This is the second installment looking at the current players under contract and how they apply to the draft and free agency.
Defense:
Defensive Tackle:
Players Under Contract:
Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love, Ron Brace, Myron Pryor, Marcus Harrison
Need - Depth
You can never have too many lineman, offensive or defensive. The Pats defensive line, whether it is a 40 or 30 front is anchored by Vince Wilfork. The man is a freak of nature. Kyle Love is a promising young undrafted free agent going on his third year. In 2010, Love's rookie season, when the Pats were having issues at defensive end, they moved Wilfork over and entrusted the nose to Love. Brace has been a disappointment so far and injuries have limited Pryor's development. Harrison seems to be someone with a legitimate chance to compete for a roster spot, particularly Brace's. Ultimately, if the Pats plan to be in a 3-4 defense for most of the time, the NT position is fairly solid. But with what they showed last season and their tendency to switch between 3 and 4 man fronts, another high caliber player is desired, particularly if they can play defensive end.
Defensive End:
Players Under Contract:
Jonathan Fanene, Brandon Deaderick, Christian Cox, Aaron Lavaris
Need - Starter
I made this list with the expectation with the assumption the Pats will be in a 3-4 defense because a 3-4 DE is very different from a 4-3 DE. Defensive end is one of the thinner positions on the team. Fanene, the former Cincinnati Bengal, is expected to be a starter. Deaderick, a seventh round draft pick in 2010, would be the other projected starter. Deaderick has proved himself worthy of roster spot, but having him starting at presumably LDE is troublesome. Furthermore, behind Fanene and Deaderick are Cox and Lavaris who will be fighting to make the practice squad. This is a position the Patriots have to address in the draft, hopefully with one of their first four picks. They have already taken a look at DT/DE Michael Brockers from LSU.
Outside Linebacker:
Players Under Contract:
Rob Ninkovich, Jermaine Cunningham, Trevor Scott, Markell Carter
Need - Starter
The weakest position on the roster, without a doubt. Ninkovich has been compared to Vrabel, partially because he wears the same number, but he has not produced on a consistent enough basis for me to agree. The playoff game against the Broncos was possibly his best performance to date and I look forward to him starting on the strong side going forward, but who plays across from him? Jermaine Cunningham had a so-so rookie season and all but disappeared last season. Trevor Scott, the former Raider, is being paid like a starter with a one-year $1.2 m contract. Markell Carter was a sixth round selection last year who failed to make an appearance on the field, but was awarded several times for his practice squad play. Belichick has never drafted an OLB in the first round, mostly due to teams over-valuing the position, and I don't expect him to change that this year. But I do think he needs to invest at least a second round pick in a player who can start opposite Ninkovich. Also to note, the Pats are still in touch with Andre Carter, but are waiting to see how he recovers from the quad injury that ended his season early last year.
Inside Linebacker:
Players Under Contract:
Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, Dane Fletcher, Bobby Carpenter, Jeff Tarapinian, Niko Koutouvides, Tracy White
Need - None
The deepest defensive position, mostly because many of the players are primarily special teams players. Jerod Mayo, known as Bill Jr. and Jerod Belichick in the locker room, is frequently called the "quarterback" of the defense. He calls the defensive plays and runs the show. He may not be the fastest linebacker or the best in coverage, but he's incredibly intelligent and does everything well. This past season, particularly the playoffs, were huge for Brandon Spikes. He cemented his position as the other starting ILB and hard hitting run stopper. He is a bit of a liability in coverage, but he has improved that area as well, i.e. intercepting Flacco's pass in the AFC championship game. Fletcher and the very recently signed Bobby Carpenter provide depth behind Mayo and Spikes, while Tarapinian, Koutouvides and White are all core special teams players.
Corner Back:
Players Under Contract:
Devin McCourty, Kyle Arrington, Ras-I Dowling, Sterling Moore, Marquis Cole, Bret Lockett, Malcom Williams
Need - Depth
Cornerback was an interesting position last year. Clearly, the secondary wasn't phenomenal, but it was difficult to tell whether the blame was on the cornerbacks, the lack of pass rush, or the lack of safety help. Most likely, the truth is a combination of all three. Devin McCourty took a step back last season allowing a significant number of touchdowns and long passes in his direction. Kyle Arrington wasn't too much better, but he was able to come down with seven interceptions. Ras-I Dowling is a speedy, tall cornerback who was drafted high, but had concerns about durability. He promptly got injured and put on IR for most of the season. He has the size, but not the bulk to be placed at free safety and so he is likely to stay at corner. Between those three, McCourty and Dowling project to the starters with Arrington defending the slot in nickel defenses. Moore, the savior of the AFC championship game, adds depth and competition behind them. Marquis Cole, the former Dolphin, is expected to provide depth and play special teams. While Lockett and Williams are likely training camp/practice squad players. I think the need at this position is depth because of Dowling's frailty and the issues they had at safety last season. I think a player that had the flexibility to play both corner and safety/kick return would be extremely valuable.
Safety:
Players Under Contract:
Patrick Chung, Steve Gregory, Sergio Brown, Josh Barrett, Ross Ventrone
Need - Starter
Safety, free safety in particular, is the second weakest position, slightly behind OLB. Chung is a solid strong safety, but was asked to act more as a free safety last year due to several cuts at the start of last season. Gregory was signed away from the Chargers and should provide a serviceable free safety if necessary, but should be considered more of a depth option. I am a firm believer that Sergio Brown should never take the field on defense, special teams is ok, but he is a huge liability in the passing game. He takes terrible angles and shows very poor tackling. Barrett is even further down the depth chart, coming onto the field only when Chung was out injured. Finally, Ventrone is a practice squad player, who was almost humorously released and resigned over 20 times last year! Seriously, 20! Unfortunately, the safety free agency and draft pool is small and there are quite a few teams that need safeties, including the Jets, Dolphins and Cowboys. I know Belichick typically goes for players that can do everything decently as opposed to one thing outstanding (i.e. pass rush specialists), but I think the FS prospect needs to be good to great in coverage. Obviously, tackling is important for a safety, as is speed, and size and so on, but I really think coverage should be the top priority. Also, it is important to note that the Pats have still not resigned James Ihedigbo, who started opposite Chung last season.
Defense Overall:
Unlike the offense, nearly every defensive position could use help, with the sole exception being ILB. I'm hoping that the defensive line, outside linebacker, and safety all to be addressed within the first three rounds.
No comments:
Post a Comment