Nate Ebner

[patfanken]

Like Slater, he's an exceptional special teamer and a liability everywhere else on the field. Nothing wrong with that.

What are you basing this on? One play his rookie year when he got beat on a play action pass vs Seattle. Ebner's path to playing in the regular defenses has been hampered by the people playing in front of him.

IIRC he was used in GL situations as a S. When Harmon was still out there in FA, I was wondering if Ebner was going to get more of shot at S (in a back up role) in the regular defenses. I still wonder if he won't be Chung's primary back up this season.

Remember the Pats have been extraordinarily lucky with injuries to their secondary personell the last 2 seasons. So the question remains if Ebner's lack of snaps on the regular defense is because he's "useless" or because there simply havent been any opportunities.

 

[primetime]

What are you basing this on? One play his rookie year when he got beat on a play action pass vs Seattle. Ebner's path to playing in the regular defenses has been hampered by the people playing in front of him.

Yes, there's nothing to judge it on. That's why I said blind faith. His path to playtime has been blocked by actual football players, including such superstars as Jordan Richards. There's nothing to suggest he'd be any good at all; pointing to Julian Edelman is all well and good, but I could point to any one of a hundred special teamers that have come and gone in the last decade who couldn't make it as anything but a special teamer. Not every Patriot is a superstar in waiting. He's an excellent special teamer. He doesn't need to be anything more than that.

 

[Galeb]

Yes, there's nothing to judge it on. That's why I said blind faith. His path to playtime has been blocked by actual football players, including such superstars as Jordan Richards. There's nothing to suggest he'd be any good at all; pointing to Julian Edelman is all well and good, but I could point to any one of a hundred special teamers that have come and gone in the last decade who couldn't make it as anything but a special teamer. Not every Patriot is a superstar in waiting. He's an excellent special teamer. He doesn't need to be anything more than that.

The assumption that he's a liability on D is blind as well. When Duron Harmon is your 3rd safety, the 4th will rarely see the field unless there is an injury.

 

[primetime]

The assumption that he's a liability on D is blind as well. When Duron Harmon is your 3rd safety, the 4th will rarely see the field unless there is an injury.

Sure, but the odds are much more heavily stacked in favor of him being a very bad safety than him being a secret good one, just like how Bolden isn't a competent running back but actually was "let's sign a geriatric Steven Jackson" level of bad.

 

[AtomicDawg]

Let me leave it at this: the All-Pro voters weren't wrong when they voted Slater and Ebner the two best ST players in the league.

Absolutely. And it says something when he lead the team in ST tackles with 19 (!!!) and the next closest player is B. King with 9. I'm certain his rugby training has a lot to do with that.

 

[Wordsmyth]

Sign the beast! ??

 

[DaBruinz]

Nate Ebner was just named International Player of the Year in Rugby.

Ebner named rugby club's 'International Player of the Year'

I'm curious to what people think of him. He's been on the Pats for 5 seasons and I still feel like I know very little about him. I know he occasionally plays some snaps at safety, but I'm not sure how much.

I'm wondering how good people think he is at special teams and if could he take on a larger role.

He certainly looks like a beast.



Thoughts?

Love Ebner.. If you watched the Olympics, you saw just how intense he is. The entire tempo of the team changed when he was on the field and it showed just how big of a mistake the US Rugby coach made not having Ebner out there as a starter for every game..

Ebner is one of the best Special Teams players we have. I'd say he'd be the ST Captain if Slater wasn't here.

When Chung left, Ebner took over as the Personal Protector on the punt unit and, imho, he's an upgrade there over Chung. (Personal Protector is the guy who lines up between the long Snapper and the punter, but just off to one side.. Responsible for picking up anyone who might break through the middle of the line to keep the punter clean..

EDIT: Ebner is the type of player that, even when he's not the best player on the field, he makes the best players better..

 

[DaBruinz]

I admire your blind faith but I wouldn't want him out there on defense with the game on the line.

Ebner has been out there as part of the Goal Line defense. I'd have no problem him being out there in that situation..

 

[maineman209]

At this point, Ebner is practically co-captain of ST with Slater. Both are entering their contract years this season. Slater will turn 32 in WK-1. Ebner turns 29 in mid-December.

Slater's cap hit is $1.59M. Ebner's is $1.2M.

Slater essentially took over the ST leadership role from Larry Izzo - the unofficial all time ST tackles leader (298). Izzo played with the Pats until he was 34 (then one year with the Jests).

Ebner seems like the heir apparent to Slater.

Just for the record, Ebner's numbers from his Ohio State pro day in 2012:
- 6000/202 ... 4.59/40 ... 1.56 10yd ... 23 reps ... 39 vert ... 128 broad
... 4.04 shuttle ... 6.59 3-cone