Patriots reportedly interested in Chargers DE Vaughn Martin

captain stone said:

At the very least, he would be an improvement over Brace, Love & Deaderick.

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I'd love it if he turned out to be a force on the inside and true interior pass rush threat, but on the other hand, I'd be fine if he "just" turned out as good as Love and Deadrick have. For an UDFA, and a 7th round pick, both were very solid ALL SEASON, anchoring a top 10 rush defense.

Both of those guys are guys you want on your team. If Martin has the size, explosiveness, and athletic ability to add skills to the DT mix, so much the better, but Deadrick and Love aren't deserving of your derision, Capt'n

AndyJohnson said:

I keep seeing Fanene getting trashed as a bad move. I don't get that. He was EXACTLY what we needed on the DL, and he lied about his health. Unless mind reading is a requirement, I dont know how you can reasonably criticize the decision.
Have we really reached the point where we hold decision making accountable to information not available at the time?

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It got trashed as a bad move because.....here it comes...IT WAS A BAD MOVE. The player we EXACTLY needed was a player NOT addicted to drugs and a player who doesn't openly prevaricate from the very start. Nine months later and there's STILL this insane "Fanoony!!!!!" lust.

What I want is the money this turd boondoggled the Patriots out of...and THEN, never hear his friggin' name again.

patfanken said:

I'd love it if he turned out to be a force on the inside and true interior pass rush threat, but on the other hand, I'd be fine if he "just" turned out as good as Love and Deadrick have. For an UDFA, and a 7th round pick, both were very solid ALL SEASON, anchoring a top 10 rush defense.

Both of those guys are guys you want on your team. If Martin has the size, explosiveness, and athletic ability to add skills to the DT mix, so much the better, but Deadrick and Love aren't deserving of your derision, Capt'n

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I agree those two are fine depth, but we really need one more impact player on the line to go with Wilfork, either Armstead and/or someone else.

RayClay said:

I agree those two are fine depth, but we really need one more impact player on the line to go with Wilfork, either Armstead and/or someone else.

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yeah...and then maybe the Pats will take the time to DRUG TEST the new signees and see if they're all gooned up on painkillers....maybe a simple little prescription drug background history on each player they sign...you know...due diligence?

Joker, go to bed, you're drunk.

Fanene was a good signing. He lied to us. We got screwed. He'll get his just desserts.

VrabelJr said:

Joker, go to bed, you're drunk.

Fanene was a good signing. He lied to us. We got screwed. He'll get his just desserts.

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I don't drink...or abuse prescription drugs...just read what you just posted..."he was a good signing...he lied to us...we got screwed"....how can he be a "good signing" by lying to us and screwing us?...he was a very BAD signing that almost ROBBED the Pats of 3.5 million dollars.

Joker said:

yeah...and then maybe the Pats will take the time to DRUG TEST the new signees and see if they're all gooned up on painkillers....maybe a simple little prescription drug background history on each player they sign...you know...due diligence?

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I think Armstead might end up being more of an end at least in a base defense.

patfanken said:

I'd love it if he turned out to be a force on the inside and true interior pass rush threat, but on the other hand, I'd be fine if he "just" turned out as good as Love and Deadrick have. For an UDFA, and a 7th round pick, both were very solid ALL SEASON, anchoring a top 10 rush defense.

Both of those guys are guys you want on your team. If Martin has the size, explosiveness, and athletic ability to add skills to the DT mix, so much the better, but Deadrick and Love aren't deserving of your derision, Capt'n

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Deaderick & Love would be fine as our #3 & 4 DTs and in short-yardage/goal-line situations;
they are not, however, well-suited to playing in passing situations or against no huddle/hurry-up offenses.
Perhaps lumping them with Brace was being derisive, but that was not my intent.

Joker said:

yeah...and then maybe the Pats will take the time to DRUG TEST the new signees and see if they're all gooned up on painkillers....maybe a simple little prescription drug background history on each player they sign...you know...due diligence?

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Amen seems to me like they rushed into signing the guy after plan A (Red Bryant) was off the board quickly. Can we stop saying it was a good signing it was a freaking disaster.

Let me guess. he sucks anyways.

Vaughn Martin agrees to deal with Dolphins | ProFootballTalk

Scrub, didn't want him.

I didn't want him anyway. Give me Kelly.

BadMoFo said:

Let me guess. he sucks anyways.

Vaughn Martin agrees to deal with Dolphins | ProFootballTalk

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To be perfectly honest with you, I know very little about the guy except what I have read. Sounds more like a depth guy than anything else. With Love Deadrick and Pryor, I think the Pats need more of a top of the roster guy than another depth guy.

Say what you want about the Dolphins spending spree. Clearly they are overpaying and clearly this type of spending can't happen every year and doesn't come without its costs (see Jake Long and I am sure some future casualities too in years to come) but they clearly have brought in a bunch of players that are all improvements for their roster.

Don't kid yourself the Dolphins will be a better team this year. I don't think they bridge the gap between us and them yet but they have taken the first steps in doing so. I think they could have a decent season this year maybe compete for the wild card and with a few decent drafts they could set themselves up to contend. Of course it all comes down to the arm of Tannehill.

signbabybrady said:

Say what you want about the Dolphins spending spree. Clearly they are overpaying and clearly this type of spending can't happen every year and doesn't come without its costs (see Jake Long and I am sure some future casualities too in years to come) but they clearly have brought in a bunch of players that are all improvements for their roster.

Don't kid yourself the Dolphins will be a better team this year. I don't think they bridge the gap between us and them yet but they have taken the first steps in doing so. I think they could have a decent season this year maybe compete for the wild card and with a few decent drafts they could set themselves up to contend. Of course it all comes down to the arm of Tannehill.

