PatsPropaganda

Given the style of defense the Pats play there is room for both. With Wilfork they really had one nose tackle and defensive tackle. One guy who might two-gap and one guy who might one-gap. 

I think the goal at this point is to be able to have two guys who can do both fairly effectively on the inside. So in essence, the Pats defense is really a 3-4 on one side and a 4-3 on the other side. 

Check this article here for a total breakdown of it.

Could also call it a 2-5 since Nink and Chandler are essentially able to play OLB on any given down as well. 

But I will say this: given today’s NFL give me a penetrator over a nose tackle. I really think that’s why they were able to survive sans Wilfork last season.

Chris Jones was their best interior rusher in a while for a good chunk of the season though he tapered off. I’m excited to see what him and Armond Armstead.

And if we land Dominique Easley I’d do my happy dance. Sealver Siliga and a hopefully-healthy Wilfork will be plenty of space eaters for one team.

I’m always a fan of the fewer divisional games in September the better. We see it every year, they’re never at their best in those first few games and they usually drop one of the first three. 

As always, the road to the playoffs go through the division, so give me an NFC team for the opener.

Yeah I agree on the Shaun Ellis vibe, and that’s at best.

I think it definitely puts a bigger focus on Michael Buchanan’s development, at least at this point. They could draft a defensive end near the top of the draft and he’d immediately be at least equal to Buchanan on the depth chart as the designated pass rusher.

They definitely could use a 3-4 style defensive end, i.e. a 6’5”, 310ish big body to round out the DL rotation, but I don’t think that is vital.

Who knows, maybe things suddenly click for Jake Bequette though I’m certainly not counting on it and am probably the only person who would even mention that as a possibility. But stranger things have happened and he did show some pop in the last year’s preseason finale.

As has been my mantra this offseason, if they’re not helping the pass defense, they’re not helping, so give me at least a couple more speed, pass rush guys and I think they’ll be okay. 

And if it ends up being Will Smith and Michael Buchanan just hold your breath that Nink and Chandler don’t get hurt.

The creativity can really come from the defensive ends and linebackers. Chandler and Nink are comfortable dropping in coverage and can essentially play like linebackers at times, so using them outside of their normal edge setting/edge rushing responsibilities is where they can play around a bit.

I think Jamie Collins is a great piece because he has great size and athleticism to be a factor in a number of ways. Is he in coverage? Is he blitzing? It will be tough for quarterbacks to discern that pre-snap. And Mayo/Hightower are no slouches when it comes to blitzing as well.

So it comes down to, on passing downs, mixing up which of that group is coming or covering. Really “blitzing” could be defined as when someone from the secondary is sent and I think Arrington and Ryan are both really good at that. They’ll come flying in a couple times each game, with Nink/Chandler dropping to cover the short zone for them.

But without blitzing (in the sending more than four sense of it) you can do some creative stuff with sending linebackers and dropping defensive ends, especially given how versatile the Pats’ players at those positions are.