Can you say Rebuild mode??
 

Quite possibly that is what the Pats are doing with the cap space... And retooling through the draft... Maybee that is BB and Sp plan?? Who knows, I can hear all the doubters now...

"Rebuild" may be too strong of a word, don't you think?
Willie, Givens and Adam - 3 guys.

We've lost one significant starter, a kicker and some role players/mediocre starters. That doesn't define rebuilding to me.

A 1st place team w/ 20 mill in cap space and 9 draft picks should not have to rebuild.

a starting outside LB and #2 reciever are not role players.

Besides, Colvin and Harrison, name me one major FA acquistion. Vrabel is the epitome of the cheap, hidden gem FA we sign.

I think it is more like how it has always been, "Can you say, draft mode?"

Brady -- draft
Sey -- draft
Branch -- draft
and on and on it goes.

Givens was the significant starter I referred to. McGinest, I don't consider a major loss until we wake up at the end of training camp without 4 good starting LB. Whether it's an OLB or an ILB with Vrabel moving back outside, and whether it's a guy from the team or outside, with our DL and Vrabel, Colvin and Bruschi, I think we'll plug a 4th LB in without a big problem.

Rebuild isn't the right word. Re-tooling is probably a little closer to the mark. We probably won't win a SB next year, but it's clear BB is trying to get Branch/Seymour re-upped and then try to find younger, cheaper and hopefully better players to fill the spots where we have had losses. That's not particularly pleasant at times like this but could pay off big in 2007 and beyond.

A little early to be saying that isn't it ?

:confused:

Actually, it's too early to say either way which is why i edited the post to say probably won't win one next year. But regardless, the larger point of the post which you selectively ignored was that BB's vision for this team is to get younger and better and that's going to pay off down the road. No?

And to be honest, no I don't think this team in its current state is a SB team. The key words being current state. A lot can chage in six months. A lot can stay the same. I began to feel the same way midway through last season and well, we all know how that turned out.