PATRIOTS NEWS Looks like the Pats are re-signing Chaisson

[TheRainMaker]

BB was often knocked for not paying players who came in on the cheap and developed into something. He seemed to prefer starting over with a different cheap player. In contrast, this is an example of the develop and retain philosophy in action. Assuming the dollars are reasonable, sighing Chiasson to this deal sends a good message and sets expectations for other players fighting for their spot on the team.

Akiem Hicks was BB's only blunder when we're talking about bringing in guys on the cheap and/or trade.

 

[TheRainMaker]

We destroyed people defensively. It was the entire D. But when we needed it most against Seattle it wasn't there. Never mind that Walker ran wild on us around the edges.

He is NOT an every down DE.

You really think he was the best edge rusher in the playoffs? Really?

You guys definitely pay too much attention to pff.

He wasn't, he just played the most games which inflated his stats. It's crazy talk to say he is better than Anderson, Hunter, Bonito, or Young. Chaisson has one move where he acts like a crazy person and rushes upfield without any discipline leaving a gaping hole in his gap. If his lone speed rush move doesn't work on the point of attack, he's completely out of the play.

Chaisson was a nice story, but he and Landry were problems all year at setting the Edge. Nobody was better than Vrabel, McGinest and Colvin during the 1st dynasty. Pats need to get better.

Andre Carter and Mark Anderson were nice pickups in 2011 getting 10 sacks on the season. Bill let them both go and the Pats didn't miss them.

I'd re-sign him at the right price as a rotational guy while going after someone that can be a full time starter.

 

[DaBruinz]

No, full stop.

I would note Jennings contributes more than Ponder and Swinson, and will likely continue to do so.

A healthy Landry is a serious issue. If he doesn't project to be nearly 100%, I expect a midlevel signing AND a draft choice in the first 3 rounds.

It's to be expected that Jennings as a 5th year player was contributing more than 2 rookies. But, did he REALLY?

Jennings took 280 defensive snaps (33%) and 163 special teams snaps (45%). Jennings made 25 total tackles, 2 sacks, 5 TFLs.

Ponder took 215 defensive snaps and 209 special teams snaps (53%). 24 total tackles, 4 sacks and 4 TFLs.

Ponder was considered very raw, but with high upside. I think that he improved all year.
Ponder went from 7.5 Defensive snaps in the games 1-9 (missing weeks 3 & 4) to 17.5 Defensive snaps in games 10-15, to 26 Defensive snaps in weeks 17-18 and the play-offs. That's the sort of progression you want to see out of a Rookie. I would expect to see him push for 35-40 defensive snaps per game as a sophomore.


A lot is going to depend on Landry and his knee. It's very unlikely that the Patriots will sign someone in the early stages of Free Agency (prior to May 1st) and draft someone. Do you really think that the Vrabel is going to give up on Swinson after 1 season? I don't.

There were 4 weeks that they carried 6 Edge guys.. It was only after Milton went down and they were trying to keep Swinson from getting scooped up by another team.. They released Caleb Murphy on 12/15 after he dressed for 5 games, saw only 3 defensive snaps and 79 Special Teams snaps. No. I'm not holding my breath that Swinson will magically become a more than a special team contributor and maybe a late game replacement, but I also don't believe they're going to put another draft pick unless someone falls into their laps.

 

[DaBruinz]

I don't expect Landry to BE healthy again. Not with the reports that his knee is bone-on-bone.

Do you have a link to that report?

 

[DaBruinz]

This has nothing to do with PFF.
Statistically he was the best. Nobody else did what he did.

I don't expect him to be the best pass rusher on the team next year. But he makes an excellent Robert Mathis, and age + ability + good contract = an excellent signing.

If you're going to be prisoner of the moment about the Super Bowl, when everyone but Williams and Gonzalez played below where they were, and just ignore everything else they did all year, then I really can't help you.

Point of Information: Williams played like crap for a good portion of the Super Bowl. I watched him miss tackles on consecutive plays that would have stopped the Seahawks dead. Milt looked like Monty Beisel on several plays.. It was really bad.

 

[DaBruinz]

The Cult of Belichick is having a very hard time with their success. Scrambling to try and create negatives. The draft wasn't really any good, Chiasson really isn't any good....

Come on Huck. I haven't seen anyone say that the draft wasn't good. Upstarter isn't saying that Chaisson isn't good. He's saying that Chaisson had issues with his run defense. Upstarter isn't wrong on that. Our best EDGE Run defender was Jennings. Chaisson was mediocre there.

An area that I'd like @KCSVEN to weigh in on is the missed tackles. I have never seen such a discrepancy in them between PFF and Pro-Foorball-Reference. PFF has Chaisson at 12 during the regular season and 7 in the post-season. PFR only has 4 for Chaisson during the regular season, though PFR doesn't mention missed tackles in their game logs.

 

[n1997y]

I don't expect Landry to BE healthy again. Not with the reports that his knee is bone-on-bone.

Sadly, I agree. I’m not going to be surprised if he retires.

 

[fnordcircle]

Excellent news. But, Mods, would you humor ("humour") an old pedant, please? There is a world of difference between resigning and re-signing. I am glad it's the latter.

