: Thomas (NY Jets) extended

True, but every year we scratch our heads at the new contracts these FA's are receiving. It's nothing new. There has long been a belief that the Pats don't go after FA's because they cost a lot of money. That of course isn't entirely true as has been mentioned in earlier posts. Heck, we even went after that WR (whose name escapes me at the moment) who went to the Ravens instead.

What in fact BB/Pioli do I believe is try and make sure that the big name FA's they go after are players who will have a clear impact on this team. It's one thing to draft 6, 7, or 8 players out of college and let go more than half of them each year, and another altogether to make wrong decisions in the FA market. The former doesn't cost us a lot in terms of salary cap room and the latter kills a teams salary cap structure if the FA turns out to be a bust.

That's why it's so important to get the right FA and which is also why you don't see the Patriots in the FA market year in and year out. They have to pick and choose players they want to bring in to make the team better and to avoid the busts that lead teams to salary cap hell. This is why I believe they'll make a play for Briggs. After seeing him last sunday, i was very impressed. I think he's the type of player who will make an immediate positive impact on the Patriots defense. He is the type of player who could be dangerous in multiple positions and has a tremendous amount of flexibility as a football player.

 

[mcbee]

Re: Thomas (NY Jets) extended

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2682516

If Bryan Thomas gets $25 with $9 up front, what are Briggs and Adalius Thomas going to get?

We are going to see a lot of money being spent on FAs, and a lot of it will leave us scratching our heads...

That's kind of funny about Thomas. If he hadn't played in a 3-4 this year, he wouldn't be looking at anywhere near that kind of money. Then BB could pick him up on the cheap and everyone would be talking about how he found another diamond in the rough.

Just goes to show that 3-4 and 4-3 are different systems.

Athletic, smaller DE...hmmm. Maybe there are some in the draft.

The Pats have alot of cap space, I could see them paying a LB money like that.

 

[Ice Cold Bruschi]

Adalius Thomas has Patriot player written allllll over him as does London Fletcher, Briggs is overrated in my opinion, playing behind that line and next to Urlacher + a great secondary.

 

[Miguel]

Re: Thomas (NY Jets) extended

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2682516

If Bryan Thomas gets $25 with $9 up front, what are Briggs and Adalius Thomas going to get?

We are going to see a lot of money being spent on FAs, and a lot of it will leave us scratching our heads...

I am always wary of commenting on a deal without knowing the details. For instance, does Thomas have to make all of his incentives to get the $25 million???

 

[BradyManny]

Maybe I'm thinking way too far ahead, but my biggest concern would be keeping in mind that long term we're going to want to spend a lot of money to keep Warren, Wilfork and Seymour as our DL. I wouldn't want to go crazy in the FAs over the next two offseasons and then realize we don't have the money to keep Ty & Vince around.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Maybe I'm thinking way too far ahead, but my biggest concern would be keeping in mind that long term we're going to want to spend a lot of money to keep Warren, Wilfork and Seymour as our DL. I wouldn't want to go crazy in the FAs over the next two offseasons and then realize we don't have the money to keep Ty & Vince around.

Very good point, plus on a lesser note you have Wilson.