Pats to Move Up in Draft Order?
Yahoo Sports reports that the Patriots are considering moving up in the draft to take DT Glenn Dorsey.
Dorsey is a beast; no one is doubting that, but this does not seem like a Patriots move. They typically don't trade up and they've never selected higher than 6th overall, which happened in 2001 when they picked Richard Seymour, during the Bill Belichick era. At 6-1 1/2 and 297 pounds, Dorsey is too big and slow to convert to OLB, which he'd presumably have to do as the current front three seems solidified for the next couple of years, in order to fit in to the 3-4 defense the Patriots currently employ (unlike fellow top 10 pick DE Vernon Gholston, whose position lends itself to an easier transition and at 6-4 and 264 pounds is more of a hybrid). Dorsey's widely regarded as a surefire top 5 pick and the best DT in the draft based on talent alone (he does have some injury/durability concerns), and although he is quick off the line and can penetrate with the best of them, he is hardly a perfect fit for the Pats at this point.
The only way this move would make sense for the Patriots is if they switched to a 4-3 defense and employ it as their primary package, but it's not very often that a team switches its entire defensive system just to cater to an incoming draftee. However, due to the LB concerns and given the players Bill and Scott are looking at in the draft, this switch could theoretically occur and may even be beneficial for the Pats. Just imagine a front four of Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, Ty Warren AND Glenn Dorsey... wow. The Pats would likely have to get the 2nd or 3rd overall pick (and in the process, give up much more than most of us would like to see) to be assured of landing Dorsey; all I have to say is, I'll believe it when I see it.
I asked The Boston Globe's Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss what he thought about the possibility of the Pats primarily employing a 4-3 defense. In case you've never seen his excellent blog, you can check it out here (and I recommend you do so, he's very good). Here's what Reiss thinks:
The Patriots like to be a multiple defense, with the ability to switch between a 3-4 and a 4-3 at a moment's notice. I don't see them adopting one scheme over the other on a permanent basis, but one thing to keep in mind is that they might look for a player who is more prone to slanting and playing a one-gap style as a means to improve their pass rush and give them more flexibility with what they like to do. I do think it would be a mistake to pigeon-hole the Patriots by saying they will be a pure 3-4 team, or a pure 4-3 team. They'll install both in their package and utilize them throughout the year depending on each week's matchup.
Good insight, as always. Reiss' analysis reveals something we've all seen for years in regards to the Patriots' defense: they like to remain versatile. At this point, Dorsey seems to lack such versatility as he's shorter than all the guys on the d-line (yes, even the canon-ball shaped Vince Wilfork, who comes in at 6-2, 325 pounds) and heavier than the ideal OLB (Adalius Thomas and Mike Vrabel check in at 270 and 261 respectively). I doubt the Pats would want to guarantee as much as $30 million for a guy that would have trouble switching from being on the line in a 4-3 scheme to dropping into coverage in a 3-4 scheme. But in the end, who really knows? Crazier things have happened before and as we know, Belichick and Pioli have a proven track record that shows they kinda know what they're doing. For now, we'll wait and see.
Speaking of the Patriots and the 2008 NFL Draft, here's an interesting video I stumbled upon on ESPN.com that features BB talking some draft strategy:
Manny Ortez is a co-creator and senior writer for Boston Sports Buzz.
Dorsey is a beast; no one is doubting that, but this does not seem like a Patriots move. They typically don't trade up and they've never selected higher than 6th overall, which happened in 2001 when they picked Richard Seymour, during the Bill Belichick era. At 6-1 1/2 and 297 pounds, Dorsey is too big and slow to convert to OLB, which he'd presumably have to do as the current front three seems solidified for the next couple of years, in order to fit in to the 3-4 defense the Patriots currently employ (unlike fellow top 10 pick DE Vernon Gholston, whose position lends itself to an easier transition and at 6-4 and 264 pounds is more of a hybrid). Dorsey's widely regarded as a surefire top 5 pick and the best DT in the draft based on talent alone (he does have some injury/durability concerns), and although he is quick off the line and can penetrate with the best of them, he is hardly a perfect fit for the Pats at this point.
The only way this move would make sense for the Patriots is if they switched to a 4-3 defense and employ it as their primary package, but it's not very often that a team switches its entire defensive system just to cater to an incoming draftee. However, due to the LB concerns and given the players Bill and Scott are looking at in the draft, this switch could theoretically occur and may even be beneficial for the Pats. Just imagine a front four of Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, Ty Warren AND Glenn Dorsey... wow. The Pats would likely have to get the 2nd or 3rd overall pick (and in the process, give up much more than most of us would like to see) to be assured of landing Dorsey; all I have to say is, I'll believe it when I see it.
I asked The Boston Globe's Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss what he thought about the possibility of the Pats primarily employing a 4-3 defense. In case you've never seen his excellent blog, you can check it out here (and I recommend you do so, he's very good). Here's what Reiss thinks:
The Patriots like to be a multiple defense, with the ability to switch between a 3-4 and a 4-3 at a moment's notice. I don't see them adopting one scheme over the other on a permanent basis, but one thing to keep in mind is that they might look for a player who is more prone to slanting and playing a one-gap style as a means to improve their pass rush and give them more flexibility with what they like to do. I do think it would be a mistake to pigeon-hole the Patriots by saying they will be a pure 3-4 team, or a pure 4-3 team. They'll install both in their package and utilize them throughout the year depending on each week's matchup.
Good insight, as always. Reiss' analysis reveals something we've all seen for years in regards to the Patriots' defense: they like to remain versatile. At this point, Dorsey seems to lack such versatility as he's shorter than all the guys on the d-line (yes, even the canon-ball shaped Vince Wilfork, who comes in at 6-2, 325 pounds) and heavier than the ideal OLB (Adalius Thomas and Mike Vrabel check in at 270 and 261 respectively). I doubt the Pats would want to guarantee as much as $30 million for a guy that would have trouble switching from being on the line in a 4-3 scheme to dropping into coverage in a 3-4 scheme. But in the end, who really knows? Crazier things have happened before and as we know, Belichick and Pioli have a proven track record that shows they kinda know what they're doing. For now, we'll wait and see.
Speaking of the Patriots and the 2008 NFL Draft, here's an interesting video I stumbled upon on ESPN.com that features BB talking some draft strategy:
Manny Ortez is a co-creator and senior writer for Boston Sports Buzz.
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