Tag: Mike Pennel

Joey B. and Mattes Chop It Up About the Patriots’ Chopping Block

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Joey B: Ok Mattes, here we are.

To kick this off. Who do you see, Good performance or not, off the Pats roster after this game?

Mattes: Brian Hoyer. While a lot of people may be averse to placing so much confidence in the preseason play of a rookie QB, the fact is that Jarrett Stidham has looked pretty sharp. This is also a kid who was once viewed as a first- or second-round pick before a “down” season at Auburn last year. And above all, there are too many other depth questions at other positions throughout the roster to keep three QBs – something, by the way, that Belichick has done only TWICE in the past decade. It would just be straight foolish. I’d much rather keep an extra WR or DL than keep a mediocre-at-best backup QB who may never even need to see the field. I’d actually be pretty pissed if they do keep Hoyer. There’s no reason for him to be here anymore.

Joey B:  Agreed 100% on Hoyer. My only caveat would be I could see them keeping until after final cuts, which gives him less of a chance of getting snatched up right away and us a better chance of resigning him should something to Stidham or….I’m not saying his name.

I personally think it’s curtains for Duke Dawson. Despite his size and balls skills he just never has been able to actually cover anyone. Much like your stance on Hoyer, why keep an extra player here when we could use depth somewhere else.

You mentioned the WR group. Give me your 5 and 6 man versions of our corps after this week. Who stays and who goes?

Mattes: I agree; I don’t expect them to cut Hoyer tomorrow. In fact, I could see them trying to trade him to someone first. (Maybe the Colts?? I mean, they already have one former Pats backup QB, so why not another?) And I totally agree on Dawson, too. He was a real talented kid coming out of Florida, but injuries set him back pretty far, and there is just too much talent and depth at the corner position otherwise. Especially with guys like Jonathan Jones and Keion Crossen (one of my guys I said to watch in camp this year) playing so well – not to mention rookie JoeJuan Williams – I just don’t see how Dawson makes the final cut.

My prediction for the final group at wide receiver is as follows: Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, N’Keal Harry, Phillip Dorsett, Jakobi Meyers, and Demaryius Thomas. Some may be surprised to see Thomas, who just got back onto the field this week, make the roster, but apparently the team loves him. He’s a great veteran influence in a very young/inexperienced group outside of Jules, and I think they want to see if the former perennial Pro Bowler still has something left in the tank before cutting bait. Also, people might be shocked to see Berrios not make the cut. To be honest, though, he really hasn’t done much to stand out this summer, and there are even reports that he’s struggled mightily in terms of getting past coverage and muscling through defenders in practice. He’s displayed some solid punt-return ability, but to this point he’s not really proven why he’s any more special than any other “slot guy with potential” throughout the league. Hopefully the Pats get lucky and can slide him to the practice squad, because there’s some potential there. But I don’t think he’s quite NFL ready yet.

Joey B: No arguments here, I don’t think Berrios makes it either. He just hasn’t panned out plain and simple. Also, am I wrong in remembering he has actually muffed a punt or two aside from his decent returning resume so far?

The only threat to Thomas might be Gunner Olszewski. the team seems high on the kid and he has that “scrappiness” they like. If they don’t keep him then definitely expect them to try and stash him on the practice squad.

The other overload of players I see us having is on the D-Line. Any surprising stayers or goers there?

Mattes: I just can’t see Olszewski making the cut. He’s a cool story, but he’s a flash in the pan. Maybe he’s another one who can sneak onto the P-squad or something.

And there aren’t really any big surprise cuts that I’m expecting. I would’ve said Duron Harmon, because while he has been a solid role player in the secondary for years, I think he’s hit his ceiling and perhaps the staff might’ve been willing to try and get some more young talent on the roster. Further, I think newcomer Terrence Brooks has already won the staff over, and he’s a special teams stud. However, with the whole Pat Chung situation, I think Harmon is pretty much a lock to make the team now.

