Patriot position battles: Defensive line

By Os Davis  |   Sunday, June 08, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

New England Patriots
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For all the hype the New England Patriots’ linebacking and secondary corps get, the true dominant mainstay of the team can be found on the defensive line. Ever wonder why Bill Belichick & Co. have selected scarce few viable (and no high-round) D-linemen in the draft since 2005? Baffled by the Pats' decision to trade down during Round 1 of April's draft and select LB Jerod Mayo instead of remaining at pick No. 7 and taking Sedrick Ellis (tackle) or Derrick Harvey (end)?

No mystery here: Just take a look at the top three in the 3-4: Richard Seymour (No. 6 overall, 2001); Ty Warren (No. 13 overall, 2003); and Vince Wilfork (No. 21 overall, 2004). Add Jarvis Green, who was drafted in the fourth round in – you guessed it – 2002, and you’ve got a foursome accounting for 78 sacks in seven seasons to go with eight Super Bowl rings.

So while there won’t be much position battling for starting defensive line jobs on the Patriots, the scrapping for roster spots should still be fierce. And it’ll have to be: In 2009, Green and Wilfork turn 30; in 2010, four corps members (Green, Seymour, Wilfork and Le Kevin Smith) could become unrestricted free agents. This year’s camps will be just as much about planning for the medium-term future as in assigning backup roles for 2008.

So who is the future on the Patriots’ line ...?

The inside track on roster spots must be held by Le Kevin Smith and Santonio Thomas; however, both are facing imminent contract expiration (Thomas can enter free agency in 2009) and Thomas in particular will have to shine in pre- and regular season to stay a Patriot.

Smith represents the sole drafted D-lineman between 2005 and 2008 to actually stick with the Patriots. (For trivia heads and the record, the three other New England draftees in that span were Jeremy Mincey, Kareem Brown and Justin Rogers.) A pleasant surprise for the team last year, the former Cornhusker played in 13 regular-season games for the Patriots on special teams, defensive end and even nose tackle. Figure Smith’s contract to get renegotiated real soon.

Thomas doesn’t seem long for the Patriots, even if he can move up a bit in the depth. Heck, even if injury forces Thomas into starting and turning in a Pro Bowl-level season, he could well bolt based on the stifling déjà vu he surely feels every time he looks at the depth chart: Back in 2004, Thomas earned a starting spot on the DL with the University of Miami Hurricanes after the departure of ... Vince Wilfork.

Now admittedly, RF365 doesn’t know the man personally and Thomas is listed at LDE as opposed to Wilfork’s nose tackle position, but how long would a millionaire NFLer with skills play Robin to anybody’s Batman, world champion or no?

Unfortunately for Thomas, he’s still checking in at an official weight of “only” 300 pounds or so, giving Wilfork a 20-pound advantage and making him a bit less valuable on the open market, and he’s currently listed at just No. 3 on the depth chart behind Smith at LDE. Thomas actually got some playing time with the Pats last season after playing with the practice squad in 2005 and 2006, but he didn’t get into a game after October.

Veterans kicking around in camp include Kenny Smith – hey, didn’t he used to play for the Houston Rockets? – and Mike Wright.

Smith might be vaguely familiar if you’re a seriously hardcore fan (and play lots of attention to IR lists). Though listed as a veteran of six seasons in the NFL, Smith has actually spent two of those entirely on injured reserve: Those two seasons were 2004 “with” the New Orleans Saints and 2005 “with” the Oakland Raiders. In 2006 and 2007, Smith went beyond the IR to the OOF (out of football) list. Talk about your long shots; Smith might well be in the “now you see him, now you don’t” category.

Wright, on the other hand, is a guy surely expected to take the step to the next level. After signing with New England as an undrafted free agent in 2005, Wright has occasionally started and has seen time in all manner of positions on special teams and defense. Though placed on IR at the end of the 2007 season, Wright is reportedly now healthy; that's certainly excellent news for forward-thinking Pats fans. This guy could be a starter come, say, 2010.

As for the unrestricted free agents participating in camps – Chris Norwell, Henry Smith, and Casey Tyler among them – perhaps the best that can be hoped for is merely a chance to stick around with the club on the practice squad. For this trio, patience will indeed be a virtue and with the future so close, we may yet hear for some of these guys before too long.
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's ...
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