Where the Pats might struggle & how to fix it

[Addictive]

I think we can all agree it has been a very good start to the off season. We retained our co-ordinators and Dante.

We extended our key and most vital contributors, signed a new number one CB and a potential number one WR. What happens with Malcolm Butler is still unknown.

But no team is perfect so where do Patriots need to fix and how do we go about doing it?

I was majorly concerned during the Houston play-off game about the pass rush over and through the middle. Having Andrews at Centre is okay and yes, we won the Super Bowl but he doesn't have the huge stature which some Centres have. I know Mangold is available or there is the draft. Who is our back up for the position?

Our DEs need more depth. I would suggest we try and sign another veteran who is willing to play the niche role that Chris Long occupied. Nink is going to slow down as he ages and Flowers will further improve but likely get doubled teamed. Kony Ealy is going to be a handful but can he bring it consistently? I like the idea of drafting another DE and developing him but it is unlikely they will have an impact this season. Would Odrick fit here? Could he line up on the edge?

Running back: It is a concern how few yards we sometimes get on the ground rushing. I know we have the best ever passing the ball but you've got to have a balanced attack. I think since there are no RBs signed for 2018 we at least need to draft one RB who can spend the year learning the plays and the blitz pick up and in addition perhaps sign a veteran. I know having a beast of a RB who can run through tackles and catch out of the back field is as rare as hens teeth but you see what the Steelers can achieve with Bell who can line up as a rusher or catch the ball. We all know Blount isn't going to catch the ball when he is on the field so the defence can predict what might happen.

WR: A position of strength for sure but always look to the future. Edelman is getting older and has taken a huge amount of hits while making some of the biggest moments of the last decade. The Pats have to be looking for his long term replacement. Same with Amendola. I don't see Crooks as Edelman's replacement although Crooks could play the slot we all recognise Crooks can do far more. I would be in favour of identifying a player in college who might be unheralded but has the athleticism and the smarts to become the next Brady or JG security blanket. Edelman was a late round pick up perhaps his successor might also be there.

TE: A good signing in Dwayne Allen but he is a Bennett replacement. If he or Gronk go down during the season we face the same problem as we did this past season. I like that we got a 5th rounder for Derby but I was always nervous about trading him during the season because of depth. I think TE is a position of need and I hope BB drafts one for the future.

OL: How do you solve a problem like Nate Solder's next contract? Extend or draft a replacement and let him go as a free agent. Solder has been instrumental in getting us two Super Bowl wins but will he still be elite by the end of his next contract and will it be good value?

I'm generally happy with the DTs we have but Branch might only play one more year, two max.

I'm optimistic about the Patriots going for number six next season. The health of the players is usually the crux of the matter but you can always improve as a team even if you just won the championship.

Thoughts, suggestions or disagreements - lets hear them.

 

[varjao]

Right now my concern is only pass rush, Ealy is on a contract year and Flowers in year 3. Need an infusion of new talent to develop at the position for the future, the same way we did when drafting Chandler Jones and Dont'a. It paid off big time.

 

[Love The Drake]

The draft should be d line and o line primarily.
Unless you can get a impact player in the secondary if Butler is traded.
If we get back into the 1st round or a trade up for linebacker Cunningham would be great.

 

[Username]

Pass rush and we're thin on quality at LB

 

[Nikolai]

I think we can all agree it has been a very good start to the off season. We retained our co-ordinators and Dante.

We extended our key and most vital contributors, signed a new number one CB and a potential number one WR. What happens with Malcolm Butler is still unknown.

But no team is perfect so where do Patriots need to fix and how do we go about doing it?

I was majorly concerned during the Houston play-off game about the pass rush over and through the middle. Having Andrews at Centre is okay and yes, we won the Super Bowl but he doesn't have the huge stature which some Centres have. I know Mangold is available or there is the draft. Who is our back up for the position?

Our DEs need more depth. I would suggest we try and sign another veteran who is willing to play the niche role that Chris Long occupied. Nink is going to slow down as he ages and Flowers will further improve but likely get doubled teamed. Kony Ealy is going to be a handful but can he bring it consistently? I like the idea of drafting another DE and developing him but it is unlikely they will have an impact this season. Would Odrick fit here? Could he line up on the edge?

