Linebacker panic thread

[Bertil]

Well returning cast

Starters
Vrabel
Bruschi
Beisel
Colvin

Backups
TBC
Brown
Alexander
Chatham
Izzo
Davis

New Faces
Roach
Mincey

That's 12 linebackers and I'm sure I'm missing some more. I don't see what the panic is about.

Chatham is a J-E-T...

 

[pats1]

Whose panicking? I'll never understand why legitimate discussion of a team's weaknesses equates with panic.

These little discusions are part of the progression of a new season. In October we'll be talking about something else, but for now, this is where we are.

Or we could all just sit around and blow smoke up our asses and talk about what a world beater Chad Brown is.....

And I'll be there in October too.

Remember my "I'm still highly optimistic" thread after the K.C. game?

(It started out "Give it some time. Stay away from the bridges, stand under the sky and feel safe.")

:singing:

 

[spacecrime]

we're doomed

 

[pats1]

we're doomed

No, say it with some spirit:

WE'RE DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED.

There ya go.

...Now it's time for me to get ready and head down to the razor.

 

[italian pat patriot]

personally i agree with Seymour93, SoonerPatriot and Ray Clay.

i never have panicked about the Patriots ad i will not start today but there is a reason to be a little bit concerned at LB position.

imho behind the 4 expected starters there are only much more 'hopes' then 'securities'

but i am 100% sure that our friends BB and SP knows better then us and i am confident the Patriots will be ok at the starting day of the regular season

 

[Welker83]

To say this is not a problem would be an oversight. The important thing to see is it a problem right now, or will it be a problem in the future.

Is it a problem right now? Maybe.
At the begining of last year it was evident that something was wrong. It only got worse when Seymour got injured while moonlighting as a FB. However once Bruschi came back and seymour got healthy the unit definatly began to get better. Did they meet expectation? No. Were they effective enough to win games? Yes. With the same supporting cast coming back you can probably expect them to be either about the same or better. So should this be worried about this year? No, Unless there is an injury to a starter, and then there is plenty to be concerned about.

Is it a problem in the Years to come? Yes.
No matter how good a player is the facts are that one day they will need to be replaced. And it's best to do it in a gradual way so that there is some continuity in the group. If you don't Think BB worries about this then you are delluding yourself. You don't bring 20 LB's to camp in 2005 if your not worried about the unit. As it is BB has to be looking for replacements for Bruschi in 2-3 years and vrabel in 3-4 years based on their age. Even if you don't agree with this you will agree that you need competant back-ups at each LB position. BB has shown great control by not "reaching" for payers in the draft so as not to draft for need. Honestly it's just harder to find good players when more teams are also looking for the same type of guys. Compound that with the fact that most college teams run the 4-3 and the amount of talent is further stretched.

The fact is that BB needs some LB's and he has not been able to get them so far. In the end BB may be forsed to either "reach" or even "overpay" to get in some talent that definatly will be needed. Or if he is patient he may get someone to just fall right to him...