Where Will Shea McClellin Fit in the Patriots Defense?

[203Pat]

Is this the same message board that thinks that we should franchise Collins at $14M?

Is that really his tag number? No way he plays a season at that number.

 

[1960Pats]

Thanks for coming over to get your stray. We appreciate it.

Who is we?

 

[rkarp1]

Your certainty is compelling. Daggumit, another poor Pats signing.
Please send this tape to the Pats coaching staff so they can lower their expectations about his probably role.

well that's the point. what is his probably role? what we saw in Chicago was not compelling, right? will he have a different role here? isn't the assumption that High and Collins do get done here, and that McClellan fills a complimentary role? what has anyone seen from McClellan so far that is complimentary?

 

[AzorianPats]

RKrap is not one to use logic. He wants so badly to be able to talk football with the big boys, but he never played the sport and knows very little about it.

I remember on the Globe board people mocking Ninkovich 3 years ago and he and his buddies mocked Edelman, referring to the latter as Edelwoman.

No joke.

They're sick.

If you look at Vrabel's stats and then Nink's, you'll be shocked to see Nink's are as good or better in spots. Throw in the idea Vrabel played in an easier era for defenders, and Nink is every bit as good as Vrabel was here.

McClellin certainly has a good chance to excel here too. BB loves the cerebral player, especially at LB.

There's a lot of similarities between Vrabel and Ninkovich, but Ninkovich to me always been an edge guy.

Vrabel was a great OLB, but I remember him being just as good at ILB the year Bruschi missed time with a stroke, and the disastrous signing of Monti Biesel.

I see McClellan being used similar as Vrabel and Ayers were.

 

[AzorianPats]

Outside pass rushers are paid more.

Consider what you saying. Your fine with paying Hightower $50M, say
$15M bonus, $2M, $3M, $4M, $12M, $14M salaries. You could add a million year and make the deal $55M.
Under the $55M deal, Hightower would bring home $27M over the first 3 years.

And you ask why we would pay Collins $3M more when you would franchise him and pay his $14M. Jew much would his next contract. Let us say $22M for 2 years. Collins would end up with $3M more a year than Hightower.
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I like Hightower. I'd be fine with paying him $50M or $55M over 5 years. And we might very well get him at those numbers. However, as we all seem to understand, Collins will cost more. Paying $14M is huge premium if he is worth 5/$50M or 5/$55M.

I don't view Collins as an outside pass rusher though. He's an off the line linebacker. At least as of now

Collins and Hightower are equal at rushing the passer. High better at stopping the run, Collins is better in pass coverage. Hightower does more the dirty work, Collins is the better play maker.

At the end of the day you find a way to keep them both. They're the Brady and Gronk of the defense.

 

[Ivan]

Outside pass rushers are paid more.

Consider what you saying. Your fine with paying Hightower $50M, say
$15M bonus, $2M, $3M, $4M, $12M, $14M salaries. You could add a million year and make the deal $55M.
Under the $55M deal, Hightower would bring home $27M over the first 3 years.

And you ask why we would pay Collins $3M more when you would franchise him and pay his $14M. Jew much would his next contract. Let us say $22M for 2 years. Collins would end up with $3M more a year than Hightower.
============
I like Hightower. I'd be fine with paying him $50M or $55M over 5 years. And we might very well get him at those numbers. However, as we all seem to understand, Collins will cost more. Paying $14M is huge premium if he is worth 5/$50M or 5/$55M.

Both players can play inside or out although I agree Collins is more of an outside LB. I also agree that edge rushers get more than inside LBs however imo Hightower is a better all around player. I would like to see both signed in the 50-60/5 range and don't believe they will go much higher for either. As far as the tag goes Belichick has overpaid for a season before when he believed he needed a year to sign or replace them Welker and Revis are examples of this, Welker being the better example as Belichick tried to sign Amendola as a RFA and then paid Welker almost 10 million for one season when he saw his real value as considerably lower. If Collins is demanding 70 million I could see Belichick tagging him for one season and then letting him walk after 2017.

Imo Hightower will be easier to sign than Collins but that's just a guess. The best case scenario would be to sign both in the 50-60/5 range and then try to get Butler signed in 2017.

 

[mgteich]

Both players can play inside or out although I agree Collins is more of an outside LB. I also agree that edge rushers get more than inside LBs however imo Hightower is a better all around player. I would like to see both signed in the 50-60/5 range and don't believe they will go much higher for either. As far as the tag goes Belichick has overpaid for a season before when he believed he needed a year to sign or replace them Welker and Revis are examples of this, Welker being the better example as Belichick tried to sign Amendola as a RFA and then paid Welker almost 10 million for one season when he saw his real value as considerably lower. If Collins is demanding 70 million I could see Belichick tagging him for one season and then letting him walk after 2017.

Imo Hightower will be easier to sign than Collins but that's just a guess. The best case scenario would be to sign both in the 50-60/5 range and then try to get Butler signed in 2017.

I would think that there is better use for $14M of cap money. I think it more likely that we sign a LB from another team to replace Collins, and use the rest of the cap money for other purposes.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

There's a lot of similarities between Vrabel and Ninkovich, but Ninkovich to me always been an edge guy.

Vrabel was a great OLB, but I remember him being just as good at ILB the year Bruschi missed time with a stroke, and the disastrous signing of Monti Biesel.

I see McClellan being used similar as Vrabel and Ayers were.

The problem was not Beisel being signed, per se, but the Patriots being forced to use him in a way he was not intended to be used . . . combined with the ineptitude of Ratgini's "bend and then break" defense.

 

[Ivan]

I would think that there is better use for $14M of cap money. I think it more likely that we sign a LB from another team to replace Collins, and use the rest of the cap money for other purposes.

Depends upon how vital Belichick feels he is to their success but that wouldn't surprise me

 

[captain stone]

…But perhaps the most intriguing signing was LB Shea McClellin. Because there exists a big question on just how the team plans on utilizing his strengths....

What strengths?

 

[RayClay]

I would think that there is better use for $14M of cap money. I think it more likely that we sign a LB from another team to replace Collins, and use the rest of the cap money for other purposes.

How could we afford a linebacker that was near good enough to replace Collins?

 

[RayClay]

The problem was not Beisel being signed, per se, but the Patriots being forced to use him in a way he was not intended to be used

You mean as a linebacker, or just as someone who is expected to tackle people?

 

[mgteich]

How could we afford a linebacker that was near good enough to replace Collins?

??

If we can afford Collins, we can afford to replace him.

 

[RayClay]

??

If we can afford Collins, we can afford to replace him.

With a robot?

 

[RobertWeathers]

You mean as a linebacker, or just as someone who is expected to tackle people?

Gawd. They tried Beisel all over at LB and DE and he struggled with learning the defense everywhere. Horrible at the point of attack.

 

[AzorianPats]

With a robot?

Id love to know who available would be able to replace Collins.

 

[Kontradiction]

Id love to know who available would be able to replace Collins.

Nobody. The guy is arguably the most athletic LB in the NFL.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

You mean as a linebacker, or just as someone who is expected to tackle people?

I meant as depth rather than as a starter.

 

[pats_premi]

I think Shea McClellin fits into the same role as Akeem Ayers, i.e. situational pass rusher.

 

[Ivan]

Nobody. The guy is arguably the most athletic LB in the NFL.

I agree but he still hasn't had a season where he dominates the competition. Hopefully this season is it. Belichick doesn't mind playing great players big money but he hates paying it to players who are really good but think they are all world. If Collins wants over 12 million a season he is going to have to, play like Lawrence Taylor this season to get it. Playing like Roosevelt Colvin won't get it done.