Pats sign Chargers FA safety Steve Gregory

[b72s]

A younger version of Jim Leohnard?

 

[patsfan13]

Our problem at safety is our need for both a starter and for depth. So, we are indeed answering part of the problem by signing Gregory.

starters: Chung, open
backups: Barrett (from IR), open
ST: Brown

IMO Ihedibo fills one of the backup slots and the ST slot Brown may be out (projecting 5 CB's), Gilmore for a starter role at FS.

 

[Major **********]

I am happy that the Patriots signed a safety with starting experience, FS experience at that....a huge upgrade over what we had before...which was a ST and a failed corner playing safety.

Huge upgrade? Based on what? Just because he started for a team doesn't mean he is good or better than the crap we were throwing against the wall last year.

 

[Rob0729]

My god people, I swear there is always one poster who compares a new signing to Vrabel. Hate to brake it to you folks, but Vrabel was signed 10 years ago, and still no new Vrabel. The career special teamers that we sign tend to be exactly career special teamers. Maybe Ninkovich is a slight acception

I was talking Gregory, not Matthew Slater. Gregory is not a career special teamer. Gregory started 13 games last year. The problem was he was out of position at SS. He started 18 other games during his career. That is not a career special teamer.

If you actually read my post, I said specifically that I didn't expect him to be an impact player like Vrabel. I was giving the best case example of the Pats acquiring a guy like Gregory. I also mentioned multiple examples beyond Vrabel of the Pats turning career back ups/journeymen like Patten, Andruzzi, Hamilton, Connolly, etc. who came to the Pats and far exceeded expectations because they were given a shot in a new system.

It isn't unique to the Pats but many times players who are unremarkable at one team goes to another and becomes a good or great player. Gregory's skill set seems to be better suited as a FS in a read and react defense like the Pats rather than a SS in an aggressive defense like the Chargers have. He may never amount to anything, but I am cautiously optimistic. I don't expect him to turn into Ed Reed, but he could end up being a solid starter.

Just like your "well informed" and "brilliant" thread bashing the Pats for opting to take the $1.8 million (really was $1.6 million) in cap dollars gained from the Redskins/Cowboys' penalty this year rather than next (no team was given such an option) because if they don't spend it they will lose it (factually incorrect because they can just push it to 2013's cap), you are showing your "superior" football knowledge schooling me with the fact that a guy with 31 career starts is a career special teamer.

 

[patsfan13]

Huge upgrade? Based on what? Just because he started for a team doesn't mean he is good or better than the crap we were throwing against the wall last year.

I take it you didn't watch any games last year....

 

[IllegalContact]

gregory has not always proven to be very good in coverage. his size may not say SS, but it appears his ability does

 

[Rob0729]

gregory has not always proven to be very good in coverage. his size may not say SS, but it appears his ability does

He also played in a system where he is supposed to be aggressive over reading and reacting although his strength from what I have read is more of a read and react type of skills. His coverage skills could improve quite a bit in another system. Maybe not, but I wouldn't write him off just yet.

 

[Major **********]

I take it you didn't watch any games last year....

I take it you have watched every game Steve Gregory has started in his career...

 

[IllegalContact]

He also played in a system where he is supposed to be aggressive over reading and reacting although his strength from what I have read is more of a read and react type of skills. His coverage skills could improve quite a bit in another system. Maybe not, but I wouldn't write him off just yet.

not writing him off...but there are concerns in coverage

 

[Big-T]

I take it you have watched every game Steve Gregory has started in his career...

There is no way he's worse than Sergio Brown or James Ihedigbo.

 

[Major **********]

There is no way he's worse than Sergio Brown or James Ihedigbo.

And there is nothing to guarantee he is much better either. Just because you go from a 1 to a 3 on a scale of 1-10 doesnt mean you got that much better. I'm just trying to figure how he is a huge upgrade. Just because he started for a team that was not named New England Patriots? What was his competition for that starting spot?

