So who in the Front 7 is a keeper for next season?

[mloyko]

I would be shocked if we don't add at least one defensive lineman in the first 2 rounds of the draft. This is a very strong draft for 3-4 dlineman. I know we always say the "BB has to draft a pass rusher in round 1" but he never does, so I dont expect that to change this year.

 

[bruce_w]

This thread is hilarious. I feel like I'm reading the Jets forum.

 

[ALP]

i also can see TBC gone, at this point cunningham and ninko are both safer than he is, and so far i would prob add moore to that list as well

last year tully had a pretty good year, not so much this time around

we let him go once, i expect the second time to be this offseason

 

[Deus Irae]

For the purposes of the question, I'm assuming that the labor problem is dealt with quickly, and no real time is lost....


I figure BB will draft a DE and an OLB early, making them "keepers". Add in Wilfork and Ty Warren on the line, and Mayo, Cunningham, Spikes and Guyton at linebacker. That makes 8 "keepers", IMO.

After that, I expect it will come down to OTAs and training camp.

 

[DaBruinz]

I know its early to say but whats the over/under on Ty Warren staying with the team next year?

Brace looked solid and much improved.. G. Warren is a nice surprise.. Pryor and Deadrick have take minor steps in the right direction. With that being said, if we use a high pick on a DL, what the answer to my initial question.

Ty Warren is actually underpaid for his position so I think that he's a guarantee to be back.. Not like Seymour who was looking for a salary in the double digit millions.

Even if the Pats use a HIGH draft pick to get the RDE that would be Seymour's replacement, Ty Warren isn't going anywhere. He's one of the best run-stopping 3-4 DEs in the league. And that was when he was playing through all sorts of injuries..

 

[VJCPatriot]

did I miss something??..is the season over for the Patriots?

LOL. I was thinking the same thing. It seems people like to get ahead of themselves. The Pats haven't won anything yet folks. Nor have they been eliminated. Why don't we save the offseason talk for the offseason?

I think it's pretty obvious who the keepers are likely to be:
DL: Wilfork
ILB: Mayo, Spikes
OLB: Cunningham

Everything else may change as necessary to fit new or better personnel. That doesn't mean that I think everyone outside of those guys will be cut. But I see those guys as core to the DL.

I'm also not sure how well Warren will recover from his injury but I'm hoping he'll be back and at least 90% of his old self. I expect an early draft pick to be spent on the DL. And I expect BB to boggle the draft experts as well as our forum draft gurus when draft day finally rolls around. Lastly I expect an entertaining draft where the Pats make lots of moves as usual. Trader BB owns the draft. That's why we are set up so well each year. 6 picks in the first 3 rounds folks. That's a nice place to be. Of course the ultimate would be to pick at #32. ^_^

 

[Dufflebagz]

No matter what Wilfork, Mayo, Cunningham, Spikes, and T Warren(good value) are safe. (small chance T Warren is gone, but I doubt it.

TBC, G Warren, Deadrick, Pryor, and Moore are at the highest risk of leaving.

I think everything stays the same at ILB, everything fits together too nicely to let it fall apart. Mayo, Spikes against the run, Guyton on passing downs, Fletcher is a STer and is solid when he gets opportunities.

I think they will draft a solid OLB and they will end up keeping Moore and Ninkovich over TBC. Leaving Cunningham, Ninkovich, Moore, and the rookie.

I see them taking a DT and a DE by the end of round 2. This is where the toughest losses will come. Wright has looked good and will stick, Brace has improved and will only be in his 3rd year so I see no reason to let him go. Then starts the battle between G Warren, Love, Deadrick, and Pryor. G Warren has been great but he's up there in years and his competition is young, he'll be gone. Between Pryor, Love and Deadrick I think Love is staying. Leaving Wilfork, Wright, Brace, T Warren, Love, and the two rookies.

