My Blueprint for the Defense

[mayoclinic]

Thinking about the star/stud hybrid LB-S position and it's likely importance, there are a lot of interesting prospects both this year and in the college ranks:

2014 Draft:

- Antone Exum, Virginia Tech. 6' 218#. Played safety for 2 years before moving to CB.
- Ryan Shazier, Ohio St. 6'1" 237#. 4.38 40, 6.91 3-cone, 42" VJ.
- Kevin Pierre-Louis, Boston College. 6' 0 1/2" 232#. 6.92 3-cone, 39" VJ.
- Telvin Smith, Florida St. 6'3" 218#.
- Lonnie Ballentine, Memphis St. 6'3" 219#. 4.39 40, 38" VJ.
- Dezmen Southward, Wisconsin. 6' 211#. 4.38 40, 6.50 3C, 42" VJ.

Exum and KPL are day 3 prospects. Southward and Ballentine are late round/UDFA prospects with freakish athleticism. The Pats could conceivably get 2 of these guys without spending much draft capital, and throw them in to compete for roster spots with guys like Pat Chung, Tavon Wilson, and Steve Beauharnais. They would add speed and versatility.

Potential Current NCAA Players:

- Myles Jack, UCLA (true sophomore). 6'1" 225#.
- Justin Garrett, Auburn (senior). 6'1" 218#.
- Josh Harvey-Clemons (formerly Georgia; junior). 6'4" 220#.
- Cody Prewitt, Mississippi (senior). 6'2" 220#.
- Ronald Martin, LSU (senior). 6'1" 218#.
- Derrick Malone, Oregon (senior). 6'2" 216#.
- Landon Collins, Alabama (junior). 6' 215#.
- Jared Wangler, Penn St. (freshman). 6'1" 218#.

 

[manxman2601]

Thinking about the star/stud hybrid LB-S position and it's likely importance, there are a lot of interesting prospects both this year and in the college ranks:

2014 Draft:

- Antone Exum, Virginia Tech. 6' 218#. Played safety for 2 years before moving to CB.
- Ryan Shazier, Ohio St. 6'1" 237#. 4.38 40, 6.91 3-cone, 42" VJ.
- Kevin Pierre-Louis, Boston College. 6' 0 1/2" 232#. 6.91 3-cone, 39" VJ.
- Telvin Smith, Florida St. 6'3" 218#.
- Lonnie Ballentine, Memphis St. 6'3" 219#. 4.39 40, 38" VJ.
- Dezmen Southward, Wisconsin. 6' 211#. 4.38 40, 6.50 3C. 42" VJ.

Exum and KPL are day 3 prospects. Southward and Ballentine are late round/UDFA prospects with freakish athleticism. The Pats could conceivably get 2 of these guys without spending much draft capital, and throw them in to compete for roster spots with guys like Pat Chung, Tavon Wilson, and Steve Beauharnais. They would add speed and versatility.

Potential Current NCAA Players:

- Myles Jack, UCLA (true sophomore). 6'1" 225#.
- Justin Garrett, Auburn (senior). 6'1" 218#.
- Josh Harvey-Clemons (formerly Georgia; junior). 6'4" 220#.
- Cody Prewitt, Mississippi (senior). 6'2" 220#.
- Ronald Martin, LSU (senior). 6'1" 218#.
- Derrick Malone, Oregon (senior). 6'2" 216#.
- Landon Collins, Alabama (junior). 6' 215#.
- Jared Wangler, Penn St. (freshman). 6'1" 218#.

Well done. I was going to highlight this guy today myself.

 

[mayoclinic]

Well done. I was going to highlight this guy today myself.

Yeah, I think he's a big time sleeper for the Pats, and they're obviously curious. You caught that one first, as usual. He's got freakish size/athleticism and considerable experience. Barry Odom not only was the DC for Memphis the past 2 years, he was also the positional coach for the safeties, so presumably they were a focus of his defense.

