BB on Artrell Hawkins

[JR4]

Don't know if anyone has posted this but I found these comments by Bill
on Artrell very encouraging. If he stays healthy and Hobbs keeps improving
this Defense is going to be awesome in the playoffs. I just feel it.

"I think the big thing that Artrell has given us is he’s really given us more team speed on the field and he’s done a good job of tackling. I thought that the play he made on short yardage there was a really good play in the Tampa game on third-and-one. Again, Artrell is really a corner playing safety. He doesn’t have a lot of background at safety in his NFL career, a little bit in college. So you really have a corner playing safety. For a guy to make a play like that in short yardage, you don't see that a lot. I thought he did a good job there and he's made some good open field tackles where it looks like the guy has some space out there in the open field and he's able to close in and pretty much get him down pretty quickly after he caught the ball. We've had a lot of plays this year where that wasn't the case, where it looks like it's going to be a five yard gain and it ends up being 25, tackling and poor angles and poor leverage on the ball and things like that that showed up as a major issue.

But, he’s fast and he has good range for the safety position and he's done a good job as a contact player both in hitting and tackling and forcing the run when he's been asked to do that"

 

[emoney_33]

He's definitely been one of the reasons the coaches have gained confidence and thus released the hounds the past few weeks. Stone has done a serviceable job as well when he was in there except for a couple botched plays that turned into big yardage. I really have liked Hawkins play at SS and it just gives me that much more confidence in this team heading into the playoffs

 

[PatsSteve1]

IMO, Hawkins may be the key to better play from the collective DB's. He plays on Samuel's side of the field and if his play behind Assante can give AS more confidence to play his man tighter on shorter routes, knwing Hawkins will be there to back him up deep, it could make or pass D a lot better. Frankly, at the start of the year, who thought that Hobbs and Hawkins would be leading the Pats DB's into the playoffs. Hawkins wasn't even with the team and is about the 6th guy who's played that safety spot and Hobbs was the 4th or 5th DB. I'm amazed at how Hobbs always seems to be on his man like velcro. It's a 'stark' difference from one of the others guys we've had at CB -

 

[T-ShirtDynasty]

IMO, Hawkins may be the key to better play from the collective DB's. He plays on Samuel's side of the field and if his play behind Assante can give AS more confidence to play his man tighter on shorter routes, knwing Hawkins will be there to back him up deep, it could make or pass D a lot better. Frankly, at the start of the year, who thought that Hobbs and Hawkins would be leading the Pats DB's into the playoffs. Hawkins wasn't even with the team and is about the 6th guy who's played that safety spot and Hobbs was the 4th or 5th DB. I'm amazed at how Hobbs always seems to be on his man like velcro. It's a 'stark' difference from one of the others guys we've had at CB -

I agree. How old's this guy? How much longer can we use him, I mean does he stick for next year?

Eh.. looked it up myself.
Full Name: Atrell "The Hawk" Hawkins
Born: November 24, 1976 Johnstown, PA
Height: 5-10
Weight: 190 lbs.
Age: 29 Pos: CB (heeheehe)
Experience: 8 years
College: Cincinnati