Defensive line breakdown

A mediocre lot at best. Seymour was traded cause Hobbs ratted him out.

you didn't tell us of green's contract situation

What, was he stealing socks in the locker room? Or are you just running out of stuff to type?

Hi Jon...just posted after seeing your comment. Green entering the last year of his contract...Mike

Seems to me like the Pats will that the Seymour trade is more reason why the Patriots will play a significant amount of 4-3. They still can still play with a big group (Wilfork and Brace inside and Warren and Green outside) for 1st and 2nd downs while moving Warren inside next to Wilfork and rotating Green, Burrgess, and Banta-Cain onside on nickel situations.

"Defensive line breakdown" Hope that's a title, not a prediction!

Any word on the Simmons pick-up that ESPN is reporting?

Too bad Marquise Hill passed away a few years ago. The sky was the limit for his potential.

Mike, with the trading of Seymour, do you think the Pats will move exclusively to the 43?

Mike not sure if it has been brought up again but any renewed talks about Kevin Carter now after this trade?

Is he still available?

Love it! Good trade. The only problem I have is we traded Seymour at the only time he plays full-bore all season....when he's in a contract year. We should have traded him three years ago while he was too busy counting his money to play hard. I know about the five probowls, but 39 sacks in 8 years? That's 4.875 sacks per year from your premier D-end? That is NOT enough. I wouldn't be surprised if seeing real d-ends play the other night (Giants d-ends) finally made us realize how slow and uninspired Seymour has been a lot of the time.
I've been saying we needed to do this for three years now. Green, despite being slightly smaller, is faster, hungrier, more aggressive, and plays hard EVERY down. Now he'll get the chance to prove it. Look for 10 - 12 sacks from him by Christmas. This is an overdue move. Good job, Bill.
I know some of you genius's are going to rip into me for saying all that, but knock yourself out. You will see how good and overdue this move was soon enough. Burgess....TIME TO STEP IT UP.

I think you could see this coming with the draft. We all thought Brace was for Wilfork but it was for Seymour. Seymour has not had a sack in years and was really a passive player during passing situations. Combine that with big money, it seems shrewd to get a 1st rounder for him now. I do not always trust Bill, look at Alex Smith and all we gave up for Burgess, but this move makes some sense. I bet we get Williams back for D-line help. No Super Bowl this year. A bit short sighted but that is the Kraft way.

Pats are better with Seymour on the field. His sack production is low but not necessarily his fault as defensive linemen's primary duties in the 3-4 is to hold up their gap responsibilities so LB's can make the tackles. Im not against the trade. We were never going to sign him long term and said signing would handcuff the cap. Brace/Pryor/Green can make up for the loss. If I were Richard I would be angry. Really The Raiders!!!

NO 80's Celtics mistake here.........too"quiet" in his play the last couple of years....Bring back Steve Williams....

Jax,

Any idiot knows that sacks do not make a defensive end in a 3-4 alignment. The defensive end's job is to occupy two or more blockers and allow the linebackers and/or safeties to wreak havoc in the backfield.

Well, almost any idiot.

#14,
Tell that to Bruce Smith (10.52 sack average per year in the 3 -4). I almost called you an idiot, but suddenly remembered I'm a adult with class. I agree most D-ends with higher sack #'s play the majority of the time in the 4 -3, but bottom line...on passing downs everyone goes after the QB, and Seymour didn't get there as much as he should have.
Ok? Now you can go back to name-calling and spitting on the girls on the playground with the rest of the eight-year-olds.

This will just have to be one of those wait and see trades.I do think they can get similar production from Green,Wright etc. but the leadership issues and who will replace him in that role will be most difficult to address.

The one solid unit we had was the D-line. Not Anymore!

At this point the BB genius has more to do with an appreciation by the Kraft corporation for cost cutting accounting practices. Mix that with the ignorant and blind praises of the "In Bill We Trust" groupies, then if you combined that with the rose colored media goggles hopefully anticipating an offensive fireworks show equal to 2007. (which with Brady likely injured isn't gonna happen)

Now a once proud franchise is looking a lot more like Kraft Mayonnaise than a Championship Football Team.

I hate this move! It makes no football sense. Seymour was my favorite player and will be a first ballot HOF'er--write that down. His main role was gap control so that the linebackers could make plays. Until recently, our lead footed linebackers sucked (Seau, old Bruschi). The Patriots fall in love with "making moves" but they may rue the day that they let this special player and man go. I'll miss Big # 93. I hope when Canton calls, he refuses to wear Patriot colors. P.S. Get a grip on reality. Belichek isn't God, he's just a football coach.

