Whence Ron Brace

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

People forget Wilfork sucked his rookie season and a decent part of his second year. It wasn't until they changed where he lined up where he actually became a good player. Wilfork was a bust after his first season though.

As for Brace, the guy did play pretty well in spot duty towards the end of the season last year. It is the fourth day of training camp. I wouldn't be ready to give up on him because he is out now.

Actually I remember the opposite, he showed promise the first year but regress for the start of the second year into some old habits and the coaches fixed him after he looked bad against the Chargers in particular.

 

[spacecrime]

Brace is a bust

Some people knew that a long time ago

A lot of fans are way smarter that the Patriots front office. BB should spend less time with his players and more time reading fan forums so he cold get a grip on what is REALLY going on with his team..

 

[upstater1]

I'm not one to give up on players this quickly but combining his perfornace last year and the fact that he can't even get on the practice field so far this year (maybe that changes today, who knows) and looking at the DL depth - well, I'm considering Edelman a second rounder with the Brace pick and moving on. Hopefully he'll prove me wrong.

They stuck with Crable a couple of years. Brace might develop an injury in the next few weeks.

 

[BelichickFan]

They stuck with Crable a couple of years. Brace might develop an injury in the next few weeks.

You're right, they might well stick with him. OTOH they may have had enough since the Crable debacle and just decide to move on. Or he could "get hurt". I actually wasn't trying to predict he'll be cut, I was just saying that this has a look to me that won't end well. After a so-so rookie year I'd expect him to be flashing on the field like Chung - not over with the PUP boys.

 

[JackBauer]

Wouldn't it be Whither Ron Brace?

 

[Deus Irae]

A lot of fans are way smarter that the Patriots front office. BB should spend less time with his players and more time reading fan forums so he cold get a grip on what is REALLY going on with his team..

He sure as hell should have listened to the fans about the 3rd round of the 2008 draft.

 

[VJCPatriot]

See, now that's the really funny thing. I was on the Draft Barwin Committee in the Draft forum, but he had a poor year, yet anyone who mentions taking him over Brace seems to neglect to mention that.

No doubt someone will be along soon to say "I didn't want Brace and said to Draft (insert name of someone who has had a good rookie year here) instead, look at me".

Barwin didn't have as great a rookie season as his teammate Cushing, but then again he wasn't on the juice either.

Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2009
Tackles 18
Sacks 4.5
INTs 0

I'd say those aren't bad stats at all for a rookie season. Would I rather have Barwin over Brace right now? Absolutely. Especially with news of Burgess reportedly wanting to retire and the lack of depth at OLB. Has Brace proven himself to be a bust? No, not yet. But he certainly hasn't impressed anybody or even 'shown flashes' of potential like Butler and Edelman did last season.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

He sure as hell should have listened to the fans about the 3rd round of the 2008 draft.

Yeah, that didn't work out too well. But looking at individual picks within a vacuum isn't entirely fair either. No pick or trade is 100% guaranteed. All we can do is weigh the risks to the potential gains and hope we don't overpay for those chances. I've always compared player acquisitions to poker hands. You don't win every single hand you play. And sometimes the best hand loses, and sometimes the worst hand wins, but so long as you make the proper bets in each case, you'll come out ahead in the long run. I don't think a 3rd-rounder is a lot to give up for what Crable could have been if it worked out.

Every team misses on some picks. I think Baltimore does a great job in the draft, but their 2008 3rd-rounder was Tavares Gooden, who has been a bit of an injury case himself. Other solid drafting teams like Pittsburgh and Indy took Bruce Davis and Philip Wheeler in the 3rd round in 2008. It wasn't a great draft class, and plenty of teams missed here.

That's not to excuse the poor drafts from 2006 to 2008 either. We clearly missed on some picks. But I'm much more optimistic about our latest drafts. Whether Brace is a bust or not, no one can possibly know for a few years. But considering the circumstances (Vince's contract situation), the multiple second-rounders, and not having to reach for him as the Bills did for their future NT Torrell Troup in this year's draft, it was worth the pick.

If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. But it was worth what we had to invest to find out.

 

[RayClay]

I'm not one to give up on players this quickly but combining his perfornace last year and the fact that he can't even get on the practice field so far this year (maybe that changes today, who knows) and looking at the DL depth - well, I'm considering Edelman a second rounder with the Brace pick and moving on. Hopefully he'll prove me wrong.

Edelman will have to put on a lot of weight.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

A lot of fans are way smarter that the Patriots front office. BB should spend less time with his players and more time reading fan forums so he cold get a grip on what is REALLY going on with his team..

Ha. The whole point of these fan forums is to second guess management! You would have us take all the fun out this stuff. There is a whole industry based on second guessing the Red Sox. Luckily there are precious few legit opportunities with Belichick or Terry Francona. Brace is one.

