A little while ago, The Sporting News picked a breakout player from each team in the NFL. For the Patriots, the selection was safety Brandon Merriweather.
Merriweather? That was a little surprising. I figured going from a part-time player to starting all 16 games, leading the team in interceptions with four, and a few game-changing plays made for a breakout year.
OK, so it wasn’t a Pro Bowl season. It’s hard to get recognized over Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu or Baltimore’s Ed Reed. But keep this in mind: Merriweather had more tackles and forced fumbles than either two, and had more sacks than Reed. And Brandon did that with less protection from the front seven. Baltimore and Pittsburgh were the top two defenses in the league, thanks in large part to disruptive fronts. Merriweather didn’t get that kind of help.
So with Merriweather not an option for breakout because he already broke through, who on the roster is in line to have a “look at me” season? Linebacker Gary Guyton.
That’s a heck of a jump for an undrafted rookie free agent to become a significant player on defense. But the Georgia Tech product will be in position to make a lot of plays.
First off, he will start for the team. Even if ILB Tedy Bruschi didn’t retire, Guyton was ahead of Bruschi on the depth chart during the preseason. When the team played a 3-4, Guyton was in there with Jerod Mayo, Adalius Thomas, and Pierre Woods.
But if called upon, Guyton can switch to OLB. As the season winded down last year, Guyton shifted out when injuries added up and Junior Seau was brought back. The versatility to stay on the field gives Guyton plenty of chances to make plays.
If Guyton’s place in the starting lineup is as simple as pulling Bruschi and inserting Gary, then he will be lined up right behind the Seymour Assortment. DL Richard Seymour played on the right side of the defense. With Big Sey now in Oakland, expect team after team to go after the right side of the defense and whoever is on the field. Whether it’s a run play or quick screens, that’s a lot of action coming Guyton’s way.
Guyton should also benefit from teams focusing more on Mayo than him. Jerod gets the star treatment that goes with being the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Mayo led the team with 128 tackles and will be the central player on the defense this year. He won’t come off the field no matter the alignment and will be targeted as the defender to attack on inside run plays. This frees Guyton up to pick up the slack and amass tackles.
As important it will be for Guyton to hold is own close to the line, what he does in coverage could be more important. He substituted for Bruschi on passing downs because he was faster. Gary has some very big shoes to fill when it comes to becoming a play-maker like Bruschi was.
What might help Guyton the most towards a strong performance in 2009 is a lack of pressure. Eric Alexander is the back-up ILB and he hasn’t shown much in five years with the Patriots except being a good special teams performer. Forgotten is Tyrone McKenzie, a 2009 third round draft pick. If healthy, McKenzie likely would had competed with Guyton to start and would be breathing down Gary’s shoulder pads. But with McKenzie on injured reserve, Guyton can keep his eyes forward and focus on doing his job.
Everything is just right for Guyton to have a breakout year. The rest is up to him.
Questions? Comments? Send to talktome@randolphc.com.