I think Ballentine could be a bit like Jamie Collins was last year (though obviously going much, much later) - a guy who is a bit raw but has tremendous size and athleticism, and who is flying a bit under the radar.

 

[Get it shawtaay]

Thinking about the star/stud hybrid LB-S position and it's likely importance, there are a lot of interesting prospects both this year and in the college ranks:

2014 Draft:

- Antone Exum, Virginia Tech. 6' 218#. Played safety for 2 years before moving to CB.
- Ryan Shazier, Ohio St. 6'1" 237#. 4.38 40, 6.91 3-cone, 42" VJ.
- Kevin Pierre-Louis, Boston College. 6' 0 1/2" 232#. 6.91 3-cone, 39" VJ.
- Telvin Smith, Florida St. 6'3" 218#.
- Lonnie Ballentine, Memphis St. 6'3" 219#. 4.39 40, 38" VJ.
- Dezmen Southward, Wisconsin. 6' 211#. 4.38 40, 6.50 3C. 42" VJ.

Exum and KPL are day 3 prospects. Southward and Ballentine are late round/UDFA prospects with freakish athleticism. The Pats could conceivably get 2 of these guys without spending much draft capital, and throw them in to compete for roster spots with guys like Pat Chung, Tavon Wilson, and Steve Beauharnais. They would add speed and versatility.

Potential Current NCAA Players:

- Myles Jack, UCLA (true sophomore). 6'1" 225#.
- Justin Garrett, Auburn (senior). 6'1" 218#.
- Josh Harvey-Clemons (formerly Georgia; junior). 6'4" 220#.
- Cody Prewitt, Mississippi (senior). 6'2" 220#.
- Ronald Martin, LSU (senior). 6'1" 218#.
- Derrick Malone, Oregon (senior). 6'2" 216#.
- Landon Collins, Alabama (junior). 6' 215#.
- Jared Wangler, Penn St. (freshman). 6'1" 218#.

Don't forget Shaq Thompson of Washington. 6'2" 225#, converted to LB from S in college and hits like a truck.

 

[mayoclinic]

Don't forget Shaq Thompson of Washington. 6'2" 225#, converted to LB from S in college and hits like a truck.

There's tons of them in the college ranks. I could have gone on for a long time. I think that this is a position which is clearly being driven by the evolution of creative defenses, and we'll see more and more of these guys. Also, as I tried to point out in some of the above posts, there are clearly teams at the college level which have DC's implementing sophisticated hybrid defenses, driving the development of players who fit in those systems. Those are good places to start looking for potential talent that might fit.

 

[manxman2601]

Yeah, I think he's a big time sleeper for the Pats, and they're obviously curious. You caught that one first, as usual. He's got freakish athleticism and considerable experience. Barry Odom not only was the DC for Memphis the past 2 years, he was also the positional coach for the safeties, so presumably they were a focus of his defense.

I take my hat off to you on the work you are doing with this.

 

[mayoclinic]

I take my hat off to you on the work you are doing with this.

Thank you kindly. Not sure the praise is deserved, but it's been a lot of fun for me to look at some of the potential pro and college schemes and how sophisticated they've become, and if others find it interesting and useful then I'm thrilled.

Going back to the OP, I feel like things are becoming much clearer in my mind about how the defense is evolving, looking at the kind of players BB has targeted in the past 2 years, particularly Chandler Jones, Jamie Collins, and the Revis/Browner signings. I think that it's pretty clear that he's trying to build a multi-front hybrid defense that can deal with a variety of NFL offenses. Ray Horton probably described this best:

"I don't really care what we are on defense," Horton said. "I want to know what are we going to look like. We're going to look like an aggressive, forward-attacking defense . . . and I've seen that on tape.

"That's the most important thing to me – what do we look like, not what we line up in. We may be a 3-4 on one snap. We may be a 4-3 on another snap. I guarantee you we'll be a 5-2 sometimes, and we'll be a 4-4 sometimes. We are a multi-front, attacking defense, and that's the most important thing."

...

