How d'you like the 2006 Offseason Now?

[rookBoston]

[1] Personally, I've always felt the move to let Adam walk was a stroke of genius that will only be fully appreciated next year when (1) the Colts, under the weight of their cap situation, begin to implode their team and (2) Gost shifts into his new life as a blooded NFL sophomore. (Note: People will appreciate the genius faster if Adam's back starts acting up again...)

[2] Watching Gaffney catch balls, getting in and out of his cuts, makes me wonder how much of Deon Branch's SB MVP was him and how much was his quarterback. Now, I do not doubt that Branch is an excellent player, but the distance between Branch (traded for a first round pick) and Gaffney (signed off the street, desperate for a job) is very, very small. Buy low, sell high

[3] The compensatory picks for Adam, Givens, Chatham and Ashworth seemed like small compensation (esp since most of them'll probably be Day Two picks) this past Summer. Now that we've proved that the team can win in the postseason without those guys, it feels like a draft windfall.

[4] Caldwell has slowly filled a leadership role on this team which is entirely underappreciated. Honestly, when I compare Caldwell and Givens, I wonder if we haven't upgraded the position.

[5] Junior Seau was such a great signing-- I wish he hadn't gotten hurt. The team was much much better with him in the lineup. Did anyone else notice that San Diego attacked the Tully Banta-Cain side of the field with the running attack, and basically ran right around TBC each time. Even with Seymour at his side, I think TBC is completely outclassed in the running game. We need a solution that puts Vrable back at the spot. Paul Posluszny might be a solution, plus hopefully we can get one more year out of Seau.

 

[Mxyzptlk]

I think it's good that the rook is making playoff kicks, which makes the Adam walk easier, but I'm not going to just brush aside how far under the cap we are. Did we even extend anybody with that money?

Yeah, we're winning, but it seems like with a little more help on both sides of the ball, it could be more like the 2004 dominance. The offense has looked pretty bad in quite a few games this season, and the run D isn't where it used to be, especially without Rodney.

There's still enough talent and football smarts to win big games, but wouldn't more help on both sides of the ball be a good idea, assuming we don't mortgage the future to do it?

My vote: Spend the max every season that the Brady/Belichick (and to a lesser degree, Seymour/Wilfork) era is intact. Go for the 'best team ever' goal.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I think it's good that the rook is making playoff kicks, which makes the Adam walk easier, but I'm not going to just brush aside how far under the cap we are. Did we even extend anybody with that money?

Yeah, we're winning, but it seems like with a little more help on both sides of the ball, it could be more like the 2004 dominance. The offense has looked pretty bad in quite a few games this season, and the run D isn't where it used to be, especially without Rodney.

There's still enough talent and football smarts to win big games, but wouldn't more help on both sides of the ball be a good idea, assuming we don't mortgage the future to do it?

My vote: Spend the max every season that the Brady/Belichick (and to a lesser degree, Seymour/Wilfork) era is intact. Go for the 'best team ever' goal.

You're a bit behind the times. Evidently, the Pats are looking at some kind of league penalty for spending over the cap this year. So cobbling together the team we have now, without Vinatieri (assuming he could be had by NE for any price,) seems to have been the right decision.

I've supported this one all along. Best clutch kicker in the history etc. etc. etc. aside, he's a kicker. And a good kicker makes most kicks a great kicker makes... and something tells me Gost might just be another great kicker. By the way -- how many TDs does SD score if you add another 10 yards to their opening field position, as you would if AV were still here?

If anything, this weekend has shown me that you can do it the expensive way (AV's heroics for the Colts,) or the reasonable way (Gost's heroics - including a 50 yarder - for the Pats.) Not to mention the bargain pickups like Caldwell and Gaffney (I was actually shouting at SD fans yesterday, "You have no answer for Jabar Gaffney!!!)

Long live Gost, and long live the value approach to the Cap!

Everybody's got some spare cash next year... here's hoping we get the most for our money again.

PFnV

 

[Jimke]

I admit that I was one of the naysayers. Boy was I full of it. Reche

Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney don't look too bad to me this morning. It

appears that as long as we have Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and Scott

Pioli we will be competitive no matter who we have for a supporting cast.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

I still feel we need youth at LB and some WR help.. But losing David Givens is a afterthought now, because both Reche Cawldwell and Jabar Gaffney have come through when needed.. Gaffney another full offseason will be a nice addition next yr...

 

[Patfandango]

Nice post. I think we've replaced Branch (#1) and Givens (#2) with two #s 1.5 receivers. Gaffney and Caldwell both exceeded Branch (4 for 40 something yds, no TDs) in this weeekend's playoffs by the way. I also think it was interesting that BB went to the spread offense pasing game so quickly and implies a great trust in his wide receivers.

