Safety

[MaineMan]

Don't know that it re-opens any discussion, but it's possibly worth noting in this context that Page was given a 2nd round tender today (3/3/11), FWIW.

 

[DaBruinz]

I think that one of the reasons Page was given a 2nd round tender was because of the draft class.

 

[DW Toys]

Interesting, one might make the argument athletically for an upgrade over Sanders, yet I fail to see an upgrade for the more challenging mental aspects of the position. One could make a case for Chung showing a fair grasp of this role, but I do not believe he's yet a match for Sanders as a Field General ... I don't think it necessary to dwell on Meriweather's performance. Adding another youngster is fine, but I think from an organizational perspective it falls well short of an upgrade (especially when I think back upon Moore's performance in the games I observed).

Tangentially: Bodden returns and pairs with Sanders in the veteran role and McCourty in the coverage assignment. Should NE elect to draft another young CB to develop and compete with Butler, Arrington, and Wilhite, one possible future might see Meriweather gone in Free Agency, Bodden moved to FS, and one of the youngsters teamed with McCourty.

Weddle can be had for a #1. A big upgrade over anything we have now.
I don't run this Team but if you can get a second for Merriweather and a fourth for Sanders, I take Weddle....now. Remember 30th in passing yards against. FYI The Chargers were first in passing yards against and Weddle was the QB of the DBs. Also 96 tackles.
DW Toys

 

[mgteich]

I agree.

There wasn't much in the draft. So, Belichick signed Barrett to a long-term contract and now gave Page a tender. I also like Page. I think that we are in very good shape with
Meriweather, Sanders, Chung and Page.
Barrett, Brown and Lockett

I think that one of the reasons Page was given a 2nd round tender was because of the draft class.

 

[furley]

With OJ Atogwe signing with Washington and Eric Weddle likely to re-sign with San Diego, I expect New England to draft a future starting free safety to replace Brandon Meriweather if they don't target Dashon Goldson after a new CBA is in place.

If they should draft a free safety, it could be either Quinton Carter or Deunta Williams or somebody else in a later rounds like Joe Lefeged.

 

[DW Toys]

I agree.

There wasn't much in the draft. So, Belichick signed Barrett to a long-term contract and now gave Page a tender. I also like Page. I think that we are in very good shape with
Meriweather, Sanders, Chung and Page.
Barrett, Brown and Lockett

The way I see it is if we stand pat we are not keeping up. Merriweather has the most pure talent but write this down, his agent will rape the Pats for his "Pro Bowl" Safety in 2012. Sanders who is a third rotation guy is scheduled to make almost $3m. I would not be shocked to see him as a CAP cut, nice 2010 year non-withstanding.

You are all correct. This is a weak Safety class. If you can sign a superior player like Weddle for your 28th pick (I know Seymour is the #17 result but I look at it this way the Seymour trade brought us back a top tier defensive player), you have a significant upgrade who is only 26 and can Team with Chung for years. Chung is still learning but I don't think anyone on this forum will doubt he has more upside than Sanders or Merriweather.

Please I know we had a mediocre pass rush but SD was not on the top of that list either. Only Phillips made the top 40 with sacks. Yet..........Their D was #1 in passing yards against.We were 30th. Weddle was purely the quarterback on their defensive backfield. He alone had almost 100 tackles. I will be called out of my mind, but I give up #28 for Weddle and try to get a second for Merriweather and something for Sanders and I am set with Weddle and Chung and Page and Barrett.

A major upgrade over Merriweather and Sanders. Plus between this year on Sanders salary and next year on Merriweathers "want or ask", maybe the least expensive end result.

You Cousins tell me at #28 who you can guarantee me that the kid will be better than Weddle who is an upper tier NFL player, as to what said kid can bring more to the Team offensively or defensively? I see a wise choice for #28. You see it as a wasted first rounder you can pick up a Ayers or someone who might not even start. Is that a fair statement?

