The Final Piece

[mgteich]

TO THE MAN IN THE TIME MACHINE
1) Colvin isn't on the team. He is likely to retire.
2) I am a great fan of Banta-Cain. Perhaps he will compete with Woods to start, but he has NEVER looked good as a starter. I applaud bringing him in. He is a fine backup and a star special teamer. And given the OLB situation, he can compete for reps.
3) Even Thomas may only be at the top for a couple of more years at OLB (see Vrabel).
4) The need at OLB is severe, and the time is now. As much as I want an ILB, I would be fine with us drafting TWO OLB's on Day One and no ILB's. We can certainly succeed in 2009 with Mayo, Bruschi and Guyton.

umm, if AD stays outside, then we have colvin and TBC w/ who knows of the young guys to split time, ill take that over the ILB rotation where we have mayo and a guyton/bruschi part time split....

if OLB is a need, so i ILB

 

[signbabybrady]

OLB is the only one starting spot that really, really needs an upgrade for 2009. The rest of the draft needs are for backups and future starters.

PROPOSAL
Sign Taylor

SOURCE OF FUNDS
1) Extend Faulk (a good idea in any case)/
2) Restructure Brady.
3) Extend Light (a restructure instead could be enough; if he won't extend, move up the draft priority on an OT).

ADDITIONAL OPTION
4) Extend Green, especially if the bonus just paid (?) can be part of the new contract.
=============
BTW, free agency isn't done. Expect some jags for camp competition and perhaps a FB, SS, and/or a QB.

Now your getting in on the fun MG but I fear this goes against your recent trend.......


Taylor should just look at this roster and see an obvious role and see the shear talent on it and realize he can get a ring and cement his career. This makes way too much sense..........Do it...do it.

 

[Miguel]

The Pats could shift >$2 million of Brady's cap hit into the 2010 season at no cost to Brady. Similarly, they could shift >$1.5 million of Matt Light's hit. They would further retain small amounts of leeway to do the same w/ a couple of other contracts if there were a cap-room emergency mid-season.

How can they can do this and be in compliance with the 30% rule??

 

[spacecrime]

Meh.

I've said this before, but I don't really see the point in jettisoning a 34-year-old Vrabel to bring in a 34-year-old Taylor.

FIrst time I ever heard of equating players solely by their age. I guess we should jettison a 31 year old Adalius Thomas in order to bring in a 30-year old Monty Beisle?

Sorry, too funny.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

The Pats could shift >$2 million of Brady's cap hit into the 2010 season at no cost to Brady. Similarly, they could shift >$1.5 million of Matt Light's hit. They would further retain small amounts of leeway to do the same w/ a couple of other contracts if there were a cap-room emergency mid-season.

I'll take your word for it, but it sounds a little fishy. Let's see what Miguel has to say.

 

[Feep50]

to the man in the time machine
1) colvin isn't on the team. He is likely to retire.
2) i am a great fan of banta-cain. Perhaps he will compete with woods to start, but he has never looked good as a starter. I applaud bringing him in. He is a fine backup and a star special teamer. And given the olb situation, he can compete for reps.
3) even thomas may only be at the top for a couple of more years at olb (see vrabel).
4) the need at olb is severe, and the time is now. As much as i want an ilb, i would be fine with us drafting two olb's on day one and no ilb's. We can certainly succeed in 2009 with mayo, bruschi and guyton.

eggs-zackly!!!!

 

[JackBauer]

im saying that i trust a rotation of woods/TBC over that of bruschi/guyton

Well then I guess I wouldn't trust your football talent evaluation

 

[JackBauer]

FIrst time I ever heard of equating players solely by their age. I guess we should jettison a 31 year old Adalius Thomas in order to bring in a 30-year old Monty Beisle?

Sorry, too funny.

If you say so. I'll just assume you're being deliberately obtuse.

Clearly there is an effort to get younger and faster at LB. Bruschi, Seau, and Vrabel were good in their prime, but no longer. Having LBs that can't run has been a liability for a couple of seasons now. I don't see Taylor as the solution to that problem; I'm not adamantly against bringing him in, but like I said I'd rather go the draft route.

 

[signbabybrady]

If you say so. I'll just assume you're being deliberately obtuse.

Clearly there is an effort to get younger and faster at LB. Bruschi, Seau, and Vrabel were good in their prime, but no longer. Having LBs that can't run has been a liability for a couple of seasons now. I don't see Taylor as the solution to that problem; I'm not adamantly against bringing him in, but like I said I'd rather go the draft route.

I find it a little funny that you talk about Seau's prime like he wasnt way past his prime when he got him.

 

[Joker]

I have made an art form out of being deliberately obtuse...FWIW

 

[alvinnf]

OLB is the only one starting spot that really, really needs an upgrade for 2009. The rest of the draft needs are for backups and future starters.