Tully looked bad yesterday on run defense but LT will do that to even good players. In trying to set the edge, I saw LT cut back a coup,e of times and basically take Tully out of the play. He'll look better next year but in the meantime, we need to scheme to give him support. I'm not sure if Addai has LT's vision or cut back.

I feel good about Gost but I'm not sure if the Chargers' field position could have ben much better yesterday even with Adam's shorter kickoffs. I liked Gost's 51 yarder with distance to spare and REALLY liked how calm he was in the game winner.

 

[Pats726]

My vote: Spend the max every season that the Brady/Belichick (and to a lesser degree, Seymour/Wilfork) era is intact. Go for the 'best team ever' goal.

SO just spend for the sake of spending??? That makes a LOT of sense.. LOL

 

[brady et al fan]

SO just spend for the sake of spending??? That makes a LOT of sense.. LOL

He didn't say that. The Pats sat on too much cap space and could have spent it extending Asante for one. Maybe could've thrown a little to Willie Mac for a last fling.

Whatever. The Seau and Caldwell signings definately look better to me than they did at first. And Gaffney is a pleasant surprise as well.

But come one. This was not like the offseason when we picked up Colvin and Harrison. Or Dillon for that matter. It was a very conservative offseason and I would have been happier if we had more depth and future and LB and CB and spending a bit would have helped.

 

[Mxyzptlk]

If that's true, and I would love a link to it, then I have zero to whine about. And honestly, I feel a bit lame about being negative at ALL (especially when we win games like SD). And Caldwell and Gaffney have come through nice so far in the postseason. So a link to this relevation changes my mind.

I don't want to spend the max just for the hell of it, but I watch teams that don't have NEARLY the pieces in place that this squad does, spend like crazy to no avail. It's futile for a lot of them because they have nothing close to a great system that can be run by a great QB.

We really don't want to spend money to extend key players like Samuel? Or shore up the less deep parts of the roster? I don't get it. I like the value approach to the cap, but I want to make the most of every season with the current roster/coach/GM.

You're a bit behind the times. Evidently, the Pats are looking at some kind of league penalty for spending over the cap this year. So cobbling together the team we have now, without Vinatieri (assuming he could be had by NE for any price,) seems to have been the right decision.

I've supported this one all along. Best clutch kicker in the history etc. etc. etc. aside, he's a kicker. And a good kicker makes most kicks a great kicker makes... and something tells me Gost might just be another great kicker. By the way -- how many TDs does SD score if you add another 10 yards to their opening field position, as you would if AV were still here?

If anything, this weekend has shown me that you can do it the expensive way (AV's heroics for the Colts,) or the reasonable way (Gost's heroics - including a 50 yarder - for the Pats.) Not to mention the bargain pickups like Caldwell and Gaffney (I was actually shouting at SD fans yesterday, "You have no answer for Jabar Gaffney!!!)

Long live Gost, and long live the value approach to the Cap!

Everybody's got some spare cash next year... here's hoping we get the most for our money again.

PFnV

 

[Kdo5]

Every move was fine, all the pundits and bandwagon fans predicted the end of the dynasty. However lets not say the AV move was genius until we beat them next week because what happens if he boots a game winning field goal against us or gets 5 FG's or something.

 

[Bella*chick]

Every move was fine, all the pundits and bandwagon fans predicted the end of the dynasty. However lets not say the AV move was genius until we beat them next week because what happens if he boots a game winning field goal against us or gets 5 FG's or something.

It will be ugly but we will still have made it very deep into the playoffs in a year where we were supposed to be succumbing to "franchise rot".

The Colts throw around money every damn year to get where we have been numerous times and it is a total embarrassment that they have not yet gotten it done.

 

[RayClay]

I still feel we need youth at LB and some WR help.. But losing David Givens is a afterthought now, because both Reche Cawldwell and Jabar Gaffney have come through when needed.. Gaffney another full offseason will be a nice addition next yr...

Because of the moves the first poster mentioned, we have the picks and cap room now and in the future.

I wouldn't worry about high picks for receiver, myself. We've got one with a year's system learning on the team.

LBs safeties and corners for me.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Branch was blanketed in the Hawks game, I mean the CB was on him like stink on poop. He didn't get remotely open. It was almost like seeing a different player out there: A BUST!!!!!!!!!!

 

[PatsFanInVa]

If that's true, and I would love a link to it, then I have zero to whine about. And honestly, I feel a bit lame about being negative at ALL (especially when we win games like SD). And Caldwell and Gaffney have come through nice so far in the postseason. So a link to this relevation changes my mind.

