Very Interesting: Belichick's history with Jermaine Cunningham

[NG Pats Fan]

It Is What It Is » Report: Patriots cut defensive end Jermaine Cunningham

The release of Cunningham brings his journey with Bill Belichick to an apparent end. In a conversation with WEEI in 2011, former Florida coach Urban Meyer recounted the tale of Belichick and Cunningham — it appears that the New England coach fell for Cunningham as a collegian.

“That started his sophomore year,” Meyer said of Belichick’s interest in Cunningham. “Coach Belichick would always come down and watch film and I’d sometimes sit in there and he would keep asking about [Jermaine]: ‘Who’s this guy? Who’s this guy? Who’s this guy?’ And you had Derrick Harvey, you had Jarvis Moss, Carlos Dunlap, and then Jermaine was kind of the next guy, but he would always say ‘Who is that guy? I love that guy.’

“Bill Belichick’s the one who saw a lot in him.”

With the Patriots deciding to release Cunningham and defensive end Marcus Benard (who was cut on Friday), youngsters Jake Bequette, Mike Buchanan and Justin Francis appear to be the favorites when it comes to finding backups to starters Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich.





:bricks::bricks::bricks:

I always thought Dunlap was the much more talented of the two, still pissed about the pick of Cunningham over Dunlap

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

When he whiffs badly, he seems to go at it alone against scouts advice.

 

[DarrylS]

When he whiffs badly, he seems to go at it alone against scouts advice.

That would be called ego...

 

[farn]

When he whiffs badly, he seems to go at it alone against scouts advice.

Hmmm. How many scouts were raving about Vollmer or Mankins ? All kinds of scouts for other teams bypassed Wilfork...

Not science. Drafting is educated hunches.

 

[cstjohn17]

That pisses me off even more, epic whiff to take Cunningham over Dunlap. Think of the difference an impact player makes on an entire defense. 3.5 sacks, yuck, makes me sick to my stomach.

 

[VrabelJr]

Cunningham over Dunlap is all hindsight. We were still mostly a 3-4 team back then. Dunlap had no fit in our scheme.

 

[Joey007]

It Is What It Is » Report: Patriots cut defensive end Jermaine Cunningham


The Patriots have released defensive end Jermaine Cunningham, according to Pro Football Talk. The Florida product, who was a second-round pick of New England in 2010, had 59 tackles and 3.5 sacks with the Patriots in three seasons. The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder, who was suspended for PEDs for four games in 2012, has his best year with New England last season when he had 2.5 sacks and 24 tackles (16 solo) in 12 games (three starts).

The release of Cunningham brings his journey with Bill Belichick to an apparent end. In a conversation with WEEI in 2011, former Florida coach Urban Meyer recounted the tale of Belichick and Cunningham — it appears that the New England coach fell for Cunningham as a collegian.

“That started his sophomore year,” Meyer said of Belichick’s interest in Cunningham. “Coach Belichick would always come down and watch film and I’d sometimes sit in there and he would keep asking about [Jermaine]: ‘Who’s this guy? Who’s this guy? Who’s this guy?’ And you had Derrick Harvey, you had Jarvis Moss, Carlos Dunlap, and then Jermaine was kind of the next guy, but he would always say ‘Who is that guy? I love that guy.’

“Bill Belichick’s the one who saw a lot in him.”

With the Patriots deciding to release Cunningham and defensive end Marcus Benard (who was cut on Friday), youngsters Jake Bequette, Mike Buchanan and Justin Francis appear to be the favorites when it comes to finding backups to starters Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich.





:bricks::bricks::bricks:

I always thought Dunlap was the much more talented of the two, still pissed about the pick of Cunningham over Dunlap

It was a bad pick, from day one I was mad how we passed right over Dunlap, and look where we're at now. :bricks:

 

[Rob0729]

That pisses me off even more, epic whiff to take Cunningham over Dunlap. Think of the difference an impact player makes on an entire defense. 3.5 sacks, yuck, makes me sick to my stomach.

Cunningham was a mistake, but Dunlap is overrated. He is injury prone and hasn't repeated his rookie year impact in the last two seasons. Sean Lee was the whiff, not Dunlap. The Pats could have taken Lee and used the Spikes pick (and I like Spikes, but he is no Lee) on say Emmanuel Sanders who Belichick obviously likes and went in between the Spikes pick and the Pats next pick in the third round Taylor Price (and the Pats could have used that pick on a guy who didn't bust out in two years).

I still don't get why people love Dunlap so much. He is a decent DE, but not an impact player. If the Pats drafted him, they may not have drafted Chandler Jones who has a far higher ceiling that Dunlap has.

Sean Lee, on the other hand, would have been that every down LB who can cover TEs and slot receivers that we have been looking for forever it seems. Granted, Lee is more of a hindsight pick because, if I remember correctly, the pick was considered a reach at the time.

 

[captain stone]

That would be called ego...

...among other things.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

That would be called ego...

not really.

Recognizing the mistake, cutting bait, and moving on is pretty much the opposite.

Ego would be compounding the mistake by holding on to the guy long after everyone knows that you screwed up, ala the Jets and Sanchez.

