The Ron Brace disaster

[Bostonian1962]

I'm going to tell you the same thing that every GM, Scout, and Personnel Director says. You can't judge a guy after just one season.

First, the Pats spent more time in 40 fronts and Nickle packages than they did in 30 fronts.

When Brace was out there, teams were doubling in all the time. Was he great? No. But he wasn't a horrible disaster either. He started against Buffalo and against Jacksonville. Fred Jackson had a good game with 80 yards on 16 carries, but Lynch didn't.. Jones-Drew was controlled and wasn't allowed to break the game open..

He's not even close to being a bust. He's a 2nd rounder who is learning how to play the position. Expecting him to push Wilfork out of the starting role is just pure ignorance.

I'm not trying to pick sides, because I like most of your posts. However, you want 2nd Round picks to be All Pros eventually. After one year of Brace, if I were betting on if he'd be an All Pro or a bust, I'd probably lay my money on bust. Too early to know for sure, but I'm just saying........................

 

[TheBaronPatriot]

Be prepared for the "he is only a 2nd year player,give him a chance" crowd in 5.....4.....3....2....1

Myron Pryor looked good as a rookie for the little he was out there but I see no Richard Seymour career ahead for him..you just have to wait and see

That Brady cat was pretty poor after his first year.
Too skinny, too slow, arm wasn't great.
We should have cut him.
If you don't contribute your rookie year = bust

Likewise, any rookie who starts off hot is destined for the hall of fame, hell... make the bust status now

 

[TheBaronPatriot]

Playing DT is not exactly mentally taxing. As Parcells said about it "It is not exactly rocket science." I doubt that there is much learning.

Clearly you've never played football a day in your life.
Have you? With pads, on a team?

Playing over the center requires learning that isn't like memorizing dates. It's body mechanics learning. Technique. Where to strike with your hands. How to react without thinking in various situations. What do you do if the Mike LB changes the call - what is your new responsibility? What happens if your man pulls? What do you do when you get double teamed? Triple teamed?

I guess all that's easy. O and you have under a second to react most of the time.

 

[PatsFanStnfrd]

The proof of the pudding will come this fall...

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

If it is true and he has toned up is body and been studying film we could be a huge difference this year. That would certainly be a unanticipated bonus and sort of create a log jam on the DL.

I apologize for the hyper-bole. It is just when I saw how poorly he played last year and the fact that BB seems to be stocking up on DL in the offseason I assumed the worse. He could be a pleasant surprise.

 

[tanked_as_usual]

That Brady cat was pretty poor after his first year.
Too skinny, too slow, arm wasn't great.
We should have cut him.
If you don't contribute your rookie year = bust

Likewise, any rookie who starts off hot is destined for the hall of fame, hell... make the bust status now

LMFAO at the brady comparison......brace is fat, slow, and weak......offseason OTA's may make him into a marginal backup someday, but figuring that the pats signed warren, lewis, and drafted 2 more guys is an ominous sign.

I understand the thinking on the draft day and the risk that went along with it, but the bottom line is that brace stinks.....case closed.....a marquise hill for the ages

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

Playing over the center requires learning that isn't like memorizing dates. It's body mechanics learning. Technique. Where to strike with your hands. How to react without thinking in various situations. What do you do if the Mike LB changes the call - what is your new responsibility? What happens if your man pulls? What do you do when you get double teamed? Triple teamed?

I guess all that's easy. O and you have under a second to react most of the time.

Possible but Pryor did not have much trouble picking it up. Maybe Pryor is a Rhode Scholar or maybe he was just a much faster and stronger. Certainly faster. Brace may eventually get pumped up and shed his girly-man body; he certainly has the frame to be enormous. Also he may be too much of a gentle giant to be much of a DT (maybe I will tick him off enough to get PO'ed).

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

I am still trying to figure out how BB whiffed on this guy. He is usually really really good at picking the DL. Was it a panic move to get leverage or insurance on Vince; i.e. was it forced on him by the bean counters?

WOW............. One day, when they look back and finally determine the this site has jumped the shark....... They will likely point to threads like this as the reason.




Jesus, we even gave CJ a couple seasons before labeling him a "disaster". Hyperbole much?????

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

LMFAO at the brady comparison......brace is fat, slow, and weak......offseason OTA's may make him into a marginal backup someday, but figuring that the pats signed warren, lewis, and drafted 2 more guys is an ominous sign.

