Logjam at defensive tackle and free agency, and the draft have not even begun…

[Brady6]

Most have defensive tackle has a top need for this team, but in terms of bodies, we have a lot on this roster already –

- Vince Wilfork
- Tommy Kelly
- Sealver Siliga
- Chris Jones
- Armond Armstead
- Isaac Sopoaga
- Joe Vellano
- Marcus Fortson
- Corey Grissom

Who stays and who goes? I cannot see them letting Wilfork, Siliga, Jones, and Armstead go. In addition to them if Kelly is healthy, I would be surprised if he was let go.

Chris Jones in particular is a player that is being overlooked; the young man played 15 games for us, during which he had – 61 tackles, 7.0 sacks, 3 run stuffs. I know many feel he struggled against the run but that is technique in many cases and he should improve in that area with the benefit of a full offseason with the team (and in the NFL), he joined this team after week one off waivers so he learned as he went. I am surprised how quick many have been to conclude that an upgrade is need over him. He reminds me a lot of Jurrell Casey of the Titans who is one of the better 3Tech defensive tackles in the NFL. Most of Jones struggles against the run occurred when he was playing 1Tech and 0Tech with Vellano on the field, when Siliga took over at the 1Tech and Jones was able to play 3Tech he did not have the same deficiencies.

I would like to see us draft a defensive tackle, but I am not sure we need to sign one too, we generally carry five sometimes six.

 

[chasa]

Siligia Vellano and Jones all stay, that's pretty much certain.
3 really young guys, Tiny contracts, all who put in Big Boy time when the Starters went down.

If we had not lost Mayo, I think our defense would have continued to play at a high level, similar to when we had all the pieces in play.

I think Wilfork Extends or gets cut(despite how much i want him to stay)

Kelly is cut Sopoago cut

The rest could go either way and nobody would really notice.

 

[primetime]

Less like a logjam and more like a heap of crap gumming up the works. The ones that aren't geriatric and coming off nasty injuries are either unknowns or barely NFL-caliber. Only Siliga and Jones looked like they had the potential to be anything better. It's an area where just about anything would be an upgrade.

 

[kennyb]

Kelly is cheap next year. If healed, he should be kept.

It's Wilfork who is the 400 pound elephant in the room.

 

[strngplyr]

Siligia Vellano and Jones all stay, that's pretty much certain.
3 really young guys, Tiny contracts, all who put in Big Boy time when the Starters went down.

If we had not lost Mayo, I think our defense would have continued to play at a high level, similar to when we had all the pieces in play.

I think Wilfork Extends or gets cut(despite how much i want him to stay)

Kelly is cut Sopoago cut

The rest could go either way and nobody would really notice.

Theres no way in hell we go into next season with 4 sophomores as the DT rotation when not a single one of them has proven capable of being a full time starter.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Red Bryant
Tommy Kelly
Chris Jones
Sealver Siliga
Armond Armstead (maybe)

Wilfork/Vellano/Sopoaga cut

While I want Donald, this rotation is still very strong and saves us from using a top 100 selection on a DT.

 

[skspikex2]

No logjam when Pats got 2 good, but coming off a severe injury, 1-2 solid backups, 1 unknown, 1 will be cut, rest are PS.

 

[JackBauer]

Red Bryant
Tommy Kelly
Chris Jones
Sealver Siliga
Armond Armstead (maybe)

Wilfork/Vellano/Sopoaga cut

While I want Donald, this rotation is still very strong and saves us from using a top 100 selection on a DT.

Has Bryant shown an ability to play DT at a high level?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I think Siliga and Jones are keepers, at least in backup roles.

As far as Vellano goes, he was seeing significant snaps alongside Wilfork and Kelly in the first few weeks, so he'll at least get the chance to go through the OTAs and prove he belongs.

Really, the only "let's not do this again" I took away from this season is that Jones + Vellano is probably not an ideal combination.

 

[manxman2601]

Has Bryant shown an ability to play DT at a high level?

If they sign Bryant, and if you take into account the discussion in another thread about whether Chandler Jones can play 3-4 OLB, I think you are looking at a Seahawks 4-3 Under. Bryant plays LDE, Chandler Jones plays the Leo at RDE, Wilfork (?) and Siliga play NT and Tommy Kelly and Armstead at the 3-tech.

 

[Nunchucks]

The more the merrier, we have an entire training camp to let them compete.

 

[BobDigital]

I agree with a lot of what has been said.

The guys I keep no matter what are Jones and Sigila. One has shown to be a quality backup pass rusher and another a quality backup run stopper. Both are on the cheap and should stay.

Gone for sure are Sopoaga/Grissom/Forston. MAYBE one stays on the PS but that is not even worth mentioning at this point.

I would say it is time to cut Wilfork as I think he would cost to much, might not come back that good & we need to go in a different direction anyway.

Tommy Kelly, Armond Armstead, Joe Vellano all have a chance to come back. If Kelly is healthy he is back for his fairly low price. Then it is how many FA signings & draft picks we have which will bump Vellano and Armstead out of our rotation.

