Name 5 Upgrades or Replacements

[JR4]

What 5 positions would you upgrade or replace if quality players could be had
If you could wave a magic wand and get what you wanted who would you
upgrade or replace

Here is my prioritized list

1. Samuel Replacement( he's gone IMO)
2. LT ... move Light to RT.
3. RG upgrade ... Neal Ok ... but I think PATs could do better. (injured too often)
4. OLB -- a real youthful strong pass rusher
5. RCB - need one with longer arms that can reach around big receivers.

The reason for Oline upgrade is because I think PATs will bring back Moss
and teams will be trying to do what Giants did. This means if Moss is to be
effective PATs will need a stronger Oline to give receivers more time to get
down field.
I 'd also like to see BB get CBs that can play either side just as effectively.

 

[tombonneau]

Only in Boston is the #2 priority upgrading the All-Pro tackle ...

Anyway, the only assumption I'll make is Asante is gone.

1. CB - With Asante gone, either draft or FA needs to net starting caliber CB.

2. ILB - Bruschi/Seau were much better in rotation. Someone needs to be brought in to start or rotate with them. This is even higher priority if Colvin goes as AD would likely move outside. You could also look at this need as OLB if the thinking is Colving goes & AD moves inside. Depends on your POV.

3. RT - I think Kaczur can be improved upon. Having him & O'C as backups and another starter at RT really improves the line immensely.

4. Punter - Never mentioned really, but I think this is a no brainer & easy upgrade.

5. FB - Evans is a decent blocker and sounds like he is a good locker room guy, but I swear to God I've never seen an alleged FB go down on first contact more than this guy. I cringe every time he carries the ball. I think there a few guys who can be drafted late -- Owen Schmidt, Jacob Hester - who are more versatile and would represent an upgrade.

 

[Rob0729]

I don't know why every year everyone wants to move Matt Light to RT. Light is an above average LT and that is the toughest position to find quality talent.

All you have to do is look in our division to see that. Miami has been searching for even a decent LT for about half a decade. It took Buffalo about that long to find a solid LT for their line including spending a top 5 draft pick on a bust LT. The Jets spent the fourth overall pick for a mediocre LT.

If we end up finding a LT who is better than Light, that's great. But spending a high draft pick on a LT is a big risk (see Mike William, D'Brickishaw Ferguson, Robert Gallery, etc.).

Many teams would kill to have a LT the quality of Light. I can think of two in our own division. Light might not be the best LT out there, but he is better than 20-25 other LTs in this league.

 

[WhiZa]

Only in Boston is the #2 priority upgrading the All-Pro tackle ...

I think of it more as an upgrade of RT

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

1. OLB pass rusher in addition to Colvin or replacing him(hope he comes back)
2. ILB- a guy who is gonna be a tackling machine and can blitz when need be
3. CB(go with Gay and draft a cb to develop behind Hobbs and Gay)
4. OL- Best available as a player to groom behind Light or Neal
5. One trick pony pass rusher in the 5th round or later

 

[c_nice_37]

1. RT - I highly doubt we can upgrade Light at LT and move him to RT, so I'd be happy with a better RT. BTW - Neal is a good guard, not great, but you can see the decline of the entire right side when he is out.

2. CB - we need to replace Asante, nuff said.

3. ILB or OLB - really depends on what we do with Colvin.

4. Nickel Back - Gay is gone, he was a good pick as UDFA (or was it 7th?) but I am all set with him. Hopefully Mike Richardson is the answer here...

