pass rush gone?

[mgteich]

If we are worried about our pass rush, we might consider that the following players are not signed for 2017: Ninkovich, Sheard, Long, Collins and Hightower.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Easley's production was all potential anyway. Him being gone lowers the pass rush's ceiling considerably, but it doesn't lower its actual production vs. last year much.

Losing Jones will definitely hurt, how much depends almost entirely on what Long/Grissom/Flowers bring to the table.

 

[JMC00]

If we are worried about our pass rush, we might consider that the following players are not signed for 2017: Ninkovich, Sheard, Long, Collins and Hightower.

Didn't realize the upcoming season was 2017.

 

[PF_SU]

Easley's production was all potential anyway. Him being gone lowers the pass rush's ceiling considerably, but it doesn't lower its actual production vs. last year much.

Losing Jones will definitely hurt, how much depends almost entirely on what Long/Grissom/Flowers bring to the table.

Despite missing all those games Easley was still fourth on the team in pressures with 28. Between Jones, Hicks and Easley we lost 103 of our 300 total pressures of last year. That is quite significant.

 

[jah]

Some people are missing the point by saying that it's no big deal that Easley is gone since he played so little to begin with. I supported trading Jones because players like Easley were going to be a large factor in mitigating the the loss of Jones' production. Now that he is gone as well we are running short of talented bodies on the defensive line.

Came here to say something along these lines.

 

[IllegalContact]

Despite missing all those games Easley was still fourth on the team in pressures with 28. Between Jones, Hicks and Easley we lost 103 of our 300 total pressures of last year. That is quite significant.

 

[DaBruinz]

with CJ and Easley gone - what will the pass rush look like in 2016
and how it will affect the secondary?

last offseason there were tons of doubts/fear about weak CB position
but signing of Sheard hinted improved pass rush would help

i really looked forward last year to finnaly see some serious NE pass rush
its nothing more painful than to wait an eternity for the opposite offence to strike
(especially if your OL cant give your QB 2 seconds)

for sure it was not only the development of Butler (and partly Ryan)
that showed our secondary and CB in particular better than expected

with young and explosive talent now suddenly gone
the effect of sheard might get diminished as well (drawing more attention)
and Butler and Ryan might face a load too heavy
i feel there might be a serious reality check coming their way
(i do trust butler is special but some of his limitations might get exposed)

The Patriots have the draft. They also have Jabaal Sheard, who actually provided more pass rush than Chandler Jones, and Rob Ninkovich as their starters. They also have Chris Long, Geneo Grissom, Rufus Johnson, and Trey Flowers. Johnson and Flowers had their seasons cut short by injury. However, Grissom showed some pass rush.

Thinking that Butler and Ryan will remain stagnant and won't continue to progress shows no faith in them. Reality check? Butler was on opposing teams #1 receiver pretty much all year last year. And Ryan stepped up after Tarell Brown went down. Pretty sure that you aren't giving either player any credit..

The Patriots have also added some decent veteran talent on the D-line in the form of Terence Knighton, Markus Kuhn, and Frank Kearse.

 

[BobDigital]

The pass rush does need to be addressed in this draft. Particularly a pass rush DT is where the biggest impact can be had for us so i would look at those players.

 

[mgteich]

Didn't realize the upcoming season was 2017.

Belichick thinks it important to plan for 2017, both in acquisition of free agents, and in the drafting of players.

There are GM's out there who only focus on the current year. Some focus on the future in some years, and on the present in others. I like Belichick's approach.
==========
I'll be a bit clearer. Do you believe that the future (2017) of Collins, Hightower, Ninkovich, Sheard, and Long (and Ryan, Butler and Harmon) are important to this year's actions for the rest of the off-season?

 

[upstater1]

It sucks that we are now looking to draft a DE/pass rusher again when we really need to look at WR/LB/RBs this year, but I do agree they need a pass rusher badly.

 

[goheels22002]

Didn't realize the upcoming season was 2017.

You missed Super Bowl 51? It was a great game. It looked like the Pats were going to lose until Johnny Manziel rolled out and threw that pass to Randy Moss, and..............

 

[NewFeep]

look for Flowers and Grissom to make some noise, both very good young players......

 

[ashley]

I'm hoping Rufus can continue to improve, he looked really good during preseason last year. With Long, Sheard and Nink, I don't thing our ends will be the problem. Hopefully, we will be able to generate some pressure from up the middle.

 

[NewFeep]

Malcom Brown had himself a solid rookie season. He's not unreasonable to expect a year 2 jump from him.

 

[Kontradiction]

Malcom Brown had himself a solid rookie season. He's not unreasonable to expect a year 2 jump from him.

I wasn't overly impressed with what I saw out of him in his rookie season, to be honest. He looked like he was on skates at the beginning of the season. I will say, though, that he did improve as the year went on and I'm hoping for a big improvement in year two. But I remember being much more impressed by Wilfork in his rookie year than I was with Brown last season. Hopefully another year in an NFL strength program begins to pay dividends.

 

[Fencer]

Interior pass rush from the DL is what's been clobbered, personnel-wise. I wonder whether this portends a scheme change, in which sub packages have lighter personnel than they did last year.

 

[long distance]

I'm hoping Rufus can continue to improve, he looked really good during preseason last year. With Long, Sheard and Nink, I don't thing our ends will be the problem. Hopefully, we will be able to generate some pressure from up the middle.

Long, Nink and Sheard (with more attention coming his way) can give solid pass rush and consistency
but nothing near the serious disruptive one we had last year

Someone will have to step up big time (interior and end) or our secondary will be seriously tested this year.

 

[old 55]

I do think it's reasonable to project Brown, Flowers & Grissom making a jump this season. I don't think it's automatic that we'll drop off when we have players on the roster that will be called upon as next man up. The draft is coming up. Let's see what we add.

 

[Don Kipines]

You never know with Belichick, but sometimes when he makes moves like this, it seems to signal that he wants to clear an opportunity for some binky down the depth chart. Maybe he really likes what he sees from guys like Flowers and Grissom. Otherwise, it's pretty weird to tear almost completely apart what was a pretty good defensive line last year.

 

[Brady6]

look for Flowers and Grissom to make some noise, both very good young players......

I am think Grissom will take over Easley’s role as an inside pass rusher on passing downs.