I already love Jacas

[Ring 6]

Terrell suggs type is what I'm hoping for to see. He was slow but had good coverage skills .

Terrell Suggs never covered anyone.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Watch this carefully. He was definitely sprinting to the outside to play the pass.

Why couldn’t Jim Nantz ever get his name right? He’d always call him Wilferk or Wilferd.

 

[Ring 6]

So you tell me future person, what makes a good outside linebacker? Pass rusher only?

The only “outside linebackers” you see now with nickel base are edge players who are really defensive ends. They rush the passer and play run defense. Coverage is something they almost never do and man coverage is never.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Terrell suggs type is what I'm hoping for to see. He was slow but had good coverage skills .

Adalius Thomas is who you might be referring to. He was an OLB who BB moved inside because of his athletic ability. He was lights out in 2007, but he allowed a big gain to Kevin Boss in SB42 when he was playing back at OLB when Colvin got hurt. The broken arm in the 2008 season was the beginning of the end. He got tired of being in coverage more than what he likes to do and rush the passer. He was also over 30 years old.

Suggs was never a guy you’d want in coverage.

 

[Huckleberry1]

McGinest did? Belichick said he ain't playing if he can't cover a back? I'm sure you can ask Vrabel what he thinks.

Vrabel's priority is shoring up their outside run defense. He wants Edge guys who can set and hold the edge. And he wants them to be able to get to the quarterback. Would we like them to be able to cover running backs, sure, but you have to have priorities, and stopping the run and getting after the QB are the priorities.

McGinest was the 4th overall pick in the draft and a rare athlete, expecting a 2nd round pick to step right in and be Willie McGinest is a set up for failure.

 

[patsinthesnow]

The pats edge rusher rotation the 2nd half of the season was effectively:

EDGE #1: former 1st round bust who received a 1 year deal in the offseason
EDGE #2: run defending EDGE who signed close to vet. min in the offseason
EDGE #3: UDFA rookie

Despite that they were still a top 5 defense thanks to DT play & the secondary. The path to the pats defense being top 3 is two of Jones, Jacas & Ponder being improvements over Chaisson last year.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

You fell for a Ben Volin column? Are you THAT gullible?

This was not Ben Volin's own take as you'd have seen if you followed the link. This was a video interview with a well known sports doc (previously a NFL team head doctor) being interviewed - the same guy that pointed out that Drake had a clearly injured shoulder before the Super Bowl. (Many denied that).
The issue here is not the meniscus tear - that's pretty much standard issue for most NFL players. The problem is the degenerative bone condition in that knee. Basically a small divot in the bone. We apparently know he has it because of the language in the contract. The doc said that he wouldn't be playing so soon if the surgery had tried to fix it (involves a bone graft), so the surgery must just have been a meniscus tidy up.

 

[jdlboot14]

I've barely seen Jacas at practice, but his warmup drills look quite lively, fast & powerful.
I think he's going to be as good as anyone we have right now - and maybe the best overall EDGE player by the end of the year.
Ponder might end up with more sacks, and Jones might be the best run defender, but Jacas could be the best combined skill set.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

his warmup drills look quite lively, fast & powerful.

The adjective most used to describe him is "violent." He's both very strong and very fast.

 

[mgteich]

I'm sure that this has been discussed, but the comments about his "violent" play reminds me of his contract terms.

If his knee issue recurs, all future guarantees are gone at that point. Of course, he would receive whatever is provided by the league contract for players on IR, but all remaining guarantees are gone.

If there is an issue, I would expect a renegotiation of the rest of the contract, presuming that surgery is necessary.

I would note that this shouldn't be a 2026 issue. He has received his bonus and should be on the roster all this year.

i believe that his 4th year is guaranteed if he is on the roster at the end of Year 3.

 

[n1997y]

What is the source of that detailed diagnostic information? Particularly the information about a “large osteochondral defect”? I’ve not seen such detailed information released and to the best of my knowledge it would not normally be released.

So I’m inclined to think it may be speculation that AI has mistaken for confirmed fact. Obviously if it’s speculation that isn’t true it invalidates the entire discussion based on that assumption.

If you want to go down the AI rabbit hole with me..

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Sure, coverage would be a nice luxury addition but pretty much bottom of anyone else’s priority list and not where he’s gonna earn his money. Pressure the quarterback, shut down the run to your side.

Correct. That is why Vrabel picks faster and lighter LBs, so they can cover more ground. The older approach was larger slower LBs, so the DEs had to help. With the faster smaller LBs, OR 3 safeties, the DEs concentrate more on rushing and setting the edge. Different times, different approach. With the correct talent, either way works. But it harder to find bigger and faster LBs (if you don't have pick #4 for McGinest), so the hybrid started to avoid DEs covering RBs and TEs.

 

[mikey m]

What is the source of that detailed diagnostic information? Particularly the information about a “large osteochondral defect”? I’ve not seen such detailed information released and to the best of my knowledge it would not normally be released.