I don't buy this bunk about needing a few years to evaluate DL players; Pryor could have been the second and Brace the 7'th at this point and it would not have been too far off (a little high for Pryor but about right for Brace). Pryor showed a lot year; Brace nothing.

The weird thing is that BB has shown that he is very very good at picking DL personnel; probably the best in the NFL. How could he make such a whiff on Brace? Was he fooled by offense's rolling toward Raji? Hard to believe? Was Brace injured? Slow learner?

As far as Crable I have to believe that BB applied his (what I think) is unrealistic height requirements for an OLB instead of getting a good tough athlete.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

Wouldn't it be Whither Ron Brace?

Or thither and thence?

This thread will not wither on the vine either...not as log as Brace keeps shoveling those cheeseburgers.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Ha. The whole point of these fan forums is to second guess management! You would have us take all the fun out this stuff. There is a whole industry based on second guessing the Red Sox. Luckily there are precious few legit opportunities with Belichick or Terry Francona. Brace is one.

I don't buy this bunk about needing a few years to evaluate DL players; Pryor could have been the second and Brace the 7'th at this point and it would not have been too far off (a little high for Pryor but about right for Brace). Pryor showed a lot year; Brace nothing.

The weird thing is that BB has shown that he is very very good at picking DL personnel; probably the best in the NFL. How could he make such a whiff on Brace? Was he fooled by offense's rolling toward Raji? Hard to believe? Was Brace injured? Slow learner?

As far as Crable I have to believe that BB applied his (what I think) is unrealistic height requirements for an OLB instead of getting a good tough athlete.

Meriweather was considered a bust too until last season. One year isn't enough.

As for BB whiffing on the DT position, it seems like a lot of people have done the same recently. If you look at all the DTs drafted in the top-2 rounds over the past 3 years, you don`t get a lot of production. Raji, Peria Jerry (injury), and Evander Hood were all drafted before Brace last season, and none really stood out. It`s still too early to say, but I think Green Bay is more disappointed in Raji as a top 10 pick than we should be in Brace.

In 2008, Glenn Dorsey, Kentwan Ballmer and Trevor Laws were selected in the first two rounds and didn`t contribute much, with Sedrick Ellis being the only guy who isn`t seen as a bust. And apparently New Orleans had offered to trade up to take Dorsey instead, but KC declined the offer.

In 2007, Amobe Okoye, Justin Harrell, Alan Branch and Turk McBride were drafted in the first two rounds and again, not much production.

Brace is not only learning a new position, but also a new technique. He hasn`t been great, and I could see him being a bust when all is said and done. But it is too early to tell. I don`t mind people predicting if he will be or not, but no one can be definitive about it, BB and Ron Brace included.

 

[Destroyer]

Brace is a bust

Some people knew that a long time ago

Really? After one year he's a bust? Houston should have cut Mario Williams when they had the chance.

 

[Dragda]

Brace is a bust after just 55 snaps?

Some people simply shouldn't be allowed opinions if that's the product of it.

Some people thought he benefitted from the lineman next to him in college and had a low opinion of him when he was drafted. People are entitled to that opinion. But it is indeed too early to say they were right or wrong.

 

[BritPat]

Some people thought he benefitted from the lineman next to him in college and had a low opinion of him when he was drafted. People are entitled to that opinion. But it is indeed too early to say they were right or wrong.

Some people also think that the lineman next to him, benefitted from Brace's presence.

Funny that.

Either way, it has no baring on his career as a Patriot.

 

[patfanken]

Actually I'm kind of happy to hear he has a minor injury that is keeping him from participating in camp. Frankly I would have been more pissed if the reason was he'd failed the conditioning test. From all previous reports, he had worked hard during the off season, and got a lot stronger. So why would anyone get all bent out of shape by him having an "undisclosed injury" (about the only kind we get with the Pats ) That might cost him a week of Training camp.

 

[the assman]

I'm not ready to call him a bust but...

if you add an "l" to Brace you can spell Crable

 

[patsfan-1982]

See, now that's the really funny thing. I was on the Draft Barwin Committee in the Draft forum, but he had a poor year, yet anyone who mentions taking him over Brace seems to neglect to mention that.

No doubt someone will be along soon to say "I didn't want Brace and said to Draft (insert name of someone who has had a good rookie year here) instead, look at me".

Connor Barwin, had 5 sacks as a rookie and will play a lot more thie year with Brian Cushing, being suspended for the first 4 games


but i still don't see Brace, as a bust and thats because i never seen him as more then just dept.

 

[wcpatsfan]

I'm bummed Brace isn't out there. I appear to be in the minority in thinking that he could end up being a good player. But that is assuming that he is able to fully transition to being a two-gap player, and that transition won't happen by sitting on the sidelines.

 

[captain insano]

brace is on the road to bust town usa.