Patriots 2018 Training Camp Primer - Linebackers

[PatsFans.com Article]

Patriots 2018 Training Camp Primer - Linebackers

Steve Balestrieri

The healthy return of Hightower is an absolute priority, we wrote last year he was the one guy on defense they could not replace with anyone on the roster

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[Kontradiction]

Given what we know right now, outside of Hightower this is an unimpressive group. Van Noy is serviceable, Roberts and Flowers are JAGS, and the rest are STers at best or unknown quantities. I'm hoping that Bentley and/or Sam can be diamond-in-the-rough type players and contribute immediately. That unit can certainly use it.

 

[mgteich]

I agree.

However, I have no issue with 2 roster spots for a 1-down run stopper (Roberts) and a top Ster (Flowers).

I would expect us to carry 2 more in addition to these 2, Van Noy and Hightower.

Given what we know right now, outside of Hightower this is an unimpressive group. Van Noy is serviceable, Roberts and Flowers are JAGS, and the rest are STers at best or unknown quantities. I'm hoping that Bentley and/or Sam can be diamond-in-the-rough type players and contribute immediately. That unit can certainly use it.

 

[Kontradiction]

I agree.

However, I have no issue with 2 roster spots for a 1-down run stopper (Roberts) and a top Ster (Flowers).

I would expect us to carry 2 more in addition to these 2, Van Noy and Hightower.

Roberts has not improved and has only regressed. There were times last year where he visibly shot the wrong gap and still seems to think too much instead of simply reacting. In light of that, if neither Sam nor Bentley can knock him off the roster, it would be a massive disappointment.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

Still don’t understand why we didn’t draft a LB. Can Hightower stay healthy? The injuries take a told on your body.

 

[Kontradiction]

Still don’t understand why we didn’t draft a LB. Can Hightower stay healthy? The injuries take a told on your body.

They drafted a couple of them. Did you mean to ask why they didn't draft one high?

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

They drafted a couple of them. Did you mean to ask why they didn't draft one high?

Yes and one that can cover in space.

 

[Kontradiction]

Yes and one that can cover in space.

That’s supposed to be Sam. Whether he’s up to the task or not remains to be seen.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Yes and one that can cover in space.

I agree and this was the Patriots biggest weakness on D last year despite popular belief that it was Malcolm Butler. LOL.

I want to see more traditional three linebackers sets to help set the tone early and stop the run.

I also was hoping to see the Patriots Draft a linebacker early so they can rush Hightower more on passing downs.

Marquis Flowers needs to stick to special teams. I don’t ever want to see him playing defense again.

I expect Sam or Bentley to knock off Roberts.

 

[Kontradiction]

I agree and this was the Patriots biggest weakness on D last year despite popular believe that it was Malcolm Butler. LOL.

I want to see more traditional three linebackers sets to help set the tone early and stop the run.

I also was hoping to see the Patriots Draft a linebacker early so they can rush Hightower more on passing downs.

Marquis Flowers needs to stick to special teams. I don’t ever want to see him playing defense again.

I expect Sam or Bentley to knock off Roberts.

I'd like to see more positional flexibility in the defense. The lack of quality depth up front limited what they can do on defense by quite a bit to the point where they were more or less forced to go to alignments which only featured 2 LBs quite a bit of the time.

 

[mgteich]

Is your plan FOUR linebackers: Hightower, Van Noy, Sam (or bentley) and special teams only player Flowers?

I agree and this was the Patriots biggest weakness on D last year despite popular belief that it was Malcolm Butler. LOL.

I want to see more traditional three linebackers sets to help set the tone early and stop the run.

I also was hoping to see the Patriots Draft a linebacker early so they can rush Hightower more on passing downs.

Marquis Flowers needs to stick to special teams. I don’t ever want to see him playing defense again.

I expect Sam or Bentley to knock off Roberts.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Is your plan FOUR linebackers: Hightower, Van Noy, Sam (or bentley) and special teams only player Flowers?

not necessarily. I think Sam or Bentley were drafted to compete for playing time.

 

[Uptown]

Can we trade for LB Danny Trevethan??? His contract is extremely manageable & he’s also a pretty good player who can cover.

 

[MassPats38]

Given what we know right now, outside of Hightower this is an unimpressive group. Van Noy is serviceable, Roberts and Flowers are JAGS, and the rest are STers at best or unknown quantities. I'm hoping that Bentley and/or Sam can be diamond-in-the-rough type players and contribute immediately. That unit can certainly use it.

Agreed. I like Van Noy and Flowers, but they can and have been exposed at times. Roberts seemed to take a step back last year, but was never earth shattering at his best. They all seem to be scheme specific utility players.

On occasion, defensive line strength can mask some of the warts (i.e., pressure). I am hoping for that first as that is where some of the veteran pieces are.

I would love it if the new additions could contribute immediately, but the little I know from reading up on their college careers doesn't scream that.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

I will work hard to make sure all of the young men named in this thread are QUICKER!!!

 

[brdmaverick]

Given what we know right now, outside of Hightower this is an unimpressive group. Van Noy is serviceable, Roberts and Flowers are JAGS, and the rest are STers at best or unknown quantities. I'm hoping that Bentley and/or Sam can be diamond-in-the-rough type players and contribute immediately. That unit can certainly use it.

That's the really scary part, the group is still rather unimpressive even WITH Hightower, who has been an injury concern. If he misses game time again there's only so many ways you can mask a glaring a weakness.

 

[brdmaverick]

They drafted a couple of them. Did you mean to ask why they didn't draft one high?

Exactly, honestly I thought the entire first half of the draft would be D, D, D.

Obviously I was wrong.

It's BB so obviously we have to trust him, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't skeptical.

 

[captain stone]

I agree.

However, I have no issue with 2 roster spots for a 1-down run stopper (Roberts) and a top Ster (Flowers).

I would expect us to carry 2 more in addition to these 2, Van Noy and Hightower.

Bentley is our new run-stopper, not Roberts.

Depth chart:

Hightower
VanNoy
Flowers
Bentley
Sam
Langi
King
Roberts
Grigsby

 

[maineman209]

Roberts seemed to take a step back last year

Roberts' situation last year was even worse than KVN's.

In 2016, as a rookie, Roberts played his first 272 NFL defensive snaps of limited LB asignments in the mix with HT, McClellin, and Collins/KVN - and behind a very good, veteran DL.

In 2017, with the DL and LB corps decimated by injuries and FA losses, Roberts - in just his second season - was thrust into a ludicrously expanded set of assignments as the #2 starting LB. "Take a step back"? Talk about setting a guy up to fail.

I'm not saying that Roberts is "good", just that I have a harder time than others at totally condemning the guy after only a limited rookie season and then the Front-7 ****storm that he endured last year.

 

[captain stone]

Roberts' situation last year was even worse than KVN's.

In 2016, as a rookie, Roberts played his first 272 NFL defensive snaps of limited LB asignments in the mix with HT, McClellin, and Collins/KVN - and behind a very good, veteran DL.

In 2017, with the DL and LB corps decimated by injuries and FA losses, Roberts - in just his second season - was thrust into a ludicrously expanded set of assignments as the #2 starting LB. "Take a step back"? Talk about setting a guy up to fail.

I'm not saying that Roberts is "good", just that I have a harder time than others at totally condemning the guy after only a limited rookie season and then the Front-7 ****storm that he endured last year.

In other words, he was asked to Next Man Up, and he failed, miserably.