Please Read Great Article

[abdul7]

Please read great article by Gregg Doyel on Sportsline.com. So true in everything he wrote. You will all love it. Take care. Peace. GO PATS.

 

[Patters]

Great column. A good, healthy dose of reality in the most optimistic sense!

http://www.sportsline.com/columns/story/9949386

I loved this paragraph:

"Next season, according to reports, the Patriots have roughly $30 million in cap space. They have two first-round picks in the 2007 draft. Giving Pioli $30 million and an extra No. 1 pick is like giving Shawne Merriman an extra syringe. Expect massive results."

 

[borg]

The only point this writer made correctly is that Brady and BB are cold hearted killers on game day. Everything else he wrote indicates he clearly has no knowledge of how this team operates...or actually what transpired in the 2nd half vs. Indy.
He reasoned that Harrison was the missing link against the Colts but failed to disclose that the Pats defense played the better part of the 2nd half without Hawkins and Colvin. Instead they lined up with a less than effective Seymour, first time starter Alexander, and scrap pile Baker.; The Pats were good enough without Harrison in the 1st half, but injuries and fatigue forced BB and company into a band aid approach.
Next point. Trading up for a top 5 pick such as Calvin Johnson? Come on Gregg Doyel...know your subject matter. Trade away two late first round picks who will end up being eventual starters making a combined salary of half of what a top 5 Calvin Johnson would earn yearly? Ask the Jets how such a move turned out in the D Robertson transaction...$50 mill for a work in progress...Not happening with the Pats. The "Toadie" Bob Kraft, as he so elegantly states, emphasized the fiscal approach the Pats prefer, stating that the back half of the first round is the most cost-effective when comparing talent and dollars.
Yes, the Pats have money and draft picks going into the offseason, he is correct. The rest is just fluff from a national writer who doesn't research his subject too deeply.

 

[ironwasp]

Great column. A good, healthy dose of reality in the most optimistic sense!

http://www.sportsline.com/columns/story/9949386

I loved this paragraph:

"Next season, according to reports, the Patriots have roughly $30 million in cap space. They have two first-round picks in the 2007 draft. Giving Pioli $30 million and an extra No. 1 pick is like giving Shawne Merriman an extra syringe. Expect massive results."

I'm glad you pasted that quote in, it saved me doing it. Great line.

It's a good piece, but it underestimates the holes the Pats have in the D behind the front three.

 

[jeffd]

Great column. A good, healthy dose of reality in the most optimistic sense!

http://www.sportsline.com/columns/story/9949386

I loved this paragraph:

"Next season, according to reports, the Patriots have roughly $30 million in cap space. They have two first-round picks in the 2007 draft. Giving Pioli $30 million and an extra No. 1 pick is like giving Shawne Merriman an extra syringe. Expect massive results."

A late first for Larry Fitzgerald, huh... If the cardinals were willing I'd bet the Pats would throw in a 3rd or better to get him. He's an all around WR and young.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

The only point this writer made correctly is that Brady and BB are cold hearted killers on game day. Everything else he wrote indicates he clearly has no knowledge of how this team operates...or actually what transpired in the 2nd half vs. Indy.
He reasoned that Harrison was the missing link against the Colts but failed to disclose that the Pats defense played the better part of the 2nd half without Hawkins and Colvin. Instead they lined up with a less than effective Seymour, first time starter Alexander, and scrap pile Baker.; The Pats were good enough without Harrison in the 1st half, but injuries and fatigue forced BB and company into a band aid approach.
Next point. Trading up for a top 5 pick such as Calvin Johnson? Come on Gregg Doyel...know your subject matter. Trade away two late first round picks who will end up being eventual starters making a combined salary of half of what a top 5 Calvin Johnson would earn yearly? Ask the Jets how such a move turned out in the D Robertson transaction...$50 mill for a work in progress...Not happening with the Pats. The "Toadie" Bob Kraft, as he so elegantly states, emphasized the fiscal approach the Pats prefer, stating that the back half of the first round is the most cost-effective when comparing talent and dollars.
Yes, the Pats have money and draft picks going into the offseason, he is correct. The rest is just fluff from a national writer who doesn't research his subject too deeply.

