Reactions to the Jermaine Cunningham Selection

[BillBelichickFan79]

We shall see. I'm not sure if he does back flips, so that could be a detriment.

Seriously, I wonder if all the hype about chest bumping, sack dancing beasts disguises the fact that a lot of these guys are bustville (Mr. Gholston).

No matter what, it appears Mr. Cunningham knows how to play football, which is what I like.

BTW, he had the same number of sacks as Dunlap (19.5) and 34 tackles for loss, compared to 26

Love the Cunningham pick. I think he was a more consistent player than Dunlap over the last two years and was very happy to see the Pats take him.

I was surprised that he was the only OLB we took. I don't think TBC is really a starting caliber OLB, Adalius is said to be on the outs, and Crable hasn't really shown us anything yet. I thought we would've seen the Pats add a guy like Sapp or Griffen in the 4th, or Hardy in the 5th/6th, or even a guy like Selvie, Lang, etc. in the 7th.

 

[RayClay]

Love the Cunningham pick. I think he was a more consistent player than Dunlap over the last two years and was very happy to see the Pats take him.

I was surprised that he was the only OLB we took. I don't think TBC is really a starting caliber OLB, Adalius is said to be on the outs, and Crable hasn't really shown us anything yet. I thought we would've seen the Pats add a guy like Sapp or Griffen in the 4th, or Hardy in the 5th/6th, or even a guy like Selvie, Lang, etc. in the 7th.

Hard to work in two rookies at the same position, though.

I have a feeling, based on the BB interview about Burgess (said he was a good tackler, all around player), that he's making progress as an OLB. I could live with a rotation with those three if Burgess is really making the conversion and is a good veteran presence.

Seems having everyone on the same page is more important than having one stud rusher in our defense.

 

[larryo]

Did anyone hear Cunningham on Sirius today? I didn't get to hear it and was wondering what was said. Does anyone know if they post these interviews somewhere?

 

[Off The Grid]

GREAT pick. For these reasons...

1 ~ "40" Time is VASTLY over rated. Cunningham's Quickness and Explosiveness ~ as measured by his sterling Shuttle and Cone times ~ are FRIGHTENING...ELITE.

2 ~ We've finally got ~ after all these years ~ a Tier 1 OLB...and with ZERO on his OdoMeter!!

Bad News: We need THREE Tier One guys to reacquire the Championship Level Depth of Talent we had at OLB from 2001 -2004, when McGinest, Vrabel, and, the latter two years, Colvin, were at the height of their Games. And we have only ONE...and he's a Rookie.

Good News: That's 1 more than we've had, arguably, since Colvin bit the dirt in November of 2007...

Good News, Part 2: Ninkovich ~ mark me ~ is going to SHOCK 99% of us.

Good News, Part 3: Burgess ~ yes, he of the HORRIFICALLY stupid trade ~ even Geniuses make stupid mistakes ~ will ASTONISH 99% of us.

Hyphen Boy is VASTLY overrated...but by Halloween ~ please, Jeebus, protect the health of our OLB's and our entire team!! ~ he could very well be our FOURTH OLB, behind Cunningham, Ninkovich, and Burgess...and even our FIFTH, if Crabel can stay on the field for 5 minutes!!

 

[patchick]

Good News, Part 2: Ninkovich ~ mark me ~ is going to SHOCK 99% of us.

He's my pick for the biggest pleasant surprise of the season.

 

[captain stone]

Hard to work in two rookies at the same position, though.

Gronk & Hernandez say Whah?

BBF79 is correct: Bill should have absolutely drafted at least 2 OLB/DE/Pass-Rushers. What sux is that they were there for the taking, even incl. pick #250 (Lindsey Witten, Brandon Lang).

As for Cunningham, I don't understand why Bill felt the need to draft him so damn early. There was no pre-draft buzz in his favor whatsoever. Not one scouting service rated him as a top-60 talent. He would likely have been avail. at 90 or 113, or maybe even 150.

Bill should've taken Sergio Kindle at 44; instead, he was taken to the cleaners - again - by the snake oil salesman from Gainesville.

 

[CoachK]

Gronk & Hernandez say Whah?

BBF79 is correct: Bill should have absolutely drafted at least 2 OLB/DE/Pass-Rushers. What sux is that they were there for the taking, even incl. pick #250 (Lindsey Witten, Brandon Lang).

As for Cunningham, I don't understand why Bill felt the need to draft him so damn early. There was no pre-draft buzz in his favor whatsoever. Not one scouting service rated him as a top-60 talent. He would likely have been avail. at 90 or 113, or maybe even 150.

