Paris to London?
Written by Andy Hart on May 27, 2009 – 11:26 am -According to the Boston Globe the Patriots have reached an agreement with free agent linebacker Paris Lenon.
“Paris is excited to finally be a part of a winning organization and eager to contribute in whatever way Coach Belichick and his staff see fit. Now, quite simply, he’s eager to go to work,” Lenon’s agent, Jon Persch of Allegiant Management told the Globe.
The eighth-year veteran spent the last three seasons in Detriot, where last fall the middle linebacker was the Lions leading tackler. The former undrafted free agent out of Richmond previously spent four seasons in Green Bay. He started all 16 games in each of his three seasons in Detroit and had a career-high 161 stops (based on coaches’ film) two years ago. He’s never missed a game in his previous seven NFL seasons. Lenon played in the only XFL season in 2001 with the Memphis Maniax. He seems to have both the build and physical style to instantly battle for playing time on the inside in New England, despite have to make the transition from the 4-3 to the 3-4.
The 6-2, 235 pounder brings instant experienced depth to a thin inside linebacker spot in New England. Jerod Mayo and Tedy Bruschi are currently penciled in as starters with 2008 rookie free agent Gary Guyton as the top reserve and situational player off the bench. The position lost 2009 third-round pick Tyrone McKenzie to a season-ending knee injury in rookie mini-camp. Eric Alexander, Antonio Appleby and Vinny Ciurciu will also battle for roster spots on the inside.
His personal file includes an interesting note. His family calls Paris “Mike”, not as a nickname but to simply differentiate him from his father and grandfather who are also named Paris. Lenon continued the family naming tradition by also naming his son Paris, although the different generations of Paris Lenons have unique middle names.
As the title of this blog entry indicates, assuming Lenon makes the roster, the Patriots will bring a little bit of Paris with them to London this fall to take on the Bucs.
What do you think of the signing? Will Lenon end up in the starting lineup by the conclusion of the 2009 season? Can he be an impact defender for New England? Leave a comment below.
Posted in General |
May 27th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Who???
Oh he was on the Lions - that’s probably why I’ve never heard of him. Hope he can contribute….
May 27th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Thank you patriots!!!! thank yoooou! finally we got what we are looking for, and haters betta watch out fo 09 is us!!! GO PATRIOTS
May 27th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Despite the fact Paris played on an awful Lions team last year he has proven to be a durable player. Marinelli did not turn out to be an adequate Head Coach but he was a good D co-ordinator and can recognize NFL talent on that side of the ball. Judging from his stats Lenon filled the roll asked of him sufficiently enough to hold out hope that he can fill at least a situational roll along side Mayo.
May 27th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
235 is he a lber or a safety ?
May 27th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Todd in Nova Scotia needs to think before he types. 235 is huge for a safety and on the lower end of average for a linebacker.
May 27th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
muffet if thats your real name , 235 is tiny for a patriot lber , maybe a tampa 2 lber , or big nickel safety
May 27th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
very nice very good linebacker next to mayo will be sweet
May 27th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
i’m sorry , i can’t just say in BB I trust , paris lenon or gary guyton aren’t taking on the guard on running downs , tedy bruschi is 35 and was done 2 years ago ! i feel like we have 2 lbers for 4 spots . patriot nation is whistling past the graveyard .
May 27th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
You gotta love the durability factor.
Is it possible to go from 0-16 to a team that could go 16-0 ?
Seemed like he played hard last year and the Pats had Pisa T. who is prototypical MLB 6′1″ 240 but, didn’t sign him.
Will he be able to shed blocking tackles and guards?
May 27th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
6′2″ typical Belichick ILB height. 235 adequate weight. Proven production with 100+ tackles last season, typical Belichick pick-up. Also typical and admirable is the patience of the Pats to wait for the completion of Foote signing with the Lions to snag Lenon in the aftermath.
Best case, he is a productive starter alongside Mayo. Worst case, his tackling prowess will be put to good use on special teams. (which needs replenishing after losing a number of key cogs this offseason)
May 27th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Would have rather had Pisa due to the fact that he could have maybe filled in if Teddy retires next season since Pisa is relatively young compared to the 31 year old Paris. But not a bad signing. when I looked at both before the signing I liked that they led their team in tackles but these teams were at the bottom of the league so the defense was simply on the field longer. But all in all, a good filler, hopefully better then the past Monty Biesel fill in’s.
May 28th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Pisa is a weak side 4-3 linebacker. He doesn’t have the strength to play inside anywhere and that is why he is a free agent. Paris plays with some power but will likely have a hard time if he has to play a lot.
May 28th, 2009 at 11:43 am
ok i’ve thought about this signing for a day now ….. Paris Lenon doesn’t make this team ! i just don’t understand this signing .
May 28th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
I’m happy with this signing.
He has been extremely durable, never missing a game in his career.
He has been a very good special teams player - and could help replace the loss of Izzo.
At the same time, he is an effective ILB, unlike Izzo or Alexander, and offers the ability to play both special teams and also regular ILB. While he is not built like Ted Johnson, he is built like Don Davis, who played effectively as a third-down ILB here. His scouting reports show that he is a good tackler, uses good hands in fighting through blocks, and positions himself well. Those three qualities are probably more important than just size for the Pats.
He doesn’t have to be better than Mayo. If he offers an upgrade over Appleby or Alexander, he makes the team that much better. If he was the best ILB in Detroit, based on performance and productivity, he could certainly make the top four in New England.
Based on his play, though, maybe his family should call him Will, not Mike.
Welcome to New England, Paris.