5. Punter - I agree with tombonneau, Hanson was a 1 season tryout and he is gone, I hope.

 

[Rob0729]

As for my priorities:

1.) ILB - We don't know if Seau will return and Bruschi is best suited for spot duty.
2.) CB - Assuming Samuel doesn't resign. I still think the Pats' defense is built around the front seven. We proved in 2004 that we can survive with average CBs if the front seven provides the proper pressure. That means ILB is more important than CB in my opinion.
3.) Safety - Rodney is likely in his last year. I am not confident that either Sanders or Meriweather can be that guy who makes a difference like Harrison did during the Super Bowl years. Also, Harrison's coverage skills are declining and may be better served if he rotates in and out more.
4.) RT - Kazcur doesn't seem to be the answer.
5.) Overall o-line depth

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Part of the OT problem was the utter lack of decent TE's. Brady is a very good blocker, but he is very one dimensional (he doesn't get open much in the short area and less on the middle routes and deep routes) and spent a lot of time helping out Kazcur.
Watson spent his usual 3 or 4 games hurt again last season and still managed to drop a bunch of passes, he should have caught. With teams doubling Moss on the outside, the deep seam and deep middle routes should have been wide open for a TE with Watson's speed, but the offense did not run Watson there often and when they did, Brady seemed very reluctant to throw there.

We need a TE that can chip opposing DE's and still have the speed and hands to get into the flat or run a wheel route over the middle. That would make Mat Light and to a certain extent Wes Welker's lives a whole lot easier.

J long is an upgrade over Kazcur, but I can't see him dropping to us in the draft.

 

[NE_PATS_FAN_54]

I think of it more as an upgrade of RT

matt light is going nowhere. period.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

We need a TE that can chip opposing DE's and still have the speed and hands to get into the flat or run a wheel route over the middle. That would make Mat Light and to a certain extent Wes Welker's lives a whole lot easier.

I know a couple of posters here (and elsewhere on the Internets) have suggested Brad Cottam as a potential TE upgrade for the Pats.

In any case, me imagining Wes Welker being more open than he is now =>

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

I know a couple of posters here (and elsewhere on the Internets) have suggested Brad Cottam as a potential TE upgrade for the Pats.

In any case, me imagining Wes Welker being more open than he is now =>

what round would he go in?

 

[mdhprime]

1. OLB pass rusher in addition to Colvin or replacing him(hope he comes back)
2. ILB- a guy who is gonna be a tackling machine and can blitz when need be
3. CB(go with Gay and draft a cb to develop behind Hobbs and Gay)
4. OL- Best available as a player to groom behind Light or Neal
5. One trick pony pass rusher in the 5th round or later

I like what you say except for #5. A DE or OLB who can't play the run won't be on a BB team. This is the reason Banta-Cain is not longer a Patriot.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

I like what you say except for #5. A DE or OLB who can't play the run won't be on a BB team. This is the reason Banta-Cain is not longer a Patriot.

I like this guy as like 4th on the depth chart and you bring him in on 3rd and long. Just a pure pass rusher.

Of course he'd have to play special teams.

sort of like Elvis Dumervil of the Bronocs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=9712

 

[Jimke]

As for my priorities:

1.) ILB - We don't know if Seau will return and Bruschi is best suited for spot duty.
2.) CB - Assuming Samuel doesn't resign. I still think the Pats' defense is built around the front seven. We proved in 2004 that we can survive with average CBs if the front seven provides the proper pressure. That means ILB is more important than CB in my opinion.
3.) Safety - Rodney is likely in his last year. I am not confident that either Sanders or Meriweather can be that guy who makes a difference like Harrison did during the Super Bowl years. Also, Harrison's coverage skills are declining and may be better served if he rotates in and out more.
4.) RT - Kazcur doesn't seem to be the answer.
5.) Overall o-line depth

If the Pats lose Asante, they are in deep trouble. At best, Hobbs is

average. Gay if he is re-signed is below average. Maybe, the Pats

should trade their front seven and Dean Pees to the Giants for their

front seven and Steve Spagnuolo. Then, the Pats might have a good

enough pass rush to cover for less than adequate defensive backs.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

what round would he go in?

Most of the drafts I've seen have Cottam going late 3/early 4.

 

[Rob0729]

If the Pats lose Asante, they are in deep trouble. At best, Hobbs is

average. Gay if he is re-signed is below average. Maybe, the Pats

should trade their front seven and Dean Pees to the Giants for their

front seven and Steve Spagnuolo. Then, the Pats might have a good

enough pass rush to cover for less than adequate defensive backs.

I don't buy that. We have won Super Bowls with Gay as a starter. In 2004, Samuel wasn't much better than Hobbs is now. We even had Earthwind Mooreland as a starter.