"That may mean one snap being 5-2, the next snap it may be 4-4. It will be predicated by what the offense does. We have athletes that can stand up, that can put their hand in the ground, that can run, so that's why I go back to the multi-front defense.

"I can't tell you what we're going to be right now. It depends on who we line up game one against and what do we need to take away."

Ray Horton's Hybrid Defense - The Base Front Seven - Music City Miracles

Horton, Todd Bowles and Mike Pettine have all been moving in this direction (as well as obviously Pete Carroll, Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn), but no one more so than BB.

I also think that it's hard to understate the importance of matching personnel and scheme, and BB has been working hard over the past 3-4 years to add the personnel to let him execute a more creative scheme. Chris Brown noted in his 2012 Grantland piece that the Pats didn't have the players necessary for a great defense, but 2 years later I don't think that's the case, and I'm really excited to see how BB addresses some of the additional pieces in the draft and over the course of the next year or so.

 

[Get it shawtaay]

There's tons of them in the college ranks. I could have gone on for a long time. I think that this is a position which is clearly being driven by the evolution of creative defenses, and we'll see more and more of these guys. Also, as I tried to point out in some of the above posts, there are clearly teams at the college level which have DC's implementing sophisticated hybrid defenses, driving the development of players who fit in those systems. Those are good places to start looking for potential talent that might fit.

Gotcha. I agree that the college level is catching up. It reminds me of the way the 3-4 OLB was impossible to find at the college level in the past, but now everyone plays their edge guys standing up because of the spread.

DeVonte Holloman was a full time spur in college. That's why I wanted him last year. Most of the guys who fit the mold this year are going to have to take on responsibilities they didn't have before though. That's where the projection comes in.

Which of this year's prospects do you think already have significant exposure to the responsibilities they'd have as a spur type player?

 

[mayoclinic]

Gotcha. I agree that the college level is catching up. It reminds me of the way the 3-4 OLB was impossible to find at the college level in the past, but now everyone plays their edge guys standing up because of the spread.

DeVonte Holloman was a full time spur in college. That's why I wanted him last year. Most of the guys who fit the mold this year are going to have to take on responsibilities they didn't have before though. That's where the projection comes in.

Which of this year's prospects do you think already have significant exposure to the responsibilities they'd have as a spur type player?

It's no coincidence that Ellis Johnson was Holloman's DC for 3 years at South Carolina.

I think Dion Bailey has a fair amount of experience in that kind of a role, having played a hybrid LB-S position in Clancy Pendergrast's 5-2 defense. Kevin Pierre-Louis definitely played in a hybrid LB-S role at times. Antone Exum played safety in a 4-2-5 under Bud Foster, and Kyle Fuller played Whip LB his sophomore year (VT has since moved to a 4-4 base) - neither was a full time Spur, but both would have familiarity with a scheme using such a role. Dez Southward was used in a hybrid CB/S role, I believe. I haven't been able to find much on what kind of defensive scheme Barry Odom ran at Memphis, so I don't know how much responsibility he had; Odom did move Marcus Ball from LB to safety last year, FWIW.

There are a lot of guys with the body type and athleticism to play this kind of role; figuring out which one's have the mentality and skill set will be key.

 

[patfanken]

I just read the last 2 pages of this thread, and the word "awesome" comes to mind. You hit it right on the head guys. When you are playing your sub package 2/3rds of the time, it is no longer a "sub package", its your base.

As defenses start to slowly catch up to the complex passing offenses that have come into the league, the premium is going to be put more and more on speed, quickness, length, and the ability to play in space, more than on size. The 220 lb LB/DB is returning to relevance after about 40 years.

The more I read the more I loved the Browner pick up. While Revis is a true shut down outside CB, Browner is much more limited. But his press man skills and his length pose huge difficulties for OC's, mostly because the Pats will have a premier coverage S in Devin McCourty. Here's their problem

Even when Browner is in the trail position on a pass, his length makes the QB have to, not only throw the ball over him, it has to be on more of an arc to get past those long arms. That means the pass not only has to be thrown into a relatively tiny window, the longer its in the air, the more likely the S with the widest range in the league will have a chance to make play on it.

