Mayo vs. DRC (Post-SB)

[Sicilian]

Re: Mayo vs DRC (Post-SB)

I've always felt you build from the trenches out. I also feel that Mayo and DRC are comparable talents and potentials, both having successful rookie seasons.

So, assuming equal circumstances, if given the choice between a great young lineman, a great young linebacker, and a great young defensive back, my order of preference will always be:

1) DL
2) LB
3) DB

Since our line is pretty much set for starters (atm), Mayo just makes the most sense.

 

[Rob0729]

Re: Mayo vs DRC (Post-SB)

Mayo walked away with the DROY and it wasn't even close. DRC looks like he is going to be a good player, but give me Mayo.

 

[Deus Irae]

Re: Mayo vs DRC (Post-SB)

Deus - out of curiosity would you take Clady or Mayo right now given what we know so far?

I can appreciate the talent of Clady, but imo Defense and specifically ILB was such a need coming into this past season I really don't think I can say I'd rather have Clady over Mayo long-term. I think the Patriots really lucked out (much in the same way Wilfork was such a fit for them) with Mayo, by not only getting an extremely talented player but also getting a guy who plays a position that was in such need for the team as well.

I think the Patriots OL (last year's SB and the first quarter of this season not withstanding), really became solidified over the course of the season. Although I can see the Patriots picking up some guys to groom in this year's draft since a lot of the guys are aging and/or contracts are coming up soon. I would be surprised if they took an OL 1st round though, unless a true stud fell to them.

I look at how I'd build a football team that plays the 3-4:

#1) Quarterback

#2) Left tackle

#3) Nose tackle

and that tells me to always get the elite tackle when you can. As good as Mayo looks like he can be, I'd still have taken Clady. I'd imagine that most people will disagree.

 

[rsd]

Re: Mayo vs DRC (Post-SB)

I look at how I'd build a football team that plays the 3-4:

#1) Quarterback

#2) Left tackle

#3) Nose tackle

and that tells me to always get the elite tackle when you can. As good as Mayo looks like he can be, I'd still have taken Clady. I'd imagine that most people will disagree.

While I understand your point, I would argue that the difference between Clady/Light would not have been significant enough in comparison to Mayo/<whoever would've filled in>. The fact that I can not clearly think of who would have been the outright starter if Mayo wasn't around scares me even more.

I know Light gets fairly maligned around here, and he tends to have a couple really bad games a year, I think he tends to hold his own quite well "when it matters".

 

[Deus Irae]

Re: Mayo vs DRC (Post-SB)

While I understand your point, I would argue that the difference between Clady/Light would not have been significant enough in comparison to Mayo/<whoever would've filled in>. The fact that I can not clearly think of who would have been the outright starter if Mayo wasn't around scares me even more.

I know Light gets fairly maligned around here, and he tends to have a couple really bad games a year, I think he tends to hold his own quite well "when it matters".

I'm a frequent defender of Light, but he is getting older and his contract is up after next season. As for the replacement for Mayo, Seau was available for another year. I understand the arguments for Mayo, and I realize I'm in the minority on this issue. However, I also think that Brady going down in game one this season highlights just how important it is to keep your starting QB as safe as possible.

 

[condon84]

Re: Mayo vs DRC (Post-SB)

DRC is a tremendous young CB and I believe he will be an elite CB for years to come but in our defense, ILBs are more important than CBs, therefore, I say Mayo. ILBs are harder to find and the fact that we hit a homerun with Mayo removes all doubt whether we should have picked anyone else.

 

[mgcolby]

Re: Mayo vs DRC (Post-SB)

He is a great cover guy, but is absolute dog sh*t against the run. He avoids contact more than I can recall any corner doing since Deion. Every time they ran at him it was a 10+ yard gain.

 

[rsd]

Re: Mayo vs DRC (Post-SB)

He is a great cover guy, but is absolute dog sh*t against the run. He avoids contact more than I can recall any corner doing since Deion. Every time they ran at him it was a 10+ yard gain.

I haven't seen much of DRC, but was anyone else appalled at how he let up on the Holmes 40yrd play on the final drive? He's the one with the supposed speed, he could've maybe saved his team 5-10 yards if he had hustled. It was Asante-esque

 

[Sicilian]

Re: Mayo vs DRC (Post-SB)

I'm a frequent defender of Light, but he is getting older and his contract is up after next season. As for the replacement for Mayo, Seau was available for another year. I understand the arguments for Mayo, and I realize I'm in the minority on this issue. However, I also think that Brady going down in game one this season highlights just how important it is to keep your starting QB as safe as possible.

