In response to Godvernment's comment:

He's a 4.6 40 guy with great 3 cone and 20 shuttle times who is a better then average coverage LB's when healthy and could provide a pass rush. 

 

BTW Hightower is a 34 OLB and Nink is a 34 OLB yet they are still on the team. I'd take a 34 OLB if he can cover and on occassion pass rush anyday on this team. Mayo, Hightower, Barwin on passing downs sounds pretty good to me

In response to RidingWithTheKing's comment:

Patriots can easily play 2 of Barwin, Cunningham and Nink at OLB, Spikes and Mayo at ILB, Vince at NT and 2 out of Love, Francis and Deaderick at DE.

If they were to also sign someone like Cullen Jenkins or draft an end that can play in 3-4 that would  go a long way to making our defense able to seamlessly switch back and forth and be even more unpredictable.

I'd also rather have Barwin as a pass-rush DE right now than Cunningham or Bequette.

Pats seemed to like him in 2009

http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2009/04/connor-barwin-patriot-visit-reaction.html

The guy is athletic and would add a piece either playing end or olb for us. Uide don't think his price tag will be prohibitive, but, does he give us enough of what we are missing on the outside. If you play him I think you have to sit someone. Is he upgrade over nink? 

Given his size and speed, I potentially see him playing all over the pljones if the pats drafted a big body to go on the line, or used armstead/deaderick as 3-4 enD's, we could put he and jones as 3-4 olbs and mayo and Hightower inside, with Vince playing end/nose if we drafted a big body like Jenkins, Hankins, Williams could play inside or out with armstead/ deaderick as the other end...I like that alignment. It gives us speed on the outside, and lots of power on the line. Assuming of course jones can stand up and we draft an interior DT. Problem is nink sits...any trouble with this?

In response to Getzo's comment:

In response to PatsEng's comment:

ummm... no, hightower and nink are not 3-4 OLB's. 

In response to jonhoop74's comment:

they liked him so much that they passed on him 3 times

In response to Godvernment's comment:

Considering BB has used both as 34 OLBs at times, Nink for an entire season as a 34 OLB and Hightower in 34 sub packages. Would you care to explain what position they would play in a 34 and why they wouldn't be 34 OLBs?

I like Barwin, but also see duplication with Nink, Jones, Hightower, Mayo, Baquette, Francis, Cunningham. Not that Barwin isnt a better player than some of these guys listed, but money is better spent elsewhere.

 

In response to PatsEng's comment:

in a 3-4 nink would be an OLB and hightower can play both inside and outside. i agree that they CAN play in a 3-4, but you're saying they ARE 3-4 guys. they've proven they can play both 3-4 and 4-3, barwin hasn't. nink spent most of his collegiate and pro career with his hand in the dirt, hightower has always been a LB. barwin has has never played with his hand in the dirt in the NFL. is it possible he can? sure. 

In response to Godvernment's comment:

I mean this isn't scientific or anything, but if you watch some of his highlight videos he has lined up with his hand in the dirt before.  A lot of "LBs" play at the line a lot.

Who says the 3/4 is done here...................

Everything I've read about Barwin has said that he is stout vs. the run, but has struggled in the pass rush, which I find peculiar for a guy his size. If he is going to play end in our 43, he would be a size upgrade over nink, but we'd still be a little light with him and Jones on the other side. If we are going exclusive (or close to it) in the 43 I'd love to see us add a 6'4" 275 pound end...and really Jones might bulk up like that during the off season, but those guys are hard to find.

I imagine Barwin would be a versatile signing for us and provide more than nink, but I would not put him in the difference maker catergory.

I highly doubt the Pats would sign him. They could use another pass rushing specialist at DE, but I don’t think Barwin will transition nearly as well as a pass rusher when lined up as a 4-3 DE. He actually had a horrible pass rushing grade from the Pro Football Focus this past season, and that’s because his raw numbers are bloated since all he does is rush the passer in Phillips’s scheme.

The Patriots already have plenty of talent at linebacker, so wondering whether or not Connor Barwin can make it as a 4-3 OLB with the Pats is a moot point since Jerod Mayo and Dont’a Hightower are more than capable starters. Even if Barwin is willing to take a pay cut, I doubt he would take a backup role behind Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich in order to play for the Patriots. I would prefer to sign a pass rushing specialist at DE than rather sign Barwin.

http://musketfire.com/2013/03/05/new-england-patriots-indianapolis-colts-landing-spots-for-connor-barwin/

His -18.9 grade was the third-worst of any 3-4 outside linebacker. His 4.0 Run Stop Percentage and 5.8 Pass Rushing Productivity were both among the worst marks at his position. Some PFF readers may have seen this coming too, as Barwin earned a -4.6 grade last season despite notching 12 sacks. Often getting looped into the accolades of more accomplished teammates like Watt and Brian Cushing, you could say that Barwin is one of the most overrated defenders in the NFL.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2013/02/27/free-agent-duel-cody-vs-barwin/

I wonder if he can still play TE like he did at U of Cincinnati? If so then by all means sign him as he could eat two roster spots allowing the Patriots the luxury of keeping an extra DB or WR.

Probably a done deal