NEW ARTICLE: Patriots News 07-03, Changes At Linebacker Are Long Coming

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Patriots News 07-03, Changes At Linebacker Are Long Coming
Steve Balestrieri
“Jimmy was practicing and then decided not to play. Jacoby played with no ligaments in his thumb, which you can’t do that as a quarterback."

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[State]

Josh Uche is NOT 6’ 3”. Maybe in platform shoes.

So the article undermines this player—long only on athletic aptitude, short on height, football IQ, and number of starts in both college and pros—when it says guys on edge shorter than 6’2” need not apply.

Josh Uche, who we traded up for even though he was effectively only a third down pass rusher who only saw the field his last year at Michigan, will perennially be the guy we’re waiting for a “breakout” year.

Ain’t going to happen. Played very sparingly his senior season against Penn State when he was healthy.

They ran a pro style offense. He’d have to follow assignments rather than pin his ears back and fly around the OT to get after the QB. Don Brown, the venerable defensive coordinator, knew that that wasn’t his strength.

More important is when comparing Tampa Bay’s smallish LBers who can motor sideline to sideline, why didn’t Steve compare the big guys up front? The space eaters?

Where’s our Vita Vea? We had him with Danny Shelton. We let him walk a second time.

Then we brought in some guy named Beau. And the rest is history.

And our zero technique run stuffer is? Davin Godchaux?

Wrong answer.

Hopefully a decent NT comes to us in the waiver wires in late August. Without a Ted Washington/Alan Branch/Danny Shelton, these backers will have a lot to deal with against good opposing offensive lines who will NOT lose any sleep worrying about our front seven in the run game.

 

[jah]

Josh Uche is NOT 6’ 3”. Maybe in platform shoes.

So the article undermines this player—long only on athletic aptitude, short on height, football IQ, and number of starts in both college and pros—when it says guys on edge shorter than 6’2” need not apply.

Josh Uche, who we traded up for even though he was effectively only a third down pass rusher who only saw the field his last year at Michigan, will perennially be the guy we’re waiting for a “breakout” year.

Ain’t going to happen. Played very sparingly his senior season against Penn State when he was healthy.

They ran a pro style offense. He’d have to follow assignments rather than pin his ears back and fly around the OT to get after the QB. Don Brown, the venerable defensive coordinator, knew that that wasn’t his strength.

More important is when comparing Tampa Bay’s smallish LBers who can motor sideline to sideline, why didn’t Steve compare the big guys up front? The space eaters?

Where’s our Vita Vea? We had him with Danny Shelton. We let him walk a second time.

Then we brought in some guy named Beau. And the rest is history.

And our zero technique run stuffer is? Davin Godchaux?

Wrong answer.

Hopefully a decent NT comes to us in the waiver wires in late August. Without a Ted Washington/Alan Branch/Danny Shelton, these backers will have a lot to deal with against good opposing offensive lines who will NOT lose any sleep worrying about our front seven in the run game.

Shelton was a good run stuffer and I wish we had kept him longer, but he really wasn't our Vita Vea.

 

[State]

Letting Shelton go was a mistake in hindsight. No question about it.

Not drafting a NT the past three years is another.

Leki Fotu could easily have been taken in 2020, for example. Instead of Assyass and Keene we could have had TE Adam Trautman and NT Leki Fotu. Both positions of need then. This year UConn’s Travis Jones screamed Patriot.

I’m of the mind that when we traded back this year, a smart move, the Patriots became unsettled when the defensive guys they were hoping slipped to them were all drafted.

Instead of trading back again, they likely panicked and went with Chattanooga OG Cole Strange whom most teams weren’t going to consider drafting until a mid round.

At this point if Hightower decides he wants to play another season, we have to consider bringing him back to help in the run game.

No longer elite, he’s better than most of the guys in the position group against the run game. I will never forget what he did in the SB against the Seahawks RB with one shoulder to set up the miracle INT at the goal line.

 

[captain stone]

Josh Uche is NOT 6’ 3”. Maybe in platform shoes.

So the article undermines this player—long only on athletic aptitude, short on height, football IQ, and number of starts in both college and pros—when it says guys on edge shorter than 6’2” need not apply.

Josh Uche, who we traded up for even though he was effectively only a third down pass rusher who only saw the field his last year at Michigan, will perennially be the guy we’re waiting for a “breakout” year.

Ain’t going to happen. Played very sparingly his senior season against Penn State when he was healthy.

They ran a pro style offense. He’d have to follow assignments rather than pin his ears back and fly around the OT to get after the QB. Don Brown, the venerable defensive coordinator, knew that that wasn’t his strength.

More important is when comparing Tampa Bay’s smallish LBers who can motor sideline to sideline, why didn’t Steve compare the big guys up front? The space eaters?

Where’s our Vita Vea? We had him with Danny Shelton. We let him walk a second time.

Then we brought in some guy named Beau. And the rest is history.

And our zero technique run stuffer is? Davin Godchaux?

Wrong answer.

