Jabril peppers signs a 1yr Deal with Pats

After panning this trade as a knee-jerk reaction, I'm beginning to come around on it.

Maybe, just maybe, Kyle Dugger is ready to take on more of a deep Safety role than just being
a box kind of guy. While there have been times when I've been frustrated with his coverage or lack
thereof, I have to admit that he was much better at it in 2021 than as a rookie and, in fact, made some
quality plays to go along with some that looked tentative or just inept.

He's a great tackler already, which I think we've all seen, but like the rest of the D didn't finish the season
very strong. Maybe it was more of a total system breakdown and I shouldn't overreact.

Peppers is maybe even a tougher tackler than Dugger. I guess you get all the capable guys you can round up
and then worry about specific roles, but I tend to think in terms of classic deep/strong Safety roles when that
may no longer be relevant.
Think of a world where Dugger and/or Peppers are playing coverage/rush hybrid LB/Safety roles, with McCourty and/or Phillips behind them, playing heady and opportunistic football. Scrambling QBs are hemmed in, TEs and RBs are nerfed as receiving threats, and as for WRs running jerk and drag routes...they're going to pay the price for that.

If we're going to be weak at outside corner, how valuable is it to have a flexible rush and the short inside zones zipped up tight, allowing the CBs to lean into covering the outside and deeper routes. Those guys plus Jones? That's a lot of coverage ability and athleticism in the interior. Add in Judon and Barmore, and the athleticism of the defense overall looks pretty dramatically different. Draft Davis to let Godcheaux be a 2-gapping DE opposite Barmore, and you're suddenly not undersized overall, either.

I wonder...if you let Hightower forget about coverage, and sell out on directing traffic and playing purely downhill, could he have another year in him after a trip to the Rejuvenation Machine? I doubt it, but it's possible.

With Belichick, I love when he gets his hands on these undervalued hybrid guys. Anything that gives him flexibility and the ability to play chess.
 
Think of a world where Dugger and/or Peppers are playing coverage/rush hybrid LB/Safety roles, with McCourty and/or Phillips behind them, playing heady and opportunistic football. Scrambling QBs are hemmed in, TEs and RBs are nerfed as receiving threats, and as for WRs running jerk and drag routes...they're going to pay the price for that.

If we're going to be weak at outside corner, how valuable is it to have a flexible rush and the short inside zones zipped up tight, allowing the CBs to lean into covering the outside and deeper routes. Those guys plus Jones? That's a lot of coverage ability and athleticism in the interior. Add in Judon and Barmore, and the athleticism of the defense overall looks pretty dramatically different. Draft Davis to let Godcheaux be a 2-gapping DE opposite Barmore, and you're suddenly not undersized overall, either.

I wonder...if you let Hightower forget about coverage, and sell out on directing traffic and playing purely downhill, could he have another year in him after a trip to the Rejuvenation Machine? I doubt it, but it's possible.

With Belichick, I love when he gets his hands on these undervalued hybrid guys. Anything that gives him flexibility and the ability to play chess.
Davis dropping to the Pats would be very fortunate...I doubt that it happens. It's possible though. Travis Jones is another possibility too. In the 2nd round.
 
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