50-yard-line
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
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To this point it's clear that the Patriots have not improved. In fact they are significantly worse than they were last season. That doesn't mean the team won't improve between now and the start of the season.
I guess it depends on your definition of "significantly," but I simply don't agree with your characterization.
I don't think Wilfork is a huge loss to this team. In fact, i think their interior D-line is going to be better this year than it was last year (still would like Ellis or Rubin to add to the mix). There are so many good DTs int eh draft and still a couple of run-stuffers out there. Vince was as good a NT as you could want, but there were times last year when I saw him getting no push at all against a single blocker. 34 post-Achilles is a bad thing. I give him tremendous credit for gutting it out last year and playing acceptably, but they can upgrade there cheaper than what he got in Houston.
I also think Easley will certainly contribute this year in a very sizable way.
They lost Ayers and Casillas and replaced them with Mayo and Sheard - huge upgrade 9and I really liked Ayers, but Sheard is a much better DE).
They're already better on offense than they were last year, or they will be if they find even a serviceable 3rd-down back. Chandler is a huge get, Stork and Fleming have a year under their belts, the OL coach has a year with the guys - they won't have to spend the first half of the season experimenting with the OL. I want to see if Cannon can move to guard with a full preseason there, for example, or if Fleming can - and since they don't have many big holes, there are a lot fo good interior OL in the draft, as well.
Amendola wasn't healthy until haflway through last season, and it took a while, but he and Brady seem to be back on the up-and-up. Says a lot that he was willing to restructure, too. he has bought in. That's a solid #3 and a great backup for JE. Tim Wright will get a whole off-season in the system - guy did pretty well last year, ya know?
I'm hoping Gibson can make that comeback from a bad injury. And I'm confident that everyone here has soured way too quickly on Aaron Dobson. The guy can play.
Obviously we're a lot weaker in the secondary without Revis (and without the complimentary Browner), but let's keep some perspective. Flacco threw for 4 tds against our great secondary last year in the playoffs, and Seattle almost put up a 30-burger on us. I think Arrington is a great slot corner. I like Ryan and Dennard and am pretty sure Butler has the goods. McCourty is great back there, and Chung contributes in lots of ways. heck, ever Tayvon Wilson put on a few huge hits in the playoffs - watch the Baltimore game.
you're all acting like we have NO ONE, OMG, back there, when in fact, if half these guys were ont eh FA market, you'd be screaming for us to go get them. I can hear it now.
"Dennard...yeah, he was great his first year, then got hurt. Could be a great reclamation project."
"Arrington, man, did you see what he did to Hilton? Sign the beast!"
"That Butler kid...omg, what instincts! How did they find this kid!"
You know, what you see most of other teams are HIGHLIGHTS, not the common warts. The grass isn't greener.