goheels22002

The Pats have a lot of decisions to make, but let's remember the cap goes up substantially and the rookie cap frees money for veterans. This will be a wild FA market, but there's money there. I hope the Pats work out and sign Giants DE/OLB Mathias Kiwanuka if he's healthy enough to play. he has a very tough injury - a herniated disc in his neck - but that guy can bring the pressure from the outside.

patfanken

I've swung back and forth on this issue so many times that I'm beginning to feel like a pendulum. Here's were I am today.

1. I find it hard to believe that the Pats drafted Solder THAT high without thinking that he can start right away. Though I don't think Warren got a lot of playing time early his first season.

2. I think Light would STILL have great value as a starting LG/backup OT. The thought being that the drop in talent from Mankins to Light would be slight and an actual upgrade over Connollly. We would save money on their respective contracts and gain some kind of draft pick compensation (2nd round) in a sign and trade deal that moves Mankins.

This would be a solid strategy for the Pats, but one I find unlikely at this point.

3. If Light goes and Mankins stays, then I see Kazcur staying. One to compete for a starting G spot, and to be a back up for the OT spots.

BOTTOM LINE, I think with the drafting of Cannon and Solder, plus the return of Kazcur and the continued development of Connolly, Maneri, LaVoire, etc we have improved at least the TALENT level of our OTs and OGs. even if Light moves on. We will certainly have more depth.

The C and depth at C concern me more that OT right now
4.

Don Kipines

They're not in awful shape going into next year. Both Wendell and Connolly have shown they can survive at center, at least in the short-term. Between those two and Koppen, they should be okay there.

PatsWickedPissah

Kaczur isn't cheap. I'd rather spend a little more money and have the better player Light instead, especially given concerns about K's back. Competing FA offers that break the bank for Light would make me change my mind and let him go.

I see a center fairly high in the Pats next draft.

__________________
Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
This is known as "bad luck." RAH

cstjohn17

So why would he leave $10,000,000 on the table? It will be his last kick at the can.

Yes it would be good to have Light back so he can be there if Solder cannot handle the load. It would also be nice to have Champ Bailey backup McCourty, neither are happening.

Kaczur could be a nice backup at tackle and maybe kick inside to guard (if he is healthy). Also keep in mind Kaczur is only one year younger than Light.

Mankins is the key to the whole thing. With him locked up long-term the Patriots have Sodler, Mankins, Vollmer as building blocks.

Deus Irae

QB is currently 3 deep, so the most the team needs there is a camp arm.


RB is currently 5 deep, so the most the team needs there is camp depth
TE is currently 4 deep, so there's nobody needed there

WR is currently 6 deep, so a legitimate competitor and a longshot or two are needed

NT is currently 1 deep with pretenders, so backup NT is a need

DE is currently 1 deep with questionable competitors, so a signing here would be good

OLB is currently somewhere between 0-1.5 deep, depending upon how much you like Ninkovich and Cunningham. There's a definite need there

ILB is currently 2-4 deep, depending on how much you like the backups as all-around subs. The team should be ok here, but a plugger for competition wouldn't hurt

CB is fine if Bodden's 100%, McCourty doesn't have a sophomore slump and they can get nickel and dime performance out of one of the remnants (Dowling/Butler/Arrington/Wilhite). No signings are really needed unless the team wants more T.C. bodies

S is fine if they bring everyone back.

K should be fine if the rehab's gone well, although bringing in a leg to help with camp might be good

P should be fine, although bringing in a leg to help with camp might be good

LS should be fine



Taking a look at the roster and noting that it'll be a shortened offseason, it really seems as if the team would only need a few players as training camp depth, and a scant handful of legitimate competitors for jobs. That being the case, the team should be fine under the cap. Depending upon the final number, the Patriots might well have the money to look at a quality player at one or more of the OLB/WR/DE positions.*



* I didn't include the O-line because there's not enough info about the upcoming rules to make a really informed guess here. However, Miguel's already got Mankins under the cap with the team having money to spare, and Light's cost should be reasonable given his age, so I don't see a financial reason why he couldn't be brought back and still leave the team with spending money. Given the chance, I'd be all for the team making a run at Nicks. That would potentially result in an enormous future o-line of Solder/Nicks/Cannon/Vollmer/Center.

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ay-yo

^ I like your roster analysis. The question becomes to do we lock up some of our players who will be due for an extension next year (Meriweather, Welker, Sanders, Guyton) so we can absorb some of their cap hit this year or do we go after other teams FA. Obviously it depends on how much Bill likes the current crop of FA. Given our history I think we'll just lock up our players. The FA crop isn't really great at any positions we need IMO.

I don't see us going after a wr, despite what the board seems to want. I can't see the wr budget including Welker and a long term, big money addition. On top of that the recievers this year just aren't that good. Rice is the best of the bunch but I wouldn't consider him elite.

Here's a name for the DL. How about Pat Williams. Should be relatively cheap and he may want a chance at a ring before he retires. He's a big body and still productive when healthy. He could fill the back-up NT role or potentially play some snaps at DE.

mgteich

This seems to be a very doable list.

[QUOTE=Deus Irae;2578351].

WR is currently 6 deep, so a legitimate competitor and a longshot or two are needed

NT is currently 1 deep with pretenders, so backup NT is a need

DE is currently 1 deep with questionable competitors, so a signing here would be good

OLB is currently somewhere between 0-1.5 deep, depending upon how much you like Ninkovich and Cunningham. There's a definite need there

ILB is currently 2-4 deep, depending on how much you like the backups as all-around subs. The team should be ok here, but a plugger for competition wouldn't hurt

.

Triumph

Youre probably spot on. It seems very unlikely that the Pats drafted Solder that high so he could sit and learn. Thats not their M.O.

On the plus side, I dont have to listen to my Father complain about Matt Light every time I call him.

Im not concerned either.

Theres always a way to make room in the cap.