Reiss says the Patriots have indeed signed Jamie Collins. Can't imagine it will be anything more than a roster spot for training camp and see where it goes from there. They are pretty well stocked at linebacker.
We only had almost 500 posts about it here. I read back through parts of this and it's entertaining.Remember when we all couldn't believe the Pats only got a 3rd round pick for him?
Hopefully he's another Patrick Chung.
Are they? Besides Van Noy and Hightower, the only other OLBs are Brandon King (ST) and a couple UDFA. Elandon, Sam and Bentley are listed as MLBs. Simon is listed as DE.Reiss says the Patriots have indeed signed Jamie Collins. Can't imagine it will be anything more than a roster spot for training camp and see where it goes from there. They are pretty well stocked at linebacker.
Reiss says the Patriots have indeed signed Jamie Collins. Can't imagine it will be anything more than a roster spot for training camp and see where it goes from there. They are pretty well stocked at linebacker.
Collins wasn't horrible last year. I don't think he's training camp fodder unless he somehow lost all his skills in one offseason.This feels like a bit of hazing/testing for Mayo. "Welcome to coaching - figure out how to make Collins a useful player again. Good luck."
I think the depth chart at LB is good. You forgot Terez Hall and Shilique Calhoun. Consider the fact that they are rarely in a base defense and won’t always have 3 or 4 LBs on the field.Are they? Besides Van Noy and Hightower, the only other OLBs are Brandon King (ST) and a couple UDFA. Elandon, Sam and Bentley are listed as MLBs. Simon is listed as DE.
What are the positions where you think the Patriots are *not* in good shape depth-wise?I think the depth chart at LB is good. You forgot Terez Hall and Shilique Calhoun. Consider the fact that they are rarely in a base defense and won’t always have 3 or 4 LBs on the field.
Agree on QB and RB. TE and WR are question marks depending on Harry’s assimilation, Watson being able to put up numbers(Rudolph acquisition would help), Gordon’s status, and the amount of WR take-a-flyer guys sticking. OL is dependent on stabilizing LT.What are the positions where you think the Patriots are *not* in good shape depth-wise?
QB - Star starter, solid veteran backup, good rookie 3rd stringer
RB - A lot of diverse, terrific players
OL - Loaded
WR - If Thomas and Gordon return healthy and clean, this group is pretty loaded
TE - Ok, this group might have some struggles but Watson definitely helps depth
DL - Solid players up and down; Bennett replaces Flowers
LB - Getting Bentley back and adding Collins
CB - Loaded
S - Loaded
Heck, they even have competition at *punter* this year.
I'd love for them to have stars everywhere but that's obviously not possible. But they do seem to have quality depth all over the roster.
Terez was one of the UDFA I mentioned. The roster I saw had Calhoun listed as a DE, I know there’s some overlap there.I think the depth chart at LB is good. You forgot Terez Hall and Shilique Calhoun. Consider the fact that they are rarely in a base defense and won’t always have 3 or 4 LBs on the field.
Totally agree. Rudolph would be a very nice addition. No idea if that's truly in the works but yeah, a TE group of Rudolph/Watson/Seferian-Jenkins is a pretty solid squad.Agree on QB and RB. TE and WR are question marks depending on Harry’s assimilation, Watson being able to put up numbers(Rudolph acquisition would help), Gordon’s status, and the amount of WR take-a-flyer guys sticking. OL is dependent on stabilizing LT.
Defensively, Bennett and Pennel are huge adds but can Winovich step in and produce? Can Cowart play to his ability? That would bring this group to another level. The LBs have solid starters and depth and secondary is loaded(feels good to say that).
Specialists are set.
Overall, the 90-man roster is as good as any roster BB has had in recent years. There aren’t any position groups that you’d say need a ton of work. If they can get Kyle Rudolph to stabilize TE, boy that would make it even better.
This deserves some love.You like Collins becoming one of the league’s best players at his position as his ceiling? What’s his floor?
Collins doesn’t have to become The Prodigal Chung 2.0 to have some optimism about this deal. Especially since it sounds like Bill is serving as coordinator this year.
They gave Matt LaCosse more money than they gave Seferian-Jenkins, I wouldn't rule him out completely out of hand.Totally agree. Rudolph would be a very nice addition. No idea if that's truly in the works but yeah, a TE group of Rudolph/Watson/Seferian-Jenkins is a pretty solid squad.
Well, yeah, I do think that's the ceiling as Collins reached a greater peak - 2nd team All Pro - before his sojourn than Chung has still ever reached (and I love Chung). The comparison between the two is interesting to me because of several parallels that offer hope that Collins may be resurrected similar to Chung. If Collins experiences anything close to the improvement in his game that Chung has exhibited in his, then this move's a home run. Collins' combine numbers were elite. If he's close to those levels and has a better understanding of what he's needed to do within the system combined with a better appreciation of what NE is about, then he could be special. That's a pretty optimistic view though, of course, and I'd be surprised (and delighted) if he lands even within earshot to there. I've always liked watching him play and am just happy his athleticism is wearing the Flying Elvis again. Very curious to see what BB can get out of him.You like Collins becoming one of the league’s best players at his position as his ceiling? What’s his floor?
