My Blueprint for the Defense

[All22PatsFan]

That's the thing. Penetrating and disrupting the play is not gap control, and it relies on good fundamental play by the other players to clean things up. I'll take Donald and/or Easley disrupting plays, and trust the other guys to keep their assignments.

CJ and Ninko would have cleaned that play up with ease.

 

[mayoclinic]

Mayo, you posted that in response to a post of mine, but I assume you were actually responding to somebody else since I never mentioned cartoons or questioned Easley's effort. I totally agree that he plays with great intensity, and that rehabbing from 2 ACLs takes tremendous work and commitment. I just think he's a hard character to get a handle on.

People have been citing Easley's open interest in cartoons and generally quirky personality as support that he is (a) lazy, (b) not passionate about football, and (c) not capable of film study. I fail to see the connection. I agree that the Pats should do diligence in making sure that he has the necessary drive and focus, but I'm not terribly concerned about it.

 

[manxman2601]

That's the thing. Penetrating and disrupting the play is not gap control, and it relies on good fundamental play by the other players to clean things up. I'll take Donald and/or Easley disrupting plays, and trust the other guys to keep their assignments.

Hmmm. Standing with your back to the ball carrier looking around you wondering where the play is. Trying to justify that takes quite a stretch. The difference between Easley and Donald is that Donald disrupts but still has the awareness to make the play. Easley sells out on the disruption. He's great at the disruption but I think there's another level beyond that that the better players elevate their game too and that's where Easley falls short I believe.

 

[manxman2601]

People have been citing Easley's open interest in cartoons and generally quirky personality as support that he is (a) lazy, (b) not passionate about football, and (c) not capable of film study. I fail to see the connection. I agree that the Pats should do diligence in making sure that he has the necessary drive and focus, but I'm not terribly concerned about it.

Respectfully I think this is a bit of a misrepresentation. It's not that Easley likes cartoons that bothers people, it's that he prefers them to watching football. At least that's how I read the criticism.

 

[mayoclinic]

It's funny you say that, because I had a strange, but interesting notion. How about a jumbo 3-4 package (I'm thinking generally here, not Patriots specific) where Easley and Donald line up at OLB? Obviously theoretical, and I'm not talking every down, but I think they both have the athleticism to do it.

I think that both Easley and Donald have the athleticism and versatility to be used in different ways. Their primary value is as an interior disruptor, but if I had 2 of them then they could be used together or in odd arrangements to great effect.

I was thinking that there really isn't a base DE who capable of wrecking havoc who I would take in the first 2 rounds outside of Clowney, and then I thought of Easley. I'd line him up inside if he was my main penetrating DT threat, but if I had Donald too then I could line either guy up outside as a base DE who could cause major disruption. Imagine if you had Easley-Wilfork-Donald-Jones (assuming Wilfork could come back to anything near his prior ability). Wow. Ninkovich would get his fair share of snaps at both DE and LB, and would strengthen the LB rotation. Along with Kelly, Armstead, Buchanan, Siliga and Chris Jones you'd have tremendous positional depth in a 10 man rotation. Add another LB like Jordan Tripp or Christian Jones and you'd have a great front end to the defense to match to the back end that we currently have.

 

[mayoclinic]

Right now my dream draft scenario would probably look something like this (with the Mallett trade still included for working purposes):

- Mallett to Houston for 33 (long shot)
- 29+93 to Arizona for #20 if Donald is still on the board; he could slip a bit with Dallas signing FA DT Henry Melton
- 20: Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
- Trade 33 and one of our 6th round picks to Carolina for 52, 84 and 116
- 52: Dominique Easley, DE/DT, Florida
- 62: Best available TE/OL
- 84: Best available TE/OL
- 116: Christian Jones, LB, Florida St./Jordan Tripp, LB, Monta
- 125: Antone Exum, DB, Virginia Tech
- 6th round:Offensive prospect of your choice
- 6th round (comp): Trey Millard, FB/H-Back, Oklahoma/Gator Hoskins, FB/H-Back, Marshall
- 7th: Terrance Fede, DE, Marist/Larry Webster, DE, Bloomsburg

That would give the Pats a secondary of McCourty-Exum at S and Revis-Browner-Dennard at CB, with Ryan/Arrington as the dime and Harmon as the primary backup safety. I still think Browner could also see some safety snaps, but that's not key at this point. They'd have Mayo-Hightower-Collins at LB with Jones/Tripp for depth and Ninkovich also getting significant LB snaps. And they would have Easley and Ninkovich sharing time at LDE, with Donald as the primary 3-tech, and Easley moving inside on sub packages.

