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Comparing units of 2007 vs past Pats team, particularly champions kind of illustrates what the expectations should be this year.
QB. I'd say we are better in 2007 than ever, only because its fair to say Brady improves at least a bit each year.
WR
2007 Moss, Stallworth, Welker, Caldwell, Jackson, Gaffney, Brown
Best to date
Probably 2004 with Branch, Givens, Patten, Brown
Clearly this is the best group we have ever had
OL
2007 Light, Mankins, Koppen, Neal, OCallahan/Kaczur
Best to date
2004 Light, Andruzzi, Koppen, Neal, Gorin/Ashworth
Clearly this is the best group yet, with younger guys a year better than last year.
LB
2007 Thomas, Bruschi, Colvin, Vrabel, Seau
Best to date
2004 mcGinest, Bruschi, Colvin, Vrabel, Ted Johnson
Better IMO, if only because the best 4 will be on the field almost all the time, as opposed to a 3man rotation outside with TJ inside
DB
2007 Samuel, Hobbs, Scott/James/Gay, Harrison, Wilson, Meriweather
Best to date
2003 Law, Poole, Samuel, Harrison, Wilson, Harris
No Law here, and Poole was great in 2003. Depth is probably better at corner. Safety is better if Rodney is what he was and worse if he declines.
Overall, not as good as 2003, but not that far behind
DL
2007 Warren, Wilfork, Seymour, Green, Wright
Best to date
2003 Hamilton, Washington, Seymour, Warren, Green
I think we are better now. Wilfork if playing a full season is better than Washington playing half of one, Warren is a big upgrade to Hamilton.
TE
2007 Watson, Brady, Thomas
Best to date
2006 Watson, Graham, Thomas
As much as Graham was injured and as little as he was used in the passing game, Watson taking the next step and improving as he probably should in his 2nd full season would make this unit better than 2006. If Watson is the same in 07 as 06, then there is a dropoff.
RB
2007 Maroney, Faulk, Morris
Best to date
2004 Dillon, Faulk, Pass
Dillon was excellent that year. Maroney has a chance to be just as good this year. Faulk is Faulk, Morris is an upgrade. Maroney can have a tremendous year and still not be as good as Dillon was in 04. We are not as good this year as that year as of now, but we aren't a long way behind, depending on Maroney's development. (It will probably be more different than better or worse, since I don't see us, with this current offensive roster, being a sheavily run oriented as in 2004. I think we will rely less on the running game, but probably end up with more big plays from it. If the passing game is what I expect, the running game will look less than in 2004, but may be just as productive for the chosen role)
When I step back and look at this, I see a long term project of BB trying to consistently improve this team. Without question there are bumps in the road, mostly due to salary cap issues (when you are the best team, you have the best players, and keeping them all isn't an option under the cap, so you must in some cases replace excellent players with cheaper ones in order to keep the key guys) but it would be very hard to convince me that this isnt the best team BB has fielded, and that the trend isnt that he continues to make the team better and better, with some ups and downs along the way.
Being the best team doesn't mean we win the SB because winning the SB means you are the best team for 60 minutes on 19 different Sundays, and coaching, reacting to pressure situations, making plays when it matters most, outweighs having the best talent, but I tend to believe that these things are qualities possessed by coaches and players (some have it sonme dont) and that our core is proven to have it.
I'm probably not the first to say it, but moreson than any season to date, including 2004, I would be very disappointed with anything short of a SB Championship. That should be the standard of success for this team.
QB. I'd say we are better in 2007 than ever, only because its fair to say Brady improves at least a bit each year.
WR
2007 Moss, Stallworth, Welker, Caldwell, Jackson, Gaffney, Brown
Best to date
Probably 2004 with Branch, Givens, Patten, Brown
Clearly this is the best group we have ever had
OL
2007 Light, Mankins, Koppen, Neal, OCallahan/Kaczur
Best to date
2004 Light, Andruzzi, Koppen, Neal, Gorin/Ashworth
Clearly this is the best group yet, with younger guys a year better than last year.
LB
2007 Thomas, Bruschi, Colvin, Vrabel, Seau
Best to date
2004 mcGinest, Bruschi, Colvin, Vrabel, Ted Johnson
Better IMO, if only because the best 4 will be on the field almost all the time, as opposed to a 3man rotation outside with TJ inside
DB
2007 Samuel, Hobbs, Scott/James/Gay, Harrison, Wilson, Meriweather
Best to date
2003 Law, Poole, Samuel, Harrison, Wilson, Harris
No Law here, and Poole was great in 2003. Depth is probably better at corner. Safety is better if Rodney is what he was and worse if he declines.
Overall, not as good as 2003, but not that far behind
DL
2007 Warren, Wilfork, Seymour, Green, Wright
Best to date
2003 Hamilton, Washington, Seymour, Warren, Green
I think we are better now. Wilfork if playing a full season is better than Washington playing half of one, Warren is a big upgrade to Hamilton.
TE
2007 Watson, Brady, Thomas
Best to date
2006 Watson, Graham, Thomas
As much as Graham was injured and as little as he was used in the passing game, Watson taking the next step and improving as he probably should in his 2nd full season would make this unit better than 2006. If Watson is the same in 07 as 06, then there is a dropoff.
RB
2007 Maroney, Faulk, Morris
Best to date
2004 Dillon, Faulk, Pass
Dillon was excellent that year. Maroney has a chance to be just as good this year. Faulk is Faulk, Morris is an upgrade. Maroney can have a tremendous year and still not be as good as Dillon was in 04. We are not as good this year as that year as of now, but we aren't a long way behind, depending on Maroney's development. (It will probably be more different than better or worse, since I don't see us, with this current offensive roster, being a sheavily run oriented as in 2004. I think we will rely less on the running game, but probably end up with more big plays from it. If the passing game is what I expect, the running game will look less than in 2004, but may be just as productive for the chosen role)
When I step back and look at this, I see a long term project of BB trying to consistently improve this team. Without question there are bumps in the road, mostly due to salary cap issues (when you are the best team, you have the best players, and keeping them all isn't an option under the cap, so you must in some cases replace excellent players with cheaper ones in order to keep the key guys) but it would be very hard to convince me that this isnt the best team BB has fielded, and that the trend isnt that he continues to make the team better and better, with some ups and downs along the way.
Being the best team doesn't mean we win the SB because winning the SB means you are the best team for 60 minutes on 19 different Sundays, and coaching, reacting to pressure situations, making plays when it matters most, outweighs having the best talent, but I tend to believe that these things are qualities possessed by coaches and players (some have it sonme dont) and that our core is proven to have it.
I'm probably not the first to say it, but moreson than any season to date, including 2004, I would be very disappointed with anything short of a SB Championship. That should be the standard of success for this team.