round to pick up a big Color Rush Yodny Cajuste Jersey , physical CB who will be able to matchup against certain types of receivers."WhitePatriots News Opinion and Analysis Contribute! FanPostsFanShotsAbout the Site List of Patriots Twitter AccountsWrite For Pats Pulpit!New User Welcome and Commenting GuideCommunity GuidelinesMastheadTopics Patriots Off-Season CoveragePatriots Opinion/AnalysisPatriots NewsPatriots Draft CoverageSportfolio ManagementNFL DraftPatriots NewsPatriots Opinion/AnalysisGrading the Joejuan Williams selection and how he fits in the Patriots defense in the immediate and long term New,1commentThe Patriots moved up 11 picks in the second round to pick up a big, physical CB who will be able to matchup against certain types of receivers.  Shea-USA TODAY SportsThe Patriots are opting to go with big and physical over speed in the draft, drafting N’Keal Harry with the last pick of the first round last night then trading up to grab Vanderbilt CB Joejuan Williams. The Patriots sent the Los Angeles Rams the 101st pick in the draft to move up 11 spots from 56 to 45 to make the selection. The first thing that stands out with Williams is his size and length. 6’3 1/2” 211 with 32” arms is an ideal size and length for a press corner. Not only is he big, he plays that way too as he is physical at the line of scrimmage on the outside. He faced off against tough SEC competition in D.K. Metcalf, A.J. Brown, and Deebo Samuel, so he’s as battle-tested a CB as he can be. Williams was a 3-year starter, with the ball production improving in his last 2 years.Strengths:Big frame with long arms, ideal for pressPlays physical on the outside and in the run gameShort memory, which is critical for the positionSolid agility traits for his sizeMatchup player vs. TEs?Weaknesses:Press technique needs refinementWill struggle against exceptionally fast and exceptionally agile receivers in the NFL, Patriots need to avoid those matchupsAt times will panic and grab the receiver with the ball in the airRookie Year ProjectionAt the beginning, I think the Patriots will be selective in picking his matchups. The size suggests covering big receivers and flexed out TEs in space where he takes away those players’ height advantage. When you look at the AFC competition, the Patriots had their hands full with Travis Kelce, Eric Ebron, and Mark Andrews when looking at last year’s first place teams. Drafting Williams is the counter to that and with him on the field Youth Yodny Cajuste Jersey , expect a lot of Cover 1 with Devin McCourty being the single high safety while the team employs 4 corners on the field.Pats Pulpit reacts to the Joejuan Williams pickSubscribe to the Pats Pulpit podcast for more draft reactions!Long Term ProjectionThink Brandon Browner 2014: Big and physical CB who matches up against big receivers and TEs who are more known for their receiving than blocking. I’d like to see him be able to play in the box as he has plus size for the strong safety position as well plus his tackling abilities profile well for that role as well. When looking at the #1 type receivers who are big, fast, and physical, Williams will get the underneath coverage with aggressive safety help over the top. In terms of potential impact, it will be interesting to see if he becomes more than just a tall and physical CB with below average speed, although Browner and Richard Sherman made a career out of it with the latter being a potential Hall of Famer. How Many Downs Can He Impact: 3, potentially 4 on certain ST unitsDue to lack of top-flight speed, probably the only thing that kept him out of the Top 20 like with Harry, I don’t see potential in the kicking game as a gunner but perhaps a vice/jammer on the punt return unit. Outside of that, he’s a mostly situational player on defense as a match-up type guy. There may be more potential than that down the road, especially if he can add a bit more straightline speed and can handle multiple roles in the defense. Pick Grade: BI can see the pick, although I preferred addressing the defensive line over adding a CB to an already crowded CB room. However, the good news is they drafted a CB with a unique skill set relative to the guys they already have at the position. The second round is a bit of reach for a situational/match-up player, but compared to other DB reach picks in the second, this one is a lot easier to stomach. This may be a move with the postseason in mind and looking at the changes at the TE position the last 5-10 years in the NFL where it has transitioned from a blocker and occasional pass receiver to the other way around. With the addition of Williams, the Patriots have the best CB group in the NFL and can cover almost any type of receiver out there. Maybe the public address announcer at NFL stadiums is a job for Michael Buffer these days. You know: ”Let’s get ready to rumble!