CBs, CBs, CBs

It's been suggested that if the Pats sign Browner, they'll line him up at safety. In that case, both starting safeties will be former Pro Bowl CBs.

Even if things don't happen exactly that way, the interest in Browner suggests that last year's 3 CB/1 safety line-ups -- with the safety being a former Pro Bowl CB -- weren't flukes.

Obviously, one reason for collecting CBs is the prevalence of sub packages. But that even aside, it feels like BB wants to populate the secondary with guys who have serious cover skills.

Sounds pretty good to this guy :rocker:

Obviously, it makes a lot of sense to combat things that way. The fact that he could possibly play both makes me excited at the prospect. Of course, we need confirmation first.

If stage one is to fill the secondary with A grade talent stage 2 should be to fill the DL with A grade talent.

Assuming Browner comes to fruition, it's pleasing to see Bill has reassessed what a dominant D can do to a dominant O. Help on O for Brady is great but I'd rather see him need 15 points to win a game rather than a number in the 20s.

It's funny because Pats traditionally do not pay CB's.

Going back to the Ty Law days.... then Asante Samuel... then Talib left...

DB's just never got paid in New England and those first two I mentioned had really bitter departures.


then BOOM! They sign the highest paid CB in the league. I really didn't think it would happen but I'm glad they signed Revis. and now they're going after Brandon Browner too? Wow. That would be a good secondary.

Obviously BB sees a rematch with Denver in next years playoffs and is loading up to stop Peyton. He saw how Seattles defense shut him down and made DB a priority for this years Free Agency. BB must've gotten a hard on seeing how easily the Seahawks DB's handled Peyton in the Superbowl.

ausbacker said:

If stage one is to fill the secondary with A grade talent stage 2 should be to fill the DL with A grade talent.

Assuming Browner comes to fruition, it's pleasing to see Bill has reassessed what a dominant D can do to a dominant O. Help on O for Brady is great but I'd rather see him need 15 points to win a game rather than a number in the 20s.

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You know I'm a huge fan of the defensive points average stat in our 9 game "dynasty" run, which ended up at something like 16.8 in 7 1/2 out of 9 games. The only times that I took out where the AFCCG vs Pittsburgh, due to the fact that we ran out to a decent lead and gave up the equivalent of garbage time points, and the 2nd half of the 2003 SB where CAR/NE came out from a 0-0 score at the half and exchanged points.

Other than those instances, the rest of the time our defense dominated in giving up pts, and that's something we've been missing tremendously.

It's only fitting that we should stock talents in our Secondary, it's been our achilles heel since forever lol chung, meriweather, hobbs, wheatley, wilhite, shawn spring, delta oneal, butler etc

Im just happy that Belichick finally come to his senses and sign a big money DB instead of developing skills in a rookie, he know Brady's time is closing.

Dodie said:

It's only fitting that we should stock talents in our Secondary, it's been our achilles heel since forever lol chung, meriweather, hobbs, wheatley, wilhite, shawn spring, delta oneal, butler etc

Im just happy that Belichick finally come to his senses and sign a big money DB instead of developing skills in a rookie, he know Brady's time is closing.

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I think things may be a bit different if the CB market had stayed much of the time, even with a slight raise where the average good CB was making 6-7m. Belichick likely would've been fine with resigning Talib or even someone else at that kind of money, but it's almost stupid to take a risk on him at the money that's being thrown around.

I think when the market jumped so dramatically and guys like DRC starting turning down 9 million dollar a year 6/54 contracts, it became only natural to consider paying a few more million dollars to have the top tier future potential HOFer in Revis. It always seems like the market helped to push him and sway his mind (in my opinion). Why pay a guy like DRC or Talib 75-80% of what you'd pay the best in the game?

MrNathanDrake said:

It's funny because Pats traditionally do not pay CB's.

Going back to the Ty Law days.... then Asante Samuel... then Talib left...

DB's just never got paid in New England and those first two I mentioned had really bitter departures.


then BOOM! They sign the highest paid CB in the league. I really didn't think it would happen but I'm glad they signed Revis. and now they're going after Brandon Browner too? Wow. That would be a good secondary.

Obviously BB sees a rematch with Denver in next years playoffs and is loading up to stop Peyton. He saw how Seattles defense shut him down and made DB a priority for this years Free Agency. BB must've gotten a hard on seeing how easily the Seahawks DB's handled Peyton in the Superbowl.

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Ty Law didn't have any problem feeding his family his last couple of years.

But yeah -- the Pats have shown more willingness to pay up for DL, OL or TE than they have for DBs.

Fencer said:

Ty Law didn't have any problem feeding his family his last couple of years.

But yeah -- the Pats have shown more willingness to pay up for DL, OL or TE than they have for DBs.

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I think Belichick's stance is still quite similar to what it's always been.

Unless a rare opportunity arises, he's not going to be okay with paying top dollar double digit salaries to someone who isn't totally elite. If that rare opportunity arises however, the talent and ability to do more things can offset the cost.

Hopefully, Revis plays lights out and Belichick can continue to justify a double digit salary at the position. Otherwise, it's probably going to be back to the regular 6-7-8 million dollar per year range again--along with another rookie CB in next year's draft.

I think that if the same opportunity presented itself to one of the 1-2-3 "elite" WRs in the game, Belichick may strongly consider that as well; but those kinds of rare opportunities just don't come along very often.

Hell, it's a passing league, the market jumped dramatically, and guys like DRC and Talib were being offered 6/55+ million dollar deals. Why not pay an extra couple/few million for a shot at a guy who's got potential to be a HOF player?

supafly said:

I think things may be a bit different if the CB market had stayed much of the time, even with a slight raise where the average good CB was making 6-7m. Belichick likely would've been fine with resigning Talib or even someone else at that kind of money, but it's almost stupid to take a risk on him at the money that's being thrown around.

