New England Patriots Links 1/25/10 - Saints, Colts Advance To Miami
by Marima on Jan 25, 2010 11:29 AM EST
in News/General
76 comments
Ian Rapoport catches up with LB Gary Guyton at a charity event to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem.
"This whole offseason is just about relaxing a little bit, taking time to see family and friends - that’s what’s important to me," said Guyton, the Georgia Tech product. "Besides that, gradually get back to working out, doing what I can to get my body back in top performance shape. Actually all it takes is time. I didn’t get too beat up. Everybody has bumps and bruises, so just sit back and let those heal."
Guyton, who is an exclusive rights free agent, made strides in 2009 with 85 tackles and two sacks while also spending time as the primary play-caller in Jerod Mayo’s absence. While he avoided questions about the prospects for 2010 and the vacant defensive coordinator job, Guyton did say that linebackers coach Matt Patricia, the leading in-house candidate, is one reason for his improvement.
"Matt Patricia’s a good dude," Guyton said. "A good guy, a good coach. I thank him a lot for taking me under his wing and teaching me what he knows about the game."
Christian Fauria disuptes Joey Galloway's assertions that he struggled in New England because of the limited role he was asked to play.
"Here's Joey Galloway's problem: He couldn't get the offense," Fauria told Felger. "That first game against Buffalo . . . the first thing he said to me was, 'Man, this is tough. This is harder than I thought.'
"It had nothing to do with the fact that he was the third wide receiver. If he gets open, they're going to get him the ball. The fact is, he didn't know where to line up . . . He's not used to being a third receiver. He's always [been the] No. 1 receiver. Now you say, 'Hey, Joey, guess what. You gotta learn the X, you gotta know the Z, you gotta know the F, you gotta know all these positions. You just can't line up as the Z any more.'
"To me, he didn't even look as fast as he used to. Why? Because he didn't know where he was going. It had nothing to do with his speed, or [that he was] losing a step; he just didn't get it.
LOCAL LINKS
- Ian Rapoport reports apparently Dean Pees to Denver isn't a done deal. LB coach Don Martindale has been telling people that he has the Broncos defensive coordinator's job.
- Mike Reiss reports Kevin Faulk was the Patriots Man of the Year nominee, an award that recognizes a player's off-the-field community service as well as his playing excellence.
- Ron Borges talks up the spectacularity of Peyton Manning, as there isn't much news on the Belichick/Patriots front to get all hot and bothered about.
- Nate Dow confirms that even if Indy wins the Super Bowl this year, the Patriots are still the decade's undisputed king.
- Mike Reiss gives us a closer look at Pepper Johnson and Mike Patricia.
- Daniel Kobialka reports Patriots LB coach Matt Patricia chose coaching over aeronautical engineering.
- Christopher Price offers 10 things we learned Sunday: Payton and Caldwell get the last laugh.
- Michael Felger sees only doom and gloom for the Patriots: They can't draft; they can't sign key players; the Jets are moving up with a younger, stronger, better roster; and the Colts have already arrived as THE tough, clutch and resilient team in the NFL.
- Ian Rapoport refutes Joey Galloway's assertion that "There is no page for the third receiver [with the Patriots].
- Mike Reiss offers his 2009 positional review of where the Patriots stand at Safety: Brandon Meriweather, James Sanders, Brandon McGowan, Pat Chung and Bret Lockett.
- Mike Reiss offers his 2009 positional review of where the Patriots stand at Cornerback: Shawn Springs, Leigh Bodden, Jonathan Wilhite, Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley, Kyle Arrington.
- WEEI is feeling the Draft: Wide Receivers.
- Mike Reiss questions whether the Patriots would select Florida LB Brandon Spikes when they are on the clock with the 22nd overall pick in the draft.
- ipetitions.com An open letter petitioning Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick to hire great coordinators for the New England Patriots. Good read.
NATIONAL NEWS
- Tom Hinkel (Lehigh Valley Sports) Dan Koppen was inducted into Whitehall High School's Hall of Fame Friday. Koppen was a 1998 graduate and one of five athletes to earn that honor.
- Don Banks (SI) Inside the NFL: A Bayou slopfest for all time, Indy's clutch moments and more.
- Peter King (SI) MMQB: Championship Sunday: Saints, Colts go to Miami; Vikes, Jets left behind.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Mystery persists regarding Pees landing spot.
