mgteich

We seem to have accepted extreme instability in the defensive backfield. If two of Wheatley, Wilhite and Richardson look good and James Sanders is re-signed, we have a dine basis for the future, but those are pretty big if's.

Samuel, Wilson and Gay are all gone from last year.

SAFETY
Sanders, Harrison, Williams and Ventrone are signed only through this season. Meriweather has a contract past this season.

CORNER
Hobbs, Wheatley, Wilhite and Richardson are signed past this season. The following are signed through this season only: Bryant, Webster, L. Sanders and Spann.


A POSSIBLE FUTURE
CORNER: Hobbs, Wheatley, Wilhite/Richardson
SAFETY: Meriweather, James Sanders

Jimke

I hope that the Patriots make an attempt to re-sign Fernando

Bryant and James Sanders before they reach free agency. Neither

player should command an outrageous salary.

MrBigglesWorth

why so worried? I imagine this upcoming draft they will address another piece of the defense whether lb or cb.

they'll be fine.

__________________
"There are two categories of superbowl participants that nobody remembers:

The team that lost the game and the team that only won one." Dwight White- Steelers

Patslifer

Because if there are injuries to the lb's, and we lost speed upfront, the secondary is going to be exposed badly.

SammyBlueCat

Every team has several "ifs" to consider every season.

MrBigglesWorth

you think the secondary is that bad? if the lb'ers did get injured i'd expect the safeties to fall back more.

__________________
"There are two categories of superbowl participants that nobody remembers:

The team that lost the game and the team that only won one." Dwight White- Steelers

mgteich

Yes, indeed! And great teams address this ifs as best they can before the season begins, sometimes two or three years before the season begins. The patriots have paid severely for risks they have knowlingly taken with regard to risks at depth at LB and RB. Were we unlucky?

Stability requires planning. It is not good to replace half your unit each year, unless they were horrible.

The defensive backfield with which we won the AFC last year may be all gone by the end of this year with the exception of Hobbs and Meriweather. And yes, I would feel differently if Bryant, Williams and Webster were signed to 2-year contracts and James Sanders was extended.

spacecrime

The Pats "paid" by winning three superbowls. There are a lot of other teams who would have liked to have had the consequences the Pats have had due to their personnel decisions. Like 31 of them.

Patslifer

No, I think they will be good. I just think the rooks are going to need time to develope, and might be exposed ( if the lb core is thinned out slightly).

Nitpicking really.

MrBigglesWorth

just worry about this year. they had plenty of bodies in the secondary. we'll see if any of them can play soon.

__________________
"There are two categories of superbowl participants that nobody remembers:

The team that lost the game and the team that only won one." Dwight White- Steelers