Building a Defense Front 7 For The Future

[jays52]

Doesn't a lot of it depend on who is in Andre Carters position?
Really the way we are playing the 43 it isn't significantly different that playing our 34 with a bit of an alignment shift, but having one OLB designated as a full time pass rusher, is it?

Yeah, when they're in that under it has 34 concepts in place. That said Andre Carter can't play linebacker and is still aligned on the LOS rushing from the three point and has EMOS responsibilities. By definition that's an end. It's kind of like saying isn't a 34 just a 52 with ends who can play linebacker lined up at linebacker?

Would you like a guy you can zone blitz with and even just drop him? Sure, but those guys are hard to find. In my mind Carter is a pure 43 right end and is playing that position.

 

[ProudestRyno]

Jabal Sheard DE and LB Brook Reed were available at top of second instead of Dowling. Either of these would have helped more than Dowling -- who also has the reputation of being injury-prone.

Of course, BB shops his own groceries. So, he'll have to live with his mistakes.

Pretty easy to say it was a mistake drafting Dowling since he's hurt.

 

[goheels22002]

I'm not one who criticizes every Belichick draft pick that doesn't make it. But, our failure to address this in last springs draft was a major failure. two 1's, two 2's and two 3's. We end up with a t, cb, rb, qb and rb. Unbelievable. If we liked Solder so much. And, we did. We should have traded 1b and a 2nd to get Kerrigan and Solder. Or Aldon Smith and Solder. Or JJ Watt and Solder. Or, Robert Quinn and Solder. There were so many options and to sit it out was a big mistake. Oh yeah, we have those extra picks this year. Guess what. We still have the same holes to fill and this draft is not as deep at those positions.

Sorry for rant. I'm guessing we go back to the 3-4 because he's more comfortable with that. We're going to need two olb's. Cunningham ain't cutting it. And, a two gap de. Throw in a safety and that should be your first 2 rounds.

And...the Patriots are in first place in the AFC East and own tiebreakers over everybody in the conference except for the Bills and the Steelers. If the season ended today, they'd have a bye and home-field in the Divisional Round.

Success despite Haynesworth and Ellis being ineffective and Bodden needing career-ending surgery.

The other reality to acknowledge is the lockout. Decisions had to be made without the benefit of knowing the rookie draft contract details and the benefit of interviews and workouts of FAs over the summer. The Patriots made their picks, stockpiled again for 2012 and beyond, and mostly grabbed up a lot of veteran talent. Big misses and big hits in the off-season. Ocho remains an incomplete.

The premise here is that the Patriots re-built the defense on the fly, making the playoffs and posting the best record in the league last year which is also quite possible in 2011. The current front seven has youth, quality, depth and leadership. Signing Carter and Anderson will do the trick for 2012.

The defensive backfield is the critical issue and my suggestion would be to sign Revis and draft a DB with the first early pick and another OL with the other. The new CBA makes elite rookies palatable for the first time in the Belichick era with a full off-season ahead. Look for two #1s this time around to meet needs.

 

[RobertWeathers]

The premise here is that the Patriots re-built the defense on the fly, making the playoffs and posting the best record in the league last year which is also quite possible in 2011. The current front seven has youth, quality, depth and leadership. Signing Carter and Anderson will do the trick for 2012.

The defensive backfield is the critical issue and my suggestion would be to sign Revis and draft a DB with the first early pick and another OL with the other. The new CBA makes elite rookies palatable for the first time in the Belichick era with a full off-season ahead. Look for two #1s this time around to meet needs.

Good post, goheels2002. I'd argue that the OLB corps is still below average. Love Nink as a player but I think we are seeing his ceiling now. The coaching staff basically admitted that they were asking him do too much. Need two more solid talents playing on the other side of Mayo (who I want full-time in MLB.). Not sure where that leaves Spikes long-term in this defense.

The secondary is a mess IMO. McCourty has been playing below-average, we don't know what the team has in Dowling and even though he is having a nice year, Arrington is still a nickel DB.

 

[Deus Irae]

And...the Patriots are in first place in the AFC East and own tiebreakers over everybody in the conference except for the Bills and the Steelers. If the season ended today, they'd have a bye and home-field in the Divisional Round...

If the season ended today, the Texans and Steelers would be the top 2 seeds. The Patriots would host a wild card game.

 

[patsfaninpa]

I don't want to spend any more top draft picks on cb's because we do a lousy job picking them. Sign a veteran if you're having trouble identifying college cb's and projecting them. Same with safety. Sign Michael Griffin.

 

[cupofjoe1962]

DT/DL Wilfork, Love, Deaderick, Pryor, and Brace.
ILB Mayo, Spikes, Fletcher
OLB/LB Ninkovich, Cunningham
====================
Belichick has done a super job in signing a 2011 pass rush in Carter and Anderson. He will have the issue again next year since both were signed to one-year contracts. He has extended Ninkovich. Extensions to Carter and Anderson would put is in great shape going forward. We would still need an upgrade to Cunningham or an addition at at OLB.

Ron Brace?????

Lets face it.... he is a bust and I do not expect him to make the team
in 2012.

 

[mgteich]

You might ask why Brace was activated this year. Apparently, Belichick thinks he has a future with us in 2012.

Ron Brace?????

Lets face it.... he is a bust and I do not expect him to make the team
in 2012.

 

[Deus Irae]

You might ask why Brace was activated this year. Apparently, Belichick thinks he has a future with us in 2011.

Fixed.....

 

[mgteich]

I don't think that we would have activated him if Belichick thought he was a bust. It's not as if we needed a 17th front seven defensive lineman for the rotation.

I do agree that Brace is expected to contribute this year (perhaps only if there is an injuury or two). However, I also believe that activating him means that Belichick will give him a chance to make the team in 2012. After all, at least one of Ellis and Warren is likely to be gone.

Fixed.....

 

[Schmo]

I don't want to spend any more top draft picks on cb's because we do a lousy job picking them. Sign a veteran if you're having trouble identifying college cb's and projecting them. Same with safety. Sign Michael Griffin.

Yep, McCourty sucks.

In all seriousness though, I know what you're saying. We should spend all of our picks on TEs to make sure we build a good team. Wait, did I say, "in all seriousness?"

 

[supafly]

I don't think that we would have activated him if Belichick thought he was a bust. It's not as if we needed a 17th front seven defensive lineman for the rotation.

I do agree that Brace is expected to contribute this year (perhaps only if there is an injuury or two). However, I also believe that activating him means that Belichick will give him a chance to make the team in 2012. After all, at least one of Ellis and Warren is likely to be gone.

To be honest, mg--I do not see any relation whatsoever to Brace making the team next year, and the situations of Ellis and or/ Warren.

I think Belichick has pretty much proven that he does not do his personnel decision making this way.

You either make it by proving that you belong here and can contribute, or you are given your walking papers.

I think that obviously Brace will be here for TC next summer, but the odds of him making the team are slim in my opinion. He may surprise some of us by somehow playing at an exceptional level for the rest of 2011, therefore making the decision harder for Belichick to determine; but I personally doubt that he gets that many opportunities to shine as much as he'd need to in order to be on the 2012 squad.