Lombardi on Pats offseason ahead

I agree with Lombardi 100%. The pats have enough talent. What they lack is top-level talent at key positions.

Interior O-line is also a critical need IMO.

robertweathers said:

I agree with Lombardi 100%. The pats have enough talent. What they lack is top-level talent at key positions.

Interior O-line is also a critical need IMO.

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Like he also said, the Pats have cover people in place in the back end with McCourty, Bodden coming back from injury and a couple of other people. This has to be the year BB upgrades the rush and finishes rebuilding that front 7.

A new CBA doesn't have to come before the draft for the rookie salary cap to be implemented. The owners have already given their proposal to the union. The only way a lockout is avoided is if the owners declare an impasse in negotiations (or the union decertifies to avert being locked out). If either of those two scenarios happen the league continues on under the last best offer ownership had on the table relative to a CBA. Rest assured that offer will include a rookie salary cap effective immediately, as well as a return to the salary cap era and probably an 18 game season commencing in 2012.

The only way the rookie salaries would remain uncapped is if both sides agreed to continue with the status quo pending a new CBA, and the owners have already said that is not an option they are willing to consider.

Lombardi had an interesting observation on twitter a little while ago. 26 years ago he was on the 49ers staff when they won their second superbowl. In the three years that followed they were one and done in the playoffs. Go figure... Perspective.

MoLewisrocks said:

Lombardi had an interesting observation on twitter a little while ago. 26 years ago he was on the 49ers staff when they won their second superbowl. In the three years that followed they were one and done in the playoffs. Go figure... Perspective.

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Yep. I remember some of the pointed moments in 49er history and actually more similar that what Lombardi mentioned.

82-They got caught up in the negativity of the lockout and had injuries to the defense.

83-They had their hearts ripped out on a Mark Mosely FG.

85-Beaten by the G-Men in the 1st round. Folks were wondering about Joe.

86-Crushed by the G-Men in the 1st round. More folks were wondering about Joe

87-Shocked by Minny at home after a 13-2 season. wd.

Over a 5 years span, the 49ers went to the SB but finished with a 4-4 in the playoffs missed them once.

Pats in 5 year span 05-10: Went to the SB, but finished 5-5 and missed the playoffs once.

So that means they will win back to back Super Bowls now?

slash83 said:

Like he also said, the Pats have cover people in place in the back end with McCourty, Bodden coming back from injury and a couple of other people. This has to be the year BB upgrades the rush and finishes rebuilding that front 7.

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Who, exactly? I hope you're not speaking of Arrington and butler...neither of those guys are adequate NFL corners.

BradyToHernandez said:

Who, exactly? I hope you're not speaking of Arrington and butler...neither of those guys are adequate NFL corners.

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Adequate means you can start in the NFL and be nothing special- not horrible but not great.

Kyle Arrington was adequate.

Butler I agree with your assessment. Hes got a ways to go.

This is the year we trade UP for blue chippers.

this is my first post since the loss... i was devastated.

I would really like anyway we can to get Quinn whether he is a bust or not his upside is ridiculous and exactly what we need as far as getting to the QB... we don't get to the QB we lose big games just take a look at the impact suggs (i hate him but he's good) had on the playoffs for the Ravens

jsull87 said:

just take a look at the impact suggs (i hate him but he's good) had on the playoffs for the Ravens

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He was going up against Jonathan Scott. He's the one who TBC had his 3 sack game against two years ago.

Mark Sanchez had like 7 seconds to throw a few times. I don't care if it's Butler, mcCourty or Bodden back there, no one is stopping that.

When you watch other teams play focus a little harder on their corner back play. Arrington and Butler are not horrible.

robertweathers said:

I agree with Lombardi 100%. The pats have enough talent. What they lack is top-level talent at key positions.

Interior O-line is also a critical need IMO.

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I agree.
Don't forget some of the "top level" talent will be the return of Faulk, Warren, Bodden and hopefully a draftee.

We should def shoot for OLB/DE for D.
it takes time to work w/ olb's etc....give Cunningham/Moore etc. some time and let's see what Moore can do. We should be psyched we have Mayo and Spikes...remember Beisel and Chad Brown?

We'll snatch an OL if there's value ...We have some good picking potential.
Not sure what's up w/Kaczur and Neal

We could draft a WR too (no, chad jacksons or bethel's)who knows....having Faulk back will help.... and more Hernandez and Gronkowski receiving would help. We need a big/fast WR. I dont really care about offense as much as d.

Ryan Kerrigan would be a great pass rushing DL who could be available at 17. If not then JJ Watts or OLB's Akeem Ayers and Von Miller. The addition of two of these guys would greatly improve out much needed pass rush. Then we start the 2nd round off with Stefan Wisnewski of Penn State at C/G and we're looking pretty good.

After that we can pick up an OT, field stretching WR and backup RB.

Its the $%^& Raiders faullt. There pick was supossed to be in the 5-10 range.