What I envision is the Pats in some kind virtual 5-5-1. Lining up 5 men on the LOS will present a lot of problems for the OL given that even on a 4 man rush, you would never know where its coming from. The zone blitz could become a Pats staple in that way.

Having the ability to easily wind up with 5 underneath coverage impacts these passing offenses because most of the damage these passing offenses make happens only 5-10 yds down the field. 5 underneath press man or tough zone coverages have been the most successful against our offense, even at its best. With this formation you have so much flexibility on how you rush the passer and how many people you have in coverage.

All this is, of course, predicated on having the best cover S in the league, and it doesn't hurt to have the premier cover CB taking one player out of the game. Understand of course the myriad of adjustments you'd have to plan for given certain motions and formations, but what I see is the Pats lining up 10 guys in the box on 2/3rds of the plays and can morph into almost any kind of coverages and rush package imaginable.

I just now feel a compelling urge to get to a chalkboard.

 

[patchick]

What I envision is the Pats in some kind virtual 5-5-1. Lining up 5 men on the LOS will present a lot of problems for the OL given that even on a 4 man rush, you would never know where its coming from. The zone blitz could become a Pats staple in that way.

....

All this is, of course, predicated on having the best cover S in the league, and it doesn't hurt to have the premier cover CB taking one player out of the game.

Good stuff indeed. So given that vision, Ken, what do you see as the 1 or 2 key pieces to add in this draft?

 

[mayoclinic]

I just now feel a compelling urge to get to a chalkboard.

I get that urge all the time.

 

[rabidfireweasel]

I get that urge all the time.

Don't fight it.
Off topic
Here are some chalk drawings I just made for an exhibit in Nashville

https://picasaweb.google.com/114934453803535872362/ImagesForShowAtBlendStudioInNashville

 

[patfanken]

Good stuff indeed. So given that vision, Ken, what do you see as the 1 or 2 key pieces to add in this draft?

I really think all the pieces are here right now...at least on paper. But going into the 2nd half of FA and the draft, in my mind its more of the same.

1. For the rest of FA, I would look to focus more on the offense, especially TE and RB. I was a little disappointed that ODaniels, and ABrown just went off the market, but there are still a couple of decent guys out there, who can come in and make an immediate impact as a move TE, like ****son and Schefler, etc. And if BB deems it necessary to acquire a thumper as a 5th RB, there will be one out there.

2. I still would like to see us add a vet DE to compete with Buchanon, Bequette, and Collins for snaps as the 3rd DE. I don't care if its Trevor Scott, Mark Anderson, Andre Carter, or another name. I don't necessarily want for them to beat out what we have, but to be that constant threat.

3. As for the draft, I think it would be wise for us to add a TE and OLman in the first 4 picks, just as I think our other DL picks in the first 4, should go to a DL and speed OLB. Not because we HAVE to have them, but because you can't have enough pass rushers and hybrid OLB/S's, and coverage guys

My ideal draft would be as follows

Hegeman DT/DE
Nicklas TE
Richberg C
Tripp OLB
Exum CB/S

After that for the last 3 picks

Fede. DE
KPL LB/S
Logan Thomas - Developmental QB/TE conversion. Give him a TC to prove he can be an NFL QB, and then if not convert to a TE.

A more realistic one would be as follows

1. Tuitt DT/DE
2. Nicklas - TE
3. Swanson - C
4 CJones -LB/DE
5. Exum
6. KPL
6 Fede
7 LThomas

The real need is to add more speed to the D, but at #1 a real talent on the DL. Our 2 best DLmen are both going to be well over 30 and coming off serious injuries. The next 3 are made up of classic overacheivers, plus Armstead, who didn't play a snap all last year. We are in desperate need of a player who can come in and immediately upgrade the talent and athleticism on the DL.