I don't want to spend the max just for the hell of it, but I watch teams that don't have NEARLY the pieces in place that this squad does, spend like crazy to no avail. It's futile for a lot of them because they have nothing close to a great system that can be run by a great QB.

We really don't want to spend money to extend key players like Samuel? Or shore up the less deep parts of the roster? I don't get it. I like the value approach to the cap, but I want to make the most of every season with the current roster/coach/GM.

Okay, for my part, I have taken Reiss's research as gospel. The true statement is not that the Pats will be penalized, but that Reiss believes this to be the case, based on his research. Here's a link to the thread, with the Reiss quote in the opening post:

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/showthread.php?t=47836

Either way, it's not like the Pats are pulling some sort of 40 mil under routine... they usually do spend to the cap, just on "middle class" players. But sometimes, stacked up against talent like Indy and SD (and there's no denying the pure talent levels there,) one does get downright jealous (even while whuppin' their butts, to use the Chargerism.)'

PFnV

 

[Mxyzptlk]

Okay, for my part, I have taken Reiss's research as gospel. The true statement is not that the Pats will be penalized, but that Reiss believes this to be the case, based on his research. Here's a link to the thread, with the Reiss quote in the opening post:

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/showthread.php?t=47836

Either way, it's not like the Pats are pulling some sort of 40 mil under routine... they usually do spend to the cap, just on "middle class" players. But sometimes, stacked up against talent like Indy and SD (and there's no denying the pure talent levels there,) one does get downright jealous (even while whuppin' their butts, to use the Chargerism.)'

PFnV

Yeah, and combining that info with Miguel's stuff, and it sure doesn't seem that we are a ton under the cap, if at all. Maybe a few million, but nothing redonkulous. It's tough to judge this when we got that big 'under the cap' thrown at us in most of the football media.

I'm sure some of it is separation anxiety from some of the departed players, some of it is a bit of roster envy on clubs like SD, and the 2004 season when we beefed up considerably.

I think I'll live with brushing it aside for the near future.

 

[Real World]

[1] Personally, I've always felt the move to let Adam walk was a stroke of genius that will only be fully appreciated next year when (1) the Colts, under the weight of their cap situation, begin to implode their team and (2) Gost shifts into his new life as a blooded NFL sophomore. (Note: People will appreciate the genius faster if Adam's back starts acting up again...)

[2] Watching Gaffney catch balls, getting in and out of his cuts, makes me wonder how much of Deon Branch's SB MVP was him and how much was his quarterback. Now, I do not doubt that Branch is an excellent player, but the distance between Branch (traded for a first round pick) and Gaffney (signed off the street, desperate for a job) is very, very small. Buy low, sell high

I'd have paid Vinatieri. Nothing against Gotstotski. Simply put, who would you rather have in this Sunday's game? Exactly.

As for the WR's, ours stink, period. I know the kool aiders on EEI keep saying the recievers are fine, or as good as before, but we won yesterday inspite of our receivers. Had we lost, which we should have, it would have been because our recievers got ZERO separation. On every replay from the QB's view, you could see that no one was open on a vast majority of the plays. We got lucky yesterday. Great teams take advantage of other teams mistakes, and we are clearly a great team as we did that. However, the Chargers helped us a few times along the way. Had we had Branch and Givens yesterday, we'd have won going away. Yesterday marked the first time that Brady threw 50+ passes, and was under 300 yards. Simply put, although the financial decisions were right under the circumstances pesented, the Pats receivers are mediocre at best.

 

[Miguel]

[1] Personally, I've always felt the move to let Adam walk was a stroke of genius that will only be fully appreciated next year when (1) the Colts, under the weight of their cap situation, begin to implode their team and (2) Gost shifts into his new life as a blooded NFL sophomore. (Note: People will appreciate the genius faster if Adam's back starts acting up again...)

If Adam did not want to be here, then how can it be a stroke of genius to let him go??? It seems to me that the Pats had no choice in the matter.

Please define imploding a team.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

If Adam did not want to be here, then how can it be a stroke of genius to let him go??? It seems to me that the Pats had no choice in the matter.

Please define imploding a team.

I think the colts are gonna either lose freeney or cato june... most likely cato june. that's probably as much as they're gonna implode for now.

 

[Miguel]

I think the colts are gonna either lose freeney or cato june... most likely cato june. that's probably as much as they're gonna implode for now.

So losing one starter is imploding.

OK, then.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

So losing one starter is imploding.

OK, then.

that why i said "probably as much" meaning they aren't gonna lose much.