Chris Long question (real reason for his departure)

[Sicilian]

In today's league, no one should ever be taking any player leaving (or any team moving on from a player) personally. I understand why they do, but really, stop projecting your own thoughts and feelings onto the decisions other people are making in their lives.

 

[Tunescribe]

No. Philly plays a scheme where the de is free tovridh the passer consistently. The Patriots play a lot of 2 gap, and long was often moved inside in a 5 tech. Think of Richard Seymour at de vs Dwight freeny.

By "same thing" I was referring to situational play, which in Long's case appears to equate to a role primarily reserved for passing downs -- both in New England and in Philly. This begs the question of whether he got what he wanted by moving on. If what he wanted was scheme-specific while knowing his snaps still would be limited situationally, then that answers the question -- in which case it wasn't a matter of wanting to play "more."

 

[RobertWeathers]

Not last night he wasn't.

So, that would make him a reserve player.

As I noted earlier, he seems to be doing the same thing in Philly that he did in New England.

Hes playing about 10% less in Philly than he was here.

I've said before that I wondered b/c he didn't get a contract offer from BB if he played up the scheme/play on the left side desire just so it didn't seem like BB dumped him. I dunna know. All these guys have egos.

 

[Ring 6]

By "same thing" I was referring to situational play, which in Long's case appears to equate to a role primarily reserved for passing downs -- both in New England and in Philly. This begs the question of whether he got what he wanted by moving on. If what he wanted was scheme-specific while knowing his snaps still would be limited situationally, then that answers the question -- in which case it wasn't a matter of wanting to play "more."

He played a lot on running downs here. By the playoffs his snaps were down and he was a 5 tech run defender.
He led the team de with 65% snaps in reg season but got 39%, 29% and 31% in the playoffs less than half of his reg season role.

 

[AvocadoIceCream]

He stinks

 

[Ring 6]

Hes playing about 10% less in Philly than he was here.

I've said before that I wondered b/c he didn't get a contract offer from BB if he played up the scheme/play on the left side desire just so it didn't seem like BB dumped him. I dunna know. All these guys have egos.

He is playing a lot less than he played here over the course of the regular season. 65% to 42% but that is still an uptick to what he played in the playoffs.

Seems obvious to me.
Long was being phased out. His remaining role was part time 5 tech, he basically stated that himself, so both BB didn’t have him in his plans and if he did long didn’t like his role.
But iirc long said goodbye first.

 

[XLIX]

Rapoport reported that Bennett turned down $7 million a year before the season. We don’t know what kind of guarantees were in that offer, and we don’t know what they were offering (if they were offering) after the season with more information about how Bennett would fit in.

I missed that one.... I would be curious as to how it was structured.... plus, as you mention, it would be interesting to know what was offered after the season ended.

 

[Tony2046]

Actually, I thought he was playing more in Philadelphia than in NE. Last night he was in on almost 60% of the snaps. I thought with the Pats, he was in for like 10-15% of snaps but in looking at the data, he averaged almost 60% of snaps with the Pats. So you are right, he is actually doing the same thing in Philly that he did with the Pats.

Actually it's interesting. Looks like he's playing less.

Last year's snap counts.


This year's.

 

[RobertWeathers]

He is playing a lot less than he played here over the course of the regular season. 65% to 42% but that is still an uptick to what he played in the playoffs.

OK my math was off. I knew he was playing less there.

Seems obvious to me.
Long was being phased out. His remaining role was part time 5 tech, he basically stated that himself, so both BB didn’t have him in his plans and if he did long didn’t like his role.

But iirc long said goodbye first.

Yep but I'm not sure Long said goodbye first as we don't know truly what BB wanted to do with him (wait till after the draft or TC?) but since he received a contract offer from Philly and nothing from NE you are right.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Actually, I thought he was playing more in Philadelphia than in NE. Last night he was in on almost 60% of the snaps. I thought with the Pats, he was in for like 10-15% of snaps but in looking at the data, he averaged almost 60% of snaps with the Pats. So you are right, he is actually doing the same thing in Philly that he did with the Pats.

When Long left he didn't complain about playing time, he complained about his role in the defense.

He wanted to go somewhere where he could play defense in a way that was fun for him. He wanted to be used differently than how BB used him.

Now, when he was here he did the job asked of him without complaining about it. And he was thankful for his time here and for the SB win. But with not much time left in his career he wanted to go back to playing in a way that was more enjoyable for him. I can't blame him one bit for that.