I think your missing the point of his article. It was a generalization of where the Patriots stand in regards to the salary cap and personnel. He made his point of not being a boston-based/connected journalist by pointing out what he thinks of some of the Patriot people.

I see this kind of journalism (writing without bias) is refreshing.

 

[Fogbuster]

Good article. Thanks for posting it.

I sincerely hope the problem can be solved with better skilled players. I think it can. What we did with what we had -- well, it WAS amazing when you think about it.

Reche, Gafney (who??) and old man river (Troy) as our wide-outs?!!! Young, still-developing TEs in Graham and Watson. A LB corps on social security and held-together with duct tape. A secondary of revolving doors, with the exception of a still young Hobbs and Samuel.

I'd say we did pretty darn well, all things considered. If Pioli can do his thing well this year, the "boys" could indeed be back in town.


//

 

[Redcell]

Just found it and checked here to see if anyone posted yet. I look at the article as a nice pick-me-up after having the cattle prod removed from my crotch from Sunday's game.

 

[primetime]

If the Patriots could trade both firsts for Larry Fitzgerald, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Because of cap increases since he was picked, his contract is manageable, if weighty. Unlike a draft pick, he's also a proven commodity, a true #1 who could be Rice to Brady's Montana. Heck, I'd even throw in another pick, maybe a 3rd or 4th, to make that one happen.

That said, I'd probably trade both firsts for Calvin Johnson, too. He's absolutely spectacular, though he's not proven like Fitz. The only thing I'd be worried about is that he'd become more Mike Williams than Randy Moss (without the attitude, at least).

 

[ChoWZa]

Good article. Thanks for posting it.

I sincerely hope the problem can be solved with better skilled players. I think it can. What we did with what we had -- well, it WAS amazing when you think about it.

Reche, Gafney (who??) and old man river (Troy) as our wide-outs?!!! Young, still-developing TEs in Graham and Watson. A LB corps on social security and held-together with duct tape. A secondary of revolving doors, with the exception of a still young Hobbs and Samuel.

I'd say we did pretty darn well, all things considered. If Pioli can do his thing well this year, the "boys" could indeed be back in town.


//

The season definitely wasn't Gafney's fault

 

[Snarf]

<<

Next season, according to reports, the Patriots have roughly $30 million in cap space. They have two first-round picks in the 2007 draft. Giving Pioli $30 million and an extra No. 1 pick is like giving Shawne Merriman an extra syringe. Expect massive results. >>

 

[iguide]

Not a bad article. The thing that I hope comes from all of this is that by coming so close but not getting there, that it motivates the Pats to be active in the off season. Unlike last year, where they did very little to bring in new talent. While Reche Caldwell had a good season let's face it he should not be a team’s 1st or even second receiver. A good three or four is what he is best suited to. As far as I am concerned counting on Chad (where is he) Jackson is a pipe dream until he shows differently. They will also probably be redoing some contracts for Dillon & Colvin, which should give them more cap space. I would be willing to bet that is Dillon will not restructure that they will cut him free thus giving them even more money to maneuver with. The big question is will this off season is will they be like they were after the 2002 season where they realized they needed to be active or look at things and say “gee with out a few key injuries we would have made it”, resulting in them not doing much like last year. I hoping and betting on a active off season.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

If the Patriots could trade both firsts for Larry Fitzgerald, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Because of cap increases since he was picked, his contract is manageable, if weighty. Unlike a draft pick, he's also a proven commodity, a true #1 who could be Rice to Brady's Montana. Heck, I'd even throw in another pick, maybe a 3rd or 4th, to make that one happen.

That said, I'd probably trade both firsts for Calvin Johnson, too. He's absolutely spectacular, though he's not proven like Fitz. The only thing I'd be worried about is that he'd become more Mike Williams than Randy Moss (without the attitude, at least).

