More people should appreciate the New England Patriots’ Lawrence Guy
The New England Patriots’ Lawrence Guy has repeatedly shown why he can be a valuable three-down lineman in today’s competitive NFL.
Lawrence Guy is a former seventh-round draft selection by the Green Bay Packers in 2011 out of Arizona State. After bouncing around between the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, and the Baltimore Ravens, Guy has surely found a home here with the New England Patriots.
The stereotypical Patriot is a player who Bill Belichick finds multidimensional value in, and someone whose strengths Belichick can utilize often as a gain for the team. Lawrence Guy truly is the stereotypical Patriot. For a person of his size, Guy is both athletic and versatile, which is an important factor for a Patriots defender.
In 2017, the New England Patriots and Guy agreed on a four-year $20 million contract. Guy has quietly made his presence known amongst the great New England defenses over the last few years, including being featured prominently as a run-stopper in the Super Bowl LIII victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Speaking to the value of Guy, he has started all but eight games in his three seasons in New England. So far this season, Guy has tallied 40 tackles, one sack, one interception, and two fumble recoveries to help lead New England’s historic defense.
On top of being the stereotypical Patriot, Guy is also considered to be the perfect Patriot, as he walks and talks “the Patriot Way.” He leaves it all out there on the field every game, and seems to be a well-respected player around the league as well.
It’s crazy to think that with the athleticism of Guy, he never found a true role and home for himself throughout his career until landing in New England. Maybe it’s the Patriots’ scheme that works so well for Guy, but he’s definitely made a huge impact since joining the team in 2017.
In Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles, Guy recorded six tackles in the Patriots’ loss. It’s also worth mentioning Guy spent the Packers’ 2011 Super Bowl season on IR.
Perhaps it’s also due to the emergence of Lawrence Guy that the Patriots decided they no longer needed the services of Michael Bennett this season. More than any other lineman on the team, Guy has been employed regularly on all three downs for the New England defense. He is as adept at clogging running lanes as he is at collapsing the pocket and getting pressure on the opposing quarterback.
Check out this play from last week’s win against the Cowboys:
#Patriots film: Lawrence Guy is a strong dude in the middle of the Pats defense. Dallas pulls both guards and La'el Collins down blocks on Guy. Guy throws Collins off and makes the stop. pic.twitter.com/jndGbk9Rkf
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) November 25, 2019
An angry, frustrated Tom Brady is a valuable Tom Brady. dark. Next
If you want to get to know more about Lawrence Guy, every Monday on WEEI’s Dale & Keefe radio show, Guy joins the show to discuss the outcome of the weekend’s game. He also shares his own interests outside of football and comments about things going on in his own life – it’s a fascinating glimpse into the world of one of the best (and most underrated) players on the New England Patriots’ team.