The 2016 Patriots Will Be a Juggernaut

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.

Heraclitus

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mgteich said:

???

Yup, let's improve on Brady, Lewis, Gronk and Edelman.

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• QB -- important enough to be its own group. Perhaps the most important of all.
• WR/TE/RB/FB -- other offensive skill positions taken together.
• OL
• DL + LB
• DB

• QB did well. Yes, Brady played hurt at times; but that's football.
• OL was devastated, by injury and coaching alike. That the unit started out deep allowed the Pats to get as far as they did. But after the rookies hit the rookie wall, or were exposed by opponents' film study or whatever, the OL was a catastrophe. I'd expect the unit to play much better next season, even if talent was identical.
• WR/TE/RB/FB had a lot of injuries to play through. At its worst, the group was devastated. In the postseason, 2 of Gronk/Edelman/Lewis were playing, both hobbled, which may be all we can ask for. The next tier featured a hobbled Amendola, which may be more than the Amendola we have next season, and otherwise was a mess, with James White seriously being the best of the rest. I'm worried about this group solely because the best guys all seem to be injury-prone.
  
• DL + LB had a good year. Mayo was the main health/talent disappointment. Easley was the big loss to IR, but with that many guys, you'll have one of those. The main guys didn't have a clean health year, with both Collins and Hightower having a lot to fight through; but that's football. A repeat or improvement next season is perfectly reasonable to hope for, but it shouldn't be counted on.
  
• The DBs had a good year. Yes, CB was thin and both starting safeties were hurt at once, but that's football. A repeat or improvement next season is perfectly reasonable to hope for, but it shouldn't be counted on.

Fencer said:

OL was devastated, by injury and coaching alike. That the unit started out deep allowed the Pats to get as far as they did. But after the rookies hit the rookie wall, or were exposed by opponents' film study or whatever, the OL was a catastrophe. I'd expect the unit to play much better next season, even if talent was identical...

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captain stone said:

If the "talent" on the OL remains identical, I'd expect Brady to finish the season on IR.

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titletownpats said:

I agree that it all comes down to health. When I think about the 2016 team, I have a hard time remembering the roster/salary cap being this strong. When you move on to 2017, Butler, Collins, Jones, and Hightower are free agents. Then in 18-19 you have to think of Edelman and Gronk. Of course some of these players will be signed, but not all of them. Every important starter is signed for 16 except Blount who I think they will replace or resign. Next year might be the best talent surrounding Brady since 07 and maybe the best team he will have the rest of his career. It's too bad the schedule of opponents on paper is really tough which will make getting the bye a struggle. However, the tough schedule in 2014 prepared them for the postseason.

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PittPatriot said:

It will be a tough schedule next year. We will likely not have HFA in the playoffs...which could road playoff games in Denver or KC or Pittsburgh. That does not leave me very confident. This season hurts. When we look back on Brady's career...2006, 2007, and 2015 will always feel like 3 rings that got away.

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PittPatriot said:

It will be a tough schedule next year. We will likely not have HFA in the playoffs...which could road playoff games in Denver or KC or Pittsburgh. That does not leave me very confident. This season hurts. When we look back on Brady's career...2006, 2007, and 2015 will always feel like 3 rings that got away.

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Fencer said:

• OL was devastated, by injury and coaching alike. That the unit started out deep allowed the Pats to get as far as they did. But after the rookies hit the rookie wall, or were exposed by opponents' film study or whatever, the OL was a catastrophe. I'd expect the unit to play much better next season, even if talent was identical.
• WR/TE/RB/FB had a lot of injuries to play through. At its worst, the group was devastated. In the postseason, 2 of Gronk/Edelman/Lewis were playing, both hobbled, which may be all we can ask for. The next tier featured a hobbled Amendola, which may be more than the Amendola we have next season, and otherwise was a mess, with James White seriously being the best of the rest. I'm worried about this group solely because the best guys all seem to be injury-prone.

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betterthanthealternative said:

The OL seems to be as injury prone as the other group,

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captain stone said:

If the "talent" on the OL remains identical, I'd expect Brady to finish next season on IR.

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ivanvamp said:

The 2015 Patriots were an excellent team undermined by an absurd amount of significant injuries. It is, of course, tempting to adopt a "woe is us" attitude, but here's the reality: The 2016 Patriots should be an absolute juggernaut. Here's why.

1. Others have gone into detail with respect to how solid the Pats' cap situation is. That's important.

2. They will (barring a trade or surprise cut) return every single starter on a top 10 defense, one that is loaded with young players moving near, or entering, their prime. They will also get Easley back, and he was a force on the interior. Jones may be heading into a contract year, which could be huge.

3. Key injured players on offense will be back. Solder, Wendell, and Lewis, most importantly. Solder and Lewis especially were HUGE losses to this team. Moreover, guys like Gronk, Brady, Vollmer, Edelman, LaFell (if not cut), and Amendola, who were all seriously banged up, should be healthy. The offense, when healthy, was the #1 offense in the NFL. There is no reason whatsoever to think that when they are healthy again, that they won't be at least one of the top offenses in football. On defense, Easley, Tarell Brown, and Roberts may make a huge difference.

4. Key coaching continuity. Yes a couple of coaches are gone, but Belichick, McDaniels, and Patricia are back. Another year with the same coaches is important.

5. They play in a weak division. The Jets should be ok, but as of this moment they don't have a good QB. Fitzpatrick must be re-signed, and he will not come cheaply. And can he really duplicate his career-best 2015 campaign? Odds are against it. Moreover, they may lose some key guys to free agency. Buffalo just isn't that good, and Miami is a dumpster fire, again. The Patriots are already in a great position to win the AFC East yet again.

6. They top contenders in the AFC face uncertainty. Denver has a bunch of key guys whose contracts are up. What will they do at QB? Baltimore is a mess. Indianapolis is soft. Houston has no QB. Cincinnati and KC are solid, and Pittsburgh might be the best of the rest of the contenders, but none of those teams matches up with the Patriots.

The major hurdle for the Patriots will be twofold: injuries and the schedule. They will face the NFC West and the AFC North. The slate of road games will be as tough as it gets: at Mia, at Buf, at NYJ (even though I just said the Patriots should win the AFC East, any of these games obviously will be tough), at Cle, at Pit, at Ari, at SF, at Den. The AFC east games, at Pittsburgh, at Arizona, and at Denver will all be big-time challenges.

Assuming good health (never a safe assumption), the Patriots should end up with a top 3 offense and a top 5 defense, and should win 12 games and earn another first-round bye. They will be battle-tested and in much better shape to make a run for a fifth Lombardi.

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PittPatriot said:

It will be a tough schedule next year. We will likely not have HFA in the playoffs...which could road playoff games in Denver or KC or Pittsburgh. That does not leave me very confident. This season hurts. When we look back on Brady's career...2006, 2007, and 2015 will always feel like 3 rings that got away.

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ViperGTS said:

Don't and I mean don't ever, ever suggest such a thing. It will be a cakewalk according to most around here.

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