Patriots interest in Maualuga

[Canada's #1 Pats Fan]

Or, perhaps the Pats are inflating their interest in RM in the hopes that another team takes him so that their prized target (whomever that is) is still there.

 

[alvinnf]

Or, perhaps the Pats are inflating their interest in RM in the hopes that another team takes him so that their prized target (whomever that is) is still there.

Actually that sounds about right, but one can dream.....

 

[Warren94]

It also sez in the article he is very stiff in the hips and not that good in coverage. don't like the move but what do I know

 

[Patriot Missile]

Signing Peppers would really improve our pass rushing abilities. But I love that idea of having Wilfork out on passing downs and have big sey and peppers and green on the line.

The interchanging parts and schemes could be endless. I look forward to playing every team on our schedule this season. It's a good feeling knowing that every team will have to play the game of their lives to beat us.

 

[rookBoston]

It also sez in the article he is very stiff in the hips and not that good in coverage. don't like the move but what do I know

As tho McGinest wasn't stiff in the hips and awkward in coverage!

We wouldn't bring Peppers in to cover the slot receiver. He's not a 240#er. He's listed over 280#... that's bigger than Adalius. He's the new elephant.

Really, with OLBs that big, calling it a 3-4 is a bit of a misnomer... Thomas and Peppers are as big or bigger than most 4-3 DEs, it's more like we're running a 5-2 than anything.

Which is why pairing Mayo with a guy like Maualuga is so tantalizing. Size, strength and athleticism across each of the front seven. Please, let it be so.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

As tho McGinest wasn't stiff in the hips and awkward in coverage!

We wouldn't bring Peppers in to cover the slot receiver. He's not a 240#er. He's listed over 280#... that's bigger than Adalius. He's the new elephant.

Really, with OLBs that big, calling it a 3-4 is a bit of a misnomer... Thomas and Peppers are as big or bigger than most 4-3 DEs, it's more like we're running a 5-2 than anything.

Which is why pairing Mayo with a guy like Maualuga is so tantalizing. Size, strength and athleticism across each of the front seven. Please, let it be so.

BB won a superbowl with Otis (7.6 in the forty) Smith at CB. It is all about knowing a player's strengths and weaknesses and putting them in position to make plays.

What if this leak is a ploy by BB to get the Jets to make a splash and mortgage the future for Cutler. Sweeeeeetttttt!!!!!!

 

[PatsAttack]

The pats will be so far ahead in every game this year it wont even matter that they could potentially have a great front 7.

The opponent will be in passing downs all game and the pats will be in a nickel pass rush to let the defense rest every week, until it starts to get cold and the games start to get closer.

REY will absolutely be the run stuffer they didnt have last year.

Cannot wait till draft day.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

The pats will be so far ahead in every game this year it wont even matter that they could potentially have a great front 7.

The opponent will be in passing downs all game and the pats will be in a nickel pass rush to let the defense rest every week, until it starts to get cold and the games start to get closer.

REY will absolutely be the run stuffer they didnt have last year.

Cannot wait till draft day.

With a healthy Galloway running go routes on the outside opposite Moss, he has a ton of opportunity to beat single coverage deep. It is realistic to expect the Pats (provided Brady is healthy and knocks all the rust off) to have a more potent pass attack than in 2007. It could translate into big time point totals.

 

[BPF]

Ochmed Jones BB won a superbowl with Otis (7.6 in the forty) Smith at CB. It is all about knowing a player's strengths and weaknesses and putting them in position to make plays.

Hey....don't trash my man O-T-I-S. He made himself into a solid pro after not getting drafted. He retired as a member of the Patriots in 2005 after a solid 13-yr career. Was a SB Champ w/the Pats (XXXVI) and had some pretty good career totals w/: 543 tackles, 29 Int's and 7 TD's. Played for the Pats in 1996, 2000-2002 and I thought he was solid for us. He wasn't a burner but if I remember correctly he was a 4.5 guy.

