Player Signing Patriots sign LB Josh Hull

[BobDigital]

Considered a special teams ace. He has done some backup work here and there but is generally a 5th or 6th LB. He probably makes the 53 though based on special teams ability.

Last year he played in 11 games with 14 total tackles (defensive snaps; I don't have the ST numbers)

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

http://www.profootballrumors.com/patriots-sign-josh-hull/

 

[Kontradiction]

Solid special teamer. I wouldn't want him on the field with the defense at all, though. He'll basically be the 2014 version of Tracy White.

 

[Mack Herron]

Good ST competition. LB depth transparently thin.

 

[JackBauer]

Good ST competition. LB depth transparently thin.

Luckily this is an ideal draft for finding depth/hidden gems in the later rounds. Some strong prospects at LB, in particular.

 

[BobDigital]

Well I wouldn't say this automatically changes your draft plan but he does have experience backing up at LB on defensive snaps so if you went into the season with him as your 5th it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. I don't think he would be lost out there as he is a 4 year vet who has seen the defensive field on occasion.

Going 2 LBs in the draft would still make sense but getting 1 and this guy as your 5th isn't horrible. He would probably be better than Tracy White anyway : p

 

[meatface]

might not even make the roster but I do always like Penn State guys.

 

[upstater1]

Ugh

 

[Jrik83]

I'm not sure how many special teams aces that they think they can afford to carry on the roster. Maybe this is more competition for Ebner than for Beauharnais or any rookie they bring into the fold?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Well I wouldn't say this automatically changes your draft plan but he does have experience backing up at LB on defensive snaps so if you went into the season with him as your 5th it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. I don't think he would be lost out there as he is a 4 year vet who has seen the defensive field on occasion.

Going 2 LBs in the draft would still make sense but getting Jordan Tripp or Christian Jones and this guy as your 5th isn't horrible. He would probably be better than Tracy White anyway : p

C'mon BB, make it so.

 

[jmt57]

Hull is apparently being looked at as a player to replace Dane Fletcher - in other words, a special teamer who can fill in at linebacker in case of injury/emergency. For what it's worth, here is a look at playing time on defense (not special teams) by the linebackers in 2013:

Dont’a Hightower – 861 of 1,156 (74.5 percent)
Brandon Spikes – 690 of 1,156 (59.7 percent)
Jerod Mayo – 405 of 1,156 (35.0 percent)
Jamie Collins – 298 of 1,156 (25.8 percent)
Dane Fletcher – 209 of 1,156 (18.1 percent)
Steve Beauharnais – 1 of 1,156 (0.1 percent)
Chris White – 1 of 1,156 (0.1 percent)​

Source: Pats sign LB Josh Hull - espnBoston

Hull, 26, spent part the 2013 season in Washington after three years with the Rams, the team that initially drafted him out of Penn State in 2010.

He's considered a capable special-teams player and could be called upon to help fill the void created when Dane Fletcher signed with Tampa Bay this offseason.

The Patriots' linebacker depth remains thin after losing both Fletcher and Brandon Spikes in free agency and it could be a position of interest in the upcoming draft.

Hull has career totals of 25 tackles, including a personal-best 14 last season.​

It does seem as though Belichick has a tendency to sign players that had good games in the past against the Patriots.

Washington Redskins | Josh Hull

2012 (Rams):
Appeared in all 16 games with one start.
Contributed primarily on special teams throughout the season.
Made his first NFL start versus New England (10/28), registering three solo tackles, including one for a loss. Added two special teams tackles in the game.​

And for the injury-prone phobics, there is this:

St. Louis Rams | Josh Hull

2011 Season: Placed on reserve/injured list 12/20...collected eight special teams tackles.

2010 Season: Recorded two special teams tackles (one solo) in season opener...had rookie season cut short by ACL injury during practice prior to Week 2.​

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I'm not sure how many special teams aces that they think they can afford to carry on the roster. Maybe this is more competition for Ebner than for Beauharnais or any rookie they bring into the fold?

I don't think Hull (6'3", 240ish, 4.76 40) and Ebner (6', 200ish, 4.5 40) would play the same role on STs.

 

[juxtapoz15]

I'm a PSU fan/employee/season ticket holder. And I was fortunate to be on a bus trip to the Wisconsin game with Josh's family (parents and grandparents). Very nice and hard working family. I also run into his Dad on PSU campus occasionally as he works for the Office of Physical Plant. Hull filled in very admirably at LB when Sean Lee went down with his ACL injury. You could tell at first he was in over his head but seemed to really settle down by the end of the season. He is an easy guy to root for as he is a hardworking player that always seems to play above his athletic level. I hope he makes the opening day roster.

 

[Jrik83]

I wasn't saying that they would play the same role. My major point was that I believe that they shouldn't dedicate so many roster spots to guys that can only contribute on special teams. Slater, Ebner and Hull feels like overkill to me.

 

[DaBruinz]

I wasn't saying that they would play the same role. My major point was that I believe that they shouldn't dedicate so many roster spots to guys that can only contribute on special teams. Slater, Ebner and Hull feels like overkill to me.

Yet, it's really no more than they have carried in the past.

 

[jmt57]

I wasn't saying that they would play the same role. My major point was that I believe that they shouldn't dedicate so many roster spots to guys that can only contribute on special teams. Slater, Ebner and Hull feels like overkill to me.

It's a double edged sword. If you lean too heavily towards how the backup performs on special teams, then your defense (or offense) suffers when that player is called upon to take the field due to an injury.

On the other hand, if your roster is based almost exclusively on position play then your special teams are apt to give up a crucial, game-changing play. A good example of this philosophy backfiring was Bill Cowher's Pittsburgh Steelers from about a decade ago (think back to the Patriots-Steelers AFCCG leading up to SB36).

With 46 players available for the gameday roster, it stands to reason that a certain amount of backup linebackers, defensive backs, running backs and wide receivers be adept at special team duty - especially those that are unlikely to ever see the field of play as a position player.

Given the Pats' salary cap position, there wasn't much available for a veteran backup linebacker. Guys like Karlos Dansby and Donald Butler commanded big bucks as starters, and guys like Brandon Spikes were a bit high priced considering how one-dimensional they are. D'Qwell Jackson would have been a nice addition, but 4 years/22 million with $11 million guaranteed is again too much for someone that wouldn't start. That leaves players like Pat Angerer and Desmond Bishop who have huge red flags due to their coming off injuries - and because of those injuries would not be able to play special teams effectively, if at all.

Hull is hardly guaranteed a roster spot (it's either him or Chris White), and comes cheap (he surely signed for a vet minimum contract). If he makes the club he fills the same role others from Larry Izzo to Niko Koutouvides have done in the past: backup depth expected to play special teams and if called upon to play linebacker, hold their own while the starter heals up. It's either that or a raw late round or UDFA rookie (drafting a MLB early makes little sense) with no NFL experience at all; personally I'd rather have a guy like Hull or White.

 

[Brady6]

I'm not sure how many special teams aces that they think they can afford to carry on the roster. Maybe this is more competition for Ebner than for Beauharnais or any rookie they bring into the fold?

I would say it is camp competition for Chris White.

 

[Miguel]

Because Josh was on IR for most of the 2010 season he is not eligible for the veteran minimum salary benefit which means that his 2014 cap number will be at least $645,000.

 

[mmasterkillah]

Personally, I'd much prefer to have a young developing LB than a guy with the ceiling of Tracy White... so I don't think he will end up on the roster, but it's a fine signing.

 

[Tunescribe]

He's supposedly one hull of a player. I'm not joshin' ...