Looking at the Defense - 2011

[mayoclinic]

I. Overview

The Pats nearly completely turned over their defense between 2007 and 2010, with Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren the only significant holdovers from the Super Bowl years. An old, slow but savvy defense was replaced with a young, fast, athletic but inexperienced defense. The 2010 defense started off ragged but recovered somewhat to end with mixed results: the best turnover differential in 2 decades, but also the worst pass defense and worst 3rd down conversion rate allowed in memory. Key injuries on the DL (Ty Warren, Mike Wright) and secondary (Leigh Bodden, Brandon McGowan) thrust young players into the spotlight earlier than expected. Rookie Devin McCourty responded with a Pro Bowl season, but the results in other areas were mixed. Lack of pressure seemed to be a consistent consistent complaint. For the 3rd consecutive year the team ended up with under 40 sacks, and no player produced more than 5.5 sacks. Going into 2011 the general consensus seemed to be that the team needed some seasoning, experience, and continuity, along with an additional playmarker or two at the DE and DE/OLB positions.


II. Defensive Units

DL

The DL was once the strength of the team, and the best 3-4 unit in the NFL led by Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren. The Seymour trade in 2009 ended that, and Ty Warren's hip surgery and Mike Wright's concussion/neck injury in 2010 further eroded the unit. Vince Wilfork responded with another Pro Bowl season, Gerard Warren filled in ably, and there were some signs of progress from youngsters such as Ron Brace, Brandon Deaderick, Myron Pryor and Kyle Love. But the DL was spread very thin at times, and both the run defense and pass rush were not up to expectations.

The 2011 unit should be better, even though many people were disappointed by the failure to add a stud rookie DL in the 2011 draft. Wilfork remains the anchor of the line. Ty Warren will be back, and claims to be recovering well from his hip surgery; a strong recovery would be a godsend. Gerard Warren is a FA and could return, but the signing of Marcus Stroud adds another veteran presence, albeit one on the downside of his career. Mike Wright is reportedly recovering from what appeared at one time to be potentially career threatening injuries.

Nevertheless, how the DL does will probably depend to a large extent on the development of the young players. Ron Brace showed some nice flashes in 2010; if he is ready to step up to the RDE position it would be a godsend. Rookie Kade Weston spent 2010 on IR but has considerable talent and the size to anchor the right side. Brandon Deaderick was erratic in 2010, and Myron Pryor was slowed by injuries. Kyle Love showed promise in making the team as a UDFA, though the team lacks a true NT backup to Vince Wilfork.

There will be intense training cap jostling for roster spots. 8 DLs seems likely, but there will be 9-10 capable bodies fighting for spots. A veteran FA signing - such as Marcus Spears - seems unlikely at this point, unless there is an injury issue.

Overall prognosis: Solid, and very deep. Should be better than 2010 because of the return of Ty Warren, the addition of Marcus Stroud, and the development of the youngsters. But probably not elite.

DE/OLB

The OLB group also produced mixed results in 2010. The Pats started 2010 by cutting Adalius Thomas, and with great hopes from veteran Derrick Burgess, who had shown some promise in 2009 and was converting to OLB. Burgess unexpectedly retired in August, and stayed retired. Tully Banta-Cain, who had surprised with 10 sacks in 2009, was injured and regressed, losing his starting job.

On the up side, rookie Jermaine Cunningham made steady if unspectacular progress converting to OLB, and became a solid starter. Though he had some trouble finishing off plays and only produced 1 sack, Cunningham did show some steady pressure which had been lacking from the OLB position. Rob Ninkovich was a surprise starter and played better than expected, showing some unexpected flashes. His 2 interceptions of Chad Henne in the first Miami game was one of the highpoints of the season. Finally, the signing of journeyman and UFL player Eric Moore late in the season produced some unexpected results. Moore produced 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 14 tackles in only 4 games, playing mostly in sub packages the way Derrick Burgess had been used in 2009.

Don't expect a major FA signing for 2011. The big names, LaMarr Woodley and Tamba Hali, were given the franchise tag by their respective organizations, and are too expensive any way. Since the Adalius Thomas fiasco it is unlikely that the team will throw a huge contract at the position. A more modest signing such as Matt Roth might happen, but is by no means a given. Rookie Markell Carter has some upside as a developmental prospect, but appears destined for the practice squad unless he makes the team as a surprise STer.