I think when the market jumped so dramatically and guys like DRC starting turning down 9 million dollar a year 6/54 contracts, it became only natural to consider paying a few more million dollars to have the top tier future potential HOFer in Revis. It always seems like the market helped to push him and sway his mind (in my opinion). Why pay a guy like DRC or Talib 75-80% of what you'd pay the best in the game?

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yeah maybe or Talib getting injured in the playoffs became a blessing in disguise lol It just emphasized the need for a shutdown CB even more and every fans know it since Hobbs, it's been our secondary. Im glad they finally succumb to the inevitable - signing a big money guy in CB position.

Dodie said:

yeah maybe or Talib getting injured in the playoffs became a blessing in disguise lol It just emphasized the need for a shutdown CB even more and every fans know it since Hobbs, it's been our secondary. Im glad they finally succumb to the inevitable - signing a big money guy in CB position.

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Secondaries are designed to shut down ELITE offenses. The "#1" ranked Steelers defense has been horrendous against elite offenses. Drives their fans nuts.

Besides, there are only three named positions

Franchise QB
Franchise LT
Shutdown CB

That's why you pay elite money.

Fencer said:

Ty Law didn't have any problem feeding his family his last couple of years.

But yeah -- the Pats have shown more willingness to pay up for DL, OL or TE than they have for DBs.

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I think it's more that we haven't had a DB that was worth what he was looking for until now. Law was coming off a major Lis Franc injury and IIRC was on the wrong side of 30 when he was cut. After his release he played a couple more solid seasons but clearly not at the level he was pre-injury or worth what he was looking for. Same with Asante, although a great CB at the time he wasn't worth that contract he got from Philly and again BB was correct to let him walk. I never bought into the theory that the Patriots don't pay. They pay, they just don't overpay. Huge difference.

With Revis you have a legit shutdown corner who is likely still in the thick of his prime, and willing to sign for barely more than Sam Shields and Aqib Talib who I'm not sure has ever lasted a full season. Unlike Revis's previous salary which was a bit too high even for his talents, he clearly is worth the current salary to BB and I tend to agree with him but I guess we find out for sure in a few months

MrNathanDrake said:

It's funny because Pats traditionally do not pay CB's.

Going back to the Ty Law days.... then Asante Samuel... then Talib left...

DB's just never got paid in New England

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Hold on -- every one of the players you listed "got paid" at a high level in their final seasons in New England.

Law was cut because he HAD to be. He had been playing on a handsome contract with a fake final year, equivalent to Revis's fake 2015 contract year. (Almost exactly -- it amounted to $19.5 million in current cap dollars.) To keep him from hitting free agency, they would have had to give a top-of-the-market long-term deal to an over-30 DB. So he got miffed, was determined to sign elsewhere...and didn't get any long-term offers from other teams, either.

The Patriots franchised Samuel in 2007, paying him the equivalent of $9.5 million in today's cap dollars. Then in free agency Philadelphia overpaid for him in a big way with a 5-year deal, and came to regret it.

Talib was supposed to be a half-season rent-a-player, and everyone doubted the Patriots would re-sign him. They did. Then the Broncos gave him a long-term deal that every Pats fan thought was terrible given his injury history.

And now they've signed the top CB in football on the open market...for one year.

It seems to me that the Patriots have shown consistently that they're willing to pay top dollar for db's, but not give really stupid bloated long-term contracts that they'll come to regret.

I was thinking about the following dime package:

Chandler Jones, Kelley, Armstead, Ninko DL

J Collins LB

Dennard, Arrington, Revis, Browner, McCourty, Ryan

With some rotation DL available like Chris JOnes, and another DE, Peppers?

Not so many 3rd & 10 conversions. BB & Matt O can have fun moving the pieces around.

perhaps he is simply recognizing the evolution of the game, and the importance of DB's with elite cover skills


offenses are evolving, D's must evolve to keep up......this is why a guy like Spikes is finding it tough to get paid......


with an evolving need on D......how the team structures it's salaries is bound to change; the emphasis on what positions get allocated which resources is evolving along with the defensive philosophy

I think bill has always been willing to pay for exceptional talent that impacts the game.He didnt mind paying top dollar for Randy Moss...a HOF once in a generation receiver.he didnt mind paying top dollar for Rob Gronkowski....probably the best TE in the league. and I dont think he minds paying Darelle Revis...the best CB in the league.


but I also think Bill saw last year how the defense could look with a cover corner who you can leave on an island. When talib was healthy we were elite. He also saw what seattle did to the "best offense in nfl history" you add Revis, and possibly browner to safety. that is a physical Secondary.

too much burden has been put on brady the past few years to score 30+ points a game to win because the defense was like a sieve. Now granted if Gronk is healthy, our rookies have 2nd year jumps and we re-sign Edelman we will STILL be a top 5 offense.

but if you tell brady "hey you only need to score over 16ppg to win" we have a lot better chance than telling him "you need to score in the 20's"

give brady a Defense and a Run game(if we re-sign blount) it will extend his career even more.

MrNathanDrake said:

It's funny because Pats traditionally do not pay CB's.

Going back to the Ty Law days.... then Asante Samuel... then Talib left...

DB's just never got paid in New England and those first two I mentioned had really bitter departures.


then BOOM! They sign the highest paid CB in the league. I really didn't think it would happen but I'm glad they signed Revis. and now they're going after Brandon Browner too? Wow. That would be a good secondary.

Obviously BB sees a rematch with Denver in next years playoffs and is loading up to stop Peyton. He saw how Seattles defense shut him down and made DB a priority for this years Free Agency. BB must've gotten a hard on seeing how easily the Seahawks DB's handled Peyton in the Superbowl.

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Ty Law got paid.