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[DocE]

This Summer during training camp we heard over and over again about how hard the Patriots were going in training camp. The team was in pads far more often than many teams and some of the players commented about how difficult the work was. At/near the end of training camp, Coach Belichick trades a key contributor in Richard Seymour for a 2011 first round pick. After all the work done in camp, the players are greeted with the news that one of their better players was traded for a draft pick that many of the current members of the locker room will never play with. Couple this decision with the decision to "retire" Tedy Bruschi and the decision(s) to not extend guys like Wilfork and Mankins, and I wonder if the team was a little pissed at management (ie Coach Belichick) this year?

Football is a business, and I can't help but wonder if the Patriots rather cold way of dealing with the financial side of the game might be starting to have ramifications within the lockerroom. I even wonder if their was some anger/jealousy/whatever when the Patriots extended guys like Connolly, Ninkovich, and Eric Alexander during the season. I could see some members of the lockerroom wondering why these guys were being extended and bigger contributors were not.

I am not saying that anyone laid down because of the above situations, just that the locker room chemistry/relationships with coaches might not have been as strong as they have been in the past.

 

[pats1]

They hate their coach.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Fool. It's the GM they hate!

 

[Mack Herron]

Simpler than that. The players cannot execute what the coaches are asking them to do.

 

[ClevTrev]

Tom Jackson interviews for the Pats LB coaching job.

 

[DocE]

Tom Jackson interviews for the Pats LB coaching job.

Now that was funny. It takes a lot to get me to smile on day like today, but that did it. Nicely done.

I am sure Marshall Faulk is looking in to the RB coach position as well.

 

[JoePats]

Tom Jackson interviews for the Pats LB coaching job.

Charlie Casserly...scouting director?

 

[RhodyPatriot]

It's really not that complicated. This offense, the supposed strength of the team. never got into rhythm all season long and this QB is a different player than we've seen. Tom Brady was so UN-Brady like this season with his poor decision making, his inability to get a key 1st downs to salt games away etc.
I'm chalking up Brady's struggles to missing an entire season and the psychology of getting over a major knee injury.
Again today the defense was repeatedly put in terrible situations by the offense. That happened all season long.

 

[TheComeback]

They hate their coach.

Anything else you want to divine for us from your crystal ball today?

 

[farn]

2009 was a weird season. I think the "dynasty" era tumbled wit the Tyree catch. Here is my hope : theyounger players develop and progress and they get a SB à la Elway where the veteran QB does histhing with a very good supporting cast.

I don't think dumping the vets was a bad msg... they wouldn't have won this game. And even if they had, they'd have fallen next week. It was time to move on... just we didn't anticipate the level of the hiccup.

 

[pats1]

Anything else you want to divine for us from your crystal ball today?

Wow, that one went over your head.

 

[Brarrell]

It's really not that complicated. This offense, the supposed strength of the team. never got into rhythm all season long and this QB is a different player than we've seen. Tom Brady was so UN-Brady like this season with his poor decision making, his inability to get a key 1st downs to salt games away etc.
I'm chalking up Brady's struggles to missing an entire season and the psychology of getting over a major knee injury.
Again today the defense was repeatedly put in terrible situations by the offense. That happened all season long.

Your right but what was his options compared to 2007 when Gaffney was his 4th reciever. It's time to blame the real culprits here the Kraft's. 2nd most expensive ticket in the NFL, parking at $40-50 per car and they won't even sign their own players who they know can play and win in their system. They love BB's system because it's predicated on letting damn good players go and replacing them with cheaper versions ie draft picks. Problem is you have to be pretty damn good at drafting to pull this off year after year.

 

[QuinielaBox]

The only message sent today, is that the 2009 Patriots were simply not that good to begin with. They need help on the OL, DL, LB, Secondary, Running Back and perhaps QB.

They need at coaching and the GM level, too.

This team will be lucky not to finish in last place next year and we may have seen our last playoff game for a while.

Welcome to the 2010s and back to bad football.

 

[DocE]

2009 was a weird season. I think the "dynasty" era tumbled wit the Tyree catch. Here is my hope : theyounger players develop and progress and they get a SB à la Elway where the veteran QB does histhing with a very good supporting cast.

I don't think dumping the vets was a bad msg... they wouldn't have won this game. And even if they had, they'd have fallen next week. It was time to move on... just we didn't anticipate the level of the hiccup.

My theory was more that certain decisions made to trade/release/retire veteran players and not re-sign/extend key players may have made for an unhappy and/or fractured lockerroom. I know I would be pissed if I was a veteran player and just before training camp ended (a training camp where I had to bust my butt) a fellow veteran player with an impressive track record was traded for a future draft pick. Younger players may look at a guy like Vince busting his butt for years and wonder what they have to do to earn a contract extension from their current employer. As a fan, it's easy to see the long term value in the Seymour trade or being financially cautious with contracts with pending labor uncertainy. For guys in the lockerroom, taking that type of view could be far more difficult.