The only way I see things changing is if BB decides to take only 1 DL and OLB early, then taking another DL late, leaving the later pick to battle it out with Love, Deadrick, and Pryor, possibly sending Love home.

 

[the wrothbroughterer]

On the DL I'd like them to keep just about everyone except Gerard Warren. It's got nothing to do with his performance, just with his age and the production we got out of Brandon Deaderick he becomes expendable. His absence will open up a position for another set of fresh legs and I would seriously consider moving Ty Warren out of the starting rotation if Brace and Deaderick can both stay healthy and progress further in the offseason. If there is any trade value for him for some team aching for a 34 end but can't get one, I would like to see if we can pull the trigger and get a nice return.

In the second level I want TBC out. He's too one dimensional, has made plenty of mistakes this year and Rob Ninkovich is playing like he belongs now. Any jerk can blitz and he's not even doing it that well. Time for him to GTFO.

 

[serifyn]

This team has great depth at the DL right now, the only thing they need is a blue chip 5-technique, the ILB is set and maybe the OLB could use an upgrade here or there. other than that, i dont know where the patriots go, i mean look at how many guys they have on IR.

The patriots have 7 picks in the first 4 rounds, but can you really see them using all of these picks? they must either trade up or trade into the next years draft because right now there just isn't 7 open slots on the roster with all the guys coming back from IR.

 

[slash83]

A healthy and fresh Ty Warren next year is going to be bestly for this team.

 

[unoriginal]

BB should cut half these guys before the playoffs. Clear out the deadwood!

 

[Fencer]

One question that's actually still open -- who's the sandypants backup for Wilfork?

This season it seems to be "committee", with Wilfork staying healthy but being moved to DE on much more than a stunt basis. If we draft another sandypants but not a pure DE, then RDE probably is a committee position again. (I'm figuring Ty Warren back as solid starter at LDE.)

Meanwhile, I see Mike Wright as the new Jarvis Green, and no need for a second Jarvis Green as long as we have enough other DL with rushing quicks, which Wilfork e.g. has. So Pryor is definitely in competition with stouter guys.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I wasn't going to say it but...Moore seems to want it and he's physical. TBC seemed tremendous statistically last year but he looks like a permanent spin move to nowhere this year. I don't see them drafting big at olb/de due to bust potential, but they will continue to add vets or acquire affordable players until one or more sticks IMO.

Won't even guess on DL. Since i think they go all out for a monster DL if available in the draft, you have a hopefully recovered Ty, maybe Gerard and Brace and the draft pick.

If so, I think the opposite, Fencer. Rather than an "almost as good as" DL, probably a change of pace rushing DL like Pryor will make it.

I don't disagree. I only say that the wild card on a BB team is cap value. If player X serves a specific role and costs only Y? A better chance he stays. If we draft a DL, where we draft him matters in terms of cost. How much cost will he take up in the overall DL cost? The other factor is flexibility. Can he play special teams? Can he slide into another position if there is an emergency?
I don't know enough about TBC's cost or flexibility (does he play much ST?) to know if he has good cap value.

Given that, my guess is that the '11 DL will look much like the 10 'DL: Wilfork, Warren, G Warren (if he still has the fire), Wright, Brace, Pryor. That is still a solid line up.
At the LB position, I actually think this will be the one that looks a bit different than '10.

 

[Coach42]

One question that's actually still open -- who's the sandypants backup for Wilfork?

This season it seems to be "committee", with Wilfork staying healthy but being moved to DE on much more than a stunt basis. If we draft another sandypants but not a pure DE, then RDE probably is a committee position again. (I'm figuring Ty Warren back as solid starter at LDE.)

Meanwhile, I see Mike Wright as the new Jarvis Green, and no need for a second Jarvis Green as long as we have enough other DL with rushing quicks, which Wilfork e.g. has. So Pryor is definitely in competition with stouter guys.

I think there is a lot of versatility on the line and Belichick likes it that way, if 75 were to go down I think Love is the first in line to take his place.