Ideally our DT core looks something like this on opening day or better

Tommy Kelly (healthy)
Jason Hatcher (FA)
Kelcy Quarles (Draft)
Chris Jones
Sealver Siliga

With Armstead or Vellano or both on the PS.

 

[BobDigital]

The more the merrier, we have an entire training camp to let them compete.

Well not that I don't like the idea of letting players compete for backup roles but generally if you have guys competing for a starting job that is not a good sign.

I would like to have a very good idea who our starters are before training camp.

 

[RayClay]

Logs is a good description of many of those.

 

[patsfan13]

So we have a couple of groupings from my POV. First the 3 question marks. If healthy all can start and be impact players. I see VW being restructured depending on his physical condition. Armistead will be the other starter again depending on health. If those 2 are healthy I don't think Kelley makes the team

Vince Wilfork
Tommy Kelly
Armond Armstead

Siliga and Jones are good young rotation guys and barring injury will be on the team.

Sealver Siliga
Chris Jones



Isaac Sopoaga- cut not good enough to make the team and will free up cap space don't expect to see him make it to training camp unless VW, Armstead & Kelley are still injured.


The other guys are cam pfodder/PS players unless there are lots of injuries.
Joe Vellano
Marcus Fortson
Corey Grissom


I think we have 4 DTs on the 53 roster, and 4 DEe, DE is a much bigger need given the snaps that Chandler JOnes and Ninko played last season. Hope Buchanan steps up and we sign/draft andother player to add to the rotation. I see a lot of 4-3 this year.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Has Bryant shown an ability to play DT at a high level?

I thought he switched to DE recently. Wiki says he switched after 2010, so he may not be able to play DT very well. I stand corrected.

 

[strngplyr]

So we have a couple of groupings from my POV. First the 3 question marks. If healthy all can start and be impact players. I see VW being restructured depending on his physical condition. Armistead will be the other starter again depending on health. If those 2 are healthy I don't think Kelley makes the team

Vince Wilfork
Tommy Kelly
Armond Armstead

Siliga and Jones are good young rotation guys and barring injury will be on the team.

Sealver Siliga
Chris Jones



Isaac Sopoaga- cut not good enough to make the team and will free up cap space don't expect to see him make it to training camp unless VW, Armstead & Kelley are still injured.


The other guys are cam pfodder/PS players unless there are lots of injuries.
Joe Vellano
Marcus Fortson
Corey Grissom


I think we have 4 DTs on the 53 roster, and 4 DEe, DE is a much bigger need given the snaps that Chandler JOnes and Ninko played last season. Hope Buchanan steps up and we sign/draft andother player to add to the rotation. I see a lot of 4-3 this year.

Why does everyone have a sophomore who has never played an NFL snap and more health concerns than Gronkowski's forearm beating out last seasons best defensive linemen pre-injury?

 

[Brady6]

I thought he switched to DE recently. Wiki says he switched after 2010, so he may not be able to play DT very well. I stand corrected.

Red Bryant is a poor man Ngata, he moves around a lot, inside and outside. He spends a significant percent of his snaps at an inside position playing 5Tech and 3Tech. He is not a fit for the 1Tech or at least not in my opinion; he is not that strong and has trouble with his balance.

 

[patsfan-1982]

jones is a guy I can see having 10 sacks if one of Kelly or wilfork is lined up next to him eating up two guys, Siliga and Vellano are good dept and Armstead I don't think will ever play a down in the NFL all others should be cut

 

[mgteich]

I don't see the logjam.

We have a top five (your first five), of which three are coming off injuries. This five includes a player who has never played even one down in the NFL.

The other four includes three Practice Squad quality players and a has been.

If ALL three of the injured don't come back healthy, we will NEED an addition (who could be a PS type player). We still might draft a player late, with the expectation that might make the 53 if there is an injury.

I suspect that Belichick sees a need rather than a logjam at DT.

Most have defensive tackle has a top need for this team, but in terms of bodies, we have a lot on this roster already –

- Vince Wilfork
- Tommy Kelly
- Sealver Silage
- Chris Jones
- Armond Armstead
- Isaac Sopoaga
- Joe Vellano
- Marcus Fortson
- Corey Grissom

Who stays and who goes? I cannot see them letting Wilfork, Siliga, Jones, and Armstead go. In addition to them if Kelly is healthy, I would be surprised if he was let go.

Chris Jones in particular is a player that is being overlooked; the young man played 15 games for us, during which he had – 61 tackles, 7.0 sacks, 3 run stuffs. I know many feel he struggled against the run but that is technique in many cases and he should improve in that area with the benefit of a full offseason with the team (and in the NFL), he joined this team after week one off waivers so he learned as he went. I am surprised how quick many have been to conclude that an upgrade is need over him. He reminds me a lot of Jurrell Casey of the Titans who is one of the better 3Tech defensive tackles in the NFL. Most of Jones struggles against the run occurred when he was playing 1Tech and 0Tech with Vellano on the field, when Siliga took over at the 1Tech and Jones was able to play 3Tech he did not have the same deficiencies.

I would like to see us draft a defensive tackle, but I am not sure we need to sign one too, we generally carry five sometimes six.