Overall prognosis: Guarded. As with DL, many people wanted an edge rusher in the 2011 draft, and came away dissapointed. On the other hand, the failure to draft an edge rusher suggests that BB is pleased with the talent and progress of a young unit. If Jermaine Cunningham makes the expected 2nd year leap and Eric Moore shows progress converting to a full time OLB, this could be a better unit than expected. It won't be flashy and will likely not produce the kind of attacking pressure that many fans want, but it will probably do a very capable and effective job in BB's 2-gapping read and react defense.

ILB

The ILB unit was transformed in 2 years from one of the weakest parts of the defense to one of the strongest. It excelled in 2010, led by Pro Bowl WILB Jerod Mayo, who was fully recovered from his 2009 MCL sprain and who led the league in tackles. More importantly, Mayo showed signs of becoming a playmaker on defense, and clearly stepped up to become the undisputed leader of the defense, along with Vince Wilfork. Mayo seemed to benefit from the addition of a true SILB thumper in rookie Brandon Spikes. Spikes was inconsistent in 2010, mixing flashes of brilliants and physical play with some major mistakes and obvious signs of inexperience. He also had two embarrassing episodes, the last resulting in a 4 game suspension for inadvertently using PEDs. Gary Guyton played adequately but regressed slightly from his 2009 season. He will be in a contract year this year. The other surprise was UDFA rookie Dane Fletcher, who beat out 2009 3rd round pick Tyrone McKenzie to make the team and who showed surprising speed in converting from DE to LB. Fletcher managed to see considerable playing time and was used in a variety of roles, including as a spy, at SILB, and as a situational pass rusher. He has tremendous athleticism and appears to be a very quick study, and he if he continues to develop he could be a force to be reckoned with on the ILB unit for some time.

This unit is the deepest and strongest it has been since the 2004 SB year.

I'm particularly bullish on rookie Brandon Spikes, who should bring physicality, a nasty attitude, and leadership to the defense. I think the interior defense is critical both for better run defense (no more 4.4 YPC, please) and for generating interior pressure to collapse the pocket and make the outside pass rush more effective. Tyrone Mackenzie is essentially an extra rookie after his 2009 ACL injury, and offers nice positional versatility (he can play 4-3 SAM as well) and better range and coverage than Spikes.

I personally think the end of the line has come for Eric Alexander, as I can't see the Pats carrying more than 4 at this position and the top 4 are set. It's remotely possible that we could carry 5 and that Alexander could make it based on his ST play, but I doubt it. I'm still traumatized by memories of him in coverage in the 2006 AFCCG loss to the Colts. Thomas Williams sounds like PS material, if he is still eligible.

Overall prognosis: Very strong. The best it's been since 2004.

Safety

This unit continues to be one of the strengths of the team. Brandon Meriweather was somewhat erratic in 2010 and was even briefly benched for freelancing too much, but recovered to make his second consecutive Pro Bowl. Second year man Pat Chung seemed to make the expected leap and became the starter opposite Meriweather. He showed signs of becoming an impact player, though a knee injury slowed him down for the second half of the season. James Sanders remained a consistent and steady presence. Brandon McGowan, who played well in 2009, unexpectedly spent the season on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle. The team traded with Kansas City for Jarrad Page, who struggled with nagging injuries but showed some flashes. Rookie UDFA Sergio Brown was promoted from the practice squad and showed enough talent to suggest that he could be a long term fixture on the unit. The team also stole special teams ace Josh Barrett away from Denver, although he was on IR for 2010. He has the size and speed to play a hyrbid SS/LB role, similar to what was envisioned for Tank Williams.

The 2011 unit should continue to be very strong. There is tremendous talent and depth. However, the unit has probably not played up to its full capabilities. This could change with the addition of Mike Patricia as positional coach. If anyone can find a way to blend the talents of this group and get them to produce up to or exceeding the sum of their parts, it is the charismatic and creative Patricia. This will be one of the more interesting stories for the defense in 2011.

