On the Bubble: Sealver Siliga

Courtesy of New England AP

Sealver Siliga is not a household name by any means, yet he left a lasting impression on me at the end of last year. After being decimated by injuries, the Patriots turned to a quick trade with the Eagles for Isaac Sopoaga. They also plugged in backup defensive lineman Sealver Siliga. Believe it or not, Siliga actually jumps out of the screen on some of the plays he makes. They don't necessarily end up in tackles or sacks. Sometimes, just the disruption of a run formation was enough to stop the other team's momentum.

With the defensive losses of Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly and linebacker Jerod Mayo. The Patriots relied heavily on backups to fill in the gaps. Sealver Siliga, an athletic 6'2" 320 Lbs, played in five games at the end of the season. He finished with 18 tackles and one sack. Frequently making big stops on third and short or causing disruption on first downs.

Sealver Siliga is a perfect type of blue collar player that the Patriots need. What makes it even better is that Siliga really enjoys being a Patriot. In an interview with Doug Kyed from NESN.com, Sealver Siliga stated:

"Everywhere else I’ve been, I haven’t really gotten the opportunity I’ve got now. Bill’s [head coach Bill Belichick] given me the opportunity I have now to do what I’m doing. I’m taking advantage of it. I really didn’t get that much opportunity when I was with those other teams. I’m willing to take advantage of all the opportunities I have and keep pressing forward and keep doing my job."

It would be nice if we can keep Siliga. His chances of making the team will be slim. Hopefully, we can keep him on a practice squad or can call him up in case of an injury. He fits perfectly into the Patriots system.

Here is some raw footage, to give you a better idea of how well Sealver Siliga takes up space and disrupts plays for the opposing offense.



Wonder what other players are in danger of being cut? Check out more of our On The Bubble series.

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Twitter: william@thehbfgroup