Grading the Patriots Addition of Jabaal Sheard

[PatsFans.com Article]

Grading the Patriots Addition of Jabaal Sheard

Derek Havens

The New England Patriots signed defensive end Jabaal Sheard to a two-year contract Wednesday night.

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[patfanken]

On paper this seems like a good signing personnel-wise. He hits all the buttons in what you'd look for in a rotational DE/OLB. My only problem is the $. Of course without knowing the details of the contract its hard to conclude how rich the deal really was. But on the surface $5.5/yr for a rotational player who is coming off a bad year seems high

BTW- you have to love Adam's tweet. But I'd like it a lot better if I knew the "NFL executive" was Bill Bellichick

 

[Rob0729]

On paper this seems like a good signing personnel-wise. He hits all the buttons in what you'd look for in a rotational DE/OLB. My only problem is the $. Of course without knowing the details of the contract its hard to conclude how rich the deal really was. But on the surface $5.5/yr for a rotational player who is coming off a bad year seems high

BTW- you have to love Adam's tweet. But I'd like it a lot better if I knew the "NFL executive" was Bill Bellichick

It wasn't Belichick. It was Nick Caserio. So it was a completely unbiased analysis. So bank on it.

 

[signbabybrady]

 

[patsfaninpa]

I'd like to get an 8 man rotation going on the DL. You can't pay one superstar like Suh and you have to draft well. We usually hit our picks on both lines. If you look at big games, when good defenses are facing elite qb's. Or, just good ones. The defenses almost always falter late in these games. I could be wrong only partially correct. My belief is that it's because defensive lines wear down and don't have the same pass rush late in these games.

I want 4 DT's and 4 De's. With a developmental player at each position who will be inactive on Gameday. Or, can be active on Gameday if there is an injury.

Sign Pot Roast. Draft a DT fairly early and a de around the 4th round.

DT - Knighton, Siliga, Easley, Draft Choice and Chris Jones. Draft choice is Marcus Hardison in second. Ask Manxman about him.

DE - Chandler Jones, Ninkovich and Sheard. A draft pick around early 4 like Anthony Chickillo from Miami. 5th guy would be Zach Moore or Michael Buchanan. Maybe Moore or Buchanan beat out Chickillo.

 

[mayoclinic]

It wasn't Belichick. It was Nick Caserio. So it was a completely unbiased analysis. So bank on it.

I would have guessed Mike Lombardi.

 

[mayoclinic]

I'd like to get an 8 man rotation going on the DL. You can't pay one superstar like Suh and you have to draft well. We usually hit our picks on both lines. If you look at big games, when good defenses are facing elite qb's. Or, just good ones. The defenses almost always falter late in these games. I could be wrong only partially correct. My belief is that it's because defensive lines wear down and don't have the same pass rush late in these games.

I want 4 DT's and 4 De's. With a developmental player at each position who will be inactive on Gameday. Or, can be active on Gameday if there is an injury.

Sign Pot Roast. Draft a DT fairly early and a de around the 4th round.

DT - Knighton, Siliga, Easley, Draft Choice and Chris Jones. Draft choice is Marcus Hardison in second. Ask Manxman about him.

DE - Chandler Jones, Ninkovich and Sheard. A draft pick around early 4 like Anthony Chickillo from Miami. 5th guy would be Zach Moore or Michael Buchanan. Maybe Moore or Buchanan beat out Chickillo.

I'd go for a 9 man rotation, including Akeem Ayers as a DE/LB. I'd sign Nick Fairley and Kenrick Ellis, and emphasize a rotation of aggressive, disuptive guys who can play in a 4-2-5 / 2-4-5 hybrid sub defense:

Big DTs - Siliga and Ellis
Attacking DT/DEs - Fairley, Dominique Easley and Marcus Hardison (draft)
DE - Jones, Ninkovich, Sheard, Ayers (also LB) plus one of Buchanan/Moore (inactive)

 

[patsfaninpa]

I'd go for a 9 man rotation, including Akeem Ayers as a DE/LB. I'd sign Nick Fairley and Kenrick Ellis, and emphasize a rotation of aggressive, disuptive guys who can play in a 4-2-5 / 2-4-5 hybrid sub defense:

Big DTs - Siliga and Ellis
Attacking DT/DEs - Fairley, Dominique Easley and Marcus Hardison (draft)
DE - Jones, Ninkovich, Sheard, Ayers (also LB) plus one of Buchanan/Moore (inactive)

Wouldn't mind keeping Ayers. I can see us moving Jamie Collins around more next year if Hightower and Mayo are healthy. He might even become our best pass rusher.

