I think it's time to put a moratorium on phrases like "we didn't look for help regarding our pass rush issues". What you really mean is that NE didn't draft an OLB.
Frankly, in the game that sticks in people's craws, NE's LB coverage, DL health and nickle coverage were the real problems, not the OLBs. Getting some semblence of health on the DL and taking Chung off the NB will do wonders for the pass rush, much more than any rookie OLB was going to do. Frankly, simple improvement and comfort in the system by the guys already here will do much more than any OLB was going provide.
And that ignores the fact that NE did, in fact, select an OLB will equal or better athletic numbers to any of the available OLBs, as well as more experience dropping into coverage than most of them. Sure, he played against some lousy competition, but when you are going for an OLB convert, tape isn't quite as helpful because most of them didn't do what you are going to ask them to do. And history shows that Carter has as much a chance as any top pick has of making his mark on the team (read: not much).
You would feel better of they selected an OLB. That's great. But to say they haven't done anything to address the pass rush issues is very short-sighted.
