"A bunch of aging vets"????

[ivanvamp]

From: Team Preview: New England Patriots - NFL - ESPN (yes, I know some of you here hate espn and won't click on it...that's fine):

"DIVISION FINISH: 1 With Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker -- not to mention a rejuvenated Fred Taylor and Joey Galloway -- this is the best offense in the NFL and could rewrite records. And it'll need to be, with a defense relying on two rookies and a bunch of aging vets." (by Seth Wickersham)

Ok, so two rookies and a bunch of aging vets? Let's look at their projected defensive roster:

DL
Warren - 28
Green - 30
Burgess - 31
Wright - 27
Pryor - 23
Brace - 22
Wilfork - 27
Avg age: 26.8

LB
Mayo - 23
Guyton - 23
Alexander - 27
Thomas - 32
Woods - 27
Banta-Cain - 29
Ninkovich - 25
Avg age: 26.5 (25.6 without Thomas)

DB
Bodden - 27
Springs - 34
Wilhite - 25
Butler - 23
Wheatley - 24
Sanders - 25
McGowan - 25
Slater - 23
Meriweather - 25
Chung - 22
Lockett - 22
Avg age: 25.0 (24.1 without Springs)

So this defense has 4 guys over the age of 29. 14 of the 25 (56%) are 25 or younger. It's precisely the *opposite* of what Wickersham said. He said they are relying on a couple of rookies and a bunch of aging vets. In reality, they're relying on a few aging vets and a bunch of young guys.

 

[italia44]

From: Team Preview: New England Patriots - NFL - ESPN (yes, I know some of you here hate espn and won't click on it...that's fine):

"DIVISION FINISH: 1 With Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker -- not to mention a rejuvenated Fred Taylor and Joey Galloway -- this is the best offense in the NFL and could rewrite records. And it'll need to be, with a defense relying on two rookies and a bunch of aging vets." (by Seth Wickersham)

Ok, so two rookies and a bunch of aging vets? Let's look at their projected defensive roster:

DL
Warren - 28
Green - 30
Burgess - 31
Wright - 27
Pryor - 23
Brace - 22
Wilfork - 27
Avg age: 26.8

LB
Mayo - 23
Guyton - 23
Alexander - 27
Thomas - 32
Woods - 27
Banta-Cain - 29
Ninkovich - 25
Avg age: 26.5 (25.6 without Thomas)

DB
Bodden - 27
Springs - 34
Wilhite - 25
Butler - 23
Wheatley - 24
Sanders - 25
McGowan - 25
Slater - 23
Meriweather - 25
Chung - 22
Lockett - 22
Avg age: 25.0 (24.1 without Springs)

So this defense has 4 guys over the age of 29. 14 of the 25 (56%) are 25 or younger. It's precisely the *opposite* of what Wickersham said. He said they are relying on a couple of rookies and a bunch of aging vets. In reality, they're relying on a few aging vets and a bunch of young guys.

.........he included Floyd Reese,Dante and Dean Pees.

 

[patchick]

Sounds to me like the writeup was done before Bruschi and Seymour's names were erased.

 

[ivanvamp]

Sounds to me like the writeup was done before Bruschi and Seymour's names were erased.

Might have been, but that site says it was updated on Sept 7 (yesterday).

 

[jmt57]

No point in letting facts get in the way of good story.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

ESPN having a sucky inaccurate article, what are the odds

 

[olschool]

The trouble is it's too easy for these " reporters " to report. They spout all kinds of garbage and click "submit". There's no way the editors can keep up with all the info. In the old days they would have to type it out on paper, and submit it to the editor for approval. These days, as with everything on the web, you can expect that just about everything you see, will need further research, before you can believe it.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Indeed, the "aging vets" on defense has been fodder for commentators for a few years. That fact that it has changed just indicates how much these "experts" really follow the teams they comment on. I heard the same thing on Fox Sports talk radio late last week.

 

[Reckedtrek]

The good news is that ESPN has us as possible SuperBowl contenders with Bledsoe and Terry Glenn leading the offense, no one can stop us now!

 

[Metaphors]

To be fair, most of the guys on that list are technically "vets". And I'm pretty confident that all of them are "aging" to some degree (if not, I'm sure Arlen Specter would have already asked for an investigation).

 

[bucky]

Yeah, this is just so absurd it's funny. Galloway and Fred Taylor are "rejuvenated", but the defense is "aging".

It almost sounds like it was written last year:

2 rookies - Mayo and Wheatley/Wilhite
30 and over - Harrison, Bruschi, Vrabel, AD, O'Neal, Lewis Sanders

This year none of the rookies are expected to be a core part of the rotation and the only guys over 30 are AD, Springs, Burgess and Jarvis.

 

[chris66]

Its funny reading messaage boards around the afc. all fans were stating the Pats D was old and slow that it wouldnt be very good.

Now our defense is to young and that we let all our veterans go and we will not be any good.

 

[mgteich]

Changing from old and slow to young and inexperienced doesn't necessarily make the patriots a top defense.

Its funny reading messaage boards around the afc. all fans were stating the Pats D was old and slow that it wouldnt be very good.

Now our defense is to young and that we let all our veterans go and we will not be any good.

 

[bucky]

Changing from old and slow to young and inexperienced doesn't necessarily make the patriots a top defense.

Certainly not. But it's a step closer. I was going to say that it's one of those "1 step back, 2 steps forwards" things, but I certainly hope we're not taking another step back from last year. That would be very bad. Or if we do, let's hope those steps forward come very fast.

 

[mgteich]

I would have agreed that we had moved forward except for the recent trade. Now, for the defense, we need to hope that the rooks develop this year and are top contributers in 2010 and 2011.

Certainly not. But it's a step closer. I was going to say that it's one of those "1 step back, 2 steps forwards" things, but I certainly hope we're not taking another step back from last year. That would be very bad. Or if we do, let's hope those steps forward come very fast.