And Our Fourth Safety Is?

[signbabybrady]

For now Spann seems to be the answer. But like others I think Lynch gets a call. Pats were interested before he signed with Denver, so they like his style. It's just a matter of whether or not they think he can still play.

Outside shot of Law, but even then, I don't know that he's filling Tank's role.

The bigger question is that Tank's hybrid role was a new wrinkle that was more a luxury than anything else. So does the staff just do away with role and opt for more traditional formations?

A lot of that would depend on whether he was learning the role to back up Harrison at it who did it last year or was he going to take it over to free up Harrison for a more traditional safety role?

To replace Tank you have a few options and depending on how you answer the above would dictate how you fill the spot.

Option one you replace some what at safety and you use Harrison in that role.

option 2 you find some one to replace that role whether it is a lynch type who could play at the line or if it is a really good LB who can pass cover a la Phifer or Don Davis (not they are returning to do it)

 

[Ring 6]

Some people's opinion of JAG differ on here so I wouldn't get too much into that.

Just an Average Guy to some people = average starter to others like me it = just an average guy on a roster usually not a starter or even some one who has a significant role but some one who doesn't suck but just has a small role maybe a small STs role or something.

Example form last years roster IMO would be my Eckel. He was goos at his role on STs but didn't do much else. TO say he sucked would be inaccurate because he was good at his role but to overstate his role as anything more than Making him an average guy on the team would be over stating so JAG seems to fit. Where as a few years ago Starks (worse than JAG status) just sucked and I have heard some people refer to James Sanders as a JAG and I think that is wrong too any started IMO is above the Just an Average Guy level.

On THIS team JAGs arent starters. On other teams JAGs have to start.

 

[DW Toys]

On THIS team JAGs arent starters. On other teams JAGs have to start.

Correct sir. James Sanders is a back up.

P.S. Has anyone though of Chad Scott in the hybrid role? He knows the system and the F.O. likes him other than his injury record. He goes like 220lbs.
DW Toys

 

[Ring 6]

A lot of that would depend on whether he was learning the role to back up Harrison at it who did it last year or was he going to take it over to free up Harrison for a more traditional safety role?

To replace Tank you have a few options and depending on how you answer the above would dictate how you fill the spot.

Option one you replace some what at safety and you use Harrison in that role.

option 2 you find some one to replace that role whether it is a lynch type who could play at the line or if it is a really good LB who can pass cover a la Phifer or Don Davis (not they are returning to do it)

Harrison did not play that role last year, and no ever has under BB. Parts of it but not all of it.
Tank was lining up at ILB IN THE BASE 34 as well as nickel.
Harrison played a "LB-like" spot in the sub packages last year and will continue to, but Tank was playing a new role created specifically for him. We just wont do that now, rather than jam someone into that spot that isn't equipped to do it well.
I prefer Harrison in the LB-like position in sub packages, and particularly 2minute D, because those were are biggest flaw the last 2 years, and Harrision was a liability within it.

I don't see any need for more than 3 safeties unless there is an injury. And I am fine with the safeties we have.
We may have more than 3 active on game days, but that would only be because the others are there for s/ts.

 

[Ring 6]

Correct sir. James Sanders is a back up.

P.S. Has anyone though of Chad Scott in the hybrid role? He knows the system and the F.O. likes him other than his injury record. He goes like 220lbs.
DW Toys

What team was I watching when he started so many games last year?

 

[patchick]

Tank was lining up at ILB IN THE BASE 34 as well as nickel.

Did anybody else, upon hearing the bad news about Tank, find themselves thinking that Alexander is the likely beneficiary?

 

[Jimke]

Correct sir. James Sanders is a back up.

P.S. Has anyone though of Chad Scott in the hybrid role? He knows the system and the F.O. likes him other than his injury record. He goes like 220lbs.
DW Toys

On the 2007 Patriot's roster, Chad Scott is listed at 205 lbs.

 

[pats1]

Did anybody else, upon hearing the bad news about Tank, find themselves thinking that Alexander is the likely beneficiary?

Yes, because Alexander played alongside Mayo in the nickel once Tank went down.

 

[pats1]

Correct sir. James Sanders is a back up.

P.S. Has anyone though of Chad Scott in the hybrid role? He knows the system and the F.O. likes him other than his injury record. He goes like 220lbs.
DW Toys

Right - a backup that has started 22 games in 3 seasons.