 

[unoriginal]

Jabaal Sheard's contract is structured 4/7 because the Pats are trying him out this year and hoping he unseats Ninkovich next year.

Nink for 2015/16: $3.9 cap/$4.8 cap
Sheard 2015/2016: $4.0/$7.0

Both become free agents after 2016. Sheard costs $2 million dead money to cut in 2016, Nink $1.25.

Sheard also gives the Pats flexibility in case they don't want Chandler Jones' option year for some reason. See: Marcus Cannon.

 

[Concussion Protocol]

I'd go for a 9 man rotation, including Akeem Ayers as a DE/LB. I'd sign Nick Fairley and Kenrick Ellis, and emphasize a rotation of aggressive, disuptive guys who can play in a 4-2-5 / 2-4-5 hybrid sub defense:

Big DTs - Siliga and Ellis
Attacking DT/DEs - Fairley, Dominique Easley and Marcus Hardison (draft)
DE - Jones, Ninkovich, Sheard, Ayers (also LB) plus one of Buchanan/Moore (inactive)

No Chris Jones?

 

[yopats]

Jabaal Sheard's contract is structured 4/7 because the Pats are trying him out this year and hoping he unseats Ninkovich next year.

Nink for 2015/16: $3.9 cap/$4.8 cap
Sheard 2015/2016: $4.0/$7.0

Both become free agents after 2016. Sheard costs $2 million dead money to cut in 2016, Nink $1.25.

Sheard also gives the Pats flexibility in case they don't want Chandler Jones' option year for some reason. See: Marcus Cannon.

Really good points.. and he is young too!

 

[mayoclinic]

No Chris Jones?

It depends on the roster breakdown. If Fairley and Hardison were added, I would see limited opportunities for Jones, and would probably look to move him.

 

[mayoclinic]

Jabaal Sheard's contract is structured 4/7 because the Pats are trying him out this year and hoping he unseats Ninkovich next year.

Nink for 2015/16: $3.9 cap/$4.8 cap
Sheard 2015/2016: $4.0/$7.0

Both become free agents after 2016. Sheard costs $2 million dead money to cut in 2016, Nink $1.25.

Sheard also gives the Pats flexibility in case they don't want Chandler Jones' option year for some reason. See: Marcus Cannon.

I think Sheard gives them lots of flexibility, as you note:

1. As part of a 3-man Jones-Nink-Sheard rotation for 2015, and added depth in case of injury.
2. As a potential long-term successor to Ninkovich opposite Jones.
3. As an alternative to Jones in case the Pats can't afford to keep all of Jones-Hightower-Collins.
4. As an LB in case of injury to Hightower or Collins.

And the Pats love flexibility.

 

[Concussion Protocol]

It depends on the roster breakdown. If Fairley and Hardison were added, I would see limited opportunities for Jones, and would probably look to move him.

Makes sense. I think any defensive line where a Chris Jones is a roster lock needs to be upgraded

 

[Oswlek]

Incomplete.

 

[supafly]

I'd go for a 9 man rotation, including Akeem Ayers as a DE/LB. I'd sign Nick Fairley and Kenrick Ellis, and emphasize a rotation of aggressive, disuptive guys who can play in a 4-2-5 / 2-4-5 hybrid sub defense:

Big DTs - Siliga and Ellis
Attacking DT/DEs - Fairley, Dominique Easley and Marcus Hardison (draft)
DE - Jones, Ninkovich, Sheard, Ayers (also LB) plus one of Buchanan/Moore (inactive)

It was you who stated that Ayers would command 4m per year AAV on the open market. I believe your projection was 4/16.

I'd have a difficult time seeing how we could afford Sheard, Fairley, AND Ayers in that scenario. That's not even bringing up smaller paid guys like Branch or Ellis (in your scenario).

Great scenario, but I don't think it's too realistic. I don't know where Ayers would fit anyway, since he didn't hardly see any snaps at all in the postseason.

 

[Jimke]

Sheard was a good signing who will contribute. I hope that he is not the only one who can
contribute more than special teams.