The question is are Sanders and Merriweather upgradable? Absolutely. I see Weddle as better than either. Is he Ronnie Lott? No, but he is younger than Sanders and more capable of setting up the DBs than Merriweather.
DW Toys

 

[mgteich]

You haven't liked SANDERS since he arrived. He calls the defensive signals. He's here to stay as part of a 3-man safety rotation.

MERIWEATHER has done his job also. He will likely be gone after this season. Hyperbole isn't necessary. He will not "rape" the patriots. It is very likely that another team will pay hime more than we are willing to pay.

So, we have CHUNG and SANDERS for 2012. We also have 3 youngsters who are now playing special teams: Brown, Barrett and Lockett.

Finally, we have PAGE who very possibly might be one of the three man rotation for 2012.

BOTTOM LINE
This is the year where we would get a safety through the draft to develop for 2012. The players just aren't there. If we are to get a safety from free agency, we could either get one this year (and trade Meriweather) or wait until next year. There really is no particular reason to act now unless Belichick finds great value.

Belichick often acts one year earlier than others with declining veterans. Meriweather is NOT such a player. There is not urgency to trade him. We could just as well get one more year of service and take the compensatory pick.

The way I see it is if we stand pat we are not keeping up. Merriweather has the most pure talent but write this down, his agent will rape the Pats for his "Pro Bowl" Safety in 2012. Sanders who is a third rotation guy is scheduled to make almost $3m. I would not be shocked to see him as a CAP cut, nice 2010 year non-withstanding.

You are all correct. This is a weak Safety class. If you can sign a superior player like Weddle for your 28th pick (I know Seymour is the #17 result but I look at it this way the Seymour trade brought us back a top tier defensive player), you have a significant upgrade who is only 26 and can Team with Chung for years. Chung is still learning but I don't think anyone on this forum will doubt he has more upside than Sanders or Merriweather.

Please I know we had a mediocre pass rush but SD was not on the top of that list either. Only Phillips made the top 40 with sacks. Yet..........Their D was #1 in passing yards against.We were 30th. Weddle was purely the quarterback on their defensive backfield. He alone had almost 100 tackles. I will be called out of my mind, but I give up #28 for Weddle and try to get a second for Merriweather and something for Sanders and I am set with Weddle and Chung and Page and Barrett.

A major upgrade over Merriweather and Sanders. Plus between this year on Sanders salary and next year on Merriweathers "want or ask", maybe the least expensive end result.

You Cousins tell me at #28 who you can guarantee me that the kid will be better than Weddle who is an upper tier NFL player, as to what said kid can bring more to the Team offensively or defensively? I see a wise choice for #28. You see it as a wasted first rounder you can pick up a Ayers or someone who might not even start. Is that a fair statement?

The question is are Sanders and Merriweather upgradable? Absolutely. I see Weddle as better than either. Is he Ronnie Lott? No, but he is younger than Sanders and more capable of setting up the DBs than Merriweather.
DW Toys

 

[Deus Irae]

You haven't liked SANDERS since he arrived. He calls the defensive signals. He's here to stay as part of a 3-man safety rotation.

MERIWEATHER has done his job also. He will likely be gone after this season. Hyperbole isn't necessary. He will not "rape" the patriots. It is very likely that another team will pay hime more than we are willing to pay.

So, we have CHUNG and SANDERS for 2012. We also have 3 youngsters who are now playing special teams: Brown, Barrett and Lockett.

Finally, we have PAGE who very possibly might be one of the three man rotation for 2012.

BOTTOM LINE
This is the year where we would get a safety through the draft to develop for 2012. The players just aren't there. If we are to get a safety from free agency, we could either get one this year (and trade Meriweather) or wait until next year. There really is no particular reason to act now unless Belichick finds great value.

Belichick often acts one year earlier than others with declining veterans. Meriweather is NOT such a player. There is not urgency to trade him. We could just as well get one more year of service and take the compensatory pick.

Just to follow this up a bit. It needs to be remembered that we're talking about safeties here. Only tight ends and P/K get less money when franchised. The Patriots could easily franchise Meriweather next year (2010 franchise tag for a safety: $6.455m) and pull a safety out of that draft, if BB doesn't want to give Meriweather a long term deal.

