When the New England Patriots made the last second, just under the wire trade for Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Jonathan Casillas, most people assumed it was just for depth. Casillas, though a good linebacker, has had little starting experience throughout his career in the NFL, and with the Patriots still recovering from the Jerod Mayo injury, many fans thought that Casillas was only brought in as a safety blanket.
But don’t be surprised if the 27-year-old linebacker actually plays a large role in the Patriots defense.
Bill Belichick gave him high praise, calling Casillas a “four down player,” meaning a defender who can play against the run, the pass and play special teams. For comparisons’ sake, other four down players on the Patriots include Devin McCourty, Rob Ninkovich and Kyle Arrington, which is a pretty good list to be a part of.
It’s also encouraging to see what the Patriots traded for Casillas. The Pats sent over a fifth-round pick for the linebacker and got back a sixth along with Casillas. Obviously any team wants to keep their picks — unless you’re Jim Irsay and think first-round picks are for sissies — but the price does mean you’re getting a better player than many people expected.
What would his role be in this defense? Casillas is not Belichick’s typical linebacker. He’s smaller (6-foot-1) and lighter (230 pounds) than the Patriots’ linebackers of the past (closer to 6-foot-3, 250 pounds). But because of Casillas’ size, he is very good at covering tight ends, which any Patriots fan can tell you is the Achilles heel of this defense.
Because of his coverage skills, Casillas will be able to stay on the field all downs and become a key to this defense. His presence also allows fellow new Patriot Akeem Ayers and second-year linebacker Jamie Collins to play outside linebacker which better suits their pass rushing abilities. Now the Patriots can play Dont’a Hightower and Casillas inside, while Collins and Ayers rush and set the edges on the outside. Let’s not forget that Ninkovich can drop back into coverage adding yet another linebacker in the rotation.
Don’t expect Casillas to come onto the team and instantly become a Pro-Bowler (though maybe Bucs fans are assuming it’ll happen), but the trade was for far more than just depth. Casillas is going to have a big impact on this defense, and we may see it against the Denver Broncos this weekend.
Peter Rogers is a New England Patriots writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @petahrahgas, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
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