Patriots gauging trade market for Kony Ealy

[Ring 6]

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

Sanders was woefully out of shape.

 

[Mike the Brit]

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

Must have been stuff we knew nothing about

Not me.

There were claims he wasn't playing well. Didn't see it. And, if you needed to discipline him, you could sit him for a series or even a whole game (like Sheard). Or just play him on special teams -- where he'd still be the best player on the roster.

There were claims he was disruptive. Then why were his fellow players so stunned?

And people said that the Pats traded him because they were losing him at the end of the season anyway. But they didn't get any higher pick than they would have in compensation anyway. And they lost the services of an amazingly talented player who was still playing on a rookie contract.

Makes NO sense. Except that BB did it, and IBBWT.

 

[Joey007]

I can't tell what this tweet is trying to tell me. Are you saying he's settting in now or he's about to get traded?

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

I wasn't thrilled with the ealy trade in the beginning but it doesn't make sense unless we are bringing someone in through trade. We will see.

 

[Kontradiction]

I wasn't thrilled with the ealy trade in the beginning but it doesn't make sense unless we are bringing someone in through trade. We will see.

Either that or they have someone on the roster they project to get the lion's share of the snaps. We also may see some different alignments this year such as 3-3-5 and with Hightower in more of a pass rushing role. Once he's traded, the spot is very thing, though. I wouldn't be surprised if they brought in another body even if it's just for depth off the scrap heap after cuts.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

Not me.

There were claims he wasn't playing well. Didn't see it. And, if you needed to discipline him, you could sit him for a series or even a whole game (like Sheard). Or just play him on special teams -- where he'd still be the best player on the roster.

There were claims he was disruptive. Then why were his fellow players so stunned?

And people said that the Pats traded him because they were losing him at the end of the season anyway. But they didn't get any higher pick than they would have in compensation anyway. And they lost the services of an amazingly talented player who was still playing on a rookie contract.

Makes NO sense. Except that BB did it, and IBBWT.

After reading various accounts afterwards, including Collins' interview earlier this summer in Cleveland, I've come to this conclusion (obviously could be very wrong).

Collins' performance was inconsistent. Not terrible, but bad enough that Mike Lombardi and others called him out. Was there freelancing? Probably not, just making more bad reads than anything.

After the 2nd Buffalo game, the Pats reached a breaking point and decided to make him part time until he redeveloped his consistency. Collins was not a locker room problem at all to that point, but I think the team made a projection as to what they thought would happen if they did that -- and they thought that Collins would start to ***** and moan for being benched during his big contract year, and that he had enough respect in the locker room that potential complaints could spill onto his teammates. The Pats were still only projecting - no actual issue had risen - but likely projecting based on past experience with other players (Adalius Thomas, Randy Moss) and their understanding of Collins' personality and locker room influence.

At that point they decided that it wasn't worth the risk. They felt it had to be all or nothing - either keep him as a starter, or if he wasn't going to be a full time starter, then he needed to be gone. So they quickly acted and got the best offer they could - which they thought was fair for someone they viewed as a part time player (and thus they certainly viewed as not being worth the required money for a contract extension). The fact that they could use the trade as "shock value" to the team on what happens when you are inconsistent was an added bonus.

All speculation, but it's my interpretation of what happened based on the reports.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

I can't tell what this tweet is trying to tell me. Are you saying he's settting in now or he's about to get traded?

Yes.

 

[Mike the Brit]

After reading various accounts afterwards, including Collins' interview earlier this summer in Cleveland, I've come to this conclusion (obviously could be very wrong).

Collins' performance was inconsistent. Not terrible, but bad enough that Mike Lombardi and others called him out. Was there freelancing? Probably not, just making more bad reads than anything.

