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Odrick Isn't Seymour posted on 03/11/2010
The three months in between the end of the season and the draft always seem to drag out until you've done so much research and seen so many mock drafts you tend to get attached to certain guys and lose sight of who the best player for your draft slot really is.
Lately most of Patriots Nation seems to be trending toward Penn State's Jared Odrick as good fit for the Patriots at the 22nd overall slot, especially with the departure of Jarvis Green to Denver. Odrick seems to have the size and intangibles to make a good 5-techinque, a position that Jarvis Green was ill fit for when he was thrust into it following the trade of Richard Seymour.
DE is a position of need and Odrick is by all accounts a great kid who loves football and competes on every down. Sounds like a perfect fit right? As recently as yesterday he was my number one target. However last night my opinion began to sway a bit.
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Pro Football Focus' Rankings of the 2009 Patriots Defense posted on 03/09/2010
I came upon a website today that breaks down every play of the NFL season and awards grades to each player accordingly: www.profootballfocus.com. What you get is an expansive database, with hard numerical data ranking player performance. While fans never get to break down the game film or know exactly how the coaches are grading out the players, this is a good resource with some really interesting stuff. I won't challenge their method or their football credentials, rather I looked at each player on the 2009 Patriots defense and found their season rankings. Here's the list from best to worst:
- Tully Banta Cain: 21.8
- Vince Wilfork: 9.6
- Leigh Bodden: 6.8
- Brandon Meriweather: 5.0
- Ty Warren: 3.9
- Rob Ninkovich: 3.4
- Patrick Chung: 1.8
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ReBuilding The New England Patriots Defense posted on 03/09/2010
Many Patriots fans seem to still be under the delusion that their defense is a mere pass rusher away from returning to an elite, Super Bowl-caliber squad. The reality is that the Patriots defense began a full on rebuild in 2009, making the AFC East title they won even more impressive considering it was done with such a young and inconsistent defense.
The core leadership of the early Super Bowl defenses, like Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, and Rodney Harrison was born of playoff disappointment early in their careers, just as this season's playoff loss will be a building block for young leaders like Jerod Mayo and Brandon Meriweather.
So what are the biggest holes to fill? I believe that the number one need for this team right now is a right defensive end to replace Richard Seymour. For all the talk about the Pats lack of pressure on the passer, it was the run defense that was most lacking in the playoff loss. Stopping the run must be first and foremost for any defense and the Patriots lacked a starting quality 5-techinique in 2009.
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And on the 4th Day of Free Agency the Jets & Dolphins Apparently Passed the Patriots.... posted on 03/08/2010
Free Agency just started on Friday, and the Jets and Dolphins have both made significant moves while the Patriots have stuck to signing their own guys, and it's become a popular article around the interwebs whether these moves have dethroned New England as the AFC East favorites.
First of all, Miami and New York should be doing whatever they can do to pass the Patriots this year. No one realized it heading into last year but 2009 was the year Bill Belichick had to begin rebuilding his defense. He realized it at the end of training camp and unloaded Richard Seymour to Oakland. But the Patriots are well suited for the rebuild that is ahead of them.
Jerod Mayo and Vince Wilfork will be the centerpieces of the new defense. And will 4 picks in the first two rounds of this years draft, as well as 2 1st-rounders in next years, the Patriots are in position to add a lot of quality players in the next two seasons. Meaning if you're going to beat the Patriots you better do it now before all this talent is added and begins to gel.
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A Closer Look at Adalius Thomas in the Buffalo Bills Game posted on 02/19/2010
When Adalius Thomas went on the radio airwaves a couple weeks ago he shed just a little light on what exactly went wrong with him and the Patriots in 2009. Apparently it all started after the first game of the season, the home opener against the Buffalo Bills, which saw the Tom Brady pull of the greatest fourth quarter comeback of his career. Thomas said that Coach Belichick met with him after the game to express that his play was substandard and from there things went down hill fast.
Thomas seemed to disagree with Belichick's assessment, and said that the tape was out there for anyone who wanted to see how he performed. I had saved the game on my DVR (because I was there and I'm a nerd like that) so I went back and watched every defensive play, watching only Thomas to see what it was about AD's play that drew Bill Belichick's ire.
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