My Blueprint for the Defense

[sircole]

I've been telling people for weeks to watch video on him. The dude seems like the prototypical Patriot. Works hard on his craft, is an excellent locker room guy, and is athletic as well. I would love to watch him in a Pats uniform.

I'm just now starting to read about Tripp, but I feel the same way as you.

 

[mayoclinic]

One guy who I'm warming to as a possible UFA rotational DL is Green Bay's Mike Neal. Neal played tackle at Purdue and was a tackle/end hybrid and interior sub rusher, much like Lamarr Houston (Neal was picked #56 overall in the 2010 draft, 12 picks after Houston). Green Bay had him lose a little weight and tried him at 3-4 OLB this season (at 285#), and with injuries to Clay Matthews and Nick Perry he ended up playing more snaps at OLBt than anyone on their roster.

Neal is only 26. He had good explosiveness and athleticism coming out of Purdue (33" VJ + 9'5" BJ + 31 BP = 73), and his versatility would make him a nice fit. I'd love to get Houston, but Neal would be a very reasonable 2nd option as a big rotational DE who can move inside at times and play multiple positions.

 

[mayoclinic]

From Doug Kyed's mailbag today:

The biggest need to fill in free agency is at defensive end. The Patriots need a player who can rotate with Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich who can play right away.

Aqib Talib Makes Far More Sense For Patriots Than Darrelle Revis (Mailbag) | New England Patriots | NESN.com

Word. The "play right away" part is key.

Lamarr Houston, Michael Johnson, Michael Bennett, Corey Wootton, Mike Neal, Everson Griffin, Jared Allen, Will Smith ... long list of possibilities.

 

[BobDigital]

Hageman is beginning to remind me a lot of a young Haynesworth with regard to his attitude. I think he's overrated. I would take Easley over him any day.

I was HUGE on Easley up to a week ago until a report surfaced during an interview where he said he never watched 1 single NFL game (including superbowls) completely. It makes you wonder how much he loves the game and how dedicated he will be in the film room.

 

[mayoclinic]

I was HUGE on Easley up to a week ago until a report surfaced during an interview where he said he never watched 1 single NFL game (including superbowls) completely. It makes you wonder how much he loves the game and how dedicated he will be in the film room.

I don't put much store in that, personally.

I'm leaning more and more towards Easley. In fact, my 1st pick for the Pats pretty much comes down to Donald and Easley: yrade up for Donald if possible, otherwise trade back a bit and get Easley. Either way, I want an explosive guy inside who can disrupt plays. Ryan Shazier is about the only guy who I would think about right now other than those 2 guys, and he'll probably be long gone at 29.

 

[manxman2601]

I don't put much store in that, personally.

I'm leaning more and more towards Easley. In fact, my 1st pick for the Pats pretty much comes down to Donald and Easley: yrade up for Donald if possible, otherwise trade back a bit and get Easley. Either way, I want an explosive guy inside who can disrupt plays.

Explosive guys with bad knees quickly become non-explosive guys. Easley scares me too much. With a fourth rounder, it's worth the gamble but he terrifies me as a second rounder.

 

[mayoclinic]

Explosive guys with bad knees quickly become non-explosive guys. Easley scares me too much. With a fourth rounder, it's worth the gamble but he terrifies me as a second rounder.

I understand your concern, but personally that doesn't scare me nearly as much as it does you. ACL repairs have progressed so much, they are as good or better than new, and there is such a good history of guys with even multiple ACL injuries coming back to be explosive players (Thomas Davis, Frank Gore). I don't think Easley will be any less explosive, and I don't think he's any more or less susceptible to another injury than any other player.

 

[everlong]

Given some of his combine interview issues where the reports said he came off as immature and then said he would rather watch cartoons than football Easley is off my board as I'm sure he's off of Bill's.

 

[mayoclinic]

Given some of his combine interview issues where the reports said he came off as immature and then said he would rather watch cartoons than football Easley is off my board as I'm sure he's off of Bill's.

You seem very confident about who is on BB's board and who isn't.

 

[manxman2601]

I understand your concern, but personally that doesn't scare me nearly as much as it does you. ACL repairs have progressed so much, they are as good or better than new, and there is such a good history of guys with even multiple ACL injuries coming back to be explosive players (Thomas Davis, Frank Gore). I don't think Easley will be any less explosive, and I don't think he's any more or less susceptible to another injury than any other player.

OK, that's two names. How many haven't recovered from having consecutive injuries to both knees?

 

[everlong]

You seem very confident about who is on BB's board and who isn't.

I'm obviously speculating. I know you like Easley I'm just giving my opinion. You can defend your position without resorting to things like that. You challenge my position on things all the time and I don't do that to you.

 

[mayoclinic]

OK, that's two names. How many haven't recovered from having consecutive injuries to both knees?

Good news for RGIII? Three players who came back from two ACL tears

Note that Robert Griffin III is also coming back from his 2nd ACL injury. One ACL didn't stop him from being the #2 overall pick in 2012.