The Pats defense is predicated on pressure on the front seven. Even down the stretch this year when Colvin went down and we were unable to generate a lot of pressure up front, Samuel had reverted somewhat back to his own self of trying to go for the ball rather than breaking up the play and giving up a big play.

We didn't have problems vs. the pass early in the year when we had Colvin who allowed Vrabel to break free too. If we shure up our ILB position, I think our front seven can be dominant. Don't forget only a year ago, our d-line was arguably one of the best in football. Seymour with an offseason program and training camp should be back to his usual self that will allow Ty Warren to go back to his 2006 form.

 

[bronk37]

Light is above average and I agree that he is better than most other LT's I just don't see him as a pro bowler. He often needs tight end help ala Brady, D. Graham and I think that is why people don't think as highly of him. In lights defense K Brady wasn't very helpful in the SB. On the defense side we just were not the same when colvin went down, the solution is OLB then we can move AD back inside and platoon Bru and Seau with rosie and vrabes on the outside but we need a third pass rushing olb for when colvin or vrabel get injured. I love colvin as much as anyone but he is just not very durable.

 

[BradyFTW!]

What happened last year:

We lost our biggest pass-rushing threat
We compensated by killing our ILB depth
2 of the 3 defensive linemen played well below their career standards. In Seymour's case, the injury was the obvious cause.

If we shore that up, the secondary will hardly be an issue. Especially if we spend our first pick on a CB, as is being projected.


I'm also finally off the Ben Watson wagon. I thought he was a quality TE right up through the better part of this year, but there is just no excuse for a guy of his athleticism not to be exploiting Randy Moss' presence more than he does. If Brady isn't throwing to him, it's because he either Watson can't get open or he doesn't trust Watson to make the catch. Either is unacceptable.

 

[The 12th Man]

1) I definitely think another young ILB is a must this year. And not even to be a starter, but to get in the rotation slowly to take Bruischi's place the following year. In fact, I said that last year too. We needed to draft a young LB (Lua might be the answer, but might not) to groom. Even with Lua, we still need at least one more young LB with potential to become a great leader.
2) CB (also assuming Asante leaves), I like Gay if they resign him, but we'd need someone else for rotation/insurance, Richardson might be an option, but still need another starter.

these are my main concerns, everything else is not as crucial. (Of course assuming Moss resigns) For those worried about our TEs, don't forget Thomas will be back too. Our O-line is well above average, only weak spot still being the RT position. WRs are gonna be just fine with Moss, CJack, Gaffney (assuming resigns), Welker, and Washington (assuming resigns) and or Bam. RBs are fine too.

 

[mgteich]

Before we replace probowlers, let's look at some the folks currently on the roster. There are probably 10 upgrades I would list before I even considered an OL.

1) CB Mixon
2) CB Spann
3) LB open (Bruschi's spot)
4) LB open (seau's spot)
5) WR Jones
6) DS open (Paxton's spot)
7) WR Spach (Washington's spot)
8) WR Stallworth (we won't pick up his option)
9) DT Moore
10) DL Thomas
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Active Players By Position
QB - 3 Tom Brady, Cassel, Gutierrez
RB - 3 Faulk, Maroney, Morris
FB - 2 Evans, Eckel
C - 1 Koppen
G - 4 Neal, Hochstein, Mankins, Yates
OT - 4 Light, Kaczur, O'Callaghan, Britt
WR - 5 Welker, Stallworth, Chad Jackson, Jones, Spach
TE - 3 Watson, Dave Thomas, Kyle Brady

DE - 4 Warren, Green, Seymour, Wright
DT - 4 Wilfork, Le Kevin Smith, Santonio Thomas, Moore
LB - 8 Vrabel, Colvin, Adalius Thomas, Woods, Alexander, Lua, open, open
CB - 4 Hobbs, Spann, Richardson, Mixon
S - 5 Sanders, Harrison, Meriweather, Andrews, Ventrone

P - 1 Hanson
K - 1 Gostkowski
LS – 1 open

53 Active Players