What is our plan for ILB?

[Real fan 02]

If Spillane is your best linebacker, you need more linebackers.

I get they don't seem to value the position much, and that's a choice, and makes sense in the scheme, but I just see them getting eaten alive by checkdown merchants.

The strength of our D is the Defensive line and the secondary.. Spillane is a great leader, general of the defense. LB's are the clean up guys.. while I wish we could have a Fred Warner those as those types of guys are generational talents.. I'm sure Vrabel knows he needs a little more at LB although the guys we have
now are solid.

 

[mgteich]

It's tough to say.. because we truly never know what a coach is thinking. Guys go down, injuries, retirement, ect, ect..so now is the roster elevation time.. post draft- to training camp.

I like Gregory. We have a handful of guys that csn fulfill Tonga role. Vrabel has a 90 man roster to evaluate over the the next 3 months..

Please list all our roster players over 320, about the right weight for Tonga's NT role.

I do believe that Gregory will ask to gain some weight from his current 319.

 

[Wozzy]

If Spillane is your best linebacker, you need more linebackers.

I get they don't seem to value the position much, and that's a choice, and makes sense in the scheme, but I just see them getting eaten alive by checkdown merchants.

I don’t get how they can have terrible players and be one of the top units in the league. It’s an enigma.

 

[DaBruinz]

Judging from comments here people are really really concerned about a defense that for 3/4"s of the regular season ranked #1 in run defense and yards per carry and it's a real concern. When Spillane and all the defensive front players were healthy, this was the best run defense in the NFL.

And people here keep suggesting Ellis and Spillane weren't good in coverage. Be more specific... when Ellis was in man coverage on TE's, he was great at it. But team zone coverages were crap because they were often out of spot or in the wrong zone entirely. This was true in the backfield also, where we had arguably the best CB trio in the league.

Yes. Elliss was so great that opposing QBs were 37 for 42 for an 88.1% completion rate. Spillane was marginally better at 63 of 74..

NEITHER is good in the passing game.

Feel free to go game by game and point out all the times they were in Man Coverage and what the results were.

 

[DaBruinz]

Thank you for posting this. It shows what I said. So many completed passes and 1st downs allowed. So many stops after 5+ yards.

Many people made silly evaluations last year when this team was coming off a disappointing 4 win season… like “Ellis is bad.”

Now it’s easier I guess to double down on a dumb take than admit they were wrong when he was a starter on one of the best defenses in the NFL and in the postseason.

Go and watch the video. A player can be BAD and still make plays. Hence, Ellis allowing 88% completions and not stopping many behind the LOS. Hitting many of the wrong holes against the run while OTHER players actually make the plays. Look at the video. Look at all the plays made well beyond the LOS.

 

[Wozzy]

Thank you for posting this. It shows what I said. So many completed passes and 1st downs allowed. So many stops after 5+ yards.


Go and watch the video. A player can be BAD and still make plays. Hence, Ellis allowing 88% completions and not stopping many behind the LOS. Hitting many of the wrong holes against the run while OTHER players actually make the plays. Look at the video. Look at all the plays made well beyond the LOS.

The Patriots D ended the season 9th in points allowed. Prior to the spate of injuries in the final quarter of the season they were ranging between 2nd and 4th in points allowed.

In the playoffs they reverted back to one of the best defenses in the NFL, they led the postseason in points allowed, sacks, forced turnovers and 2nd fewest yards…. per game.

This despite carrying an offense that stunk the joint up, 11th worst PPG, tied for first in turnovers… crap.

So your notion that one of the best defenses in the NFL was doing this despite starting LB Ellis being terrible, and your evidence for this is something only you can see on video highlights, is a laugh riot.