It takes time, but ultimately, it shouldn't impact a player's explosiveness. Easley is at the beginning of his career. Casey Hampton played 12 years with 3 ACL injuries, and made multiple Pro Bowls.

""Once you do it, having two, the third one is a little bit easier because you kind of know what to do," Hampton told USA TODAY Sports last month. "You know how to rehab, you know what's going to make it hurt, what's going to make it not hurt. You're not really worried about tearing it again. You don't have the same fears because you've done been through it before."

 

[mayoclinic]

Jeff Howe's take on defensive needs entering FA:

Patriots have work to do on defense | Boston Herald

I agree with his top 2 priorities:

This offseason is all about signing a starting cornerback in free agency and bolstering the line through any avenue possible.

I don't particularly like his list of prospects, but re-signing Talib or finding a replacement plus bolstering the DL are clearly the top defensive needs in FA.

 

[sircole]

I agree with you. Also, I would rather re-sign Fletcher and draft one of the lbs between the choices of Shazier, Jones, and Tripp.

 

[mayoclinic]

Not to :deadhorse:, but CNNSI.com's Chris Burke discusses Aaron Donald:

2014 NFL draft prospect Aaron Donald answers your 'Yeah, but' with more production | Audibles - SI.com

 

[patfanken]

I'm still thinking that you are reaching too high for Donald, even IF BB was willing to come off his norms for what what he expects his DLmen to look like. He's be an exciting player for sure, but a player you'd have to build your defense around, rather than one who fits into a "system". That being said, BB has proven that he's willing to look at more than just a players' specs in evaluating them, but not so much in the first round. In the past, BB plays it pretty safe in the first round, and takes his shots in the 2nd.

Personally I'm still hoping RHageman gets caught smoking weed or hitting a cop, because more and more I'm thinking he's going to wind up being the 2nd DT off the board. His upside is actually greater than Donald's, though his floor is equally greater.

While the Pats are likely to sign Talib early, I doubt they will do much more in the 30 days before the draft. Despite what we fans think, the FA game is usually won by the patient. Not much drama in that, but it usually brings in the most value.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I'm still thinking that you are reaching too high for Donald, even IF BB was willing to come off his norms for what what he expects his DLmen to look like. He's be an exciting player for sure, but a player you'd have to build your defense around, rather than one who fits into a "system". That being said, BB has proven that he's willing to look at more than just a players' specs in evaluating them, but not so much in the first round. In the past, BB plays it pretty safe in the first round, and takes his shots in the 2nd.

If a GM wants to look for reasons not to take Donald I guarantee they'll find them, but that's probabaly going to be true of damned near any player.

Donald is a tweener, but he also has the frame to easily bulk up to 300lbs which make him less of one. I look at it this way, when you have a player who's that talented and athletic you should just grab him, later on you'll figure out plenty of ways to use him.

 

[All22PatsFan]

If a GM wants to look for reasons not to take Donald I guarantee they'll find them, but that's probabaly going to be true of damned near any player.

Donald is a tweener, but he also has the frame to easily bulk up to 300lbs which make him less of one. I look at it this way, when you have a player who's that talented and athletic you should just grab him, later on you'll figure out plenty of ways to use him.

Geno Atkins is the best DT in the NFL and he isn't 300+ pounds,

 

[Snake Eyes]

Geno Atkins is the best DT in the NFL and he isn't 300+ pounds,

He also went later in the draft, I wonder if his lack of prototype size had something do to with it. There's an astonishing lack of original thought in the NFL, I want to use that to my advantage.

Vote for Donald 2014!

 

[everlong]

I'm still thinking that you are reaching too high for Donald, even IF BB was willing to come off his norms for what what he expects his DLmen to look like. He's be an exciting player for sure, but a player you'd have to build your defense around, rather than one who fits into a "system". That being said, BB has proven that he's willing to look at more than just a players' specs in evaluating them, but not so much in the first round. In the past, BB plays it pretty safe in the first round, and takes his shots in the 2nd.

Personally I'm still hoping RHageman gets caught smoking weed or hitting a cop.

The thing about Donald is he did LB drills at his pro day and did well. Manx was early on speculating that he could play LDE on early downs and kick inside on passing downs. I'm not sure BB would trade up but if by some miracle he made it through I think there's a good chance he takes him. Although McGinist was taller had had longer arms Donald is suprisingly as quick.

I read a commnent by Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout the other day that said Hageman gets too high and nuetralized but when he stays low and converts power into speed he's a handful. It was an interesting way to phrase a concept I always talk about that there's two types of speed when it comes to pass rushing. There's Aaron Donald with the burst of speed and then there's what Hageman shows which is a burst of power which gets the offensive lineman going backwards and he turns that into speed. I think Hageman's issue is very coachable and I'm all for him in the first if Donald is gone and he's available. I think they're both gone and we're trading back.