It's far fetched, but I include it mainly as a vision of the front end of a disruptive defense that fits with our current secondary.

 

[All22PatsFan]

Hmmm. Standing with your back to the ball carrier looking around you wondering where the play is. Trying to justify that takes quite a stretch. The difference between Easley and Donald is that Donald disrupts but still has the awareness to make the play. Easley sells out on the disruption. He's great at the disruption but I think there's another level beyond that that the better players elevate their game too and that's where Easley falls short I believe.

On that play coaches would give him a +. His games are basically highlight reels. He forced the RB to the outside and the DE couldnt handle it. He did his job on that play. The Tennessee game, Miami and Louisville games he seemed to disrupt every play. From a tape standpoint he is a top 10 pick. He is exactly what we need, a guy who can get pressures inside. I could care less about sacks.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

I have just spent the most bizarre 20 minutes or so. The reason? I've been watching Dominique Easley. How can one player look so bad on one play and then other-worldly on the next. At times I think he's better than Aaron Donald, at others, I literally throw my hands up in disgust.

That's how I feel about Shazier, but not Easley.

Teams drafting at the back of the first round have to be aggressive and take some chances. Easley and Hageman are the two guys with potential top 15 talent who could be available in that range. Both have major question marks, otherwise they wouldn't be available at all.

I would put Tuitt in that category before Hageman. Tuitt was on his way to being well out of reach at the end of his sophomore season. Same with Easley pre-injury, but Hagemen has never been higher than a late first rounder.

I think this play is why BB doesn't draft Easley.

Dominique Easley (DT Florida) vs Tennessee 2013 - YouTube

And before anyone say's "it's just one play", it's the third or fourth time in this game alone that Easley turns his back (or gets turned) to the play. 'read and React' as a concept is anathema to Easley. It's more 'Anticipate and Act'.

Edit: And then two plays later, he gets a fantastic push on the lineman but does nothing to stop the RB who runs right by him.

Sometimes his aggression gets him in trouble, but he wouldn't be the same without it.

Since we're on the Easley topic, here's a far-fetched idea, which I included in my latest mock just for fun: what about Donald + Easley? Hard to imagine it even being possible (much less happening) unless (a) a deux-ex-machina Mallett trade occurs, or (b) Easley slips much further than I would expect. But the combination of the two could make for the most disruptive DL in the NFL. Put one outside and the other inside in base situations, and move both inside in sub rushing situations. Total mayhem and disruption, creating tremendous opportunities for the back 7 to make plays.

No thanks. It would be mayhem and disruption, but you'd have to be nuts to take Chandler Jones out of his DT role.

 

[manxman2601]

On that play coaches would give him a +. His games are basically highlight reels. He forced the RB to the outside and the DE couldnt handle it. He did his job on that play. The Tennessee game, Miami and Louisville games he seemed to disrupt every play. From a tape standpoint he is a top 10 pick. He is exactly what we need, a guy who can get pressures inside. I could care less about sacks.

I disagree. He's a rotational or scheme player for the Pats. No way is he an every down player in my opinion. He dominates on some plays and gets destroyed on others. I think he's a very good rotational player though which is why I give him a 3rd round grade from a Pats perspective. At an absolute push, a late second.

 

[mayoclinic]

Respectfully I think this is a bit of a misrepresentation. It's not that Easley likes cartoons that bothers people, it's that he prefers them to watching football. At least that's how I read the criticism.

What Easley said was that he doesn't watch much NFL football, and that he prefers watching cartoons. I still don't understand why that would result in such criticism. What he does recreationally has no bearing on his work ethic or film study. As All22PF has noted, Matt Light didn't like watching football recreationally. I doubt Pro Football players learn a ton by watching games recreationally. Tom Brady recently said that he couldn't care less about the SB and wasn't going to watch it - does that make him any less dedicated? I just don't understand why it's relevant that Easley prefers cartoons to watching football recreationally. Now, if we learn that he has poor film study habits, that would be totally different.

 

[mayoclinic]

Sometimes his aggression get him in trouble, but he wouldn't be the same without it.

Exactly.

According to Mike Dassault (post 713), the Pats have given up more plays over 20 yards than any team in the NFL over the past 4 years, with half of them coming on 1st down. So despite all the focus on gap control and a disciplined defense, we haven't exactly excelled. I'm willing to bet that a little disruption and mayhem isn't going to result in any more of an issue - if anything, there will be more plays blown up to offset a few cases in which we "get in trouble". And as long as the back end of the defense is sound, the trouble will hopefully be limited.