Overall prognosis: Very strong for 2011. Meriweather, Chung, Sanders, Page/McGowan, Brown and Josh Barrett make for one of the strongest and deepest units in the NFL. Hopefully Pat Chung will be fully recovered from his knee injury and will continue to develop into a miniature version of Troy Polamalu. If Brandon Meriweather can stay disciplined and play within the structure of the defense, the outlook should be very good. Up in the air for the long term, as only Patrick Chung and Sergio Brown are currently signed beyond 2011. There could be some roster turnover in this area, and possibly some trades. A veteran free agent signing such as Dontae Whitner is a long shot, but not out out of the question. Unless the team addresses some of the long term contract situation in the next year, this position could be a target in the 2012 draft.

CB

Going into 2010 most people expected Darius Butler to make a huge leap in his second year and become the starter opposite Leigh Bodden. Things didn't work out that way, as Bodden went on injured reserve during training camp and Butler regressed, becoming at best a nickel/dime CB. Butler started the season as a starter but was picked on mercilessly, and appeared to lose confidence. He did recover somewhat over the course of the season as a role player, but appears to have serious deficiencies in technique and a lack of physicality, which may limit him to being a slot CB at best.

The combination of Bodden's injury and Butler's regression through the CB position into chaos. The season was salvaged by the emergence of rookie Devin McCourty as a bona fide shutdown CB, and the unexpected emergence of ST ace UDFA CB Kyle Arrington as a competent starter. Arrington was unexpectedly thrust into the starting role after Butler's collapse, and played much better than expected, handling many talented receivers, including Randy Moss. While he probably will not and should not remain a starter, he provides a solid backup after a year of experience.

McCourty was a revelation in 2010. Most people were caught off guard when the Patriots drafted McCourty at #27 in the first round of the 2010 draft, once again passing up the expected DL or pass rusher. The national media questioned the pick, and appeared to view McCourty as a special teams ace par excellence and solid 2nd round talent, but not as one of the top 3-4 CBs in the draft. Instead, McCourty produced 8 interceptions and a blend of physical and savvy play reminiscent of Ty Law, made the Pro Bowl, and finished second to Ndamukong Suh in DROY voting. McCourty showcased exceptional quickness and the ability to rapidly adjust with a physical style of play, allowing him to handle both small/quick receivers and the physical, speedy flankers. His performance against Calvin Johnson was nothing short of inspirational. He clearly represents, along with Jerod Mayo and Vince Wilfork, the core of the defense.

3rd year player Jonathan Wilhite recovered from a rough 2009 to share time with Darius Butler as the nickel/dime CB. He played somewhat better than expected. That made fellow 3rd year man Terrance Wheatley expendable; Wheatley could never stay healthy long enough to develop the necessary consistency.

The Patriots appear set on moving away from the "smurf" CBs that they seemed to favor from 2003-2008 (Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, Randall Gay, Terrance Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite, all under 5'10" and none very phyiscal) to bigger, more physical CBs capable of playing man and press coverage and handling the power WRs in the league such as Brandon Marshall, Vincent Jackson and Calvin Johnson. This trend continued in the 2011 draft with the selection of Ras-I Dowling from Virginia with the #33 pick to open the second round. Again the Pats surprised people by taking a DB over a DL or pass rusher. Dowling was a consensus top 20 talent going into 2010, but suffered from nagging injuries. A team captain with great size at 6'1" 198#, Dowling could be the long term successor to Leigh Bodden opposite McCourty, or could also move to FS, providing nice flexibility. He gives the Pats the ability to put 3 big, physical CBs on the field. If he can stay healthy, the Pats should have one of the deepest and most talented units in the NFL. With Kyle Arrington as a very capable backup, that will likely leave Darius Butler and Jonathan Wilhite to fight it out for the dime role and final roster spot. Tony Carter is probably the odd man out in the scenario, though he could possibly surprise both Butler and Wilhite.

Overall prognosis: One of the deepest and most talented units, with no one over 28. Should be set for the long term. If Leigh Bodden can make a full recovery from his hsoulder injury and Ras-I Dowling can stay healthy, this could be one of the best units in the NFL. It will be especially interesting to see how McCourty progresses in 2011. He looks like he could make a leap to the Darrelle Revis level sooner rather than later, and become the best Pats CB since Ty Law, and possibly Mike Haynes.

