Oh man. Please, please, please keep this duo.

[Joey007]

 

[RayClay]

Listed height for Butler? 5'11". ?Gilmore 6'0"?

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

I agree and hope we do keep both.

This could be the best defense in the league.

 

[patchick]

Listed height for Butler? 5'11". ?Gilmore 6'0"?

Yeah, not sure who they think they're fooling with that! Real heights, per pre-draft measurements:

Butler 5' 9.75"
Gilmore 6' 0.5"

 

[irishfanatic]

Yeah, not sure who they think they're fooling with that! Real heights, per pre-draft measurements:

Butler 5' 9.75"
Gilmore 6' 0.5"

Only thing is that 21 plays like he is 6' 2" imo

 

[Jlaff]

Listed height for Butler? 5'11". ?Gilmore 6'0"?

Well Gilmore does have that cornerback hair propping up his helmet.

 

[reflexblue]

Well Gilmore does have that cornerback hair propping up his helmet.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[RayClay]

I like Butlers fighting spirit, but we haven't had two such talented tall cornerbacks like gilmore and Rowe in my memory. Could be the one largest drawback to never picking real high.

 

[RayClay]

Only thing is that 21 plays like he is 6' 2" imo

Maybe plays like 5'11".

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Obviously need to see Gilmore actually play, but if he's legit, I think we might have the most complete secondary in the league, and a top-3 group.

Seattle obviously comes to mind. Sherman and Thomas are better than what we have. Chancellor, I know not everyone loves him as much as I do, but I take him over Chung. But I think CB2/3/4 are deeper here, and we have a quality 3rd safety in Harmon.

Arizona with Peterson and Honey Badger (if healthy) would also be up there. They also drafted Baker, signed an older Bethea, but RCB Brandon Williams is a bit of a hole (one we benefited from in week 1 last year), and there's no CB depth after that.

 

[BlueThunder]

If Pats can get a pass rush going...opposing teams passing game could be in serious trouble.....how is Pats D ranking overall against defending the screen?

 

[FourierSeries]

I agree and hope we do keep both.

This could be the best defense in the league.

I think that's a safe bet. This defense was already the best in the league last year, and they've just improved over the offseason.

 

[1960Pats]

I saw a players' power ranking from last year and Gilmore was rated so so. I'll have to see him play before I label him an improvement over Logan Ryan.

 

[Ring 6]

I think this will be the best secondary we have had since maybe 2003.
I think the biggest implication we are going to see is that it will allow the defense to play more aggressively more often.
Don't get me wrong the concept of when you are the better team conservative play is the best way to prevent upset still rules, but playing more aggressively is less risky when you are capable of covering when the blitz is picked up.

 

[RayClay]

I liked what I saw from Rowe also. Tended to flail around with his arms which is bad, but corrected that. Julio Jones made some incredible catches, but Rowe played him very well IMO. Got to give credit to Jones.

 

[Angelpats]

I saw Gilmore with the bills and he didn't really stand out at all, and was bad in a lot of games. Coach must be something he liked.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I like Butlers fighting spirit, but we haven't had two such talented tall cornerbacks like gilmore and Rowe in my memory. Could be the one largest drawback to never picking real high.

Darrelle Revis is an inch shorter than Gilmore. It takes a pretty razor thin margin to say that Gilmore/Rowe counts as a pair of tall CBs but Revis/Browner doesn't.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I liked what I saw from Rowe also. Tended to flail around with his arms which is bad, but corrected that. Julio Jones made some incredible catches, but Rowe played him very well IMO. Got to give credit to Jones.

Yeah, even if you go back to the miracle catch that Jones made at the end, anything short of a perfect throw from Ryan and Rowe has a play on the ball. He had perfect position on that one.

I agree re: Rowe, I think the context is that he had some bad coaching in Philly, and that's why he was able to improve so much here. I'm excited to see what he can do with a full offseason here.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I saw a players' power ranking from last year and Gilmore was rated so so. I'll have to see him play before I label him an improvement over Logan Ryan.

I'm all for the conservative, wait-and-see approach, but to be clear Gilmore is much better than Logan Ryan.

Ryan is a decent starting CB who did a couple things well, and who benefited a ton from the Pats' defensive scheme covering up his many weaknesses. I thought that when he was here and I was glad when we let him walk.

 

[borisman]

I saw Gilmore with the bills and he didn't really stand out at all, and was bad in a lot of games. Coach must be something he liked.

The only thing that I can say negative about Gilmore is that is he very aggressive and will get some illegal use of hands calls against him, especially since he usually covers the top WR's on other teams. "Bad in a lot of games" is pushing it hard. No way you prove that statement.