Home 
News In the Press NFL 30 to Watch: Vince Wilfork, Nose Tackle, New England Patriots
News In the Press NFL 30 to Watch: Vince Wilfork, Nose Tackle, New England Patriots
| NFL 30 to Watch: Vince Wilfork, Nose Tackle, New England Patriots |
 |
 |
 |
| Written by Administrator |
| Friday, 17 August 2007 00:00 |
|
by Ryan Wilson A regular look at 30 people who will affect the 2007 NFL season. When talking about the New England Patriots, Tom Brady usually is the first player to come to mind. And then, in random order, it's probably Randy Moss, Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour and Laurence Maroney. But arguably team's most valuable player on the team's most valuable unit, is nose tackle Vince Wilfork. New England is primarily a 3-4 defense, and everything runs through the defensive line. If the three fat guys up front aren't doing their jobs, the whole thing falls apart. That's where Wilfork, the team's 2004 first-round pick, comes in. And head coach Bill Belichick thinks so much of Wilfork that he calls him "the most complete guy that I have coached at that position." That's pretty lofty praise from the Unabomber. Wilfork has had to make an adjustment from his University of Miami days, when he was a "penetrating, 4-3" d-lineman. In New England, it's all about gap control, which means Wilfork's job isn't to get to the quarterback, it's to take up space. Belichick calls him "an excellent two-gapper", which allows the linebackers behind him to get to the ball. |