6. I loved Mayo's 5-2 analysis. Lots of formation flexibility and we have the right talent if we can mget the inside 3 set. Jones and Ninko would be perfect fits as the outside guys. since they can set the edge, rush the pass, and drop back in coverage.
Historical note: The 5-2 was originally perfected by Bud Wilkerson at Oklahoma back in the mid 50's. It was commonly called the "Okie". It was the defense I played in HS, and the one I coached 10 years later. Years later it became known as a 3-4 in the pros.
I'd rather see us back in a 3-4 simply because the biggest value of the scheme is that you can better hide your pass rush strategy than with a 4-3. And bringing this post back full circle, Steven Tuitt would be someone who could get us back to the 3-4
7. Other choices I'd be OK with are Easley, Ealy, and the best TE available
Thanks, Ken.
To be clear, I think the Pats will run a hybrid - be "multiple", to use BB's term - and the key is the personnel more than the scheme. A 2-gapping 3-4 worked really well with Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, Ted Washington, Keith Traylor and Vince Wilfork up front, and with Willie McGinest, Teddy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Ted Johnson and Roman Phifer. I don't see a 2-gapping 3-4 as the way to go, but I think that the Pats have the personnel (especially if they add 1 or 2 pieces via the draft) to play a more aggressive hybrid front that can morph between a 5-2, 4-3 under (with one tackle becoming the LDE and the original left end standing up) or a 3-4 (with both tackles alongside the DT playing 3-4 DE, and both original ends standing up).
The names aren't as important as having the kind of players that can execute the schemes.
The Pats have perhaps the most talented back 7 in the NFL with Mayo-Hightower-Collins at LB (especially if Collins makes the expected progression and picks up where he left off last year) and Revis-Browner-McCourty-Dennard-Ryan at DB. Sure, we could use depth at LB, a speedy LB/S hybrid, and you can never have enough good DBs; but the DL is where the personnel are more of a question mark, IMO. Wilfork is coming off a major injury and may never be the same, Jones and Ninkovich wore down playing too many snaps, and Kelly (coming off an ACL) plus Armstead-Jones-Vellano just isn't something I'd want to count on filling the two DT/DE roles on either side of the NT to run that kind of a hybrid scheme. Some combination of Aaron Donald, Dominique Easley, Ra'Shede Hageman and Stephon Tuitt would provide a huge boost.
Although I'm not going to give up hope on Aaron Donald until someone else picks him in the draft, I think that a combination of Stephon Tuitt and Dominique Easley would be darn good, and the Pats could quite possibly get both with 29+62 if they are lucky, and if they can move around a bit. That would give the Pats a 5 man base DL that looks like:
Ninkovich/Hightower - Tuitt/Kelly/Armstead - Wilfork/Siliga - Easley/Chr. Jones - Cha. Jones/Buchanan
Tuitt/Kelly/Armstead could play a "3 Tech" role in a 5 man front, or a LDE role in a 4-3 under with Ninkovich/Hightower moving back to LB. And if Chandler Jones stands up in a McGinest kind of "elephant" role then you have a 3-4. That would be a pretty deep and versatile line, with a lot of young talent to develop for the long term.