Newly enshrined Pro Football Hall of Famer Richard Seymour sees greatness forward for Christian Barmore.
For a defensive lineman, if Seymour’s in your nook, there are few higher compliments or endorsements.
The Patriots nice, a cornerstone of Bill Belichick’s first three Super Bowl defenses, tuned in to observe his former workforce fairly a bit final season. And the Alabama rookie instantly caught his eye.
Barmore posted the second-most quarterback pressures for a first-year defensive sort out since 2006, in response to Pro Football Focus. His 48 pressures have been two greater than Aaron Donald had throughout his rookie season.
Based on what Seymour has already seen, he believes Barmore is poised to be much more of a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks throughout his second season.
“I think he has a ton of ability, natural ability, and he plays hard,” Seymour informed the Herald lately. “I think he’s going to be a problem for (opposing teams) for a long time to come. Hopefully he stays healthy and continues on the path he’s on. I think he has a really bright future.”
The method Barmore has seemed to date in coaching camp, Seymour’s take is spot-on. The 2021 second-round decide has been dominant throughout most of the padded practices witnessed to date.
Barmore has been a beast in 1-on-1 competitions in opposition to the offensive linemen, whereas he’s additionally been an enormous disruptor within the trenches throughout workforce drills. Right now, he oozes the potential to be a bona fide game-wrecker.
The 6-foot-5, 310-pound defensive sort out informed the media he’s been doing much more cardio work – operating and sled work – to get himself in higher situation. That bodes effectively if the Patriots plan on utilizing him as a three-down participant.
With the Patriots’ secondary having some questions at cornerback, Barmore’s continued emergence as an inside pass-rusher would go a great distance towards serving to out the protection gamers.
Even although Seymour did most of his injury on the skin as a defensive finish, gaining entry into the Hall on Saturday for his total impression and dominance on three championship groups, he understands what it takes to disrupt, tackle double-teams and simply be a royal ache to the quarterback from wherever on the road.
He totally believes Barmore will proceed to hone his abilities and be a drive to be reckoned with this season and past.
“He’s long, he’s explosive, he’s strong, he has good lateral movement,” mentioned Seymour. “He can collapse the pocket. He has the ability to overpower a lot of guards that he plays against, and also has the speed to get to the quarterback. I’ve really been impressed by this kid.”
Lofty reward coming from Seymour, a seven-time Pro Bowler, and three-time first-team All-Pro participant.
And as soon as once more, seeing how Barmore has stood out in camp together with his energy and first-step explosiveness, taking pictures by any and all offensive linemen in his path, the bar has been raised considerably for the second-year defensive sort out.
During an interview with SiriusXM’s Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan, who have been available for Monday’s first padded observe, even Patriots head coach Bill Belichick mentioned Barmore was already “way ahead” of the place he was final yr.
And given how good he seems, how laborious he’s labored on his conditioning, Barmore is poised to make a Year 2 leap, after which some.
Said Seymour: “I think he has all the tools in the toolbox to be one of the best interior linemen in the league.”
During the week, Barmore bought into some specifics about his offseason routine, and the way he’s striving to be the perfect.
“I was training in Texas in the heat. A lot of running, more of cardio than anything, and a lot of work in footwork drills,” he mentioned Wednesday. “I rode the bike, ran the hill, and did a lot of curve drills like running (through the) bags. Did a lot of suicides. That’s my style.”
Having solely performed simply over 55% of the defensive snaps final yr, Belichick desires extra from his younger lineman. Barmore has finished his finest to oblige.
“I’m way more comfortable now than how I was last year. Faster … literally getting better every day,” Barmore mentioned. “I feel way more better in my conditioning, I feel like it increased well.”
For him to be extra of an every-down defender, although, Barmore must do a greater job in opposition to the run. That’s the one space he’s zeroed in on this yr. The Patriots, as an entire, additionally wish to take it up a notch after permitting 126.5 yards per sport, twenty fourth within the NFL final season.
“Get better on the run, that’s my No. 1 goal. Literally everywhere I play, dominate the run,” he mentioned. “Playing the stretch (run) better, playing the run a little better, is really my No. 1 goal. Just getting better with playing the run and footwork and everything.”
If Barmore can assist seal the center throughout operating downs, search for him to be an every-down participant this season.
Along with Seymour, Patriots Hall of Fame security Rodney Harrison is one other big fan. He additionally sees a shiny future for the younger star.
“I think he’s going to be their best defensive lineman. This kid, he’s big, he’s athletic, and he works hard,” Harrison mentioned when reached lately. “He’s a grinder. I like Christian Barmore. He was dominant last year.”
Even although Barmore wish to do a greater job at ending off these pressures, and getting the quarterback down, Harrison nonetheless sees all of these hurries as a optimistic.
“You sit back and talk about sacks, but it’s those pressures, those hurries that are so key,” mentioned Harrison. “Even a guy like Maxx Crosby (of the Raiders), he’s not getting to the quarterback in terms of sacks, like T.J. Watt, but he’s constantly getting those pressures, and those things are underrated.”
