Patriots Player Departure Gibby to the Cards

mgteich · Mar 18, 2026

Wozzy said:
Just a terrible take…

Ellis was 2nd on the team in snaps at ILB after Spillane. Ellis was a starter, he started almost every game..

Prior to Milton Williams, Tonga, Spillane, Farmer and Landry missing time at the end of the season the Patriots had one of the best run defenses in the entire league. Just silly…

The Patriots D also held the best team in the entire NFL Seahawks without a TD for three quarters in the Super Bowl while our offense stunk up the joint and turned it over. Do you even watch these games?

Spillane was the Sam, Ellis was the Will… with everyone healthy this was a top five defense. You’re talking like this defense and LB group was bad. Come back to Earth, they had the best overall record in the NFL and played in a Super Bowl.

I 100% agree. Healthy, we were a top 5 Defense last year, perhaps even after Landry was injured and Ponder took his reps. Basically, we made some minor changes to bring in Vrabel's folks and made a needed major upgrade at safety.

DEFENSIVE LINE (minor changes, maily we need the players to reamain healthy)
Folks can complain about one of the very best DL's in the NFL. Durden already replaced Tonga. Farmer will be back. I could see us signing a backup DE. Also, we have added Taylor who Vrabel brought in last year.

EDGE/OLB (minor changes)
We will still add a low-level replacement for Jennings. Again, Vrabel will bring his who he wants.
We WILL draft an EDGE player in the top 63. This would be an upgrade since this was a need last year.

ILB (minor changes)
We did very, very well with Spillane and Ellis.
Backup/Ster Gibbens was replaced by Britt. Obviously, Vrabel could be wrong. He certainly could have kept Gibbens,
Muma was added late in 2025.
Mapu is still here and Vrabel seems to want to keep him (perhaps for ST's only).
I see us using a 4th for an ILB.

SECONDARY (one major upgrade)
one of the best in the NFL
Yes, I have wanted a better #4 CB for the last 3 years. Yes, I would like a draftee to beat out Woods and/or Dial.
Byard is the most important upgrade this year, from Hawkins to an all-pro is a major upgrade.
I do think that we will carry a backup this year in addition to Pettus. Vrabel has brought in a couple to compete with the coming draftee.

Wozzy · Mar 18, 2026

mgteich said:
I 100% agree. Healthy, we were a top 5 Defense last year, perhaps even after Landry was injured and Ponder took his reps. Basically, we made some minor changes to bring in Vrabel's folks and made a needed major upgrade at safety.

DEFENSIVE LINE (minor changes, maily we need the players to reamain healthy)
Folks can complain about one of the very best DL's in the NFL. Durden already replaced Tonga. Farmer will be back. I could see us signing a backup DE. Also, we have added Taylor who Vrabel brought in last year.

EDGE/OLB (minor changes)
We will still add a low-level replacement for Jennings. Again, Vrabel will bring his who he wants.
We WILL draft an EDGE player in the top 63. This would be an upgrade since this was a need last year.

ILB (minor changes)
We did very, very well with Spillane and Ellis.
Backup/Ster Gibbens was replaced by Britt. Obviously, Vrabel could be wrong. He certainly could have kept Gibbens,
Muma was added late in 2025.
Mapu is still here and Vrabel seems to want to keep him (perhaps for ST's only).
I see us using a 4th for an ILB.

SECONDARY (one major upgrade)
one of the best in the NFL
Yes, I have wanted a better #4 CB for the last 3 years. Yes, I would like a draftee to beat out Woods and/or Dial.
Byard is the most important upgrade this year, from Hawkins to an all-pro is a major upgrade.
I do think that we will carry a backup this year in addition to Pettus. Vrabel has brought in a couple to compete with the coming draftee.

People talking like we won 2 games…. it’s absurd.

RobertWeathers · Mar 18, 2026

DaBruinz said:
No. Elliss isn't fine. Elliss goes to the wrong hole far too often in the run game. He's a liability against the pass unless he's rushing the passer. He misses far too many tackle and you want to make him a "starter" and give him another 300+ snaps? I'm guessing you were OK with the run defense in the SB. I wasn't.

