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Seymour & the pass rush

Given the Patriots' struggles rushing the passer in 2009, it has been noted here that the team would have been better had it kept defensive lineman Richard Seymour.

I still believe that is the case, although this comment from Raiders coach Tom Cable at the NFL combine surprised me: "We'd like to see a little more pass rush out of [Seymour], which he'd probably be the first to tell you that."

Seymour finished with four sacks in 2009 and all of them came in two games.

I had expected more production from him as a pass-rusher in 2009, especially when considering the differences between the Patriots' 3-4 scheme and the Raiders' 4-3 scheme. Defensive linemen in New England often note that their responsibilities are to two-gap. That means they aren't shooting gaps at the snap, and thus, there are fewer opportunities to penetrate and harass the quarterback.

Given more freedom in Oakland, I thought Seymour might hit double-digits in sacks.