Wilfork and the DL bonding in the off-season

[captain stone]

But when have we ever had starting D-linemen that one would consider athletic? Our best d-linemen in the past have been the fatties. Ted Washington, Keith Traylor (a good fill in), Wilfork, Seymour (athletic, but also a freak that is near-impossible to find again), Warren. And Jarvis Green, while athletic, was a back-up. It seems that the defensive scheme favors weight over speed. And that is consistent with the supposed and ostensible weakness of a 3-4 defensive--opponents running up the gut. BB values the big boys, pound-for-pound.

They trusted their draft boards and didn't see go after Cam Jordan.

Ty Warren, when he was younger & hungrier pre-extension, was pretty damn athletic, too.

But teams throw more often now than they did even just 10 years ago. Having blobs like Brace & Gerard Warren as your DEs, esp. with TBC & Ninko as the OLBs, simply isn't going to scare any QB, not even a girl like the Sancheck.

All I am saying, is Give Athleticism a Chance.

 

[Off The Grid]

Maybe it's not the players who are constantly poor fits, but the scheme itself.

So now you can not only predict the future of this coming season's pass rush, but you also think you have a better opinion on NFL schemes than Bill Belichick?

He just forgot more overnight than you ever knew.

That was unduly harsh.

Well...maybe not unduly.

 

[Sciz]

Ty Warren, when he was younger & hungrier pre-extension, was pretty damn athletic, too.

But teams throw more often now than they did even just 10 years ago. Having blobs like Brace & Gerard Warren as your DEs, esp. with TBC & Ninko as the OLBs, simply isn't going to scare any QB, not even a girl like the Sancheck.

All I am saying, is Give Athleticism a Chance.

It's the general theme of the defense: You can have flashy (athleticism) after you have reliable (stoutness). It's okay that Warren was athletic, because he was awfully stout and reliable against the run as well.

Big guys can rush the passer too, although in more of a pocket-pushing role than a speed-rush sack-artist role. Pass rush cannot be judged on a few players, but the team, and the Patriots have plenty of pass rushing talent even with the lack of overall athleticism.

 

[RayClay]

The defense was in nickel situations over half the time last year, which means that Jordan would've been on the field over half the time this year for us, too.

Besides, whom would you rather have playing for us:
An athletic, strong player at 6-4 1/2, almost 290 with the frame to push 300
and with football bloodlines, such as Cam Jordan, or:
A fat, lazy, soft, cartoon-watching blob such as Ron Brace?

If our first round pick can only play in sub packages, we need Brace, or Stroud or G. Warren, or someone that won't get caved at the line. It has nothing to do with what i want.

Burgess was a bad trade, but giving Moore, or somebody else a shot is better than trading up to get a Gholston.

I'm not a personnel guy, nor do I know what the Pat's Philosophy is. Apparently they draft well enough to win 9 to 16 games a year, which is what matters.

 

[RayClay]

Ty Warren, when he was younger & hungrier pre-extension, was pretty damn athletic, too.

But teams throw more often now than they did even just 10 years ago. Having blobs like Brace & Gerard Warren as your DEs, esp. with TBC & Ninko as the OLBs, simply isn't going to scare any QB, not even a girl like the Sancheck.

All I am saying, is Give Athleticism a Chance.

All three of our linemen were immense and athletic, that's why they required high 1st rounders (and luck for Wilfork).

I have no doubt the Pats would have traded up to get a guy who could take on a double and was as athletic as any of them. They didn't, in fact they didn't seem to try. Makes me think that level of stout player with end size, wasn't there.

They had ammunition enough to get Watt if he was that guy IMO.

I personally think not trying to make the player fit the spot has been a strength compared to other teams.

 

[Sciz]

And you need stout guys on early downs to ever be able to use subpackages...