Well hey! That was quick. The Pats shipped Chandler Jones out of town during lunch Tuesday afternoon and signed his positional replacement after dinner Tuesday night. I think I'm excited-the name Chris Long carries some weight-but I'm also not really sure if he's good anymore. Playing in just 18 games over the last two years due to injury, he had just four sacks. His most productive season came in 2011 when he picked up 13 sacks and forced a fumble. Long says he's fully healthy now, because he needed a contract, so of course he is. Now 31 years old, he's not going to replicate Chandler Jones statistically. What the Patriots do get is a veteran motivated to show everyone he's still got gas left in the tank and someone who is fired up to play for a perennial contender. He has never played in a playoff game. Still only has two less playoff sacks than Chandler Jones.
The Patriots are deep at defensive end now with Long, Jabal Sheard, Rob Ninkovich, Geneo Grissom, and Trey Flowers on the depth chart. He won't be asked to carry a big load and will hopefully stay relatively fresh over the course of 19 games.
Best case scenario: Long finds another gear playing for a winner and makes like old friend Mark Anderson and gets 10 sacks.
Worst case scenario: He gets a lingering injury in August, limps his way through 6 games, retires in February.
Side note: If Long shows up to training camp with his father's flat top, mark him down for 15 sacks. Flat-tops are very valuable.
No comments:
Post a Comment