- Reed Albergotti (Wall Street Journal) When the blitz is a bad idea: As defenses pile on the pressure, elite QBs thrive.
- Associated Press NFL scraps plan for 2nd game in Britain in 2010.
- Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) NFL announces 14 replacement Pro Bowlers.
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Time is on the Jets' side.
- NFL Films' 'Full Color Football: The History of the American Football League' debuted on NFL Network, Friday, Jan. 8 and continues it's 4th episode this Thursday. Bill Belichick offers some insight and commentary in the series.
- The Trenches (Sporting News) Browns expected to cut Stallworth after reinstatement.
2 recs |
76 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
Why is Felger so angry?
Felger is accusatory, spiteful and vindictive. For those that listen to or read him only sparingly can quickly pick up on his outright contempt for not just the Patriots and those in their employ, but also their fans. At first, I considered the rise of his voice and others like it in the Boston sports media market as a good thing. WEEI was growing stale (except for Dale & Holly, in my opinion), and there needed to be a counter-narrative to “In Belichick We Trust.” However, Felger and a few other “new voice” blatant Pats-haters have taken it to a level which lacks dignity and credibility.
First off, he constantly talks (writes?) down to the reader. He pontificates. There’s barely even a semblance of balance in his commentary. Whatever the Pats (which he bitterly refers to as “YOUR team”) do is doomed to failure, because Belichick’s ways have grown weary and tiresome. There is NO possible counterargument, in his mind. If you attempt to rationalize anything, you’re a homeristic, Pats-loving Belichick apologist who completely lacks any sense of reality whatsoever. He’ll shout you down, twist your words, argue semantics over merits, latch onto meaningless technicalities and, if you haven’t given up yet, just hang up on you (on his show).
Secondly, he reports as if he is a fan, while purporting to be a neutral journalist. He is reactionary. His observations are consistently one-sided. He doesn’t engage meaningful reflection of facts and developments. For example, he laments that the Patriots are an old, over-paid, struggling team, while the Jets are a young, vibrant team with so many amazing players under contract. This, obviously, spells the end of the Patriots at the hands of the all-seeing, wise and great Polian/Tennenbaum/Caldwell/Ryan. He makes no mention of the fact that ALL these players are going to be seeking MEGA contracts when their rookie deals expire (if not before then, as it becomes more and more common for high-performing youngsters to hold out, refusing to accept their paltry $1.5M salaries in their 4th and 5th years). He wants the facts to spell out a Patriots demise, so he reports them as if such a demise is the only possible outcome. Maybe I’m asking too much from my sports journalists, but I’d at least like an attempt at impartiality.
Finally, Felger is simply a pessimistic a-hole. Boston has always been a somewhat whiny town, in terms of sports commentary. When we’re losing, there’s no hope. When we’re winning, we better win EVERY game. The intensity with which Boston fans celebrate/lament their teams victories/defeats has lessened over the past decade (6 championships will do that to a fan base), but Felger keeps alive that obnoxious, obstinate pessimism which makes everyone hate Boston fans. He fans the flames of conspiracy and turmoil at the expense of reason and reflection. He is like the FOX News (sorry if you’re a fan) of the Boston sports media – using half-truths and semi-accurate portrayals to advance a thinly-veiled, aggressively negative agenda.
Why can’t every Boston sports writer be Mike Reiss?
by nbradley07 on Jan 25, 2010 12:09 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Remember when Mangini brought the Jets to the playoffs...
…and wasn’t THAT supposed to spell doom for the Patriots? If we know ANYTHING about the Jets as a franchise, it’s that they’re inconsistent. I’m more worried about the Dolphins.
Offensive Coordinator > Guard > Tackle > DE > OLB > RB > WR > CB
by Richard Hill on Jan 25, 2010 12:58 PM EST up reply actions
Also...
…he comments on Tully Banta-Cain’s “expiring” contract. He was released and resigned in the middle of the season BECAUSE we re-did his contract for 3 years.
Offensive Coordinator > Guard > Tackle > DE > OLB > RB > WR > CB
by Richard Hill on Jan 25, 2010 1:00 PM EST up reply actions
Good catch.
I didn’t even remember that about TBC, until just now.
So Felger’s JOB is to cover the Patriots, and he doesn’t even know the contract status of key players. More fuel in the fire.