One surprise roster “make,” though, is DT Byron Cowart. Cowart is a former five-star recruit who the team drafted in the fifth round out of Maryland this year. Due to being misused by the coaching staff and other “issues,” he slipped a bit in the draft, but he has been a monster this summer. He really broke out against the Titans in the second preseason game, and scouts around the league are saying the Pats might have nabbed one of the biggest steals of the draft with him. Especially after the team cut bait with Mike Pennel last week, I’m excited to see what this Cowart kid could do with this opportunity.

Joey B: Hmm Harmon would be a surprise. He’s just always been rock solid and I think between him and the snaps J.McCourty has seen at Safety the Pats have any Chung absence covered. I can’t see them entrusting a newcomer like Brooks with the magnitude of Chung’s role.

Cowart has indeed been a stud. He might take Derek Rivers spot which is kind of a shame considering his promise coming out.

I kicked this thought around with Friend Of The Blog, Patty B., but I think Phillip Dorsett could be a surprise cut. I have no tangible evidence to support this, but Dorsett has always been a “one or two big plays” guy rather than a steady presence and so I wouldn’t be completely shocked if the Pats lets him go in favor of one of the young guns. I hope not though.

Either way things are going to get interesting over the next week. Hold onto ya butts.

 

 

 

 

One Foot in and One Foot Out: Patriots to Watch in the Third Preseason Game

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Patriots.com – The Patriots will square off this Thursday against the Carolina Panthers in a preseason Week 3 matchup for the fifth time in the last six years and for the second straight season. The Patriots played at Carolina last season, a 25-14 loss.

Week 3 of the preseason is often called the “dress rehearsal” for the regular season. It is where a lot of projected starters play for extended periods of time, most notably the Quarterback, and where we get a real glimpse into who could start Week 1.

Beyond that, based on this game we could also infer, both via playing time and whether or not they play at all, who is on the verge of making the Patriots roster and, well, who isn’t. So besides seeing two solid quarters of Tom Brady under center before he mayyyybe comes out for a hand off next week, there will be some drama unfolding Thursday night as we can attempt to read into who is playing what match ups and when and what is says about their chances to be on the squad this year.

Lets take a look at a few of those guys who have both made strides and fell behind in their quest to play home games in the Greater Providence area this fall.

Well, The Winters Are Cold Here Anyway

Duke Dawson – Like a budding summer romance, I still remember the elation in the wordsmithing of all the sportswriters who championed the Patriots’ pick of the Florida Gator last fall.  What a steal in the second round. He’s fast, he has a nose for the ball, and like any Belichick corner he can tackle. Well, so far really all we’ve been able to deduce is that he can get burnt like toast. Throw that in the pot with the revelation of Jonathan Jones and J.C Jackson and the drafting and then development of Joejuan Williams this spring, stir it up, bake it, and what comes out are Duke Dawson left out cupcakes. with all of that said, The Pats are known to make a surprising move or two every camp, and Belichick has shown a hesitance to cut his early picks so soon (Chad Jackson got two years on the squad. Chad. Jackson).

What to look for – If Dawson does see legitimate action against Carolina then it’s possible The Pats will keep him and jettison Jason McCourty, who has had a weird summer (we’ll get to that). If he doesn’t play much at all or sparingly it means that thanks to his pedigree and draft position that Belichick and Co are most likely fishing for a trade partner. If he is indeed relegated to mop up duty then well, it is simply the end of the road for one of our three alliteral cornerbacks.

Braxton Berrios – The feet Berrios was given for hands aside, you can’t help but kind of feel for the other second year player on this list. First, he came in with fans and media speculating, probably incorrectly, that he was the heir apparent to Julian Edelman. Just a true blue NFL legend and now Super Bowl MVP, no big deal. Then he tore his Achilles and missed all of his first year, a huge blow for a guy transitioning to the pros with such expectations on his shoulders. Finally this year, when he was supposed to come into training camp with a clean slate and work his way onto the depth chart, UDFA rookie WR Jakobi Meyers came out of the woodwork to become the star of the Patriots’ summer (more on him later). So let’s assume Edelman (1), captain clutch Philip Dorsett (2), and 1st Rounder N’Keal Harry (3) are locks. Let’s also say that the team is at least going to give Demariyus Thomas (4) a shot in the next two weeks considering they’ve kept him thus far. If Meyers (5) crushes it in preseason game three then that leaves, usually, one more slot (6). Berrios is going to have to battle journeyman Maurice Harris, a converted CB named Gunner Olszewski, and a couple of other unknowns for the last spot. That’s also assuming we keep six WRs out of camp, which we may not. Tough going for a guy we had high hopes for at one point. But hey, there is always what I mentioned before about Belichick giving his high picks every chance to shine.

