The Stallworth love - Page 4 - New England Patriots Forums

salty · 03-07-2007, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AzPatsFan

The Pats moved the chains. Enough to get within 60 seconds of the Super Bowl, without having Gaffney except for three games. Without having Welker. Without getting anything from CJ, or Kight or Bam. Forget Stallworth or Moss.

I'd rather add another couple of LBs for depth. Don't you realize that a single injury, and undrafted, raw, near-rookie, scrubs, like Mays or Alexander are starting! Sign Asante and gets some backup LBs...

its about building a complete Team, not signing talent.

Just because they were able to go surprisingly far despite a serious deficiency at WR does not mean that they have no need to address that problem. In fact, I'd argue quite the opposite. Had the Patriots had decent receivers last year, we might be celebrating another Superbowl victory. Just one more guy in the AFC Championship game and we would've come up with the ONE MORE FIRST DOWN we needed in the second half.

They have addressed it already with Welker. That might well be enough, but I'd feel a whole lot more comfortable with a deep threat.

As for LB, I do agree that we are perilously thin at the position as of now, but that could be addressed pretty well with one of our first round picks and another free agent signing (perhaps Donnie Edwards, if the price were right). I actually think Alexander could be a decent backup though. He played pretty well in the AFCCG, especially considering it was his first ever start. There is some promise there, IMO.

JoeSixPat · 03-07-2007, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AzPatsFan

Salty,

I agree that defenses were collapsing on our WRs and running game. But Gaffney wasn't ready to contribute until the last three games and they were playoff games. Before that it was Caldwell, and Caldwell, and Caldwell some more, and sometimes Troy Brown, occasionally.

Yet Caldwell had to run the move-the-chain routes and did so; Troy at 35 could only do short routes and only, occasionally. CJ was an injured rookie, too wet behind the ears to contribute.

This season is already different. Gaffney is now part of the equation, and he has 50 catches a season on the resume`. Welker is now part of the equation, and he has 60 catches on the resume`. Caldwell now has 60 catches on the resume`, too. I maintain Wes is a two-for-one acquisition. He can reliably catch the short ones, and Gaffney and Caldwell will be free to catch those and more of the deeper ones,as well. That pair has already proven they can reliably catch short ones and on occasion catch the deeper ones too. CJ might contribute more than last year especially in the second half. Simply having three NFL level receivers, two of which have some deep catches already, will mean they get more intermediate deep routes to run and catch.

Yet they were reliable enough to get open often enough, and catch the move-the-chains passes; and they did.

The Pats moved the chains. Enough to get within 60 seconds of the Super Bowl, without having Gaffney, except for three games. Without having Welker. Without getting anything from CJ, or Kight or Bam. Forget Stallworth or Moss.

I'd rather add another couple of LBs for depth. Don't you realize that a single injury, and undrafted, raw, near-rookie, scrubs, like Mays or Alexander are starting! Sign Asante and gets some backup LBs...

Its about building a complete Team, not signing talent.

Good points - especially about the Caldwell/Watson show on offense - but I think you underestimate what a deep threat can do to help other players

And even though we do have more weapons already, let's look at them

Gaffney - 11.8 ypc career average
Watson - 13.8 ypc
Caldwell - 12.5 ypc
Welker - 11.7 ypc

Still not a deep threat in the bunch - in fact, when your TE is a deeper deep threat than any WR on the roster, you've got an issue.

Actually should they actually get a legitiimate deep threat I'd be willing to bet that everyone significantly adds ypc - and indeed, that Caldwell, with another deep threat on the field, can break some deep catches himself.

Obviously I'm not including Jackson in the equation - I'm a big Jackson supporter but I'm not advocating going into a season relying on his contributions as we were forced to last year (BB very much hoped Jackson would be the deep threat last year)

PatsMyBoyz! · 03-07-2007, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeSixPat

Good points - especially about the Caldwell/Watson show on offense - but I think you underestimate what a deep threat can do to help other players

And even though we do have more weapons already, let's look at them

Gaffney - 11.8 ypc career average
Watson - 13.8 ypc
Caldwell - 12.5 ypc
Welker - 11.7 ypc

Still not a deep threat in the bunch - in fact, when your TE is a deeper deep threat than any WR on the roster, you've got an issue.

Actually should they actually get a legitiimate deep threat I'd be willing to bet that everyone significantly adds ypc - and indeed, that Caldwell, with another deep threat on the field, can break some deep catches himself.

