Mayock tidbit on Watt

[JoeShmoe]

Timely thread in that we just got Marcus Stroud as another veteran DE/DT

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Just a correction. Neal was on the IR in 2001. Mike Compton was the starting LG and Andruzzi was starting at RG. Compton and Andruzzi were both UFAs that the Pats signed.

Light and Mankins are the highest picks that the Pats have used. Woody was picked prior to the BB administration.

Klemm was higher than Light.

 

[DaBruinz]

Klemm was higher than Light.

*chuckle* True, by 2 picks.. I had forgotten him.

 

[jays52]

Timely thread in that we just got Marcus Stroud as another veteran DE/DT

Depth move. He's a 1 down defender five snaps a game at this point.

 

[SanAngeloState]

He's quick and agile, but does he have enough heft to play 2 gaap DE? He'd almost be better as an olb.

 

[jays52]

He's quick and agile, but does he have enough heft to play 2 gaap DE? He'd almost be better as an olb.

He's everybit as good a fit as the player some are projecting to go 1st overall, and, in my opinion, is going to be better.

 

[Off The Grid]

Watt's Combine Interview. Comes off as a well spoken guy. Tenacious is how he likes to describe himself. Nice.

Indeed, sir.

And tenacious he IS:

~ Walk On at Wisconsin.

~ No Scholarship.

~ Delivered Pizzas to make his way.

BORN to be a Patriot.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Indeed, sir.

And tenacious he IS:

~ Walk On at Wisconsin.

~ No Scholarship.

~ Delivered Pizzas to make his way.

BORN to be a Patriot.

Can he anchor and hold the LOS? I don;t see it, but I have not seen as much of him on tape as I need to.

 

[Off The Grid]

Watt's Combine Interview. Comes off as a well spoken guy. Tenacious is how he likes to describe himself. Nice.

Indeed, sir.

And tenacious he IS:

~ Walk On at Wisconsin.

~ No Scholarship.

~ Delivered Pizzas to make his way.

BORN to be a Patriot.

Can he anchor and hold the LOS? I don;t see it, but I have not seen as much of him on tape as I need to.

I could not conceive a more appropriate question regarding Brother JJ "DynoMITE" Watts.

My answer: ABSOLUTELY.

He's still raw, and still filling out, being an X Tight End, and having only returned to D End for the last two years...

But his TRAJECTORY...is AWESOME.

~ He's got Instincts.

~ He's got SHOCKING Athleticism: Fluidity, Agility, and Lateral Velocity.

~ He's got FORCE.

~ He's got the Heart of a LION.

And Brother Watt has the MAGIC, Brother Jones.

He has IT.

GOD, I'd love to see us get him.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Depth move. He's a 1 down defender five snaps a game at this point.

I called Stroud a "warm body" elsewhere, you'd think I was kicking puppies.

 

[patchick]

I called Stroud a "warm body" elsewhere, you'd think I was kicking puppies.

Warm puppies?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Warm puppies?

Very tasty.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

Just a correction. Neal was on the IR in 2001. Mike Compton was the starting LG and Andruzzi was starting at RG. Compton and Andruzzi were both UFAs that the Pats signed.

Light and Mankins are the highest picks that the Pats have used. Woody was picked prior to the BB administration.

Just a correction on your correction. Stephen Neal was not on IR in 2001. He was on the Eagles practice squad until the Patriots signed him to their active roster in December. Neal was on IR most of 2002 and all of 2003.

 

[MaineMan]

I called Stroud a "warm body" elsewhere, you'd think I was kicking puppies.

I thought it was interesting that reports noted that "Stroud struggled making the adjustment to the 3-4 in Buffalo." OTOH, at LDE, he had 49 tackles including 3 sacks. G.Warren and Brace put together had 49 tackles and 3.5 sacks. So.......?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I thought it was interesting that reports noted that "Stroud struggled making the adjustment to the 3-4 in Buffalo." OTOH, at LDE, he had 49 tackles including 3 sacks. G.Warren and Brace put together had 49 tackles and 3.5 sacks. So.......?

So Kyle Williams drew the double teams.

 

[Nonentity]

I thought it was interesting that reports noted that "Stroud struggled making the adjustment to the 3-4 in Buffalo." OTOH, at LDE, he had 49 tackles including 3 sacks. G.Warren and Brace put together had 49 tackles and 3.5 sacks. So.......?

Teams ran on Buffalo a lot though, their run defense was the worst in the league in YPA.

Also, they were behind a lot in games so opponents could run more. Compare that to us - we were ahead a lot so teams had to pass more against our defense (meaning fewer runs therefore fewer tackles for our DEs).

 

[MaineMan]

Teams ran on Buffalo a lot though, their run defense was the worst in the league in YPA.

Also, they were behind a lot in games so opponents could run more. Compare that to us - we were ahead a lot so teams had to pass more against our defense (meaning fewer runs therefore fewer tackles for our DEs).

Well, that's true to some extent. Opponents ran on BUF 571 times and on the Pats 409 times and total scrimmage tackles (1044) was the same for both teams.

Interestingly though, 24% of rushing attempts on the BUF defense resulted in 1st downs - same percentage that the Pats defense gave up. Their 30-front (Stroud-LDE, Williams-NT, Johnson/Edwards-RDE) had about 23% of their total tackles (238 of 1044). FootballOutsiders shows them with a 50% success rate vs. power running (3rd-and-two or less), good for 2nd in the league, and a "stuffed" rate (runs for zero or negative yds) of 21%, good for 7th in the league. The problem with Buffalo's run defense was that nobody at the 2nd level could tackle and they gave up a lot of yards to RBs who got past the DL.

In contrast, total tackles by ALL EIGHT Pats D-linemen was 152 (15% of 1044). FootballOutsiders shows the Pats DL with a 32% success rate vs. power running (23rd in the league) and a stuff rate of 18% (21st in the league). The "success" of our 2010 run defense (in terms of YPA, but we were still only 16th in the league) was the result of our having LBs who can actually make tackles.

Bottom line, though, is that, aside from Wilfork (who had 57 of our 152 total DL tackles), our DL was a sieve.

The other takeaway point for me is that, when Buddy Nix talks about fortifying their run defense in the draft, he's probably talking about LBs rather than D-linemen.
-------
One further note about the 2010 D-line tackling (or lack thereof). In 2000-2009, D-line tackles were about 56% of runs against us, on average (never lower than 48%). In 2010, D-line tackles were 37%.

 

[Nonentity]

That's really interesting - thanks. I like Football Outsiders as a site - beats PFF by a mile.

From Buffalo's point of view, picking 3rd is a handicap as much as a benefit. If they want to improve their LB corps against the run they'll need to do it in the second round rather than the first, because you can't take a linebacker 3rd overall (and there aren't any worth taking).

Someone like Marcell Dareus probably makes the most sense as a pick for them, but I have a feeling they'll pick Cam Newton to sit for a year behind Fitzpatrick and then start in 2012. Just feels like a Chan Gailey sort of pick.


Back on JJ Watt - I just watched his Combine interview, and was impressed. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Count me in.

 

[DaBruinz]

Just a correction on your correction. Stephen Neal was not on IR in 2001. He was on the Eagles practice squad until the Patriots signed him to their active roster in December. Neal was on IR most of 2002 and all of 2003.

I stand corrected. Neal was inactive for the last 3 games of the 2001 season and for the 3 play-off games.