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Patriots Training Camp Preview: Defensive End

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The Patriots defensive end group starts and almost ends with Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich. The two combined to play the most snaps by two defensive ends in the NFL.

Behind them the depth is either coming off injury or largely unproven. In a league where your defense lives or dies by their pass rush, do the Pats have enough horses to control the edges for five-plus months?

Here’s our take on the defensive end group.

Ninkovich and Jones are represent what the Patriots defensive end position has evolved into. Bill Belichick’s defensive ends used to look like Richard Seymour and Ty Warren. Now they’re more like outside linebackers in that old system, but playing mostly with their hands in the dirt.

Ninkovich plays primarily on the left side and is stout against the run. He’s also a timely playmaker and extremely durable. Jones has great length and has put up 17.5 sacks in his first two seasons. Jones’ length and athleticism are his biggest strengths.

Both can play every down, but they really shouldn’t be relied upon quite as heavily as they were in 2013, when combined to play 95 percent of the Patriots defensive snaps.

Michael Buchanan started the season off as the designated pass rusher but hit a rookie wall and was essentially replaced by veteran Andre Carter. Buchanan should develop with a full season under his belt and the Pats would love nothing more than if he retakes the DPR spot and becomes a passing-down terror. Whether or not he can hold up on early downs to spell NInkovich and Jones would be icing on the cake.

That job as the third early-down defensive end will likely go to veteran Will Smith, who had a down year in 2012, was moved to outside linebacker in 2013 and promptly tore his ACL before the regular season started.

Can Smith revive his career in New England? It’s certainly possible, but Buchanan obviously has more long term potential and comes at a bargain since he’s a 7th round pick.

If Smith recaptures the magic from earlier in his career, the Pats defense will be deadly and deep.

Jake Bequette enters his third season after two disappointing years. Bequette was a third-round draft pick and at 6’5", 274 pounds certainly has ideal size. He spent most of his time as a wide-9 pass rusher in college, but those skills have yet to translate to the NFL. The writing is on the wall for Bequette this summer, but the door isn’t quite entirely closed on him due to the lack of depth at defensive end. He just might be one injury away from a roster spot. He’s also one sub-par training camp from being out of a job.

Zach Moore was selected in the sixth round out of Division 2 Concordia where he set a school record for sacks (33). He’s raw, but demonstrated the kind of explosion numbers that intrigue. He might be at least a year away, but could be a dark horse in a wide open field behind Jones and Ninkovich.

Projection:

In a perfect world, the Pats wouldn’t have to run Jones and Ninkovich into the ground again this season. They should hope to find a reliable third option who can play base downs and get after the quarterback on passing downs. 

This might have to be done via committee with a likely scenario being Smith and Buchanan both working in. Ideally, one of them would emerge as a dual threat.

Jones could be primed to step into the spotlight as an NFL superstar this season with the improved secondary behind him. Ninkovich is no slouch either and is really the poster boy for Bill Belichick’s second defensive evolution with the Patriots.

But if injuries were to strike Jones or Ninkovich the Pats could be in big trouble. This is a position they must be wary of, whether it means adding another player via trade at the end of training camp, or throwing Moore immediately into the fire. Depth at defensive end is critical.

Previously:

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Offensive Line

Tight Ends

Defensive Tackle

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If there is a surprise veteran cut on defense, it will be Tommy Kelly. The veteran defensive tackle is coming off a torn ACL after being limited to five games last season, is 33 years old, and restructured his contract in the offseason. That’s a three-pronged combination that makes us feel like he’s anything but a sure-fire lock to stick. Kelly was excellent in the few games he played last season, stayed in Foxborough throughout the year to rehab, and expressed optimism about his health in spring camps.

Bold predictions for New England Patriots camp – ESPN Boston

https://www.patspropaganda.com/if-there-is-a-surprise-veteran-cut-on-defense-it/

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Bill Belichick’s texts to Aaron Hernandez REVEALED!

https://www.patspropaganda.com/bill-belichicks-texts-to-aaron-hernandez/

So you get to sit down with BB on a bench and ask him one question, one question only. He will tell you the absolute truth in full detail. No dodging. You going X’s and O’s, or gossip seeking? What say you? -Luke

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Holy hoodie, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t contemplate this question before. Thought usually it’s more in the context of asking him something at a Friday press conference.

If it was just him and me, mano a mano, I think I’d like to really get him to in-depth on is modern defensive strategy. How he chooses his defensive front each week, what he looks to take away, what he looks to attack, who two-gaps, what he’s willing to give up to gain. That kind of stuff because really those are kind of the great unknowns with BB and what makes him special.

If I had to condense it down to the Friday press conference version I’d ask about the rise of importance of a third defensive end or designated pass rusher. He’s commented how the third cornerback, the slot guy, is essentially a starter now, so I’d like to know how he views that extra pass rusher. In the past this isn’t the kind of role player the Pats put a lot of value in, but since Mark Anderson in 2011 it’s kind of grown a bit.

The gossip stuff doesn’t really interest me. The guy’s one of the greatest football minds ever, so I’d want to ask him about football.

Patriots Training Camp Preview: Defensive Tackle

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There were some major headlines this offseason for the Patriots at the defensive tackle position. The first was Vince Wilfork restructuring his contract after a somewhat acrimonious beginning in February. 

Tommy Kelly did the same and, along with the first-round selection of the explosive Dominique Easley in the first round of the draft, the Pats have some promise in the front middle of their front seven.

The Pats still have some questions at the position, but if everyone is healthy it might just be one of the deepest and most talented spots on the roster.

Here’s our defensive tackle preview.

Both Wilfork and Kelly appear headed in the right direction after OTAs. While both could open training camp on the PUP list, it seems plausible that both will be ready to go sooner than later.

Can both return to their previous level of play after major injuries? That’s one of the biggest questions facing the Pats defense. However, unlike last year, the Pats have built up some depth behind their projected starting two-some.

Chris Jones and Sealver Siliga were thrown into the fire last year, Jones sooner than Siliga, but by January both were solid players trending upward. The Pats have failed to develop any youth at the position, so Jones and Siliga’s 2013 seasons are reason for optimism regardless of Wilfork and Kelly.

Joe Vellano also did a good job in relief duty in 2013, but with the addition of Easley and the return of Wilfork and Kelly, he could be pushed off the roster. He was the least impressive of the 2013 fill-ins and just lacks the size necessary to hold up and the speed to make an impact on passing downs.

The addition of Easley is one of the most exciting developments for the defense in recent seasons. Easley has rare explosion and despite coming off a second ACL tear, should be ready to go early in the season.

Easley should make an instant impact on third downs, a place where the Patriots have been worst in the NFL over the last four seasons. He is outside the mold of the kind of defensive tackles Bill Belichick tends to like and this points to the evolution of the game as well as Belichick’s thinking.

Marcus Forston and Seali’i Espenesa round out the depth at nose tackle, while Armond Armstead’s disappointing retirement thins out the depth a bit behind Jones and Easley for a pass rusher.

Projection: If everyone is healthy the Patriots will be able to play any front with perfect personnel. A penetrating 4-3? Easley and Jones have you covered inside. A two-gapping 3-4? Wilfork and Kelly can play any spot up front.

Most likely Belichick will mix and match his defensive tackles, with one attacking and another taking away multiple gaps. Who will be where on any given play in any given game is anyone’s guess.

And that’s just the way Belichick likes it.

Previously:

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Offensive Line

Tight Ends