I'm not sure about that, now
Mike Reiss had a thing about him being a FA, because his deal wasn’t official, or something. It baffled me – the only midseason reports I saw was that it was done-and-dusted, but apparently not. No idea why, though.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Jan 25, 2010 10:41 PM EST up reply actions
There's a certain kind of logic
It’s like when people look at political polls and see the candidate they favor is losing by 20 points, then say it’s good news for him. Or when a baseball team is 30 games out of first place at the all-star break, and a particularly homeristic announcer says they have the rest of the division just where they want them. Or when my wife says it was actually cheaper to buy four of something we only need one of because they were on sale.
Great points
I don’t mind negative, whiny rants now and again, but certainly not served up as the main course at every meal.
Felger has turned himself into a one trick pony with no balance and no offer of any solutions. It sure must be easier just to rip the crust off everything about the team, at every possible opportunity, without being called upon to offer any plausible alternatives. And I used to like the guy.
Keep the faith!
There's nothing wrong with negative reporting
as long as what’s being reported is true and accurate. For example, there isn’t a ton of positive news to report about the Patriots running back situation. All the players are either old or ineffective. If you wanted to write an article lamenting the failure of the Pats to bring in fresh legs, then have at it – it’s warranted criticism.
However, it is absurd to make a (valid) negative point, or a series of unrelated negative points, and then extrapolate from those points that the entire world is falling apart. If you’re trying to present a large-scale assessment of something (i.e. the Patriots position in the AFC relative to other potentially emerging powerhouses), you can’t just go off on a semi-emotional rant about everything that is wrong. You have to engage in a reasoned analysis of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the relevant arguments. Felger’s article was one-sided Pats bashing, with nary an attempt at delving into the vast sums of potential this team has (not only currently, but also in the future, with stores of draft picks, relative cap freedom, and some of the best football minds in the history of the game).
The Pats have a lot of holes, but it’s disingenuous to suggest they’re dead in the water just because two of their arch-rivals had solid year.
He's also forgetting...
…we’ve been PREPARING for this upcoming off-season. That’s why we didn’t pick up a FA to replace Seymour. That’s why we traded down into the 2nd round. We wanted to save cap space. He’s saying our money’s too wound up?
Patriots $ 97,565,413
Colts $ 101,203,115 (The Colts have done a good job with utilizing young players, hence a low salary)
Jets $ 120,168,770
We’re not going to let people walk away from us this off-season.
Offensive Coordinator > Guard > Tackle > DE > OLB > RB > WR > CB
by Richard Hill on Jan 25, 2010 4:17 PM EST up reply actions
Oh, for those interested:
Team with the most similar payroll? The Detroit Lions. Yeah.
Offensive Coordinator > Guard > Tackle > DE > OLB > RB > WR > CB
by Richard Hill on Jan 25, 2010 4:19 PM EST up reply actions
Additional things:
Kevin Faulk, Adaulius Thomas, Jarvis Green and Steven Neal are in the top 10 of Patriot Salaries. Faulk will probably re-negotiate for a lower salary for long years, AT will be gone (we’ll still have a small cap hit, but he’ll be gone) and I bet Green and Neal leave as well. We’re going to be fine.
Offensive Coordinator > Guard > Tackle > DE > OLB > RB > WR > CB
by Richard Hill on Jan 25, 2010 4:23 PM EST up reply actions
What cap hit are you talking about?
He could have a scheduled salary of a billion dollars next year and the cap hit would be exactly zero. That is the benefit of a capless season.
They will still have to pay the remainder of his bonus...
…which WOULD count against the cap, if there were one. But if there’s no cap, there would be no “cap hit,” just a buy-out of sorts.
If you think short term, there is no cap.
However it is unlikely that will continue because a salary cap has in general been good for the league. It is one of the few things they have done that helps keep the league competitive. There should also be an increase in minimum cap dollars spent to keep teams like Tampa Bay from being cheap, but I digress.
If there will be a cap after the uncapped period (probably a smaller cap if the owners get their way), how does the team fit under the new cap if they spent extravagantly during the uncapped time? The whole lack of a cap makes the situation more unclear, not less. I’m also assuming that the lack of a CBA affects revenue sharing (on the owners side) as well. Does anyone know if this is true?
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Jan 25, 2010 4:46 PM EST up reply actions
Anything can happen with collective bargaining.
