Eagles players sure love talking about the Pats

[Kontradiction]

Matt Patricia was focused too much on the Detroit gig, it would appear

No. The defense was devoid of quality depth and playmaking ability at all levels and the big game playmakers they DID have were either used as square pegs forced into round holes (McCourty), injured (Hightower), or benched for the game. Result? 41 points and an L.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I haven’t found too much to get upset about, and overall I feel like almost all of them recognized/appreciated the Patriots excellence. Lane Johnson is an idiot. Most of the other stuff is being asked about the game 5 million times and giving some buzz to reporters. In particular, today’s recent quote about the defense, to me, seems like more of a compliment to the coaching staff. Most everyone here agrees on the obvious, that the actual year-end defense was devoid of talent you typically from a SB team

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

Well this team has plenty of picks next season. Maybe they can trade for a player on the defensive side. This secondary will be tested. The numbers said they where awful last season and got better only to stink up the joint in the super bowl without their second best cornerback.

They could use some talent at LB or the secondary.

 

[JMC00]

I had similair thoughts about the Eagles defense except without the coaching part.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

I haven’t found too much to get upset about, and overall I feel like almost all of them recognized/appreciated the Patriots excellence. Lane Johnson is an idiot. Most of the other stuff is being asked about the game 5 million times and giving some buzz to reporters. In particular, today’s recent quote about the defense, to me, seems like more of a compliment to the coaching staff. Most everyone here agrees on the obvious, that the actual year-end defense was devoid of talent you typically from a SB team

The question will be is the talent good enough right now on defense to make a run. I didn’t like the clayborn signing but we will see how it goes.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

umm, he is right, outside of Gilmore, the Pats sent out a very pedestrian to out right JAG defense that got shredded by both Bortles and Foles.

DE: Eric Lee
DT: Malcom Brown
DT: Lawrence Guy
DE: Trey Flowers
LB: Kyle Van Noy
LB: Elandon Roberts
S: Duron Harmon
CB: Stephon Glimore
CB: Eric Rowe
FS: Devin McCourty
SS: Patrick Chung

Please tell me which one of those guys scares you? This defense was completely devoid of talent and STILL should have won that game. Maybe if they had made Philly punt more than once, stopped them just once on 4th down.

Sadly, aside from a healthy Hightower, no real improvement was made to this defense in the off-season. Aside from a Talib like trade for some talent, Brady is going to have to carry these JAGS again!

I thought they did an excellent job against the jags in the second half but that was with malcolm butler.

 

[JayNM]

McCourty, Chung and Harmon are a solid safety group. Definitely not JAGS although their age concerns me.

I'll wait to see what impact Shelton and VV have in shoring of the DL before saying "no real improvement was made" because I think they'll be an improvement.

Van Noy is not a JAG imo.

Trey Flowers is a top level DE.

Minnesota's D got shredded by Foles as well so I guess they're loaded with JAGS.

TOP DE?

Nah, he had 6 sacks the whole last season, he is still a long way from being a TOP DE...

The fact that he is still probably our best player in the front seven (when HT is injured) is a problem, at least until he earns it by being a top DE.

 

[Deus Irae]

What irks me is that we constantly get to hear what arrogant POS aholes the Patriots supposedly are, yet everyone and their mother gets to talk sh*t about the Patriots and you don't hear bupkis about it.

Please explain how pointing out the truth about that defense (it was not very talented and was carried by Brady and BB), and complimenting that coaching staff, is talking ****.

As for the talking, the Patriots generally keep a lid on that because the coach demands it. But every time you start to get on your high horse about that, remember BB's comments about Freddie Mitchell.

 

[Deus Irae]

Matt Patricia was focused too much on the Detroit gig, it would appear

Patricia's fault? Really?

1. Patricia's fault that his best LB was not available and he was stuck with a bunch of crap at the position?
2. Patricia's fault that the team's best DT had retired the year before, but keep bringing his body to games?
3. Patricia's fault that the HC of the NEP decided to bench his starting CB not long before the start of the game?
4. Patricia's fault that he was so short of CBs that his already thin safety corps was stretched even thinner, and he was forced into matchups that his defense had no chance of winning, as a result?

Get outta here with that nonsense.