The interesting thing about this post to me is that other than Ninkovich and Brace I don't think that anyone made huge leaps and bounds in play, meaning that they are all replaceable. Having said that I think Ninkovich can be upgraded. The Pats have played D in classic Patriots fashion the sum being greater than the parts. I think the needs of the front 7 are the same as they were last year a stud 5 technique DE and a pass rushing OLB that can stay on the field for 3 downs. If either of those are available at 17 or 32 I think TBC and/or Deadrick are toast.

 

[RayClay]

I don't disagree. I only say that the wild card on a BB team is cap value. If player X serves a specific role and costs only Y? A better chance he stays. If we draft a DL, where we draft him matters in terms of cost. How much cost will he take up in the overall DL cost? The other factor is flexibility. Can he play special teams? Can he slide into another position if there is an emergency?
I don't know enough about TBC's cost or flexibility (does he play much ST?) to know if he has good cap value.

Given that, my guess is that the '11 DL will look much like the 10 'DL: Wilfork, Warren, G Warren (if he still has the fire), Wright, Brace, Pryor. That is still a solid line up.
At the LB position, I actually think this will be the one that looks a bit different than '10.

I'm not a big TBC fan, but he will stay if his play is OK and contract too, I agree. Too many busts at that position to invest in more than Cunningham and hopeful overachievers at this point.

On the other hand, DL is the most important position in our defense. BB is going to stalk the draft and FA until he finds one more building block there. It's not going to be Vince and fill ins forever.

With two solid healthy players, the warrens and others, pass rushing types, and Brace, rooks or whoever will do, but they need one more and don't be surprised to see a trade up if a Suh or Seymour type is available high next year (forgive my ignorance of College talent, just call him the next monster, if you will).

Ty might be in his prime or the downslide, who knows?

 

[ATippett56]

Defensive Line:

Brace, Ron
Deaderick, Brandon
Love, Kyle
Pryor, Myron
Warren, Ty
Wilfork, Vince
Wright, Mike

 

[RobertWeathers]

I'm not a big TBC fan, but he will stay if his play is OK and contract too, I agree. Too many busts at that position to invest in more than Cunningham and hopeful overachievers at this point.

On the other hand, DL is the most important position in our defense. BB is going to stalk the draft and FA until he finds one more building block there. It's not going to be Vince and fill ins forever.

With two solid healthy players, the warrens and others, pass rushing types, and Brace, rooks or whoever will do, but they need one more and don't be surprised to see a trade up if a Suh or Seymour type is available high next year (forgive my ignorance of College talent, just call him the next monster, if you will).

Ty might be in his prime or the downslide, who knows?

TBC is a situational pass rusher and decent reserve that can play with his hands down or upright. He'll get the defense 5-7 sacks and 20 or so hurries a year and provide good veteran leadership to the younger,less experienced players in the unit. Nothing more. BB thinks hes worth $4m on the cap. So be it.

What I want to know if if Eric Moore can provide the same level of play next year as he has in 4 games this year. 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, fumble recovery and decent run defense...WOW.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

TBC is a situational pass rusher and decent reserve that can play with his hands down or upright. Nothing more. He'll get the defense 5-7 sacks and 20 or so hurries a year and provide good veteran leadership to the younger,less experienced players in the unit. Nothing more. BB thinks hes worth $4m on the cap. So be it.

What I want to know if if Eric Moore can provide the same level of play next year as he has in 4 games this year. 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, fumble recovery and decent run defense...WOW.

Good point.

Why don't we watch and see how all these guys perform in the pressure filled playoffs against elite competition before drawing conclusions about this still ongoing cadre of players?

 

[ATippett56]

Inside Linebacker:

Fletcher, Dane
Guyton, Gary
Mayo, Jerod
Spikes, Brandon

 

[ATippett56]

Outside Linebacker:

Cunningham, Jermaine
Ninkovich, Rob
2011 NFL Draft Pick
2011 NFL Draft Pick