Reiss: Pats extend LeVoir through 2011

[mgteich]

I agree that this is a great signing. BTW, if LeVoir is only a month or so away from playing, I would put him on the active roster. Most posters adn writers are willing to go with only three OT's. Some of us would like to keep O'Callaghan to warm LeVoir's roster spot. By being on the 53, LeVoir can be the swing tackle as soon as he is able to be on the field and can practice without restriction.

 

[Urgent]

I get the feeling something bigger is on the way. I think they are starting to free up some cap room for a big extension.

Mark LeVoir was on the 2009 cap for $467,000.
They aren't shaving many nickels off that.

Hochstein was a veteran minimum contract. They won't save much replacing him.

These transactions are not designed to free up money to extend Vince Wilfork, unless they were apart by about $75,000.

 

[DaBruinz]

Mark LeVoir was on the 2009 cap for $467,000.
They aren't shaving many nickels off that.

Hochstein was a veteran minimum contract. They won't save much replacing him.

These transactions are not designed to free up money to extend Vince Wilfork, unless they were apart by about $75,000.

To sign Wilfork to an extension, the Pats are going to need to free up at least another 2 million...There are some ways to do that, but not a lot..

Only time will tell if the Pats do..

 

[crowell33]

I don't see any way that would be considered. Our Guards are mobile and on the smaller side, O'Callaghan doesn't fit in any way, shape or form as a Guard on this team.

I agree 100%. But I would have agreed that Leigh Bodden, and Shawn Springs did not fit the mold of the smaller quicker Patriots cornerbacks. I also would have agreed that Mayo and Guyton were not classic 3-4 middle linebacker thumpers in the Patriots system. I would have also agreed that with BB's love of 6'5" OLB's there was no way our starting two OLB's would both be 6'2" or shorter. So don't go by me.

 

[mgteich]

I don't think that there is anyone here who beleives that O'Callaghan will make the team for more than a few weeks while LeVoir gets ready, never mind be trained for another position next year.

I agree 100%. But I would have agreed that Leigh Bodden, and Shawn Springs did not fit the mold of the smaller quicker Patriots cornerbacks. I also would have agreed that Mayo and Guyton were not classic 3-4 middle linebacker thumpers in the Patriots system. I would have also agreed that with BB's love of 6'5" OLB's there was no way our starting two OLB's would both be 6'2" or shorter. So don't go by me.

 

[crowell33]

I don't think that there is anyone here who beleives that O'Callaghan will make the team for more than a few weeks while LeVoir gets ready, never mind be trained for another position next year.

I agree. My original post in the thread said "It is not impossible". But I agree it is unlikely. With Hochstein traded, there is not great depth on the interior line. Another injury along the OL interior and the impossible becomes possible.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Levoir resigned ... Be still my beating heart. Brady is quicker than Levoir.

 

[mgteich]

Absolutely not.

Connolly, Wendall and Yates are all options before O'Callaghan. Belichick would sign a street free agent veteran rather try a RT who couldn't play LG if his life depending on it. Belichick has signed street free agents in the past to play guard.

I agree. My original post in the thread said "It is not impossible". But I agree it is unlikely. With Hochstein traded, there is not great depth on the interior line. Another injury along the OL interior and the impossible becomes possible.

 

[crowell33]

Absolutely not.

Connolly, Wendall and Yates are all options before O'Callaghan. Belichick would sign a street free agent veteran rather try a RT who couldn't play LG if his life depending on it. Belichick has signed street free agents in the past to play guard.

I'm getting the impression your not an O'Callaghan fan. "I don't think anyone here thinks that O'Callaghan will make the team for more than a few weeks while Levoir gets ready." OK. How about guard? "Connolly, Wendall and Yates are all options before O'Callaghan." Got it. Not an O'Callaghan fan.

 

[JoeFromTomsRiver]

Can they extend Mankins now please?

Yeah, really. He'll demand a lot more than Kaczur or Levoir but for obvious reasons, the guy is a potential pro-bowler.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

To sign Wilfork to an extension, the Pats are going to need to free up at least another 2 million...There are some ways to do that, but not a lot..

Not fully sure on the Capmath, but it looks like cutting Smith, Yates, Jones, Ninkovich, and Britt would free up about $1.3M. Either somebody more expensive needs to be sent on their way (e.g., Bruschi or Green if Burgess/TBC and Pryor/Wright/), if we want to secure Wilfork now, or somebody's deal needs to be restructured (Brady, I'd guess). Anybody got other notions for how to come up with the money?

