OFFENSE: Let's Give Tom His Toys

mgteich · Feb 25, 2013

Welker is next. After that should be Woodhead. The major questions will be the OL, with Vollmer and Thomas being free agents. I have always thought that we should bring back Thomas. And of course, we should draft a wide receiver with one of our top 2 picks (or 2 of the top 3).

Brady's extension pays for Welker and Woodhead.

DocHoliday · Feb 25, 2013

God I love Woodhead more than anyone but Brady, but with Vereen and Demps it's hard to see it happening.

I hope it happens

MoLewisrocks · Feb 25, 2013

DocHoliday said:
God I love Woodhead more than anyone but Brady, but with Vereen and Demps it's hard to see it happening.

I hope it happens

Demps is nothing beyond potential and Vereen is living proof that you can't count on that. They aren't sure of him yet and it's possible they never will be. All we know about Demps so far is he's fast and fragile. Woody is the closest thing this unit has to a veteran presence and a player they can count on to answer the call when the going gets rough.

mgteich · Feb 25, 2013

Demps is a kick returner. He may indeed get opportunities to contribute. However, Woodhead is a great 3rd down back. Yes, I expect Vereen to develop also.

Think of this way. We will have our three top running backs active and in the game plan for almost all of the reps: Ridley, Vareen and Woodhead. Boldin would be the inactive backup (injury protection). Demps would be active as a kick returner and might get a few reps. Or, you can simply cut Boldin or Demps and go with four running backs.

DocHoliday said:
God I love Woodhead more than anyone but Brady, but with Vereen and Demps it's hard to see it happening.

I hope it happens

DocHoliday · Feb 25, 2013

I like to think of it as:

Powerback: Ridley
Backup: Bolden

Scatback: Woodhead
Backup: Vereen

Demps will have to bump someone on special teams out. What I think will happen is we lose one of those clown DBs that only play ST and DMc takes that spot, opening up the returner position to Demps.

Deus Irae · Feb 25, 2013

The offensive pieces are mostly in place, if Welker is back:

QB - Brady, Mallett (I could see this position opening up due to a Mallett trade)
RB - Ridley, Vereen, Demps, Bolden
TE - Gronk, Hernandez, Fells, Ballard
OL - Solder, Cannon, Mankins, Connolly, Wendel, Zusevics, McDonald
WR - Lloyd, Welker

It really only leaves needs at OT (not sure if starter or backup), backup OG/C, and WR4, WR1/WR3, possible WR5, possible rb (depending upon how Demps is viewed by the team)

Looking at players currently on the roster, some of the "needs" could be filled by lower end players that were on the team this year, such as Woodhead at RB and Edelman at WR4/WR5

Looking at it that way, I'm with you.

Re-sign Welker
Re-sign Woodhead
Re-sign Edelman
Draft WR in round 1 or trade up in round 2 and draft WR then

Just doing that fills every available slot except

backup IOL
starter, or backup OT (depending on how Cannon/Zusevics are viewed)
5th WR, if desired (5th being a number, not necessarily a ranking)

and makes every other signing just a camp competition, rather than a need filler.

DaBruinz · Feb 25, 2013

I'll be honest. In my heart, I want the Pats to re-sign Woodhead. However, my head says that reality isn't likely. The Pats have invested a pick in Vereen and he stepped up as the season went along.

Woodhead isn't going to want to be behind Vereen. He's going to want playing time. And there are teams out there who want that sort of pass-catching back. Some of those teams include Green Bay, Denver, Miami, Cincy, Tampa, and the Giants..

I know people have talked about Lattimore in the draft since the Pats have talked to him. The Pats also have Brandon Bolden who could make things interesting if he ever gets out of the Belichick dog house.

I still have the feeling that they are going to run Hernandez as a WR more often and bring in a 4TE to push Ballard and who is more of a blocker than Hernandez. As it is, if Ballard is 100%, the 3 TE sets are going to be so dynamic it will be scary.. Well, provided that the O-line holds up...

JoeSixPat · Feb 26, 2013

mgteich said:
Welker is next. After that should be Woodhead. The major questions will be the OL, with Vollmer and Thomas being free agents. I have always thought that we should bring back Thomas. And of course, we should draft a wide receiver with one of our top 2 picks (or 2 of the top 3).

