Curran:Answers elusive for Patriots defense - Page 4 - New England Patriots Forums

TheComeback · 10-25-2012, 03:43 PM

Quote:

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.

Cutting Meriweather wasn't a mistake. The guy sucked and he had major attitude problems. This team is better off without him. He got benched in favor of a 3rd round rookie for the Bears, and he can't stay on the field for the Redskins. Our pass defense sucked with him and it sucks without him. I don't see any loss there.

***Deus Irae*** · 10-25-2012, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYCPatsFan

Am I right that you have no inside knowledge of the Pats and what you opine is based on what public information?

If yes, what's puzzling me is this: neither you nor I or I guess any of the fans on our site have inside track as to what is going on in the practices, how the coaches view the players and where they fit in the schemes; and yet you make a statement that you don't cut XYZ and replace them with ABC. (note that I am not disagreeing that BB did a less than steller job on the D side for the last few years.)

Practices during training camp are open to the public, there are media reports, and the exhibition games are televised. I do occasionally get other information, but it's only occasionally.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYCPatsFan

To borrow your example: you as a fan assign a value of 100 and 95 and so says ergo, 95 < 100 and so it is wrong to substitute. I am pointing out that BB and the coaches probably have a different scale/valuation that could have assigned different ranks in various categories that might have led them to choose one over the other.

So, don't know how you think I shouldn't be puzzled.

BB and the coaches were wrong. And it was an easy call that didn't need hindsight to demonstrate the error. They may have seen it differently, but that doesn't magically make them correct, as we've seen time and again. That's why I think you shouldn't be puzzled.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYCPatsFan

Third one - I don't deny that all coaches will be on the lookout for the persons who can contribute more to a team and have to wait if need be with what they currently have. But to extend that argument and claim that poorly performing players (again by the coaches scale/ranking, not the rank you or I give them) should not be cut is a poor one. Let me know if I misunderstood your stance.

Thanks!

Unless your player has put you in an untenable position or is an absolute bottom of the roster kind of player, you don't cut players without having adequate replacements, or at least a good likelihood of getting those adequate replacements. It's bad in sports, just as it's bad in business, to fire someone if you're not going to be able to replace him/her adequately. It's one thing to cut a player during free agency, when you'll have a lot of players to choose from in order to replace him (even then the success rate is spotty). It's another to do it during/after training camp, where the options are more limited.

TheBostonStraggler · 10-25-2012, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheComeback

Cutting Meriweather wasn't a mistake. The guy sucked and he had major attitude problems. This team is better off without him. He got benched in favor of a 3rd round rookie for the Bears, and he can't stay on the field for the Redskins. Our pass defense sucked with him and it sucks without him. I don't see any loss there.

I completely agree. The proof with BM is evident in his post Patriot career. Further, the Patriot way is to rid themselves of problem players like BM. Personally I am in favor of this policy and going with the guy who buys into the Patriot way even if there is a talent drop off. However, it is fair to say that BB and staff fell down on having Plan B in place for BM. Glaringly so with Sanders.

Of course even with that rag tag DB bunch, we made it to the SB. BB gets a lot of slack (deservedly so) for some questionable personnel decisions because of his ability to get wins with non nondescript players.