Ninkovich fine tunes his technique
FOXBORO — Technique matters most to Rob Ninkovich.
The Patriots defensive end has enjoyed a long and prosperous career in the NFL trenches by outthinking and outmaneuvering bigger, stronger offensive tackles who command high salaries to seal the edge.
The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Ninkovich has improved his base pass-rush techniques and has tested others in the opening two weeks of Patriots training camp. The 10-year pro out of Purdue will put his deceptive moves and playbook know-how to competitive use when the Pats host the Green Bay Packers in the opening preseason game tonight at Gillette Stadium.
“In this game you always have to have constant improvement, and if you don’t somebody else is getting better,” Ninkovich said this week. “You have to be always working and getting better at your craft, and it’s a craft. You have to keep up on your techniques and leverage, and for a guy that’s 260 pounds you definitely have to have hand placement. You have to have the fundamentals of football down.”
Ninkovich currently tops the depth chart on the left flank, ahead of Jabaal Sheard and Trey Flowers. Coach Bill Belichick has stacked most of his pass rushers behind Chandler Jones on the blind side so numbers are not an issue, even in a base 4-3 defense.
Ninkovich’s first priority in training camp is to lock down a starting job while helping defensive line coach Brendan Daly develop a reliable depth chart.
“I think that in training camp right now we are working hard as a unit together to try and get better,” said Ninkovich. “I’m just trying to get better, and as a whole group we come together every day and get better and progress toward Week 1 of the season.”
Ninkovich has been a steady contributor to the Patriots defense since becoming a regular with 10 starts in the 2010 season. Over the past three seasons, he has started every regular season and playoff game.
In 2013, Ninkovich reached his high-water mark for tackles with 93, but his sacks and quarterback pressures have been consistent over time. Ninkovich has recorded 24 of his 35.5 career sacks in the past three seasons.
“Every year you have a chance but you just have to put in the work in practice,” Ninkovich said. “I think again we just have to work hard and get better because we still have a long way to go and we still have a lot of practices to get better.”
Every NFL career begins with the first preseason game. For players of Ninkovich’s stature and longevity, the preseason is a tune up for the grind that begins on Thursday, Sept. 10, against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette.
But Ninkovich didn’t know job security until he was signed by the Patriots on Aug. 2, 2009. He was just a special teams appendage during his first three NFL seasons spent bouncing between the Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints.
“There are going to be a lot of different guys playing in this first game and younger guys,” Ninkovich said. “I can remember my first preseason game and it was definitely a lot quicker than college. The special teams are a lot quicker and you have to really adjust. I think with that first game you are just trying to get your timing and your technique down.”