PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Tully Banta-Cain

ESPN/Schefter: Patriots will release Banta-Cain

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I don’t count this as a real shocker. A little surprising, but I don’t rule out that TBC could be back. Is any team really going to take a chance on him right now and not even have a chance of seeing him at training camp. So there’s definitely a potential scenario where the Pats could bring him back if Eric Moore and other OLBs on the roster don’t emerge. It would be an easy week one call and TBC should be healthy by then. Financially it saves the Patriots $1.85 million on this year’s cap.

NOTE – some outlets reporting the savings is over $4 million. I believe the new CBA might supersede those cap figures featured on PatsCap.com. 

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Wy5R4dELg

Eric Moore – 34 OLB cut up

So many people are saying Eric Moore is “under the radar” that I think it’s time to officially move him onto the radar. Moore showed a lot in a short amount of time last season, to the point where he was starting with Rob Ninkovich at OLB over Cunningham (fighting an injury) and TBC (fighting his inability to stop the run).

If Markell Carter has real potential at OLB (which is a big if) and Moore continues to develop, TBC could very well find himself looking for work.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

https://www.patspropaganda.com/eric-moore-34-olb-cut-up-so-many-people-are/

Some way late defensive observations from Patriots – Jets

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Yesterday I finally brought myself to rewatch the first half of the Patriots playoff debacle against the Jets. Only the defensive series.

During the season I always enjoyed going back on Tuesday and evaluating what the defense did without the emotion. Well it took me about a month to be able to watch this one without emotion, but I’m glad I did.

So it might be a little late for a full on defensive analysis but I think there’s something to be taken from who played. These was no room for error or experimentation so clearly whoever was playing were the players BB most believed in.

So anyway, here are just some quick hit thoughts…

  • I was impressed with the play of Rob Ninkovich and  Eric Moore at OLB early on. I think both of these guys will definitely be in the mix this summer regardless of what OLBs the Pats may or may not draft. They were strong against the run, and a big part of keeping the Jets out of sync in the first half.
  • Wasn’t impressed with Tully Banta-Cain, and I think it might be a pretty good bet that Moore takes his roster spot. He just doesn’t have the pass rush skills that worry opponents.
  • The defense really played pretty well in the first half, save a penalty on James Sanders, and a long completion given up by Darius Butler. The botched fake punt really put them in bad position and they folded, allowing a late touchdown. Hard to get too upset with them, but the long run by Tomlinson then the 3rd down touchdown to Edwards were poorly played.
  • Chung and Meriweather started at the safety spots, showing when it counts James Sanders is the 3rd safety. This also got Chung out of the nickelback position he had been mostly playing over the last month of the season. Chung does a lot of things well, but asking him to be just a nickel corner doesn’t take full advantage of what he can do.
  • Would Eric Moore have played so much if Jermaine Cunningham had been healthy? Hard to know.
  • Dane Fletcher was used in passing down nickel/dime packages, showing that he truly has potential. I think he will pose a real challenge to Gary Guyton in training camp this summer.

Second half observations coming when I can stomach watching it all fall apart…

Top 5 Patriots who could be on the chopping block in 2011

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The Patriots have nine draft picks in the upcoming 2011 NFL Draft and while it’s unlikely that they will take nine players there is sure to be some talented new blood at training camp this summer, including any free agent acquisitions.

What it really comes down to is replacing the “solid but not spectacular” types with guys who “could potentially develop into spectacular” types.

Let’s take a look at 5 areas where players who had a significant role in 2010 might be looking for work in September.

1. Darius Butler – What a difference a year makes. Entering training camp of 2010 Butler was penciled in as a promising second year starter across from Leigh Bodden. It’s safe to say that had Bodden not gotten hurt, Butler wouldn’t even have been the starter at RCB in week one and two where he was torched and put on the bench for most of the remaining games. When Jonathan Wilhite went to IR it opened up a dime spot for Butler and he looked okay in that role. But he’s one of the most penalized corners in the NFL.

Butler has been penalized more yards than any other New England defensive back in each of the last two seasons (84 this year and 62 in 2009). His 146 penalty yards the last two years is fifth most in the NFL among defensive backs.

In 2011 Wilhite and Bodden will be back and the logical corner lineup appears to be McCourty and Bodden as the outside guys, Arrington as the nickelback and Wilhite in a dime slot role. Butler seems more of an outside guy so it might take another injury (Hoodie forbid) for him to stick around.

Somebodies about to get Dougied on...

2. Ron Brace/Brandon Deaderick/Kyle Love Cage Match – With the return of Ty Warren, Mike Wright and Myron Pryor, along with the likely addition of at least one high round defensive lineman and possibly the re-signing of Gerard Warren, it’s likely that one, and maybe even two, of these young d-lineman could be out of a job or headed to the practice squad (not sure on eligibility).