Running back: It is a concern how few yards we sometimes get on the ground rushing. I know we have the best ever passing the ball but you've got to have a balanced attack. I think since there are no RBs signed for 2018 we at least need to draft one RB who can spend the year learning the plays and the blitz pick up and in addition perhaps sign a veteran. I know having a beast of a RB who can run through tackles and catch out of the back field is as rare as hens teeth but you see what the Steelers can achieve with Bell who can line up as a rusher or catch the ball. We all know Blount isn't going to catch the ball when he is on the field so the defence can predict what might happen.

WR: A position of strength for sure but always look to the future. Edelman is getting older and has taken a huge amount of hits while making some of the biggest moments of the last decade. The Pats have to be looking for his long term replacement. Same with Amendola. I don't see Crooks as Edelman's replacement although Crooks could play the slot we all recognise Crooks can do far more. I would be in favour of identifying a player in college who might be unheralded but has the athleticism and the smarts to become the next Brady or JG security blanket. Edelman was a late round pick up perhaps his successor might also be there.

TE: A good signing in Dwayne Allen but he is a Bennett replacement. If he or Gronk go down during the season we face the same problem as we did this past season. I like that we got a 5th rounder for Derby but I was always nervous about trading him during the season because of depth. I think TE is a position of need and I hope BB drafts one for the future.

OL: How do you solve a problem like Nate Solder's next contract? Extend or draft a replacement and let him go as a free agent. Solder has been instrumental in getting us two Super Bowl wins but will he still be elite by the end of his next contract and will it be good value?

I'm generally happy with the DTs we have but Branch might only play one more year, two max.

I'm optimistic about the Patriots going for number six next season. The health of the players is usually the crux of the matter but you can always improve as a team even if you just won the championship.

Thoughts, suggestions or disagreements - lets hear them.

Good write up, but it's "Cooks", unless you're trying to imply something.

I'm curious if we're going to address the OL more through the draft, but there is definitely a looming future need there.

 

[JMC00]

Center- Not sure why people are so quick to dump Andrews for a 33 year old Center that has started to break down

DE- Why are you forgetting Guy? Pretty sure he's gonna line up at DE at times.

RB- So you want the Pats to find the next Bell? Can't wait until Burkhead proves people wrong


WR- So it's a strength? Not sure why it's listed. The premise of your post was where the Pats might struggle.

TE: If Gronk and Allen are healthy TE is not a need. Plus I just have no clue what TE that Pats can get to be #3 that would lessen the impact of losing Gronk. Don't see any current FA and cant rely on a rookie

Solder- He is under contract for '17. Thats all that matters right now.

 

[BobDigital]

Pass rush and CBs. If we lose Butler and I think we will that is a lot of turn over in a single year and I think we take for granted too much that there will not be struggles from the CBs.

Pass rush assuming we get 1 more good body in the draft or FA will be fine. I like Ealy more than Long/Sheard. Now we just want to be sure we have that depth piece.

Also IOL. We did nothing to improve it so far and even if Thuney makes a big 2nd year jump I don't see the problem being solved.

 

[ivanvamp]

Right now my concern is only pass rush, Ealy is on a contract year and Flowers in year 3. Need an infusion of new talent to develop at the position for the future, the same way we did when drafting Chandler Jones and Dont'a. It paid off big time.

Pass rush is still a concern. Thought they did sack Ryan 5 times in the Super Bowl in just 28 drop backs, for a pretty nice rate of 17.9%.

I also worry about LB depth. If Hightower gets hurt, there isn't a lot of quality players backing him up. I'd address LB in the draft for sure.

On offense, the only issue is health. The OL is solid. Brady is still playing at an all pro level. The running game will never be all-time great, but it should be solid enough. The receiving corps is phenomenal with Cooks, Edelman, Gronk, Allen, Mitchell, and Hogan (who knows about Amendola), plus the guys out of the backfield. They can attack any part of the field now.

I'm a little concerned about Gostkowski. Hope he just had one of those crazy weird years - amazing it didn't end up costing them. Return games should be fine, and the coverage units ought to be terrific.

So:

1. Pass rush
2. LB depth
3. Injuries

That's pretty much about it. And if somehow JG stays on the team, this will be the first season I'll not really be too stressed out if Brady gets hurt (not my preference obviously, but I really think that this team could win it all with JG at QB).