PROPOSAL
Sign Taylor

SOURCE OF FUNDS
1) Extend Faulk (a good idea in any case)/
2) Restructure Brady.
3) Extend Light (a restructure instead could be enough; if he won't extend, move up the draft priority on an OT).

ADDITIONAL OPTION
4) Extend Green, especially if the bonus just paid (?) can be part of the new contract.
=============
BTW, free agency isn't done. Expect some jags for camp competition and perhaps a FB, SS, and/or a QB.

Love all of your thoughts here, roll the dice afterwards on an uncapped year and throw some money at vince.

 

[Grizzafted]

I'm holding on to a shred of hope for Peppers. Call me kooky!

We're not gonna find a starting OLB in the upcoming draft for this year, maybe next year. I'm really curious what Crable will show coming off the shadow roster/injured list.

What crack are you smoking? How can you possibly take even a passing look at this year's draft class and make this silly comment?

EDIT: Ah sorry, you're saying they won't be ready to start this year. You're probably right, although I think that unless we sign Taylor or ship a few picks to Carolina for Peppers (which I can't see happening without a Wilfork extension), if we pick up a Barwin/English/Mathews/Cushing, that person will see the field a lot this year. And RE: the ILB rotation; if BB decides not to move up for Cushing or Mathews, I think it's real possible that we pick Laurinitis or Maulauga if they're still on the board at 23, and then use 34 to grab whichever OLB is left. That would give us speed, youth, and depth throughout the LB corps. That's what I'm hoping to see, anyway.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

I don't care who's currently on the roster. I want some more LB's (or converted DE's) from this draft. There's a bunch of guys I like, and you can never have enough talent at LB in a 3-4 system.

I guess im just not into the idea of Taylor being the starter, but i will trust BB on that one. I'm also not in favor of giving Peppers a ton of money.

draft, draft, draft

 

[DarrylS]

My priorities:

1. Extend Wilfork
2. Extend Seymour

Restructure to get the cap money needed, Brady? Light? Green?

Hear a lot of talk about Guyton and Crable, will have to show me a lot more before I am convinced their roles will have an impact..

Think Peppers and Taylor are longshots to get signed here, the price will probably be too high.. would be nice, but the economy of this team may prohibit it.

The draft will produce a couple of guys who will play situational roles this year, and some of our picks will be parlayed into picks for the next couple of years.. capital..

But then again who would have expected Bodden, Springs and Galloway or Vrabel getting traded.. go figure.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

My priorities:

1. Extend Wilfork
2. Extend Seymour

Restructure to get the cap money needed, Brady? Light? Green?

Hear a lot of talk about Guyton and Crable, will have to show me a lot more before I am convinced their roles will have an impact..

Think Peppers and Taylor are longshots to get signed here, the price will probably be too high.. would be nice, but the economy of this team may prohibit it.

The draft will produce a couple of guys who will play situational roles this year, and some of our picks will be parlayed into picks for the next couple of years.. capital..

But then again who would have expected Bodden, Springs and Galloway or Vrabel getting traded.. go figure.

Don't forget about extending Mankins. Given Neal's fragile state, Mankins leaving would create a huge hole in the OL.

 

[spacecrime]

I don't really see the point in jettisoning a 34-year-old Vrabel to bring in a 34-year-old Taylor.

Are you for real? Age is not the determining factor, it is ability and production.

I'll just assume you're being deliberately obtuse.

I wasn't being obtuse. You were being obfuscatory.

Clearly there is an effort to get younger and faster at LB. Bruschi, Seau, and Vrabel were good in their prime, but no longer. Having LBs that can't run has been a liability for a couple of seasons now. I don't see Taylor as the solution to that problem; I'm not adamantly against bringing him in, but like I said I'd rather go the draft route.

Now, see. This is a lot better than saying we didn't let a 34 yo LB go to sign a 34 yo LB.

You're still wrong as hell to think that 2009 Taylor isn't an upgrade over 2009 Vrabel, but at least for a reason that isn't saying age the main factor in determining a player's value.

 

[DarrylS]

Think Peppers and Taylor are longshots to get signed here, the price will probably be too high.. would be nice, but the economy of this team may prohibit it.
.

Wrong again.. like to be wrong..

 

[JackBauer]

Are you for real? Age is not the determining factor, it is ability and production.

If you can't see how ability is intrinsically related to age (and hence the catalyst for the youth movement in the LB corps), then I can't help you. Even if you want to take that approach, there's really not a great difference to warrant the move.

I wasn't being obtuse. You were being obfuscatory.

Huh?

I wasn't trying to hide anything, nor was what I wrote all that confusing.

You're still wrong as hell to think that 2009 Taylor isn't an upgrade over 2009 Vrabel, but at least for a reason that isn't saying age the main factor in determining a player's value.

My point is that the difference isn't as great as you'd make it out to be.