Bring Back the Band -- Dynasty 2.0?

Bring Back the Band -- Dynasty 2.0?


I know we are just fresh off a Superbowl win. But did you realize the Pats are the youngest team to win the Super Bowl with an average age of 25.2? This means that if we retain the right pieces, we have the core to go after perhaps another 2 Lombardi trophies in the next 3 years. 6 championships would mean Football Immortality. Forget about 19-0.

Here is a list of our free agents for 2015:
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/new-england-patriots/

Out of that list here are the key players I think we need to bring back--
Revis CB, McCourty S, Gostkowski K, Vereen RB.

Revis - lynchpin to the secondary.

McCourty - has turned himself into a top notch reliable deep midfielder.

Gostkowski - didn't have to do much this Superbowl, but I would trust him in the clutch and so would BB.

Vereen - a pass catching machine out of the backfield as we've just seen.


Sadly, I don't think Ridley will be coming back. Blount will be returning next year because he signed a 2 year deal after we picked him up from Pittsburgh.

The other guys on the list will probably only come back if they are willing to come cheap.

The salary cap for 2015 is estimated to be 140-145m. Let's call it 142.5m. Compare to 2014's cap of 133m.
Who do you re-sign and who do you let go if you're BB? And how much are we paying them?

I was thinking the same thing like i have feeling we can start a dynasty 2.0 this decade and i see NO REASON AT ALL why we won't be back at the super bowl next year, i have my money down for a repeat and our schedule for the 2015 season is a lot easier then this years schedule so #1 seed is pretty much guaranteed

wait...we had a cap of 133 this year but one of 142.5 for next...and we were well under the cap this year no?

and we can transfer what we didnt use into next year no?

im no miguel...but it seems to me that we should be able to retain those guys for close to market value...

we really dont need any splashy signings...not at QB, not at RB, not at WR, not at LB, not at CB, not at S

only OL, DL, and TE...and a lot of that help can come from the draft...

Health

WR / Tight End -- La Fell and Amendola should improve next year with the Pats, and Dobson should be a good 4th receiver. Hopefully Wright gets better, and then our receiving core should be as good or better next year.
Secondary -- should also be as good or better next year if we keep Revis & McCourty.
LB: Should also be as good or better
RB: I'd like to keep one of Vareen or Ridley -- and preferably Vareen; but if the cost is too much I'd be okay gambling with Gray (& Blount) back there
O-Line: they came together at the end of the season so I see no issues there
D-Line: This is the one area I'd really like to see improved. They were the weak link this year, and they might still be next year; but if we can improve then this team should be favorites to repeat. I'm not big on Easly making an impact as he essentially missed his 3 prime years of development. But maybe they can either get a impact free agent, or draft someone in the 1st round to provide depth.
Also think Wilfork could be at worst a cut, and at best have a diminished role due to age.

Expect to create more cap space with either/both an Amendola trade/cut/restructure and a mayo restructure

sadly I could also see big vince retiring.

New England Pride said:

Health

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This. They definitely have the pieces to repeat as AFC champs, and then it's a one-game playoff for the championship. They might not get there, but I think the biggest reason they wouldn't would likely be injuries.

We all wondered what the Pats would look like with a healthy Gronkowski throughout the playoffs. Well, now we know. Unbelievable.

Can they make it two years in a row relatively healthy? That's the great unknown. No question, even if they lose Revis, they'll be one of the top contenders.

Do not believe that average age number of 25.2.

I want 3 in a row

Honestly, I see Collins getting better. Hightower getting better. Stork getting better and becoming a top Center in the league. Butler getting better, this kid in that final drive made 3 umbelievable plays. And earlier in the third stuffed Lynch for no gain. He's a keeper.

In the draft we add a new RB, some new OGs, a new TE, DL. This team should be even stronger if we can bring back Revis and McCourty.

I see big Vince retiring but Mayo should be back cheaper and that should help our run D.

One guy I dont know about is Easley. I'm not saying he's a bust or anything like that. I just really see him as an unknown so if he can come out guns blazing next year that's a huge plus for us.

Maybe I don't quite get what "dynasty" precisely means, but this seems part of the same 14 year BB/TB tradition of always fielding a winning team who's always in the mix to go to the Superbowl. Actually winning the SB seems to come down to a margin of a miraculous catch or two.

I'm still on Dynasty 1.0. But this is just semantics.

2001, 2003, 2004, 2014 is the same dynasty, and if we get more, it will still be the same dynasty.