 

[IllegalContact]

right now, I think the biggest need is LB

my hope is that if Butler is traded for the 11, that the Pats grab Zach Cunningham and that problem is solved

next is RB.....still want a bigger back

beyond that, look to upgrade OL depth......I don't have an issue with the way the game against the texans looked.......we saw both the texans and falcons throw the kitchen sink and have nothing in the 2nd half....the important thing is that in both instances, the unit improved as the game progressed

I would not waste my time with mangold, but I would draft a center as a prospect.

 

[deters]

Way I see it were pretty well stocked at all positions but there is room for improvement on back end of spots.

RB - burkhead makes Bolden expendable. Draft RB to replace blount.

OL - most important spot to never get complacent. Look to improve backups at tackle and interior if possible. If not we should be ok.

DL/LB - time to find Ninks replacement. He's currently the only negative in the starting rotation on defense I see. Roberts should make more improvements, but I'm not sold on LB core in general. Really the only spot left to completely upgrade on defense.

SS - if we can get an elite talent, we can get rid of richards or king and push Chung to lower reps giving us quality depth.

 

[p8ryts]

Center- Not sure why people are so quick to dump Andrews for a 33 year old Center that has started to break down

DE- Why are you forgetting Guy? Pretty sure he's gonna line up at DE at times.

RB- So you want the Pats to find the next Bell? Can't wait until Burkhead proves people wrong


WR- So it's a strength? Not sure why it's listed. The premise of your post was where the Pats might struggle.

TE: If Gronk and Allen are healthy TE is not a need. Plus I just have no clue what TE that Pats can get to be #3 that would lessen the impact of losing Gronk. Don't see any current FA and cant rely on a rookie

Solder- He is under contract for '17. Thats all that matters right now.

Koppen wasn't that big either. The inside pass rush has been a problem since 2007. Not every defense can do it. I do wish it could be resolved though

 

[patriot1136]

Pass rush for sure to keep Flowers and Ealy fresh, that would be a good rotation. However, I'm interested to see how they use Guy. LB for sure as we need more depth at the very least there. Then either a tackle or a guard/center.

 

[Kontradiction]

Center- Not sure why people are so quick to dump Andrews for a 33 year old Center that has started to break down

DE- Why are you forgetting Guy? Pretty sure he's gonna line up at DE at times.

RB- So you want the Pats to find the next Bell? Can't wait until Burkhead proves people wrong


WR- So it's a strength? Not sure why it's listed. The premise of your post was where the Pats might struggle.

TE: If Gronk and Allen are healthy TE is not a need. Plus I just have no clue what TE that Pats can get to be #3 that would lessen the impact of losing Gronk. Don't see any current FA and cant rely on a rookie

Solder- He is under contract for '17. Thats all that matters right now.

So this team has zero needs in your opinion?

 

[DaBruinz]

I was majorly concerned during the Houston play-off game about the pass rush over and through the middle. Having Andrews at Centre is okay and yes, we won the Super Bowl but he doesn't have the huge stature which some Centres have. I know Mangold is available or there is the draft. Who is our back up for the position?

There aren't a lot of Centers who "have the huge stature". When looking at center you need to consider the type of blocking scheme the Pats run.. It's typically a Zone Blocking scheme.. That requires the O-linemen to be more agile and it's very rare to find a "big statured Center" with the agility that the Pats look for..

The current reserves at Center are Ted Karras and Joe Thuney..

Also, for whatever reason, the Pats centers going back to Koppen have had issues picking up stunts and delayed blitzes.. That seems to be the same with Andrews..

My understanding is that the draft is very weak at OC in particular..

Our DEs need more depth. I would suggest we try and sign another veteran who is willing to play the niche role that Chris Long occupied. Nink is going to slow down as he ages and Flowers will further improve but likely get doubled teamed. Kony Ealy is going to be a handful but can he bring it consistently? I like the idea of drafting another DE and developing him but it is unlikely they will have an impact this season. Would Odrick fit here? Could he line up on the edge?

DE is one of the stronger positions in the draft so I could easily see the Pats Double dipping here. Especially since Ealy is, essentially, on a one year prove it deal..

Running back: It is a concern how few yards we sometimes get on the ground rushing. I know we have the best ever passing the ball but you've got to have a balanced attack. I think since there are no RBs signed for 2018 we at least need to draft one RB who can spend the year learning the plays and the blitz pick up and in addition perhaps sign a veteran. I know having a beast of a RB who can run through tackles and catch out of the back field is as rare as hens teeth but you see what the Steelers can achieve with Bell who can line up as a rusher or catch the ball. We all know Blount isn't going to catch the ball when he is on the field so the defence can predict what might happen.