Only a rouge like you're self could of cared about this, persay.

 

[Real fan 02]

If so, great news for the continuing continuity on the team.. he really thrived and was a standout in the playoffs.

Short term, high guarantees, team-friendly, would be my guess. 2-3 years? Enough so he can really cash in after this contract.
Works out great for both sides if that's the case.

Likely.. I'm thinking the same thing.. probably can't announce anything until the new league year or official start to FA? I'm sure the team has other deals in place with guys too.

 

[Real fan 02]

Sadly, I agree. I’m not going to be surprised if he retires.

Coming off a recent knee injury in Tennessee I'd agree.. he will be 30 soon and multiple injuries in his career.. Vrabel gave him in nice contract so should he retire Vrabel will do him a solid.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

We took the "u" out of many words. And we are free to use hyphens or not to use them. It's in the small print of the US Constitution.

Freedom of speech (and by extension, spelling) doesn't help with the question of the best "options." You can put a primitive hieroglyph of a sideways bird at the beginning of each written sentence, and they won't put you in jail for that act itself (it might conceivably have implications if it's hate bird speech or maybe somehow in terms of contracts, but not for the grammatical/spelling error itself.

The most important thing, of course, is to be free to speak (and write,) but there is also the threat that what one says and writes will devolve into mutually unintelligible mutterings of madmen.

To prevent this outcome, and without any great controversy, we all accept (then rebel against) grammar and spelling.

If you want to subvert the status quo, you do things like spell "the," "tha," or replace "s" with "z."

If you want to have wide comprehension, you learn the most accepted forms.

The hyphen is often used to make meanings more clear, as in @Mike the Brit 's observation about "re-signing." I like it. I just don't know that it's standard - that would take a survey of style manuals and dictionaries and the like. But it does clear up the problem of the antonym pair hiding in the same word.

That's a situation we cannot in good conscience sanction, and we should cleave to clearer solutions

 

[Clonamery]

Only a rouge like you're self could of cared about this, persay.

Poppycockles! What manner of blither is this? I say, you take me for a cudswallow.

 

[Stu Pidassle]

Our rosters under BB were also incredibly stacked with core pieces locked up. Year after year the turnover was maybe one or two "core" pieces but mostly just tinkering on the edges where it isn't really sustainable to pay a ton of money. Compared to now where we're still building the core and the roster isn't a totally blank slate but still pretty wide open.

BB did a lot of things that he was criticized for. He had to have done something right given the run of success building teams in the salary cap era.

 

[Stu Pidassle]

Akiem Hicks was BB's only blunder when we're talking about bringing in guys on the cheap and/or trade.

Hopefully Vrabel and Wolf can match that level of sustained success.

 

[Real fan 02]

I saw the contract length and numbers on Facebook but did not save it.

Hopefully Vrabel and Wolf can match that level of sustained success.

Agreed.. also we had stability at the most important position in football in the GOAT who had no ego and constantly took less for the over benefits of the team..that alone is HUGE.

 

[Steve102]

There's hardly anyone on the market. Someone just posted the top 10. Not looking good.

Free agency sucks. Teams keep good players. Guys are available because their team decided …

 

[Mike the Brit]

Poppycockles! What manner of blither is this? I say, you take me for a cudswallow.

Only a rouge like you're self could of cared about this, persay.

(I think I'm being treated to a display of authentic Yankee gibberish ... )

 

[Real fan 02]

We have Tavai, Spillane and Gibbens. None of those guys are going to tackle Walker on the EDGE. So we only have Elliss (not the most instinctive guy), or Woodson that can help with the edge or the DBs. Hawkins is not rangy enough and usually too deep. Asking Chaisson to catch Walker is tough. Seattle knew that so they line up to shift the DBs to one side and run Walker to the other side. It is a lack of athleticism that hopefully we can fix, and was obvious to Seattle.

That is why a bunch of posters want a fast LB in the draft like Kyle Louis to cover TEs and chase down RBs. We are missing that guy. Fast and instinctive.

I didn't rewatch the plays like you so I could be wrong. But it was a nagging issue all season like you said.

You make great points One.. But referring back the SB specifically our defense essentially shut down Seattle's offense..

As we all know and discussed the utter ineptitude of the offense is the direct reason why the defense was on the field constantly.. so the more opportunities Seattle got it's only a matter of time before walker got loose..

Even with those issues on defense they were still a top tier defense in 2025 with no elite pass rushers or littered with all pros.. the defense is the reason they won in the postseason. But to your points Vrabel and the coaching staff know they need to get better in certain areas on defense.. depth is vital for this team.

 

[Real fan 02]

Free agency sucks. Teams keep good players. Guys are available because their team decided …

2026 NFL free agency: Best team fits for the top 50 players

Which team makes the most sense for Alec Pierce? Where do Malik Willis and the QBs fit best? And where could defensive standouts excel?

www.espn.com

 

[Clonamery]

(I think I'm being treated to a display of authentic Yankee gibberish ... )

Insults will get you nowhere. In good humour remember, it is "o" before "u" except after "q" as in "quote and quorum." Yuor welcome.