Content Post Words on things I watched, read & heard II

[Ochmed Jones]

I can say with absolute honesty, the last Seattle game I watched was the super bowl that Malcolm butler stole for us!

We only get to take so many breathes, why waste any of them watching Seattle?

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

 

[Kasmir]

...and 2 ILBs (Bruschi, Seau)...

Like your analysis but Seau (may he RIP) joined the Pats in 2006. I'm still p*ssed that he and Moss didn't get their rings in 2007.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Like your analysis but Seau (may he RIP) joined the Pats in 2006. I'm still p*ssed that he and Moss didn't get their rings in 2007.

True. It was Ted Johnson with Tedy and ... who. Phifer?

 

[Mike the Brit]

"Bread and circuses" -- but no bread.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

 

[40yrpatsfan]

Love Trent Brown. One of the big reasons for our slow start last year was him going down in game 1 and missing 8 weeks or whatever it was. Hopefully his calf problems are behind him, cause he's a difference maker and the key to our OL and running game.

 

[p8ryts]

I think that there *is* something more and that is that it's not so clear what "linebacker" means for the Patriots now.

Back in the early 2000s the Patriots were a 3-4 team with 2 OLBs (Colvin, Vrabel) whose job was to rush the passer and set the edge for the run and 2 ILBs (Bruschi, Seau) whose job was to stop the run and cover the short zone. Now the Pats have a front 4 with a "stout" DE (Wise -- more like Warren or Seymour in the 3-4) and a pass-rushing edge DE (Judon) and generally only two linebackers (last season, a combination of Hightower, Bentley, Collins and KVN). Even if they play a full front 7 (which they are doing less and less) it isn't clear who would be a linebacker and who would be an edge.

Add in that there are three edge/linebackers who didn't play last season (Jennings, McGrone, Perkins -- the latter two having been drafted in the knowledge that they wouldn't contribute in '21) and the situation is quite confusing -- it's clear that linebacker isn't a current strength, but not how much of a gap there is there.

No mention of my favorite Willie here? I never anticipated seeing the words "stout" and "Wise" in any connection. As long as we are dependent on Bentley and Wise our defense will be inconsistent.

 

[Mike the Brit]

No mention of my favorite Willie here? I never anticipated seeing the words "stout" and "Wise" in any connection. As long as we are dependent on Bentley and Wise our defense will be inconsistent.

Yes. It was just an illustration rather than an attempt at a history lesson. And that is really my point: what players do the Pats need for the defense that they are running now? I'm not sure that just talking about needs at "linebacker" captures that any more.

 

[captain stone]

And let's start the first of the next seven by playing a full schedule, like in 2018...

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

NFL/VERSE

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

 

[VJCPatriot]

Yup and we just lost a guy who delivered 25 of those 'pleasing' interceptions and haven't replaced him yet.

There's an elephant in the room, and CB has become a big need.

I don't see how people can prematurely proclaim our defense to be top 10 when right now we are looking at the likes of Jalen Mills, Malcolm Butler, and Joejuan Williams as our top outside CB options.

 

[DaBruinz]

Yup and we just lost a guy who delivered 25 of those 'pleasing' interceptions and haven't replaced him yet.

There's an elephant in the room, and CB has become a big need.

I don't see how people can prematurely proclaim our defense to be top 10 when right now we are looking at the likes of Jalen Mills, Malcolm Butler, and Joejuan Williams as our top outside CB options.

I have yet to see anyone claim that the 2022 defense will be top 10.
Mills played extremely well as the Pats #2 CB last year. I was very surprised. I am hoping that Butler can play like he did his rookie year.. If we get that, I think he'll be sufficient on one side. If we had Butler/Mills, we wouldn't be bad off. It would must put more pressure on the D-line to get pressure on the QB.

Having Jonathan Jones back is huge for the slot. If Peppers is 100% then he's an additional option there to give either Dugger, Phillips or Jones a break.

The one wildcard is Wade. He really didn't see enough snaps last year to say one way or the other if he'd help the team.

I would expect at least 1 CB to be drafted and 1-2 UDFA.

 

[captain stone]

Yup and we just lost a guy who delivered 25 of those 'pleasing' interceptions and haven't replaced him yet.

There's an elephant in the room, and CB has become a big need.

I don't see how people can prematurely proclaim our defense to be top 10 when right now we are looking at the likes of Jalen Mills, Malcolm Butler, and Joejuan Williams as our top outside CB options.

Yep; a #1 Outside CB is still our Top positional need right now, followed by a Real DE.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

God-Tier
Rice/Moss
TO/Fitz/Calvin

Anyone else??

Barely human tier
Hutson/Harrison/Carter
Julio/Largent/Irvin
Bruce/Holt/Wayne/Andre

1A
Sharpe/Alworth/Morton/Boldon
Brown/Monk/Steve Smith/Berry
Joiner/Fryar/Taylor/Warfield/Jimmy Smith


I'm missing a few names it's late but it would be fun to look at using different lenses.

It would be interesting to see what we come up with if we looked at WR's in a similar fashion that @Ice_Ice_Brady did for QB's. Look at a few different things but I think it's a little more straightforward than QB??

Anyway I can't see TO not being in someone's top 3-5. This dude was an absolute beast in his day. What a talent!

 

[Pats2000]

Yup and we just lost a guy who delivered 25 of those 'pleasing' interceptions and haven't replaced him yet.

There's an elephant in the room, and CB has become a big need.

I don't see how people can prematurely proclaim our defense to be top 10 when right now we are looking at the likes of Jalen Mills, Malcolm Butler, and Joejuan Williams as our top outside CB options.

Bill has a way of pulling UDFA top quality CB's out of his ass. Plus we have Wade still. Hopefully he's as good as people think he can be

 

[captain stone]

Anyway I can't see TO not being in someone's top 3-5.

Not in mine... Not even close...

 

[captain stone]

...Plus we have Wade still. Hopefully he's as good as people think he can be

Nobody thinks he can be that good as an Outside CB; as DMac's replacement at FS, on the other hand...

 

[Sciz]

Bill has a way of pulling UDFA top quality CB's out of his ass.

That Jack Jones visit yesterday just screams UDFA recruitment. Sure he was ruled academically ineligible for the 2018 season, robbed a Panda Express in June 2018, and was suspended for 3/4 of the abbreviated 2020 season for fighting in practice, but that does kinda fit the mold of the two UDFA outside CB success stories recently.