 

[captain stone]

Cunningham was a mistake, but Dunlap is overrated. He is injury prone and hasn't repeated his rookie year impact in the last two seasons. Sean Lee was the whiff, not Dunlap. The Pats could have taken Lee and used the Spikes pick (and I like Spikes, but he is no Lee) on say Emmanuel Sanders who Belichick obviously likes and went in between the Spikes pick and the Pats next pick in the third round Taylor Price (and the Pats could have used that pick on a guy who didn't bust out in two years).

I still don't get why people love Dunlap so much. He is a decent DE, but not an impact player. If the Pats drafted him, they may not have drafted Chandler Jones who has a far higher ceiling that Dunlap has.

Sean Lee, on the other hand, would have been that every down LB who can cover TEs and slot receivers that we have been looking for forever it seems. Granted, Lee is more of a hindsight pick because, if I remember correctly, the pick was considered a reach at the time.

I wouldn't have taken Dunlap either, for the aforementioned scheme non-fit (at that time),
and for his off-field issues.

Sean Lee would not have been the nearly 2-round reach that Cunnyham was; he was considered
more of a top-80 guy than a top-60 guy. But my choice at that time was WR Golden Tate,
who I maintain would've been a perfect fit here.

 

[fnordcircle]

That would be called ego...

When the choice to go against the grain ends up being proven wrong we call it 'ego'.

When the choice to go against the grain ends up being proven right we call it 'vision' or 'genius'.

He took a chance, it didn't pan out, hopefully we'll be able to console ourselves with the 12+ win season we're about to have.

 

[captain stone]

When the choice to go against the grain ends up being proven wrong we call it 'ego'.

When the choice to go against the grain ends up being proven right we call it 'vision' or 'genius'.

He took a chance, it didn't pan out, hopefully we'll be able to console ourselves with the 12+ win season we're about to have.

The thing is, Bill's "vision or genius" has been greatly out-numbered, especially in the 2nd round,
by his "ego". Kraft should demand that something change, before Brady retires.

 

[50-yard-line]

The thing is, Bill's "vision or genius" has been greatly out-numbered, especially in the 2nd round,
by his "ego". Kraft should demand that something change, before Brady retires.

Vollmer, Vereen, Spikes and Gronkowski in 4 years in the 2nd Round.

Kraft should keep his mouth shut.

 

[AzPatsFan]

It was a bad pick, from day one I was mad how we passed right over Dunlap, and look where we're at now. :bricks:

Yes, Coming off a 12 win season and an appearance in the AFCCG. Projected to win the AFCE again. What a *****ty outcome...

 

[DaBruinz]

It was a bad pick, from day one I was mad how we passed right over Dunlap, and look where we're at now. :bricks:

Yep. We're doing so bad with Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich there.

Newsflash for you and others. If the Pats took Dunlap, it's unlikely they draft Jones and Hightower..

 

[DaBruinz]

The thing is, Bill's "vision or genius" has been greatly out-numbered, especially in the 2nd round,
by his "ego". Kraft should demand that something change, before Brady retires.

This coming from the guy who hates every Patriots pick outside of the first round. Who thinks that he is so much smarter than Bill Belichick. Yeah, you collect talent. Whoop dee doo.. Let me know when you get hired as a scout..

 

[Rob0729]

It was a bad pick, from day one I was mad how we passed right over Dunlap, and look where we're at now. :bricks:

First, Dunlap is no prize. He is a good, not great player. He clearly is not the missing piece in a Super Bowl puzzle. He hasn't played a full season in his first three years in the league. Also, after an amazing rookie season, he hasn't come close to repeating that performance being rather average for large parts of the season.

Second, if the Pats had Dunlap, they probably don't go after Chandler Jones. Jones looks like he can be a special player. We can pretty much figure that Dunlap will never be that player.

Third, since the Pats have passed on Dunlap in 2010, the Pats have been to two AFCCGs and one Super Bowl. In two of those seasons, they had a DE who was as good or better than Dunlap - Jones last year and Carter the year before.

Would Dunlap have been a better pick? Yes. Is Dunlap a great pick in the second round? Eh. Good, not great. Both the Pats and Bengals whiffed it and should have taken Sean Lee over either Dunlap or Cunningham. Personally, I think you would have a hard time arguing that Dunlap is definitely better than either Jones or Ninkovich. He could easily be a back up on this team right now.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

The thing is, Bill's "vision or genius" has been greatly out-numbered, especially in the 2nd round,
by his "ego". Kraft should demand that something change, before Brady retires.

No one is going to be 100% in the draft, I think BK is happy with the way BB is doing things that he'll let him continue. We have the benefit of 20-20 hindsight, even if one of your binkies panned out instead of BB's pick I still don't think anyone on this board could do a better job than BB. Its fun to talk about what could have been but to say he should take his power away is foolish.

 

[Ivan]

It was a bad pick, from day one I was mad how we passed right over Dunlap, and look where we're at now. :bricks:

Yep, he passed over Dunlap for Cunningham and now we are stuck with being one of the best teams ion football again.

This sucks, I'm mad.