ARE YOU NEW HERE? NOT LOGGED IN? PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO REGISTER FOR AN ACCOUNT AND LOGIN TO REMOVE THIS WINDOW
Welcome to PatsFans.com. Do you have an account? If not - please take a moment to register for our forum and experience a much smoother experience with fewer ads, along with no longer having to see this notification window. Also learn about how you can receive a free Patriots T-Shirt from the Patriots Official ProShop by CLICKING HERE. Please enjoy your stay here, and Go Pats!
Re: Is Josh McDaniels the luckiest man in the NFL?
Quote:
Originally Posted by RelocatedPatFan
A lot to be said for this and I can certainly agree. Where 2012 is perhaps the most dangerous is, you can take away 1 threat and maybe 2 (which the 2007 offense only had 2), but this team while the ceiling isn't as high has a much higher median.
Take away 2 and there are 2 other guys who can do plenty of damage. the big question will be the o line keeping pressure off Brady at critical times (playoffs where defenders are given a little more leeway to just let them play).
I think that the newness of the 2007 offense was a significant factor in its success. Teams were caught by surprise. The 2007 offense tailed off significantly in the second half of the year after teams started to adjust.
Gronk is in my mind every bit the unique offensive weapon that Randy Moss was in 2007. Welker, Gaffney and Stallworth are constants - they're all older, but Welker and Gaffney are coming off their best statistical seasons last year. Hernandez adds a dimension that the 2007 Pats never had. And Fells, Branch and Edelman add significantly more depth and a variety of options. And all of that ignores the potential role of the RBs in the offense, which could take things to an entirely different level.
It's all potential at this point of the pre-season, but the potential is off the charts.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. "OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid
"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi
FEATURED ADVERTISEMENT
DONATE TO PATSFANS.COM
RECEIVE A FREE PATS T-SHIRT AND SAVE 15% OFF WHEN YOU BUY FROM THE OFFICIAL PROSHOP!
Free T-Shirt & Save 15% Off!
Like Our Site? Please help support our site and server costs by DONATING TO PATSFANS.COM and receive a FREE PATRIOTS T-SHIRT and SAVE 15% off EVERY purchase you make from PatriotsProShop.com. You'll also receive added benefits to your account including Removing All Ads During Your Experience Here At Our Forum.
NEEDED YEARLY SITE DONATIONS: 345 | CURRENT # OF SUBSCRIBED SUPPORTERS: 98
Re: Is Josh McDaniels the luckiest man in the NFL?
And I completely ignored Lloyd in the above discussion. I'd put him in the Hernandez class in terms of his potential impact on the offense.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. "OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid
"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi
Re: Is Josh McDaniels the luckiest man in the NFL?
Quote:
Originally Posted by RelocatedPatFan
A lot to be said for this and I can certainly agree. Where 2012 is perhaps the most dangerous is, you can take away 1 threat and maybe 2 (which the 2007 offense only had 2), but this team while the ceiling isn't as high has a much higher median.
Take away 2 and there are 2 other guys who can do plenty of damage. the big question will be the o line keeping pressure off Brady at critical times (playoffs where defenders are given a little more leeway to just let them play).
Well stated. Although the 2007 team had more than 2 threats, the general point is certainly valid.
__________________
"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
- Marcus Aurelius
Re: Is Josh McDaniels the luckiest man in the NFL?
Regarding whether McDaniels is lucky...you make your own luck.
Sure, he's coming to a team with Brady, Gronkandez, Scarneccia and Welker. But half the FA additions joined the team to play for him, in particular Lloyd, Gaffney, Fells.
The franchise has assets, but he's not coming in empty-handed.
__________________
"We want to build a big, strong, tough, smart, fast, disciplined football team that will consistently compete for a championship."