Those are precisely the things he struggled with in his first stint with the Patriots. He's great at playing vertically and blitzing up the middle, so I believe Bill will try to put Collins in position to do what he does best, don't expect him to be covering TEs down the seam or RBs on wheel routes, at least not by design.Regarding Collins, one of his strengths was speed, especially relative to his size, and one of the Pats' weaknesses (in my inexpert opinion) was speed at LB. It is really frustrating to see RBs take a short pass for 8 yards on 3rd and 6. I think that happened less last year than in previous years, but I think adding speed at LB can only be a good thing (assuming Collins is still fast, which I don't know).
If Collins plays well within the system and has both the size to cover TEs and the speed to at least somewhat cover RBs, that could be huge for the D.
Of course, if they let him loose to destroy a QB every now and then, that's cool too.
I'm going to assume that your memory is better than mine. My recollection was that Collins was the only guy in that group who could keep up with TE/RB but that he couldn't remember that it was his assignment or was off hitting someone else. It sure as hell wasn't Hightower chasing backs. Jones then?Those are precisely the things he struggled with in his first stint with the Patriots. He's great at playing vertically and blitzing up the middle, so I believe Bill will try to put Collins in position to do what he does best, don't expect him to be covering TEs down the seam or RBs on wheel routes, at least not by design.
I do remember him getting burned on a RB wheel route on Seattle’s final drive. Not sure if that was the norm but I do specifically remember mf’ing him during that.I'm going to assume that your memory is better than mine. My recollection was that Collins was the only guy in that group who could keep up with TE/RB but that he couldn't remember that it was his assignment or was off hitting someone else. It sure as hell wasn't Hightower chasing backs. Jones then?
Yup. First freaking play and Marshawn runs right past him for big gain.I do remember him getting burned on a RB wheel route on Seattle’s final drive. Not sure if that was the norm but I do specifically remember mf’ing him during that.
Too soonHe was terrible in pass coverage. 45 year old Owen Daniels lit him up.
I thought I misremembered it since I didn't see it posted here already. I went to YouTube to check. Nope, I remembered it correctly. Both in zone and man.Too soon
Malcolm Go Super Bowl is on, late in the fourth. Collins was the guy who got completely burned on the Lynch big gainer right at the 2 minute warning.Collins constantly bit on the flat on wheel routes but so did every Patriots defender in the SB against Philly so maybe it is point they don't coach very well.
Yeah, it was a wheel route. Same route that Corey Clement(!) eviscerated the Pats D with in SB LII. Probably part of it is Collins but since it's like three different guys, it seems like some of the issue is how they're coaching the LBs in coverage.Malcolm Go Super Bowl is on, late in the fourth. Collins was the guy who got completely burned on the Lynch big gainer right at the 2 minute warning.
I may just close my eyes this year if he ever goes out into coverage.
Breer’s choice or words — “they’ve brought in Benjamin Watson, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins and Matt LaCosse, and talked with Minnesota about Kyle Rudolph” — does not make it seem like he believes that those discussions are ongoing. Not that it’s totally clear or that Breer would necessarily know or say. But still....In Albert Breer's column today, he indicated the Pats have had trade discussions involving Kyle Rudolph with the Vikings. He also said that Gronkowski retired mainly due to concerns involving his back.
https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/05/20/colts-2019-offseason-chris-ballard-chris-long-retirement-patrick-peterson-suspension-mmqb?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=themmqb
And not about the concussions?He also said that Gronkowski retired mainly due to concerns involving his back.
"One reason why Gronkowski scuffled through 2018 was a mid-season battle with a bulging disk in his back. By the end of the year, it was no longer a factor. But I’m told that knowing how close he might have been to a fourth back surgery, and the implications that could have down the line, was one factor in his decision to retire. So just logically, it’d be hard to imagine that concern would go away at 30 years old. Or, at the very least, would be one mental hurdle he’d have to clear if he were to come back again."And not about the concussions?
Engaged sounds like past tense, not present, but I would be pleasantly surprised if they could trade for himHow many TE's are going to end up in camp at this point?
It was a half-sentence in Breer's column today, taken out of context and proportion by some insider-wannabeHow many TE's are going to end up in camp at this point?
Not to worry, Sir, as in this particular situation, I do believe that "engaged" is an adjective modifying "Patriots" as contrasted to being a verb at all, much less a past-tense verb. The situation here is much like how we'd analyze "an engaged couple" or "an interested observer," with the past tense of a verb in the typical case serving as an adjective in the case at hand. All this Pilpul (now that's a great English term we use when diagramming sentences!) aside, I share with you the potential joy of our landing Kyle Rudolph, perhaps via one of those familiar trades in which our price is merely to move down not that many slots in the forthcoming draft. It would be amazing to wind up with tight end as a position of strength and depth in the 2019 season ahead, even without Gronk.Engaged sounds like past tense, not present, but I would be pleasantly surprised if they could trade for him
Maybe it's just working out this way, but it really feels as though Bill is putting very heavy stock in getting guys he knows.Pats have brought Danny Shelton back.
Assuming this is for vet min or close to it. I’ll take it. Showed enough in SB to keep me interested. Decent depth option if Pennel gets hurt or sucks for some reason.Pats have brought Danny Shelton back.