The Bobcat Nation

good press for Dane ...

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Fletcher surprise contributor in 2010
When a team posts a 14-2 regular-season record like the New England Patriots did in 2010, there are no shortage of feel-good stories along the way. One of the best was authored by Dane Fletcher.

First, he beat long odds to make the team as a rookie free agent. Then he appeared in 14 games, his primary contributions coming on special teams. Along the way, Fletcher showed flashes of promise in making the challenging Tedy Bruschi-style transition from college defensive end to NFL inside linebacker, his performance against the Green Bay Packers in late December standing out as one of his best.

If there is one reason that I really want the lockout and new CBA deal to be done quickly is so that a player like Dane can get into camp and make that typical jump in production from year one to year two. Most write-ups think that if Fletcher can put on 5-10 lbs and get better at holding the point of attack then the Patriots could use him at all four linebacker spots in Patriots system.

It might take him a year or two but I think that Dane could work himself into a ton of playing time if not starting. He really made a lot of progress last year and I can't wait to see how much he progresses.