What to look for – Simply put if we don’t see Berrios in the slot for any meaningful downs when Brady is on the field then that is probably it. With that said, if he goes on to get fed later in the game then it could just be he’s penciled in as WR #6 and the team didn’t want to waste meaningful TB12 reps on him.

Mike Pennel – Pennel had some substance abuse issues (I’m guessing weed) a few years back but otherwise has been a quite solid, stout DT for the Jets and Packers. So it has been a big disappointment that he has been outplayed, and thoroughly, by Byron Cowart and at other times by David Parry. This one is the hardest to predict as Belichick prefers his DTs meaty and Pennel really fits that bill (wink nudge). Still, my guess is his seat is getting a bit hot.

What to look for – Pennel to make a play, plain and simple. Maybe more than one. If he gets dominated at the line and pulled that could be it for him in New England.
What….Are You?

Derek Rivers – Another once highly celebrated pick who missed his rookie year with an injury. Once labelled a steal, Rivers has yet to make good on the promise he flashed. This preseason he has been moved off the line a bit as the Pats are possibly going to show a lot more 3-4 fronts. Early reports on his performance were good but now Rivers is hurt again. All indications are that he’ll probably make the back end of the Pats LB rotation but it may be hard to justify since he never, you know, plays.

What to look for – Tough call considering Rivers might not play due to the aforementioned injury suffered against the Titans. What that translates to is that I gueeeesss if we see guys at the dead back of the group like Munson getting a lot of snaps it could mean they are saving a seat for Rivers. If he plays, he better see some quality first half time and hear his name called.

Jason McCourty – For the second year in a row it seems like McCourty is fighting for his spot. Last year there was speculation he’d be cut before becoming a damn good CB during the Pats Super Bowl run. But the more things change, the more they stay the same and with the emergence of both J.C Jackson and Jonathan Jones, McCourty seems to be on uneasy footing, even getting a look at Safety to see if there is anything there. That said, I don’t think his spot is in jeopardy. Although this is the strongest group of corners I can remember the team having. McCourty’s veteran presence and ability to play more than one spot should keep him employed.

What to look for – If he indeed sees some significant snaps at safety, even later in the game, my eyebrows may threaten to rise. Same if he sees next to none at CB. Those extremes aside, McCourty should be fine.

On The Bright Side

Jakobi Meyers – ::Bigggg exhale:: Folks there was a training camp not so far back where an unheralded, unheard of rookie made plays all over the field and made us fans think we’d found a steal. Another Brady-esque diamond in the rough. His name was Zach Sudfeld, and he was nicknamed “Mini-Gronk”, a reference to his All-Everything counterpart in the Tight End room (despite being the taller of the two). Sudfeld indeed had a hell of a summer. And then was cut. He had a cup of coffee with the Jets and probably one or two more teams before never being heard from again. Such is preseason. So I am REALLY trying not to get onto this Meyers bandwagon only to get my heart broken. I probably look like a BFI employee hanging off the garbage truck. But man has he looked good. He’s just a “football player”. Great hands, great routes, even seems to have built a rapport with Brady. I’ll stop here.

What to look for – Big snaps and a big performance with the 1’s means he’s in. Anything else I REALLY DON’T FUCKING KNOW.

Damien Harris – For all the talent the Pats have at RB we don’t really have a true rock toter behind Sony Michel, who himself can be scheduled to miss a few games per year. Therefore, Harris could become our true #2, seeing 12ish touches per contest. The huge question mark is whose touches is he taking? My guess? The more expensive and oft-injured Rex Burkhead, who although I did not write up here, may be on his way out. Anyway, Harris has shown impressive vision among other things this preseason.

What to look for – If the kid just goes out and has some fun he could lock up the back up spot, starting when Michel is hurt (which I don’t wish for but come on).