(continued on next post due to size limitations)

 

[mayoclinic]

(continued)

II. Overall Prognosis

BB has done an amazing job rebuilding the defense in a short period of time. It was not many years ago that we would go year to year looking for castoffs from other teams to pick up and fill holes at LB and DB: Jonathan Starks, Deltha O'Neal, Chad Brown, Monty Beisel, Victor Hobson, Derrick Burgess, etc. Not many of those pick ups worked out very well. Now the defense is loaded with young playmakers and depth at every position, and has as much talent, speed and athleticism as any unit in the NFL. This ability clearly showed in 2010 in the ability of the defense to produce turnovers and game changing plays.

The defense should continue to mix a base 3-4 2-gapping "read and react" base with 4-3 and other schematic formations. The defensive personnel allow for tremendous schematic flexibility. While fans often want more of a 1-gap attacking defense, it is extremely unlikely that we will see this, though improved speed and athleticism should allow for selective attacking to a greater degree. As the players become more comfortable with the scheme and their basic assignments and more instinctive, BB will probably start to loosen up the reigns a bit and allow for a little more creativity and improvisation. The Pats will never be "Blitzburg". But the 2009 and 2010 defenses were required to be fairly vanilla because of the tremendous turnover in personnel and lack of familiarity with the scheme.

The defense clearly showed its youth and inexperience in 2010, and did not play up to its talent. Nevertheless, there are two reasons to take this with a grain of salt. First, the defense suffered from an epidemic of unexpected injuries which stretched it thin and required players to step up. Second, the showed considerable improvement during the second half of the season, improving in almost every category - sacks, 3rd down conversions, opposing QB rating, red zone defense, etc. Having a full season under their belt and more time to gel and develop as a unit should only improve the defense. The 2010 unit finished fairly respectably, finishing 8th in points allowed at 19.6 PPG, and producing more points than any other defense in the NFL.

Most people felt that the 2011 draft offered the opportunity to complete the rebuilding of the defense with the addition of a DE as the heir Richard Seymour and a pass rusher. The draft was lauded as being the deepest in recent memory at the DL position. The team unexpectedly bypassed this area altogether. While this dismayed many, it also suggests that BB is happy with the talent level of the defense; that he feels that hte unit needs continuity, experience and time to develop together more than it needs a further infusion of youth and talent; and that he may be pleased with the development of some of the youngsters on the front 7. This should be one of the biggest stories for 2011. The 2010 unit showed that it was not far from becoming an elite unit. However, it also showed the limitations of athleticism in the secondary to cover up for the continued inability to generate consistent pressure on opposing QBs.

All the signs are that the defense is still evolving. Bill Belichick took over the defense from Dean Pees in 2010, and will continue to oversee the unit without a Defensive Coordinator. Mike Patricia, the favorite for the DC job, did not get promoted (unlike Bill O'Brien on offense), and instead was moved to the secondary to work with the talent but erratic safety group. He could eventually get the DC role, but not until he gets more seasoning and not until the defense is more firmly established. I think we can expect BB to continue to put his stamp on the unit in 2011, and to see it's true personality start to take shape. Wilfork, Mayo, McCourty and Chung look to be the cornerstone of the defense, with a half dozen other players potentially playing major roles. I believe that this defense will eventually be special, and will rival the 2003 defense as the best in the BB era. Only time will tell whether that happens in 2011, or whether the defense is still missing a few key pieces.

It should be interesting to find out.

 

[mayoclinic]

For comparison purposes, the 2010 thread is:

http://www.patriotsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=56345

 

[mayoclinic]

Reiss looks at the move towards bigger CBs:

Three years ago, when discussing what the Patriots look for in cornerbacks, then-VP of Player Personnel Scott Pioli touched on the importance of change of direction. “Part of it is that the bigger a player gets – the taller or longer sometimes a player is – the less fluid they are in changing direction," Pioli said at the time. "When you’re looking for a corner, they have to be reactive athletes – to see changes, know what’s going on, plant their foot, and drive toward the football. The longer, taller bodies have more difficulty being reactive-type athletes.”

The Patriots' approach at the position has been changing. Size is now viewed as more important, as evidenced by the projected top four players on their depth chart, all of whom joined the team since 2009:

Devin McCourty -- 5-foot-10, 193 pounds
Leigh Bodden -- 6-foot-1, 193 pounds
Ras-I Dowling -- 6-foot-1, 198 pounds
Kyle Arrington -- 5-foot-10, 196 pounds

One point Bill Belichick made after the second day of the draft is that big, physical corners also add value on special teams. When that is combined with matching up with opposing pass-catchers on early downs, it makes those big, physical corners more desirable.

