Happy 30th Birthday Ty Warren

by Greg Knopping on Feb 6, 2011 11:39 AM EST in Opinion/Analysis

Today, Patriots left defensive end Ty Warren is turning 30 years old.

Warren, the 13th overall pick of the 2003 NFL Draft, has been a bit of a forgotten commodity, having missed the entire 2010 season with a nagging hip injury. Since arriving on the scene more than seven years ago, Warren has been a mainstay at left defensive end for the Patriots. While he has primarily been used as a run stuffer, the 6'5" 300 lbs Texas A & M product has the ability to rush the passer, as evidenced by his 7.5 sacks in 2006.

Currently, you could say that the Patriots have a bit of a log-jam at left defensive end. Typically in the NFL (and especially in the 3-4), left defensive ends are known for their prowess stopping the run, as NFL offenses tend to run the ball with a greater frequency to the right size. Therefore, "beefier" players are sometimes needed on the left (defensive perspective) side. The Patriots already have some big options in Ron Brace (6'3", 330 lbs) and impending free agent Gerard Warren (6'4", 330 lbs). With Brandon Deaderick and Mike Wright seemingly the only "true" right defensive ends on the roster, could the Patriots contemplate a possible move with Ty Warren?

Warren has the length you want from a right defensive end at 6'5", and he definitely has the athleticism as well. In addition, he also has some good versatility, having played some nose tackle in his rookie year. Switching over and playing some right end could also alleviate the pressure off of a rookie, should the Patriots spend a draft pick on the position.

In the end, it doesn't necessarily matter what position Ty Warren is playing. The fact is, Patriots fans should be excited to have him back and healthy. He's one of the NFL's most underrated players, and is a leader both on and off the field for the team. Combine his return with that of Leigh Bodden, and you've got an instantly upgraded defensive unit for the 2011 New England Patriots.

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As important as Bodden's return will be for the secondary,

it will be Warren’s return that will have the biggest impact for the Pats. He provides the run-stuffing ability that was sorely lacking at times this past season (the Packers and Jets part 3 spring to mind).
A line of Drafted Player/Weston – Wilfork – T Warren, with Mayo and Spikes in behind? Good luck churning out 4 yards against that.

"Perhaps it was the Noid who should have avoided me." Mayor Adam West

by insertscreenname on Feb 6, 2011 12:15 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Weston?

Don't cut your locks Tom Terrific!

by PatNation85 on Feb 6, 2011 12:49 PM EST up reply actions

Kade Weston, 7th round pick from last year

Showed some promise last training camp, but I don’t understand why you’d have Weston ahead of Deaderick at this point. If Weston was that valuable, they wouldn’t have waived/injured him, they would have waited until the end of training camp and ensured his safety by placing him on IR then.

And where’s Mike Wright?

by Greg Knopping on Feb 6, 2011 12:52 PM EST up reply actions

That's exactly my point, by his act of placing Weston there. I was wondering why as

well. But how insane would it be to have a Brace-draftee(Phil Taylor)-Wilfork-Warren in a 4-3 alignment? With i guess Mayo Spikes and Cunningham as the LB’s. How do you play against that on offense?

Don't cut your locks Tom Terrific!

by PatNation85 on Feb 6, 2011 12:57 PM EST up reply actions

alternative to phil taylor

rolling dice in lower 3rd or 4th round or even lower for kenrick ellis 6’5" 340 pounds and nimble may be worth a shot. besides having red flags, he plays in lower divisions so more
difficult for me to assess him against nfl players and better college teams.

by prioris on Feb 6, 2011 1:41 PM EST up reply actions

Run around it

A Brace/Warren DE combination is pretty slow. That’d be a slow pass-rush (Brace/Warren aren’t exactly Freeney/Mathis), and any kind of pass over the middle would put a WR or TE on Spikes (mismatch), and any kind of toss or swing or screen pass would put an RB on Warren/Brace one-on-one (mismatch).

Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
Contributing Writer at PatsPulpit

by Comedic.Sans on Feb 6, 2011 4:28 PM EST up reply actions

i disagree

freeney and mathis are in a 4-3, and thats what edgesetting OLB’s are for (the issue you bring up)

sign tamba hali!

by liam332 on Feb 6, 2011 4:55 PM EST up reply actions

oh oh oh

i didnt read the posts above it

sorry sans!

by liam332 on Feb 6, 2011 4:57 PM EST up reply actions

Haha, no problem.

Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
Contributing Writer at PatsPulpit

by Comedic.Sans on Feb 6, 2011 5:07 PM EST up reply actions

I am assuming that Deaderick is either sat or cut for the same reasons that he was suspended.

Maybe he’s learnt, but the guys in 09 didn’t.

"Perhaps it was the Noid who should have avoided me." Mayor Adam West

by insertscreenname on Feb 6, 2011 6:18 PM EST up reply actions

It’s not about Ty Warren returning but
Ty Warren returning WITHOUT INJURIES

That is what I think has debilitated his performance on the field these past years.
Injured Ty Warren is JUST ANOTHER GUY at best
Healthy Ty Warren I expect to be above average player
Ty Warren matured as a football player in his 4th year 2006

Caveat: If Ty Warren gets major injured again, I would designate him a durability problem and time to replace him. He’s probably got 3 to 6 years remaining

As an aside
Kaczur has talent and fantastic versatility but he started his football career late and spent most of his years injured. If anymore injuries to him, wave goodbye to him also. He’s probably got no more than 2-3 years remaining in his career.

by prioris on Feb 6, 2011 1:30 PM EST reply actions

Happy Birthday

now go and get 15 sacks this year for me big boy lol

by pats4life on Feb 6, 2011 1:37 PM EST reply actions

huge addition

for next years team

even without picking up the passrushing OLB in freeagency or the draft (that we def will) our d is looking very good for next year

warren-wilfork-brace

bantacain-spikes-mayo-cunningham

mccourty-meriweather-chung-bodden

3rdsafety: sanders, nickelback: arrington, 5th lb: ninkovich or guyton (reality: guyton at MLB and ninkovich at OLB with bantacain gone and whatever allstar OLB/Passrusher we add in his place), 4th and 5th lineman: gerard and mike wright

by liam332 on Feb 6, 2011 4:54 PM EST reply actions

Uh... where is the Super Bowl game thread?

by bbismyhero on Feb 6, 2011 6:11 PM EST reply actions

http://www.patspulpit.com/2011/2/6/1978873/super-bowl-gamethread
http://www.patspulpit.com/2011/2/6/1978873/super-bowl-gamethread
http://www.patspulpit.com/2011/2/6/1978873/super-bowl-gamethread

Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
Contributing Writer at PatsPulpit

by Comedic.Sans on Feb 6, 2011 6:21 PM EST up reply actions

The big question: why was our DL so decimated by injuries?
The buck has to stop somewhere – bad strength and conditioning work, poor technique from the coaches causing strains?

by quadruple option on Feb 7, 2011 4:08 AM EST reply actions

Too old and too young

The older guys break down, and the younger guys aren’t used to the rough and tumble. Wilfork’s the only guy who isn’t a 30+er or a 1st or 2nd year D-lineman, and he was the one who got through unscathed.

Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
Contributing Writer at PatsPulpit

by Comedic.Sans on Feb 7, 2011 5:36 AM EST up reply actions