Obviously I'm not including Jackson in the equation - I'm a big Jackson supporter but I'm not advocating going into a season relying on his contributions as we were forced to last year (BB very much hoped Jackson would be the deep threat last year)

Good analysis. It raises the question of how much or to what extent can BB rely upon Chad this year? BB's confidence in his endurance has to be a bit shaken. He's already had a hamstring that seemed to sideline him for a long time and now he has a torn ACL which timewise is still unknown but still-the chances of BB's needing to go to Plan B again this year are pretty good going by CJ's record thus far.
I wouldn't mind Donte Stallworth-I think he'd fill a need and be an asset but most importantly,I think our offense would struggle that much less than they did last year. Last season they had some brilliant games but they also had their share of painful ones and I,for one,would love to see our offense become powerful and confident again.
We'll be good without him but having him would make things much easier and would open up a lot of scheme possibilities too. Our offense would be solid,and if CJ came back-all the better. Don't forget CJ missed the better part of his rookie year on the field. Granted he probably picked up a lot,etcetc but he's also missed a lot. Donte's a veteran.

JoeSixPat · 03-07-2007, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatsMyBoyz!

Good analysis. It raises the question of how much or to what extent can BB rely upon Chad this year? BB's confidence in his endurance has to be a bit shaken. He's already had a hamstring that seemed to sideline him for a long time and now he has a torn ACL which timewise is still unknown but still-the chances of BB's needing to go to Plan B again this year are pretty good going by CJ's record thus far.
I wouldn't mind Donte Stallworth-I think he'd fill a need and be an asset but most importantly,I think our offense would struggle that much less than they did last year. Last season they had some brilliant games but they also had their share of painful ones and I,for one,would love to see our offense become powerful and confident again.
We'll be good without him but having him would make things much easier and would open up a lot of scheme possibilities too. Our offense would be solid,and if CJ came back-all the better. Don't forget CJ missed the better part of his rookie year on the field. Granted he probably picked up a lot,etcetc but he's also missed a lot. Donte's a veteran.

I'm with you - but under that in the best case scenario we have 2 deep threats in Jackson and someone like Stallworth.

In the worst case sceniario signing Stallworth we have one

In the worst case scenario under the belief we're "all set" at WR and Jackson can't get the job done - we have none yet again

BB won't knowingly go into the same situation at WR like that again this year

If this panned out it would be a helluva lineup (number them however you'd like

Caldwell
Gaffney
Welker
Stallworth
Jackson
Brown

That really would be the best bunch of WRs we have had under Brady I think

PatsMyBoyz! · 03-07-2007, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeSixPat

I'm with you - but under that in the best case scenario we have 2 deep threats in Jackson and someone like Stallworth.

In the worst case sceniario signing Stallworth we have one

In the worst case scenario under the belief we're "all set" at WR and Jackson can't get the job done - we have none yet again

BB won't knowingly go into the same situation at WR like that again this year

If this panned out it would be a helluva lineup (number them however you'd like

Caldwell
Gaffney
Welker
Stallworth
Jackson
Brown

That really would be the best bunch of WRs we have had under Brady I think

Exactly,BB knows there's a need which is why Donte rejecting our offer really blows. With Watson and Wilfork's contracts coming up I don't know how far we'd go to sign Stallworth and I doubt they'd get involved in any bidding wars,dramas,etc but I think BB would love to have him if he can get him. It just opens that offense right up, and Donte is a post-season veteran-with the T-shirts to prove it-huge plus. The only other true veteran there is Troy,and it's pretty safe to say the Pats plan on being in AZ.
All in all,while not a necessity,the addition of Stallworth would definitely make our offense better-much better.

ArmyPatsFan · 03-07-2007, 06:55 PM

I do not think he rejected the Pats offer...I think his greedy agent sticks to the plan to get all the money he can by visiting the teams he said he is going to visit. I believe he left Tenn without a contract as well and is headed to Miami next. Anyway...pft states:

"STALLWORTH DEAL COMING FRIDAY?

Look for receiver Donte' Stallworth to have a new deal in place by Friday.

Per a league source, Stallworth is expected to pull the trigger on a new contract by then. Barring an unforeseen development, such as a late arrival into the bidding for his services, Stallworth likely will have a new team by Saturday.

Stallworth, who played in 2006 with the Eagles, has visited with the Patriots and Titans, and will meet with the Dolphins on Friday. There are conflicting reports as to whether the Eagles have extended an offer to him."