Sold on the DT from Baylor

[Ochmed Jones]

The last thing the Pats need right now is a backup NT. It is a waste of time even talking about it.

I don't think so, if for any reason Wilfork were to go down with an injury, our defense has Love as the only backup NT. Clearly an upgrade is needed here.

I am not sure Taylor is that player, but his week at the senior bowl has opened a lot of eyes.

 

[CanadianPat'sFan]

The last thing the Pats need right now is a backup NT. It is a waste of time even talking about it.

So you were comfortable with Love starting the playoff game at NT?? We need a kid from the draft and cut ties with Brace IMO. Maybe a FA is in our future but we were thin in January at the DL position.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

So you were comfortable with Love starting the playoff game at NT?? We need a kid from the draft and cut ties with Brace IMO. Maybe a FA is in our future but we were thin in January at the DL position.

Brace looks more comfortable at DE and allows WIlfork to play the nose. Brace is a train wreck on skates at NT.

 

[BelichickFan]

So you were comfortable with Love starting the playoff game at NT?? We need a kid from the draft and cut ties with Brace IMO. Maybe a FA is in our future but we were thin in January at the DL position.

I wasn't excited about getting a "NT Backup" back when Belichick was rumored to be interested in Ngata. Upon reflection I realize that Bill would have found a way to make Wilfork and Ngata work together.

Picking Taylor is a concern regarding his off field incidents and I've also read he may not be the best effort guy. But if they're comfortable with him as a person, the quickness he shows for his size suggests that him and Wilfork could work together even if one isn't a classic 3-4 DE.

 

[Metaphors]

Brace and GWarren are both 6'3"-6'4" and 330 lbs. It looks like Belichick is warming to the idea of throwing out over a half ton of DL in the base 3-4. Eat up 5-6 blockers with the DL, cause a human traffic jam between the tackles and keep the LBs clean to finish off anything that leaks out. Have all 3 with the ability to play the nose so Wilfork can be moved around to play matchups.

If this is his thinking, then Taylor would be a consideration instead of the more traditional names thrown out there (Jordan, Heyward, Watt, etc). Interesting angle to think about with this draft.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Brace and GWarren are both 6'3"-6'4" and 330 lbs. It looks like Belichick is warming to the idea of throwing out over a half ton of DL in the base 3-4. Eat up 5-6 blockers with the DL, cause a human traffic jam between the tackles and keep the LBs clean to finish off anything that leaks out. Have all 3 with the ability to play the nose so Wilfork can be moved around to play matchups.

If this is his thinking, then Taylor would be a consideration instead of the more traditional names thrown out there (Jordan, Heyward, Watt, etc). Interesting angle to think about with this draft.

Then why didn't BB draft he draft Cody last year? Cody was the best 3-4 NT to come from the college ranks in yearly three decades. He ate up double teams and could not be moved off the LOS and the POA.

He mauled the Pouncey twins like children every time Alabama played Florida.

Even the media knew Wilfork was athletic enough to play DE, which he proved quite a few times this season.

Baltimore is ruining Cody by trying to turn him into an undertackle. What a waste of talent.

 

[CanadianPat'sFan]

Brace looks more comfortable at DE and allows WIlfork to play the nose. Brace is a train wreck on skates at NT.

Agreed on both points. Brace just has not done it for me as I have always though he was slow off the ball and kinda a insurance pick if we lost Wilfork. With Wilfork locked up and the way Brace has preformed I think we need to go with a new second rounder to fill the spot.

We all saw this year with Warren going down at the start and the concussion to Wright our experienced DL going into the season was suddenly young which does not translate well into helping our young LB in our system. I just find Brace is overwhelmed every time I watch him but that is just my opinion him. I think we need to add a vet FA to what we have but would look at 1)Jerrell Powe 2) Jarvis Jenkins with our second round pick at # 60 or third at #74.

 

[CanadianPat'sFan]

I wasn't excited about getting a "NT Backup" back when Belichick was rumored to be interested in Ngata. Upon reflection I realize that Bill would have found a way to make Wilfork and Ngata work together.

Picking Taylor is a concern regarding his off field incidents and I've also read he may not be the best effort guy. But if they're comfortable with him as a person, the quickness he shows for his size suggests that him and Wilfork could work together even if one isn't a classic 3-4 DE.

I am surprised that BB did not go for that idea with Ngata knowing that we would have to make a decision on Seymour in 2009.

Taylor is a talent but I agree not sure BB would even have him on his draft board but he does have great talent and would fit a need.

I mention a few guys we might look at in the second or third round but my feeling is a Trade or FA signing might be the way we go with our DL this offseason.