Chase Winovich – Another rookie. Despite being a high selection Winovich was immediately declared a developmental prospect and kind of a tweener. Guess what? The Pats love tweeners. Since he put on pads all “Wino” has done is spend so much time in opposing backfields he has forgotten which team he plays for. With Rivers hurt, Michael Bennett probably on some sort of “pitch count”, and the Pats love of switching up looks, Winovich probably should plan to play a lot.

What to look for – I dunno just a crack a beer and enjoy man. Kid is a lot of fun to watch.

 

Top Storylines to Know Through Week 1 of Patriots Training Camp 2019

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Image result for patriots training camp

It’s officially been one week since the Patriots’ first training camp practice of 2019. That also means we’re now officially only one week away from the team’s first preseason game! (And for those who need something in the meantime, the Broncos and Falcons are set to square off tonight in the annual Hall of Fame Game! Yes. As in this very evening. Esta noche. TONIGHT! Football is officially back, my friends.)

With so many practices and so many different players fighting for one of only 53 spots, it’s been tough to keep up with the flurry of news and notes that have been coming out of Foxborough over the past seven days. Last week, we gave you a quick rundown of the team’s top storylines and under-the-radar players I’m keeping an eye on. Now, I’m back to help you sift through all the noise ever since and help you focus on what’s really mattered so far.

Isaiah Wynn Still Limited & The Possibility of Trent Williams

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Even though he was not placed on the PUP list, Isaiah Wynn still hasn’t gone full bore at camp as of yet. Though he’s been on the field and seen time with the starters, the team has given him extended breaks. Especially during contact drills, the staff has chosen to instead use guys like Joe Thuney and Dan Skipper in his place at left tackle.

This was to be expected, as players are typically eased gradually back into playing time after suffering such a serious injury. Though it’s been almost a full year since he tore his Achilles, you can never be too careful. Various reports also seem to indicate that the team is not worried about his Week 1 status and that he should be just fine by the start of the regular season.

But does that mean he’s actually ready? Is the team still rolling the dice a bit by throwing all their eggs in Wynn’s basket? Is the lack of depth at such an important position – you know, the one that’s responsible for protecting your 42-year-old QB’s blind side – a serious problem, and should Bill & Co. perhaps look for reinforcements?

The first question is tough for anyone to answer. Nobody has really seen the kid play any meaningful NFL action yet, but he looked good in individual blocking drills in minicamp and put together a pretty impressive college track record, which led to him being selected in the first round of the draft in 2018. I have yet to see any reason to doubt him.

But there’s a guy by the name of Trent Williams – a nine-year veteran who has made the past seven Pro Bowls with Washington – who might be available on the trade block right now. He also just so happens to be one of the very best left tackles in the game. Many out there, including The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, have indicated the Pats could be very interested in the 30-year-old’s services:

Off the top, it’s pretty obvious why the Pats would be interested, and Williams has elite-level talent. There’s no question about that. But would the juice be worth the squeeze? First and foremost, the team would need to move some salary around, as Williams carries cap hits north of $14 million in each of the next two seasons. Secondly, there’s still the whole Brady contract drama to sort out (more on that in a minute). And thirdly, what if Wynn really is as good as advertised and we spend all that money and effort for a not-entirely-necessary luxury?

Image result for trent williams

Williams is a freakin’ beast, though. Can’t deny that.

This one will be interesting to watch play out, as there’s no doubt that Williams and Washington seem pretty dead set on parting ways. And while I’d still lean more toward Wynn getting the chance to prove his worth and a trade not happening, nobody can say for sure right now exactly whom will be watching Brady’s back come September 8.

Obligatory Tom Brady Extension Talks

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Here we go again…

As is the case what seems like every summer, Brady is approaching the last year of his contract, and the team has yet to sign him to a new extension. Throughout his career, Brady and the Pats have typically  chosen to go the short-term, flexible contract route as opposed to signing a more restrictive long-term pact. There are pros and cons to both approaches, but there’s no doubt that Brady has always been willing to sacrifice a lot in terms of dollars – he is only the 18th-highest paid QB in the NFL – without any complaints.

