rsd

I think you saw the weakness of the Jets roster and their player acquisition strategy: It's very top heavy without much depth.

It looks great (as has been touted on this board for the last few weeks) when you are one of the least injured teams. But lose a couple of players, and you quickly feel the effects. I don't have the link off hand, but someone posted that the Jets were one of the teams with the least number of games lost by starters.

Not to say the Jets don't have talented players (Revis is the best defensive player I've seen in a long time), nor to say the Patriots haven't made mistakes in player acquisition (Adalius, Chad Jackson, not keeping some guys).

But I thought yesterday's game was very revealing and it showed why the Patriots tend to favor a deep roster instead of having a few elite players at the expense of the middle class.

Injuries are inevitable, and they caught up with the Jets yesterday. Thoughts?

SanAngeloState

I'm all for having a deep roster. The problem is it's deep top to bottom in mediocrity, for the most part. Especially at center and OLB (there it's just poor actually). MLB with Mayo's busted knee is pretty bad too. Why did they rush that guy back again? How dumb was that?

Only place where teh Pats are top heavy with talent is WR. That BLEW UP in their faces this year.

rsd

Sure not every position had great depth. However look at the positions that are probably hardest to replace - the OL/DL and the Patriots have very good depth on both sides there. We had several injuries there and were able to sub in guys with a fair amount of success. Who replaced Kris Jenkins and how'd he do?

SanAngeloState

Sione Pouha, not sure how he did, OK I think.

Our backups at guard are kind of weak. If we had a backup at center, I think we'd use him b/c Koppen is pretty weak. I think teh Pats know this.

We have big problems at linebacker. I'd love to see Mayo in a 4-3, think he could be great.

How about a big 4-3 where instead of DEs as passrushers we have 2 DTs penetrating, 2 DE setting the edge, playing 2 gap and OLB used to blitz from various locations but mostly either covering or blitzing and not having the responsibility to "set the edge". PRoblem is when we need people to do that...apparently there aren't any.

D-Money

Rex Ryan will start drafting guys that fit his system and scheme.I wish he was our DC

ctpatsfan77

Not at the rate Mike Tanenbaum is burning through draft picks; they have 29 and 61, and then their next pick is below 150.

Plus, unless there's a new CBA, they have to lose FAs in order to sign them.

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"Momentum was quickly snatched away by New England, who once again proved that any Patriot, at any moment, can make a play." —Inside the NFL, Packers v. Patriots

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pabst37

I would agree - although there top end talent is talented. If I'm not mistaken they only drafted 3 players last year, but again Sanchez and Green appear as though they are hits, but they will be missing more picks this year from the Edwards trade - eventually that will catch up to them, but if they keep hitting on the picks they do make it won't catch up as soon as I'd like.

ctpatsfan77

Imagine how much they wish they could have that Gholston pick back. . . .

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"Momentum was quickly snatched away by New England, who once again proved that any Patriot, at any moment, can make a play." —Inside the NFL, Packers v. Patriots

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Gunnails

================================================

Well the Jets did lose two prow bowlers for the year and still managed to make the playoffs.

All teams have depth issues. I don't think your hypothesis holds, Welker?

rsd

Jets had one of the lowest number of games lost by starters in the league.

Obviously injuries happen and not every position will have a great backup.
No one in the league has a backup for a guy who has had 346 receptions and 3688 yards in three consecutive seasons. Also the timing was poor, as if it happened earlier in the season maybe they could've done better at incorporating other guys (Edelman, Faulk, etc) to help compensate for the loss of Welker.

My general point is that I think people on this forum have gone way overboard in wanting to emulate the Jets strategy of trading away picks and signing high priced free agents. It's not to say it's always a bad strategy (See Revis, Pace), but like everything there is a Risk/Reward (See Gholston, maybe Sanchez).