Pro Football Focus ranked Barmore No. 2 behind Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence as being the principally seemingly candidate to make a Year 2 leap.
Of late, it’s laborious to search out anybody who would argue.
Time to panic?
Spoke with former Patriots offensive lineman Sebastian Vollmer, who was on the early practices earlier than the pads got here on.
He mentioned he wasn’t essentially shocked that the Patriots entrance was having a more durable time adjusting to the brand new outdoors zone operating scheme.
He mentioned he wouldn’t panic simply but. It takes time, and extra padded practices, for the road to get in sync.
“The offensive linemen are always behind the defensive line. You really can’t practice the offensive line during the offseason. Until you hit somebody in the mouth, it’s hard to develop that. If you hit a dummy, he’s not going to fight back,” mentioned Vollmer. “They’ll click on sooner or later. They’ll discover the groove for the offensive zone (scheme). I imply, if one man messes up, all of them look unhealthy. The play solely works if 5 guys, plus the tight finish or fullback, are in unison. The total unit must gel.
“It’s still early,” he added. “There’s an adjustment period. I think the first preseason game will give you a better look, a better idea.”
The Patriots host the Giants at Gillette on Thursday.
Hoops, anybody?
Interesting to learn through the New York Post’s Brian Costello that head coach Robert Saleh had a regulation-size basketball hoop put in within the auditorium the place the Jets conduct their workforce conferences.
Apparently, Saleh just isn’t against gamers squaring off without spending a dime throw taking pictures contests in and round assembly time.
Saleh informed the Post he borrowed the thought from Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who has had a hoop for taking pictures contests relationship way back to 1994 when he coached the Jets.
“You’ve got to lighten things up and have a little fun,” Saleh informed The Post this week. “It’s something I learned from Pete a long time ago. They’ve got to want to come to team meetings. It can’t be a drag. It can’t be, ‘Oh, here we go again.’ You try to keep it light but at the same time you’re making sure we’re holding each other accountable to the highest standard. You can achieve both and I think Pete has proven that.”
Did Carroll have a hoop when he was on the helm in Foxboro?
Stacey James, Patriots vp of media relations, didn’t recall Carroll having a full-blown, regulation measurement hoop inside previous Foxboro Stadium given the assembly room was fairly small, however did keep in mind him taking part in basketball every day.
Brissett’s the person
With Deshaun Watson suspended for the primary six video games – the NFL has filed an enchantment in hopes of a better sentence – former Patriot Jacoby Brissett will take over because the beginning quarterback.
Brissett, as soon as known as the Pied Piper by former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, mentioned he was up for the problem.
“It feels good that you have that trust amongst the organization,” Brissett mentioned through Cleveland.com. “I’m excited for the opportunity. Extremely confident in myself and my abilities. We’re a long way from Week 1, so just continue to get better.”
Watson had been getting a bulk of the first-team reps, however that situation goes to alter.
“It’s extremely important, obviously, because those are the guys I’ll be with, so just keep taking advantage of those reps,” Brissett mentioned. “We have a plan in place. We believe in the plan and we’re going about it the right way, so when it comes it will come.”
Gilmore impresses
Colts rookie obtain Alex Pierce, an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati, informed reporters in Indianapolis he’s realized a ton simply going up in opposition to former Patriots nook Stephon Gilmore in observe.
His feedback had a well-recognized ring.
“Just running routes, a lot of times he knows what route I’m running before I even run the route just like off splits and how I’m stemming and stuff like that,” mentioned Pierce. “So that’s why I’m always trying to pick his brain and see what he’s seeing. It’s wild, it’s really crazy how smart he is as a player.”
Gilmore, by the way in which, blew up the rookie wideout with a tough hit on a crossing route over the center throughout one of many early practices.
Pierce, in the meantime, additionally lauded new Colts quarterback Matt Ryan.
“He treats us all great,” Pierce mentioned of the BC alum. “He’s such a good leader. He’s just a guy you can go to and talk to and he’s very willing to teach you, and he has so much knowledge. He’s a great guy to learn from and he’s willing to help me as a rookie, so I’m really appreciative of that.”
Kraft seizes the second
Former Patriots lengthy snapper Lonie Paxton, the participant who popularized the snow angel celebration in New England, took in Tuesday’s coaching camp observe. He was headed to Cape Cod for a household trip, however made a cease in Foxboro en route. Paxton, who lives in San Diego, had his household in tow.
He was thrilled when Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft stopped by to say hey, and hung out with Paxton and his spouse and children.
“He’s always so good to my family and I,” mentioned Paxton. “Anywhere from ring ceremonies, to practices, to Hall of Fame occasions, he type of at all times remembers one thing about my mother, and issues I did on the sphere, and as an extended snapper, you admire that.
“We’re part of the foundation. So it’s always good seeing him.”
Paxton mentioned his youngsters know Kraft from seeing him on TV in his suite throughout televised video games.
“They knew he’s the big boss,” mentioned Paxton. “They never got to see me play, so when they see an interaction like that, it brings that to reality. They see pictures and videos. But when you get to the relationship side, it really drives it home.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com