Yes, he has a ton of endorsements. Yes, his wife is one of the richest women in history. And yes, he’s doing just fine. But still, the Pats are getting an absolute steal with this contract. It’s almost unfair.

But again, we’ve been here before. Don’t let the media and all the Chicken Little articles about what would happen if he didn’t re-sign scare you. Brady himself didn’t even seem that worried about it yesterday. Everything is going to be fine. Relax.

Moving on…

The Receiver Battle Rages On for Now

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At this point in time, here are the Patriots wide receivers I’m absolutely 100-percent, unquestionably, indubitably certain will make the roster: Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, and Phillip Dorsett. (Technically, you can put Josh Gordon in there, too, but it doesn’t seem like he’s anywhere close to playing anytime soon, and he will likely be left off of the initial opening-day roster.)

So that’s three guys who are locked in and about four others – Braxton Berrios, Dontrelle Inman, Maurice Harris, and Jakobi Meyers – competing for the final two, maybe three, spots at the position. (Very rarely does the team carry more than five at the position – which does not even count special teams captain Matthew Slater, who is also technically a receiver – so I would safely bet that there are only two slots remaining open.)

I’ve already thrown my hat in the ring for Dontrelle Inman, on multiple occasions (including last week’s piece), but already it seems like his chances are dwindling more and more by the day. One reason is due to the fact that he missed both Sunday’s and Monday’s sessions for undisclosed reasons, and even one missed practice can set a player back significantly in such a fierce competition.

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My boy’s still got the talent, but he better pick it up real quick.

The other reason is simply the fact that reporters have been heaping praise onto the play of Maurice Harris so far, and Jakobi Meyers has apparently made waves over the past couple of days as well. Just Google the name “Maurice Harris,” and you’ll be flooded with a ton of headlines with every type of positive buzzword and adjective imaginable. I’ve mentioned earlier this offseason that he could be a very sneaky breakout candidate, and apparently he’s been an absolute standout in camp so far. I’m about ready to give him “roster lock” status as well.

Image result for maurice harris

From everything I’ve read so far, this kid is apparently the second coming of Jerry Rice.

Meyers is undrafted rookie who had 92 catches in his lone season at North Carolina State last season. NESN’s Doug Khyed pointed out how he received “extensive first-team work” at Thursday morning’s practice session after a great week, and Mike Giardi went so far as to say he’s been the best rookie out there so far, even outperforming Harry:

Berrios, the media darling and projected favorite heading into this offseason, has struggled mightily. While there’s no question about his hands, he’s struggled with physicality and getting separation from those covering him. Though nobody’s ready to DQ him from the fight, it seems like he’s already behind the 8-ball.

Look, it’s been just one week of practice, and the preseason games have even yet to begin. Again, this thing ain’t over just yet… but it actually may be a lot closer to the end than we initially thought. Stay tuned.

Sony Seems OK

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On Wednesday, Sony Michel took part in 11-on-11 drills for the first time, and all seemed to go well. Yes, the team still seems to be taking a conservative approach with him overall, but by all accounts so far it still seems like this is still Sony’s backfield to lose.

I know a lot of people are ready to bestow a big role on rookie Damien Harris already, who looked fantastic in minicamp and has some seriously underrated talent. However, let’s also not forget that it’s hard to not to look good when nobody else was competing against you at the time, and there’s also the fact that Michel is still really good, too.

At this point, I’m expecting more of a 70/30 (maaaybe 65/35 split) between Michel and Harris this season, with some James White and Rex Burkhead (if he even makes the team) sprinkled in along the way. There’s no reason to push Michel back into a lot of intensive work at this point, and I’m just glad he’s been able to stay on the field so far. Let’s hope he can keep it going.

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I’m not sleeping on Harris, but the dude still needs to earn his stripes.

A few other quick notes:

  • Though everyone was freaking out after he missed the first few days of practice, Michael Bennett has been an absolute monster at camp so far. He’s going to be a  force this year, which should come as a surprise to nobody.
  • Speaking of continuing to dominate, Stephon Gilmore has been untouchable in camp. After earning First-Team All-Pro honors last season, and fresh off being rated as the game’s top corner in this year’s NFL Network Top 100 Players list, the dude has not skipped a beat so far. According to reports, he’s barely allowed anyone to catch a pass, and apparently the team’s quarterbacks have avoided him entirely most of the time. He looks ready to serve as the secondary’s keystone once again this season.
Image result for stephon gilmore

Don’t even try this dude.