But Brady's injury also shows you that, a lot of the time, the bad injuries aren't the result of a blindside hit due to a poor LT. As I recall it was a fluke off a blitz pickup that ended up causing that.

 

[Deus Irae]

Re: Mayo vs DRC (Post-SB)

But Brady's injury also shows you that, a lot of the time, the bad injuries aren't the result of a blindside hit due to a poor LT. As I recall it was a fluke off a blitz pickup that ended up causing that.

While you're correct that it was a blitz pickup by Morris that led to the injury when a certain player dove at Brady's leg, it doesn't change the basic equation. In the passing game that the NFL has become, the quarterback is more important than ever. Take a look at last night's Super Bowl, and you'll see that it set a record for the fewest combined rushing yards in Super Bowl history. And this was a in a game that the mighty 'running' Steelers led most of the time.

In today's game, you need to keep your quarterback clean. You start doing that by getting the very best players to play the position which is your quarterback's blind spot, and that position is left tackle.



P.S. You also do that by telling your #%$%$!@#$% best blitz defending running back not to get caught with weed in his jacket.

 

[Sicilian]

Re: Mayo vs DRC (Post-SB)

P.S. You also do that by telling your #%$%$!@#$% best blitz defending running back not to get caught with weed in his jacket.

1) QB

2) NO 3RD DOWN BACK ROCKIN DA GANGA!

3) LT

4) NT

So, is that more like it for you then?

 

[ALP]

Now in light of the Super Bowl, I was curious if anyone's opinions on who the Patriots should have drafted has changed.

DRC had been getting a fair amount of hype leading up to the superbowl during the playoffs, but in my opinion he had a pretty horrid game. He made a couple of nice deflections, but I thought his tackling was poor and he let up on the long Holmes catch on the last drive.

Obviously this is one game, but now that 2008 is over who would YOU have drafted for the Patriots in hindsight?

i was also thinking about this, and finally came to this conclusion...

if that game was only for the 1st half, DRC was clearly the choice, unfortunately for him, in football we play 2 halves, and in the latter, especially w/ the game on the line, Holmes made DRC his b****

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

As the resident Cardinals season ticket holder on the board, I guess I'll weigh in on this one. I've seen him play live a bunch of times, and my conclusion is that he played much like a rookie this year, but there were some absolute flashes of brilliance and talent that simply cannot be taught.

For the first 8 games, he played very tenative and was too reactive. In the second half of the season, he was much more aggressive. It caused him to get torched a few times, but overall it ended up being good for him. His problem all year, though, is that he can't make an open field tackle. Obviously, the Steelers knew this and put him in position. He needs safety help to get guys on the ground, and no matter how elite you are, that's a problem that needs fixing.

The one most notable feature about the Arizona Cardinals all year during the regular season was their terrible tackling. Just horrendous. Then, in the playoffs, they put it all together. The Atlanta game particularly was amazing -- they were planting guys in their tracks. Then, it all crumbled last night, and DRC was part of it.

In terms of being a shut down one-on-one corner, I think DRC will get there in the next 2 years. If he can't tackle, though, it will always be a weakness that keeps him from being regarded as great. I think for the Patriot's needs, Mayo was the right guy. But DRC is a player.

 

[memento]

"Don't give me a defensive player that can't tackle. What am i going to do with him?"

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I'd love to have both but obviously that isn't very realistic. To me you can't go wrong with either and we were in need at both positions. In the end I'm happy with the decision we made.

 

[Deus Irae]

I'd love to have both but obviously that isn't very realistic. To me you can't go wrong with either and we were in need at both positions. In the end I'm happy with the decision we made.

It might have been realistic if the Ommissioner hadn't taken away that draft pick.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Pretty much going to agree with Deus on this one. Clady, Mayo, and DRC all look like good picks, and in hindsight I wouldn't have had a problem with any of them. I'm certainly not going to second-guess the Mayo pick.

 

[tanked_as_usual]

in the 3-4, ILB is more important than CB.........mayo and it ain't even close