BB's Draft Achievement....VERSATILITY

by LANKSTA on Apr 28, 2010 11:32 PM EDT

I think the greatest accomplishment and Hoodie's number one goal of this offseason was adding versatility to this team. I am extremely excited about this team especially on the defensive side of the ball. Here's a quick breakdown of what the draft did in terms of versatility!!!! This is one thing we do far better than any team in the league and I feel we lacked it last year for the first time of the Belichek Regime.

Devin McCourty - coverage corner should contribute immediately as a Nickleback and on special teams, hoping for him to become a starter by years end. Amazing history of blocking kicks (7 in his college career), also can return kicks if asked to.

Gronk - All you can ask for in a TE, great recevier and should become a great blocker as well with the way we develop O-Line. Can go in the backfield if need be. Key addition that adds a ton of stability and flexibility for the rest of the offense.

Jermaine Cunningham - He's our key addition in terms of a Rush OLB. Should be in on sub packages and definitely will play a key role on special teams in the short term. He could be a poorman's Willie McGinest that could thrive in the 3-4 and also play out of the 3 point stance when we switch it up.

Brandon Spikes - Spikes himself is not versatile, he's a run stuffer and he's very smart. But he may add the most versatility of all by freeing up Guyton. Guyton now transforms into our new Mike Vrabel. He'll be playing a little bit of everywhere on D. I can see Guyton dropping back in coverage, rushing the QB up the gut and around the tackles, and cycling through various positions in various packages. We need someone to do this and Guyton seems like he's a great candidate from what we've seen out of him thus far.

Aaron Hernandez - Gronk was the Stud TE we needed, Hernandez steps in as the offensive weapon. Look for Hernandez to line up at the line, go wide, or even in the backfield as an FB or even an HB on goaline and heavy packages. Id expect him to be in motion a lot and see a lot of plays designed for him. He could turn into our 3rd down/short yardage threat that we will probably be losing in Faulk after the season.

Hoodie likes to play chess and by adding these 5 he's really established a nice arsenal. Last season we really didn't have the unpredictability that we normally have. I think now we go back to our old ways, our championship ways.....

The views expressed in these FanPosts are not necessarily those of the writers or SBNation.

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recd

Dont know why people think Guyton can be good on the outside….According to Mike Reiss, back in the 08 season game against the Seahawks, BB moved Guyton to 3-4 OLB spot and he kept on getting hooked by bigger powerful tackles. Right now, we have no experienced 3-4olb’s to take the two spots (TBC is bad against the run and Nikovich is only good as a pass rusher)…we could have Cummingham- a rookie- and Crable -basically a rookie w. 0 NFL starts as the starters….SCARY!

Brian (Waltham, MA)

Hey Mike!!! I was wondering if because of drafting Spikes, would u think that Guyton would/could be moved to outside linebacker. Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t he sub in and play some OLB in his rookie year. I thought that I remember him playing there and playing pretty well there. Thoughts?
Mike Reiss
(12:24 PM)
Guyton is not a fit at outside linebacker in the Patriots’ 3-4 defense. They tried it late in the 2008 season at Seattle. He’s just not big enough.

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by NinjaZX6R on Apr 29, 2010 5:57 AM EDT reply actions

Guyton has good speed, but lacked a bit in size and some rushing moves.

He may have added some muscle last year on the inside, and moves can be taught. Of course player weights never change once they’re drafted (Wilfork is 325, my Aunt Fanny). We’ll see. Also if the tackle is busy with a dominant DE, the OLB job just got easier.

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 Apr 29, 2010 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Tebow is a PROJECT?

No, This isn’t a Tebow post. The key word here is PROJECT!

In the NFL draft, who isn’t a project? Football is unlike other sports in that you never know how a player will respond to a given team situation because they’re so different.

With the exception of punters and kickers, every position player is subject to those in his huddle as the player accross the line of scrimmage. While this is “somewhat true” in other sports…. action on the gridiron cannot compare (although hockey is a close 2nd). In the NBA, it’s not only possible, but rather common for one superstar to (almost single-handedly) make the difference in a given game. Not true in football. It’s the ultimate team game. The play of one athelete can make his 10 teammates look fantastic or foolish at any given time.

Whenever a young player’s on-field efforts draws national attention, he often becomes the prototype for all fans to wish for their own team’s draft. Enter Darrelle Revis. Here’s a super talented guy who deserves the accolades. In spite of that, Revis owes much to the surrounding cast on the Jets D (to include play-calling). Here’s a guy who can blanket a #1 receiver. In spite of that, Revis is every bit as likely to get toasted as a 7th rounder if the pass rush can’t disrupt the QBs timing. Corners are completely dependent upon the pass rush for their talents to shine and vice versa….. Similar scenarios are true for every other offensive and defensive position on the field. It’s just the nature of the sport.

The NFL is bigger, faster and more violent. The variables facing young rookies are ENDLESS. For every drafting goldmine in the NFL, there’s a former player now wearing a suit going to work 9 to 5 at age 24 or 25. If the Raiders had three pro bowl lineman and a two receiving studs over the last few years, would JaMarcus Russell be on the verge of getting released? It’s possible, but I think NOT! This guy was the closest possible thing to a “can’t miss” going into that draft.

I’ll bring my focus back to the Pats. Yeah Tim Tebow is a risky project. But is Jermaine Gresham (the player taken before him) less risky? For that matter, is the Pats 1st round selection less risky…. or less of a project? I’m going to be every bit as thrilled if he turns out to be a Darrelle revis or as bummed if he’s a JaMarcus Russell. THE’RE ALL PROJECTS folks! So, in the words of Mr Slot Machine (on a recent fanpost)…. “Let the mayhem begin”…….. Yeeeee haw!

by Bills friend on Apr 29, 2010 4:10 PM EDT reply actions

It's good to have you here at the Pulpit, sir. I see you've been quite active.

I agree with the gist of your message, but will never agree that JaMarcus Russell was a “can’t miss”. He was a reach and had red flags coming in. He did have great upside potential, but potential is like the gas in the tank. It doesn’t do any good until you start the engine.

Still, I enjoy reading your comments and like the back and forth with Comedic. Welcome aboard.

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 Apr 29, 2010 5:17 PM EDT up reply actions