Our Defense is NOT Loaded; our BACKUPS are weak.

[patfanken]

Ellis starting is a bigger problem than who is the backup.
Ellis has athleticism and that helps him show up sometimes, but he lacks any good LB instincts. He is often out of position in the run game and seems lost in coverage often.
Gibbens was close to beating him out and played almost as many snaps (506 to 491) and we had zero interest in keeping him.
It’s not just LB depth that’s a concern, it’s a starter too, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone to threaten his job this year.

Maybe the reason they kept Ellis while having no apparent interest in Gibby was that they see in Ellis a more athletic ILB who has room to develop into something better moving on. Clearly Ellis was playing better at the end of the year than he was at the beginning. Perhaps they feel in his 2nd year in the defensive system with his speed and athleticism Ellis can be worthy of starting job at least.

All that being said, as of right now, given the state of the roster, I would start looking closely at the top LB's of the 2027 class as our first pick.

 

[Ring 6]

Maybe the reason they kept Ellis while having no apparent interest in Gibby was that they see in Ellis a more athletic ILB who has room to develop into something better moving on. Clearly Ellis was playing better at the end of the year than he was at the beginning. Perhaps they feel in his 2nd year in the defensive system with his speed and athleticism Ellis can be worthy of starting job at least.

All that being said, as of right now, given the state of the roster, I would start looking closely at the top LB's of the 2027 class as our first pick.

I don’t think it’s clear that he was playing better, but he showed up with a few athletic plays. I’d like a LB who can read in run D and have awareness in coverage over a guy who pummels Jackson dart after a 9 yard run.
His playing time didn’t increase later in the year or in the playoffs, he played 45.8% in the SB.
It’s actually very concerning to me that Elliss couldn’t become an every down player and we got rid of the guy he wads splitting with.
He’s been in the league 5 years so I’m not optimistic he can figure it out in year 6.
We survived him last year but it surely would have been a good place to upgrade.

 

[mgteich]

I agree that we have one of the worst sets of backup LBs in the league. We also have one of the worst pairs of Starting LBs in the league. But would adding Muma really take that much away from our overall suckiness anyway?




If the Pats keep 5 LBs, then Muma has the inside track to that #5 spot. I'm not placing him ahead of either Britt or Obiazor until I see all of them hitting players on other teams first...

Bottom Line: I'd feel a lot better about the state of our LBs if one of the Bobbys (Wagner/Okereke) were here.

Aren't we all in agreement that Britt and Obiazor are not exactly locks to be able t produce solid performances if called upon? Muma is a 3rd in the same situation. What Muma adds is another possibility ofr get somepne with some competence.

 

[mgteich]

Vrabel may think that he has two starting ILB's at acceptable contract levels. in addition, he may think that he has 3 who compete for backup spots at backup prices.

Adding a veteran at $9M for one year and then looking again in the off-season may make little sense. It makes more sense to go another year with Elliss and then decide how to go forward next off-season.

I could see us signing someone to compete for reps at the Vrabel's budgeted cots for a backup ILB.

There is ONE place I could see us signing a $(M veteran for a year, and that is Smith as a transition replacement for Hill.

 

[Wozzy]

Ellis starting is a bigger problem than who is the backup.

Just terrible take. He became one of their best defenders after having some issues picking up Vrabel's system the first month of the season.

Elliss elevated his play further in the postseason. Across four playoff games, he tallied 19 tackles, 2.0 sacks, two passes defended, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. His production was consistent throughout the run, including an 8-tackle performance in the Wild Card round against the Chargers and a crucial sack in the AFC Championship victory over the Broncos. This surge confirmed his status as a key component of the Patriots' defense during their Super Bowl run.

Ellis has athleticism and that helps him show up sometimes, but he lacks any good LB instincts. He is often out of position in the run game and seems lost in coverage often.

The Patriots had arguably the best three starting CB's in the NFL, and they struggled with zone coverage.

Gibbens was close to beating him out and played almost as many snaps (506 to 491) and we had zero interest in keeping him.
It’s not just LB depth that’s a concern, it’s a starter too, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone to threaten his job this year.

Gibbens wasn't good at either Spillane's job or Elliss's job, that's the problem. After the halfway point of the season Elliss rarely left the field on defense. Gibbens rarely played defense at all until Spillane got hurt.

Elliss, assuming he keeps his level of play, is one of the better weakside LB'ers in the AFC. Christian Elliss led the 2025 New England Patriots in both total tackles and solo tackles during the postseason. Spillane's health seems a bigger concern to me.

 

[captain stone]

...There is ONE place I could see us signing a $(M veteran for a year, and that is Smith as a transition replacement for Hill.

I'd rather have Will Dissly if the money's not a factor.