The biggest question mark is not OLB

[mgteich]

We KNOW our situation at OLB. We have Banta-Cain, Burgess, Woods, Cunningham and Ninkovich. We will see how quickly Cunningham develops. Crable could beat out one of the five for a roster position, or not. Guyton could even play some OLB, although he wouldn't take awqay a roster spot. We have our six OLB's and should have a competitive camp. While this is a weakness, improvements at ILB and corner should help the play at OLB.
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It seems that the biggest question mark for camp and the preseason is OFFENSIVE GUARD. Mankins appears to be gone. We don't know how many games to count on Neal for; we certainly need to be well prepared for Neal to be out for some games during the year. And it's not as if the guards benefit from great play by our starting center. This unit will need help over the next couple of years.

For now, we have THREE roster spots at stake: starting LG and two backup interior linemen, one of whom must be our Game Day backup center. Whether Kaczur plays any guard or not, he is one of the four OT's along with Light, Vollmer and LeVoir. Welch is likely headed for the Practice Squad; there is certainly no need for him on the 53.
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So, we have KOPPEN and NEAL and THREE from

Connolly, Orhnberger, Bussey, Larsen, Wendell, and perhaps an acquisition still TBD
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I take it back! Maybe OLB is NOT the weakest position on the team.

 

[cstjohn17]

You are right, we have a ton of JAGs at OLB. IMO it doesn't really matter which ones make the team.

Right defensive end is pretty scary.

 

[mgteich]

I expect that Burgess will play over 50% of the defensive reps at RDE, as he did last year. Wright will also get some, as he did last year. G. Warren isn't as scary to me as he is to you.

You are right, we have a ton of JAGs at OLB. IMO it doesn't really matter which ones make the team.

Right defensive end is pretty scary.

 

[pats1]

I expect that Burgess will play over 50% of the defensive reps at RDE, as he did last year. Wright will also get some, as he did last year. G. Warren isn't as scary to me as he is to you.

The RDE that Burgess played and the RDE that Wright played are two different positions; the latter is the RDE that Seymour played. The former is the RDE that McGinest played 2000-2002. Would you say that McGinest and Seymour played the same position? No.

 

[mgteich]

I agree.

I am not scared about G. Warren and Wright sharing the Seymour spot. I don't see any reason to see a marked decline from last's year's pair of Wright and Green.

As we agree, the issue we are discussing is 1/2 of the RDE position.

The RDE that Burgess played and the RDE that Wright played are two different positions; the latter is the RDE that Seymour played. The former is the RDE that McGinest played 2000-2002. Would you say that McGinest and Seymour played the same position? No.

 

[Deus Irae]

I agree.

I am not scared about G. Warren and Wright sharing the Seymour spot. I don't see any reason to see a marked decline from last's year's pair of Wright and Green.

As we agree, the issue we are discussing is 1/2 of the RDE position.

Given that Warren was enough of a disaster in the 2 gap to get traded even before playing one regular season game in it, why would you not be "scared"?

 

[pats1]

I agree.

I am not scared about G. Warren and Wright sharing the Seymour spot. I don't see any reason to see a marked decline from last's year's pair of Wright and Green.

As we agree, the issue we are discussing is 1/2 of the RDE position.

The problem is, the pair of Wright and Green had its share of problems against the run.

 

[mgteich]

Again, I agree.

I believe the improvement at ILB should help the run defense, and help the DE position look better against the run. Mayo is healthy! MacKenzie and/or Spikes should also be of help against the run.

The problem is, the pair of Wright and Green had its share of problems against the run.

 

[Patspsycho]

The problem is, the pair of Wright and Green had its share of problems against the run.

I can only imagine how Baltimore was salivating at the prospect of blowing that up come playoffs until we shifted Wilfork over whereas they then ran up the middle.

 

[Rob0729]

mgteich, no offense, but how many times are you going to start the same thread just with a different spin? You have started three threads talking about the LG just spinning the issues into different , but the same topic.

 

[IllegalContact]

OL is different than OLB in that the pats can change their offense in order to address deficiencies along the OL.....their OL is still better now than it was when they won their 1st SB

OLB deficiencies produce a much larger situation to deal with

 

[mgteich]

I agree than the current OL is better than the Ol's that won the Super Bowl, even without Mankins.

OL is different than OLB in that the pats can change their offense in order to address deficiencies along the OL.....their OL is still better now than it was when they won their 1st SB

OLB deficiencies produce a much larger situation to deal with

 

[BradyManny]

OLB is a big question mark now.

 

[mgteich]

Obviously it is huge to lose TWO OLB's. Apparently, we now need to replace Thomas AND Burgess both of whom played in more than 50% of the reps in 2009.

OLB is a big question mark now.