Hageman would be ideal, but is likely to be taken much earlier, IMO. Tuitt is likely to be there, and if he comes in and plays like he did in 2012, he'd not only be a physical presence at DT in the pass rush, he'd is an ideal 3-4 DE. He'd be my first choice of guys who are likely to be there at 29.

Also OK with Shazer as the ideal hybrid type that is going to change the way the game is perceived. Shazer, Collins, and Browner all as wildcards each week would be hard for any OC to defend.

Players I do NOT want to see chosen - Nix, Amaro, Suli Filo or any WR in the first 4 rounds.

 

[mayoclinic]

I really think all the pieces are here right now...at least on paper. But going into the 2nd half of FA and the draft, in my mind its more of the same.

1. For the rest of FA, I would look to focus more on the offense, especially TE and RB. I was a little disappointed that ODaniels, and ABrown just went off the market, but there are still a couple of decent guys out there, who can come in and make an immediate impact as a move TE, like ****son and Schefler, etc. And if BB deems it necessary to acquire a thumper as a 5th RB, there will be one out there.

2. I still would like to see us add a vet DE to compete with Buchanon, Bequette, and Collins for snaps as the 3rd DE. I don't care if its Trevor Scott, Mark Anderson, Andre Carter, or another name. I don't necessarily want for them to beat out what we have, but to be that constant threat.

3. As for the draft, I think it would be wise for us to add a TE and OLman in the first 4 picks, just as I think our other DL picks in the first 4, should go to a DL and speed OLB. Not because we HAVE to have them, but because you can't have enough pass rushers and hybrid OLB/S's, and coverage guys

My ideal draft would be as follows

Hegeman DT/DE
Nicklas TE
Richberg C
Tripp OLB
Exum CB/S

After that for the last 3 picks

Fede. DE
KPL LB/S
Logan Thomas - Developmental QB/TE conversion. Give him a TC to prove he can be an NFL QB, and then if not convert to a TE.

A more realistic one would be as follows

1. Tuitt DT/DE
2. Nicklas - TE
3. Swanson - C
4 CJones -LB/DE
5. Exum
6. KPL
6 Fede
7 LThomas

The real need is to add more speed to the D, but at #1 a real talent on the DL. Our 2 best DLmen are both going to be well over 30 and coming off serious injuries. The next 3 are made up of classic overacheivers, plus Armstead, who didn't play a snap all last year. We are in desperate need of a player who can come in and immediately upgrade the talent and athleticism on the DL.

Hageman would be ideal, but is likely to be taken much earlier, IMO. Tuitt is likely to be there, and if he comes in and plays like he did in 2012, he'd not only be a physical presence at DT in the pass rush, he'd is an ideal 3-4 DE. He'd be my first choice of guys who are likely to be there at 29.

Also OK with Shazer as the ideal hybrid type that is going to change the way the game is perceived. Shazer, Collins, and Browner all as wildcards each week would be hard for any OC to defend.

Players I do NOT want to see chosen - Nix, Amaro, Suli Filo or any WR in the first 4 rounds.

Looking just at the defense, I'd like to see some of the following:

1-2. As much disruptive interior pressure as possible without completely sacrificing rush defense or gap integrity. Aaron Donald and Dominique Easley are my guys, but Timmy Jernigan, Stephon Tuitt and Ra'Shede Hageman all offer considerable upside.

3. Depth at DE. I don't like the prospects in this draft, and could see using a late round pick/UDFA signing or two like Terrance Fede or Zach Moore. I could see someone like Will Smith signed as a stopgap. I like the DE prospects who are likely to come out in 2015 much more (Shawn Oakman and Shilique Calhoun, among others).

4. Depth at LBs who can play in space. Mayo, Hightower, Collins and Ninkovich (as an option at LB as well as DE) are all strong, but more depth and coverage ability is needed. Christian Jones, Jordan Tripp and Kyle Van Noy seem like the best.

5. One of the DE/OLB edge rushing hybrids out of Dee Ford, Marcus Smith, Jeremiah Attaochu and Demarcus Lawrence, with Larry Webster as a day 3 option. I'm not 100% sold on this group, and probably prefer to focus on some of the other areas listed.

