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The secondary has taken some hits, but if Easley is healthy and realizes the potential that had the Patriots selecting him 29th overall last year, I think the front seven could be one of the best in the NFL.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/the-secondary-has-taken-some-hits-but-if-easley/
There’s a fun debate going on within Patriots Nation right now as to whether or not Bill Parcells deserves to be elected to the Pats Hall of Fame.
While I believe Parcells certainly is a notable name in Patriots history and deserves consideration, I would not vote him in now, and maybe not ever.
I clearly remember when the Pats brought Parcells in after what was a gruesome start to the 90s. I saw quite a few of those games firsthand and the on-field product was embarrassing. So when Parcells came in and the logo changed over to the Flying Elvis, we were all reinvigorated. That excitement is not lost on me.
Parcells also drafted some key guys who would later win Super Bowls – Troy Brown, Willie McGinest, Tedy Bruschi, Lawyer Milloy, Ted Johnson, Ty Law, and Adam Vinatieri.
Perhaps most importantly, Parcells introduced Robert Kraft to Bill Belichick when Belichick joined the team in 1996 as the secondary coach.
But we also cannot forget about the acrimonious end to Parcells’ career in New England, which really put a dark cloud over the Pats Super Bowl appearance in 1996. You could even say it was enough of a distraction that it hindered the Pats in the big game. And that he then went to the Jets and took Curtis Martin with him certainly isn’t playing in his favor either.
But when it was all said and done, here was Parcells’ records with the Patriots and the ranks of the offenses and defenses.
When I think of who I want in the Patriots Hall of Fame, I want legendary Patriots. Guys who are synonymous with the team and made extended and lasting contributions both on the field and off it.
There’s no question the moment Parcells came to New England, the franchise was relevant again. Not because they were suddenly a good team, but because Parcells brought name recognition to the coaching staff after the Pats had toiled with guys like Dick MacPherson and Rod Rust.
But was the on-field production of Parcells’ teams Hall of Fame worthy? He did have the luxury of a first overall selected quarterback Drew Bledsoe which certainly gave him someone to build around. The cupboard wasn’t completely barren.
Parcells set the table for the Super Bowl runs in the early 2000s, but there was also three years of Pete Carroll in between. Carroll won 27 games in those three years. Parcells won 32 in four.
Parcells is a significant name in the history of the Patriots, but not a slam dunk Hall of Famer by my standards on the field or off it. Parcells’ quotability and personality would make him a favorite for any popularity poll, but it’s not about popularity, it’s about excellence for the New England Patriots.
Parcells’ excellence was either established before he arrived in New England or accomplished by a handful of players he drafted after he left. What he did while he was in Foxboro while solid, just doesn’t scream excellence to me, and the details of his departure only convince me more that he doesn’t deserve to be enshrined now, if ever.
Yeah I’d put a trade out of the 32nd spot at about 90%. Unless there’s one special player that falls, I think they’ll add a high second round pick and then begin their usual jumping around the draft board to pick the players they want.
Patriots Players Who Should See Their Roles Expand
Good list from Frenz, excited to see the development of these players. Also curious to see some of the young linebackers who had a red shirt year – Cameron Gordon and James Morris. Both might be nothing more than potential special teamers but you never know.
Congrats to Houton Antwine on his unanimous selection to the Pats’ Hall of Fame.(via Houston Antwine Patriots – YouTube)
https://www.patspropaganda.com/congrats-to-houton-antwine-on-his-unanimous/
To be honest I think he only gets overly creative to compensate for a weakness. We saw it in 2009 when he busted out the one DL, five linebackers walking around and five DB package. That was to generate pressure.
The key this year is the front four winning the one-on-one matchups. They can’t simply man-up the receivers with McCourty over the top and Chung in the box and expect to have the extra second to get to the quarterback.
They’ll likely need two safeties in coverage and drop the linebackers to short zones more often than sending them on double A gap blitzes or the like.
So it’s not creativity I expect, though there’s always elements of disguise to their defensive scheme, it’s guys like Chandler, Easley, Ninkovich, Sheard and the other guys in the trenches beating their guys and getting to the quarterback.
Doing that is what will keep this defense at a high level and compensate for the loss of two good man corners.
I think the coaches know the system perfectly and have tailored it to Brady, so you have a perfect synergy with all the major elements. They’re also so experienced that they’re able to adjust when teams are taking something away.
It’s an extremely smart system because the receivers are asked to adjust post-snap. If everyone is on the same page and the immediate protection is good, it’s impossible to stop. Every defense has a weakness, when the receivers read the coverage and know just where to go to beat the defense they see, the defense can be powerless.
Of course we’ve seen it breakdown at times over the years. Either the defensive line is getting immediate pressure and/or confusing Brady, or the receivers just don’t seem on the same page with Brady. But outside of those instances, this offense has pretty much been a juggernaut since they hit their stride in 2004.
Not necessarily explosive, just methodical.
