Where Do We Still Need Depth?

[mgteich]

I think we have four weeks to develop the "final" roster.

We'll see a veteran lineman after Week 1. We have an obvious need with Neal and Ross on the PUP. Faulk will be back, presumably at the expense of Jones (although it could Slater or Ventrone who is the odd man out). And, Belichick has promised more moves, upgrading a position or two.

Upgrades are one thing. But is there is there anywhere you see a crying NEED that might be filled?

My candidates ar ILB and SS, Seau and Lynch, unless Belichick has someone else in mind.

 

[Pats726]

I think we have four weeks to develop the "final" roster.

We'll see a veteran lineman after Week 1. We have an obvious need with Neal and Ross on the PUP. Faulk will be back, presumably at the expense of Jones (although it could Slater or Ventrone who is the odd man out). And, Belichick has promised more moves, upgrading a position or two.

Upgrades are one thing. But is there is there anywhere you see a crying NEED that might be filled?

My candidates ar ILB and SS, Seau and Lynch, unless Belichick has someone else in mind.

Agreed...unless a D lineman could upgrade over LSmith....I k
now someone will say it...Cassel....BUT really...

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Haahaa! Your joking right? The DB's still suck, the O-Line needs help everywhere and the D-Line needs a backup NT. Last but not least, the backup QB's are joke. It's beyond me how Matt Cassel is still a New England Patriot. He should thank God everyday. He is the Scott Zolak of this era.

 

[Frezo]

I think we have four weeks to develop the "final" roster.

We'll see a veteran lineman after Week 1. We have an obvious need with Neal and Ross on the PUP. Faulk will be back, presumably at the expense of Jones (although it could Slater or Ventrone who is the odd man out). And, Belichick has promised more moves, upgrading a position or two.

Upgrades are one thing. But is there is there anywhere you see a crying NEED that might be filled?

My candidates ar ILB and SS, Seau and Lynch, unless Belichick has someone else in mind.

ILB...Thomas may be a natural outside, but he is also very good inside. His play inside has been replaced by a rookie. Mayo has stellar abilities many of which he has translated into talents, but he has zero regular season experience. There will likely be certain coach/QB/receiver combos that will give him issues. Like you said, the only way to squash that is to put Thomas inside for a bit. Mayo will eventually get it, but there will be some stumbles along the way. Did Green line up at OLB last year? I don't recall.

 

[mgteich]

I'm thinking of pass-rushing situations with Green as a rusher, either with his hand down or not.

ILB...Thomas may be a natural outside, but he is also very good inside. His play inside has been replaced by a rookie. Mayo has stellar abilities many of which he has translated into talents, but he has zero regular season experience. There will likely be certain coach/QB/receiver combos that will give him issues. Like you said, the only way to squash that is to put Thomas inside for a bit. Mayo will eventually get it, but there will be some stumbles along the way. Did Green line up at OLB last year? I don't recall.

 

[D-cleater]

with the O line slowly getting back to health, I like the way the offense is looking. I'd like to see a 1st day pick used on the right side of the line, but I think we get through this year with what we have there, with the following caveat regarding TE:

TE - little concerned that we don't have a proven blocking specialist. Without a true "road grader" type lineman in our front five, especially with Neal out, our running game is a question mark, even with the talent in the backfield. Still, we are very solid at the position if you look around the league.

RB - no 2004 Cory Dillon or 2005 Curtin Martin, but assuming Jordan pans out perhaps more depth than we've seen in a few decades.

QB - I have high hopes for O' Connell as our #2 by end of season, so I see this as an upgrade from last year.

D Line - It'd be nice to get an upgrade on the second team, over Smith or Wright, but barring the unthinkable we're fine here. Titas Adams is not a bad practice squad player from what he showed ( IMO) .

LB - Totally depends on where the injuries happen. I'm personally very high on the rookies, so I like the depth at those positions. I'm pessimistic on Woods and Alexander. An injury to Thomas or Bruschi could have major impact , depending on severity.

I think we cut it very close waiting until 2008 to add depth to the LB corps...lets hope we didn't cut it too close. A Seau return would be a welcome sight, but other than him I think we roll with the current group.

Safety - Would love to see an upgrade at SS next year, I think we get one more year tops from Rodney and while Sanders is solid, he'll never be spectacular. In other words, he'll save the big play, but not the third down conversion, at least with any consistency. Merrieweather may be solid if he softens up those stone hands.

CB - We're fine. I for one an relieved we cut Bryant and believe O'neal is going to shine with a fresh start and good coaching. The rookies provide solid depth....they will both get burnt on occasion but they are learning from the best in the business and will be very solid in time.

I do'nt know why I answer in such a long winded fashion but it was fun..... in summary, I 'm happy with the depth we have, especially with the addition of O'neal.