6. A LB/S hybrid. Ryan Shazier, Kevin Pierre-Louis, and Lonnie Ballentine lead the group.

7. A CB/S hybrid. Kyle Fuller, Jimmy Ward, Antone Exum, Dontae Johnson, Jonathan Dowling and Dez Southward are possibilities.

And that doesn't include more depth at NT, which would be a given depending on Vince Wilfork's recovery.

Obviously, all of those won't be addressed in the draft. None of these are absolute essentials, but all offer the potential to significantly upgrade the talent and depth and improve the overall personnel needed to run a hybrid scheme.

Given the talent on the back end likely to be available in the day 3/UDFA range, I'd personally concentrate up front on day 1 and 2, and then add guys like Exum, Ballentine, Pierre-Louis, Southward, etc. JMHO.

 

[Avenger]

Ballentine has had contact with the pats also, he's a guy I've been high on.

 

[patfanken]

Quick question, Mayo, or anyone else with knowledge about Chris Jones or JTripp.

All of what I know about these kids comes from reading this board. Up until today, I sort of considered them interchangeable with similar skills and potential, and who you might like better depended on a subjective choice. BUT bottom line: Both would fill the same role of a speed LB on your team.

Well today I was reading some reports on CBS's draft site, and I noticed that while Tripp was considered an OLB, Jones was listed as an ILB, who played some DE this season. So here's my question. Are CJones and JTripp basically the same if you are looking for a "speed LB"? And if they are, make a case for each? And if they are not, why?

 

[mayoclinic]

Quick question, Mayo, or anyone else with knowledge about Chris Jones or JTripp.

All of what I know about these kids comes from reading this board. Up until today, I sort of considered them interchangeable with similar skills and potential, and who you might like better depended on a subjective choice. BUT bottom line: Both would fill the same role of a speed LB on your team.

Well today I was reading some reports on CBS's draft site, and I noticed that while Tripp was considered an OLB, Jones was listed as an ILB, who played some DE this season. So here's my question. Are CJones and JTripp basically the same if you are looking for a "speed LB"? And if they are, make a case for each? And if they are not, why?

I personally think they're fairly similar. They have similar size and frames, and both have the ability to play multiple LB positions, both inside and out. I don't think it matters that much what position they are listed under on draft sites. Jones has played WILL, SAM and MLB for Florida St., played DE quite a bit this year, and even played some snaps at DT. Tripp played mostly outside for Montana, but could easily play inside or out, depending on the team's need. Both guys are somewhat similar to Kiko Alonso, who had 4 INTs in 2013 playing MLB for Buffalo, and whom the Bills are moving outside this year.

The whole point is to get guys with positional and schematic versatility who can fit multiple roles. Ends who canals move inside to tackle or stand up and drop into one coverage, or both (like Chandler Jones); LBs who can play multiple positions, drop into coverage like safeties, or play an edge rusher or LEO role; LB/S/CB hybrids who can play in the box, drop into a zone, or play man coverage and who can blitz effectively.

I'd love to get both Jones and Tripp, but realistically that won't happen. But getting one, along with a late round/UDFA LB/S hybrid like Kevin Pierre-Louis, Terrance Bullitt or Lonnie Ballentine is reasonable, and would add a tone of speed and versatility to the back end of the defense. Add a CB/S hybrid like Antone Exum/Dez Southward, and even better.

Right now the back end of our LB and S positions is Steve Beaharnais, Tavon Wilson, and Pat Chung (and that's assuming Nate Ebner is relatively safe as a core STer). Not very inspiring. I'd love to load up on some athletic late round/UDFA guys with positional and schematic versatility who can play in space, and tell them to go compete for those roster spots.

 

[patfanken]

I Right now the back end of our LB and S positions is Steve Beaharnais, Tavon Wilson, and Pat Chung (and that's assuming Nate Ebner is relatively safe as a core STer). Not very inspiring. I'd love to load up on some athletic late round/UDFA guys with positional and schematic versatility who can play in space, and tell them to go compete for those roster spots.