No thanks. It would be mayhem and disruption, but you'd have to be nuts to take Chandler Jones out of his DT role.

I'd be happy to keep Jones outside if I had 2 other guys causing "mayhem and disruption" on the interior. But I could also see a 5 man "Bear" front in those situations with Easley-Donald-Jones-Buchanan (or another sub rusher) and Jamie Collins (or Nink or Hightower) moving up on the outside of Easley, so that we have 3 interior rushers.

 

[stelfans]

This thread lacks a lot of Chris Jones. A lot.

But man, i was watching Donald again this afternoon and what a joy it is.

 

[mayoclinic]

This thread lacks a lot of Chris Jones. A lot.

But man, i was watching Donald again this afternoon and what a joy it is.

Really? I think Jones will be an important part of the defensive rotation, providing tremendous depth. A fresh and rested Chris Jones was much more effective generating pressure than when he was worn down from being used as a base 3-tech. I want him as part of my defense, just not as a starter.

 

[stelfans]

Really? I think Jones will be an important part of the defensive rotation, providing tremendous depth. A fresh and rested Chris Jones was much more effective generating pressure than when he was worn down from being used as a base 3-tech. I want him as part of my defense, just not as a starter.

I know you preach depth more than anyone but we have a limited number of DT on the roster I think Donald AND Easley is pushing it.
It all comes down to Wilfork and Armstead really, but even if Wilfork wasnt here, thats a lot of undersized tackles.

 

[All22PatsFan]

Really? I think Jones will be an important part of the defensive rotation, providing tremendous depth. A fresh and rested Chris Jones was much more effective generating pressure than when he was worn down from being used as a base 3-tech. I want him as part of my defense, just not as a starter.

Chris Jones had interesting stats: 7 Sacks, 1 Hit, 13 Hurries on 440 pass rushes. Those numbers are terrible. He could be part of a rotation with Kelly, Armstead and a rookie at 3tech DT.

 

[Big-T]

It'd be nice to see 11 DL on the roster this year and make up the room with 1 less Safety (play more single high), 1 less RB and no FB.

3 rookies, something like:
Wilfork, Kelly, Siliga, Armstead, Jones, rookie
Jones, Ninkovich, Buchanan, rookie, rookie

Lots of bodies for rotation and multiple fronts.

 

[manxman2601]

What Easley said was that he doesn't watch much NFL football, and that he prefers watching cartoons. I still don't understand why that would result in such criticism. What he does recreationally has no bearing on his work ethic or film study. As All22PF has noted, Matt Light didn't like watching football recreationally. I doubt Pro Football players learn a ton by watching games recreationally. Tom Brady recently said that he couldn't care less about the SB and wasn't going to watch it - does that make him any less dedicated? I just don't understand why it's relevant that Easley prefers cartoons to watching football recreationally. Now, if we learn that he has poor film study habits, that would be totally different.

I try not to involve myself in amateur judgements about prospect's red flags because we're just not privy to a broad enough picture to make an informed decision. I have no idea about Easley's work habits and am not judging him on that.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

I'd be happy to keep Jones outside if I had 2 other guys causing "mayhem and disruption" on the interior. But I could also see a 5 man "Bear" front in those situations with Easley-Donald-Jones-Buchanan (or another sub rusher) and Jamie Collins (or Nink or Hightower) moving up on the outside of Easley, so that we have 3 interior rushers.

That's enticing, but I wouldn't use a high pick to replace Jones in his DT role. I think he's too dominant there, and I want more DT snaps for him rather than less. That's why I want a third starting caliber 4-3 RDE so badly. A third DE could get 900 snaps with an even rotation and a few more DT snaps for Jones.

 

[captain stone]

No thanks. It would be mayhem and disruption, but you'd have to be nuts to take Chandler Jones out of his DT role.

You'd have to be nuts to keep Chandler Jones in a DT role; he's simply not stout enough
to handle double-teams by interior OLmen, even in pass-rushing situations.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

You'd have to be nuts to keep Chandler Jones in a DT role; he's simply not stout enough
to handle double-teams by interior OLmen, even in pass-rushing situations.

I didn't say make him a DT, I said more snaps in "his DT role" which mean sub-rushing, the nascar package, or the pass-rushing situation you mention.

On a rate basis he was 50% more productive in his sub-rushing DT role than he was at DE. His production at DT could be classified as elite if not for just 72 snaps spent there.

What's nuts about that?