 

[VJCPatriot]

The Scouts, Inc grade is an 87 so a 1st rounder on him might be a bit of a reach. Granted that's all subject to change and not concrete but Nick Fairley, Marcell Dareus, Corey Liuget, Stephen Paea, and Drake Nevis are all ranked ahead ahead of him at the moment. I love his size (they have him listed at 6'3", 351lbs) and if he has any kind of quickness and can play the end he would be a nice addition.

If you're talking about Phil Taylor, then no, I don't think he can play DE in the 3-4. He would make a very good run stuffing NT or DT though. Considering the increase of 3-4 defenses in the NFL, I think Phil Taylor's stock is only going to rise. He's rated as an early to mid 2nd round guy at the moment. Taylor doesn't fit a need for us and the 2nd round is too early to draft a backup. The reason that BB drafted Brace was that Wilfork's contract situation was uncertain at the time. Although Taylor looks like he might be good, we're not going to draft him in round 2 to make him the 3rd man on the depth chart at NT.

 

[Metaphors]

Then why didn't BB draft he draft Cody last year? Cody was the best 3-4 NT to come from the college ranks in yearly three decades. He ate up double teams and could not be moved off the LOS and the POA.

He mauled the Pouncey twins like children every time Alabama played Florida.

Even the media knew Wilfork was athletic enough to play DE, which he proved quite a few times this season.

Baltimore is ruining Cody by trying to turn him into an undertackle. What a waste of talent.

Couple of points:

1) Wilfork is the primary NT for the Pats. Moving him to end is an exotic formation when the opposition is relatively weak inside but very strong to one side (like the Fins). You want Wilfork on the center if possible since that effectively shuts down the A gaps...and controlling those gaps goes a long way to controlling the running game.

2) You obviously rate Cody much higher than anyone else on the planet. Doesn't mean you are wrong and the rest of the planet is right...but should make you stop and think.

3) You can say that the Ravens aren't using him correctly, but he has gotten on the field. Outside of enveloping Jamal Charles in a scene reminiscent of Rex Ryan's honeymoon, Cody hasn't been a difference-maker.

4) We've been talking about drafting a 330 lb guy to play end but have the ability to shift to NT when matchups dictate. You are talking about drafting a 360 lb guy to play NT and shifting your All-Pro NT to full-time end. Big difference.

5) Belichick drafted McCourty, Gronkowski and Cunningham before Cody was taken. McCourty and Gronk were outstanding picks so you have to evaluate Cody vs. Cunningham. Maybe Belichick thought Cody would be there for the next pick (#62) but Cunningham might not. Maybe Belichick thought Cody was a tub-o-lard and didn't want to dedicate time and energy worrying over his reporting weight.

I don't think you can infer anything about the 2011 draft from Belichick passing on Cody 3 times.

 

[VJCPatriot]

I don't think you can infer anything about the 2011 draft from Belichick passing on Cody 3 times.

Sure you can. You can infer that BB believed that there were at least 53 better players in the draft - McCourty, Gronkowski, and Cunningham among them.

Cody is fairly irrelevant to the discussion though. The question mark is Brace and where he fits in to the equation. And even then as long as Wilfork stays healthy, NT is not a need on this team. The same way that QB is not a need on this team as long as Brady is healthy.

 

[Metaphors]

I don't think you can infer anything about the 2011 draft from Belichick passing on Cody 3 times.

Sure you can. You can infer that BB believed that there were at least 53 better players in the draft - McCourty, Gronkowski, and Cunningham among them.

So what does that have to do with the 2011 draft?

 

[patchick]

I am surprised that BB did not go for that idea with Ngata knowing that we would have to make a decision on Seymour in 2009.

Just to clarify on this -- I have no doubt the Patriots would have drafted Ngata had he been available close to their pick, but they had no chance. He was drafted #12 overall and they picked at #21.

 

[CanadianPat'sFan]

Just to clarify on this -- I have no doubt the Patriots would have drafted Ngata had he been available close to their pick, but they had no chance. He was drafted #12 overall and they picked at #21.

True, too bad we did not try to move up one spot that year to grab a guy who would also be nice to pick up in this off season. I really did not watch too much Ducks football back in 2005

 

[Off The Grid]

I'm really amazed ~ I didn't say "surprised" ~ that any Yankee still advocates Trading Up, in the face of Coach Bill's ASTONISHING success in Trading Down, ere the last several year, and the last two, in particular...

1 ~ The Salary Cap Impact is Disproportionate.

2 ~ Impact. ~ Return On Investment ~ is Disproportionate.