Crazy - The DEPTH of This team!!!!!!!!!

shmessy · Sep 30, 2015

In my 40 years of watching the Patriots, I do not recall another edition being THISdeep with quality personnel. This roster is already deep in most places but consider:

1) They just added up a young (1 yr younger than Collins) former 2nd round pick, about whom BB enthused today is a "4 down LB". Dana Fletcher is eligible to come off PUP in a few weeks. Oh, and don't go to sleep on one of my personal binkies (along with TE Mike Williams) Darius Fleming on the PS.

2) That excellent OL that Howe illustrated as revolving and confusing defenses each game? Oh yeah, in a few weeks it will add both Wendell and Stork. Geez, where to put them??? And don't forget it has NFL/Patriots game experienced Chris Barker and Cameron Fleming stocked away on the Practice Squad.

3) Young and Deep DL - - Chris Jones comes off of PUP in a few weeks, and it has NFL experienced Joe Vellano and Khyri Thornton sitting on the Practice Squad.

4) The 4 deep TE roster!

5) Too few WR's?? Doesn't seem to be showing. This Keyshaun Martin looked good on Sunday (and his touchdown on a HEADS UP change-of-direction-keep-the-play-alive play by him looked Troy Brown or Deion Branch-esque). Hell, Kenbrell Thompkins, who knows the system and has good rapport with Brady and Chris Harper who looked excellent in in the pre-season are both on the PS.........and have I even mentioned that JoJo LaFell comes back in 3 weeks?

I haven't compared, but does ANY other team in the NFL have as much sandbagged in the stockroom as the New England Patriots???

I CAN definitely state, however, that the Patriots have never been so deep in quality personnel as this edition is currently.

BB/Lombardi/Caserio/Najerian are not screwing around this year in the least.

.

DarrylS · Sep 30, 2015

Do not pay attention to many of the other teams, but the continual tweeking and making this team better is obvious... it is all part of the "mission" this year.

And all the while we bring in guys for workouts, they are put on speed dial.

aluminum seats · Sep 30, 2015

It's exciting for sure...I think we've all done the thing where you go through the roster and try to figure out who CAN'T get hurt for the team to still strongly contend, and the depth here definitely alters that--you still obviously would hate to see anyone go down, but the lines, for example, are so well fortified.

I.M. Fletcher · Sep 30, 2015

The only position you can point to at lacking depth is corner, and that would pull us closer to league average opposed to the bottom end.

You didn't even mention special teams, which I would argue is near flawless at every position. Best gunner, kicker, top shelf punter and long snapper, and high end pieces that surround them.

It truly is a landmark season that could lead us to unprecedented places.

Soul_Survivor88 · Sep 30, 2015

And the crazy thing @shmessy? With the exception of Lewis, all our priority free agents will still be under contract in 2016.

Rhodey · Sep 30, 2015

Perhaps, they'll be able to leverage some in the areas you mentioned and apply it to the backfield? Personally, I am thinking one more really good corner and they're ready for prime time, personnel-wise.

The Brandon Five · Sep 30, 2015

I.M. Fletcher said:
The only position you can point to at lacking depth is corner, and that would pull us closer to league average opposed to the bottom end.

You didn't even mention special teams, which I would argue is near flawless at every position. Best gunner, kicker, top shelf punter and long snapper, and high end pieces that surround them.

It truly is a landmark season that could lead us to unprecedented places.

With an embarrassment of riches at some positions, I can't imagine that the lack of quality depth at defensive back will continue...then again, there was 2011, so...

zydecochris · Sep 30, 2015

shmessy said:
In my 40 years of watchign the Patriots, I do not recall another edition being THISdeep with quality personnel. This roster is already deep in most places but consider:

1) They just added up a young (1 yr younger than Collins) former 2nd round pick, about whom BB enthused today is a "4 down LB". Dana Fletcher is eligible to come off PUP in a few weeks. Oh, and don't go to sleep on one of my personal binkies (along with TE Mike Williams) Darius Fleming on the PS.

2) That excellent OL that Howe illustrated as revolving and confusing defenses each game? Oh yeah, in a few weeks it will add both Wendell and Stork. Geez, where to put them??? And don't forget it has NFL/Patriots game experienced Chris Barker and Cameron Fleming stocked away on the Practice Squad.

3) Young and Deep DL - - Chris Jones comes off of PUP in a few weeks, and it has NFL experienced Joe Vellano and Khyri Thornton sitting on the Practice Squad.

4) The 4 deep TE roster!

5) Too few WR's?? Doesn't seem to be showing. This Keyshaun Martin looked good on Sunday (and his touchdown on a HEADS UP change-of-direction-keep-the-play-alive play by him looked Troy Brown or Deion Branch-esque). Hell, Kenbrell Thompkins, who knows the system and has good rapport with Brady and Chris Harper who looked excellent in in the pre-season are both on the PS.........and have I even mentioned that JoJo LaFell comes back in 3 weeks?

I haven't compared, but does ANY other team in the NFL have as much sandbagged in the stockroom as the New England Patriots???

I CAN definitely state, however, that the Patriots have never been so deep in quality personnel as this edition is currently.