Bill should've taken Sergio Kindle at 44; instead, he was taken to the cleaners - again - by the snake oil salesman from Gainesville.

Chill.........All that chocolate must be afecting your blood sugar !!

 

[Marqui]

As for Cunningham, I don't understand why Bill felt the need to draft him so damn early. There was no pre-draft buzz in his favor whatsoever. Not one scouting service rated him as a top-60 talent. He would likely have been avail. at 90 or 113, or maybe even 150.

Yes, because "pre-draft buzz" is always an accurate indicator of where teams internally rate players.

 

[patchick]

Gronk & Hernandez say Whah?

BBF79 is correct: Bill should have absolutely drafted at least 2 OLB/DE/Pass-Rushers. What sux is that they were there for the taking, even incl. pick #250 (Lindsey Witten, Brandon Lang).

I'm always happy to draft 2 at a position. The Pats have done well with that in the past (e.g. Wilson/Samuel, Mayo/Guyton), having the pair to learn together and push each other.

BUT -- Witten and Lang, bleah. In fact, a big bleah to most of this year's OLB class. The combinations of size, athleticism and intangibles just weren't there.

There's exactly one draft decision at OLB the past few years that struck me as a no-brainer at the time and that I've continued to wish the Pats have done since, and that's Barwin at #40 last year. Not Matthews, a pure workout warrior in the 1st round; not Kindle, who had a list of red flags a mile long; not even Hughes, who I liked but who will be a much better fit with the Colts' defense (and having 3 quality CBs warms my heart). But Barwin in the 2nd, yeah, I'll fault them for that one.

 

[Feep50]

I already generally think of the Patriots as the New England Gators..............

Doesn't sound right, sorta like the New Orleans Jazz moving to Utah. There is nothing whatsoever jazzie about Utah....

 

[Marqui]

BUT -- Witten and Lang, bleah. In fact, a big bleah to most of this year's OLB class. The combinations of size, athleticism and intangibles just weren't there.

Completely agree. Next year, where there are a ton of OLB prospects that fit the Pats, is when they'll take their second OLB.

 

[CoachK]

Completely agree. Next year, where there are a ton of OLB prospects that fit the Pats, is when they'll take their second OLB.

Couldn't agree more. I just started putting my board togetehr for 2011, and there seem to be at least a dozen DE/OLB specimens in my top 130 players who seem to pass the BB "size" test.

Remains to be seen how many actually turn out to "fit" the system.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Possible he could be the new Willie McGinest? Similar height and weight and role(OLB/DE) as he was...

Cunningham is slow!

Bottom line, he is an extremely limited athlete and a slow one at that.

 

[Off The Grid]

Cunningham is slow!

Bottom line, he is an extremely limited athlete and a slow one at that.

You need to do some research, my friend.

 

[Marqui]

Cunningham is slow!

Bottom line, he is an extremely limited athlete and a slow one at that.

You clearly have no idea what you're talking about >_>

 

[PatsFanStnfrd]

Cunningham is slow!

Bottom line, he is an extremely limited athlete and a slow one at that.

What do you base that on? Can you sight any "draft experts" who support your position?

 

[Kasmir]

Cunningham is slow!

Bottom line, he is an extremely limited athlete and a slow one at that.

I've looked at every play of his that's been posted online, and he sure doesn't play "slow". In fact he exhibits superior burst and agility. So what are you referring to?

I think Cunningham's measurables are controversial and incomplete because of the injury he suffered at the combine. His *rumored* 10 yard split and 3-cone times are elite if true, especially for a 266lb guy, and he had one of the better vertical leaps in this pass rushing class. Those are all important numbers for a pass rusher.

So what are you referring to?

 

[Sciz]

He did tweak his quad running the 40 at his pro day, hence the 4.89, but his 10 split and other measurables are elite, especially at his size. From what I've heard, he actually has pass-rush moves, which means that he could be a legit every-down pass-rusher, unlike some rookies (coughKINDLEcough)

 

[State]

He's my pick for the biggest pleasant surprise of the season.

I'm banking on the law firm RB to be that.

 

[captain stone]

Chill.........All that chocolate must be afecting your blood sugar !!

Hershey is indeed the Sweetest Place on Earth, though perhaps not as sweet in the near future since news broke of the eventual closing of the original factory on Chocolate Avenue. Living barely a quarter-mile south of it, I can smell the chocolate in the air whenever the wind blew from the north. I imagine that residents here will feel as many of us felt when the original Boston Garden closed.