Brady's extension pays for Welker and Woodhead.

There could be any number of personnel moves the Patriots could consider to improve pass protection and give Brady more "toys" - but you're spot on with expecting investment in the offense with an extra $15 million of cap space to play with.

If they are truly not sold on Brandon Lloyd expect a move there too

Most of all this is all about Brady saying "I want to win. Now."

You gotta love that!

VJCPatriot · Feb 26, 2013

I think the Brady extension pays for Welker. But I also think the team has other priorities besides giving Brady more 'toys'. The defense is still not championship caliber. It gave up 3 straight scoring drives to the Ravens when the game was close. And Flacco isn't exactly a juggernaut QB. All he did was throw up moonballs to his WRs. It wasn't exactly a brilliant gameplan. We knew what they were doing, our DBs just weren't stopping any passes and our DL was not getting any pressure.

Pats need secondary help and another passrusher big time.

SHOWTIME15 · Feb 26, 2013

Deus Irae said:
The offensive pieces are mostly in place, if Welker is back:

QB - Brady, Mallett (I could see this position opening up due to a Mallett trade)
RB - Ridley, Vereen, Demps, Bolden
TE - Gronk, Hernandez, Fells, Ballard
OL - Solder, Cannon, Mankins, Connolly, Wendel, Zusevics, McDonald
WR - Lloyd, Welker

It really only leaves needs at OT (not sure if starter or backup), backup OG/C, and WR4, WR1/WR3, possible WR5, possible rb (depending upon how Demps is viewed by the team)

Looking at players currently on the roster, some of the "needs" could be filled by lower end players that were on the team this year, such as Woodhead at RB and Edelman at WR4/WR5

Looking at it that way, I'm with you.

Re-sign Welker
Re-sign Woodhead
Re-sign Edelman
Draft WR in round 1 or trade up in round 2 and draft WR then

Just doing that fills every available slot except

backup IOL
starter, or backup OT (depending on how Cannon/Zusevics are viewed)
5th WR, if desired (5th being a number, not necessarily a ranking)

and makes every other signing just a camp competition, rather than a need filler.

Lloyd is out

Palm Beach Pats Fan · Feb 26, 2013

MoLewisrocks said:
All we know about Demps so far is he's fast and fragile.

One ankle sprain that triggered an obviously planned "redshirt year" to get into football shape from 9 months of track and field focus hardly indicates that he is fragile.

His history before that was that he played in 51 games at Florida in his 4 years there, so let's not make him Ras-I the 2nd or something.

IllegalContact · Feb 26, 2013

Palm Beach Pats Fan said:
One ankle sprain that triggered an obviously planned "redshirt year" to get into football shape from 9 months of track and field focus hardly indicates that he is fragile.

His history before that was that he played in 51 games at Florida in his 4 years there, so let's not make him Ras-I the 2nd or something.

I think the pats put him on the field to get a quick look and then shut him down......I think the ankle injury was placebo....after the olympics, he was simply not in football shape.

As for Vereen, given what he did against the texans LB's made the pats game plan against the ravens look like a practical joke.....he was the one fricking guy the ravens would not have had an answer for....after the way he played against the texans, I'm suprised woodhead even saw the field against the ravens

ralmat55 · Feb 26, 2013

IllegalContact said:
....after the way he played against the texans, I'm suprised woodhead even saw the field against the ravens

How he played? Woodhead injured his thumb on the first play of the game and didn't return.

OFFENSE: Let's Give Tom His Toys

mgteich

PatsFans.com Veteran

DocHoliday

In the Starting Line-Up

MoLewisrocks

PatsFans.com Supporter

mgteich

PatsFans.com Veteran

DocHoliday

In the Starting Line-Up

Deus Irae

PatsFans.com Retired Jersey Club

DaBruinz

Pats, B's, Sox

JoeSixPat

Pro Bowl Player

VJCPatriot

Pro Bowl Player

SHOWTIME15

No asterisks

Palm Beach Pats Fan

Pro Bowl Player

IllegalContact

PatsFans.com Retired Jersey Club

ralmat55

2nd Team Getting Their First Start

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