 

[n6249c]

Apparently "act like you've been there before"

What irks me is that we constantly get to hear what arrogant POS aholes the Patriots supposedly are, yet everyone and their mother gets to talk sh*t about the Patriots and you don't hear bupkis about it.

Apparently "act like you've been there before" is only meaningful when you have in fact actually been there before.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Tougher to get the elite defensive talent when your consistently drafting at the bottom of each round.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Tougher to get the elite defensive talent when your consistently drafting at the bottom of each round.

Or elite talent, period.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

Tougher to get the elite defensive talent when your consistently drafting at the bottom of each round.

True but you can still get some talent. We need to hope Hightower stays healthy and he already has bumps and bruises.

 

[Hyped]

Just getting Hightower back FIXES a lot of problems we had in the front 7.

I loved what we did in the off-season to replace Butler...a lot of competition there and don't even count out Cyrus Jones who could surprise.

Shelton should help a lot and Clayborn is just gravy on top as far as I am concerned.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

No. The defense was devoid of quality depth and playmaking ability at all levels and the big game playmakers they DID have were either used as square pegs forced into round holes (McCourty), injured (Hightower), or benched for the game. Result? 41 points and an L.

or traded to Arizona for a bag of magic beans....

 

[Kontradiction]

Just getting Hightower back FIXES a lot of problems we had in the front 7.

I loved what we did in the off-season to replace Butler...a lot of competition there and don't even count out Cyrus Jones who could surprise.

Shelton should help a lot and Clayborn is just gravy on top as far as I am concerned.

 

[Deus Irae]

Tougher to get the elite defensive talent when your consistently drafting at the bottom of each round.

This team's issue with so-called elite defensive talent is as much about not wanting to pay for too many high-end players, especially if they aren't perfect fits, as it is about not drafting elite talent. And, as I've tried to get across to people, once the first round picks above the Patriots have been made, and the Patriots are on the first round clock, draft position becomes meaningless.

If you want to look at why this team's defense has problems recently, that's easy to figure out. Just look at the first two rounds and you can't miss the most important reasons, and where the picks are located is not in the top 4 problems with this defense.

2012 draft - Chandler Jones not retained, Tavon Wilson was a bust
2013 draft - No first round pick, Jamie Collins not retained
2014 draft - Foolishly went with Dominigue Easley when Stephon Tuitt was on the board, drafted a QB in round 2
2015 draft - Malcolm Brown, taken instead of Landon Collins, has been a mediocrity, Jordan Richards has been a bust
2016 draft - No first round pick, Cyrus Jones has been a bust
2017 draft - No first or second round picks


In comparison, here's the list of offensive players drafted in rounds 1 and 2 in that same time period:

JAG
Aaron Dobson

So there is not even one offensive player whom the Patriots drafted in rounds 1-2 from 2012-2017 on the team.

Blaming draft position for the talent problem with this team's defense is absurd. The top 4 issues with the defense, in no particular order are clearly:

Lost draft picks
Blown draft picks
Drafted players allowed to leave, or deliberately traded away
Lousy free agent and trade choices

People may be fine with, for example, Jones not being kept. I was fine with Jones not being kept. But decisions on who to keep on 2nd contracts, or just to keep in general, impact the quality of the team ( specifically the defense for the purpose of this discussion).


*Note, I used one site for the draft info.

DraftHistory.com

Any mistakes are on the site for the error/omission, and on me for not being more diligent in my hunting.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Just getting Hightower back FIXES a lot of problems we had in the front 7.

I loved what we did in the off-season to replace Butler...a lot of competition there and don't even count out Cyrus Jones who could surprise.

Shelton should help a lot and Clayborn is just gravy on top as far as I am concerned.

Cyrus wants some of what you've been smokin

 

[Deus Irae]

Just getting Hightower back FIXES a lot of problems we had in the front 7.

I loved what we did in the off-season to replace Butler...a lot of competition there and don't even count out Cyrus Jones who could surprise.

Shelton should help a lot and Clayborn is just gravy on top as far as I am concerned.

Drugs?

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

True but you can still get some talent. We need to hope Hightower stays healthy and he already has bumps and bruises.

Well yeah it’s understood that we can get a quality player later on. They’re just harder to find when compared to drafting at or near the top.