  • Along with Bennett, Mike Pennel was another offseason addition to the defensive line, and he has reportedly led the way for the team’s “dominant” defensive front in camp so far. Overall, it seems like the D is way ahead of the offense at this point, and Pennel is a big reason why. Pennel has been in the league for a few years but really flew under the radar with the Jets. People are going to know his name by the end of this season, though. You can count on that.
  • Jamie Collins has also continued his great play from minicamp. With his presence and the return of Ju’Whuan Bentley to the lineup, there have been rumblings that we could see the team implement a lot more 3-4 looks in 2019, as opposed to always going with four down lineman. With Bentley and Dont’a Hightower, the team has two solid guys to hold down the middle of the field while Collins and Van Noy patrol the outside and rush the passer. Furthermore, the previously mentioned Pennel and Lawrence Guy, who was great last year, could serve as the plugs on the interior up front. Regardless of just how much of his previously elite form he can regain this year, Collins’s presence gives the Pats more defensive versatility than they’ve had in years. The defense could be straight up NASTY in 2019.
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He’s baaaaaaack.

So overall it seems like the defense is way ahead of the other side at this point, and there’s still a lot to be sorted out on offense. But again, folks, it’s only just the beginning. The biggest takeaway so far is that there’s been a lot of good and promising news out of camp so far, with very limited negative notes. So I am hopeful, Pats Nation…. at least so far.

The Pats kick off the preseason slate next Thursday night against old buddy Matt Patricia and the Lions out in Detroit.

The Patriots Appear to Possibly Be Committing a Cardinal Sin of Football and I’m Terrified

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So I’m about to nerd out about football pretty hard. If you’ve come for a dose of the rants of a mad man, that is coming much later on in this blog and I’m not sure you’ll make it. Some of this, or most of it, is going to get pretty dry. So you’ve been warned.

Free agency, or at least the most major moves, have come and gone, probably. As expected, the Pats made a couple small quiet moves that will help incrementally (Blogger’s Note: Mike Pennel is a bigger get than it seems. He is a hugely talented player who just can’t stay off the pot. Was a surprise cut by the Jets). They also, just as predictably, let a number of key contributors from last year walk (Trey Flowers, Malcolm Brown) or keep walking (Chris Hogan, Danny Shelton) as the Pats weren’t or aren’t willing to pay them what they saw or see as their worth. Such is life for a Pats fan, watching players come and go that to an untrained eye (SEE: rest of the NFL fanbases) seem indispensable or at least good enough to retain. But we make do with what we have, playing as a team.

On a semi-related note I’ll tie in later, the Patriots made the peculiar move of bringing in notable “defensive mind” Greg Schiano to be a member of the staff this season. Red wrote about why this is kind of odd earlier this year. Most notable is the fact that no one really likes Greg Schiano. He’s what you may refer to as an ass hat. He also hasn’t been terribly successful ever since he used his bringing the Rutgers program out of the basement in the late-00’s-ish as a launching pad for his pro coaching career. Anyway, a hiring of this kind in general just seems like an odd fit and overkill for the Pats. At this point, why don’t you just allow Belichick and another Flores-esque high ranking assistant to run the defensive side of the ball? I mean there’s a reason I’m not in the New England front office but as an outsider from  a high-level this doesn’t make a ton of sense. Basically, when you have a great defensive mind like Belichick in-house why bring in a guy with so many of his own…ideas?

And this is where I start to get scared. And where things get reallly dry for a second. (Skip if you are a football diehard)

I’ll make it quick and as painless as possible, but basically defenses in football have what one refers to as “schemes”, also known as “base formations”. To dumb it down, if someone who had never seen football before walked onto an NFL (or college, high school, w.e) practice field and a coach wanted to show them what the defense NORMALLY should look like, this is the position he would line them up in. These schemes are predicated upon the front-7, aka the linebackers and defensive lineman.