 

[DocE]

The info on Rey Maualuga seemed to be the least believable aspect of the NFL.com article. I highly doubt that a team picking no.23 would make their interest in a first round player known more than a month prior to the draft. It's my understanding that teams are still in fact finding mode and don't really set their draft boards until about 2 weeks prior to the draft.

Last year, the Patriots strong interest in Mayo did get out, but not until 2-3 days prior to the draft.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Last night I put 3 draft guides side by side to see what they said about Rey. 2 out 0f 3 questioned his temperment and his ability to stay within the game plan (free lance like Junior did early in his career)

They also said that although he could paly ILB in a 3-4, he would be a better fit as a MLB in a 4-3.

Just throwing that in for what it's worth.

 

[bucky]

The info on Rey Maualuga seemed to be the least believable aspect of the NFL.com article. I highly doubt that a team picking no.23 would make their interest in a first round player known more than a month prior to the draft. It's my understanding that teams are still in fact finding mode and don't really set their draft boards until about 2 weeks prior to the draft.

Last year, the Patriots strong interest in Mayo did get out, but not until 2-3 days prior to the draft.

I would go even so far as to say that this Maualuga info took all the credibility out of the ENTIRE article and made it seem like it was made up on some message board and "leaked". "Phase 1 ..., Phase 2..., Phase 3..."

 

[tanked_as_usual]

the peppers thing is a 'ruse' and the maualuga thing is a 'ruse'

if the pats are publicly talking about a draft pick now, its not the one they want

 

[MetalBleachers]

the peppers thing is a 'ruse' and the maualuga thing is a 'ruse'

if the pats are publicly talking about a draft pick now, its not the one they want

We don't know if it was the Pats talking (not sure I believe all the "leaking to the media" stuff about BB to set the market), but I'm sticking to my theory from another post that the Pats have their eye on someone we're not really talking about right now. Not Maualuga. Not even Barwin (although I think he'll get snapped up if he's still there at 34).

I think he'll go outside our predictions and get an OL in the first, followed by all defense in the second. I also believe he has his eye on an ILB on Day Two who will come in and contribute as part of a rotation.

How many of us saw the Mayo pick coming? We all thought of DBs or maybe Keith Rivers, didn't we?

 

[mayoclinic]

We don't know if it was the Pats talking (not sure I believe all the "leaking to the media" stuff about BB to set the market), but I'm sticking to my theory from another post that the Pats have their eye on someone we're not really talking about right now. Not Maualuga. Not even Barwin (although I think he'll get snapped up if he's still there at 34).

I think he'll go outside our predictions and get an OL in the first, followed by all defense in the second. I also believe he has his eye on an ILB on Day Two who will come in and contribute as part of a rotation.

How many of us saw the Mayo pick coming? We all thought of DBs or maybe Keith Rivers, didn't we?

I agree with you, I wouldn't be surprised if BB has his eye on someone totally under the radar. Robert Ayers is one possibility, as he played with Mayo at Tennessee. Just a guess.

Usually when the Pats are public about showing interest in someone they don't end up going in that direction. Channing Crowder comes to mind.

I also think you're right about OL in the first and all defense in the 2nd round. I'm hoping for William Beatty at 23, and then some combination of Barwin/Ayers/Matthews/English/Sintim at LB and Delmas/Smith/Moore/Chung at S.

 

[Synovia]

Which is why pairing Mayo with a guy like Maualuga is so tantalizing. Size, strength and athleticism across each of the front seven. Please, let it be so.

The problem is, if you move to that 5-2, you really need a guy like Mayo in both the SILB and WILB spots, and I don't think Mauluga moves well enough.

 

[mayoclinic]

The problem is, if you move to that 5-2, you really need a guy like Mayo in both the SILB and WILB spots, and I don't think Mauluga moves well enough.

If you are correct about that, then does a guy like James Laurinaitis actually make sense for the Pats? I've never been on the Laurinaitis bandwagon - nice player but basically a lesser version of Mayo without the traditional 3-4 ILB strengths, particularly for SILB. Never thought he was a good fit for the Pats (including last year, before we got Mayo). But if you want a more mobile pair at ILB, then Laurinaitis-Mayo (with Guyton backing up both) might make sense. Adalius Thomas could move inside to SILB when you want more beef.