"It seems like every week, we’re going up against big, physical receivers in this league, whether it’s Braylon Edwards or Brandon Marshall or you can go right down the line, the San Diego receivers, Pittsburgh receivers ...," Belichick said. "Everybody’s got them and being able to tackle and being physical and being able to jam guys and things like that, playing the kicking game, I think those are all good qualities for a corner to have. Certainly coverage is a big part of it as well, but having physical corners out there is … I think every defense likes that."

The same point was made by Bills GM Buddy Nix after the team selected Texas' Aaron Williams (5-11, 7/8, 204 pounds) at the top of the second round. "This league has gotten big at wide receiver, and it gets bigger and faster every year," Nix told Clark Judge of CBSSports.com. "So you better get big corners. If you've got 5-8-1/2 or 5-9 corners, you're in trouble. They can't jam, and they can't disrupt the route."

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-..._/id/4695896/changing-face-of-pats-at-corner

Personally, I love physical CBs. Give me Ty Law over Asante Samuel any day.

One of the things that makes guys like Devin McCourty and Darrelle Revis so special is that they seem to combine the quickness and reactivity to cover the small, quick WRs with the size and physicality to handle the big guys as well. I think that's very unusual.

 

[HSanders]

Personally, I love physical CBs. Give me Ty Law over Asante Samuel any day.

I couldn't agree more.
Great writeup mayo. I appreciate all the time & effort you put into these.
I was feeling a little blue I admit over no 5 tech or stud OLB but this made me feel better.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Tyrone Mackenzie is essentially an extra rookie after his 2009 ACL injury, and offers nice positional versatility (he can play 4-3 SAM as well) and better range and coverage than Spikes.

The only flaw in an otherwise fantastic synopsis.

 

[mayoclinic]

The only flaw in an otherwise fantastic synopsis.

Oops. How embarrassing. That's what happens when you cut and paste. That was from the 2010 thread, which I pasted and used as a template.

 

[patsfanroach]

Again AMAZING work here Mayo. It is GREATLY appreciated. I like the rebuilt Defense that will be tweaked and adjusted with UDRAs and FA signings. Wilfork and Mayo are established studs and Butler and McCourty will establish themselves this season. Keep up the good work MC!

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Oops. How embarrassing. That's what happens when you cut and paste. That was from the 2010 thread, which I pasted and used as a template.

Figured a slight misstep like that . Otherwise great work.

Quick thought: If Ras-I progresses in a like manner to McCourty could you envision BB occasionally leaving them "on an island" and sending the hounds in a more attack manner than a read and react?

 

[mayoclinic]

Quick thought: If Ras-I progresses in a like manner to McCourty could you envision BB occasionally leaving them "on an island" and sending the hounds in a more attack manner than a read and react?

I don't think BB is going to go all Blitzburgh under any circumstances, but obviously better coverage in the secondary and more confidence in the DBs will allow him to take a few more chances.

I like Dowling a lot - he was on my short list of 2nd round targets, and I thought he would go in the 30's - but I don't want to get caught up comparing him to McCourty. I think McCourty is pretty special, and really Revis is the only similar guy I see - someone who is physical, fast, and big enough to handle the big WRs, but quick and reactive enough to handle the slot guys and smaller WRs like Santonio Holmes. Not many CBs can do both. Just like not many OT's have Sebastian Vollmer's combination of power and footwork (and I don't want to assume Solder will be an instant Vollmer, either). I'm guessing McCourty will be as good as Revis this year, and will give the Pats a true shutdown option on one side of the field.

Dowling seems more like Bodden to me, and that would be just fine. If he proves to be anything more, it's a bonus. He's got great size and length, and should give the Pats a lot of flexibility in their coverage schemes and matchups. Remember how BB likes to create confusion by switchin people around and throw different reads at QBs. Two "islands" would be ridiculous. It's not out of the question, but it's also not necessary. BB can do a tremendous amount with McCourty and 4 solid CBs around him - Bodden, Dowling, Arrington, and a slot guy (Butler/Wilhite).