What kind of scheme you run pretty much defines the shape and look of those players. For instance, since outside linebackers (OLBs) in a 3-4 (3 down lineman, 4 linebackers – one of the more common schemes) basically serve as defensive ends on a significant number of plays, they have a size-range similar to a DE, say 6’2-6’4 and 250-265lbs. On the other hand, since the pass rush is covered by the DEs in a 4-3 (4 down lineman, 3 linebackers – the other more common scheme) the outside linebackers are a bit smaller and are used for chasing down ball carriers, making tackles, and covering tight ends and sometimes running backs. They go, say 6’0-6’3 and 230-240lbs (some teams recently, in this pass-happy NFL, have been experimenting with converting college safeties, like Mark Barron (6’1 214lbs), into linebackers with varying degrees of success. There’s just not as much need for the size anymore as there is not as much power running).

We used a mess of defenses last year, but mostly some sort of 4-2 alignment. This is basically the same concept as the 4-3 except since the league is passing so much, we skewed the third linebacker in exchange for an additional defensive back to cover someone. Sometimes this was Duron Harmon. Sometimes Jonathan Jones. Sometimes even J.C Jackson. The bottom line, and what I’m trying to get at now, is that there was always someone there to step up. Someone to slot in easily, although not always successfully. And you know what? Throw all the fucking stats you want at me (NEEEEERDS) but we won a Super Bowl while holding one of the most prolific offenses ever to 3 points. So I’d say our D was just fine.

This is what I’ve been leading up to. This is why I’m worried.

One of the CARDINAL sins of football is to try and change your roster/scheme to fit your coach, not the other way around. More accurately, you should never allow a new coach to twist and tweak your roster to fit his purposes. If you have the pieces, consistency, and hell, success in place then keep it. Tell any new coach that this is what he has to work with. To that end, maybe that is why the Pats have been so successful the last couple of decades. Ultimate flexibility. I remember when Belichick started bringing in 4-3 type players when he was known as a 3-4 coach people lost their goddam minds. “But but but he doesn’t fit!” Well ya dummy Coach just switched the defense up, no biggie. Sure he probably prefers the3-4, but he’s not married to it. The conclusion/thesis is a mixture of “if it’s not broke don’t fix it” and “work with the scraps you were given.” (2pac).

Belichick one in a million though. Especially when it comes to coaching philosophy.

Greg Schiano, and no I did not do research for this blog, I read up on this when we signed him, loves his defense. Fucking loves it. He runs a weird one, almost a 3-4 masquerading as a 4-3. I say this because his line is basically three DTs and one DE, much like how a 3-4 uses three jumbo lineman, in different proportions.

So were we ever giving Trey Flowers all the money he got? Nope, sure weren’t. Were we going to hold hostages to get Malcolm Brown back? Probably not after a down year. But could we suspect there may be reasons for letting two of our primary lineman go beyond cash? I think it’s fair. And that’s terrifying.

Because although it could be debated up and down whether or not Brown ever became “that guy” he was projected to be a truly Belichickian DT – big and stout against the run (6’2 320lb) but still able to put just a little pressure on the QB when needed. A swiss army knife,if you will. Probably 70/30 towards the run. Flowers is really a 50/50 guy (6’2 265lb, plays a lot bigger) – he plays the run really well but also excels in pressuring the QB. Sure he still hasn’t passed 6.5 sacks, but he is ALWAYS in opposing backfields. You know whose system doesn’t really seem to favor swiss army knife DTs? Probably Greg Schiano, as he has three of them and he probably wants them each to do different things. You know whose system probably doesn’t want a 6.5 sack run defender? Again probably Schiano.

So were we really saving money or were we truly cashing out? Is there a reason we re-signed John Simon to rush the passer and Pennel to clog running lanes? Is Belichick really going to let Schiano do the one. Thing. That. Never. Works and reconstruct the look of the Pats D to fit his scheme’s/ego’s needs? Fuck me if that is the case.

I’m all out of steam and out of love. Tell me I’m wrong in the comments or on twitter @300sjoeyb.

-Joey B