Just a thought. A front 5 of Peppers-Warren-Wilfork-Seymour-Thomas and an inside 2 of Mayo and Laurinaitis might be interesting. Don't know if it would work, but it's worth thinking about.

 

[Synovia]

If you are correct about that, then does a guy like James Laurinaitis actually make sense for the Pats? I've never been on the Laurinaitis bandwagon - nice player but basically a lesser version of Mayo without the traditional 3-4 ILB strengths, particularly for SILB. Never thought he was a good fit for the Pats (including last year, before we got Mayo). But if you want a more mobile pair at ILB, then Laurinaitis-Mayo (with Guyton backing up both) might make sense. Adalius Thomas could move inside to SILB when you want more beef.

Just a thought. A front 5 of Peppers-Warren-Wilfork-Seymour-Thomas and an inside 2 of Mayo and Laurinaitis might be interesting. Don't know if it would work, but it's worth thinking about.

I don't think Lauranitis works either, atleast not as a first rounder.

Now, if hes there at the end of the 2nd, he'd probably make a great rotational guy with guyton.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

How many of us saw the Mayo pick coming? We all thought of DBs or maybe Keith Rivers, didn't we?

"All?" No, I think "all" isn't quite accurate, though the Mayo groupies weren't active until after the Combine when the real height/weight numbers started coming out. Rivers was falling off boards because he dumped a lot of weight between the Senior Bowl and Combine, while Mayo weighed in a solid 242, 12 lbs heavier then his roster numbers from Tennessee. Mayo had been part of my reading going back to November of 2007.

Chris Long was my personal favorite in the last draft, but Mayo was my #1 ILB by Mid-April and several people had him as a Patriot option in patchick's draft contest.

As for this year, I watched a lot more college ball and identified Barwin back in November. Since then he's gone from a 4th-5th round projection to a 1st-2nd projection. Maualuga has been a fan favorite here since the end of the 2007 college season - the moans of agony when he declined to come out as a junior were legion. He's been a solid first round projection (and often Top 10) since he beat Lua out of a job, yet I can't see that his game has improved in that time, if anything, it's slipped a little. His stock has certainly slipped if people can comfortably project him to be available at #23.

 

[mayoclinic]

"All?" No, I think "all" isn't quite accurate, though the Mayo groupies weren't active until after the Combine when the real height/weight numbers started coming out. Rivers was falling off boards because he dumped a lot of weight between the Senior Bowl and Combine, while Mayo weighed in a solid 242, 12 lbs heavier then his roster numbers from Tennessee. Mayo had been part of my reading going back to November of 2007.

Chris Long was my personal favorite in the last draft, but Mayo was my #1 ILB by Mid-April and several people had him as a Patriot option in patchick's draft contest.

As for this year, I watched a lot more college ball and identified Barwin back in November. Since then he's gone from a 4th-5th round projection to a 1st-2nd projection. Maualuga has been a fan favorite here since the end of the 2007 college season - the moans of agony when he declined to come out as a junior were legion. He's been a solid first round projection (and often Top 10) since he beat Lua out of a job, yet I can't see that his game has improved in that time, if anything, it's slipped a little. His stock has certainly slipped if people can comfortably project him to be available at #23.

I would agree with most of this. As early as the fall of 2007 I was reading posts suggesting that Mayo would end up being a better ILB prospect than either Laurinaitis or Maualuga (heresy at the time). The problem for the Pats was that going into the combine Mayo was billed as a 230# ILB. He showed up a solid 242 and blazed a 4.53 50, and from then on got serious consideration.

Of course, since no one really expected Chris Long to fall last year, Mayo was mainly lost in the downpour of sentiment favoring Vernon Gholston for the Pats, with CB and OL the next most likely options. Rivers, Mayo and all other LB options were generally considered consolation prizes, with rumors swirling that Vrabel and worked out with Gholston and raved about him, etc. It wasn't until the last week prior to the draft that Mayo appeared as a serious candidate for the Pats' preferred choice.