An Independent Patriots Blog
In case you missed it live earlier today, here’s episode three of Patshow! Plenty of Julian Edelman discussion, a visit from our first guest (a puppet Fitzy) and a 53-man roster projection.
Next show will be Wednesday but in the meantime if you’ll be tailgating for Patriot-Giants this Thursday be on the lookout for yours truly shooting some fan interviews for next week’s show. Thanks to all for tuning in and be sure to follow/fave/share all things @Patshow6!
When the Patriots acquired Kony Ealy this offseason by moving down eight spots in the draft, it was a low risk move that made a lot of sense.
With the departures of Chris Long and Jabaal Sheard, New England had a need at defensive end, no matter how nebulous that position name is within their defense. The retirement of Rob Ninkovich only furthered that need, which made Ealy’s slow start to camp, when he was missing in action the first day, even more troubling.
Ealy was remarkably unspectacular in the training camp practices I witnessed. In early preseason game action he looked just as bad. Yes, he started to make some plays here and there but it just wasn’t enough and Ealy was released after the Patriots third preseason game.
He was slow off the ball, unable to defeat blocks and was just generally ineffective and not impactful.
What happened? How can an experienced pro who was a standout in Super Bowl 50 get completely untracked in New England? When Bill Belichick says it just didn’t work out, no hard feelings, what’s at the root of why it didn’t work out?
Most of it fits into New England’s defensive scheme, which is unique. It’s not the first time a promising veteran defender hasn’t been able to do what the scheme requires, with Terrence Knighton being the latest example last season.
Let’s look a little deeper at what the Patriots ask their defensive ends/outside linebackers/edge players to do, and why it can be difficult for some players to grasp.
Great stuff here and here from Tom E. Curran over the past couple days and it looks like there will be even more coming. Here are some of Cosell’s most interesting Patriots observations: On Brandon Tate GC: Very often, the way players are used tells you how a coaching staff feels about them. The way […]