My guess is that teams that are over the new cap (or whatever year they agree to one) will be restricted, but not completely barred, from making personnel transactions, until they come under the cap. Conversely, those already under the cap would face the same penalties they face today (including complete personnel freeze).
But there are few rules in collective bargaining. And the NFL has to be mindful of its antitrust exemption – an agreement which forces teams to take certain courses of action will harm their argument that they are a joint venture of 32 entities, as opposed to one single entity.
I saw that they were renegotiating revenue sharing at the same time (or part of) the CBA
I couldn’t tell you if it was intermixed or concurrent (or whether it matters, all things added up). But I know Jerry Jones in particular, and the Krafts to some extent, were against the revenue sharing arrangement as it currently stands. It’s probably brought to a head by the Glazers underpaying at the Bucs, and the CBA re-negotiations is a good time to bring it up. Wheels within wheels and all that.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Jan 25, 2010 10:45 PM EST up reply actions
I was pretty sure the Collective part of the CBA
included inter-team negotiations as well as team-player negotiations. Kind of a one stop shop for who gets cash.
How can we afford all that cap money for players in our small market? I know; take money from the larger markets to pay for it.
Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft both have reason to be upset. Jones has done a great job of using private money to build a huge money-maker in the Cowboys. Kraft has done the same thing (selling naming rights to the stadium, tie-ins with the state lottery, building Patriot Place, having two teams in the stadium, etc.). They have both promoted their teams and make loads of money in new ways.
Then you have owners like Ralph Wilson who refuses to sell naming rights because he wants his name on the stadium. Ok, fine. Take a million less out of the revenue sharing pot then. Glazers who run cheap and refuse to field a competitive team and promote their product to increase revenue. Zygi Wilf who thinks the only way to fund a stadium is through tax dollars which could drive up MY taxes. Hey Zygi, go talk to Kraft, please. Al Davis who breaks the bank with every draft (bust), driving up the price of rookies every year. Dan Snyder who drives up the price of free agents every year.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Jan 26, 2010 1:01 PM EST up reply actions
Yup - the owners are often their own worst enemies
That’s why when some fans get all angry at how much money the athletes make, they need to pause and take a look at who is paying them …
Not the point
If there is no cap, there can’t be a cap hit for cutting AT. And I have to believe that enough teams will take advantage of the capless period to cut players who otherwise couldn’t be cut without taking huge cap hits, and they’ll never agree to have such money count against a new cap in any way. There will be enough teams to block any possible ex post facto cap hit.
That means AT is gone barring some sort of revelation.
Teams will probably jettison some players
but they’ll still owe certain amounts of cash – bonus owing, etc. They might be worth cutting merely for the sake of getting rid of the roster spot because they’re so utterly bad, irrespective of their bonus (see Galloway). But some teams might not want to pay what’s owing to a bad player – I don’t see the Raiders cutting JaMarcus Russel quite yet, he’s just plain owed too much money, even if it doesn’t count for a cap per se, you’re basically paying the guy $20-25m to leave town. Ouch.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Jan 26, 2010 10:20 PM EST up reply actions
He's still supposedly a 6'5 athlete
and he’s got some serious poundage on him now. Make him the worlds most ridiculously paid Fullback. Hahaha.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Jan 27, 2010 2:58 AM EST up reply actions
It doesn't suit the desires of some journalists to take these factors into account.
Trolls like Felger eschew the notion that anything BB does is planned. Instead, they say he’s cheap, short-sighted, stubborn and mean.
It cuts pretty strongly against the “Fall of the Dynasty” argument that the Pats a primed to acquire massive talent this offseason.
Felger is, quite simply, a coward.
I’ve posted on this before, but he and a few other well-known ‘sports journalists’ around here are basically cowards. Borges, Ryan, CHB, etc. All cowards.
It is one thing to be a skeptic. In fact rational skepticism is healthy. But unfounded negativism in sports journalism is basically a form of cowardice. It is probably a parallel to passive aggression. If they keep predicting doom and slinging mud, there are two basic outcomes. If the bad outcome happens, then they get to say “I told you so!”. If the outcome is good, they just pooh pooh it or ignore their prior prophecies of doom. Emotionally, they are protected either way.