 

[Fencer]

We have two very reliable LBs overall, in Vrabel and Thomas. The rest have limitations or question marks of various sorts.

NT depth behind Wilfork has always been questionable, but since almost all the DEs started at NT before moving outside, it can probably continue to be handled on a patchwork basis.

Pure hand-down rushing is not a worry.

OT is a clear concern. Neither of our starting tackles is a pillar of durability, and the depth behind them is shudderworthy.

 

[spacecrime]

ILB...Thomas may be a natural outside, but he is also very good inside. His play inside has been replaced by a rookie. Mayo has stellar abilities many of which he has translated into talents, but he has zero regular season experience. There will likely be certain coach/QB/receiver combos that will give him issues. Like you said, the only way to squash that is to put Thomas inside for a bit. Mayo will eventually get it, but there will be some stumbles along the way.

Mayo will only get it if he plays. All vets are not better than all rookies. If you want to sit Mayo in favor of a vet, you would have to find a vet so good, it is worth not letting Mayo learn the position. Otherwise, better to let Mayo work into the job so that by playoffs he's a one-year vet, not a rookie who has played very little.

 

[spacecrime]

It's beyond me

Yep, we are all very well aware of this.

 

[Pats726]

Haahaa! Your joking right? The DB's still suck, the O-Line needs help everywhere and the D-Line needs a backup NT. Last but not least, the backup QB's are joke. It's beyond me how Matt Cassel is still a New England Patriot. He should thank God everyday. He is the Scott Zolak of this era.

You're the joke you should thank God everyday you are following the Patriots and NOT some other mediocre team.. YOU have no perspective at all.. It's frontrunners like you who would never stay with a team in the bad times.. and you are critical now?? How pathetic..

 

[slash83]

Do you guys think the Pats would bring in another S if they didnt think Merriweather would be ready week 1? Considering its only Harrison and Sanders I believe.

 

[Metaphors]

I'll put QB aside since very few teams are deep at that position.

Assuming good health for the whole roster, which players would really hurt the team's chances for success if they were lost for the season?

Light immediately comes to mind. While it is scary to think of a scrub protecting Brady's blind side, I do think that the Pats could still be successful with Britt there. That is more a credit to the offense as a whole than the depth at tackle. Light gets one "knock on wood" for his health, especially with O'Callaghan out.

Hard to call Mankins underrated since he is a pro bowler, but I get the feeling that he means more to the interior line than we can even imagine. I trust Brady to slide away from outside pressure but there isn't much he can do with guys in his face or diving at his knees. The Super Bowl performance aside, Mankins is the rock that Light and Koppen draw strength from. Mankins gets two "knocks on wood" for his health.

That leaves me with my top spot. The entire base defense for the Pats pivots around Wilfork in the middle. The only way the Pats could have a successful defense without Wilfork would be to change the scheme...and I'm not sure they have the right personnel to pull it off. I lost count on the "knocks on wood" I just did for Wilfork, but my knuckles are bloody so it must have been quite a few.

So upgrades at OT and OG would be really nice if the opportunity presented itself. The Pats certainly could use a true NT behind Wilfork...one that would allow the Pats to stay in a 3-4 base and not suffer too much. I just don't hold out much hope that there is anyone available that can do the job.

 

[Frezo]

Mayo will only get it if he plays. All vets are not better than all rookies. If you want to sit Mayo in favor of a vet, you would have to find a vet so good, it is worth not letting Mayo learn the position. Otherwise, better to let Mayo work into the job so that by playoffs he's a one-year vet, not a rookie who has played very little.

If Mayo is getting tooled in a game and it's costing the team points, an adjustment has to be made. No single player is above the game.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Yep, we are all very well aware of this.

So your saying Matt Cassel is an NFL worthy QB? Am I wrong?

You're the joke you should thank God everyday you are following the Patriots and NOT some other mediocre team.. YOU have no perspective at all.. It's frontrunners like you who would never stay with a team in the bad times.. and you are critical now?? How pathetic..

I don't thank God for the Pats. Sorry, but I have more important things in life than the Pats. If they suck this year, it won't ruin my life like it will for some fans. I have been a fan through thick and thin for over the past 10 years, so don't call me a front runner. This isn't the first time I have been critical of the pats, see the dude's commet above yours. Everyone rips me when I pop off on the "all-mighty" Patriots. Just because we don't work for an NFL organization doesn't mean that we know nothing about football. Where is the fun if you agree with every move your favorite team makes? We would just be robots, kool-aid drinkers, herd, lemmings or whatever.

 

[ausbacker]

If the offense commands the balls for long stretches during a game, I'd be interested to see the performance and depth of the secondary. I believe our defense will be improved, especially faster.

Week 5, pencil me in for a review.

 

[Pats726]

So your saying Matt Cassel is an NFL worthy QB? Am I wrong?





