Your argument is terrible. Everybody in defense of BB says the same thing. First, he coached the Giants. I'm not talking about the Giants, I'm talking about the Patriots. Also, was BB in charge of drafting guys like Harry Carson, Carl Banks and Lawrence Taylor? If he wasn't, it makes your argument even worse. Second, "But he's won 3 super bowls with older unheralded LB's". Thanks for the great insight.
Since 2005, their LB's have been regressing and BB has drafted 2 LB's in the first 3 rounds since. Mayo is a good start but Crable is a question mark. Even any moron on the street can tell you that the LB's are what makes the 3-4 go. For a team that has had the least amount of holes on their roster since 2004, it should've have been a cake walk to replace their LB's.
Belichick had to spend the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 offseasons rebuilding the Offense, if you hadn't noticed, Bro. Belichick has had to rebuild every squad on the Patriots since he arrived in 2000. His initial construction of the LB corps in 200-2001, has had augmentation until 2007-2008 offseason.
I fully believe that the LB corps is pretty good, even is some youngsters haven't made their marks fully. Mayo, Woods, Crabel, Guyton, and even Redd, all have ideal size, and either truly rare, (all but...), or only good (Woods), speed & size. All save Redd, have shown flashes of talent. I didn't even include the high draft pick, smart & talented, Tyrone McKenzie among the newcomers, but he is out for the year, just like a vet from mid-decade. He would be the sixth youngster to go with three vet starters, Adalius, Paris and Tedy.
Just how many youngsters can you groom simultaneously? The Pats F. O. had lots of opportunities to draft more LBs than the single high pick, they used this draft. Many have said they appear non-chalant; and they did freely trade Mike Vrabel. Everyone has speculated that they have seen lots in practice that we haven't seen yet, and I agree.
Despite your memories of the mid-decade Patriots LB corps, it seldom consisted of more than 5 available good players for four positions. By today's standard that is extraordinarily thin. On paper they had six, but every year one guy was out for the year, TJ bicep, then Tedy stroke, then Rosey hip.
Further proof that they are putting finishing touches on the LB corps rebuilding, is that Belichick is already starting to address the next rebuilding job, the Offensive line.
It is fine now, and will be so for a few more years. But he is already starting to obtain a next generation of Linemen to groom for that day, a few seasons from now. Volmer, Ohrnberger and Bussey, as well as freeing Nick Kaczur to move inside, are the beginning foundation of the next generation O-line...