I also wouldn't totally give up on Butler yet. For all his issues he does have elite athleticism, and could be a great slot CB. He was considered a possible 1st round pick in 2009 for a reason. He seems to be in a similar to position to Kyle Wilson last year, who was overhyped and not technically sound enough to be thrown into the fray.

 

[mayoclinic]

More on Ras-I Dowling from his college positional coach, Chip West:

• How would you characterize Ras-I as a cornerback?: "I would say 'big' and 'physical'. He goes at it hard. He likes to play a physical brand of corner.”

• Is there a comparison to an NFL player that comes to mind?: "I'm an old-school guy, so I think more about some of the older guys. Eric Allen comes to mind, from his time with Philadelphia."

• What were some of the biggest questions NFL coaches and scouts had for you on Ras-I?: "Most of it was about durability. I've never known Ras-I to miss a lot of games because of injury other than this past year. It's not his fault he got hurt. He's a competitor, a good player, and most of all, in my opinion, a great, great young man. As far as a person who people will love and take a liking to, he's that example."

• What were your first impressions of working with Ras-I in your first year on staff in 2010?: "I saw a really good football player, coming off a good, solid junior year. Selfishly, I was hoping he would come back [for his senior season]. I saw a good player who possessed good man coverage skills. With the size Ras-I has [6-foot-2, 200 pounds], one thing I'm not sure people understand is the type of movements he has. He moves fluently and possesses a unique skill set for a player that size."

• Even though this was your first year on staff, how would you compare and contrast Ras-I to his former teammate Chris Cook, a second-round pick of the Vikings in 2010?: "Some people think their styles are similar, some think it's drastically different. I didn't spend a lot of time with Chris. I always thought Chris was physical, and I also feel that Ras-I is very physical. We play a lot of man-coverage at the line of scrimmage, asking our corners to bump-and-run, get in the receiver's face. We challenged our corners."

• What did you notice about the way he handled his injury-filled 2010 season?: "He kept his faith going and understood that all he could do was get better, and try to get back on the field. His spirits were always up. He was always upbeat."

• How much did you notice the role faith played in his life?: "I definitely noticed it. The one thing I could say about Ras-I is that he lives it. Some coaches will tell you 'He won't get you fired -- on and off the field.' I definitely feel that way about Ras-I. He is strong as far as spirituality. Everybody tries to do the right thing, and he lives that every day."

• What might New England followers not know about Ras-I that would interest them?: "He's a very special young man. Obviously the Patriots saw what they needed to see as far as the player, and with that, I think the biggest selling point is that you couldn't get a better person. Flat out, you just couldn't get a better person. He's a very coachable young man who I like a lot. He's very special."

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-...id/4695941/learning-more-about-ras-i-dowling

Boy, the Virginia coaching staff sure liked Dowling.

 

[king of kings]

I love the depht we have at D-line . Injuries killed up there last year. AS I said in the pass rusher thread. IF they Move Eric Moore to OLB . It could give us the Pass rush we haver not had in years. That was the only aren not addressed in this years Draft.
IF Merriweather learns to stop Taking bad angles in coverage. We should have the most phyiscal Hardest Hitting Secondary we have had In yeARS.

 

[mayoclinic]

More on Ras-I Dowling from his college positional coach, Chip West:

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-...id/4695941/learning-more-about-ras-i-dowling

Boy, the Virginia coaching staff sure liked Dowling.

Still more on Dowling, from Virginia defensive coordinator Jim Reed:

“I’m sorry,” said Reid, who is the associate head coach and defensive coordinator at the University of Virginia. “I’m not objective about him. I love the guy. He embodies everything a player should be. He’s a high-character guy, he works hard and he’s terrific. You don’t have to worry about him doing something unprofessional. He’s just a great role model."

As for a scouting report on Dowling, Reid said he’s a cornerback in name only, and lends some credence to the belief that he might provide some positional versatility with a move to safety sometime in the future. “He can play bump and run and he can play man seven yards off the line. He can play whatever you need,” Reid said. “The guy looks like a linebacker when you see him. He’s a remark physical guy from a height and speed standpoint. The way he works in the weight room, he’s a well developed guy who takes care of his body. He’s an imposing corner — Ras-I is a very good man-to-man player. He’s quick — he can open his hips and run.”

