2011 NFL Draft: The New England Patriots Should Show Interest in Casey Matthews

One of the biggest mistakes made by New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was not drafting Clay Matthews in the 2009 NFL draft. 

The Patriots had a perfect shot at drafting the now Green Bay Packer stud outside linebacker, but they traded away their 23rd overall pick to the Baltimore Ravens—Matthews was selected three spots after.

Entering the 2011 NFL draft, the Patriots will have another shot at grabbing a player very similar to Matthews—his brother, Casey Matthews, a former Oregon Duck. 

Being brothers is pretty much the only thing that these two have in common, as Casey is an inside linebacker and Clay is an outside linebacker. 

Casey isn't as highly regarded as Clay was, but he will go somewhere between the third and fifth rounds. If Casey is available when it's one of New England's four turns in the middle rounds, will Belichick call his name? 

If New England does decide to draft Matthews, what will he be bringing to the table as an inside linebacker?

Strengths

Matthews was extremely productive over his four years at Oregon—he recorded 245 tackles, four interceptions, and eight sacks. 

For an inside linebacker, Matthews is very athletic and is great in the passing game. When Matthews drops back in coverage, he has a real talent of reading the quarterback's eyes and he can track down passes rather quickly. 

As for run stopping, Matthews is just average. The only thing that separates him from average run stopping linebackers is his relentless motor and strong effort—Matthews has a great work ethic and always plays to the whistle. 

One of Matthew's notable talents that scouts have picked up on is his ability to diagnosis plays very fast—he has a nose for the ball, and is always in there making a tackle.

Weaknesses

Matthews could play outside linebacker, and might be better suited for it as he's 6'0" and 230 lbs., but he lacks speed—his speed is average at best. 

Due to his inability to play outside linebacker, he's forced to play inside, and some scouts feel that he's undersized. 

As for tackling, Matthews is a very good tackler in between the tackles, but when it comes to tackling in space, Matthews will struggle. 

Matthews certainly needs to add some more bulk in order to progress into the next level. 

Conclusion

New England does not necessarily need an inside linebacker, but Matthews is a very versatile player. 

Multiple scouts feel that he could play inside and outside in the 3-4 defense, if he develops correctly—and that is a big if. 

As of right now, Matthew is better suited to play as an inside linebacker, and New England already has Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes. However, that doesn't mean Belichick will turn his head on Matthews. 

Matthews does show a lot of potential, and does have the work ethic to improve into a quality linebacker.

If New England did choose to select Matthews in the middle of the draft, possibly with their 74th, 92nd, or 125th pick, I wouldn't mind—he could end up being a steal.

His first year in New England, Matthews would probably be a sub-package linebacker—he'd likely only play on passing situations. 

Belichick may feel intrigued to draft Matthews solely because of his potential and high motor. Matthews would certainly add depth and youth to New England's inside linebacker position. 

NOTE: This article was first seen at PatriotsPlus.net. Be sure to follow Tony Santorsa on Twitter @   TonySantorsa.