ICB's Training Camp Competition Previews: S

[icecoldbruschi]

S: Brandon Meriweather vs. Pat Chung vs. James Sanders

The recent retirement of Rodney Harrison leaves a gaping hole in our secondary. Not only do we lose his hard hitting and playmaking abilities, but we most importantly lose his leadership on the field. Our defense was much better with Harrison in the lineup and although it is certainly sad to see such a competitor leave us, it certainly opens things up and makes way for a new player to fill that role.



I feel that Brandon Meriweather could benefit the most from Rodney Harrison's departure. Rather than sharing time with James Sanders, it would be a shock if Meriweather didn't win the starting FS role this season. Meriweather made great strides in his second year in the league, even ridding himself of the "stone hands" mantra with 4 INT's. Meriweather certainly has all the tools to be a great player in this league and people have been impressed by his ballhawking and hard hitting tendencies as well as his aggressiveness on the field. Meriweather should improve even more this season and develop into the player that so many posters in this forum know he is capable of. While the "Baby Ed Reed" nickname certainly have been too soon, I think we start seeing an elite safety in this league as soon as this season.
Odds of Starting: 90%



Pat Chung was the first player taken by the Patriots in this past draft and with good reason. While his two competitors are seemingly better fits for the FS position (although their skills allow them to play both spots interchangeably), Chung is your classic SS. He is great against the run and the pass, is a reliable wrap-up tackler and is always around the ball. Chung has been a leader on the field, is noted as an intelligent young man and has a true passion for the game of football, all things that Bill Belichick covets in his players. His main problem now will just be learning the playbook, but it will be hard to keep him off the field regardless due to his knack for making big plays on special teams as well.
Odds of Starting: 50%



James Sanders has been a great contributor in many roles on the defense. He is a reliable tackler and an insurance blanket for the rest of the defense. He has the ability to play both safety spots well. My main concern with Sanders is his lack of playmaking abilities as well as his lack of potential. In his four year NFL career, Sanders has only accounted for a total of 5 INT's, 10 pass deflections, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble. He is certainly solid, but I don't ever think he will ever be spectacular. Belichick certainly has a shown a lot of faith in his abilities, but that faith will certainly be tested with his competition this coming season.
Odds of Starting: 60%

My Prediction: I would be extremely surprised if Meriweather did not start. Look for him to have a monster breakout season. I really like Chung, I think he may be the perfect replacement for Harrison. It remains to be seen how quickly he will be able to integrate into the defense, so we will have to see on that. Sanders may start of the season as a comfort factor for Belichick, as he knows what he's getting. However, I'm on the Chung bandwagon. Look for Meriweather/Chung to start week one.
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[Donut]

Stone hands are a compliment.

Meriweather is starting in my mind for sure. Sanders I believe will start day 1. Chung will later in the yr. he is smart and has great passion for football but he will take over around week 8-10.
Sanders is always consistent and reliable. hell i love having him on this team. he will be a very good 3rd S when Chung takes over.
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[Canadian_Patriot]

Meriweather and Sanders are going to start the season.

By seasons end however, Chung will likely work his way into splitting time with Sanders, this in my opinion is a no brainer!

CP
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Deadpulse on the sig!

[finn54]

This is a very big year for Meriweather. He was in BB's dog house year 1, and won the job last year by default (even though he played pretty well). He's got natural playmaking ability (6 turnovers) but struggles in man coverage. I'd be amazed if he doesn't start.

BB was very complimentary about Sanders during contract negotiations. He clearly values him. I'm not sure what happens to him now, because i think Chung has a lot more potential.

A 3-safety rotation is highly likely with Meriweather and Sanders as the official starters. By next year Chung will be a full time, wire-to-wire starter.
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[Deadpulse]

[Grachuus]

Keep in mind that BB has been trying to get a big nickel package together for years.
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[GoldenboyGB]

The thing thats interesting to me is that Meriweather lines up at SS quite often covering the TE and playing in the box. Is this because they feel comfortable with Meriweather there instead of Sanders or because they feel Meriweather is better at that FS spot? Or does it even matter honestly in the Pats system?

Its honestly going to be interesting to see how it breaks down. Sanders and Merwieather are the starters until injury occurs.
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[SoxNats07]

I think Meriweather will be doing a lot of alternating in terms of deep coverage/TE coverage, etc. Sanders will probably get ~65 of the PT, with Chung with the other 30%. For example, you may wanna go with Chung on a short yardage situation with him in the box because he's such a hard hitter. But if the offense is in like a 4 WR situation, you may go with Sanders because he's got more experience in pass coverage. I definitely think Chung will be starting by 2010 though.
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http://www.footballsfuture.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=416381&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

DON ZAGRU

[Deadpulse]

Meriweather is better in space, I dont think many people would argue that point
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[patsfreak007]