Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday [UPDATE: Reiss: It's Monday]

[MrBigglesWorth]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

We can't draft college linebackers cause they're too small. He's listed 228.

He plays in a 4-3. We're already pretty stocked on old linebackers. I'm sorry, still baffled.

I'd just as soon draft someone and put them in the lineup with Woods and make them learn while we put Seau and Bruschi on the PUP til mid season.

I hear ya. Why would you PUP those two? I doubt the Pats can get away with anything anymore unless it's legit.

I long for the days when the Pats were boring.

I'd draft someone and throw them into the fire. You just need to draft the right guy.

I hope they introduce at least one rookie into the rotation whether it's ILB or OLB.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

you me and all 31 teams would love to have jason taylor but they will not trade or cut him hes still a 15 puls sack guy

I was being a bit sarcastic.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

Okay, someone has to say it some time... There's always the possibility of the switch to the 4-3. The call for "Fresh young legs in the LB corps" is just an annual ritual, so I don't even bother with it any more. "Young" for the Pats is 27-30 at this position. As another poster said, the Pats' LB corps seems to be a veterans only club. Z. Thomas has the skills and smarts to contribute, if not the size and speed to star. Then again, when was the last time anyone "starred" for the Pats other than TFB?

In BB we trust, of course... what's a mad scientist without a few new AND recycled gizmos rattling and twitching around in the lab?

Before we started seeing nothing but crap about our team in the press, this was a great time of year... trying to figure out how the mad scientist was going to bolt everything together.

We can not play a 4-3. We would need two speed guys at D-End. We saw the last drive of the SB when we couldn't get the QB.

We need just a little more speed at linebacker. We're right there. Adding just a little youth will put us over the top.

 

[drew4008]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

I'll be satisfied if only for the reason that Miami fans would be totally pissed off about it. I hate Miami so much. Hate the city, hate the team.

 

[RayClay]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

I hear ya. Why would you PUP those two? I doubt the Pats can get away with anything anymore unless it's legit.

I long for the days when the Pats were boring.

I'd draft someone and throw them into the fire. You just need to draft the right guy.

I hope they introduce at least one rookie into the rotation whether it's ILB or OLB.

At their age you could say they had gout or something, who could doubt it? I'm sorry, I really don't have faith we can cover somebody in the short zone by the end of the game anymore, or contain a real quick back.

Ponce De Leon couldn't find it and I don't think we have either.

 

[RayClay]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

I thought we didn't draft them b/c they're not experienced enough to play our system.

I thought he's done well in the 3-4 under Saban.

Couldn't Thomas be more effective than Seau or Bruschi in that same role?

I'm not positive about any of these things, they're just what I've heard/thought.

Our linebackers need to shed offensive linemen. That's why we usually convert defensive ends. Thomas was small for a college linebacker.

 

[stinkypete]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

We need young ILBs to build around, but no rookie short of Vernon Gholston or Dan Conner will help us in 2008. We need a hungry vet to bridge the gap.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

We need young ILBs to build around, but no rookie short of Vernon Gholston or Dan Conner will help us in 2008. We need a hungry vet to bridge the gap.

we've been saying this for how many years?

 

[PATRIOT64]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

Aren't some of you guys the same clowns who said that signing Seau was not smart at 37?

When all he did was lead the Patriots in tackles in several games the past 2 years and if he didn't get injured last year he might have had more.

Give Thomas a shot,The team has nothing to lose - let the FO decide,all you can do is sit by your little keyboard with no power to do anything about the team Jeesh...

 

[groundgame]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

I am really looking forward to some potentially good news.

I'm waiting for a NYC writer to report that Babe Parilli wore questionable looking spikes that were the deciding factor in a 1964 win over the Houston Oilers.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

Cant say i dislike the move if they sign him.

I would actually love the move.

 

[fumbrunner]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

We need young ILBs to build around, but no rookie short of Vernon Gholston or Dan Conner will help us in 2008. We need a hungry vet to bridge the gap.

I beg to differ. Gholston could be an impact OLB as could Calvin Pace, allowing Vrabel to move back inside with Thomas. Are you telling me you wouldnt be comfortable with Gholston or Pace/Colvin on the outside and Vrabel/Thomas on the inside with Seau and or Bruschi subbing in??

