Patriots gauging trade market for Kony Ealy

[patsinthesnow]

If true, says something that they're willing to dump one of their 3 DEs for a 6th-7th rd pick.

 

[Bruins29]

Wow But I would think that there is some other DE they have their eye on if they move KE. They have their pics to trade plus a few comp picks possibly coming from Blount, Sheard, Bennett.

 

[Simpelton]

I would be surprised if they were very many players that they haven't at least explored the trade market on. it's part of the due diligence to the preseason.

I bet there's some really wacky trade Concepts flying around the phone lines at this time of the year every single year.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Surprising -- but totally credible. No one cuts bait quicker. Imagine going fishing with BB:

"d%#*!@t, Bill! We've only just got here, and now you want to pull up the lines and move on."

 

[Froob]

Does he have another value to unload the Brady contract?

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I thought he was improving, no?

 

[Sciz]

That's a weird tweet. "Improving player was offered in trade, but I'm not telling you if that was before or after he started to improve."

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

He's in a contract year too. What a disappointment

 

[Sicilian]

That's a weird tweet. "Improving player was offered in trade, but I'm not telling you if that was before or after he started to improve."

That struck me as odd too. It's what I hate about Twitter: Only so many characters, so they end up condensing the point they're making in ways that don't always ring clear.

Big difference between, "He's been improving, but they're shopping him." and "They were shopping him, but he's been better lately." I wonder which one he intended.

 

[ashley]

I'd be shocked if this were true, d-line is our thinnest position right now, just wouldn't make sense.

 

[Sicilian]

I'd be shocked if this were true, d-line is our thinnest position right now, just wouldn't make sense.

I agree with you it would be shocking (and I wouldn't do it looking from the outside), but there is some precedent for it. In 2006 BB traded Deion Branch even though our next best WR was Reche Caldwell, and I want to say 2011 (someone can correct me) he cut Meriweather and another safety I believe and left us pretty thin there. I think when he doesn't like someone, he's going to get rid of them regardless of other factors. Not saying that's going to happen here, just that it has before.

 

[Bruins29]

I'd be shocked if this were true, d-line is our thinnest position right now, just wouldn't make sense.

Me too but I would think they have a contingency plan in place. Unless they think Wise or Grissom are ready for prime time.

Another possibility is that you have a very young DE group there including Flowers. BB may be concerned that a Vet like KE could have a bad attitude and have it poison the group a bit since there is not much Vet DE leadership left with Ninko gone.

Or perhaps DH is ready to be the guy there and Harris will man the MLB.

Not sure.

 

[luuked]

Me too but I would think they have a contingency plan in place. Unless they think Wise or Grissom are ready for prime time.

Another possibility is that you have a very young DE group there including Flowers. BB may be concerned that a Vet like KE could have a bad attitude and have it poison the group a bit since there is not much Vet DE leadership left with Ninko gone.

Or perhaps DH is ready to be the guy there and Harris will man the MLB.

Not sure.

As some beat guys have pointed out, I wouldnt be surprised if BB tries to get some of the bubble players from Jax or the Texans at DE. They had an extended look at both squads through joint practices and the Texans especially are supposedly very deep and talented at DE.

In terms of Ealy we just gotta remember the good old BB mantra of consistency and reliability over ability. If the coaching staff doesnt think they can rely on Ealy to make the correct plays then all the talent in the world wont help him.

 

[Bruins29]

Also the flying Frenchman Guy La'wrance can play a little end too.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

I agree with you it would be shocking (and I wouldn't do it looking from the outside), but there is some precedent for it. In 2006 BB traded Deion Branch even though our next best WR was Reche Caldwell, and I want to say 2011 (someone can correct me) he cut Meriweather and another safety I believe and left us pretty thin there. I think when he doesn't like someone, he's going to get rid of them regardless of other factors. Not saying that's going to happen here, just that it has before.

Yup -- James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather. Starting safeties on opening day were Patrick Chung and Sergio Brown. That and injuries led to the revolving door at safety that season, including McCourty's initial stint there.

If they think Ealy won't work out, he'll be cut, depth be damned, and take flyers on other teams' cuts. Hopefully it'll work out.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Yup -- James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather. Starting safeties on opening day were Patrick Chung and Sergio Brown. That and injuries led to the revolving door at safety that season, including McCourty's initial stint there.

If they think Ealy won't work out, he'll be cut, depth be damned, and take flyers on other teams' cuts. Hopefully it'll work out.

The Sanders cut continues to confound me. I viewed it, and still do, as a BB mistake.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Really comes down to if BB think Langi can be coached up by midseason to be a better pass rusher than Ealy. Our top 3 rotation seems set:

1. Trey Flowers 4-3 DE/3-4 DE
2. Dont'a Hightower 3-4 OLB
3. Deatrich Wise 4-3 DE

Then we have Guy/Butler as DE on early downs & pocket pushing DTs on passing downs.

If Ealy is just marginally better than Langi to be the 4th pass rusher then dumping a player who resists coaching makes sense.

 

[Mike the Brit]

The Sanders cut continues to confound me. I viewed it, and still do, as a BB mistake.

Well, anyone who cuts Jamie Collins in the middle of a season is mad as a box of frogs -- and, if he goes on to win a Super Bowl, he's a genius (but still mad). Rock on, Bill ...

 

[Hammer of Thor]

The Sanders cut continues to confound me. I viewed it, and still do, as a BB mistake.

Considering much of the problem in the secondary that year was positioning -- guys not knowing where they are supposed to be -- my guess is that BB agrees with you in retrospect. I think that was one of the reasons McCourty was moved there - he was having trouble adjusting to press-man at corner, but he understood the defense so they moved him as a temporary solution while guys were out. Although McCourty had improved somewhat in 2012, the safety situation had not (Tavon Wilson getting burned deep twice), which basically caused BB to go all in, trade for Talib, and put McCourty there permanently. Worked out in the end, but the question is if it cost them the 2011 SB title?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I completely understood the why cutting Jamie. Sanders, not so much.

Must have been stuff we knew nothing about