Db, what number were you using as a cap number for an extended Wilfork? I believe Reiss threw out $8M or $9M as the numbers needed to get a deal done.

 

[mgteich]

Faulk can be extended to save some cap room. We could just cut Green if it meant extending Wilfork. If $2M of cap money was all that is need to reach an acceptable deal with Wilfork, it would have been done long ago.

Not fully sure on the Capmath, but it looks like cutting Smith, Yates, Jones, Ninkovich, and Britt would free up about $1.3M. Either somebody more expensive needs to be sent on their way (e.g., Bruschi or Green if Burgess/TBC and Pryor/Wright/), if we want to secure Wilfork now, or somebody's deal needs to be restructured (Brady, I'd guess). Anybody got other notions for how to come up with the money?

Db, what number were you using as a cap number for an extended Wilfork? I believe Reiss threw out $8M or $9M as the numbers needed to get a deal done.

 

[BritPat]

Nice move, he was very good last year when he stepped in and I'm looking forwards to seeing him challenge for a spot in the future.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

BTW . . . as someone at Boston.com pointed out, how inept are the Rams that they waive a guy who then becomes a key player for the Patriots?

 

[mayoclinic]

BTW . . . as someone at Boston.com pointed out, how inept are the Rams that they waive a guy who then becomes a key player for the Patriots?

Very inept, but we knew that already.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

BTW . . . as someone at Boston.com pointed out, how inept are the Rams that they waive a guy who then becomes a key player for the Patriots?

How good is LeVoir's run blocking? If it's not top-notch, he's probably not a good fit for the Rams. However, if he's a top-notch pass blocker and merely an adequate run blocker, he fits in well on the Pats. (I haven't watched him enough to know, so I really am asking.)

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

How good is LeVoir's run blocking? If it's not top-notch, he's probably not a good fit for the Rams. However, if he's a top-notch pass blocker and merely an adequate run blocker, he fits in well on the Pats. (I haven't watched him enough to know, so I really am asking.)

Actually, i've always thought our guys were good run blockers. Especially the left side, being that they run that way more often than the right. I honestly can't remember how LeVoirs RB is from last year, but his PB looked pretty good.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

How good is LeVoir's run blocking? If it's not top-notch, he's probably not a good fit for the Rams. However, if he's a top-notch pass blocker and merely an adequate run blocker, he fits in well on the Pats. (I haven't watched him enough to know, so I really am asking.)

Point of attack: Patriots run blocking - AFC East - ESPN

For his book, Scientific Football 2009, KC Joyner has broken down the game film to determine how well each offensive lineman fared last year.

Joyner considers an 80 percent point-of-attack win percentage to be borderline acceptable. The first team we presented, the Buffalo Bills, had two linemen who met that threshold last season. The Patriots, meanwhile, went 7 for 7.

Across the board and including two backups, the Patriots graded out at 84 percent or better.

The accompanying chart breaks down a lineman's performance by net point-of-attack attempts (plays in which he was at the point of attack plus penalties committed and drawn), yards gained on these plays and his run-blocking success rate.

2008 Patriots O-line at the point of attack 
Player    	     POA att. 	Yds	Avg	POA pct.
Matt Light, LT     	141 	777 	5.5 	90.1 
Mark LeVoir, LT  	56 	221 	3.9 	89.3 
Logan Mankins, LG 	223 	1,119 	5.0 	91.0 
Dan Koppen, C    	197 	952 	4.8 	84.3 
Stephen Neal, RG 	117 	557 	4.9 	94.0 
Billy Yates, RG    	63 	297 	4.7 	84.1 
Nick Kaczur, RT  	106 	636 	6.0	86.8

LeVoir started two games for Kaczur, and subbed a couple series here and there for Light, so most of his yards came against the defense's strongest run defenders - your guess is as good as mine how well he'd average out over a full season, but just shy of four yards/average against the better run defenders doesn't seem that bad for a substitute, NE seems to think so at any rate.

Do you know if the Rams are more drive blockers or zone blockers?

 

[patchick]

BTW . . . as someone at Boston.com pointed out, how inept are the Rams that they waive a guy who then becomes a key player for the Patriots?

He was waived a couple of times by the Bears before that. A curious career path for sure.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

BTW . . . as someone at Boston.com pointed out, how inept are the Rams that they waive a guy who then becomes a key player for the Patriots?

Yah it's not like anayone ever waived, say Wes Welker, or

How about them MO-rons who waived Troy Brown, and more than once