Most people expect the Pats to draft a RB at some point.. This could be the other position that they double dip at..

OL: How do you solve a problem like Nate Solder's next contract? Extend or draft a replacement and let him go as a free agent. Solder has been instrumental in getting us two Super Bowl wins but will he still be elite by the end of his next contract and will it be good value?

Unfortunately, OT isn't very deep in this draft. With the Pats currently not having a 1st or 2nd round pick, the likelihood of adding someone who could be a Swing Tackle and groomed for the future is slim. It's more likely that they give Solder a 1-2 year extension and then grab one in 2018 to groom from 2019..

I'm generally happy with the DTs we have but Branch might only play one more year, two max.

The Pats have Malcolm Brown and Vincent Valentine and just added Lawrence Guy on a 4 year deal.. Vincent Valentine played extremely well for a rookie and is likely the guy who will replace Branch long term.. They have Woodrow Hamilton and Darius Kilgo as well, though they are on the outside looking in.

 

[brdmaverick]

Where the Pats might struggle? hmmmm, let me think........well, I thought long and hard about it but I finally figured out something the Pats will struggle with this year and it is.....................

...deciding when to take their starters out of the game.



***warning: For those who need clarification this post was meant to be funny and not ****y.

 

[TomPatriot]

I would draft the best available player in every round who fits best in the Pats system. I don't see too many remaining FAs I would sign.

Andrews' problem is partially technique, which can be fixed. OL could use some depth.

 

[JMC00]

So this team has zero needs in your opinion?

At the positions OP listed outside of DE, I don't see pressing needs.

Center- Everyone can continue to have wet dreams about 33 year old Nick Mangold, who just missed half a season. But I don't see Center as a need.

RB- Not much can be done there. It's either bring Blount back or bring in Peterson or Charles. Which is unlikely, so it seems Pats could go with a 3-headed rotation in Lewis, White and Burkhead (maybe even 4 with Foster, seems like he also got the RS-bedded in treatment this year ). Contrary to popular belief the offense doesn't need a bruiser back. Needs backs that can move the chains, whether it be running or in the pass game. If Pats were to draft a RB this year as evident in past years he would be bedded in and it would a move more for '18, unless he just comes in to training camp and impresses.

#3 TE- There isn't anyone out there in FA that you could bring and say "ya if Gronk goes down, having him will help". If iAllen goes down, you still have Gronk. Best chance to get someone is the draft but as of right now they aren't drafting until #72 so who knows which TEs will be available, although good thing about this draft is TE seems to be the deepest it's been in awhile

 

[Ivan]

So this team has zero needs in your opinion?

From where I'm sitting they need help in a number of areas but nothing of extreme need.

RB-I like the three they have but they could definitely add one in the draft to fill the unit out. This is a strong draft at RB and there will be good ones there in the 3rd through 5th rounds.

DL-The interior line and 3-4 line is in very good shape, but they still have a need for a 4-3 End/ pass rusher. Ealy fills the spot Long vacated but Ninkovich is showing his age and Sheard is gone. I had hoped they would take a shot at Barwin but he signed in L.A.. Hopefully they can find one in the draft or later this offseason in free agency.

LB-Their greatest area of need imo. Getting Hightower back was a big deal but McClellin and Van Noy are just average imo. I like Roberts as a run stuffer but he's a liability in coverage. I would like to see them add at least one LB if not two in the draft.

OL- I think Solder will be Re-Signed this offseason so they are set for starters but they could use more depth, and as much as I like their young interior OL they need depth and competition inside.

Imo they are set right now at the other positions but that could change depending upon what happens with Butler and Garrapolo. They have had a great offseason to date but Belichick still has moves to make and it should be interesting to see what he does.

 

[BlueThunder]

I talked to BB and he is working on those weaknesses we pointed out.....

 

[ivanvamp]

I would draft the best available player in every round who fits best in the Pats system. I don't see too many remaining FAs I would sign.

Andrews' problem is partially technique, which can be fixed. OL could use some depth.

Mangold would greatly improve the OL, because (1) he's better than Andrews, and (2) Andrews is better than Karras, and so the Patriots would be improved in their starting OL, but also in their backups.

And they have the $$ to do it, especially if Butler ends up in NO (or elsewhere).