 

[ALP]

what makes you guys think that now BB wants to place a DB as the hybrid SS/LB role?

last year and before we had more db's then we had lb's on the active roster, and our lb's were more important then our db's were, hence a DB was put int he hybrid SS/lb role

now however, as weve seen, we have a good number of LB on the roster at the moment, and we have like 4 or 5 new and young guys, whom we would like to keep and develop, and let them learn the system, see how they fare

i would imagine nwo with tank out, BB will choose a LB to take up tank's role as the hybrid, and thereby creating yet another spot for one of our new LB

 

[tombonneau]

what makes you guys think that now BB wants to place a DB as the hybrid SS/LB role?

last year and before we had more db's then we had lb's on the active roster, and our lb's were more important then our db's were, hence a DB was put int he hybrid SS/lb role

now however, as weve seen, we have a good number of LB on the roster at the moment, and we have like 4 or 5 new and young guys, whom we would like to keep and develop, and let them learn the system, see how they fare

i would imagine nwo with tank out, BB will choose a LB to take up tank's role as the hybrid, and thereby creating yet another spot for one of our new LB

This sounds sound to me. I think we aren't see the forest through the trees. Tank had a unique skill set that allowed BB to design a specific role for him. I think that will be scrapped and the Pats could just end up carrying another LB, which should be fine since the fresh faces look pretty good thus far.

 

[JMarr]

Correct sir. James Sanders is a back up.

P.S. Has anyone though of Chad Scott in the hybrid role? He knows the system and the F.O. likes him other than his injury record. He goes like 220lbs.
DW Toys

Who would you say is better at this point, Sanders or Merriweather?

James Sanders might not be a pro bowler but he's a solid FS and he has playoff experience galore, which is invaluable given the the number of veteran DBs we have lost.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Although he seems to be a forgotten option, Ty Law might actually be better suited at S these days than at CB.

 

[signbabybrady]

Harrison did not play that role last year, and no ever has under BB. Parts of it but not all of it.
Tank was lining up at ILB IN THE BASE 34 as well as nickel.
Harrison played a "LB-like" spot in the sub packages last year and will continue to, but Tank was playing a new role created specifically for him. We just wont do that now, rather than jam someone into that spot that isn't equipped to do it well.
I prefer Harrison in the LB-like position in sub packages, and particularly 2minute D, because those were are biggest flaw the last 2 years, and Harrision was a liability within it.

I don't see any need for more than 3 safeties unless there is an injury. And I am fine with the safeties we have.
We may have more than 3 active on game days, but that would only be because the others are there for s/ts.

You don't know what the role was gonig to look like when the season started. Just because he was exclusively working out at LB doesn't mean he was going to be there every down , just that regardless of the down he has to be ready for anything.

I assumed that Tanks role was going to be similar to what Rodney was doing last year not in some exotic new role created specifically for him (but if that is what you thought please elaborate as we all enjoy your football breakdowns). And I don't think some training camp practices meant that Tank was all the sudden being turned into a 3 down LBer. To guess what the role was going to be and say that it was going to be more than Rodney last year is just speculation.

 

[All_Around_Brown]

James Sanders is not a Pro Bowler or anything, but he's hardly a JAG. That's silly.

I agree. A JAG? The guy has done everything asked of him in a difficult defense and more. So far so good I'd say- clearly the second best S we have got.

 

[Urgent]

Spann should make it.
Ventrone has been around, and his chances increase with the Tank Williams injury.

Also in the equation is Guyton, who could potentially play the Roman Phifer coverage ILB role based on his speed and apparent tackling ability. He would definitely take some time to learn that system well, but could be an interesting developmental prospect, and a guy that could also take on the run at ILB with his size.

 

[DW Toys]

Who would you say is better at this point, Sanders or Merriweather?

James Sanders might not be a pro bowler but he's a solid FS and he has playoff experience galore, which is invaluable given the the number of veteran DBs we have lost.

Sorry. Sanders is a JAG. He is slow, small, can't tackle and can't cover. I would have to say....... Merriweather.

Do we need to name the plays in the play-offs and Super Bowl that Sanders did not make? That can't be called experience. Solid FS? I beg to differ. He rots! But that's just one mans opinion.
DW Toys

 

[italia44]

Although he seems to be a forgotten option, Ty Law might actually be better suited at S these days than at CB.

Except for 2 things:

1.Ty Law doesn't want to play safety.He still considers himself a #1 cb

2.CB's are among the highest paid players on the team....safeties are not.
you don't shell out major bucks to a Ty Law and then play him at safety.

 

[DW Toys]

What team was I watching when he started so many games last year?

And was horrible. Please review the biggest pass plays against the Pats in the beginning of the year. Right over the middle. In all of 2007 he only had 5 passes defended.

Who else did they have? Harrison was hurt. Come on guy. This kid is not quality. He's slow, small and has "o" skills. I'd love to eat those words but I will never have to.
DW Toys

 

[DW Toys]

Right - a backup that has started 22 games in 3 seasons.

That does not make his a stud. He's awful. Merriweather beats him out this year.
DW Toys