After the 2nd Buffalo game, the Pats reached a breaking point and decided to make him part time until he redeveloped his consistency. Collins was not a locker room problem at all to that point, but I think the team made a projection as to what they thought would happen if they did that -- and they thought that Collins would start to ***** and moan for being benched during his big contract year, and that he had enough respect in the locker room that potential complaints could spill onto his teammates. The Pats were still only projecting - no actual issue had risen - but likely projecting based on past experience with other players (Adalius Thomas, Randy Moss) and their understanding of Collins' personality and locker room influence.

At that point they decided that it wasn't worth the risk. They felt it had to be all or nothing - either keep him as a starter, or if he wasn't going to be a full time starter, then he needed to be gone. So they quickly acted and got the best offer they could - which they thought was fair for someone they viewed as a part time player (and thus they certainly viewed as not being worth the required money for a contract extension). The fact that they could use the trade as "shock value" to the team on what happens when you are inconsistent was an added bonus.

All speculation, but it's my interpretation of what happened based on the reports.

This makes as much sense as anything, but the supposed example of Collins not doing what he should have done was the first play from scrimmage in the second Buffalo game. Not exactly a major whiff, and the sort of thing that happens when teams are still feeling each other out. And all the evidence is that JC was just the opposite of a locker-room loudmouth. Quiet but very determined would be the image I have. Certainly not "uncoachable".

Anyway, thanks for the thoughts. Next time Bill takes me out fishing on his boat, I'll make sure to ask him ...

 

[RobertWeathers]

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

He was due almost $3m as a 3rd stringer. It was pretty clear cut.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Sanders was woefully out of shape.

He was hurt too and the rumor was he lolly-gagged during his rehab

 

[sb1]

Could be a deliberate leak by the team to send a message to him. Hopefully he gets it and sticks around.

 

[Ring 6]

He was hurt too and the rumor was he lolly-gagged during his rehab

And reported badly out of shape.

 

[Ring 6]

Price has already reported that according to a source this is dubious.

 

[JMC00]

Source on Patriots gauging trade market for Kony Ealy: ‘Don’t think there’s anything to it’


Behind a paywall but here is someone basically refuting it

 

[RobertWeathers]

And reported badly out of shape.

I didnt know that part but I believe it. If he was hurt and not working hard to rehab then it would be very likely he was out of shape.

 

[BobDigital]

It wouldn't surprise me if this is true and they had no plans to trade for an impact DE and just picked guys up off the waiver wire and went with what they had.

Maybe they think Flowers, Wise, Guy, Hightower rotating outside is good enough. Also maybe they just think going with an overall larger more powerful DL that slowly collapses the pocket and clogs up run lanes is fine with the DBs they have.

I think part of BB's philosophy is pass rush is unreliable. Sometimes you get there and sometimes you don't. Sometimes you have games where your great pass rushers get nearly no pressure. Not to say you give up on it you just don't overly commit to having guys whose main skill set is that. Stopping the run however is more reliable and can be done fairly consistently.

While we say the run doesn't matter as much around here that is really only due to Brady. Brady is that rare QB you can throw 50 times, replace your running game with short passes and reliably win. Most other QBs if you take away their run game and force them to carry their team to victory without it and throw near or over 50 times fail. If they refuse to do that and keep running when it is not working to "protect" the QB you tend to face a lot of 3rd downs.

It would not surprise me if BB had this line of thinking.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Just checking in, have the Pats traded him for JJ Watt yet?

 

[RobertWeathers]

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

This is very confusing.

Hes been improving and just had a pretty decent pre-season game in which he did a good job setting the edge and had a handful of decent rushes.

If there is a shred of truth to this, I can only assume they are projecting him as...

1) Not 100% on board with the Patriot Way
2) Not continuing to learn this defense at the pace they need him to.
3) View other players on the roster or on another team as better fits for the role.

 

[varjao]

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?

If Sergio Brown was not back there playing safety we wouldn't have lost to the Giants in the regular season and they wouldn't have made the playoffs. Of course this is a big stretch but it is what it is.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

He was due almost $3m as a 3rd stringer. It was pretty clear cut.

Sergio Brown. Did you watch his play? OK let's say he was just the backup #2 to the starting FS.