The lack of depth at LB really does concern me. Even though I thought Beauharnis was a great pick coming out of Rutgers, the thought of him being the #4 LB at this point is pretty scary. (and yes and I understand Ninko and Jones can also play LB). So I'd love to add both a draft pick (or 2) and FA vet to that mix before camp.

As far as safety goes. I'm 100% behind the concept of LB/S hybrid pick ups, to the point where I'd be OK with Shazer at 29, and even happier with KPL or the others mentioned on day 3. I think that "position" is going to become very important in the coming years.

On the other hand, I'm not so excited about adding any more S's this draft, unless they are very late on day 3. Even though Exum sounds very interesting, I think I'd rather another DB with CB skills as opposed to another S.

I really think we are going to be OK at the other S this season. for the following reasons.

1. You forgot to mention Harmon in your S analysis. I know he's limited by his athletic abilities, but he's got the smarts, the hips, and the anticipation to be a fine S. Maybe he's not going to be an all pro or an impactful one, but a very solid guy. I know some people may hate the analogy, but think about a healthy, young Steve Gregory.

2. Think about this. If you read the measurables on Nate Ebner coming out of college, and added 2 years of actual playing experience at the S position, wouldn't you have him as one of your top S picks. That's where Ebner is right now.

I think we forgot that, while being a core ST'er, Ebner has the kind of size and speed we are looking for in this draft Ebner logged a 4.55 40-yard dash, 4.04 shuttle and 6.50 three-cone drill coming out of college. These are all good numbers for a 6'1 210 S. A guy who just maybe might be ready to actually play in the regular defense this year.

3. I'm not ready to give up on Tavon Wilson yet either. I thought he had a great rookie year, even with his mistakes. I have no idea why he slipped so badly his sophomore season. But I know bad seasons happen, and to write him off so quickly would be bad management by the Pats. Granted I have low expectations, but he has shown some talent, and I think he's more worth a shot than a 4-7th round pick who isn't going to be better athletically. Don't forget that he has gotten 5 picks over the last 2 years in very limited playing time

4. Pat Chung - What can i say. Chung was a guy who had a solid 2010 season with almost 100 tackles. He was a guy who's injury plague 2011 season ended up with him being the best DB the Pats had right through the playoffs and superbowl. He was the guy who many "experts" thought would be a "breakout player" in 2012. So we aren't talking about a guy who has no talent here.

Inexplicably in 2012 Chung imploded and moved on to having another bad season with the Eagles. Yet again at 26, Chung is young and cheap enough to easily be worth the risk that Pats took on him, and ANOTHER reason why drafting a low round S would really be redundant. If you aren't going to take one of the top S's, a guy who is a better athlete than what you already have, then don't waste the pick. What you can get 4th to 7th, you already have here.

Summary-

Where we agree - Get me more top end DL talent early - Get one of the top 4 TE's - add a hybrid LB/S type - add a speed LB type - Find the future starting C

Where we disagree - I think adding S help in this draft is a waste of a pick. Whoever we can get there isn't going to be any better athletically than what we already have. You think otherwise.

It won't bother me if we picked an Exum-type even in the 4th. He's an intriguing athlete. I just don't see the point.

 

[BelichickFan]

Even though I thought Beauharnis was a great pick coming out of Rutgers, the thought of him being the #4 LB at this point is pretty scary.

Beauharnis is a mystery, he tested well (compare to CJ Mosely, very close) and seems to have zero character or work ethic questions. Yet he was a game day inactive most of the year. He only did 19 reps at the combine so maybe this was a reshirt, get stronger, year. But his shuttle and three cone were better than Mosely (just picked Mosely as he's a high pick and similar size). In fact Beauharnis' 6.99 three cone is very impressive blowing away the like of Mosely and Mayo. I know, he was a 7th round pick who didn't play as a rookie so his future doesn't seem bright but athletically there does seem to be something there.