Ah yeah that's right, but Tebow was still the second pick for them.....and he was fired 13 games into that season. The point still stands. Picking a first round QB is not at all the Belichick way.
Well since we already have Travardo Williams, we'll be able to see Barr play for us this year without having to draft him.
Ouch!! But Barr has more talent and size than Williams. I'm just tired of watching poor linebacker play
The Patriots have never needed a QB since Belichick has been there. Don't see how you can draw that conclusion.
.....How about because I'm not just talking about the Patriots? I didn't say "Bill Belichick has never drafted a QB in the first round for the Patriots", I mean no team that he was ever a head coach, Assistant head coach, or defensive coordinator for has EVER drafted a QB in the first round. No team he's ever had control over, or strong say in, has EVER done that.
I'm interested in what you are saying here. Would you care to write more detail about the teams, drafts, etc.?
Barr is a little taller, but they are about the same size if you consider the difference in height. Barr is a bit more athletic, and probably a bit faster, but they are both incredibly raw speed rushers. I'd like to see what Williams can do if the Texans got Clowney and a NT. With the blockers all focused on Clowney, planetoid NT, and Watt a speed rush would be a lot more effective.
Sure, give me a chance to find it all and I'll compile it all into one post and start a new thread with it.
The game has become more of a QB driven league since BB landed in New England. MUCH more. It wasn't until McDaniels and then O'Brien came along that the offense became ridiculously cerebral. As soon as McDaniels got his chance in Denver, he took a QB in the first. Now it's O'Brien's turn.
Forget all that... O'Brien could want Clowney because O'Brien is originally a defensive guy that played the same position. If they did it the Bellichick way _ they would trade down and get the most picks they could and draft Louis Nix (aka Wilfolk)...
Clown3y has major red flags and character concerns. Not to mention he was humiliated last season. Pass!
http://mmqb.si.com/2014/02/07/greg-bedard-weekend-notes-dennis-hickey-miami-dolphins/WHAT ABOUT WATT? One of the more interesting dynamics to watch this offseason will be what the Texans do with superlative defensive end J.J. Watt, and it could go a long way toward determining whether they will take Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick of the draft. Watt became the league’s most dominating defensive lineman because he was given so much freedom by former coordinator Wade Phillips, who ran a one-gap, 3-4 defense. Romeo Crennel, the Texans’ new coordinator under new head coach Bill O’Brien, has always run a two-gap, 3-4 defense going back to his days with the Patriots. It’s all he’s ever run, but Crennel has said in his limited media appearances that he will install a multiple defense. The big difference between Phillips and Crennel is that the latter has always played with a nosetackle and two big ends who played both gaps, to their left and right. Those duties aren’t glamorous; there’s a lot of grunt work involved in holding the man in front of them and then moving toward the direction of the ball. There’s no question that Watt, at 6-5 and 290 pounds, can play as a two-gap end. He has tremendous length and strength. But it would seem wasteful to force Watt to become a two-gap player. It would limit the every-down impact that he enjoys right now. Of course, this is only regarding base defense. In sub packages, which can account for nearly 60% of a defense’s snaps over a season, Watt could still play as he always has. There are three options for what the Texans can do with Watt:1) Nothing. Leave him as the five technique (over a tackle) in the new 3-4: That’s what former Patriots linebacker Matt Chatham thinks his former defensive coordinator will do with Watt. “[Crennel] isn’t beholden to any particular scheme, although he’ll probably come in with 3-4 as his starting point,” Chatham said. Doing so would mean the Texans might draft Clowney to play the “elephant” position at outside linebacker (more on this below). In an earlier story I wrote on Clowney, two personnel executives told me that Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells, whom Crennel learned under, would love Clowney as a player. Still, playing Watt at five technique would seem to waste some of his every-down explosiveness. 2) Go to a 4-3. That would allow Watt to do many of the things he excels at and still allow the Texans to draft Clowney and put him at end, which is probably his best position. Chatham said the Patriots always had “tilt”—their 4-3 package—as part of every game plan, and ran it quite often. 3) Put him at outside linebacker. Crennel has never had an end-type with Watt’s athleticism. Richard Seymour was the best, but he was elite because of his strength and power; he didn’t have anywhere near Watt’s agility. When the Patriots’ defense was at its best and winning Super Bowls, Willie McGinest played their “elephant” position (an end/linebacker hybrid) at 6-5 and 270 pounds. Chandler Jones (6-5, 265) plays the same position now for New England when that scheme is employed. As opposed to some 3-4 schemes, the elephant outside linebacker drops into coverage only occasionally. They are mostly on the line. Watt definitely has the skills to play elephant, especially if he loses about 10 pounds. Elephant could also be Clowney’s position in the Texans’ scheme. Though not impossible, it would be difficult to see the Texans playing both Watt and Clowney in that role at the same time (outside of sub packages). You can have one elephant at outside linebacker, but the other outside linebacker must possess the ability to drop into pass coverage at a higher rate (think Mike Vrabel, who happens to be the Texans’ new outside linebackers coach). That doesn’t seem to fit Clowney. Chatham doesn’t see Crennel using this option. “You’d take away his pocket-busting and ball disruption by putting him as an end on the line,” Chatham said. There are a lot of possibilities for the Texans to consider. But one thing seems likely: don’t expect them to divulge any hint of their plans before the draft. If they declare Watt to be an outside linebacker, that would indicate that Clowney isn’t in play for the first overall pick.
This has been my biggest question regarding Clowney as well, the plan with Watt. Having Watt play 3-4 DE as a two-gap technique is like putting Lawrence Taylor at SS, or moving Barry Sanders to slot receiver. They would be good players at that position but would have no where near the impact. If they get Clowney I hope they move to a 4-3.
I strongly believe Romeo should consider moving to the 4-3. Here's why: Our personnel is better suited to it. JJ watt is not well suited for the type of 3-4 that Romeo runs. He would be wasted as a 2 gap end. But he would really excel as a 4-3 DT. Clowney is probably best suited to be a 4-3 DE, and he's the best player in the draft. At 260 Mercelus can play with his hand on the ground at 4-3 DE Finding another good 4-3 DT is easier than finding a good NT. Cush is scheme versatile. Only player that doesn't fit is Reed, but he doesn't fit in a 3-4 either.
I believe J.J. is scheme proof. We've seen him constantly defeat double and triple teams so it really doesn't matter what kind of defensive system they run as far as he's concerned. If they draft Clowney they just need to put him in position so he can do what Barwin was doing, which we've missed.