Its like always betting $10 against your home team. If they lose, you win a little cash at your team’s expense. If they win, you haven’t really lost anything significant and you get to vicariously ‘win’ with your team. Win-win either way. I.E. , a coward because they never truly make themselves emotionally vested and revealed.
why would we pick a ILB in the 2nd rd?
guyton and mayo have secured their spot for those two positions
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
Because there is no proven depth behind them.
And it’s unclear whether everyone is sold on Guyton as the #2 starting ILB.
More depth at the position would be nice, especially if it came in the form of an ILB/OLB hybrid.
Remember we have McKenzie, who is basically a "free" draft pick...
…hopefully next year will take into account Crable, Tate, Bussey and McKenizie- all unproven and just drafted players who spent almost all their time on the IR. I think we currently have enough youth in the ILB position (Mayo, Guyton and McKenzie) that we’d be more apt to bring in a veteran (who’s a decade younger than Seau) at ILB, than drafting another young gun.
Those picks would be better used on the OL, on WRs and RBs.
Offensive Coordinator > Guard > Tackle > DE > OLB > RB > WR > CB
by Richard Hill on Jan 25, 2010 4:06 PM EST up reply actions
I agree that there is potential depth.
But because it’s unproven (and mostly injured), I could see them grabbing an ILB in the 2nd round, if a tempting prospect were to fall. However, their standards for rookie LBs are very, very high (which is why everyone always said BB wouldn’t draft one), so it probably won’t happen.
I agree that there are greater needs elsewhere. They do a great job developing OLs through the draft, and I would love to see them grab a solid LG. With a strong guard next to Vollmer (on the left), Light can move to RT, Kaczur can bump to RG (which suits him far better), and Koppen stays at C. One strong LG pick, with a little shuffle, goes a LONG way.
The need for a playmaker at RB is stark. I’m less sold on the need for a WR. With Tate, Edelman, Aiken and Stanbeck in the wings, I think there is a solid possibility one develops into a good 3rd option, especially with an offseason and training camp to prepare for the role. In 2009, all that prep time was wasted between Lewis and Galloway, so all the kids trying to fill the void were doing so on the fly. A little preparation could go a long way in developing one of these players.
Also related to the WR problem was Brady’s injuries/rust this past season. He was, admittedly, making poor throws in a lot of circumstances, and not necessarily doing a great job seeing the field all the time. I think with a re-vamped Brady and an offseason to prep, one of the young guys stands a good chance at turning into the player they need.
u dont think we can sign logan?
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
Mankins worth
may have exceeded what the team is willing to pay for the guard position. Personally I think he’s worth every penny.
Keep the faith!
well if they kick kazcur to RG...they still need to fill the RT spot if they move vollmer to LT
cause light can;t play RT
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
cause BB said so earlier in the season after Light came back from injury.
they tried to do it in his rookie yr in 01 and it didn’t work. they found out that he was more suitable @ LT than RT.
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
Kazcur's played LT, and started two or three games when Light was out
So he could potentially be a swing-tackle backup if Vollmer dislodges him in the starting lineup.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Jan 25, 2010 10:49 PM EST up reply actions
kazcur isn’t athletic enough to play LT. thats why he always gets owned by speedy/quick DE like Mathis and tuck on black sunday.
that’s why i think BB extended his contract so he would move to RG b/c Neal is old and his contract is up.
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
I'd be surprised if Neal comes back
He’s been injured quite a bit, and can barely walk as it is now.
Keep the faith!
I was meaning solely as a backup
Especially since they’re paying him $4m to do it. The Pats might get some of that cash back by not getting another expensive Tackle, and hoping Light doesn’t get hurt. If he does, and it’s short-term, Kazcur can fill in. If it’s long-term, Vollmer can play LT and Kazcur RT.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Jan 26, 2010 10:23 PM EST up reply actions
i hope its not kazcur @ RT
need to get a RT in the 2nd round
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
Light's good for one more, and Vollmer could be an RT for a season
I’d be more worried about the lack of a starting quality RG. Connolly is good as a backup, but he’s small – I always suspected Neal suffered injuries because he was 20-30lbs smaller than a typical Guard. He just got manhandled that little bit more, every down, for a season, and it stacked up over time. Connolly is younger, but risking it isn’t ideal, all the same.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Jan 27, 2010 3:01 AM EST up reply actions
yeah besides kazcur, neal was the 2nd weakiest link of that line
but he never played football in high school and college. he was a college wrestler. if they kick kaz to RG, i can expect production from kaz for 3-5 yrs.
thats why i thing nxt to 3-4olb and 3-4 DE, they need to pick up a RG and RT in the 2nd round.