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On paper they are much better, but that doesn't mean it will translate on the field. This NFL is littered with teams who look much improved in March and April who take a step back during the season.

Look at the Eagles. On paper the Eagles of the last two years was far better than the Eagles of 2010. It definitely didn't show in the record.

Rob0729 said:

On paper they are much better, but that doesn't mean it will translate on the field. This NFL is littered with teams who look much improved in March and April who take a step back during the season.

Look at the Eagles. On paper the Eagles of the last two years was far better than the Eagles of 2010. It definitely didn't show in the record.

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I agree sending in march doesnt always translate to the field but I think there is a big difference between what the Dolphins are doing and what the Eagles did.

The Dolphins were aweful and are turning over their roster. The Eagles were pretty good and were trying to add those few peices that put them over the top and certain cases they over spent for talent that wasnt better than what they were replacing and created a bad atomosphere in the locker room of guys who had performed for them sticking their hands out for a piece of what was being thrown around.

signbabybrady said:

I agree sending in march doesnt always translate to the field but I think there is a big difference between what the Dolphins are doing and what the Eagles did.

The Dolphins were aweful and are turning over their roster. The Eagles were pretty good and were trying to add those few peices that put them over the top and certain cases they over spent for talent that wasnt better than what they were replacing and created a bad atomosphere in the locker room of guys who had performed for them sticking their hands out for a piece of what was being thrown around.

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IDK, I still think what the Dolphins are doing is a crap shoot too.

Adding Wallace who is primarily a deep threat and losing Long and replacing him with a converted RT (at least at this point) seems like a negative sum gain. Long is no longer a stud, but is above average. But there is no use for a deep threat if your QB is constantly under pressure.

Losing Michael Bush will hurt. He was a big piece of their offense. It puts more pressure on Tannehill and could expose him as a mediocre QB.

They are still vunerable at CB although Grimes might be a good replacement for Smith if he is signed and rebounds from a so-so year in 2011 and a major injury.

Also, I am very weary of signing Raven LBers. Ellerbe has never played a full season in his career and could be an one hit wonder since he did not play well until last year. He is a big risk at the money they paid him.

signbabybrady said:

Say what you want about the Dolphins spending spree. Clearly they are overpaying and clearly this type of spending can't happen every year and doesn't come without its costs (see Jake Long and I am sure some future casualities too in years to come) but they clearly have brought in a bunch of players that are all improvements for their roster.

Don't kid yourself the Dolphins will be a better team this year. I don't think they bridge the gap between us and them yet but they have taken the first steps in doing so. I think they could have a decent season this year maybe compete for the wild card and with a few decent drafts they could set themselves up to contend. Of course it all comes down to the arm of Tannehill.

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Precisely what people said about the Bills last year. Let's wait until we see the teams actually play in September.

RayClay said:

I agree those two are fine depth, but we really need one more impact player on the line to go with Wilfork, either Armstead and/or someone else.

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IMO Armstead is a left defensive end in a base and a defensive tackle in a nickel or dime package. He is 295-300 pounds but he is close to 6'6 and very lean.

LE - Armstead, Bequette
DT - Martin, Deaderick
NT - Wilfork, Love
RE - Jones, Ninkovich

That's a depth chart I'd be very happy about.

Rob0729 said:

To be perfectly honest with you, I know very little about the guy except what I have read. Sounds more like a depth guy than anything else. With Love Deadrick and Pryor, I think the Pats need more of a top of the roster guy than another depth guy.

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I won't disagree that they need a top of the roster guy, and hopefully that will come in the form of a high draft pick + Abraham/Freeny, but we also certainly need depth too. Last year we went into training camp with 22 roster spots dedicated to the front seven. Like WR, Belichick will obviously bring in a half dozen or so DL for fodder and improved depth.

On top of that every one of the players you listed above are in their final years (Love, Deaderick, Pryor), along with Ninkovich and Cunningham. Wilfork only has one year after that, although I don't think that would ever be a problem it points to even more instability at the DL position.

We're going to have to bring in at least a handful of guys like Vaughn Martin, although I don't have an opinion on him specifically and I see that MIA signed him already anyway.

Rob0729 said:

IDK, I still think what the Dolphins are doing is a crap shoot too.

Adding Wallace who is primarily a deep threat and losing Long and replacing him with a converted RT (at least at this point) seems like a negative sum gain. Long is no longer a stud, but is above average. But there is no use for a deep threat if your QB is constantly under pressure.

Losing Michael Bush will hurt. He was a big piece of their offense. It puts more pressure on Tannehill and could expose him as a mediocre QB.

They are still vunerable at CB although Grimes might be a good replacement for Smith if he is signed and rebounds from a so-so year in 2011 and a major injury.

Also, I am very weary of signing Raven LBers. Ellerbe has never played a full season in his career and could be an one hit wonder since he did not play well until last year. He is a big risk at the money they paid him.

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I absolutely agree that I am not sold on MIA making a major move, although I'm sure they'll be more competitive and the future certainly looks brighter than this time last year.

Some of these you've mentioned but they seem to have made some lateral moves in some positions that everyone sees as somehow being great:

LT--lost Long
RB--lost Bush, going with Thomas
TE--lost Fasano, going with Keller
LB--lost Dansby, going with Ellerbe
CB--lost Smith

They are definitely in a much better position with their own resignings of Hartline and Starks, and have improved on their overall outlook of the team in draft choices and financial implications...no doubt about that.

I just wonder how many of these lateral moves will offset their big signings?

I see them as playing us tough in at least one game, with the potential to win as per many seasons, and I would certainly think that they've made a clear step into #2 in the division, but I'm not even sure they'll end up with a record over .500 yet.