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Re: Breer breaksdown the seymour trade
There is indeed luck in sports. There is also blaming every loss on the refs. Finally, there is taking responsibility for the risks that are taken.
In 2005, Bruschi had a stroke and was out. Arguably the best team in the history of the NFL (the 2003 and 2004 patriots) could not receover. The front office was incapable of securing linebacker help in early free agency or in the draft or in later free agency. Phifer, whose health was questionable and who couldn't pass a physical, shocked the unprepared team by retiring a week before camp. One can say we were unlucky, unprepared, or simply was not up to the job of making adjustments at ONE position over a period from january through August. But, as in 2006 and 2007, we entered the season with a roster issue, a roster risk. And in the end, we were not able to overcome the issue. Perhaps the defense could have been changed to match the 2005 personnel if addiitional personnel couldn't be secured. The answer as you might recall was to start STer Beisel and ancient OLB Chad Brown at ILB.
In 2006, the front office knowingly let Branch leave and did not sign muich to replace him. There were rumors then that we were looking to trade for Gabriel or Moss. The team took the risk at the WR position in order to benefit the long-term needs of the team. We would have been a better team with Branch. Perhaps we would have gone all the way; perhaps not.
In 2007, the front office knowingly did not add additional depth at linebacker. They took a risk. There were injuries at linebacker. Some had the flu. We would have been a better team with more depth at linebacker. And yes, we might still have lost.
The greatness of Belichick in 2001-2004 was that he made the key decisions that worked.
And here we are in 2009. If we don't win the Super Bowl, it will definitely not be said that we did so because we didn't keep Seymour or because we didn't acquire sufficient personnel at ILB. It would never be because we changed our defense all at once and perhaps didn't have quite enough personnel. No, if we don't win, it will because of a ref's call or a lucky catch or by something that happened in the 4th quarter. This is the way it has been since the last SB win. Or we will win, and the FO will have done everything right. Or just perhaps, the very risky decisions will have paid off.
There is indeed luck in sports. There is also blaming every loss on the refs. Finally, there is taking responsibility for the risks that are taken.
In 2005, Bruschi had a stroke and was out. Arguably the best team in the history of the NFL (the 2003 and 2004 patriots) could not receover. The front office was incapable of securing linebacker help in early free agency or in the draft or in later free agency. Phifer, whose health was questionable and who couldn't pass a physical, shocked the unprepared team by retiring a week before camp. One can say we were unlucky, unprepared, or simply was not up to the job of making adjustments at ONE position over a period from january through August. But, as in 2006 and 2007, we entered the season with a roster issue, a roster risk. And in the end, we were not able to overcome the issue. Perhaps the defense could have been changed to match the 2005 personnel if addiitional personnel couldn't be secured. The answer as you might recall was to start STer Beisel and ancient OLB Chad Brown at ILB.
In 2006, the front office knowingly let Branch leave and did not sign muich to replace him. There were rumors then that we were looking to trade for Gabriel or Moss. The team took the risk at the WR position in order to benefit the long-term needs of the team. We would have been a better team with Branch. Perhaps we would have gone all the way; perhaps not.
In 2007, the front office knowingly did not add additional depth at linebacker. They took a risk. There were injuries at linebacker. Some had the flu. We would have been a better team with more depth at linebacker. And yes, we might still have lost.
The greatness of Belichick in 2001-2004 was that he made the key decisions that worked.
And here we are in 2009. If we don't win the Super Bowl, it will definitely not be said that we did so because we didn't keep Seymour or because we didn't acquire sufficient personnel at ILB. It would never be because we changed our defense all at once and perhaps didn't have quite enough personnel. No, if we don't win, it will because of a ref's call or a lucky catch or by something that happened in the 4th quarter. This is the way it has been since the last SB win. Or we will win, and the FO will have done everything right. Or just perhaps, the very risky decisions will have paid off.
If we had won in 06 or 07 we wouldn't be having these conversations right now. The fact of the matter is that there is a lot of luck involved in sports. We were CLEARLY the better team in 07 but things just didn't work out. I just don't think it's fair to single out one thing and say "Ah, if only we had so and so or we didn't trade whom ever". Who is to say that having Branch would have made a difference OVERALL? I'm sure the season would have played out differently. We had a GREAT opportunity to win the SB in 06 and 07 and we blew it. That's life, you can't win them all every year, it's just a darned thing called Luck.