With health: The Defensive Front Seven Rotation and Backups

[mgteich]

I would argue that we need 12 position players on the defensive front, the eleven listed plus a DT backup in addition to Easley. For me that man is Siliga if he is healthy. We need a wide body. It is also a "lock" that we have 2 additional backups. After that, there are no real needs at all.

THE ELEVEN PLUS ONE OPENING
If all are healthy, it seems that the following will get the vast majority of reps
DE - Ninkovich, Jones, Smith, Buchanan
DT - Wilfork, Kelly, Easley, ???? (Siliga if he is able)
LB - Mayo, Hightower, Collins, Anderson

LOOKING FOR THE NEXT 2-4 ROSTER SPOTS
What are the priorities? Given the need for roster spots and the position flexibility of these players, how many additional front seven should we keep? What should be the priorities?

MY PRIORITIES
1) an all around backup DL (Vellano, Jones or Worthy)
2) a LB/STer (Beauharnais, White or Fleming)

BOTTOM LINE
I am fine with only 14 front seven players. HOWEVER, I am also fine with adding a 10th DL and/or a 6th LB/STer (who competes with safeties for this position). So, we have 18 good choices for 14-16 roster spots. That awesome! That doesn't even count competitors for the Practice Squad competitors: Moore, Forston, Gordon, Davis, Tuipoluotu and Bequette.

I find it likely that one of the defensive linemen will make the 53 and then be placed on the IR Return List. So, 16 on the 53, being reduced to 15 the next day seems right.

 

[jmt57]

From everything that I have seen and the training camp reports that I have been been reading, it is not at all a given that Will Smith will make the roster.

I don't know who the third defensive end will be, but I would hesitate to include Smith in that first group.

 

[BobDigital]

Hard to say what will happen.

So far in camp BB has played a lot of 3-4. This could mean something or mean nothing.

If BB plans to play some 3-4 in the regular season though I could easily see 6 DTs making it as Nink & Jones are too small for that 3-4 DE roll.

Right now I would say your best players/highest upside are.

DT: Wilfork Kelly Siliga Jones Easley Worthy* (he did well the limited amount of time the media saw him)
DE/elephant LB: Jones Nink
LB: Mayo Collins Hightower Anderson* (Anderson has been doing better recently I hear)

Right now those are all guys I keep (12 total) which leaves room for 3-4 more spots.

However those spots aside it is clear to me that to get the most talent on the field at one time you probably want to run a 3-4 at least on occasion as DT is so deep and many of our DTs can play 3-4 DE.

Also this would help partially solve the backup DE probably as Hightower/Collins could do well in the outside OLB spot if used right (Hightower mostly just to rush the passer and Collins for both pass rush and coverage). Also I would feel better about one of them on the field in place of Smith or Buchanan at this point cause neither have shown much.

Assuming though you keep 2 more LBs for pure STs (Fleming and White) and with Easley able to do some DE and the 3-4 possible subbing in of Hightower/Collins to spell Jones/Nink you could easily get by only carrying 1 other true DE. Right now id go with Buchanan but would try to work around playing him provided Jones/Nink get enough rest some other way.

 

[Ring 6]

I would argue that we need 12 position players on the defensive front, the eleven listed plus a DT backup in addition to Easley. For me that man is Siliga if he is healthy. We need a wide body. It is also a "lock" that we have 2 additional backups. After that, there are no real needs at all.

THE ELEVEN PLUS ONE OPENING
If all are healthy, it seems that the following will get the vast majority of reps
DE - Ninkovich, Jones, Smith, Buchanan
DT - Wilfork, Kelly, Easley, ???? (Siliga if he is able)
LB - Mayo, Hightower, Collins, Anderson

LOOKING FOR THE NEXT 2-4 ROSTER SPOTS
What are the priorities. Given the need for roster spots and the position flexibility of these players, how many additional front seven should we keep? What should be the priorities?

MY PRIORITIES
1) an all around backup DL (Vellano, Jones or Worthy)
2) a LB/STer (Beauharnais, White or Fleming)

BOTTOM LINE
I am fine with only 14 front seven players. HOWEVER, I am also fine with adding a 10th DL and/or a 6th LB/STer (who competes with safeties for this position). So, we have 18 good choices for 14-16 roster spots. That awesome! That doesn't even count competitors for the Practice Squad competitors: Moore, Forston, Gordon, Davis, Tuipoluotu and Bequette.

I find it likely that one of the defensive linemen will make the 53 and then be placed on the IR Return List. So, 16 on the 53, being reduced to 15 the next day seems right.

I agree on the 4 DEs, and I think those will be the only 4.
At DT I think there are 5 guys who deserve to make the team, 6 if you include Worthy, 7 if you include Vellano. Wilfork, Kelly, Easley, Jones, Siliga. I don't think we should keep more than 5. Perhaps we will trade one away?

At LB after the first 4, who knows? I'm think we keep 2, and I'd guess they are 2 of the 3 you listed.

 

[mgteich]

The DT situation is in the interesting one. As you say, we have 7 that deserve a roster spot, and right number is 5. I would note that 2 of our top 5 are injured (C. Jones and Siliga).

Possibilities include

1) One of the DT's could be traded, as you suggest,
2) one could be put on the IR return List,
3) one or two could cut hoping to land them on the Practice Squad (Vellano and/or Worthy), and/or
4) we could keep 6 DT's, given the injury situation now and the potential ones in the future.

Personally, I suspect that Jones or Siliga will be on the IR Return List. I also believe that Vellano is one of the best 53 for this team. For me, the question mark is Worthy. I could see keeping him at the 10th DL. I could also see waiving him, hoping to sign him to a full rookie PS contract.

In the end, Belichick did his job. As of January, almost everyone was panicked about our lack of death at DT. Now we have 7 deserving players at DT, allowing us to cut an occasional roster player from the last two years (Forston).

 

[PatFanCraig]

Will Smith was a lock but I think Buchanan has shown some hustle and finds the football

 

[mgteich]

Will Smith was a lock but I think Buchanan has shown some hustle and finds the football

There is plenty of room for our #3 DE AND our #4 DE.

 

[JackBauer]

It's tough to discern whether Smith is done or whether he's just taking the wily veteran approach to the preseason.