Character risk? Based on what? Rotoworld went full on 'tard with that comment, however Merriweather did seem to regress in 2010 after a solid 2009 campaign, if they waive/release him I'd expect plenty of suitors for his services..and it will weaken the patriots defense a bit.
Disagree, I think he is an above average starting Safety, and possibly the only NE defender who is interested in actually, you know, hitting people. That is where the new defenders are not living up to their predecessors Alen, the Brucschi/Harrisons of the pats were all very physical, the newbs simply are not all that interested.
Merriweather is not good in coverage, and he's due a $1M raise. I wouldn't be surprised to see him cut, but at the same time the Patriots aren't very deep in the secondary.
They have so many draft picks it would not surprise me if he is cut, or traded, they did it before with a #1 pick Safety who wound up with the Texans.
We shall disagree of course, in 09 when Darren Sharper took shots at Randy Moss's knee on a MNF game, and the Pats Defense did not respond in kind, I formed the opinion that they had lost what Harrison and Bruschi and Seymour et al used to bring to the table, now they are much more a Scheme Defense then one that tries to Intimidate. BB's choice, but if you look at results they are not the same squad, the offense drives that team now.
There is a difference Alen, of course they run a Scheme, but the players who are in it, are so far unwilling to make borderline hits, Merriweather was benched for a game for a helmet to helmet hit, in the past Harrison said they were celebrated for such hits.
He was benched multiple times for freelancing. His freelancing led to the dumbass hit he made. He was benched for "trying to do things" that he wasn't suppose to as well. In other words, he was freelancing and making mistakes.
Agreed. I’m still shocked the Patriots drafted him. It’s a shame the Patriots went and spied on the rest of the league and had to forfeit the 31st overall selection in the 2008 draft, they could have used Kenny Phillips.
What? He was benched, reason was for a helmet to helmet hit that has everything to do with being physical, you can call it "free lancing" in the sense that supposedly such hits are frowned upon now in NE. Stuff like that used to define that defense, they played dirty Alen.
He was benched because he didn't execute his assignments. That is free lancing. He wonders around and gets beat.
Yet somehow the patriots will figure out how to fleece some team for two draft picks and another player for merriweather.
No, he called it "free lancing" meaning he was ignoring his assignments and going for the big hit, instead of playing smart football. The hits had nothing to do with him being sat down. Every team needs an enforcer.
Well, he was never "benched" in the sense he DNP'd: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/8278/gamelog;_ylt=Aktt_vSs1qOik_dmdoM2qiH.uLYF And how do you reconcile "he was free lancing, going for the big hit" and "every team needs an enforcer"?
