Pats offseason a loss? Not really

[Ring 6]

i'm not so expert to tell bruschi is sux(negative thing?)...italian journalists repeat from a lot of years that he is old
i like bruschi and i'm happy he will return...
did thomas play inside before colvin injure?
i believed he will be ilb

Thomas was playing inside when Colvin was healthy, but moved outside, and IMO, will stay there. IMO, when Thomas was signed, it was partly based on the fact that colvin was gone after 2007. Thomas wasnt signed to be converted to an ILB. He was signed as an OLB, who was going to play inside for 1 season as long as Vrabel and Colvin stayed healthy.

 

[mgteich]

No, we're winners in the offseason??? We had a #5 defense and we've lost our
starting CB
starting nickel
two of our five of our LB rotation
our #4 safety

And just BTW, we have also lost our #2 and #4 WR's.

We've replaced these players with absolutely, positively nothing and we're winners? Pass the koolaid!

We'll be fine. But I think it the ultimate of homerism to think that we are off-season winners at this point.

A lot of people, and ESPN people included, have said the Pats are losers in the offseason. I disagree.

Asante signs with Eagles. We all knew he was gone. The money he is making is insane and would hinder the Pats. As good as Asante was, he is replaceable. He isn't a Champ Bailey by any stretch of the imagination. Asante was good, but it came to no surprise he is gone.

Randall Gay to New Orleans. 17 million for a nickelback, wow.

Stallworth to Cleveland. I liked Donte, but he wasn't as good as I thought he would be. He fell to 4th on the depth chart. Isn't a huge loss. Can easily be replaced AND Chad Jackson is coming in and he could fill that role.

We cut Rosie, which is no surprise due to his injury and cap hit.
Brady was cut due to injury, and he could be back, you never know. I liked him but he is replacable.

Harrison, Bruschi, Moss, Seau(prbly) are all coming back.

 

[Jimke]

No, we're winners in the offseason??? We had a #5 defense and we've lost our
starting CB
starting nickel
two of our five of our LB rotation
our #4 safety

And just BTW, we have also lost our #2 and #4 WR's.

We've replaced these players with absolutely, positively nothing and we're winners? Pass the koolaid!

We'll be fine. But I think it the ultimate of homerism to think that we are off-season winners at this point.

Who are the two wide receivers the Pats have lost? To the best
of my knowledge the Pats are still negotiating with Gaffney.

I agree with you completely on the linebackers and cornerbacks.

I can't see how the Patriots are going to come up with two decent
cornerbacks in free agency. Perhaps a trade? They might get their
nickle back from the draft but Dom Capers will have his hands full
tutoring the rookie.

There are a couple of possibilities in free agency for backup outside
linebackers but the prospects are bleak for inside linebackers. Hell
will freeze over before Bill Belichick drafts and plays a young backer.

I hope they re-sign Gaffney quickly so they can address the defensive problems.

 

[chrisfx811]

Technically, the Pats would have to be considered 'losers' in terms of quantity.
They've lost more than they've taken in.
I hope in the end, it works out to be a little 'addition by subtraction'.

I personally don't think Asante's worth the money he got. In fact, I won't be surprised if he has a down year in the NFC East next year.
He'll be facing guys like Plax & TO twice a year, not the clowns the AFC East has been putting up against him the past couple of seasons. Not to mention facing McNabb, Romo, and dare I say.... Eli twice a year, instead of Pennington, Lemon, Edwards, Losman, etc.

Stallworth will be missed imho. I could see him taking on a Wes Welker type role in Cleveland. His hands weren't as good as expected, but I think he could become a slot type guy for the Browns. As everyone knows, the Moss signing sealed his fate.

Gay? Meh, whatever... another teams overpays for a decent system player from the Pats.

Colvin? Injuries are injuries. It sucks when it happens to a guy like Colvin, but unless he takes a cut to prove himself again, he's going to have to play somewhere else.

This year's draft is deep at CB, so hopefully we can pick up enough athleticism to make up for lack of experience. If Ty Law could play for a little more than Bruschi money, it sure would help...I doubt it though.

LB, as everyone agrees is the pressing need, unfortunately, I don't think there was a FA LB that was worth what he got aside from Briggs, and we knew he wasn't coming here to play.
If BB/Pioli pull off something at the LB spot, and we draft solid db's, this team will be primed for another run.

The offensive side of the ball will be fine next year, especially considering the 3 headed rushing attack they should have.

 

[mgteich]

I don't think anyone is questioning any decisions of the front office. We are just pointing out that, as of now, we've lost much more than we gained.

 

[bradmahn]

I don't think anyone is questioning any decisions of the front office. We are just pointing out that, as of now, we've lost much more than we gained.

You've been counting players that have yet to sign with another team as losses; why? Is it only the moving of the bodies that makes a team a winner or loser, or are you (or anyone who judges free agency "winners and losers") also looking at contracts? I don't think signing Randall Gay to a contract that pays over four mill a year a "win," nor would I consider Drayton Florence getting six mill AAV a win. I don't think the contracts of Pace, or Samuel, or Faneca, or Woody are wins, either. They don't provide value. The signings of Aiken, Washington and Moss are value based or wins.