That would be great. Then we could spend next year watching Tom sling the ball all over the field trying to make up all the points our opponents were putting up against a slow and/or aging or patchwork defense. Bill could probably coach those guys up sufficiently to get us to the playoffs before injuries and fatigue bit us in the ass once again...

We've got some needs on offense, but if we don't really shore up that defense going forward (and that will likely include replacing Samuel at CB) it won't really matter once the 2007 second season commences.

We don't need an elite #1 WR, just a competent one to augment and anchor a unit that will include a (hopefully still) promising youngster in Jackson, Gaffney, Caldwell and (also hopefully still with us) Bingo. And we also need to build or construct and coach up an Oline that can multi-task without requiring wholesale substitutions - or a dedicated blocking TE - to provide more consistently effective run blocking behind an explosive RB who will still need to focus a little more effort on attacking and a little less on tap dancing because BB will never abandon the power running game entirely to accommodate him.

 

[PromisedLand]

I had the same reaction to the article as several other posters. The author clearly didn't do much research on the subject he was writing about. He didn't even seem to realize that Asante Samuel is a UFA.

 

[DESERTPAT]

If the Patriots could trade both firsts for Larry Fitzgerald, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Because of cap increases since he was picked, his contract is manageable, if weighty. Unlike a draft pick, he's also a proven commodity, a true #1 who could be Rice to Brady's Montana. Heck, I'd even throw in another pick, maybe a 3rd or 4th, to make that one happen.

That said, I'd probably trade both firsts for Calvin Johnson, too. He's absolutely spectacular, though he's not proven like Fitz. The only thing I'd be worried about is that he'd become more Mike Williams than Randy Moss (without the attitude, at least).

Put that crack pipe away son.

 

[primetime]

Put that crack pipe away son.

I didn't say that it would happen. It would be a pipe dream (a crack pipe dream). But I'd love for it to happen. Dad.

And, hey, MLR, it worked for the Colts. Pretty sure they're in the Super Bowl right now. It's not like first round picks on defense are going to make an immediate impact next year either, in all likelihood.

 

[italian pat patriot]

it was really a great article - i liked it a lot

 

[Fanfrom1960]

Arizona's got a new head coach. How likely is it that they would trade away a key player like Larry Fitzgerald anyway?

I don't like the part about Belichick "by the time he's done, they'll have to pry 4 or 5 super bowl rings from his cold, dead fingers." Flair for the dramatic. I don't think anybody expects Bill to coach until he gets the call to coach the Lord's team against Satan's team (Polian?). Also, is Belichick despised? Was Lombardi despised? I don't think so. Gregg Doyel should be writing for one of those newspapers at the supermarket checkout area.

 

[jeffd]

Arizona's got a new head coach. How likely is it that they would trade away a key player like Larry Fitzgerald anyway?

I don't like the part about Belichick "by the time he's done, they'll have to pry 4 or 5 super bowl rings from his cold, dead fingers." Flair for the dramatic. I don't think anybody expects Bill to coach until he gets the call to coach the Lord's team against Satan's team (Polian?). Also, is Belichick despised? Was Lombardi despised? I don't think so. Gregg Doyel should be writing for one of those newspapers at the supermarket checkout area.

I think you missed the point... BB and Lombardi were despised by the media because they simply did their job without being flashy or dramatic. It makes the media actually do thier job instead of being handed a tabloid headline to run with.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

I think you missed the point... BB and Lombardi were despised by the media because they simply did their job without being flashy or dramatic. It makes the media actually do thier job instead of being handed a tabloid headline to run with.

I don't know. He said sportswriters don't like Belichick, but then nobody does. Nobody likes Belichick? I'd bet those intelligent enough to understand him and can learn from him do. Same with Lombardi. He also made a comparison between Bill and the Anthony Hopkins character in Silence of the Lambs. Bill with a muzzle? The author's too dramatic for me.