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And consequently...last year's defense sucked.
What, no mention of Everson Griffen? I suppose I can understand that some view him as a Gholston redux, but I think he's going to be great.
As for numbers: Everson Griffen 6-3 5/8, 270, 4.59, 4.3 20-yard shuttle, 7.12 3-cone, 32 bench, 34 vertical (some scouts had him as low as 4.46, according to Scout.com: USC Pro Day Recap ). Exceptional numbers, especially for a man that big.
Earlier this evening I posted a few thoughts on Griffen on another Patriots board. I'll duplicate them here:
People are far too quick to judge. Remember, Griffen is a junior in college, not a fully matured adult; if he's struggled with his attitude in the past, or not always taken football seriously, why do we condemn him for it if he's shown evidence of growing up? In all his interviews this year, he's mentioned that getting benched last year was a big wake up call. Further, he goes on to talk about how his new position coach has helped him grow up off the field, as well as improve his play on the gridiron. Evaluate him on who he is, not on the aggregate of his past.
Oh, and does the fact that he was benched for a rookie pro bowler count as a mitigating factor?
The fact of the matter is that he was solidly productive this year, despite playing on both sides of the line and switching between standing up and playing with his hand in the dirt. Sometimes he dropped into coverage. Other times he was supposed to maintain contain instead of just all out rushing. His hustle improved immensely. He's always chasing plays down, even if they go to the opposite side of the field. He's pretty decent in coverage, and will only get better with good coaching and improvements in his technique. He also dedicated himself to the weight and film rooms in this past year, and worked hard to actually understand the defensive concepts, not simply run around on the field.
Check out a transcript of an interview from the combine:
Add in his impressive physical skills (6'3.5" #270 4.59), his agility and experience in space, his excellent strength against the run, and his ability to create on his own as a passrusher (he's not just a blitzer), and he's the total package. In fact, I believe he ought to be our primary target in the first round. He's exactly what this team needs on the left side. Besides, USC defensive players have an astounding track record in the last few years.
Speaking of which, did we forget that Willie Mac played at the same school and position? I see Everson Griffen as his modern day replacement, which we've lacked on this roster for half a decade. Let's bring him in and give him the ol' 55 so he can join the lineage of great USC linebackers (Willie, Seau) who have played in NE.
Makes you wonder why he isn't a consensus 1st round pick.
reamer made a great case and Griffen intrigues me greatly but I really worry about the reports of him coasting and being great not being that important to him. I may be wrong but after the Thomas fiasco I suspect Belichick is putting a greater emphasis on getting players he really wants on the team, guys who won't resist working, coming in early and staying late. I bet he wants more Mayos, even if he loses a little ability to do so, and I'm nervous about whether that is what Griffen is. He intrigues the heck out of me though.
Wow, Clay Matthews was a Pro-Bowler at USC?
Their defense sucked because there wasn't anybody better on their team to replace them. Even if they still had Bruschi, Vrabel and Harrison, their defense still would've sucked because they were over the hill.
