New England Patriots: Six Takeaways from the Preseason So Far
By Hal Bent
DEFENSIVE LINE TAKING SHAPE:
The surprising release of veteran defensive tackle Terrance Knighton this week is less an indictment of Knighton and more of a byproduct of young veterans Markus Kuhn and Anthony Johnson and rookie Vincent Valentine’s strong play in training camp and in the preseason games. Knighton was a surprise DNP-CD against Carolina last Friday night in the third preseason game and the writing appeared to be on the wall.
The top two spots on the defensive line are set with future star Malcom Brown building off his impressive rookie season and veteran Alan Branch (back from his team suspension–which was more likely a “veteran practice break” more than anything else). Kuhn was a cast-off from the Giants but has one of the biggest surprises on the defensive line playing with surprising athleticism and strength at the point of attack.
Valentine has been the powerful bull rushing two-gapper that Knighton was meant to be on the defense. Against Carolina while Knighton was on the bench it was Valentine using his size and strength to get in the backfield and clog up the middle of the defense and force the running game into the sure tackling linebackers.
Markus Kuhn spent four years with the New York Giants but never seemed to take the next step to starter and impact player. New England picked him up and have had him starting alongside Malcom Brown. Kuhn needs some work on his technique in the two-gap style inside on the defensive line, but he has shown suprising power inside and shows promise as a contributor during the season.
Young veteran Anthony Johnson was probably the most under-the-radar signing of the offseason. Johnson had bounced around with Miami and Washington after starring at LSU. Johnson has dropped 50 pounds since his time in Miami and introduced himself to Patriots Nation with a dominating perfromance in the second preseason game against Chicago. Another strong performance by Johnson could land him on the roster as an interior sub-rusher.
Next: RUNNING BACK SITUATION SORTING ITSELF OUT