Post your current roster projections

[pats1]

Looks like Guyton is your answer. Interesting, as he looked better at ILB last year but I'm not questioning you, I never get to go to camp.

Again, Guyton has been the WLB on the field in practice to this point. He's an athletic guy; he'll be fine playing WLB. Was his college position anyway.

 

[Deus Irae]

No; the base defense (i.e. early downs) has been a 4-man line with Wilfork, Seymour, Warren, and Brace.

This isn't just conjecture. This is what the Pats have been doing for the past two weeks in camp. I've seen it firsthand.

I understand what you're saying, and I know what they've been running. My hope is that they will now start back practicing with the 3-4 after getting the elements of 4-3 work down. I don't like having Seymour and Warren exposed as 4-3 ends, and that's what could very well happen against a passing team.

 

[pats1]

I understand what you're saying, and I know what they've been running. My hope is that they will now start back practicing with the 3-4 after getting the elements of 4-3 work down. I don't like having Seymour and Warren exposed as 4-3 ends, and that's what could very well happen against a passing team.

We're more than halfway through camp. I have a hard time believing the Pats have played almost exclusively a four-man front through 18 straight practices "just to get 4-3 work down." What they install in camp is the foundation for the year's defense. If you want to just mess around with some 4-3 fronts, you get that work done after you get the fundamental defense down, not before.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

My fervent hope is that this has all been about 3rd down, and not about changing to a 4-3 base.

It Is What It Is Notes from Day 11 at Training Camp

•The Patriots opened by focusing on various end-of-the-half and end-of-the-game scenarios on both offense and defense.

I'm not doubting pats1's vision, but I'm not prepared to accept his interpretation of events as the final answer either. It's now the start of week two of practice, the team has - by BB's own acknowledgement - some issues to address in the red zone and on third down, an alternative interpretation could very well be an emphasis in those areas uses a lot of four man line formations.

 

[Deus Irae]

We're more than halfway through camp. I have a hard time believing the Pats have played almost exclusively a four-man front through 18 straight practices "just to get 4-3 work down."

It Is What It Is Notes from Day 11 at Training CampI'm not doubting pats1's vision, but I'm not prepared to accept his interpretation of events as the final answer either. It's now the start of week two of practice, the team has - by BB's own acknowledgement - some issues to address in the red zone and on third down, an alternative interpretation could very well be an emphasis in those areas uses a lot of four man line formations.

I've no reason to doubt either interpretation at this point. The Patriots have used the start of training camp to work on problem areas in the past, and I'm hoping that's what they are doing now. As is so often the case with the Patriots and their bunker mentality, only time will tell, because they aren't likely to offer up the information in a 'tell-all' press conference.


P.S. I'd really love to have the strike through option work on these posts.....

 

[captain stone]

Perhaps Bill's use of 4-3 formations during the first week of TC is his way of practicing a little position flexibility, should the need arise during the regular season.

 

[JSn]

Perhaps Bill's use of 4-3 formations during the first week of TC is his way of practicing a little position flexibility, should the need arise during the regular season.

Yeah, and they might be prepping for the Bills game, too.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I've no reason to doubt either interpretation at this point. The Patriots have used the start of training camp to work on problem areas in the past, and I'm hoping that's what they are doing now. As is so often the case with the Patriots and their bunker mentality, only time will tell, because they aren't likely to offer up the information in a 'tell-all' press conference.


P.S. I'd really love to have the strike through option work on these posts.....

Ken also reported on a couple early practices where he was watching Brace, that he worked 3-4 DE and 4-3 NT with the first team, then he worked 3-4 DE and NT with the second team. Ken and SBB have been to more practices than pats1, they've reported 4-3 work, but they've also reported 3-4. After the first couple days BB started running the guys through more situational work, which in Patriots terms means more 4 man fronts in nickel/dime packages. I just don't expect BB to get too far from the base 3-4, even with all the extra DL in camp - which historically isn't that great a number (10 285+ players) to battle for 6-7 roster slots and another 1-2 PSquad slots).

Let's review a bit:
9 DT (295+)
3 DE (260-285)
3 undersized DE/LB (250-260)
7* LB (235-250) *includes 1 unsigned rookie
1 SS in excess of 220 who can work as a coverage LB

Granted some of the DL can take some 4-3 DE reps in heavy packages, but based on the time NE expects to be in nickel/dime sets against teams playing catch-up, the larger number of DL 295+ makes no sense. Further, the LBs need to borrow from the DE pool due to 4 of the 7 being ST primary, unsigned, or aging & limited.

 

[pats1]

Andy Hart is starting to realize it as well:

Official Patriots Football Weekly Blog Blog Archive From the Hart: Lombardi — Chances high Pats land Carter

I’m all for adding talent that can help the team, but is there still a need at this point for a guy like Carter? I do think the Patriots are on course to go 4-3 a little more often this fall, but still.