BB/Lombardi/Caserio/Najerian are not screwing around this year in the least.

.

BB does not have divine powers, and so he has made plenty of personnel mistakes, just as all other coaches and GM's do.

However, he has really been on a roll the last two off-seasons. I did a thread a while back where I compared the Pats at the before the 2014 draft compared to now, and the Pats front office has done extremely well. A promising new back-up quarterback, great new TE depth, a completely re-vamped promising interior OL, two promising 1st round DL prospects, the addition of Sheard plus two promising new prospects at DE, a safety position that looks like a real strength of the team, and an UDFA that looks like a future shutdown corner (and at least one other semi-decent looking free agent corner). If you assume that there is no way he could have paid the price for Revis without financially crippling the team in the future (which seems clear to me, although perhaps it is arguable), then virtually everything he has done the last two seasons has worked out remarkably well. They are really on a roll.

patsfan13 · Sep 30, 2015

Next year CB will be considered one of the best young groups in the league.

Oswlek · Sep 30, 2015

And interestingly, the only guy anyone considered poaching is Coleman. All the other players released, even guys who logged valuable minutes last year, have been moved around with ease. Remember when no one placing a claim was a sign that Bill's bad decisions were mounting?

I.M. Fletcher · Sep 30, 2015

And before we fall all over ourselves praising the management for putting this team together (well deserved), none of this is possible without Brady playing for a third of his value.

No one player has meant more to a franchise because no one player has given more to his franchise.

RobertWeathers · Sep 30, 2015

zydecochris said:
BB does not have divine powers

Pope Francis was trying to see BB last week and he said he was busy.

PatsFan2 · Sep 30, 2015

Here's a question who goes when LaFell and Stork comes back? Also does Wendell currently count among our roster now?

Clonamery · Sep 30, 2015

I.M. Fletcher said:
And before we fall all over ourselves praising the management for putting this team together (well deserved), none of this is possible without Brady playing for a third of his value.

No one player has meant more to a franchise because no one player has given more to his franchise.

See, he's even cheating himself!!!

RobertWeathers · Sep 30, 2015

PatsFan2 said:
Here's a question who goes when LaFell and Stork comes back? Also does Wendell currently count among our roster now?

Wendell is on the 53.

Who the hell knows about who might get cut. These things usually play themselves out

Galeb · Sep 30, 2015

I.M. Fletcher said:
And before we fall all over ourselves praising the management for putting this team together (well deserved), none of this is possible without Brady playing for a third of his value.

No one player has meant more to a franchise because no one player has given more to his franchise.

I love Brady, but he's not worth $42 million. He's playing for a little more than half of his market value.

mgteich · Sep 30, 2015

shmessy said:
5) Too few WR's?? Doesn't seem to be showing. This Keyshaun Martin looked good on Sunday (and his touchdown on a HEADS UP change-of-direction-keep-the-play-alive play by him looked Troy Brown or Deion Branch-esque). Hell, Kenbrell Thompkins, who knows the system and has good rapport with Brady and Chris Harper who looked excellent in in the pre-season are both on the PS.........and have I even mentioned that JoJo LaFell comes back in 3 weeks?

I strongly agree with your conclusions. However, there is no reason to overstate. We do NOT have great depth at WR, CB or RB.

WIDE RECEIVER
Martin stepped right it. Great. What does that say about Amendola and Dobson? We have Edelman and out at wide receiver. You mention Thompkins and Harper. Understand that NO OTHER team has any use for them. Let us understand "depth". If Edelman were to be out for a couple of games, we'd have one of the worst set of wide receivers in the NFL, certainly among passing teams hoping for the playoffs.

Will LaFell be back in three weeks playing at 100%? Maybe, maybe not.

That being said, Brady has more than enough to have the best offense in the NFL.

CORNER
Ryan was considered a terrible outside corner. Many of us thought that he had no future at corner at all. Ryan started this week at outside corner. Coleman came in and was an immediate improvement at nickel. Depth? Without Butler, we would have the worst set of corners among playoff teams.

RUNNING BACK
Kudos to Lewis! BTW, you talk about our depth. Who is our backup at power back? Bolden? Bolden is great depth?

mgteich · Sep 30, 2015

Galeb said:
I love Brady, but he's not worth $42 million. He's playing for a little more than half of his market value.

Brady is playing for about $10M per year. Almost all of the signing bonus is money carried forward from previous contracts.

However, you are correct, Brady hasn't been playing for 1/3 of the going rate. He has been playing at 1/2 of the going rate.

BTTA · Sep 30, 2015

I.M. Fletcher said:
You didn't even mention special teams, which I would argue is near flawless at every position. Best gunner, kicker, top shelf punter and long snapper, and high end pieces that surround them.

Excellent catch.

Galeb · Sep 30, 2015

mgteich said:
Brady is playing for under $10M per year.

His cap hit is $14 million. He already received much of his money in signing bonus and the rest is guaranteed. The average of his 3 year extension I believe was $9 milllion/year before he restructured his contract which raised it to almost $10 million. Essentially that is a hair under half of his market value. No matter which number you use, saying he's making a third his value is misleading.

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