-- Scott Pioli, from the Patriots scouting manual
Re: Is Josh McDaniels the luckiest man in the NFL?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patriot_in_NY
Tobias,
I think your point is well taken, but given the potential we have at the TE, it gives us one huge advantage that we did not have in 2007. The pressure of having Gronk, Ahern (not to mention Fells & Bo) in formations with Lloyd, Gaffney, Welker, Branch, Stallworth or any combination thereof will be almost indefensible for most teams. We had great skill players in 2007, everywhere but at TE. Basically add just about that same level of skill and add the best TE tandem in the game, and look out.
This doesn't even mention our RB's two of whom (Vareen or Addai) can easily come out of the backfield and catch passes. Hell, in most cases, you'd be able to telegraph the play to the defense in advance and the defense still would not be able to defend it. If the line protects Brady at all, there are not many defenses that will be able to defend the multitude of formations we now have in the short, intermediate and long routes we can put up.
Should be fun to watch.
I absolutely agree with all of this.
The problem (as we all saw) with having your TEs as the focal point of the offense, along with a slot WR and an aging split end, is that everyone is playing within the same general space on a majority of snaps.
Lloyd and Gaffney should be very adept at taking over the intermediate part of the field this year and giving those guys some space to work with. Surely they'll get more defensive respect than Deion and Tiquan.
Re: Is Josh McDaniels the luckiest man in the NFL?
Quote:
Originally Posted by rookBoston
Regarding whether McDaniels is lucky...you make your own luck.
Sure, he's coming to a team with Brady, Gronkandez, Scarneccia and Welker. But half the FA additions joined the team to play for him, in particular Lloyd, Gaffney, Fells.
The franchise has assets, but he's not coming in empty-handed.
I'd say it's appropriate to say he's got to be one of the happiest men in the NFL, for sure.
Re: Is Josh McDaniels the luckiest man in the NFL?
Great post!
1) Hernandez can be presumed to be franchised in 2014, so is a non-issue.
2) Welker (2012) is an issue.
3) Vollmer (2012) is an issue.
4) We have Koppen and/or Wendell and McDonald though 2013. We will likely need a center or a guard.
========================================
Quote:
Originally Posted by mayoclinic
The core of the offense is also very close to being locked up for the next 3 years, which would perhaps be unprecedented in the current NFL era:
Skill Players:
QB: Brady is signed through 2015, and Mallett through 2014
RB: Ridley and Vereen are signed through 2014
WR: Lloyd is signed through 2014 and Gaffney through 2013. I suspect that the Pats could easily extend Gaffney another year if they so desired. I also suspect that if the Pats are able to lock up Gronk that it will make it much easier for them to come to terms with Wes Welker on a contract extension. Matt Slater is also signed through 2014, though he's mainly a STer.
TE: Fells is signed through 2014. Gronk and Hernandez are currently signed through 2013, but a Gronk contract extension would not only lock him up long term but also allow the Pats to use the franchise tag on AHern if necessarily, effectively tying him up through at least 2014.
Offensive Line:
OT: Nate Solder is signed through 2014 with an option for 2015. Marcus Cannon is signed through 2014. Sebastian Vollmer is in a contract year, and is one of the main question marks.
OG/C: Logan Mankins is signed through 2016 and Dan Connolly through 2014.
Depth at OL and long term development at WR are question marks, but if Gronk can be extended and Vollmer's long term status addressed the Pats would be in a position to essentially have all of the key players on offense tied up through at least 2014.
Re: Is Josh McDaniels the luckiest man in the NFL?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mgteich
Great post!
1) Hernandez can be presumed to be franchised in 2014, so is a non-issue.
2) Welker (2012) is an issue.
3) Vollmer (2012) is an issue.
4) We have Koppen and/or Wendell and McDonald though 2013. We will likely need a center or a guard.
========================================
I'm hoping that #2 will get addressed now that Gronk is signed. And I suspect that one of McDonald/Wendell will emerge and get extended. We will likely need at least one more interior lineman, but it's a very manageable situation.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. "OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid
"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi
18Likes
Re: Is Josh McDaniels the luckiest man in the NFL?
Linear Mode
