PARTRIOTS MAIL BAG
Q: Was it a mistake cutting Kony Ealy? — @JasonMcCulloch1
A: No. The coaches didn't know what they were getting from Ealy on any given snap, and he too often prioritized his own pass rushing moves even if they didn't suit the defensive play call. Bill Belichick isn't going to put someone on the field if the player won't defer to the scheme. So rather than thinking something like, “Ealy is more talented than player X,” know Belichick doesn't look at it that way. If it were about talent over team defense, Belichick wouldn't have traded Jamie Collins.
The patriots have run into a brutal stretch of misfortune on the defensive edge. Jabaal Sheard and Chris Long moved on. Rob Ninkovich retired. The plan was to get younger. So they drafted Derek Rivers and Deatrich Wise and traded for Ealy. Obviously, Ealy didn't pan out, and Rivers tore his ACL.
They also banked on Dont'a Hightower and Shea mcClellin to hold down the edge, and mcClellin is on injured reserve for at least eight weeks while Hightower is dealing with a sprained knee. But even with all of that, the pats will have Trey Flowers, Wise and Harvey Langi on the edge against the Saints.
I still believe there's enough talent to make it work on the defensive edge, but Hightower's health is unquestionably the most important factor.
Q: With the team somewhat thin in a couple of key areas, do you see them making any kind of external pickup within the next couple weeks? — @bruinsgirl33
A: I promise this isn't a cop-out answer, but the patriots' list of predictable trades begins and ends with a blank stare. They just don't exist. I mean, who foresaw the acquisitions of phillip Dorsett, marquis Flowers, Johnson Bademosi and Cassius marsh? Or Kony Ealy, or Brandin Cooks or Dwayne Allen?
After last season's roster cuts, the patriots traded for Eric Rowe and Kyle Van Noy, and they ousted AJ Derby and Jamie Collins. During the 2015 regular season, they acquired Keshawn martin, Jon Bostic and Akiem Hicks. And on and on the list goes. Sometimes, the more well-known players like Ealy and Bostic turn into duds, while a guy like Hicks can pay huge dividends and revitalize his career. Heck, the guy just landed a five-year, $53 million extension with the Bears.