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“Thin” isn’t exactly the first word that comes to mind when one thinks about defensive linemen.
Still, the Patriots have been thin in the defensive front for much of the preseason. Injuries, absences, and cuts have created several gaps in the defense. As usual, the Patriots are doing what’s necessary to plug those holes.
Plugging one of those holes effectively just became a lot more necessary.
NFL.com reports that the Patriots placed defensive end Ty Warren on season-ending injured reserve Friday after Warren elected to undergo surgery. He has been “laboring around for about a year and a half” on his injured hip, and did more damage to it in the third practice of training camp. He hasn’t seen the practice field since then.
Bill Belichick notes that Warren has “missed quite a bit of time in the past couple of years,” and the Patriots have had to deal with his absence during those periods.
Veteran newcomers Damione Lewis and Gerard Warren have seen more playing time since Ty Warren’s injury, and figure to share the load in his absence. Gerard Warren played well in the preseason opener against the Saints, showing the ability to press the pocket and create pressure on the quarterback.
One has to wonder if the recent rash of injuries to Ty Warren could signal the end of his time in a Patriots uniform when his contract runs up at the end of the 2011 season.
Not all is doom and gloom in the Patriots locker room, though. While the Patriots were waiting on Warren’s injury status to clear up, they were also waiting on outside linebacker Derrick Burgess as he contemplated retirement.
The waiting game is over, and Burgess is back in the fold. This is huge for New England, as a big question mark over the past couple of weeks has been the lack of bodies at outside linebacker. The Patriots released oft-injured Shawn Crable, who has yet to play a regular season snap in his first two seasons in the league. He hasn’t drawn many (if any) offers as a free agent.
The team brought in free agent Marques Murrell a couple of weeks ago to replace Crable. Murrell has looked good in practice, and landed a heavy sack on Drew Brees on the opening drive of the preseason opener against the Saints. He was expected to be the starter, but Burgess’ return creates a bit more competition between Murrell, Burgess, and rookie Jermaine Cunningham.
The situation in the front seven was looking rather uncertain over the past couple of weeks, but the Patriots finally have a measure of clarity. They can now put a clear plan in place and move forward.
They may be thin on the defensive line, but as Tully Banta-Cain put it, “there’s no such thing as thin if everyone’s doing their job and playing well.”
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
The Patriots have many, many questions at linebacker without a lot of definitive answers.
They’ve got everything: young and unproven guys, special teams players, injury issues, coaches favorites, and exactly ONE (at least in my mind) proven commodity who will perform at or near Pro-Bowl levels when healthy.
That would be the man pictured, Jerod Mayo.
I thought he caught a lot of undeserved flak last year since he rushed back from his injury to help the team. In doing so, he wasn’t his normal self. I expect big things from Mr. Mayo and counterparts this year; although with the plethora of viable options in the line backing core I’m not jealous of the cuts Bill is going to have to make.
I am going to attempt to channel my inner Belichick and predict which linebackers make the team, with the caveat that I am going to have Shawn “Glass Man” Crable getting cut while it’s entirely possible he sticks if healthy.
As any Pats fan knows that’s an extremely large “if” though, now let’s see how well I can do….we’ll start with the no-brainers first.
The NFL free agent sweepstakes have gotten off to a flying start, with the Chicago Bears being the early aggressors. Well, at least as much as is possible considering the large number of players who have become restrictive free agents due to the lack of a collective bargaining agreement.
Three of the biggest names amongst the unrestricted cast inked deals yesterday, including defensive end Julius Peppers, linebacker Karlos Dansby, safety Antrel Rolle and running back Chester Taylor. All have been speculated as potential targets of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Additionally, other players who were reportedly in the Eagles’ sights— defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, corner back Dunta Robinson and line backer Gary Brackett— all are off the market.
With a limited number of impact free agents available this offseason without the strings of draft pick compensation, some teams have chosen to strike early. Meanwhile, the Birds have deliberated and missed out on some talent that would have filled some team needs.
The top unrestricted free agent left on the board is probably defensive end Aaron Kampman, although he does not align with team protocol at the ripe old age of 30. However, Peppers is the same age and the Eagles reportedly made an offer to him before his snatched up by the Bears.
So, where do the Eagles go from here? Kampman may be an option, but their best course of action may now be to turn towards the players who are somewhat off the radar screen. These “sleeper free agents” may provide the best value propositions for the team, especially when factoring in any compensation requirements.
Here are five free agents that the Eagles should target and try to sign—right now, before they are gone.
The Patriots are heading into a crucial offseason. After an embarrassing performance against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, it was obvious that changes need to be made to the team.
Still, there are a number of free agents that the Patriots should also bring back.
The Patriots have nine unrestricted free agents and three restricted ones.
Who should be kept on to help get the team to Super Bowl XLV at the new Dallas Cowboys’ Stadium?
Who should be looking for work elsewhere?
