Jumbo Sized Elephants

[Box_O_Rocks]

Of course Cunningham will get better. My point is do you want Bailey, a college DT/ DE and Cunningham ( who up until last year had always been a D-lineman ) as your OLB's ? Do you think that gives you enough coverage against the pass? I think not, but thats just my opinion.

As DEs in a sub-package, do they more often rush the passer or drop into coverage? Until NE gets their young linebackers up to speed, while doing the same with the D-line, they will be more often in a 4-2 Nickel on passing downs, which makes Mayo and Guyton the coverage guys. If Cunningham progresses and Ninkovich progresses, and the front three steps up, then they might stay in a 3-4 front and disguise which linebacker is coming and which three are dropping into coverage. For now they are more predictable, but it doesn't have to stay that way and BB doesn't have to wait two seasons to find TBC's replacement. If the overall defense develops as fast as it did last year, I'm not worried about another raw kid with great intangibles being added to the mix. I still insist this is a rebuilding team, take a few lumps now for a better future.

 

[bucky]

As DEs in a sub-package, do they more often rush the passer or drop into coverage? Until NE gets their young linebackers up to speed, while doing the same with the D-line, they will be more often in a 4-2 Nickel on passing downs, which makes Mayo and Guyton the coverage guys. If Cunningham progresses and Ninkovich progresses, and the front three steps up, then they might stay in a 3-4 front and disguise which linebacker is coming and which three are dropping into coverage. For now they are more predictable, but it doesn't have to stay that way and BB doesn't have to wait two seasons to find TBC's replacement. If the overall defense develops as fast as it did last year, I'm not worried about another raw kid with great intangibles being added to the mix. I still insist this is a rebuilding team, take a few lumps now for a better future.

So your prediction then would be that Bailey would be drafted as a 3rd down pass rusher and Cunningham and Nink would be the 34 OLBs? That's fine with me, except if we spend a 2nd round pick on a 3rd down-only player, I'd like him to have more pass rushing skills than Bailey.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

So your prediction then would be that Bailey would be drafted as a 3rd down pass rusher and Cunningham and Nink would be the 34 OLBs? That's fine with me, except if we spend a 2nd round pick on a 3rd down-only player, I'd like him to have more pass rushing skills than Bailey.

If NE drafts Bailey, it is my surmise given what little I know about him - and please remember I had him off my board prior to BB giving him the once over, I had absolutely no idea where he would fit or improve this team based on the games I watched last season - that Bailey will be part of the OLB rotation. As a rookie, with hoped for improvement from Cunningham, Ninkovich, and Moore, I wouldn't foresee him taking a lot of critical game reps at anything other than 3rd down sub-rusher and Special Teams. BB has been starting rookies, but for the most part he still prefers to bring them along at a little slower pace.

I only project Bailey to OLB based on his comparison to Cunningham, beyond that I still don't know where BB will or would use him. But with the look NE has had at Clayborn, Bailey, Ballard, etc. there is no way around it, they are looking for "hawgs" to play OLB.

 

[zimmy]

If NE drafts Bailey, it is my surmise given what little I know about him - and please remember I had him off my board prior to BB giving him the once over, I had absolutely no idea where he would fit or improve this team based on the games I watched last season - that Bailey will be part of the OLB rotation. As a rookie, with hoped for improvement from Cunningham, Ninkovich, and Moore, I wouldn't foresee him taking a lot of critical game reps at anything other than 3rd down sub-rusher and Special Teams. BB has been starting rookies, but for the most part he still prefers to bring them along at a little slower pace.

I only project Bailey to OLB based on his comparison to Cunningham, beyond that I still don't know where BB will or would use him. But with the look NE has had at Clayborn, Bailey, Ballard, etc. there is no way around it, they are looking for "hawgs" to play OLB.

Maybe they are trying to replicate the success the Chiefs have had moving Tamba Hali to OLB? He is 6-3 275 which is comparable to a lot of these prospects.