Question To Ponder - Page 2 - New England Patriots Forums

***BradyFTW!*** · 01-26-2009, 05:00 PM

I think the cap has a net effect of helping the Pats, since they manage it far, far better than most of the other teams in the league.

MetalBleachers · 01-26-2009, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by belichickaholic

In 2007, he had what was essentially an allstar team, or at least an allstar offense. How'd that work out? Other teams handle the cap better than we do. What seperates Belichick is his coaching. He's just better than all the rest. It's as simple as that.

Did you know that, except for Daniel Graham, the Pats have all of their First Round draft picks since 2001? They've "lost" Ty Law, Asante Samuel and Deion Branch to free agency (although Branch was signed for another year). They have gained players like Colvin, Harrison, AD, Welker and Moss during this era.

I can see an argument for Indy and Pittsburgh handling the cap well, but who else does it "better than we do"?

CopenhagenPatsfan · 01-27-2009, 01:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by belichickaholic

In 2007, he had what was essentially an allstar team, or at least an allstar offense. How'd that work out? Other teams handle the cap better than we do. What seperates Belichick is his coaching. He's just better than all the rest. It's as simple as that.

2007
16-0 Regular Season
AFC Champions
1 Loss in the Super Bowl coming on an incredible fluke play.

Boy, I am glad we got rid of that dead weight Pioli, now if we could only get rid of that slacker Bill Belichick, he has no clue what he is doing

You are right about the coaching though, Bill Belichick is the best.

***BradyFTW!*** · 01-27-2009, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by belichickaholic

In 2007, he had what was essentially an allstar team, or at least an allstar offense. How'd that work out? Other teams handle the cap better than we do. What seperates Belichick is his coaching. He's just better than all the rest. It's as simple as that.

So in one sentence you say that the Pats put together what was 'essentially an allstar team' under the cap, then in the next sentence you say that other teams handle the cap better? That's a hell of a contradiction, champ.

Wildo7 · 01-27-2009, 02:05 AM

If the Pats had an advantage in the specific framework of the salary cap, that was most likely a credit to Pioli. The fact that Belichick is most likely the the best coach of all time in terms of talent management, strategy and in game management makes him formidable in any era. And Kraft is the perfect owner in that he's a shrewd businessman, who knows just enough about football to relinquish the right amount of control to the people that know what they are doing. The beauty of the past decade has been Pioli's cap skill and talent assessment, Belichick's coaching and talent assessment and Kraft's smart approach to ownership all being able to function together seamlessly as a cohesive machine without ego or conflict. Throw into that equation whatever level of importance you think Ernie Adams has too.

None of us really know to what degree Pioli influenced talent assesment, free agent acquisition and the draft, but assuming he hasn't been an irreplaceable factor in those areas without a cap you'd basically negate whatever edge he gave us and maintain the level of superiority the Pats have enjoyed. The fact that he's said his greatest strength was working in concert with Belichick to understand his system and find whatever Belichick wanted within the framework, I think makes that a safe assumption. Where I think it may even give them an advantage would be Kraft's ability to grow the Pats as a business and spend money in smart ways. Judging by the fact that the Pats I believe are the 4th most valuable franchise in the world reassures that at the very least, the Pats wouldn't come up short in terms of spending.

And whoever says the Pats drafting has been anywhere near sub par compared to the rest of the league doesn't know what they're talking about IMO. The mantra of the Pats is team and system, if they can maintain good draft strategies and acquire the FAs they want to fit the system, I think that a league with no salary cap would be that Pats playground, especially considering that the losses of people like Mcguinest, Milloy, Ty Law, Deion Branch, Asante Samuel and co. could have theoretically been the difference between 3 SB rings and 5 or 6.

In short, a Belichick system that's free to acquire and keep the perfect players for that system would be better than say a Dan Snider roster full of pro bowlers without cohesion.

***jmt57*** · 01-27-2009, 10:58 AM

With rules such as there were in the 70's, the major influence would not be the lack of a salary cap, but free agency. The net result would be that it would take longer to build a team, and it would be easier to keep it together once it was good. Also keep in mind drafts were 17 rounds long, so picking up a decent undrafted free agent was far more difficult then. The FO could only improve team through the draft or via trades.

xmarkd400x · 01-27-2009, 03:37 PM

I think it goes like this:

Brady was drafted. He would be ours forever. If you get to surround him with talent, and keep SB winning talent from leaving (like you could under a non-salary cap era) I think the Pats would be even better than they are now.

I think the Pats wouldn't have won in Brady's first year as a starter because the free agents wouldn't have been here, but I think they'd certainly have won a couple SuperBowls by now.