It’s hard to tell who that would be. Deaderick and Brace both had off the field issues, while Love was undrafted but saw his playing time continue to grow as the 2010 season went on. You could make arguments for keeping or cutting just about any of them. But it’s clear that the competition along the defensive line will be fierce and that’s just the way you want it.

We're not all making it in 2011

3. Tully Banta-Cain – TBC’s big contract, lack of production, susceptibility to losing contain, and penchant for untimely stupid penalties make him a real bubble player for 2011. His extension last off-season was probably more about him being a solid-not-spectacular player who knew the system and bought into the “Patriot Way”. But that will only get you so far.

Eric Moore started over him in the playoffs, and appears to be primed for an expanded role in 2011. Jermaine Cunningham should be healthy and much improved as well, and there’s a good chance a high round OLB will be drafted. What the Patriots need is a 3-down outside linebacker and TBC is never going to be one. He’ll need a big camp to stick around. 

4. Julian Edelman – I know a lot of the readers won’t like that Juju is on this list, and the fact is he still has a very good chance of still being with the Pats in 2011, but he will need to show more consistency in training camp. He ended 2010 strong, with some great punt returns. Clearly he adds value there, but his development as a receiver slowed in 2010, making a handful of untimely drops and miscues over the course of the season. If the Patriots bring in another receiver it’s likely Brandon Tate, Taylor Price and Edelman will have a pretty good competition to make the club. Given what each brings to the table, Juju could be on the short end of the stick. Certainly if looks are part of the competition he’s a roster lock, at least according to my female readers and tweeps.

Yeah nice job, but it's coming back...

5. Brandon Meriweather vs. James Sanders – There’s a pretty good chance that both these guys will be back in 2011, but there are reasons to think that one or both might not be. Sanders is a solid, but unspectacular pro. He’s due to make $2.6 million in 2011 which isn’t a huge number but compare that to the $650K Meriweather is due to make. Both are entering the last years of their deals.

Where Sanders might be a financial casualty, Meriweather might be more of a case of his stock never being higher. Ultimately his low salary will probably save him, but he’s consistently inconsistent and is far from a lock to be the free safety ballhawk of the future. I expect free safety to be a position that the Pats could draft higher than a lot of people expect this year. If they do it could come at the expense of Sanders or Meriweather.

Thanks for helping me make the first big play of my career

Who do you guys think is most likely to not be a Pat in 2011?

Let’s talk about sacks. (Patriots Style)

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Before this season started I did this little sack analysis which came to the conclusion that the goal to hit for season sacks is 40. In the five best seasons of the 2000’s (‘01, ’03, ’04, ’06, ’07) the Pats broke that plateau every time, but lately they’ve been in the low 30s.

Now I know this doesn’t include numbers like QB hits and pressures, so take it for what it is worth. I also don’t necessarily believe that higher sack numbers mean a better defense.

For example the 2007 team had six more sacks than the 2003 team and I think we can all agree the 2003 team was probably the best defense of the decade.

Regardless the Patriots now stand at 28 sacks with two games to play, good for eighteenth in the NFL.  It’s likely they will surpass their totals from the past two seasons (31, 31), so at least early on it appears the pass rush did improve somewhat this year.

When you take into account they’ve been without their two best interior rushers for the hardest stretch it’s even a little more impressive.

But it remains clear this team still lacks a feared pass rusher. TBC and his big head don’t need to be game-planned around. 

Right now the Patriots are a team of specialization, but lack a three down linebacker other than Jerod Mayo. The current pass rush specialist is Eric Moore, after stints of seeing Jermaine Cunningham and Shawn Crable in that role, and he’s looked harder to block than either of his predecessors. Perhaps the Pats could be onto something with him like the Dolphins got with Cameron Wake.

If you’d like to see an in-depth analysis of the sacks from the Packers game check out this great article by Richard Hill. 

A Closer Look at Kyle Arrington the Pass Rusher

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In the video below you’ll see Kyle Arrington (#27) putting his hand down and rushing Peyton Manning from the defensive end position. It’s pretty rare to see a cornerback, much less a cornerback on the small side, engaging with linemen in the trenches.

In this play Arrington begins to lineup as if he is going to be covering the slot receiver, but given that he had blitzed on previous plays, Manning points him out as a rusher. Once called out Arrington concedes his intentions and puts his hand down to help him get a quicker burst. 

In the previous pass rushes he made he tried to beat the tackle wide, dipping his shoulder and trying to get underneath the block, but this time he fakes outside and cuts inside. The combination of this good move and Tully Banta-Cain’s impressive Freney-esque spin move on the other side forced Manning out of the pocket and to make a poor throw on the move.

This was one of the few third downs that the Pats were able to get off the field. This was an interesting wrinkle that Bill Belichick threw at Peyton Manning this time around, and this is one crucial play where it helped the Patriots get off the field.