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Unfortunately Womens Yodny Cajuste Jersey , what goes on inside the boxing ring might be safer than what we saw the last few weeks on the football field. Brawls. Dirty hits.Malicious moves . Targeting. Launching . Nauseating. ”The unnecessary stuff is over the top,” says Broncos linebacker Shaq Barrett, who was not involved in any of the incidents and, presumably, is a neutral observer. ”We should try to get that out of the game.” Leagues at all levels have spent more than a decade seeking enhanced player safety. Most of the time, those initiatives involved rules changes. In the NFL, mostly they have worked. Not so much lately. Troy Vincent, a terrific defensive back in his playing days and now the overseer of football operations for the league, promises that the NFL will look at any adjustments that will diminish the awfulness seen in recent weeks. ”We have had clear directives from the competition committee,” Vincent says. ”They asked us and the players to remove some of the helmet-to-helmet hits that we have seen, as well of some of the blindside blocks and other types of disparaging techniques and behaviors on the field. We have clear directive that this is not something that should be progressive, but that we strongly consider removing a player that is using these techniques that we want out of our game immediately.” Yet the prohibited keeps happening and, it seems, to a higher degree. ”You’re always talking about keeping the poise and understanding the big picture is winning the game,” Saints coach Sean Payton says. ”Part of that is mental toughness. You don’t have to respond and be macho. So many times I hear, `I’m not going to be punked Authentic Yodny Cajuste Jersey ,’ and I get that. And yet, listen, there’s a discipline element that you’re preaching as coaches. You’re trying to make them understand the big picture, which is winning, and all these side things that can take you down a path contrary to the goal.” While fans of specific teams will take umbrage at one of their guys getting suspended – that’s a basic principle of fandom, that your team can’t be wrong – more objective observers recognize the danger zone these incidents occur in. Two of the most insightful voices in this area, former NFL executive Pat Kirwan and former pro quarterback Jim Miller, discussed the ugliness of what we just saw during their SiriusXM NFL Radio program this week. They brought up a point worth pondering: Why aren’t players being tossed when they go so far across the line of fair play? Miller: ”When are the officials going to be willing to eject players?” Kirwan: ”They should have by now. They think throwing flags is going to stop it. I quote Ray Lewis, we are talking about a receiver coming over the middle and he did a number on the guy. I asked Ray: `What was going through your mind?’ `Look, I’ve got the middle in our zone drop. Anyone who is coming in there, here comes the receiver, at no time in my life did I ever think of the rule book and let him in there with the ball.”’ Miller: ”I go back to that (2015 Steelers-Bengals) playoff game, that’s what lit the fuse, that’s what got the party started. And it was payback (Monday night). The Bengals felt they were wronged by the officials. (They think) if they are not going to police it, boys, we are going to police it. They got one of ours Yodny Cajuste Jersey Boys , we’re going to get one of theirs. ”At what point will the officials eject? Kirwan: ”As soon as the head of officials tells them if you don’t eject, we are going to suspend (an official). You’ve got to get this under control. Or the league office stops the game like they should, and say `He’s out now.’ Why can’t they eject from New York?’ ”You’ve got to control it.” Kirwan makes an excellent point that rules on paper mean nothing unless they are enforced, and there are consequences – not only for rules breakers, but for those charged with upholding the rules. ”Stop writing rules and start throwing guys out that you, in your mind, ref, you know intentionally tried to hurt someone,” he says. ”Just throw him out of the game.” Vincent notes that players, fans, coaches, general managers and owners don’t want to see ejections. ”There are only 17 weeks and the philosophy is, if it gets out of control, we ask the referees to maintain control of the game, give them that flexibility,” Vincent says. ”They have that flexibility Youth Tom Brady Jerseys , but we really emphasize let the players play, but if things begin to get out of control, you must maintain control of the game during that window.” In an odd way, maybe pro players need to look back at the grass roots of the game, where USA Football’s initiatives are designed to promote safety and proper tackling techniques – and are working. ”My sense of it as coaches and maybe parents and players see those things,” says USA Football Executive Director Scott Hallenbeck, ”they’re fully aware of Heads Up Football and shoulder tackling. The common denominator is, this is the right way to teach it and it is happening across the board. ”In the past, a kid might be taught differently at the youth level than at the high school level, now it is consistent. The majorities of youth and high school football now follow shoulder tackling. It’s been really comprehensive, we are seeing a great improvement, and coaches are telling us they are seeing a great improvement in overall tackling.” Too bad it’s not always apparent in the NFL. —