Out On A Limb Regarding Linebackers

[AzPatsFan]

Is Ron Hobson available? Like most of our wishful thinking list, he wasn't drafted, but at least he has experience.

*Humbly submitted for the real old timers*

Maybe i am using ther wrong first name. He, he ! Thats what happens as you get old... Seems to me there was a Hobson staring in the very early sixties era Patriots...

I was refering of course, not to him, but to former 2nd round draft pick and several year starter at LB for the NY Jest. The fellow that Gary Guyton flat beat out for his position on the 2008 edition of the Patriots.

 

[RayClay]

Maybe i am using ther wrong first name. He, he ! Thats what happens as you get old... Seems to me there was a Hobson staring in the very early sixties era Patriots...

I was refering of course, not to him, but to former 2nd round draft pick and several year starter at LB for the NY Jest. The fellow that Gary Guyton flat beat out for his position on the 2008 edition of the Patriots.

Victor. Ron Hobson is a writer that goes back to the sixties known as the Humble one-Quincy Ledger.

Sorry, I am just so totally clueless on the plan at LB, I don't know what to say.

When someone has a poll with McGinest as an option, and I can't help thinking if he can still walk, he would have the inside track at OLB, it's time to step away from the keyboard.

I sincerely hope that BB managed to use his mentalist powers to convince the other 31 front offices the best LBs from the last few draft years were really not worth drafting, or signing in the FA period.

As great as he's been, this would be his greatest coup yet.

Combine that with his identifying the next McGinest/Lawrence Taylor clone who is somehow 3rd string on Pitt, Baltimore or Chicago right now due to lack of self confidence and only needs the magic BB boost to blossom, after we acquire him for a 7th round pick in 2029 and a bag of Cheetos.

I'm sure these things will transpire. Until then there's nothing to say but, in BB we trust.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Yes, wouldn't the roster look so much better.

OLB starters: Thomas, new starter
OLB backups: Woods, Crable
ILB starters: Mayo, new starter
ILB backups: Guyton, Bruschi
LB/Ster: Banta-Cain or Redd

Even at this late date, this roster would greatly improve if we added an ILB and an OLB, say Napolean Harris and Jason Taylor. I guess adding a linebacker is almost realistic at this point with McKenzie's injury opening up a roster spot.

i recognize your concern at ILB, but I have an un-considered but orthodox solution, fresh from the fertile mind of Belichick's house of magic football cards.

What would the run Defense look like if you could give Wilfork some time to catch his breath, without giving up the ability to continue to stuff the run with a good NT, instead of an undersized pass rusher? If you are concerned with helping Mayo and Guyton, maybe a rotation of fresh, true NTs, Wilfork and Brace, is what the Dr. of Football Bill Belichcick has conjured up and prescribed.

After all, isn't a quality Defensive line the orthodox first solution to stopping the run?

 

[AzPatsFan]

Victor. Ron Hobson is a writer that goes back to the sixties known as the Humble one-Quincy Ledger.

Sorry, I am just so totally clueless on the plan at LB, I don't know what to say.

When someone has a poll with McGinest as an option, and I can't help thinking if he can still walk, he would have the inside track at OLB, it's time to step away from the keyboard.

I sincerely hope that BB managed to use his mentalist powers to convince the other 31 front offices the best LBs from the last few draft years were really not worth drafting, or signing in the FA period.

As great as he's been, this would be his greatest coup yet.

Combine that with his identifying the next McGinest/Lawrence Taylor clone who is somehow 3rd string on Pitt, Baltimore or Chicago right now due to lack of self confidence and only needs the magic BB boost to blossom, after we acquire him for a 7th round pick in 2029 and a bag of Cheetos.

I'm sure these things will transpire. Until then there's nothing to say but, in BB we trust.

You perhaps have forgottten or are referring to that exact magic trick that BB did to the Steelers with one fellow named Mike Vrabel...

