Eric Allen (NFL Live) Rates Patriots Secondary Best in League

[bronk37]

I think Denver is #1 with Bly,Bailey,Lynch locking it down. However Pats are just as solid with more depth Merriweather and Geno are both hybrids from all acounts which helps if there are injuries to corner or safety and not to mention it will drive the competition for starting spots between the two. This secondary has been together for 2-3 seasons so it can only get better in the chemistry dept.

 

[shakadave]

It's a good secondary, but I'll still take Denver's, Jacksonville's and Baltimore's in front of New Englands.

Agreed. But if someone could rate New England's secondary #1, then we are probably in the top 5 or 6, which is better than I realized we were.

 

[BoltsFan]

I know this will come under scrutiny but in terms of AFC secondary's I'd rate it in this order:

Broncos
Raiders
Patriots
Ravens
Chargers

I'm not overly enamored with Bly but Bailey is the best CB in the league and Lynch doesn't suck.

I know who the Raiders are all too well. I'm just sayin' they do have hell-a-secondary. They're young and quite good. Nnamdi Asomugha had a breakout year last year and I think he's gonna get better. Fabian Washington doesn't suck either and he should get better. That I'm suggesting they're better than SD's secondary speaks volumes to me.

Remains to be seen whether Samuel will be a one hit wonder and also whether the Patriots can hang onto him but right now he does make you better.

Any secondary with Ed Wood in it deserves consideration.

I think the SD secondary is gonna surprise more than a few this year. I know how happy NE is with Merriweather. We're equally as happy about the addition of Weddle. The dudes a straight up ball hawk. We're also expecting big output from Jammer and Cromartie.

 

[shakadave]

Give me the best front seven and I'll take my chances with the secondary. Seems like they did alright in '03 and '04 without the "best" secondary.

Any secondary with Ty Law in it is the "best."

 

[Patriotic Fervor]

You don't like John Lynch? I do think he's been on a slight decline lately, though. I think the Broncos have the leagues best CB in Bailey, but I don't think Bly is on the type of level people seem to think he is. It seemed funny when people were talking about Bly not fitting into the new system in Detriot, when he's basically played in a tampa 2 system for most of his career, and they are running a tampa 2 defense in Detriot. I really just think he's started to decline, and he's using the regime change as a scape goat.

That's a good read of that situation out there, and I pretty much agree with it.

You're spot on with Bly. Lynch can still deliver the occasional big hit like he used to, but I, too, feel he's on the decline.

If Denver can't muster the consistent pass rush they hope to, this secondary will be sorely tested this season.

We'll see if Bates can work his magic with this crew....

 

[Patriot Missile]

This is madness. We have no true shutdown corner, our other corner is really just a nickelback, we have no heir apperaent to our injury-prone strong safety, Eugene Wilson looks lost out there, and Artrell Hawkins is too old.

Allen is clearly overrating Meriweather.

Yeah because every team in the NFL has another Rodney Harrison heir apparent just sitting on their bench?

 

[Fogbuster]

(Sung to the tune of "Night Moves", Bob Seger.)

"Head games, watch out for them head games. Talkin' 'bought them hea-a-a-a-d games.
Gonna lift you up, then smack you down. Playin' them Head games. Oh, yeah. Doin' them Head games."

They're just trying to lull us all to sleep. Make us fat and lazy. Settin' us up for the ol' sleeper punch.

Watch out now!! Here it comes!!


[highlight] Wham !!! [/highlight]


//

 

[DaBruinz]

This is madness. We have no true shutdown corner, our other corner is really just a nickelback, we have no heir apperaent to our injury-prone strong safety, Eugene Wilson looks lost out there, and Artrell Hawkins is too old.

Allen is clearly overrating Meriweather.

Then you woke up and actually watched a Patriots game.

Or you are being sarcastic. I can't tell and you do a crappy job of attempting to show it.

You don't NEED a "true shut down corner." Hobbs is more than a nickelback and proved that last year..

James Sanders is a young up and coming strong safety who has not been burned too badly, all things considered.

Wilson doesn't look LOST out there. He did in 2005 when we had a revolving door at strong safety and he was trying to do too much. But he was settling in just fine last year until he was injured.

 

[VJCPatriot]

It's a good secondary, but I'll still take Denver's, Jacksonville's and Baltimore's in front of New Englands.

Even if the Patriots secondary is only ranked the 4th best in the league (assuming Samuel plays), combine it with our top 3 ranked DL and it's gonna be a scary good defense. I don't think there are many DL's you can rank ahead of New England's.

