Should Pats Be Using Dont'a Hightower More As A Pass Rusher?

[patsfaninpa]

Right - I wouldn't put Hightower in at end in the base, obviously. Just in the nickel situationally -spell Ninko/Jones or move Jones inside as pass rusher next to Vince.

Frankly, Jones' best rush moves are power, and a big hole on the defense is in our interior rush. He's bigger, faster and stronger than Cunningham who we used as an interior rush DT this season. I have to wonder if Ninko-Vince-Jones-Hightower + Mayo-Spikes + 5Bs is the best way to get our best 11 player out there on D in our nickel. And if we draft a capable coverage LB, swap Spikes for him. You can drop Hightower from there, or Ninko, rush Mayo/Spikes, or blitz a DB. You have a lot of versatility there.

This might require Jones putting on some muscle. I'm surprised he's still listed at 260. Thought he was bigger than that as the year went on.

Either way, I agree with your conclusion that we should be blitzing and dropping our ends more. We didn't tap into the versatility of our front 7 completely last season.

A key to a good pass rush is having depth. We see in big games that good defenses get gassed and give up points in bunches. That's why I subscribe to the theory that you can never have enough pass rushers. I'm leaning towards Datone Jones - DE in the first. He's pretty stout and can slide into dt in our nickel with Hightower moving to de. Gives us depth to spell wilfork with guys like; Armstead, Love and Deaderick. Along with D. Jones at DT in the nickel. Should get a good push there. Hoping C. Jones improves and J. Francis can spell him. Hightower at the LDE in our nickel can either drop back into coverage and rush 3. Or, go after the qb. Still have Ninko there too for depth. And, he can start until D. Jones beats him out.

 

[ausbacker]

I'd rather the Patriots invested time in their players learning their position(s) before the gloves are taken off. They all develop at their own rate. When they're ready, then unleash the beasts.

People tend to forget that it's quite a jump from college to the pros.

 

[Wilfork#75]

My preference would be to try and run a Seahawks like 4-3 Under defense with Hightower and Ninko sharing the SLB in the base package. He is big enough and strong enough to set the edge against TE's, can rush the passer and has the athleticism to occasionally drop into coverage against TE's. He would virtually be a 5th defensive lineman in the base package.

 

[Joey007]

I only see Hightower becoming a true pass rusher if the defense switches to a 3-4. I could definitely see him come off the edge in a 3-4, but not lining up at DE in a 4-3 front.

 

[Off The Grid]

The difference between Chander Jones the All-Pro and Chandler Jones the average bear will be how he learns to handle getting put into a headlock 90% of the time he beats his man.

I'm not saying we should have re-signed Mark Anderson, because we shouldn't have for that money, but we sorely missed a pass rush specialist this year.

A smaller guy whose only business was rushing on passing downs because our front seven is a tad beefy.

Did you say "BEEFY"???

 

[Joey007]

Did you say "BEEFY"???

To this day I still cringe everytime I spot Haynesworth in a Pats jersey. :nooo:

 

[Kontradiction]

Did you say "BEEFY"???

Never a fan of that nickname as "beef curtain" is a nickname for a vagina.

 

[Joey007]

Never a fan of that nickname as "beef curtain" is a nickname for a vagina.

Well Haynesworth was a p****.

 

[captain stone]

Re: Should We Be Using Hightower More As A Pass Rusher?

In a perfect world Hightower would develop this offseason and spend more time on the left side as a DE or rush linebacker in sub packages similar to Von Miller or to a lesser degree Aaron Brooks.
Makes sense for us to find a way to keep Mayo, Spikes, Hightower, Jones and Wilfork all on the field as much as possible.

I agree with the first part, but why would you want to keep Wilfork & Spikes on the field during likely passing situations?

 

[Sciz]

Never a fan of that nickname as "beef curtain" is a nickname for a vagina.

I'm pretty sure that was the joke. At least I hope so

 

[signbabybrady]

Right - I wouldn't put Hightower in at end in the base, obviously. Just in the nickel situationally -spell Ninko/Jones or move Jones inside as pass rusher next to Vince.

Frankly, Jones' best rush moves are power, and a big hole on the defense is in our interior rush. He's bigger, faster and stronger than Cunningham who we used as an interior rush DT this season. I have to wonder if Ninko-Vince-Jones-Hightower + Mayo-Spikes + 5Bs is the best way to get our best 11 player out there on D in our nickel. And if we draft a capable coverage LB, swap Spikes for him. You can drop Hightower from there, or Ninko, rush Mayo/Spikes, or blitz a DB. You have a lot of versatility there.

This might require Jones putting on some muscle. I'm surprised he's still listed at 260. Thought he was bigger than that as the year went on.

Either way, I agree with your conclusion that we should be blitzing and dropping our ends more. We didn't tap into the versatility of our front 7 completely last season.

Jones has already talked about bulking up his upper bodyMaybe just for his bull rush or maybe they already plan on something like that already.

 

[Off The Grid]

Did you say "BEEFY"???

Never a fan of that nickname as "beef curtain" is a nickname for a vagina.

No #$%&, Sherlock!!

Some poor Jamoke came up with that a couple years ago ~ I felt so bad for the guy, 'cause he'd obviously put a lot of thought and a lot of work into it ~ and it still cracks me up!! I was cackling, last night!!

 

[Brady6]

Jones has already talked about bulking up his upper bodyMaybe just for his bull rush or maybe they already plan on something like that already.

He said he wants to do it to become a better two gapper. I'd expect he will be the size of JJ Watt by training camp. 6'5 290+ lbs.

 

[Brady6]

I agree with the first part, but why would you want to keep Wilfork & Spikes on the field during likely passing situations?

Wilfork has become a good pass rusher and collapses the pocket. Spikes can blitz effectively and lay players out on underneath plays.

 

[Brady6]

My preference would be to try and run a Seahawks like 4-3 Under defense with Hightower and Ninko sharing the SLB in the base package. He is big enough and strong enough to set the edge against TE's, can rush the passer and has the athleticism to occasionally drop into coverage against TE's. He would virtually be a 5th defensive lineman in the base package.

Have you ever looked at the pass rushing stats in Seattle? That defense is designed to stop the run. They have to use blitzers to compensate for the lack of rush created by the lineman. We do not have their secondary so we cannot man up and bring 7-8 players like they do. Scheme makes no sense with are personnel.

 

[ausbacker]

He said he wants to do it to become a better two gapper. I'd expect he will be the size of JJ Watt by training camp. 6'5 290+ lbs.

If Jones bulks up to JJ Watts size over the preseason it'll be interesting to see the effect in 2013.

 

[Brady6]

If Jones bulks up to JJ Watts size over the preseason it'll be interesting to see the effect in 2013.

Think BB is trying to have a lighter 3-4 defense that can give the look of a 4-3 or 3-4 and he wants long but strong DE's like Jones who can play the RDE in a base alignment but rush in a sub package.