 

[DaBruinz]

Your right but what was his options compared to 2007 when Gaffney was his 4th reciever. It's time to blame the real culprits here the Kraft's. 2nd most expensive ticket in the NFL, parking at $40-50 per car and they won't even sign their own players who they know can play and win in their system. They love BB's system because it's predicated on letting damn good players go and replacing them with cheaper versions ie draft picks. Problem is you have to be pretty damn good at drafting to pull this off year after year.

Brarrell - Do you know how foolish you sound by saying that the system is "predicated on letting damn good players go and replacing them with cheaper versions"? That is what ALL sports leagues do. ALL of them. But you also sound foolish because:

1) Brady, Seymour, Light, Koppen, Neal, Green, Faulk, Bruschi, Johnson, Law, Warren, Vrabel, etc have ALL received at least ONE contract extensions under Belichick. For you to say that the Pats never sign their own players is you ignoring reality.

2) Graham, Samuel, Branch, and Givens are the only ones the Pats "let go" who were "damn good players". However, Branch hasn't done squat up in Seattle. And Givens, unfortunately, got injured his 1st season away and never truly recovered. Graham hasn't been the offensive factor he had hoped he'd become in Denver. As for Samuel, he's hitting the links just like the Pats.

3) The Krafts have NOTHING to do with the day to day football operations, including the contract signings. That was something they agreed to with BB when he took over. So, for you to blame them is pretty silly.

 

[DaBruinz]

The only message sent today, is that the 2009 Patriots were simply not that good to begin with. They need help on the OL, DL, LB, Secondary, Running Back and perhaps QB.

They need at coaching and the GM level, too.

This team will be lucky not to finish in last place next year and we may have seen our last playoff game for a while.

Welcome to the 2010s and back to bad football.

OK Chicken Little.

Sorry, Q-Box, but do you ever post anything without exaggerating to to umpteenth degree??

1) Pats need help at G and Center.
2) Pats need one DE who is better than Green.
3) Pats need two LBers. One of which could be McKenzie depending on how he is when he hits the field next year.
4) The secondary is find if the DE and LB situations can be straightened out.
5) The Pats do NOT need a RB. The ones they have are fine. It's the O-line that needs to be shored up.


As for needing help at the coaching and GM levels. Yeah.. They need someone at OC in whom Brady can trust and who can reel Brady in when he's getting flustered. McDaniels could do that. Weis as well. O'Brien can't yet because this is his 1st year as a QB coach. He was just the WR coach the year prior.

Sorry, but I don't see the Pats regressing to LAST PLACE. Not with how bad Buffalo is and with Miami having a ton of UFAs. Not after winning 10 games with what they had this year.

 

[JMarr]

This Summer during training camp we heard over and over again about how hard the Patriots were going in training camp. The team was in pads far more often than many teams and some of the players commented about how difficult the work was. At/near the end of training camp, Coach Belichick trades a key contributor in Richard Seymour for a 2011 first round pick. After all the work done in camp, the players are greeted with the news that one of their better players was traded for a draft pick that many of the current members of the locker room will never play with. Couple this decision with the decision to "retire" Tedy Bruschi and the decision(s) to not extend guys like Wilfork and Mankins, and I wonder if the team was a little pissed at management (ie Coach Belichick) this year?

Football is a business, and I can't help but wonder if the Patriots rather cold way of dealing with the financial side of the game might be starting to have ramifications within the lockerroom. I even wonder if their was some anger/jealousy/whatever when the Patriots extended guys like Connolly, Ninkovich, and Eric Alexander during the season. I could see some members of the lockerroom wondering why these guys were being extended and bigger contributors were not.

I am not saying that anyone laid down because of the above situations, just that the locker room chemistry/relationships with coaches might not have been as strong as they have been in the past.

Very good post and definitely an angle that is worth looking at (even if it won't do a damn bit of good b/c we don't know what really goes on behind the scenes and BB is so tight-lipped about everything.)

Still, I think there has to be some truth to what you are saying. We're really kidding ourselves if we think that the only players on the roster capable of assuming leadership roles are TB, Faulk, and Seau. Other guys could have easily stepped up into leadership roles [especially on D] but, for whatever reason, chose not to. I would really like to know the reasons why they didn't.

 

[Garbanza]

2009 was a weird season. I think the "dynasty" era tumbled wit the Tyree catch. Here is my hope : theyounger players develop and progress and they get a SB à la Elway where the veteran QB does histhing with a very good supporting cast.

I don't think dumping the vets was a bad msg... they wouldn't have won this game. And even if they had, they'd have fallen next week. It was time to move on... just we didn't anticipate the level of the hiccup.

The team is in transition and they did not transition as well as all expected. That's about it, folks....oh, and drafting has been abysmal the past few years.