The ‘Boogeymen’ are back for the New England Patriots, right?
With the re-signing of Jamie Collins and the current roster of Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Chase Winovich — it seems like it.
Former Patriots safety and NBC analyst Rodney Harrison is still unsure of this defense and doesn’t think the linebacker group will be the same as they were in 2019.
“You’re spot on. It doesn’t seem like they’re slow, and I love those guys and have so much respect for those guys, but yeah, they are slow,” Harrison said on WEEI’s “Merloni & Fauria” on Thursday. “When you start watching LaVonte David, you start watching Devin White move and blitz and move from sideline to sideline, it’s night and day difference.
“And that was the thing that really stood out to me. I’m like, ‘Look how fast and athletic Tampa Bay linebackers look.’ And the Patriots linebackers, the defense just looks slow. It’s always kind of looked like that, and it starts with those backers, man. Those guys have experience and things like that, but that’s something the Patriots definitely need to upgrade a little bit moving forward. That’s speed.”
Collins has been known for his speed throughout his time in the league, but Harrison even believes the newest addition won’t be the same as before.
“I don’t think it’s anything that — it didn’t move me any when they said they were signing Jamie Collins,” he said. “Maybe [Bill] Belichick can get that fire back in him and he’s probably the only coach that knows how to really utilize him. I don’t know, man. This might be it for Jamie. He needs to show that he can still play, that he still wants to play.”
The biggest downfall of this defense going forward will be the absence of Stephon Gilmore — which will put real pressure on J.C. Jackson to hold his group together.