According to Reid ... what sets Dowling apart is a near-obsessive need to improve every day. “When it comes to football, the guy is tough and physical and he wants to be a great player on every play,” Reid said. “Not five or seven or 10 plays a game, but every play when he’s on the field. He’ll be five minutes early to every meeting and he’ll stay as late as he needs to. I was around Jason Taylor and Joey Porter, and they would always ask for extra tape on guys. Guys like that who worked hard; you would stay up late to help them. Ras-I is that type of guy.”

http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/f...5/05/virginia-defensive-coordinator-says-pat

 

[mayoclinic]

Quick thought: If Ras-I progresses in a like manner to McCourty could you envision BB occasionally leaving them "on an island" and sending the hounds in a more attack manner than a read and react?

Thinking more about Dowling, the thing that stands out about him is his physicality. His college coaches keep emphasizing that, describing him as "looking like a linebacker".

I think that the model for comparison for Dowling is Charles Woodson. Not to imply that Dowling will be that good, but I think that like Woodson he will be an exceptionally physical CB, not necessarily a pure "shutdown" CB. I don't think that that is necessarily a bad thing. If he can stay healthy and develop, he and McCourty could turn into something quite special.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Going to the big corner discussion, Arrington was 5' 9.5" at his Pro-Day, NE has just rounded up with him to 5' 10". He is packing more weight then other kids his height NE has drafted, so he holds up to the pounding better when he does get physical - as opposed to how often Hobbs played hurt.

 

[mayoclinic]

Q&A on the defense from Reiss' latest notebook:

Q: Hi Mike, the more I read about Markell Carter, the more I like. Size, attitude, work ethic and desire. I recently watched a clip on him and he seems to get some solid pressure on the QB. What do you think, will he contibute this year in QB pressure/sacks (if we have a season)? -- Jason Brown (Nova Scotia)
A: Jason, I think Carter has a chance and I'm also interested to watch how he develops in the team's system. At the same time, I'm reminded of some past late-round linebackers I got excited about from a reporting perspective, such as Ryan Claridge (5th round, 2005) and Oscar Lua (7th round, 2007), and they didn't pan out. Carter is making a big jump here and I think expecting too much of him too soon probably isn't realistic.

Q: Mike, my questions are about the pass rush and the Patriots' third down defense. I wasn't surprised that the team didn't look for a single rookie to solve their defensive problems from last season. For one, Coach Belichick has a history of liking veteran linebackers and thinks in terms of units, rather than individual players. Also, in evaluating the Patriots' needs on the front seven, we seemed to discount the fact that Ty Warren was out all season, and we should have him back. He's not an edge rusher, of course, but he can generate energy to press the pocket, and he makes the whole unit a lot better. With (Ty) Warren back (and, assumed healthy), what impact do you think his presence will have on the play of Jermaine Cunningham and a healthy Tully Banta-Cain? Do you think that will solve our pass rush problem and help the defense spend a bit less time on the field? Thanks. -- Keith Fitzgerald (Colombo, Sri Lanka)
A: Keith, I've been a big Ty Warren booster over the last eight years in terms of what he brings to the field and locker room. It's unsung work that doesn't always show up on the stat sheet. But entering 2011, my feeling is that relying on Warren is a bit of a wild card, as he's a 30-year-old enerting his ninth season who just missed an entire campaign with a hip injury. I view the Patriots' signing of Marcus Stroud as an insurance policy on Warren because it's my sense that the team isn't sure what it is going to get from Warren at that left defensive end spot. Whether it's Warren, Stroud or someone else, I don't see it playing a major role from a pass-rush perspective as they look like two-down, stop-the-run options to me.
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Q: Mike, I understand the frustration many fans have at not drafting a pass rusher. But the thing I keep coming back to is how little impact rookies realistically have in their first year outside of certain positions and a few truly stellar playmakers. Granted, if the Patriots did select a stud pass rusher he may be able to put some heat on opposing quarterbacks, but in all likelihood the results would be pretty mediocre (think Jermaine Cunningham). It's really rare to have rookie pass rushers that are actually eye opening. Most of the time they don't develop until year two, three, or four. To me free agency is about filing the holes of today and the draft is more about filling the holes of years to come. I expect the defensive pass rush to be addressed once free agency opens. Do you agree? -- Andy (Brighton, Mass.)
A: Andy, I think this is a good point. There is a lot of volatility when it comes to rookie pass rushers, with more hit-and-miss activity at that spot than others, which is why I liked the second round for the Patriots to take a stab at someone like Brooks Reed or Jabaal Sheard. Sort of the same way they rolled the dice a bit with Rob Gronkowski in 2010, who had some questions because of a back injury but was worth the risk in the second round. At the same time, I understand their thinking and now we'll see how it plays out. As for free agency/trades, I think it's going to be a challenge to find a pass-rusher. I really thought the draft was their best chance to address that area.