I'd say that is pretty solid, without the undersize, old, concussion-prone Thomas

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

I beg to differ. Gholston could be an impact OLB as could Calvin Pace, allowing Vrabel to move back inside with Thomas. Are you telling me you wouldnt be comfortable with Gholston or Pace/Colvin on the outside and Vrabel/Thomas on the inside with Seau and or Bruschi subbing in??

I'd say that is pretty solid, without the undersize, old, concussion-prone Thomas

But then your relying on someone who has never played the system on the outside to play at a pretty much full time basis.

What i would rather have is Vrabel/Colvin with either a Pace or Gholston subbing in.

And some kind of crazy tag team of AD, Bruschi, Zach Thomas or Seau with a rookie subbing in as well.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

Perhaps Belichick has read my posts about employing double safeties ...
I have no info ... but I have been intrigued for several years wondering when he would attempt it. what better way to experiment than with a 1-year veteran. Not sure of his cover skills but only 1 safety would need to do that anyways.

 

[BHSL2]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

A lot of you guys say he is undersized for the 3-4, but you can have an undersized 3-4 ILB if the SILB and the 3 d-linemen control the o-line. Thomas would most likely play WILB, a position where 3-4 ILBS make a lot of plays (due to the athleticism the position features). AD did an excellent job this year in controlling the middle with his strength when he played SILB, and that freed up Seau, Colvin, and Vrabel to make plays. I see no reason Zach Thomas can't do the same once AD goes back to the middle. What does worry me is his concussion history, but we will see.

Imagine Michael Boley playing WILB for us...

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

Mr Bigglesworth, you're probably right that a 4-3 is a mistake w/current personnel... although it is also an apparent mistake to pick up a Z. Thomas with a standard 3-4 alignment. I saw a post earlier saying basically that if everything else adjusts you can use a small guy in that alignment... and I believe something like that would happen.

Being somewhat less clever, I'll let BB adjust the Xs and Os. I agree w/your assessment that this is a good defense, and there is no need or desire to tear down and start over.

I disagree that we "just need a leeeetle more" to get over some hump. I don't think that's the case. I think we just need to always get better... this year, you can hardly go out trying to sign wideouts (watch them make me eat my words when they pick up Chad Johnson for a fifth round pick and a million bucks a year...)

PFnV

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

Sign Thomas, draft LB's, OL and CB in the middle/lower rounds, resign Gay and draft Kenny Phillips out of Miami in the 1st round. BB loves those Canes safeties and Phillips is taller 6' 2", has more bulk 210 lbs yet is faster 4.45/40 than Brandon Meriweather was in college. Rodney is coming back for one more year so it'll be a perfect set-up for him to tutor the Patriots safety duo of the future.
Don't be surprised if the Patriots trade down a few notches in the 1st round, pick up another lower round pick with the trade and then take Phillips in their 1st round pick.
Everyone is saying Gholston so you know the Pats won't be picking him.

 

[sebman2112]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

I beg to differ. Gholston could be an impact OLB as could Calvin Pace, allowing Vrabel to move back inside with Thomas. Are you telling me you wouldnt be comfortable with Gholston or Pace/Colvin on the outside and Vrabel/Thomas on the inside with Seau and or Bruschi subbing in??

I'd say that is pretty solid, without the undersize, old, concussion-prone Thomas

He said "No rookie short of". Meaning, the only rookie LB's he thinks would have a solid impact on the 2008 season are Gholston and Connor (I don't agree by the way). In any case it should now be somewhat obvious that you didn't quite understand his point.

Also, Vrabel doesn't like playing ILB, and has said he'd like to remain at OLB from now on. If you remember, his back injury came while playing ILB.

 

[d.finn.patsfan.]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

just to clear a few things up:

- I'm pretty sure Saban ran a 3-4/4-3 hybrid at Miami

- Thomas would be a good fit at WILB (weak inside linebacker). I find it amusing that Ted Johnson thinks Thomas wouldn't be a good fit seeing as he never played at WILB in his entire career.

- In Belichick i trust:rocker:

i would love to have Thomas here.

 

[BHSL2]

Re: Larry Ridley: Zach Thomas visiting Pats on Sunday

Saban ran a 4-3 over defense, which looked a lot like the 3-4.