Hopefully a decent NT comes to us in the waiver wires in late August. Without a Ted Washington/Alan Branch/Danny Shelton, these backers will have a lot to deal with against good opposing offensive lines who will NOT lose any sleep worrying about our front seven in the run game.

Truth.

Horrible talent evaluation... Absolutely, UnDeniably, ****ing Horrible.

 

[Zuma]

Truth.

Horrible talent evaluation... Absolutely, UnDeniably, ****ing Horrible.

I might agree if he’s a dud this year. He may be a rock star…we shall see.

But I 100% agree about our DT’s…we’re going to feel a world of pain if we don’t upgrade our DT’s somehow.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Letting Shelton go was a mistake in hindsight. No question about it.

Not drafting a NT the past three years is another.

Leki Fotu could easily have been taken in 2020, for example. Instead of Assyass and Keene we could have had TE Adam Trautman and NT Leki Fotu. Both positions of need then. This year UConn’s Travis Jones screamed Patriot.

I’m of the mind that when we traded back this year, a smart move, the Patriots became unsettled when the defensive guys they were hoping slipped to them were all drafted.

Instead of trading back again, they likely panicked and went with Chattanooga OG Cole Strange whom most teams weren’t going to consider drafting until a mid round.

At this point if Hightower decides he wants to play another season, we have to consider bringing him back to help in the run game.

No longer elite, he’s better than most of the guys in the position group against the run game. I will never forget what he did in the SB against the Seahawks RB with one shoulder to set up the miracle INT at the goal line.

Shelton is a free agent right now at 28 because he is so good? I would love a big NT, but the whole NFL agrees that Shelton sucks so he is unsigned, but you love him. What do you know that the rest of the NFL is missing?

Love Hightower, but he is toast. If we fall back to Hightower the season is lost.

Uche has been a disappointment. Let's see what he does this year before "Stoneing" him. I am always concerned when we draft guys with athleticism but spotty college production. Uche has flashed at times, let's see if he can be productive this year.

 

[mgteich]

Shelton is a free agent right now at 28 because he is so good? I would love a big NT, but the whole NFL agrees that Shelton sucks so he is unsigned, but you love him. What do you know that the rest of the NFL is missing?

Love Hightower, but he is toast. If we fall back to Hightower the season is lost.

Uche has been a disappointment. Let's see what he does this year before "Stoneing" him. I am always concerned when we draft guys with athleticism but spotty college production. Uche has flashed at times, let's see if he can be productive this year.

What secrets does Belichick have with regard to the quality of our linebackers? I truly don't know. For many of us, Judon and a very weak set of others doesn't seem to be of playoff quality. To put it another way, are they really so good that no help was/is needed.

As an aside, I think that Belichick is fine with the DL for now (this year). He certainly likes Guy and Wise, and Barmore. He seems satisfied with Godchaux. I suspect he is also OK with choosing backups from Davis, Ekuale, Anderson and Cowart. Obviously, another backup could be signed, but I don't him signing a starter.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

What secrets does Belichick have with regard to the quality of our linebackers? I truly don't know. For many of us, Judon and a very weak set of others doesn't seem to be of playoff quality. To put it another way, are they really so good that no help was/is needed.

As an aside, I think that Belichick is fine with the DL for now (this year). He certainly likes Guy and Wise, and Barmore. He seems satisfied with Godchaux. I suspect he is also OK with choosing backups from Davis, Ekuale, Anderson and Cowart. Obviously, another backup could be signed, but I don't him signing a starter.

Quality of the LBs and CBs IMO. We will see. Even if Jack Jones works out and starts, the Pats could not have known that when Jackson walked. They must love some of the young LBs and CBs.

I can only guess it is a building block year to 2023 when we will trim the offense (WRs, TEs) and fill out the defense for a long run.

 

[TheRainMaker]

What secrets does Belichick have with regard to the quality of our linebackers? I truly don't know. For many of us, Judon and a very weak set of others doesn't seem to be of playoff quality. To put it another way, are they really so good that no help was/is needed.

As an aside, I think that Belichick is fine with the DL for now (this year). He certainly likes Guy and Wise, and Barmore. He seems satisfied with Godchaux. I suspect he is also OK with choosing backups from Davis, Ekuale, Anderson and Cowart. Obviously, another backup could be signed, but I don't him signing a starter.

Surrounding Mac with more talent offensively was Bill's biggest priority this offseason. I can't imagine he sits back and likes what he has at every level of the D excluding S. If random armchair QB's like us/media see players that aren't very talented, you know Bill sees this. However, he can't address everything and is making due with what he has. He'll eventually address the defense as early as next offseason.

 

[State]

“Uche has been a disappointment” One-If?

Not really. He was a fifth-rounder solely on his elite movement skills. He was a third down pass rusher who only (partially) saw the field his senior year.

Meanwhile, Onwenu was a three year stater. Performed very well even at his obeseness. I think he was up to 370, which scared off the nfl.

Much like the LSU kid we drafted this year who looks to be his understudy.