BobDigital
Pro Bowl Player
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- Aug 10, 2013
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I wanted to have this thread but didn't know where to go with it. Comparing it to stats is not going to work as it actually looks worse than other Ds in the past that were not as good. Also to compare talent is hard to do but I think it is the best way to go. I will only look at the championship years.
2014 projected starters in the playoffs - DL Jones, Wilfork Easley Nink; LB Collins Hightower; DBs Revis Browner Arrington McCourty Chung - Look at this group you see a lot of top end talent with blue collar vets.
Now lets look at the Years the pats went to a Superbowl.
2001 - DL Seymour Hamilton Pleasant McGinest LB Bruschi Vrabel Phifer/Johnson DB Law Smith Milloy Jones (I cluded an extra guy as this was very hybrid). Some good solid vets but also big time playmakers. clearly SB caliber
2003 - DL Hamilton Washington Seymour LB McGinest Vrabel Bruschi Johnson DB Law Harrison Poole Wilson - Some changes but still a lot of the key players and arguably the best D the Pats ever had.
2004 - DL Seymour Wilfork Warren LB McGinest Vrabel Bruschi Johnson DB Law Samuel Harrison Wilson
Now the years that fell a bit short
2007 - DL Green (Seymour went down i think) Wilfork Warren LB Bruschi Vrabel Thomas Colvin DB Samuel Harrison Sanders Hobbs
2011 - DL Wilfork Nink Carter(went down i think; Anderson stepped in?) Love LB Mayo Spikes Guyton? DB McCourty Chung Arrington Ihedigbo
So i think that is mostly accurate and looked part of it up. Obviously depth matters too but I am not gonna look up all that : P
Looking comparing years is hard cause some players played better some years than other ones. However I think it is very clear to say this D is better than either 07 or 11. Looking at the talent now it was no wonder they lost. Don't know if it is better than any of those Superbowl winning years but I would say it is very arguable.
2014 projected starters in the playoffs - DL Jones, Wilfork Easley Nink; LB Collins Hightower; DBs Revis Browner Arrington McCourty Chung - Look at this group you see a lot of top end talent with blue collar vets.
Now lets look at the Years the pats went to a Superbowl.
2001 - DL Seymour Hamilton Pleasant McGinest LB Bruschi Vrabel Phifer/Johnson DB Law Smith Milloy Jones (I cluded an extra guy as this was very hybrid). Some good solid vets but also big time playmakers. clearly SB caliber
2003 - DL Hamilton Washington Seymour LB McGinest Vrabel Bruschi Johnson DB Law Harrison Poole Wilson - Some changes but still a lot of the key players and arguably the best D the Pats ever had.
2004 - DL Seymour Wilfork Warren LB McGinest Vrabel Bruschi Johnson DB Law Samuel Harrison Wilson
Now the years that fell a bit short
2007 - DL Green (Seymour went down i think) Wilfork Warren LB Bruschi Vrabel Thomas Colvin DB Samuel Harrison Sanders Hobbs
2011 - DL Wilfork Nink Carter(went down i think; Anderson stepped in?) Love LB Mayo Spikes Guyton? DB McCourty Chung Arrington Ihedigbo
So i think that is mostly accurate and looked part of it up. Obviously depth matters too but I am not gonna look up all that : P
Looking comparing years is hard cause some players played better some years than other ones. However I think it is very clear to say this D is better than either 07 or 11. Looking at the talent now it was no wonder they lost. Don't know if it is better than any of those Superbowl winning years but I would say it is very arguable.