Name 5 Upgrades or Replacements
 

What 5 positions would you upgrade or replace if quality players could be had
If you could wave a magic wand and get what you wanted who would you
upgrade or replace

Here is my prioritized list

1. Samuel Replacement( he's gone IMO)
2. LT ... move Light to RT.
3. RG upgrade ... Neal Ok ... but I think PATs could do better. (injured too often)
4. OLB -- a real youthful strong pass rusher
5. RCB - need one with longer arms that can reach around big receivers.

The reason for Oline upgrade is because I think PATs will bring back Moss
and teams will be trying to do what Giants did. This means if Moss is to be
effective PATs will need a stronger Oline to give receivers more time to get
down field.
I 'd also like to see BB get CBs that can play either side just as effectively.

Re: Name 5 Upgrades or Replacements
 

Only in Boston is the #2 priority upgrading the All-Pro tackle ...

Anyway, the only assumption I'll make is Asante is gone.

1. CB - With Asante gone, either draft or FA needs to net starting caliber CB.

2. ILB - Bruschi/Seau were much better in rotation. Someone needs to be brought in to start or rotate with them. This is even higher priority if Colvin goes as AD would likely move outside. You could also look at this need as OLB if the thinking is Colving goes & AD moves inside. Depends on your POV.

3. RT - I think Kaczur can be improved upon. Having him & O'C as backups and another starter at RT really improves the line immensely.

4. Punter - Never mentioned really, but I think this is a no brainer & easy upgrade.

5. FB - Evans is a decent blocker and sounds like he is a good locker room guy, but I swear to God I've never seen an alleged FB go down on first contact more than this guy. I cringe every time he carries the ball. I think there a few guys who can be drafted late -- Owen Schmidt, Jacob Hester - who are more versatile and would represent an upgrade.

Re: Name 5 Upgrades or Replacements
 

I don't know why every year everyone wants to move Matt Light to RT. Light is an above average LT and that is the toughest position to find quality talent.

All you have to do is look in our division to see that. Miami has been searching for even a decent LT for about half a decade. It took Buffalo about that long to find a solid LT for their line including spending a top 5 draft pick on a bust LT. The Jets spent the fourth overall pick for a mediocre LT.

If we end up finding a LT who is better than Light, that's great. But spending a high draft pick on a LT is a big risk (see Mike William, D'Brickishaw Ferguson, Robert Gallery, etc.).

Many teams would kill to have a LT the quality of Light. I can think of two in our own division. Light might not be the best LT out there, but he is better than 20-25 other LTs in this league.

Re: Name 5 Upgrades or Replacements
 

I think of it more as an upgrade of RT

Re: Name 5 Upgrades or Replacements
 

1. OLB pass rusher in addition to Colvin or replacing him(hope he comes back)
2. ILB- a guy who is gonna be a tackling machine and can blitz when need be
3. CB(go with Gay and draft a cb to develop behind Hobbs and Gay)
4. OL- Best available as a player to groom behind Light or Neal
5. One trick pony pass rusher in the 5th round or later

Re: Name 5 Upgrades or Replacements
 

1. RT - I highly doubt we can upgrade Light at LT and move him to RT, so I'd be happy with a better RT. BTW - Neal is a good guard, not great, but you can see the decline of the entire right side when he is out.

2. CB - we need to replace Asante, nuff said.

3. ILB or OLB - really depends on what we do with Colvin.

4. Nickel Back - Gay is gone, he was a good pick as UDFA (or was it 7th?) but I am all set with him. Hopefully Mike Richardson is the answer here...

5. Punter - I agree with tombonneau, Hanson was a 1 season tryout and he is gone, I hope.

Re: Name 5 Upgrades or Replacements
 

As for my priorities:

1.) ILB - We don't know if Seau will return and Bruschi is best suited for spot duty.
2.) CB - Assuming Samuel doesn't resign. I still think the Pats' defense is built around the front seven. We proved in 2004 that we can survive with average CBs if the front seven provides the proper pressure. That means ILB is more important than CB in my opinion.
3.) Safety - Rodney is likely in his last year. I am not confident that either Sanders or Meriweather can be that guy who makes a difference like Harrison did during the Super Bowl years. Also, Harrison's coverage skills are declining and may be better served if he rotates in and out more.
4.) RT - Kazcur doesn't seem to be the answer.
5.) Overall o-line depth

Part of the OT problem was the utter lack of decent TE's. Brady is a very good blocker, but he is very one dimensional (he doesn't get open much in the short area and less on the middle routes and deep routes) and spent a lot of time helping out Kazcur.
Watson spent his usual 3 or 4 games hurt again last season and still managed to drop a bunch of passes, he should have caught. With teams doubling Moss on the outside, the deep seam and deep middle routes should have been wide open for a TE with Watson's speed, but the offense did not run Watson there often and when they did, Brady seemed very reluctant to throw there.

We need a TE that can chip opposing DE's and still have the speed and hands to get into the flat or run a wheel route over the middle. That would make Mat Light and to a certain extent Wes Welker's lives a whole lot easier.

J long is an upgrade over Kazcur, but I can't see him dropping to us in the draft.

Re: Name 5 Upgrades or Replacements
 

matt light is going nowhere. period.

Re: Name 5 Upgrades or Replacements
 

I know a couple of posters here (and elsewhere on the Internets) have suggested Brad Cottam as a potential TE upgrade for the Pats.

In any case, me imagining Wes Welker being more open than he is now => :D