I was ok with the run D with Milton playing. Ellis was out there too.

RobertWeathers · Mar 18, 2026

Ring 6 said:
Not really. Are you counting on Elliss to start? Gibbens took away a lot of his time last year.
I get that there is time but for off the ball LB we have 1 starter one shooter starter and a special teamer. At OLB we have 1 starter and one needing surgery and really nothing else.
Thats a lot to do add after the meat of free agency is over
We chose to let the off the ball guy who was half a starter walk when we could have RFAd him, and cut the #2/#3 as of today OLB for no apparent reason.
There is a lot of reason to be concerned they are dropping the ball here.

Sorry you are concerned. I'm not. If there is still a depth issue in September then I'll be concerned

Ross12 · Mar 18, 2026

Ring 6 said:
Gibbens played a lot more meaningful snaps than Tavai.

You are correct, but not because they wanted him to. He played those snaps because someone ahead of him got hurt. Tavai played meaningful snaps because he was starting. That's what I was trying to say.

203Pat · Mar 18, 2026

UGAPatsfan said:
He filled in admirably but is fatally slow. Draft time.

Feel like you can find half a dozen Jack Gibbens' in the mid-rounds.

Ring 6 · Mar 18, 2026

RobertWeathers said:
Sorry you are concerned. I'm not. If there is still a depth issue in September then I'll be concerned

Ok closing your eyes and hoping is one way to go.
Having time and limited opportunities to address a weakness doesn’t negate that it’s a weakness that needs to be addressed and when it is unaddressed at this stage, it’s harder to overcome than if it had been addressed in the meat of free agency

RobertWeathers · Mar 18, 2026

Ring 6 said:
Ok closing your eyes and hoping is one way to go.
Having time and limited opportunities to address a weakness doesn’t negate that it’s a weakness that needs to be addressed and when it is unaddressed at this stage, it’s harder to overcome than if it had been addressed in the meat of free agency

Having anxiety over it when there is 5-6 more months to build a Week 1 roster is another way to go.

Ring 6 · Mar 18, 2026

Ross12 said:
You are correct, but not because they wanted him to. He played those snaps because someone ahead of him got hurt. Tavai played meaningful snaps because he was starting. That's what I was trying to say.

Huh?
Tavai wasn’t a starter. Sure he played the first of 7 games, while Gibbens “started” 8. But Tavai only played 228 snaps all season.
Gibbens played more than twice as many.

As far as “due to injury” Tavai played 78 of 228 snaps while Landry was out and 119 of them when Spillane was out and just 109 thr rest of the season

Gibbens played 210 when Spillane was out but 291 the rest of season.

When we were fully healthy and when we had injuries Gibbens played more than Tavai.

Ring 6 · Mar 18, 2026

RobertWeathers said:
Having anxiety over it when there is 5-6 more months to build a Week 1 roster is another way to go.

It’s not anxiety, it’s recognizing a weakness that has been neglected.

RobertWeathers · Mar 18, 2026

Ring 6 said:
It’s not anxiety, it’s recognizing a weakness that has been neglected.

The have KJ Britt as a backup......and it's March.

maust · Mar 18, 2026

RobertWeathers said:
The have KJ Britt as a backup......and it's March.

You clearly don't understand, it is a weakness that has been neglected. Neglected Sir!
Good day to you!

Ring 6 · Mar 18, 2026

RobertWeathers said:
The have KJ Britt as a backup......and it's March.

So because it’s March it’s not a weakness that they need to address?

Ross12 · Mar 18, 2026

Ring 6 said:
Huh?
Tavai wasn’t a starter. Sure he played the first of 7 games, while Gibbens “started” 8. But Tavai only played 228 snaps all season.
Gibbens played more than twice as many.

As far as “due to injury” Tavai played 78 of 228 snaps while Landry was out and 119 of them when Spillane was out and just 109 thr rest of the season

Gibbens played 210 when Spillane was out but 291 the rest of season.

When we were fully healthy and when we had injuries Gibbens played more than Tavai.