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
I'm not sure Kazcur is physical enough for G
He wasn’t just get torched around the outside by quick OLBs/DEs – that’s potentially forgiveable, it’s bound to happen sometime. But he was getting blown out by bull-rushes of guys like Freeney. That’s not a good thing, considering a Guard is supposedly a run-paving guy first and foremost, and that Freeney is traditionally seen as weak against the run. I don’t know, nothing about Kazcur screams “road-paving G” to me. Mankins is one, Kazcur is not. And there are some guys in the draft who definitely are, more to the point.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Jan 27, 2010 4:05 AM EST up reply actions
I don't remember Kaz ever having Freeney lined up on him
but I totally agree with your point.
I really, really want the Patiot’s first pick to be the biggest, baddest, smartest OL they can find in the draft. Vollmer was a great start, but they need another young bull upon which to base the next decade of dominance on.
I don’t really care which line position. They can shuffle around to make it work.
At some point, they're also going to have to groom a new center.
That will be the biggest learning curve.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Jan 27, 2010 3:42 PM EST up reply actions
There's also no proven depth next to them at OLB
And there’s no proven depth behind the starters on the defensive line. And some of the starters on the offensive line need to be replaced. And there’s no real starter at RB. And we need more depth at WR. And CB.
Yes, we could use another ILB. But I’d put that at seventh on our list of needs at highest.
agree
we need a 3-4 DE, RGuard, RT, RB in the 1st two rounds. Light cannot play RT. therefore we are stuck w. Light @LT till we another vollmer @ RT, so vollmer can move to LT.
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
I'm happy with Dan Connolly at RG...
…and Light is serviceable for another season while we groom an OT behind him (maybe even step in late in the season).
But yes, I agree with who you want us to draft. I want Iupati in the 1st round. Badly. I think the other 3 positions you mention will have players around of the same quality that were in the second half of the 1st round. Iupati won’t be around in the 2nd.
Offensive Coordinator > Guard > Tackle > DE > OLB > RB > WR > CB
by Richard Hill on Jan 25, 2010 10:02 PM EST up reply actions
Lupati to rt, Vollmer to lft, Light out?
As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "I" in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team... I don't know what he's talking about. --Shaun of the Dead
by JohnHannahRules on Jan 25, 2010 10:11 PM EST up reply actions
can he even make the shift to RT?
he is a guard and a good one. i want a RT or 3-4OLB as my 1st pick
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
He's a guard...
…so I’d see the starting O-Line as:
Light – Mankins – Koppen – Iuparti – Vollmer
Vollmer – Iuparti – Connolly – Kaczur – Kaczur
LeVoir – Orhnberger – Bussey – Orhnberger – LeVoir
something like that, as 3 deep.
Offensive Coordinator > Guard > Tackle > DE > OLB > RB > WR > CB
by Richard Hill on Jan 26, 2010 12:03 AM EST up reply actions
Not Connolly as second-string RG?
He’s been running at RG before and done pretty well, and when he subbed into FB, Ohrnberger went to RG. Kazcur’s also filled in at LT before, so they might really be 4 deep in that lineup.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Jan 26, 2010 10:26 PM EST up reply actions
Iupati looked good from the research I've done
and he’s a BIG unit. Can’t fault size in rookie Gs, it means they can cope a little better if they get caught out of position.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Jan 25, 2010 10:50 PM EST up reply actions
+1
I vote for The Simple Plan™.
Draft another OL monster (Lupati would be awesome!). ’Doesn’t matter which position, since Vollmer is obviously versatile. Get the best OL available.
Next, draft the best DE available.
After that, just take the best available players independent of position.
Could be good.
I’ve seen Lupati project as a RT by some, that’s why I asked, above. They say he has quick feet. I’d be surprised if we take him, though.
As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "I" in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team... I don't know what he's talking about. --Shaun of the Dead
by JohnHannahRules on Jan 26, 2010 3:41 PM EST up reply actions
Guyton might be considered an OLB moved inward?
