Kirwan: Ninkovich honorable mention for NFL OLBs

So Jerod Mayo is number two for ILBs on the list, and was called a young Ray Lewis by Pat Kirwan. This is of course awesome and exciting but I’m pumped to see Ninkopoop on there even if it is just honorable mention. Every other OLB on the list (top 10 and 5 honorable mentions) were either a high round draft pick, a high priced free agent, or both.

But not Ninkovich, he was a free agent the Pats got for nothing, and quickly signed to an extension in his first year with the team. Is he Clay Matthews or Demarcus Ware? No. But he’s yet another in a long list of examples of why the Patriots are consistently good with affordable players.

And as anyone who ever stops by this blog knows, I loves me some Ninkopoop. I just think he embodies a new generation of the Patriot way. Kicked around the league for a bit, but a tough, dedicated player who you can win games with. If he gets a little more consistent, especially in the tackling department, he could get even better.