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You posted quite a bit that should be looked at by people, but I wanted to focus on the above portion, because it's really the key, in my mind.
Some of the problem was cap, but I certainly don't think it was all, or even much, of it. Most of the players were kept on through their prime, after all. The only major losses have been Law, Samuel and Seymour (That's assuming his trade was about money). I'd put Washington there as well, but that wasn't as much a case of the Patriots not having the money as it was of the Patriots screwing around and trying to low ball a player.
Bruschi - stayed
Johnson - retired
McGinest - was shot when he left
Vrabel - was shipped out past his prime
Cox, Pfifer, Pleasant, Hamilton, Smith, Compton - Contributors, but older and not expected to last
I think it's mostly been a tale of two problems, one with a subset: Lesser quality players via the draft, and poor free agency due to both big misses and bad luck.
Free Agency:
In the beginning, it was the notion of signing 50 guys to find 3. As time went on, and more teams became adept at locking up the players who had some value, this approach became less and less successful, which led to the need to sign higher priced players like Colvin and Thomas. The problems there are epitomized by those two players. Colvin was hurt just about as he was unpacking his clothes, and Thomas was both injured and, apparently, a poor match for the team.
Taking a good look at the Free agent signings from 2005, 2008 and 2009 really says a lot about why the team has declined, I think.
Draft: I've talked about this before, but just to recap:
2000-2005
Pro Bowl/All Pro talent:
Seymour
Brady
Wilfork
Light
Samuel
Koppen
Mankins
Plus "a step down"/complimentary guys like Branch, Warren Wilson, Watson, Hobbs, Kaczur, Cassel, Sanders and Graham.
2006-2009
Pro Bowl/All Pro talent:
Meriweather (as an alternate)
Yes, Mayo showed promise last year, and there are some "a step down"/complimentary guys on could put on the list, but it's nothing like it was prior to 2006.
I dont think the point was necessarily whether they were washed up when they left.
I'm comparing what we had in say 03-04 and the value of that roster compared to what it would cost, starting from scratch. Its not just marquee players either. From those teams we lost players such as Branch and Givens, Graham, Andruzzi, a slew of starter/backup OL that filled in effectively in SB seasons, along with 13 players you listed above, and others that were lesser pieces.
My point is not about the CHOICE to keep them or not. Its about the potential to mainitain OR replace those pieces.
For example, if we had Mike Smith playing for 1.5 mill a year, but playing at a pro-bowl level, as a microcosm of the entire roster (ie we have many players out playing their cost) the issue I am addressing is not whether or not to resign them or let them go, or whether their play will continue, but for the overall quality of the TEAM to continue.
If many players on your team are playing under a contract that is much less than what they would receive on the open market you simply cannot maintain the quality of your roster. If you retain them you must pay them more, and cut elsewhere, if you let them go, you have a salary slot to replace them with that will not bring the same quality.
Thats the point I am trying to make with hypothetical numbers.
If the 03-04 Pats had a team that was fitting under a 75mill cap, but the cumulative value of those players on the open market was 150 mill you will not be able to keep them all, and when you don't you will not have sufficient money to replace them with equal quality.
Basically, the overall cap cost of the entire NFL is equal to what those players would earn on the open market. Some teams have more value than cost, others have more cost than value. The first will decline almost by definition as those contract expire, the second will improve (ie get rid of a bad player making 6mill and replace him with a good one, or more).
I would submit that the 03-04 Pats had more excess in this area, that is, the open market value of its roster exceeded it cap charges by more than any team in the cap era.
The team was doomed at that point to having the deck stacked against them in maintaining the quality of its roster.