 

[Ring 6]

OK my math was off. I knew he was playing less there.



Yep but I'm not sure Long said goodbye first as we don't know truly what BB wanted to do with him (wait till after the draft or TC?) but since he received a contract offer from Philly and nothing from NE you are right.

Pretty sure long announced he wasn’t returning almost right after the SB.
Sure he could have seen handwriting on the wall but I trust he is telingbyhe truth, have no reason to doubt him.

 

[RayClay]

The Patriots have a problem with players leaving for no good reason, but this year was the worst. Bennett leaves for what rumors say is the same amount we offered. Ryan leaves for a fraction of what we're paying his infinitely worse replacement. Long leaves for reasons that are preposterous. He want to play four steps to the right and is willing to quit the whole team over it? Right after he had some key plays in one of the best football games ever played in the history of the sport? It's aggravating.

If a player leaves for more money, I can understand. Or because he hates the team. Or wants to be on a winning team. But the reason some of our best players left last summer are just the lamest reasons I have ever heard from a football team.

Maybe someday we'll be able to keep players like that and become competitive.

 

[tasmlab]

The part I thought was weird is that he boasted that he would've taken a $5 contract to play here, but I guess just to get the ring and the experience (life experience, not work experience).

Given that he's probably a few months/years away from retirement, I'd think a limited role would be ideal physically.

But I can't pretend to know what he, BB or anybody else was really thinking.

His parting message, giving his paycheck to charity*, his time here, etc., certainly makes him look like a stand-up dude.

* For all we know this is a tax/asset strategy and is going into a charitable lead trust (CLT) or a charitable remainder trust (CRT) that could provide income for his children. I'll assume the best, and I don't have problems with tax strategies.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Pretty sure long announced he wasn’t returning almost right after the SB.
Sure he could have seen handwriting on the wall but I trust he is telingbyhe truth, have no reason to doubt him.

Not sure. I know he had concerns about not playing enough either which I did not 100% buy.

I think he wanted to play in a different system with his ears pinned back and thats fine.

 

[Brewskies]

I liked him with the Pats only can wish hm the best.

 

[XLIX]

In today's league, no one should ever be taking any player leaving (or any team moving on from a player) personally. I understand why they do, but really, stop projecting your own thoughts and feelings onto the decisions other people are making in their lives.

Agreed. There is a subset of fandom who believes players are obligated to sacrifice their own well being, both personal and financial, for the benefit of the team. Some players do indeed do that, but I refuse to criticize a player who comes here, works hard, honors his contract, then as a free agent simply decides he would be happier elsewhere.

I think in some situations they discover they aren't happier elsewhere, but it's still their right to make that decision.

 

[BradyFTW!]

By "same thing" I was referring to situational play, which in Long's case appears to equate to a role primarily reserved for passing downs -- both in New England and in Philly. This begs the question of whether he got what he wanted by moving on. If what he wanted was scheme-specific while knowing his snaps still would be limited situationally, then that answers the question -- in which case it wasn't a matter of wanting to play "more."

Based on his statement when he left, I think it was more about scheme than playing time. Two-gapping is pretty thankless, bruising work compared to what he's doing now, I totally get why he would prefer his current role. And if it was PT, his trended down over time while he was here, although in hindsight he'd probably get more if he was here purely based on need.

 

[njpatsfan]

His dad thought he was nuts for leaving NE.

My take is that there are daddy issues at the bottom of it, which is a shame, as his dad was gifted with physical gifts that weren’t quite replicated in his progeny. His brother seems wrapped a lot tighter.

Bennett is simple - he has a plan for what he is going to do post-NFL, and to him New England is too backwater / too white for those plans.

 

[neali]

His dad thought he was nuts for leaving NE.

My take is that there are daddy issues at the bottom of it, which is a shame, as his dad was gifted with physical gifts that weren’t quite replicated in his progeny. His brother seems wrapped a lot tighter.

Bennett is simple - he has a plan for what he is going to do post-NFL, and to him New England is too backwater / too white for those plans.

Whoa, New England is whiter than Green Bay? I, um, I, ah, WHAT? Have you been to Wisconsin?
And backwater? WTF is more backwater than Green Bay. Indianapolis is an Athens Paris love child in comparison.

 

[rochrist]

In Philly, he is a 3 down player.

On another team with a good shot at a Super Bowl.