I understand the thinking on the draft day and the risk that went along with it, but the bottom line is that brace stinks.....case closed.....a marquise hill for the ages

Totally classless reference of a dead guy from a totally classless poster. Don't we ever take out the trash around here anymore?

 

[The Coon]

Agreed. No need to mention Marquise Hill in this thread. You stay classy Tanked.

 

[IcyPatriot]

I understand the thinking on the draft day and the risk that went along with it, but the bottom line is that brace stinks.....case closed.....a marquise hill for the ages

You definitely need a mulligan on that one Tanked.

RIP Marquise a good football player and a great person.

 

[Seels]

LMFAO at the brady comparison......brace is fat, slow, and weak......offseason OTA's may make him into a marginal backup someday, but figuring that the pats signed warren, lewis, and drafted 2 more guys is an ominous sign.

I understand the thinking on the draft day and the risk that went along with it, but the bottom line is that brace stinks.....case closed.....a marquise hill for the ages

Wow. This is just stupid. So since the Pats signed a couple guys that will likely never make the 53, and because they spent a few 7th round picks it's an ominous sign?

This post is an ominous sign that your gimmick sucks.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

Wow. This is just stupid. So since the Pats signed a couple guys that will likely never make the 53, and because they spent a few 7th round picks it's an ominous sign?

This post is an ominous sign that your gimmick sucks.

Now now let's be civil. There are legit concerns about Brace and the Patriots would not have signed a goon like Warren if they were not concerned. Producing nothing in his first season and not being able to beat out Pryor means he was a flop his first year; no question about that. Whether he can turn it around this season is an open question but there are signs he can.

 

[DaBruinz]

Now now let's be civil. There are legit concerns about Brace and the Patriots would not have signed a goon like Warren if they were not concerned. Producing nothing in his first season and not being able to beat out Pryor means he was a flop his first year; no question about that. Whether he can turn it around this season is an open question but there are signs he can.

Gerard Warren isn't a NT. He's a DE in the 3-4.. One has nothing to do with the other.

 

[wockenbauss]

Be prepared for the "he is only a 2nd year player,give him a chance" crowd in 5.....4.....3....2....1

I've heard it said.... if they don't bite as puppies, they usually don't bite.

 

[eagle eye]

How is this diabolical thread still going?

 

[IcyPatriot]

How is this diabolical thread still going?

It will meander along through the boredom up to the next mini camp.

It will drop a page or two and then it will resurface in early to mid July when the news really dries up.

Right around July 30th give or take a day it will die until pre-season and then appear sporadically after that.

 

[fester]

I'm not trying to pick sides, because I like most of your posts. However, you want 2nd Round picks to be All Pros eventually. After one year of Brace, if I were betting on if he'd be an All Pro or a bust, I'd probably lay my money on bust. Too early to know for sure, but I'm just saying........................

That is an unrealistic standard [2nd Rounders becoming All-Pros]. There are 44 All-Pro position players per year. The average NFL career is 4 years, although the average career for a player who made All-Pro at least once is most likely significantly more than 4 years. Let's call it 8 years. Using your standard and the assumption that 1st rounders are expected to perform at or above the level of the 2nd rounders who should be All-Pros, then a team that drafted perfectly could have up to 16 All-Pro players on its roster or more unrealistically, 10 to 12 (some rookies, some old but valuable vets etc) All-Pro Players. That can't happen with the salary cap.

The more realistic expectation of the 2nd rounders are Plus Starters to marginal Pro-Bowlers. You always hope that the 2nd rounder turns into an All-Pro, but that is an unrealistic evaluation level to decide if a team got a good player for the value of the pick.

 

[captain stone]

Rumor is Cliff Avril is on the block. Brace for Avril? 5.5 sacks and 3 PDF. Have Brace playing next to Suh with Vanden Bosch with Hunter and Sammy Lee Hill in a rotation and Brace would excel.

DW Toys

I would make that trade in less than a heartbeat.

If Gerard Warren plays in TC as if he cares about having a career, then we have Wilfork's backup. Brace then becomes superfluous. Meanwhile, thanks to Bill's negligence on draft weekend - again - regarding correcting the laughingstock disaster that is our OLB group, there might be an opportunity to fill a position of weakness by dealing from a position of strength.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

So did our friend Ron Brace fail the conditioning run?

I don't know but since he is not on the field and working out with the conditioning crew I have to wonder.