 

[TheComeback]

Other than "In BB We Trust", is there any evidence this guy is better than any of our safeties last year? $2-3 million/year seems like an awful lot of money for a guy that does not seem to have been a playmaker at any point in his college and pro career. 29 yrs old seems a little late to hope he can turn into something. He's been a JAG his entire career, so I can only assume that's what we'll get from him this season. He doesn't make any plays, but I'm sure he's "coachable, smart, hard working, loves football, insert any other BB adjective here".

Well, the evidence evidence in the film room. I'm sure you've studied it extensively.

 

[JMarr]

It blows me away when fans are so stingy/upset about how much money the Pats spent on some guy who isn't a big name . Also the idea of 'how can this guy be an upgrade over Ihedigbo/Barrett/Sergio Brown if he played for a bad team and I've never heard of him?'

Gregory sounds like a great under-the-radar find. Everyone agrees that FS was THE weakest position on the team last year and hopefully this solves a huge problem, especially given the alternatives:

Moving up in the draft in a year when the safety crop is horrible and throw a rookie in at FS? nope

LaRon Landry? Way overrated and overpriced.

Re-signing James Sanders? ummm, no.

Then again, our friend Brandon Meriweather was available. :bricks:

 

[Deus Irae]

It blows me away when fans are so stingy/upset about how much money the Pats spent on some guy who isn't a big name . Also the idea of 'how can this guy be an upgrade over Ihedigbo/Barrett/Sergio Brown if he played for a bad team and I've never heard of him?'

Gregory sounds like a great under-the-radar find. Everyone agrees that FS was THE weakest position on the team last year and hopefully this solves a huge problem, especially given the alternatives:

Moving up in the draft in a year when the safety crop is horrible and throw a rookie in at FS? nope

LaRon Landry? Way overrated and overpriced.

Re-signing James Sanders? ummm, no.

Then again, our friend Brandon Meriweather was available. :bricks:

It blows me away when some poster thinks that a starter from a recent rival is somehow an "under the radar" find.

 

[JMarr]

Also, by all accounts Gregory is smart, good at route recognition, a hard-worker, good tackler, and plays with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. In other words, a little bit like #37 was.... Sounds good to me.

 

[ATippett56]

Moving up in the draft in a year when the safety crop is horrible and throw a rookie in at FS?

Overall the safety crop is weak however the top end safeties could be a significant upgrade to Gregory, Ihedigbo, Brown, Slater, etc.

NFL Draft - 2012 NFL Draft Prospects - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

Strong Safety
Mark Barron
Harrison Smith

NFL Draft - 2012 NFL Draft Prospects - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

Free Safety
Markelle Martin

 

[JMarr]

It blows me away when some poster thinks that a starter from a recent rival is somehow an "under the radar" find.

Yeah, San Diego has been relevant since.....about 2007?

And having been a starter for exactly one entire season and racking up zero Pro Bowls, he has definitely established himself as one of the top tier safeties in the NFL.

 

[JMarr]

Overall the safety crop is weak however the top end safeties could be a significant upgrade to Gregory, Ihedigbo, Brown, Slater, etc.

NFL Draft - 2012 NFL Draft Prospects - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

Strong Safety
Mark Barron
Harrison Smith

NFL Draft - 2012 NFL Draft Prospects - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

Free Safety
Markelle Martin

Don't get me wrong--they might draft one of them and I'm all for it as long as they don't move up out of desperation. But hell will freeze over before BB starts a rookie at FS.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Don't get me wrong--they might draft one of them and I'm all for it as long as they don't move up out of desperation. But hell will freeze over before BB starts a rookie at FS.

Eugene Wilson
and he got a SB ring as a rookie

 

[ATippett56]

And having been a starter for exactly one entire season and racking up zero Pro Bowls, he has definitely established himself as one of the top tier safeties in the NFL.

The only free safety left available in unrestricted free agency to my knowledge that is worth anything is Reggie Nelson. I seriously suspect the New England Patriots will draft a safety either in the first round in the 2012 NFL Draft or with the second round draft pick acquired from Oakland in the 2012 NFL Draft.