Are We in for a Rough Year?

TriplecHamp said:

A revis signing easily puts the pats above Denver. Some people have 0 concept of matchups and why some teams have success over others, probably the same people that thought Denver would beat Seattle. Denver has done nothing but slightly downgrade on the offensive side of the ball and upgraded at the safety and corner positions. I don't think Ware is a significant upgrade over what they got from Phillips.

Long story short: The Patriots acquiring the best corner in football along with getting Gronk, Mayo and company back will put them ahead of a Denver team that was not much better than them to begin with.

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Phillips came into the league in 2004 ,and he has totaled 80 sacks with a best year of 11sacks.
Ware drafted a year later has a total of 117 sacks , and has had 11 sacks at least 7 times. This is what you are calling an insignificant upgrade. Also the patriots are not getting Revis we will not match the top offer ,and Revis is not giving a discount.
The players coming back are not corners nor pass rushers so what you saw in the Afccg is not changing.
We will win our division and maybe even get the afccg is everything goes right ,but that's about it.

I just want to say for point of reference:
1. I wasn't in any way suggesting the year is shot and we should bench Brady
2. I admitted to being a spoiled fan so a "rough year" by my definition is missing playoffs. I was legitimately wondering if anyone else felt like things are lining up for that to occur because I wonder about how we can fill voids on the team with what is left in FA and draft.
3. I did acknowledge it's early in the process to wonder something like that, but on the other hand for me it's hard not to imagine a diminished Gronk, Wilfork, Amendola, and Mayo... that being paired with a missing Talib, Spikes, and possibly Edelman had me worried.

So it was a serious post. I wondered if others thought we might be in for a rough year as defined above...

That said, some of you have talked me off the ledge quite a bit. I'm still not convinced that getting Revis, for example, gets us over a hump. I would think we'd have the same issue as last year where there is still another half a field to cover. So while he might get us a pick here and there I still think we need another CB. I also thought we got lucky quite a bit last year, despite a couple blatant games that were stolen by officiating.

So I wasn't trying to be the "stop watching" guy. I just feel like we might be in for a dropoff and wondered what others thought. I'll still watch every game just like I always do.

FWIW, here is Denver's starting defense and depth as of now:

DE: Derek Wolfe
DT: Sylvester Williams
NT: Terrance Knighton
DE: DeMarcus Ware
SLB: Von Miller *(not expected to be ready to start season)*
MLB: ???
WLB: Danny Trevathan
CB: Aqib Talib
SS: T.J. Ward
FS: Rahim Moore
CB: Chris Harris

Experienced depth/special teamers:
DE: Malik Jackson
DT: Kevin Vickerson, Sione Fua, Mitch Unrein
OLB: Nate Irving
S: David Bruton, Duke Ihenacho
CB: Tony Carter, Omar Bolden, Kayvon Webster

Backups with little or no NFL experience, practice squad players, etc:
DE: Hall Davis, John Youboty
OLB: Brandon Marshall, Lerentee McCray, Steven Johnson, Jerell Harris, Jameson Konz
MLB: Jamar Chaney, LJ Fort
S: Quinton Carter, John Boyett, Eric Hagg, Charles Mitchell


Looks really good for them since we're only a day into free agency and the draft hasn't taken place yet, that's true. The big thing is that with their three free agent signings, they're now basically done due to lack of cap space. The depth is nowhere near as good as it was last year, with Wesley Woodyard, Robert Ayers, Shaun Phillips, Mike Adams, DRC, Champ Bailey, Quentin Jammer and Paris Lenon all free agents that will presumably not be back; even with draft picks and whoever else they may be able to sign the depth in 2014 is going to take a big hit.

Meanwhile on offense Decker and Moreno are free agents, and the starting LG has already left. That leaves zero depth on the OL, a downgrade from Decker to Andre Caldwell at WR, less depth at WR, and less depth at RB where it's just Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman.


Denver finished 2013 with 11 players on injured reserve. If they come close to that number again, they'll be very hard pressed to do as well in 2014 as they did this past season.

We have had something like 14 consecutive winning seasons, do not fall in love with the shiny beads... things will be ok. Did not expect a big splash in free agency, I for one would not have given the contract Talib go.

kudzif said:

Phillips came into the league in 2004 ,and he has totaled 80 sacks with a best year of 11sacks.
Ware drafted a year later has a total of 117 sacks , and has had 11 sacks at least 7 times. This is what you are calling an insignificant upgrade. Also the patriots are not getting Revis we will not match the top offer ,and Revis is not giving a discount.
The players coming back are not corners nor pass rushers so what you saw in the Afccg is not changing.
We will win our division and maybe even get the afccg is everything goes right ,but that's about it.

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I say that Demarcus Ware is an insignificant upgrade over Shaun PHillips today on the 12th of March 2014 and you reference their ages and career sack totals along with season high sack totals from their peak years....Do you need me to explain to you where you went wrong or should I elaborate?

TriplecHamp said:

I say that Demarcus Ware is an insignificant upgrade over Shaun PHillips today on the 12th of March 2014 and you reference their ages and career sack totals along with season high sack totals from their peak years....Do you need me to explain to you where you went wrong or should I elaborate?

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You must also think Vince, and Mayo and Kelly are done as they were injured.Everyone knows that last year Ware was playing injured and probably should have been put on injuired reserve , and if you had paid any attention to the cowboys last year you would know that.

Yes. Absolutely yes. This offseason sucks. 0-16.

TriplecHamp said:

I say that Demarcus Ware is an insignificant upgrade over Shaun PHillips today on the 12th of March 2014 and you reference their ages and career sack totals along with season high sack totals from their peak years....Do you need me to explain to you where you went wrong or should I elaborate?

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I will make the argument that Philips had a better year last year. At 31 and 32 years old, that could mean something.....ware could have lost a step.....land that'll be even worse on the grass

i mean what will we do without Talib?