So I’m inclined to think it may be speculation that AI has mistaken for confirmed fact. Obviously if it’s speculation that isn’t true it invalidates the entire discussion based on that assumption.

Agree. I basically asked AI what the insight (if we can call it that) was from Dr. Chao as the conversation was hidden behind a paywall. From my understanding, that “large osteochondral defect” was an educated guess from the doc based on the limited information that was released.

So, yeah I could have prefaced that whole discussion with a warning that the initial diagnosis/start of the conversation is definitely not confirmed fact. But, I still thought the AI tidbits were interesting regarding typical prognosis and strategies to prolong career IF there does turn out to be such a condition going on with the knee.

 

[Ring 6]

Correct. That is why Vrabel picks faster and lighter LBs, so they can cover more ground. The older approach was larger slower LBs, so the DEs had to help. With the faster smaller LBs, OR 3 safeties, the DEs concentrate more on rushing and setting the edge. Different times, different approach. With the correct talent, either way works. But it harder to find bigger and faster LBs (if you don't have pick #4 for McGinest), so the hybrid started to avoid DEs covering RBs and TEs.

This team never covered RBs and TEs with DEs. I’m not sure any team ever has.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

What is the source of that detailed diagnostic information? Particularly the information about a “large osteochondral defect”? I’ve not seen such detailed information released and to the best of my knowledge it would not normally be released.

In that video I linked, Volin claims that language (plus a reference to the meniscal tear) is in the language from the injury waiver.
The video is a half-hour conversation, touching on whether this could have been missed at the combine (Jacas had a hammy and didn't participate), the fact that he had the surgery with the Rams' doctor rather than here in Boston, and what the long-term impact could be (mostly unknown without more info as to specific location and size of defect).

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

This team never covered RBs and TEs with DEs. I’m not sure any team ever has.

Was McGinest a DE or OLB? Is Jacas a DE or OLB? White dropped into coverage. What was he? You are foolishly playing word games.

We all know what is intended except you. You are on the outside looking in thinking you are the one in the know. LOL.

 

[n1997y]

In that video I linked, Volin claims that language (plus a reference to the meniscal tear) is in the language from the injury waiver.
The video is a half-hour conversation, touching on whether this could have been missed at the combine (Jacas had a hammy and didn't participate), the fact that he had the surgery with the Rams' doctor rather than here in Boston, and what the long-term impact could be (mostly unknown without more info as to specific location and size of defect).

That’s useful, thanks.
Makes me think the contract situation was complicated because it was a complicated injury situation plus the Rams Doctor might not have been particularly cooperative with the Patriots staff. Might not have been just honesty and trust issues. And if the team has reason to think Gabe’s career track will be similar to Malcolm Mitchell’s career there’s good reason to be insistent about hedging long term guarantees.

 

[Salsalife]

• • Rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries
  • Totaled 161 scrimmage yards (including 26 receiving yards)
  • Became the first running back to win the award since Terrell Davis in 1998 [1, 2]

Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III ran outside heavily in Super Bowl LX, utilizing Seattle's outside zone scheme to bounce runs to the perimeter and exploit the edges of the New England defense on his way to 135 rushing yards and MVP honors. We got beat last year because of our linebacker issues in the Superbowl. I hope we can fix. Hope this guy gets on the field against Indy, wanna see em

 

[Huckleberry1]

What is the source of that detailed diagnostic information? Particularly the information about a “large osteochondral defect”? I’ve not seen such detailed information released and to the best of my knowledge it would not normally be released.

So I’m inclined to think it may be speculation that AI has mistaken for confirmed fact. Obviously if it’s speculation that isn’t true it invalidates the entire discussion based on that assumption.

Yep. Teams don't release specific medical information like that without a player's permission, so what you have is speculation.

 

[Ring 6]

Was McGinest a DE or OLB? Is Jacas a DE or OLB? White dropped into coverage. What was he? You are foolishly playing word games.

We all know what is intended except you. You are on the outside looking in thinking you are the one in the know. LOL.

I’m not playing word games I am using your words.
McGinest was a 3-4 OLB in a scheme with a base front 7. Typically 4 or 5 of the 5 DE/DT/OLB would rush. And he was a DE in nickel/dime and rush every time.
Jacas is either a 3-3 OLB or a 4-2 DE depending on what you wish to call the same alignment in a nickel base where the front 4 or 3+1 rush. There is no longer a front 7. There will be rare occasions where a play call his him drop into coverage but it is insignificant.

Keion White played 123 snaps for the patriots last year and was in coverahe for ZERO of them.
In 2024 he played 830 snaps and was in coverage for 58.
In 2023 he played 522 snaps and was in coverage for 10.

The number of 68 snaps in coverage out of 1505 where he was in man coverage could be counted on one hand and you wouldn’t need all the fingers.