If you're judging free agency by the numbers of bodies that depart and arrive you're going to be very disappointed with what the Patriots do or have done, but if value is important then they've certainly been winners so far.

 

[ATippett56]

I don't think anyone is questioning any decisions of the front office. We are just pointing out that, as of now, we've lost much more than we gained.

It would be interesting to know how much the Patriots are currently under the salary cap with the signing of Randy Moss today. Is there room to sign another quality unrestricted free agent? If so, my bet is the Patriots will look towards a linebacker:

Victor Hobson
Clark Haggans

 

[mgteich]

Moss should have taken $7M. There is plenty of room for Haggans and Hobson, if that's what we want.

 

[ALP]

when the pats actions in earlyt free agency are identical to those of the other 11 playoof teams from last season....

it gives me the feeling that we must be doing something right

 

[aluminum seats]

If you think about it, reactions to what the Patriots do are reassuring, because they're comforting reminders of how stupid people are.

Everyone loves to pay lip service to the "Patriot way," how the Pats do business, being prudent, not overpaying, blah blah blah. Until, that is, the Patriots actually DO those things. Then it's a problem.

The fact is, the Pats always do business the SAME WAY. They determine their needs & wants, assign values to players, and work methodically from there. When the stars align, like last off-season, it's easy to be a fan, and praise what they're doing--look at all the new players!! But during a time, like now, when they're not making the big splashes, the idiots come out and say they're being "losers."

The fact is, it's THIS kind of activity that more definitively shows the deliberate, thoughtful approach that everyone--ESPN moron pundits, etc.--claim to love. It's just that they can't actually process that it's happening.

 

[Joker]

4 days into free agaency and "we're doing NOTHING!!! Real BAD!!!! No GOOD!!!Do SOMETHING!!!"...right...hey I got it...we'll sell five billion MG's and pay blubberguts like Woody and Jenkins tens of millions in guaranteed salaries, pay 22 million out to some "guy" from Arizona (always the birthplace of all pros since the league's inception) and strangle ourselves with planet sized debt. Hooray!!!

Sign me up!!! Why even wait for the rest of free agency to play out...NOTHING WILL GET DONE!!! IT'S A PROVEN FACT!! RIGHT????(oh...wait)

yeah...let's all cry and moan because our starting LCB,who we drafted in the FOURTH....that's the FOURTH...round, has taken his undersized play to the NFC...it's a disaster!!! How will we EVER compensate with the SIXTH PICK of the first round,a second rounder, the SIXTH pick of the third round PLUS ANOTHER third round pick, a fourth, a fifth...awww...forget it...so Moss signed...we're screwed...we should have spent tens of millions on stiffs like the other guys did the first day of free agency.

 

[Joker]

If you think about it, reactions to what the Patriots do are reassuring, because they're comforting reminders of how stupid people are.

Everyone loves to pay lip service to the "Patriot way," how the Pats do business, being prudent, not overpaying, blah blah blah. Until, that is, the Patriots actually DO those things. Then it's a problem.

The fact is, the Pats always do business the SAME WAY. They determine their needs & wants, assign values to players, and work methodically from there. When the stars align, like last off-season, it's easy to be a fan, and praise what they're doing--look at all the new players!! But during a time, like now, when they're not making the big splashes, the idiots come out and say they're being "losers."

The fact is, it's THIS kind of activity that more definitively shows the deliberate, thoughtful approach that everyone--ESPN moron pundits, etc.--claim to love. It's just that they can't actually process that it's happening.

this post should be a sticky ...right at the top to welcome all newcomers...a 600 foot Grand Slam by Seats

 

[ATippett56]

we should have spent tens of millions on stiffs like the other guys did the first day of free agency.

According to JoeSmo Six Pack, the New England Patriots already have.

 

[Joker]

The Pats signed one of the top WR's in the HISTORY of the game, still in his prime, to a sub prime contract...they signed a number of special team guys, good, proven ST performers to fill out the bottom of the roster...they have all of free agency , the draft and the summer to fill any/all other spots on the roster yet these Chicken Littles just won't stop their incessant bawking...it's maddening.

 

[festy1986]

How does not signing these players to the money they eventually signed for with someone else make the Pats winners? Or not losers? ....yet

The Pats I think we all can agree, at this point right now, is worse then they were in the SB.

They will have to improve this team through trades, cause who ever they get in the draft, or remaining FA, just isnt going to be as good as the people they let go, regardless of the amount of money they saved.

I wouldnt call them losers yet, that is insane cause there is so much time to go, but you certainly cant call them winners or anything just because they didn't spend insane money on players not worth it.

Just gotta wait for now.

 

[Dago]

Thomas was playing inside when Colvin was healthy, but moved outside, and IMO, will stay there. IMO, when Thomas was signed, it was partly based on the fact that colvin was gone after 2007. Thomas wasnt signed to be converted to an ILB. He was signed as an OLB, who was going to play inside for 1 season as long as Vrabel and Colvin stayed healthy.

i think little mistake was last year...they bring the replace of the outside who are younger and no of the inside?
or they hoped in laurinaitis and mauluaga for the 2008 draft?