 

[DW Toys]

Just to follow this up a bit. It needs to be remembered that we're talking about safeties here. Only tight ends and P/K get less money when franchised. The Patriots could easily franchise Meriweather next year (2010 franchise tag for a safety: $6.455m) and pull a safety out of that draft, if BB doesn't want to give Meriweather a long term deal.

Fair enough.
DW Toys

 

[jcdavey]

the chargers #1 pass D was a smokescreen, watch the bengals game

as for getting a 1st rounder for weddle, i'd love it , i like weddle but if some team wants to give a 1st for him, cool with me

 

[DW Toys]

You haven't liked SANDERS since he arrived. He calls the defensive signals. He's here to stay as part of a 3-man safety rotation.

MERIWEATHER has done his job also. He will likely be gone after this season. Hyperbole isn't necessary. He will not "rape" the patriots. It is very likely that another team will pay hime more than we are willing to pay.

So, we have CHUNG and SANDERS for 2012. We also have 3 youngsters who are now playing special teams: Brown, Barrett and Lockett.

Finally, we have PAGE who very possibly might be one of the three man rotation for 2012.

BOTTOM LINE
This is the year where we would get a safety through the draft to develop for 2012. The players just aren't there. If we are to get a safety from free agency, we could either get one this year (and trade Meriweather) or wait until next year. There really is no particular reason to act now unless Belichick finds great value.

Belichick often acts one year earlier than others with declining veterans. Meriweather is NOT such a player. There is not urgency to trade him. We could just as well get one more year of service and take the compensatory pick.

Cousin, Let's leave my personal reasons to not like Sanders game out of this. He had a good season in 2010.

That being said, we were second from the bottom of the league in yards passing against. The Chargers were first in passing yards against. Let's pretend Bert and Ernie are our safeties. My point is we need to upgrade the secondary further. How can anyone honestly say we are o.k. at Safety? McCourty was a find. Arrington came on. I will bet you anything you want where do you think the most pass yards against our Defense were? On a scale our Safety group defensively against the pass was a "D". We got pounded in the passing game up the middle.

We don't have to make this personal about my feelings about a player. This is just 100% pure fact. Anyone who says we are set at Safety is kidding themselves. IMO Chung is the best of the lot. Merriweather is shaky. I scratch my head if all the Cousins out there would not take Weddle to upgrade our D backfield. Look at the logic. If Merriweather and Weddle are the same money at the end of all this, it doesn't take much to figure the better player for the Patriots. Smart is not a Merriweather talent. He is a good physical player but his lapses lead to big plays the other way.

It has been said the Jets kicked our butt in the playoff because of an INT and a dropped TD. I think perhaps the biggest play as we had the momentum turning, was Cotchery .....over the middle. Your can't blame Spikes for not having glue coverage on a slot WR. Where was our Safety??? Look at the tape. One of our Safeties. I believe it was Ernie, was fifteen yards too deep. Easy catch, wide open, good bye momentum.

If anyone out there does not think that obtaining Weddle would not help the Patriots in 2011, you would be wrong then wouldn't you. If he makes the "D" into a "C" we are ahead. Look at the logic.

Weddle is not my "binkie". He is a value and makes us better than the other two. It is simple to me.
DW Toys

 

[DW Toys]

the chargers #1 pass D was a smokescreen, watch the bengals game

as for getting a 1st rounder for weddle, i'd love it , i like weddle but if some team wants to give a 1st for him, cool with me

Fair enough but the Charger pass D was still way better than our pass defense. Am I correct?

Would you give up #28 for a complete young Safety (or we have to melt two-one that hits and the other who calls DB signals) or take a gamble on a Draft pick with a 17% chance of being a top tier NFL player? Weddle had 96 Tackles last year. He was their DB quarterback.

Hey, It is my opinion. But 30th tells the whole story. There are many teams way higher than us in Pass D with around the same sack total. That is not an excuse.

You need talent.
DW Toys