 

[Dragda]

It's a good secondary, but I'll still take Denver's, Jacksonville's and Baltimore's in front of New Englands.

Could this be a first? Someone on this board is in agreement with Aqua04? Why'd I have to be first?

 

[Jacky Roberts]

Honestly I can see Denver and Baltimore, but Jacksonville? They have some very good players, but their overall secondary isn't better than NE's sorry.

By Denver's secondary you mean Champ Bailey. They lost Darrent Williams and their front 7 isn't as strong as in years past. I can see them getting exposed. Baltimore's is stout, but Jax? LOL.

 

[bakes781]

I think you guys are underrating Jax's DBs. They've held their own against Indy's O twice a year for the last few seasons now. Granted part of that has to do with their front 4 as well. But IMO that just goes to show how great our front 4 is that we managed to only allow 10 passing TDs. I think our DBs are in the top 5 but clearly not #1. Otherwise why would it have been a need position going into this year's draft?

 

[jman924]

I think Denver is #1 with Bly,Bailey,Lynch locking it down. However Pats are just as solid with more depth Merriweather and Geno are both hybrids from all acounts which helps if there are injuries to corner or safety and not to mention it will drive the competition for starting spots between the two. This secondary has been together for 2-3 seasons so it can only get better in the chemistry dept.

I think Bly has lost a step. He didn't have his best season in Detroit, which plays a defense that plays to his strengths.
Lynch, I think, is over-rated. I won't pretend to watch a ton of Broncos games, (even though a former room-mate was a Donkey fan. ) but the only time I've ever heard Lynch's name was his pick on the throw it up for grabs pass by Brady out of his own end zone, down by 2 scores with 2 minutes left in the 2005 play-offs.

 

[bronk37]

Jags have a real solid secondary and they are young, another team with a good secondary on paper is Dallas- Newman,Williams,and Ken Hamlin could be effective

 

[VJCPatriot]

Jags have a real solid secondary and they are young, another team with a good secondary on paper is Dallas- Newman,Williams,and Ken Hamlin could be effective

Right... if Hamlin has fully recovered properly from his injury. I think there was a reason that his former team paid big bucs for Deon Grant, who plays the same position, rather than resign him for small change. Roy Williams is good, but I'm not sure if Newman has really lived up to his draft position. I wouldn't rate Dallas secondary over ours (assuming Samuel plays).

 

[sebman2112]

Right... if Hamlin has fully recovered properly from his injury. I think there was a reason that his former team paid big bucs for Deon Grant, who plays the same position, rather than resign him for small change. Roy Williams is good, but I'm not sure if Newman has really lived up to his draft position. I wouldn't rate Dallas secondary over ours (assuming Samuel plays).

Do you mean the head injury he suffered in 2005? I ask because Hamlin had 96 tackles, 2 sacks, and 3 INT's last season, so I think he's recovered fine.

I wouldn't rate their secondary over NE's either.

 

[AzPatsFan]

ASANTE is solid, could be something special, but it's been one year. (Eric Allen overrates him, IMO)

RODNEY is awesome, slowed a bit probably, and injury-prone. I love him but...(Eric Allen overrates him, IMO)

WILSON might be good and solid, can't count on him (most Pats fans see him as needing to prove a lot to consider he's part of an "elite" secondary)

MERIWEATHER looks like a very good player (some of you here underrate him, IMO)

HOBBS put together a very solid Sophomore year, especially given his injury (solidly underrated on this board, IMO)

TORY JAMES is a JAG scrub.

ARTRELL HAWKINS is a JAG scrub who gave us a year and a half of solid play and is slipping, IMO.

JAMES SANDERS is a good solid young player, who showed a little something last year. I like him. Could start when Rodney goes.


OVERALL, I think this is a good, solid group. The #1 secondary? I doubt it, but up there in the top 5-7, for sure - especially with the front 7.

This secondary is very good. Even with IR injuries to Wilson, Gay, and other injuries to Harrison, Hawkins, Hobbs, and Chad Scott, they still combined to yield only ten TDs all season. There is not another secondary as dep I'll warrant in the league.

Neither Hawkins nor James are JAG scrubs. Both were solid starters on their previous clubs for many years. In Tory's case he even went to a couple of Pro Bowls, which is hard to do given he was playing for a perpetual loser like Cincinnati of the last decade,and its tough to get noticed in such circumstances.

They are no longer that good as both are older. They are what they are. Solid, wily, veteran ex-starters who can give you an occasional good game when called upon to do so, but without the endurance to be a full time starter any longer. That is what the definition of depth is. They are not some UDFA never-was-never-will-be JAG.