Like you, I fear the Patriots’ depth at LB after Mayo-Hightower-Collins…but with the versatility they have targeted at DE, could we see more hybrid roles for Ninkovich, Sheard, and Grissom, who all have LB chops? The dangerous hybridity of Collins and Hightower (and hopefully Easley) already makes the front 7 pretty unpredictable. Do you think wrinkles like play on which Ninkovich picked off Manning last year will be more common?

Completely. This looks like an amoeba defense with so many athletes in all spots along the front seven. The defensive end role is already one that has the ability to rush or drop, so it’s hard to identify the edge players and who’s coming or going – this was a key principal of the original 3-4 and BB has maintained that element even in their nickel front. That pick by Ninkovich is a perfect example.

As I’ve said before I think Mayo is a big key because his speed in the flat would really allow Collins and Hightower to add to the edge versatility. For an easy example you could have Nink at DE/Hightower at SLB off his outside shoulder, but Ninko drops and High rushes. You could do the same thing with Collins/Chandler on the other side. 

Or a nickel front with Chandler inside, Sheard on the right edge and Collins at outside linebacker. Any one of those guys could drop or rush. That makes presnap reads really murky. Add in that they’re all tough against the run and it would seem on paper to be an ideal defensive front for the modern NFL.

I was really excited to watch the secondary last year, but this year the front seven has the same kind of crazy potential.