I am amazed at how many fans on here "think" that they know more about Seymour's performance than BB. Dont kid yourself folks. He is the best in the business at figuring pure talent and Seymour is clearly not the player he was projected to be when he was resigned. He is very injury prone and the team has done just fine without him through his injuries.Now, they have some fresh blood to help out and I wouldnt be surprised if we see more production out of the younger crew.
This is the last year of Seymour's contract and just like hobbs, the pats might as well get something in return. a 2010 first round pick would have been much better but 2011 aint bad either and is a poker chip they can use at any time to get another experienced player.

Although I dislike the timing of this move, I can understand it from a futuristic standpoint. They were not going to be able to resign him after this year so he would have been able to walk without compensation. Hopefully, the focus now shifts to Wilfork, Brady, Mankins, Gostowski, etc. They opted for a 2011 1st round pick as next year, probably without a CBA, will pose all kinds of contractual issues. Whereas, when the players finally wake up and realize a mutually beneficial CBA with a salary cap is far more appealing, they will get things settled in time for 2011.

As to the comment by F.X. Higgins, one man, even as good as Seymour has been, does not make the entire D-line. They are still very solid and talented. This was not a cost cutting move as I'm sure that money will either be spent on existing players or bringing in more depth. By the way, the Kraft family and the Patriots always spend to the cap limit unlike quite a few teams in the league. I do agree with you that all of us, fans, media, etc., must be willing to remove the rose colored glasses at times and be critical. As I mentioned, I hate the timing of this move. I disagree with your assessment of the offense and your intimation that Brady is or will be injured. Lastly, if you are truly a fan, which I question, you can feel disillusioned without making disparaging remarks.

jaxpatriot, you realize that in a one-gap 43, like what the Giants play, Seymour is a tackle not an end, right?

I can understand the concerns people have with his injury history and with his cost. But it makes no sense to criticize his ability to play the position.

relax everyone BB will wheel and deal and fool us all

relax everyone BB will wheel and deal and fool us all

Losing Seymour is tough but he seemed to have a hamstring problem during camp and that may haunt him all year. They could not re sign everybody so getting what may be a top 5 pick is smart business. Seymour will be a free agent at the end of the year and you can bet he will not re sign with Oakland. Keep is number available Bill.

#11 - seymore had 8 sacks last year, you dolt. he hasnt had a sack in years, hahahahah

Jaxpatriot, the Bills with Bruce Smith did not play a 3-4 defense. They played a 4-3. Seymour sacrificed a lot to play in the 3-4 because his job is to hold the line while the 4 lb's make plays not be an attacker. He is a BEAST if turned loose and the Pats will miss him but it was a great business move to get a 1st rounder from a weak team for someone in the last year of their contract.

The key here is the rookie crop. Pryor looks tremendous and Brace gives us another Wilfork.

They have rendered Seymour expendable. Nice draft, Bill!

I am reminded of the old song entitled "Don't mess with Bill" - there is a method to his madness and this reminds me of the fates of the trades of
of Andre Tippet , Lawyer Milloy , the can't miss center linemen
from Boston College and Ty Law etc.,that ended up not hurting the team
as was predicted. "Bill knows best" and the bottom line is Jarvis Green , Mike Wright and Ron Brace will prove that he does.With Bill there is always the X factor and that is still to come this year before the season starts.

DaddyBB ......gotta side with Jax here ....the Bills, at their peak did run a 3-4. Cornellius and Daryl Talley were OLBs and they had Shane Conlan and Carl Bailey manning the inside.

That aside ......where is all this false lionizing of Seymour coming from? 93 was a beast and big part of what happened from 2001-2004, but let's be honest, he hasn't been the same player of late. Is Green an equal? Probably not but he does bring some things to the table that Seymour didn't. I think the back story here is the FO knew this was coming back in April and they pulled the trigger when they saw an offer that was just too juicy to ognore. This is a home run. Maybe not Russell in 58 but up there with Mchale and Parrish for JBC.

This may not be popular but this was a brilliant move. Jarvis Green will amaze people as he has significant talent. Keeping Seymour meant over $9 million against the cap with a host of contracts to resign...the biggest of which is Brady. The Pats won their rings with team concept and will continue to do so. Just look at the significant additions to this D over the offseason. I think we are seeing that Pioli may have benefited from BB not the other way around.