 

[RayClay]

You perhaps have forgottten or are referring to that exact magic trick that BB did to the Steelers with one fellow named Mike Vrabel...

Absolutely. I don't know how he clouded the minds of the 31 other GMs in the draft, though. He is a marvelous and mystical man.

Seriously, as I shift to totally ignoring a LB situation I can't fathom, I can see working in a jag next to Mayo. Athleticism isn't as important as discipline and heart at ILB, when we have a budding star in Mayo.

OLB is where we need a top player in my opinion.

Maybe it's Crable. Maybe not. I hate to go into a season with so many maybes at a position.

 

[mgteich]

I agree that we will cover up our weakness at linebacker by expecting more from the defensive line. I also think that we will need to expect more from the secondary, including playing three safeties at times. Finally, the best assist to the linebackers will be Brady and Taylor who will be expected to keep our linebackers off the field more, and reduce our risk.

The suggestion is that we just might have done more to improve the group itself,

i recognize your concern at ILB, but I have an un-considered but orthodox solution, fresh from the fertile mind of Belichick's house of magic football cards.

What would the run Defense look like if you could give Wilfork some time to catch his breath, without giving up the ability to continue to stuff the run with a good NT, instead of an undersized pass rusher? If you are concerned with helping Mayo and Guyton, maybe a rotation of fresh, true NTs, Wilfork and Brace, is what the Dr. of Football Bill Belichcick has conjured up and prescribed.

After all, isn't a quality Defensive line the orthodox first solution to stopping the run?

 

[RoughingthePasser]

IMO, moving Thomas inside is not a viable option. He is our best pass rusher, our best TE defender and a dominant presence on the outside. In the 34, the strongside inside backer is almost a fullback. I don't know if they have a single designated check calling ala a "mike", but assuming the strongside backer doesn't call the checks, it is likely the least valuable position in the front 7. Putting Thomas on the inside would take your only truely freakish athlete and place him in a position that mitigates nearly all of a player's raw athleticism.

Further, it would remove the best edge presence on the team in a spread heavy league. Regardless of the potential development of C&R, neither is close to being the player AD is. This team is already weak against the TE, and doesn't have anyone other than Thomas who can rush as well as play contain on the outside. Moving Thomas inside would be schematic suicide. The move would be akin to moving Randy Moss to fullback because Evans left in the offseason.

I'm not a big fan of playing AD in the ILB position. He can do it well but he's good with the TE's (SILB) and needs to be outside.

This is probably the best thread on the board right now.
Our offense will be dominant this year-no worries at all.

We have a lot of potential with all the new talent on defense.

Looks like the current defensive depth:
Left Defensive End 94 Ty Warren 90 Le Kevin Smith
Nose Tackle 75 Vince Wilfork 99 Mike Wright
92 Kenny Smith 60 Ron Brace
91 Myron Pryor
69 Darryl Richard
76 Steve Williams
Right Defensive End 93 Richard Seymour 97 Jarvis Green 62 Titus Adams
Outside Linebacker 58 Pierre Woods 95 Tully Banta-Cain 49 Vince Redd
Inside Linebacker 51 Jerod Mayo 52 Eric Alexander 46 Antonio Appleby
Inside Linebacker 54 Tedy Bruschi 59 Gary Guyton 50 Vinny Ciurciu
53 Tyrone McKenzie
Outside Linebacker 96 Adalius Thomas 98 Shawn Crable 48 Angelo Craig
Left Cornerback 24 Jonathan Wilhite 29 Shawn Springs 27 Darius Butler
38 Jamar Love
Right Cornerback 23 Leigh Bodden 22 Terrence Wheatley 35 Mike Richardson
Strong Safety 31 Brandon Meriweather 28 Antwain Spann 26 Tank Williams
25 Patrick Chung
Free Safety 36 James Sanders 43 Brandon McGowan
41 Ray Ventrone 30 Marcus McClinton