Q: I know you think Jermaine Cunningham will have a great second year jump, but the player that will have the greatest improvement in his second year is the other DE convert to OLB -- Eric Moore. I know he wasn't a rookie but he wasn't with the Patriots until October. He is a beast at 6-4 and 268 lbs. He has all the tools to be a stellar OLB. Thoughts? -- Brad (Northborough, Mass.)
A: Brad, I'm glad you mentioned Moore as he is an interesting player when it comes to the Patriots' 2011 roster. He is 30 years old, joined the club last December, and played a variety of roles -- rush end, outside linebacker, defensive end in the 3-4. He started three games because of some injuries. Bill Belichick was asked about Moore on the final day of the draft and this is what he said: "He came in here at the end of the year at the tail end of the season and was able to contribute. I don't think that's the easiest thing to do. A player has got to have some things going for him to be able to do that. It would be nice to work with him through an entire season -- whether it's minicamp, training camp, whatever it happens to be, and give him an opportunity from the beginning, and see if that is helpful to their performance and production."

Q: Mike, is BB's draft an indication not only of the trust he has in the group of players on defense in general, but more specifically a positive sign for the club's view on Mike Wright's health and recovery? With everything being said about lack of pass-rush, it is worth remembering that Wright (with his 5.5 sacks before his injury against the Colts) was well on the way to eclipsing the best sack production of Seymour (8.0, twice). -- Mark (Dublin, Ireland)
A: Mark, I think that could be part of it, although I'm probably guilty as most from reading too much into what Bill Belichick's decisions on draft day "mean". Sometimes it's just a situation of trying to capitalize on opportunities that present themselves. I'm not sure Belichick is sitting there saying, "We don't need to take a lineman because we have Mike Wright." If he felt the lineman was the best fit, I think he would still go in that direction.

Q: What is the team's evaluation of Patrick Chung at this point? He looked good at times, but really struggled in the nickle/dime when covering slot receivers. Apparently this was enough of a problem that Belichick took Ras-I Dowling with the 33rd pick. Is he good enough in run support and special teams that this isn't an issue? What is his upside? -- Chris (Brooklyn, NY)
A: Chris, Chung became more of a full-time contributor last season, with his playing time jumping from 20 to 75 percent. I think the Patriots envision him starting alongside Brandon Meriweather and playing the majority of the snaps, assmuning he competes and continues to raise his level of performance. On third down, I think we're more likely to see him in the deep third of the field this year than the slot.

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nfl/columns/story?columnist=reiss_mike&id=6519496

 

[chevss454]

Q&A on the defense from Reiss' latest notebook:



http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nfl/columns/story?columnist=reiss_mike&id=6519496

I'm intrigued by Eric Moore myself. At 268lbs he's a pretty big guy. Maybe he could be the guy to go opposite Cunningham. He was way more effective last year than one would have thought.

 

[Oswlek]

I think Mike overstates Warren's "wild-card" status. It isn't like Ty blew out his hip and is just now starting to rehab. He was playing with pain (that he had played through for the past 3 seasons) and chose to give himself the time to finally let everything heal.

I think relying on everyone to return is foolish because someone is always going to get hurt. But I see no reason to worry about Ty's return.

 

[jczxohn1]

Going to the big corner discussion, Arrington was 5' 9.5" at his Pro-Day, NE has just rounded up with him to 5' 10". He is packing more weight then other kids his height NE has drafted, so he holds up to the pounding better when he does get physical - as opposed to how often Hobbs played hurt.

IIRC, re: his toughness, he's also very into martial arts.

 

[mayoclinic]

Arrington did a very solid job handling big WRs - such as Randy Moss against the Vikings, at a point where the Vikings were still actively trying to involve Moss in their offense. He is much more physical and plays much bigger than guys like Ellis Hobbs or Asante Samuel.