I viewed Tavai as a starting-level player next to Spillane for much of the season due to Elliss having some struggles at times.

Ring 6 · Mar 18, 2026

Ross12 said:
I viewed Tavai as a starting-level player next to Spillane for much of the season due to Elliss having some struggles at times.

Gibbens replaced Elliss not Tavai.
Tavai rarely played inside he was mostly on the edge, usually coming in for running downs.
Gibbens definitely played more than Tavai, more than double as much.

RobertWeathers · Mar 18, 2026

Ring 6 said:
So because it’s March it’s not a weakness that they need to address?

1. Is KJ Britt not an adequete replacement for Gibbons?

2. FA is still going on. Then the draft. Then more FA. Then June 1 cuts. Trades, etc. Why not let all of those opportunities play themselves out so the best player is acquired instead of giving into the "gotta have it now" mindset?

Teams rarely have week 1 rosters in March. You know this.

Ring 6 · Mar 18, 2026

RobertWeathers said:
1. Is KJ Britt not an adequete replacement for Gibbons?

2. FA is still going on. Then the draft. Then more FA. Then June 1 cuts. Trades, etc. Why not let all of those opportunities play themselves out so the best player is acquired instead of giving into the "gotta have it now" mindset?

Teams rarely have week 1 rosters in March. You know this.

1) Not really. Gibbens has much more experience success and ability as a lb.
2) Sure. I’m perplexed where you think I said “gotta have it now”?
I am concerned because I think we are both weak and thin at the position and the best opportunities to fix that have passed. I’m sure we won’t nothing another linebacker, but this is a big need that we have to address.
I’d feel better if we at least had enough guys to capable man the position in the event the hopes and deans of finding unknown guys don’t work out.

You don’t see LB as a position we need to be focused on, one that is vital, and undermanned right now, and one that good options may not come up?

I am also concerned about OL depth, but at least i feel good about the starters there.

Wozzy · Mar 18, 2026

Ring 6 said:
Gibbens replaced Elliss not Tavai.
Tavai rarely played inside he was mostly on the edge, usually coming in for running downs.
Gibbens definitely played more than Tavai, more than double as much.

Gibbens replaced Spillane when he got injured, he was weak. So they tried Tavai and he was slow. Neither was an optimal solution.

After that Gibbens and Tavai were used sparingly and the team elevated Muma to the active roster in the final three games of the regular season to get a better look at him.

Ellis started every game but two where he was dealing with illness.

h0c2000 · Mar 18, 2026

DaBruinz · Mar 18, 2026

Wozzy said:
Just a terrible take…

Ellis was 2nd on the team in snaps at ILB after Spillane. Ellis was a starter, he started almost every game..

Prior to Milton Williams, Tonga, Spillane, Farmer and Landry missing time at the end of the season the Patriots had one of the best run defenses in the entire league. Just silly…

The Patriots D also held the best team in the entire NFL Seahawks without a TD for three quarters in the Super Bowl while our offense stunk up the joint and turned it over. Do you even watch these games?

Spillane was the Sam, Ellis was the Will… with everyone healthy this was a top five defense. You’re talking like this defense and LB group was bad. Come back to Earth, they had the best overall record in the NFL and played in a Super Bowl.

*ROFLMAO* What's a terrible take is your ridiculous response. You asking if I watch the games shows how moronic your statements are. I have watched every game over the past 25 years minus 2 where I was travelling...

I didn't say jack about the defense as a whole. I specifically focused on Elliss and the fact that he should NOT be a starter. He, in particular, was bad against the run and in the passing game. The only area he excelled in was rushing the passer. Clearly, facts don't matter to you.

The fact that he had 1 fewer missed tackle than Spillane despite playing 31% fewer snaps should be alarming to ANYONE with a modicum of football IQ. Clearly, you've suffered something that has caused yours to go on hiatus. So many of your takes have been absolute garbage recently.

The Run Defense was Top 5 DESPITE Elliss. Not because of him.

Do yourself a favor. Try reading what is ACTUALLY stated..This is the 2nd time with me where you have completely butchered what was said and made yourself look like bad.

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