Connecticut said:

2001, 2003, 2004, 2014 is the same dynasty, and if we get more, it will still be the same dynasty.

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Exactly. We never stopped being a dynasty. Our run is like FSU in the 90's. Incredible. No doubt we can push for another title in the coming years, and I expect them barring health to be back in the AFCCG in 2015.

Shane Vereen made himself a bundle of money in Super Bowl he will be a hot commodity come FA he is a Excelent 3rd Down pass catching RB when healthy...he's still not much of a runner. Lightening does strike twice with Wooddhead going down last year it wouldn't surprise me if San Diego makes a run at him. If they think Woodhead's injury could hamper him long term.

Miguel said:

Do not believe that average age number of 25.2.

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Are you saying that's wrong?

The Patriots have some Redshirt players coming back who could do wonders for them in 2015. D Easley - Aaron Dobson - Josh Boyce - James White.

We all know Easley's history he was shut down in the middle of last season to heal up. Dobson need a OTA to get his timing down with the GOAT. A healthy Dobson is a must lets hope he doesn't have anymore setbacks. Josh Boyce I heard good things about him later in the year on the Taxi Sqad and scout Team seems like Boyce has made marked improvemnts. He was promoted to the Regular squad at the end of the season. James White was heraled as a good runner with pass catching skills he didn' get to showcase himself, will have every opportunity to do so. Even though he produced at the end if Danny Amendola is not open to restructure I could see the Pats moving forward with Dobson and Boyce. I really believe that Boyce has turmed to corner and might turn into the player we hope.

Marqui said:

Are you saying that's wrong?

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yes
Brady, Tom 37
Wilfork, Vince 33
Connolly, Dan 32
Gostkowski, Stephen 30
Ninkovich, Rob 30
Vollmer, Sebastian 30
Browner, Brandon 30
Branch, Alan 30
Revis, Darrelle 29
Amendola, Danny 29
Slater, Matt 29
Arrington, Kyle 28
Edelman, Julian 28
Lafell, Brandon 28
Wendell, Ryan 28
Blount, LeGarrette 28
McCourty, Devin 27
Chung, Patrick 27
Casillas, Jonathan 27
Devey, Jordan 26
Solder, Nate 26
Hoomanawanui, Michael 26
Cannon, Marcus 26
Aiken, Danny 26
White, Chris 25
Ebner, Nate 26
Develin, James 26
Maneri, Steve 26
Gronkowski, Rob 25
Vereen, Shane 25
Ayers, Akeem 25
Bolden, Brandon 24
Kline, Josh 25
Moore, Zach 25
Tyms, Brian 25
Fleming, Darius 25
Jones, Chandler 24
Hightower, Dont'a 24
Wilson, Tavon 24
Collins, Jamie 24
Harmon, Duron 23
Stork, Bryan 24
Allen, Ryan 24
Jones, Chris 24
Wright, Tim 24
Siliga, Sealver 24
Butler, Malcolm 24
Gray, Jonas 24
Ryan, Logan 23
Garoppolo, Jimmy 23
Boyce, Josh 23
White, James 22
Fleming, Cameron 22

The above age is as of 12/31/2014. the 53 ages averages out to be 26.264.
If you change the date to 2/1/2015. The age increases as several Pats had birthdays in January and on 2/1.

deters said:

Exactly. We never stopped being a dynasty. Our run is like FSU in the 90's. Incredible. No doubt we can push for another title in the coming years, and I expect them barring health to be back in the AFCCG in 2015.

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Looking at what happened to the 2013 squad, both in terms of composition and injuries, I would bet the 2014 squad could have sustained the same level of injury and still win the AFCCG. Probably not the SB though. IMO.

The Pats were lucky in how healthy they were this year. They lost Mayo and Ridley early, but after that the key players mostly avoided major injuries. Even the injuries that did happen weren't season-ending. Injuries are the great equalizer, and repeating will probably require staying relatively healthy. But who knows.

PatsFan2 said:

Shane Vereen made himself a bundle of money in Super Bowl he will be a hot commodity come FA he is a Excelent 3rd Down pass catching RB when healthy...he's still not much of a runner. Lightening does strike twice with Wooddhead going down last year it wouldn't surprise me if San Diego makes a run at him. If they think Woodhead's injury could hamper him long term.

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I was trying to think of a comp for him. Darren Sproles signed for 3 yrs/10.5 wtih Philly after NO cut him. While he was huge Sunday Night. Vereen is no Darren Sproles. 2/6m should get it done.