Originally Posted by Deus Irae

It was a mistake, just as the Merriweather cut was a mistake. They weren't necessarily mistakes based upon the players themselves. They were mistakes because of what was replacing them.

Originally Posted by goheels22002

I agree that Merriweather was one of the more talented and physical DBs on the Patriots when he was let go two years ago But Merriweather was released for a host of reasons: his on-field lack of discipline and unnecessary penalties, his purple Camaro, and his off-field behavior with guns and booze and unsavory characters.

All of the shenanigans continued in Chicago, and he couldn't handle being criticized by Lovey Smith. Hi brief tenure in DC hasn't been any better. The guy was a headache and wasn't worth the distractions he created.

Originally Posted by MoLewisrocks

Sanders couldn't be that QB in the backfield because he couldn't play the position well enough to remain on the field. Sanders was one of those high floor low ceiling players whose range between his floor and ceiling kept shrinking once he was extended. He reportedly came in to camp after the lockout out of condition and he had begun to have some attitude issues with the difference in perception the team was developing about his performance having peaked or regressed. That made him something Bill won't even tolerate in a much more talented player or one with remaining upside, a potential negative leader.

Meriweather was just an uncoachable idiot. Maybe because he saw or was told how the writing on the wall reads here. He determined he would take his own approach to playing the position and trust his own instincts as opposed to doing what the coaches dictate. That will never fly here. Even Ty Law had to change his approach or preference to playing his position and play it Bill's way. And Ty was an elite talent. He had to do what Bill determined was in the best interest of the unit overall schematically and go from there. It worked (he still got to make his plays) so he was OK with it.

You don't stick with something you know isn't working at the expense of seeking out potential better alternatives in the Not For Long league where if you aren't getting better you're getting worse. Hasn't worked out better in hindsight, but the alternative was no more viable long term. As Bill says, you never know what you have until you see it perform in your system. After 3-4 seasons, Sanders and Meriweather weren't cutting it for multiple reasons, and unless you have the stones to move on you will never get it where it needs to be. It's the same risk reward calculation coaches find themselves facing annually which is why most teams turn nearly their entire roster over every 4-5 seasons.

Originally Posted by Jimke

I agree with Tom Curran. Patricia and Belichick respond to questions about
the Patriots' leaky pass defense using doubletalk.

All you have to do is watch a game from the stands to see wide receivers open everywhere.

Originally Posted by Jimke

I agree with Tom Curran. Patricia and Belichick respond to questions about
the Patriots' leaky pass defense using doubletalk.

All you have to do is watch a game from the stands to see wide receivers open everywhere.

Originally Posted by Deus Irae

You don't cut Sanders and Meriweather and replace them with the likes of Brown and Ihedigbo. Belichick completely screwed the pooch with that defensive backfield last year. And, yes, sometimes you do stick with something that isn't working at the expense of seeking out potential better alternatives. Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don't.

Originally Posted by Deus Irae

You don't cut Sanders and Meriweather and replace them with the likes of Brown and Ihedigbo. Belichick completely screwed the pooch with that defensive backfield last year. And, yes, sometimes you do stick with something that isn't working at the expense of seeking out potential better alternatives. Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don't.

Originally Posted by MoLewisrocks

I know, we might have gotten to a superbowl had we not moved on to those lesser talents... Sometimes it's a coin flip, but having flipped it at least then you know.

Originally Posted by NYCPatsFan

I don't deny that BB did a lacklustre job in the D but puzzled at the way you frame things with none of us knowing what happens in the practices/meetings/team strategy.

Originally Posted by NYCPatsFan

What if at that time BB saw something relatively better in Brown and Ihedigbo and decided to take a chance? If the devil you know isn't working and the other devils show more promise, why not roll the dice? After all, BB did give a sixth routh back-up QB some chances a decade back, right?

Originally Posted by NYCPatsFan

And do you really think that BB or any coach for the matter have the luxury of waiting around for potential better alternatives? Maybe there are other coaches who might sink a season sticking to players who don't want to change but BB doesn't seem one of them.

Originally Posted by Deus Irae

I don't know what's puzzling you here. Just to use an example, and I'm not saying these are accurate numbers, but I'm using high ones to avoid getting sidetracked: when you replace a 100 with a 95, you have downgraded. In the case at hand, anyone arguing Sergio Brown was an upgrade over Meriweather or Sanders should immediately check themselves in for an MRI, because there's something wrong with them.



He screwed up. Seeing something is one thing. Seeing something that's not there is another.



Of course they wait around. It happens all the time, on every team, in every sport. We see it on this team every year. You don't see them cutting every non-All Pro, do you?