He’s big and fast enough for OLB, he might be keeping a sport warm inside because he’s too good to not be on the field.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Jan 25, 2010 10:46 PM EST up reply actions
Guyton has OLB speed, maybe a little short at 6-3
It would be interesting to see if he can pick up some pass rushing moves. He might be one of the guys we’re looking for.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Jan 26, 2010 1:08 PM EST up reply actions
did anyone know that ben watson scored a 48 on the wonderlic test
48…VERY impressive since the top score is 50 and the avg score is 22.
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
He currently is tied for the highest score in the NFL
Offensive Coordinator > Guard > Tackle > DE > OLB > RB > WR > CB
by Richard Hill on Jan 25, 2010 10:00 PM EST up reply actions
and ryan fitzpatrick qb of the bills from Harvard
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
Yes, we Harvard boys score well on standardized tests
Unfortunately for the Bills, he also plays football like a Harvard boy.
hey...he is a good backup
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
Yes, he's an ideal third string QB
And like any good third string QB, he can win you some games, but you’re in a lot of trouble already if he gets into the game.
rather have him than curtis painter lol
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
Painter has some potential
And Sorgi isn’t as bad as his rep seems to be — he’ll never be a starter, but he’s a capable backup. Painter was never supposed to see the field, which is exactly what you want in a third stringer. In that regard, he’s not so different from Fitzgerald. The biggest difference is Fitzgerald is a Harvard boy — you can’t fake those brains.
Put it this way: one of my best friends grew up in Western New York and is a die-hard Bills fan. He’s said many times that if only the Bills could put Fitzgerald’s brain and work ethic in the body of JaMarcus Russell when he was still at LSU, you’d have a Hall of Fame QB. But Fitzgerald himself is only a starter on teams like the Bills, Raiders, and Rams — teams that don’t have legitimate NFL QBs.
He could still carve out a career
I lost count of the times I heard that “Chad Pennington doesn’t have the arm strength to be a ‘real’ NFL Quarterback”… I don’t know about you guys, but that guy’s winning percentage on some pretty awful teams is impressive. And his accuracy and completion percentage is out of this world. If he’d been QBing the right kind of team – good D, strong run game, WRs that are good at YAC – he could’ve won a Superbowl. Maybe as a Viking this year? He wouldn’t throw his body, across the face of the field, into triple coverage.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Jan 27, 2010 3:09 AM EST up reply actions
i live in big ten country
and during hoyer’s and painter’s senior yr, i thought hoyer was the better qb. he handled adversity ( bad WR’s n bad o line) better than painter. heck painter was benched in his senior yr.
i was supprised that no one drafted hoyer, and was more suprised that painter was drafted.
to me, hoyer reminds me of matt cassel
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
I like everything I've seen of Hoyer so far.
More than anything, he looks poised and calm behind center.
There's a reason why the trust him to be on the field 66% of the time
and it isn’t because he’s catching – they trust him to keep Brady upright, even when they’re not entirely sold on Light or Kazcur to do the same.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Jan 25, 2010 10:51 PM EST up reply actions
i believe his mom was a swimmer or gymnast and his dad played college football
athletic +football minded…great family genes..i hope they sign him and expand the playbook for him. i’m tired of him blocking instead of running routes
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
i love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
O-Line health is key.
Offensive Coordinator > Guard > Tackle > DE > OLB > RB > WR > CB
by Richard Hill on Jan 26, 2010 12:03 AM EST up reply actions
Yep
Although play calling which is less dependent on the OL having to hold blocks for so damn long would also help.
It got a little better at times, but we got killed at several points because we kept using the same check-down order, wasting precious blocking seconds only to discover that Randy was indeed double or triple covered … If Wes was also not open (see the Saints game), the OL was being expected to hold the blocks too long.
Exactly
He caught almost half of his passes and TDs in the 4 or 5 games where the O-line was (almost) completely healthy. If you extrapolated that out over a full season, he’d actually be doing as well as or better than any other TEs – and they do less blocking than he does.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Jan 26, 2010 10:30 PM EST up reply actions
Hopefully, a re-vamped O-Line will free Watson up for pass catching.
Playing with 6 blockers because your O-Line can’t block is like playing with 10 players.
And yet, even with such a shabby group, Brady still only took 16 (or 17) sacks. Testament to his awareness.
yes, but some of those hurried passes really were painful
but I blame a significant portion of that on the play calling and the checkdowns used.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Media requests: Please email patspulpit at gmail.com
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
