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PatsFans.com Retired Jersey Club
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I think these are both decent pickups for NE in that they fit their scheme more than Chicago, and neither being asked to be big-time playmakers, just learn your job kinda thing because if High and Collins are healthy these guys are largely only seeing garbage time anyhow.
But let's not kid ourselves, though they may have been miscast in Chicago, neither of them were good there either. The 2013 and 2014 Bears were horrifically bad defensive teams for a lot of reasons but the failure of these two players to really distinguish themselves wasn't from lack of opportunity (a la Vrabel, Nink, other guys who have been brought up as comparisons). They both played a lot. And if they had been better, there'd have been a bigger asking price for both, whether via trade or FA. Hopefully NE is going to benefit big from the mismatched, jumble**** of a situation that Chicago's GM/coach thing has been the past 4 years and these guys are steals that come with playing experience to boot, but right now that's way more anecdotal based on size/speed than it is based on anything they've really demonstrated consistently on the field.
hicks was riding the bench for a bad defense......branch was not wanted by the bills....ninkovich was useless with the vikings.....there are no guarantees, but the guys who show up to play figure out a way to make a difference....they were both highly regarded enough to be 1st or 2nd round picks.....both were subjected to yearly changes at DC and changes to the scheme
there's plenty of reason to be hopeful these guys turn out to be solid starters/contributors.....with hightower and collins, solid will be plenty good.....I think they're both better than freeny