PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Mike Dussault

What are your opinions on Hightower and his role in the upcoming season? Mayo, Collins, & Hightower looks like a very viable linebacking core on paper but how will it translate on the field.

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I think Hightower slides to middle linebacker, Collins plays the strongside where he can do some covering and some blitzing and Mayo stays at weakside where he can use his speed to make that majority of the tackles. I really liked how Hightower came on at the end of the season and I think he demonstrated good physicality that showed he can be a stout mike. 

Is he going to be the same downhill train that Spikes was against the run? No, but he’s still very physical and is more agile in dropping into coverage.

I remain concerned about the depth behind these three, would love to add another coverage guy. Beauharnais could be an interesting guy to watch in camp to see if he can make a jump, but I also think they’ll add another linebacker in the draft, somewhere in 3rd/4th round range.

Do you think we’ll get the chance to see Jamie Collins as more of a pass rusher in the upcoming season or do you think it’s more likely that he stick to his role as a coverage linebacker?

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This is a pretty good debate going on within the Pats pundit community right now. There’s one camp that believes Collins will slide into more of a designated pass rusher role from the edge while Chandler Jones slides into the interior.

I’m more in the other camp that believes Collins will serve more as a linebacker in sub-packages than a defensive end. My reasoning is that Collins’ best strength is his athleticism and that is best utilized in space.

As we saw against the Colts, he’s talented as a blitzer but I don’t believe he’s a natural pass rusher. This means that he’s better when he’s disguising what he’s going to do and then comes flying in, rather than lining up with his hand in the dirt, trying to beat offensive tackles with a variety of moves.

Ultimately I think Collins will be a swiss army knife, who will be in coverage and sent after the quarterback at specific spots. You want to force a running back to try and block him. That’s a mismatch. But I don’t see Collins winning consistently off the edge when his only straight-up pass rush asset is his speed vs. a tackle. 

I expect Collins and Mayo to be the sub-package linebackers, eliminating the need for the big safety who was historically used in the “money” dime linebacker spot. As I see it, there’s a good chance that Collins rarely leaves the field. 

The bigger question might be if he surpasses Mayo as the best linebacker on the squad. I think that’s only a matter of time, though Mayo will obviously remain in a big role.

Patriots mock draft 5.0: Finding a new pass-catching tight end for Tom Brady – Going Deep – Boston.com

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Patriots mock draft 5.0: Finding a new pass-catching tight end for Tom Brady – Going Deep – Boston.com

In his fifth mock of the season Frenz is trying to zag in a new direction, away from the Rashede Hageman groupthink that has gripped just about all of us.

I can’t complain about Jernigan or Amaro and I’d be excited to see both, but my Pats-sense tells me neither represent the kind of top-o’-the-draft value BB demands.

Bodine and Jones are two really good late-round options. Trying to get my Big Board up by Friday, both of them are on it.