An Independent Patriots Blog
5 Dark Horses to Make the Patriots’ Final 53-Man Roster | James Christensen – Bleacher Report
Good read from James as we begin to ramp up to training camp. I’ll be putting together full previews myself as well as rounding up all the good positional battle/dark horse reads I come across.
With the 4th of July in the rearview mirror, Pats training camp is just days away!
2007 Patriots: Greatest NFL Team of All-Time
Good video, and no matter how you feel about the 2007 Pats, you can’t say they were one of the greatest teams ever assembled.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/2007-patriots-greatest-nfl-team-of-all-time/
Devin McCourty Highlights.
Get that extension done! Remember when there was a good chunk of Pats Nation up in arms that the Pats would take a “special teams player” in the first round? Yeah, that was dumb…
https://www.patspropaganda.com/devin-mccourty-highlights-get-that-extension/
Nothing more patriotic than a Patriots flyover
https://www.patspropaganda.com/luckyragazza-nothing-more-patriotic-than-a/
Are Hybrid Defensive Fronts the Future of NFL Defenses? | Bleacher Report
Good read for those out there like me who really enjoy scheme reads. I think the one thing I’d add to this is that essentially nickel is the new base defense. If you’re talking about 3-4 or 4-3, an outdated conversation regardless, you’re really only referring to a team’s run-stopping defense.
The Patriots have been in the so called “base” around 36% of the time the last four seasons. The “sub” package, with five or more defensive backs? 61% of the snaps.
With this in mind, the interesting evolution to look at is away from nose tackles and run-stuffing middle linebackers (hi Brandon Spikes) and toward designated pass rushing defensive ends and slot cornerbacks. These are essentially starters now.
This is also what made/makes Vince Wilfork so special. He can two-gap as a zero-technique nose tackle, but he’s also quick enough to be a traditional one-gap defensive tackle. It’s also why Dominique Easley is now worth a first-round pick in the Patriots’ eyes, whereas in the mid-2000’s he wouldn’t have been.
Another player who is a modern defensive specimen is Jamie Collins, who has outside linebacker size but can run like a safety. In these new hybrid defensive fronts, the ideal players are hybrid defenders and I’d bet we’ll see the Patriots trying to acquire more and more of them.
With the Patriots bolstering their secondary with Darrelle Revis, a player like third-year defensive end Chandler Jones could be a primary beneficiary of better coverage. He had six sacks as a rookie and followed that up with 11.5 last season. Could he hit 15 this season? As long as he stays healthy, it wouldn’t surprise me.
Mike Reiss
I think the thing with Chandler is knowing when to turn it on. That’s what Belichick mentioned once with Lawrence Taylor – when the game was on the line and it was a gotta-have-it play, that’s when Taylor was at his best.
Chandler’s flashed a lot of athleticism and versatility in his first two years, but I think the final step is to make those big, gotta-have-it plays.
NFL Nation: 4 Downs – AFC East – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston
https://www.patspropaganda.com/with-the-patriots-bolstering-their-secondary-with/