I don't thank God for the Pats. Sorry, but I have more important things in life than the Pats. If they suck this year, it won't ruin my life like it will for some fans. I have been a fan through thick and thin for over the past 10 years, so don't call me a front runner. This isn't the first time I have been critical of the pats, see the dude's commet above yours. Everyone rips me when I pop off on the "all-mighty" Patriots. Just because we don't work for an NFL organization doesn't mean that we know nothing about football. Where is the fun if you agree with every move your favorite team makes? We would just be robots, kool-aid drinkers, herd, lemmings or whatever.

Hey Buddy..I hate to say it..but the last 10 years..IS HARDLY the thick and thin.. THAT is cleatly laughable..You've NEVER followed them at all through ANY lean times..so THAT remains to be seen whether you will be there or not... This last 15 years has been the cream of the team history.. so until you have been through a REAL down cycle..my comments stand.. I guess there's no fun in that Mr Negative?? No fun??? You could have a pile of fun following the Saints...the Lions..or some of the other pitiful teams.. I think you've followed the Red Sox too much.... If that is what FUN is..I hate to say it.. you KNOW crap about the game.. You wouldn't know excellence if it was staring you in the face..wait a minute....

 

[JMarr]

I think we have four weeks to develop the "final" roster.

We'll see a veteran lineman after Week 1. We have an obvious need with Neal and Ross on the PUP. Faulk will be back, presumably at the expense of Jones (although it could Slater or Ventrone who is the odd man out). And, Belichick has promised more moves, upgrading a position or two.

Upgrades are one thing. But is there is there anywhere you see a crying NEED that might be filled?

My candidates ar ILB and SS, Seau and Lynch, unless Belichick has someone else in mind.

The OP nailed it, if you're talking purely in terms of depth. That BB feels that Mayo and Wheatley are good enough at this point to start at their respective positions is awesome--better than anyone could have hoped for coming into this season.

But who feels completely comfortable with an ILB rotation of Bruschi, Mayo, and Alexander at this point? Lot of question marks there IMO. And who would be Rodney's backup? Merriweather if healthy, I assume.

 

[Fencer]

I'll put QB aside since very few teams are deep at that position.

Assuming good health for the whole roster, which players would really hurt the team's chances for success if they were lost for the season?

Light immediately comes to mind. While it is scary to think of a scrub protecting Brady's blind side, I do think that the Pats could still be successful with Britt there. That is more a credit to the offense as a whole than the depth at tackle. Light gets one "knock on wood" for his health, especially with O'Callaghan out.

Hard to call Mankins underrated since he is a pro bowler, but I get the feeling that he means more to the interior line than we can even imagine. I trust Brady to slide away from outside pressure but there isn't much he can do with guys in his face or diving at his knees. The Super Bowl performance aside, Mankins is the rock that Light and Koppen draw strength from. Mankins gets two "knocks on wood" for his health.

That leaves me with my top spot. The entire base defense for the Pats pivots around Wilfork in the middle. The only way the Pats could have a successful defense without Wilfork would be to change the scheme...and I'm not sure they have the right personnel to pull it off. I lost count on the "knocks on wood" I just did for Wilfork, but my knuckles are bloody so it must have been quite a few.

So upgrades at OT and OG would be really nice if the opportunity presented itself. The Pats certainly could use a true NT behind Wilfork...one that would allow the Pats to stay in a 3-4 base and not suffer too much. I just don't hold out much hope that there is anyone available that can do the job.

Good analysis.

On the other hand, Warren played competent NT a few years ago, and I don't know that he's slimmed down or anything since then.

 

[Kontradiction]

Haahaa! Your joking right? The DB's still suck, the O-Line needs help everywhere and the D-Line needs a backup NT. Last but not least, the backup QB's are joke. It's beyond me how Matt Cassel is still a New England Patriot. He should thank God everyday. He is the Scott Zolak of this era.

Pretty in your face but I have to say that I agree with everything you just said.

 

[PATRIOT64]

Hey Buddy..I hate to say it..but the last 10 years..IS HARDLY the thick and thin.. THAT is cleatly laughable..You've NEVER followed them at all through ANY lean times..so THAT remains to be seen whether you will be there or not... This last 15 years has been the cream of the team history.. so until you have been through a REAL down cycle..my comments stand.. I guess there's no fun in that Mr Negative?? No fun??? You could have a pile of fun following the Saints...the Lions..or some of the other pitiful teams.. I think you've followed the Red Sox too much.... If that is what FUN is..I hate to say it.. you KNOW crap about the game.. You wouldn't know excellence if it was staring you in the face..wait a minute....

WTF are you talking about there was no down cycle in the past 15 years?

Did you follow the team to realize that the Pats sucked for 3 consecutive years from 1998 to 2000?

Think before you post and bust others 'buddy'