RoughingthePasser said:

I agree.
Don't forget some of the "top level" talent will be the return of Faulk, Warren, Bodden and hopefully a draftee.

We should def shoot for OLB/DE for D.
it takes time to work w/ olb's etc....give Cunningham/Moore etc. some time and let's see what Moore can do. We should be psyched we have Mayo and Spikes...remember Beisel and Chad Brown?

We'll snatch an OL if there's value ...We have some good picking potential.
Not sure what's up w/Kaczur and Neal

We could draft a WR too (no, chad jacksons or bethel's)who knows....having Faulk back will help.... and more Hernandez and Gronkowski receiving would help. We need a big/fast WR. I dont really care about offense as much as d.

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Warren is a top-level run stopper. That is what this defense needs almost as much as another defensive player that can put pressure on the passer. Go to footballoutsiders.com and check out how the Pats run D did on 3rd and 4th down. Not good.

While he did have a very good 2009, I wouldn't call Bodden top-level. With that said, he is an upgrade over Arrington.

At this point, Woodhead and Faulk are a dead heat. Woodhead is a better runner and Faulk is better in the passing game.

ATippett56 said:

#17 Ryan Kerrigan, DE/OLB Purdue or Justin Houston, DE/OLB Georgia
#28 Gabe Carimi, OT Wisconsin
#33 Mike Pouncey, OG Florida or Stefen Wisniewski, C/OG Penn State
#60 Jarvis Jenkins, DT Clemson
#74 Rahim Moore, FS UCLA or DeMarco Murray, RB Oklahoma or Shane Vereen, RB California
#92 Sam Acho, DE/OLB Texas or Stephen Schilling, OG Michigan
#124 Clint Boling, OG Georgia or Stevan Ridley, RB LSU

Player ratings based upon NFL Draft Scout Top 750 for 2011

NFL Draft Scout----Powered By: The Sports Xchange

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I LOVE those first 4 picks , assuming our staff determines Kerrigan can make the switch to OLB, the most risky projection.

robertweathers said:

I agree with Lombardi 100%. The pats have enough talent. What they lack is top-level talent at key positions.

Interior O-line is also a critical need IMO.

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From a defensive perspective of the New England Patriots talent:

LDE - Ty Warren
NT - Vince Wilfork
RDE - ????
LOLB - ????
LILB - Brandon Spikes/Gary Guyton
RILB - Jerod Mayo
ROLB - ????
LCB - Devin McCourty
RCB - Leigh Bodden
SS - Patrick Chung/James Sanders
FS - Brandon Meriweather

If the New England Patriots do not draft a defensive lineman, someone must step up and emerge as the starting right defensive end.

At outside linebacker, the jury is still out on Jermaine Cunningham. If Jermaine Cunningham is not the answer going forward, the New England Patriots have three major holes to fill in the 2011 NFL Draft.

ATippett56 said:

From a defensive perspective of the New England Patriots talent:

LDE - Ty Warren
NT - Vince Wilfork
RDE - ????
LOLB - ????
LILB - Brandon Spikes/Gary Guyton
RILB - Jerod Mayo
ROLB - ????
LCB - Devin McCourty
RCB - Leigh Bodden
SS - Patrick Chung/James Sanders
FS - Brandon Meriweather

If the New England Patriots do not draft a defensive lineman, someone must step up and emerge as the starting right defensive end.

At outside linebacker, the jury is still out on Jermaine Cunningham. If Jermaine Cunningham is not the answer going forward, the New England Patriots have three major holes to fill in the 2011 NFL Draft.

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Good breakdown. Agree 100%.

I'd like to think that w/ a healthy Brace, T. Warren and Wright, Pryor and G. Warren as reserves (Deaderick if he can get his act together) that is a very solid unit. Would certainly like to see someone like a Seymour 2.0 on the line but thats wishful thinking at this point.

At OLB, thats a different story. You throw McGinest, Colvin or Vrabes there in their prime and the defense is suddenly spectacular. Thats the way I'm looking at it. The problem is that it's not realistic-again.

I disagree with Lombardi.

You could say that the Patriots are one or two players away from being really good, but you could also say they're one player away from being mediocre. Take Brady off this team, and they're a 7-9 or so team.

The Patriots have a distinct lack of talent on both lines, and at linebacker. I think a lot of teams get in trouble when they start thinking that they're only one or two players away. Light is about an average LT (though I thought he might have graded out a little better than that this year), and Mankins and Wilfork are among the top players at their positions. I'd say Vollmer has some potential, but didn't improve much, if any, from his rookie year. The others are at or below average--some of the younger guys may have some upside (Brace, Pryor) but some of the older guys are getting worse (Koppen, Warren).

The best way to get two good players, as Lombardi wants the Patriots to do, is to draft five or six. For every Chung, there's a Wheatley, a Maroney, a Butler, etc.

Spiral said:

I'd say Vollmer has some potential, but didn't improve much, if any, from his rookie year.

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You're way off on that one.