Is Dont’a Hightower Done?

[supafly]

I did think he would improve our run d from a year ago. I was wrong to think that.

Well, I assumed the same, so you’re in good company.

I just never believed that he was quite as good as some were suggesting, that’s all. Hopefully, he turns things around.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Well, I assumed the same, so you’re in good company.

I just never believed that he was quite as good as some were suggesting, that’s all. Hopefully, he turns things around.

Hoping we figured out we can’t use him as the anchor of the 3 man front.

 

[italian pat patriot]

I hv to admit that till now Hightower and Brown have been a huge disappointment

Shelton probably too...

 

[letekro]

May be time to make him a full time DL and use Chung as an LB

 

[mosi]

BB needs to start investing high draft picks on LBs and stop wasting them on DBs, which he always misses on. He has better luck with late picks on DBs anyways. We need athletes on LBs especially where the league is heading.

We know this flaw will be the reason why we will lose a playoff game. Smart OCs will always expose this flaw.

But honestly, the Pats never get a high round draft pick because they win so darn much! DH helped the Pats win 2 Super Bowls and he sure as heck has my respect and admiration. Pats fans have been bless to have a AFCGC loss be considered a rebuild season but honestly, the team may need a 9-7 or gasp, 7-9 season to get some better draft picks.

 

[1960Pats]

Yeah, I know Belichick’s a genius and everything, but trading first round picks for one year of a wide receiver doesn’t seem to work out that well.

Was Kamara the player that the Saints got for that pick?

 

[condon84]

But honestly, the Pats never get a high round draft pick because they win so darn much! DH helped the Pats win 2 Super Bowls and he sure as heck has my respect and admiration. Pats fans have been bless to have a AFCGC loss be considered a rebuild season but honestly, the team may need a 9-7 or gasp, 7-9 season to get some better draft picks.

Stop wasting all those second round picks on DBs who always seem to get beat by undrafted guys. Use those second round picks on LBs who should always be the best players in this defense.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Was Kamara the player that the Saints got for that pick?

No think they took the tackle from Wisconsin.

 

[Bill Lee]

We know this flaw will be the reason why we will lose a playoff game. Smart OCs will always expose this flaw.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

I mean, Van Noy is basically our “athletic” LB, right? That should tell us something, right there. I don’t know that I’d go as far to suggest that it’s a total failure since they’ve been to 3/4 past SBs, but it sure as hell fails when your LBs can’t stop the run, and I think that’s what we’re seeing a bit of, lately.

You’d get no argument from me in terms of drafting a more athletic LB, that’s for sure.

I really wanted Rashaad Evans with their 1st pick, talk about adding some athleticism to the LBing group

Also wanted Calvin Ridley badly... and after watching him torch the Saints last night for 3 touchdowns, can't help but imagine him doing that here in this offense

 

[HailHydra]

Bingo. While the lack of athleticism of LBs produces some mismatches it is something that most teams have to deal with as really consistent coverage LBs are a rare commodity. I mean how often have you heard "they got White on a LB" or "Gronk on a LB" when our offense was rolling the in the last few years.

To me the main issue with this team remains the DL. They are consistently losing their battles all across the board and get manhandled. Especially the interior. Shelton looked like he might be able to stabilize it in W1 against a putrid Texans OL but since then has not really given us many positives (if any at all).

Mingo!?!?!?!!!!

 

[HailHydra]

You just reminded me of Mingo!
He was athletic. Where’s he these days?

The Barkevious Mingo trade is more proof that the Patriots are the smartest franchise in sports

I had the same thought too

 

[Coolade2]

Only way to light fire under his axz is to replace him with grigsby on half his snaps. This gives smaller faster guy chance to show his stuff too..

 

[TheRazorsEdge]

Huge Hightower fan... First and foremost the defensive tackle play in front of him has been atrocious..not an excuse but makes a bad situation look even worse. He is not the main reason why we can't stop a nose bleed. The whole defense is playing piss poor.

IMHO..as it relates to the player. I think him not playing for a year is the root cause of what we see. Hes winded, slow and hesistant. I am going to hold out hope that his timing and stamina improves... Hope. No guarantee.

If he cant get it together its a massive blow to our D. I love Bentleys potential. Hes not ready to be the guy yet.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Only way to light fire under his axz is to replace him with grigsby on half his snaps. This gives smaller faster guy chance to show his stuff too..

The team already has problems with the run. Elenanor Grigsby doesn't help the cause

 

[Jackson 2]

The team already has problems with the run. Elenanor Grigsby doesn't help the cause

Rocky Racoon might help more...

 

[TheRazorsEdge]

Few years back Hightower was awful in a game vs Denver and was benched. He responded.

I could be way off..perhaps his physical style of play and injuries have caught up to him. We should find out in the next 2 games.

 

[Joey007]

May be time to make him a full time DL and use Chung as an LB

Didn’t we do this with McGinest back in 2001?

 

[AlexB]

...plus a 6th-rounder, but at the cost of Two 3rd-round picks...so we still got the shorter end of the draw.

Traded a 1st, 3rd, and 4th for 1st, 4th, and 6th. Moving up in the first from 32 to 23 far outweighs moving down a bit in the mid rounds (the 3rd to 4th was a 15 spot drop). If you traded down from 23 to 32, you'd get a mid 3rd round pick outright. Plus, we also got 1 year of Cooks for cheap.

BB has had a lot of draft misses recently, but the Cooks trades were fantastic value.

 

[PittPatriot]

Huge Hightower fan... First and foremost the defensive tackle play in front of him has been atrocious..not an excuse but makes a bad situation look even worse. He is not the main reason why we can't stop a nose bleed. The whole defense is playing piss poor.

IMHO..as it relates to the player. I think him not playing for a year is the root cause of what we see. Hes winded, slow and hesistant. I am going to hold out hope that his timing and stamina improves... Hope. No guarantee.

If he cant get it together its a massive blow to our D. I love Bentleys potential. Hes not ready to be the guy yet.

If that’s the case, Edelman may show flashes of “slow white guy.”