OT: Boldin to Philly for Lito?

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

I think the jury is still out on Branch.

Personally I think people get joy out of seeing ex-pats fail and are quick to jump on any setback they encounter whether an injury or a blown assignment.

Not every Pats is criticized. I think people liked to see Joe Andruzzie get him money or even Tom Ashworth.

I think the Big Picture here is that it's probably wiser for teams to invest in the DRAFT to build their teams.

I don't have any problems with FA, but probably the best FAs to get are veterans that not only know your scheme, but they also come out a middle of the road price as well as bring alot of leadership on the table.(i.e. Junior Seau)

It was alot like when Parcells was here in Dallas-not only he put a ton of priority in the draft, but alot of FAs he brought in were veterans that didn't come at an expensive price AND bought into his philosophies(with the exceptions of Bledsoe and Vinny).

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

I think the Big Picture here is that it's probably wiser for teams to invest in the DRAFT to build their teams.

I don't have any problems with FA, but probably the best FAs to get are veterans that not only know your scheme, but they also come out a middle of the road price as well as bring alot of leadership on the table.(i.e. Junior Seau)

It was alot like when Parcells was here in Dallas-not only he put a ton of priority in the draft, but alot of FAs he brought in were veterans that didn't come at an expensive price AND bought into his philosophies(with the exceptions of Bledsoe and Vinny).

ok. but the original debate was that people seem to revel in the failures of ex-pats when they leave and hence we see alot of threads with the general theme of "I guess the front office knew what they were doing" or "he was a system player".

as for free agency and the draft. the draft is the best way to build a team. the pats have hit on the majority of their first rounders and then you need to have some draftees in the 2nd, 3rd, and lower rounds that become starters. These guys get locked into 5 yr deals at decent money compared to free agents.

Free agency can bring talent like Colvin, AD, and Welker(a steal and semantics on FA or trade).

I think the overall theme is a team can't have many busts that weigh down the salary structure for a long time.

 

[bradmahn]

The last two years I have felt that Asante is a good cornerback who has great ball skills but isn't physical enough for my taste, nor does he provide the option of shadowing the opposition's best receiver. He isn't a shutdown cornerback and isn't worth the money he got in Philly. If they expect him to play the same style that they have played for the last eight years or so, I don't think they'll be happy with their investment, either.

He has a great knack for jumping routes and usually makes the catch if it is near him but INTs aren't the only measure of judging a cornerback's worth.

Deion Branch wasn't a dominating wide receiver for the Patriots, isn't/hasn't been a dominating wide receiver for the Seahawks and hasn't been worth a first round pick. The contract he signed isn't a backbreaker now, but that's only because of the highly inflated deals we've seen other comparable (or even lesser) receivers receive. Most people recognize him for what he is, a 1 1/2 receiver, if you will.

His inclusion in the context of this thread is mind-numbingly incoherent.

As an aside, I fully believe the Patriots are at least 13-3 in '06 if Branch is still on the team (week three against the Broncos, having a legitimate air attack changes the outcome of that game, in my opinion), which means no trip to Indy and probably a win in the AFCCG.

Both players are similar in that they were very good for the Patriots but were compensated like #1s when they are 1.5s.

 

[bradmahn]

ok. but the original debate was that people seem to revel in the failures of ex-pats when they leave and hence we see alot of threads with the general theme of "I guess the front office knew what they were doing" or "he was a system player".

How is there a debate over whether or not the players who leave the Pats are as successful (individually or collectively) as they were in New England? Aside from Vinatieri (collectively only)...

They aren't.

There is no debate.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

How is there a debate over whether or not the players who leave the Pats are as successful (individually or collectively) as they were in New England? Aside from Vinatieri (collectively only)...

They aren't.

There is no debate.

The point is people revel in the failure and it's tiring.

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

The point is people revel in the failure and it's tiring.

What amazes me about the Samuel signing in Philly is that their organization, media, and fans just went on and on last year how the Pats cheated them out of that Super Bowl...

Now when they get Samuel, they're all of a sudden not only welcoming him uber-warmly, but they're also changing their tone to "But it was ONLY defensive signals they stole", "Samuel and the Pats' D had NO idea about the cheating b/c no defensive signals were stolen et al", "There were many other reasons why we lost that Super Bowl, but we WEREN'T cheated out of it", blah, blah, blah.

You just gotta love the hypocrocy, that's all.

FYI-remember Sheldon Brown was (very)outspoken over Spygate last year. Last Spring, there were rumors circulating that he was angered over the Samuel signing.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

What amazes me about the Samuel signing in Philly is that their organization, media, and fans just went on and on last year how the Pats cheated them out of that Super Bowl...

Now when they get Samuel, they're all of a sudden not only welcoming him uber-warmly, but they're also changing their tone to "But it was ONLY defensive signals they stole", "Samuel and the Pats' D had NO idea about the cheating b/c no defensive signals were stolen et al", "There were many other reasons why we lost that Super Bowl, but we WEREN'T cheated out of it", blah, blah, blah.

You just gotta love the hypocrocy, that's all.

FYI-remember Sheldon Brown was (very)outspoken over Spygate last year. Last Spring, there were rumors circulating that he was angered over the Samuel signing.

if you can't beat them then become like them??

teams will also overpay for what they perceive as a big upgrade.

some people love asante, some don't(seems like alot). he got his money. if he is awful(like jason david) then so be it.

he was good here when he played, and he's moved on.