Absolute Needs; Obviously there are lots of wants for upgrades

[captain stone]

I would add Rivers injury, Branch's drop in performance and the Kony Ealy experiment to the list.

I wouldn't, because that's not what the parameters of the argument were.

 

[captain stone]

You mean, aide from a sack and 4 tackles v. MIA, and a sack, 2 tackles and a safety v. the Jets?

Fair enough.

Maybe the FO can waive him at final cuts, sign him to the PS when he clears waivers, then promote him when the AFCE schedule kicks in.

 

[Love The Drake]

David Amerson signs with Chiefs.
I know some here liked him.
1 yr contract worth up to 6 mill.

 

[maineman209]

Fair enough.

Maybe the FO can waive him at final cuts, sign him to the PS when he clears waivers, then promote him when the AFCE schedule kicks in.

Well, pretty much the rest of the defense played those games, too. It's not as if Lee was lagging far behind them.

For me, the point is, he was effectively a rookie this year. He was thrown into battle without the benefit of OTAs, Camp, or even the first half of the season. I'm willing to cut him some slack and see how he develops between now and next cutdowns (six months away).

 

[maineman209]

David Amerson signs with Chiefs.
I know some here liked him.
1 yr contract worth up to 6 mill.

Apparently, a $2.25M base salary with weekly roster bonuses and incentives that can take it up to the $6M.

He didn't even visit with the Pats, AFAIK.

 

[Love The Drake]

Apparently, a $2.25M base salary with weekly roster bonuses and incentives that can take it up to the $6M.

He didn't even visit with the Pats, AFAIK.

I didn't like him for us I like Jonathan Jones to make a comeback and I like the developmental guys we have on the 90 and the return and redemption of Cyrus Jones.

 

[mgteich]

We're not going to have to go through this again, are we?

Yes.

Being the second best team in the NFL does not require a total overhaul.

Playing a defense with players who have no experience in our defense and allowing fewer points than other teams for more than half a year is pretty good.

Losing the Super Bowl doesn't require an overhaul.
-------
BOTTOM LINE
Our team was the best team in the NFL going into the season.
We had lots of injuries on defense.
We had the top rated team going into the playoffs. According to those who put down their money, we had 1 chance in 3 of winning. We didn't win.

There are teams that overhaul their team whenever they lose in the playoffs. The patriots are not one of those teams.

 

[maineman209]

I didn't like him for us I like Jonathan Jones to make a comeback and I like the developmental guys we have on the 90 and the return and redemption of Cyrus Jones.

Good size, extremely athletic, good skills, no discipline or situational awareness.

 

[mgteich]

meh......Butler was on the bench

We can say a hundred times that Butler was a solid slot corner. Folks suggested that since the beginning of the year. Belichick disagreed.

 

[mgteich]

But claiming that injuries were the culprit just isn't true.

Is the issue whether injuries made the difference between being the best team in the AFC and being the best team in the AFC. If that is the question, then the answer is no.
Would having Hightower, McClellan and Jones available for the SB made the difference of a touchdown? Perhaps.

 

[Tony2046]

I wouldn't, because that's not what the parameters of the argument were.

Hey Pal, I said add them to the damn list.

 

[captain stone]

Well, pretty much the rest of the defense played those games, too. It's not as if Lee was lagging far behind them.

For me, the point is, he was effectively a rookie this year. He was thrown into battle without the benefit of OTAs, Camp, or even the first half of the season. I'm willing to cut him some slack and see how he develops between now and next cutdowns (six months away).

Fair enough, and as in the case of Valentine & others on rookie/cheap contracts, I am not advocating getting rid of them until Cut-Down Day.
However, if Lee (and Valentine, and Gruesome, and Roberts, and Glitch Richards...) is still on the 53 after that day, barring a run of injuries, then I will probably be disappointed.

 

[mgteich]

Fair enough, and as in the case of Valentine & others on rookie/cheap contracts, I am not advocating getting rid of them until Cut-Down Day.
However, if Lee (and Valentine, and Gruesome, and Roberts, and Glitch Richards...) is still on the 53 after that day, barring a run of injuries, then I will probably be disappointed.

that too is fair enough. We all like to see upgrades. I do think that Valentine could develop.

 

[captain stone]

Playing a defense with players who have no experience in our defense and allowing fewer points than other teams for more than half a year is pretty good...

We had lots of injuries on defense...

Boasting that this defense allowed fewer points than other teams for more than half a year reminds me of Dan Duquette boasting that his Dead Sux were in first place longer than the Yankees were the previous season.

And if we had "lots" of injuries on defense, then your definition of the word differs from mine...which is the point I had originally made with Mr Stevenson.

 

[captain stone]

Is the issue whether injuries made the difference between being the best team in the AFC and being the best team in the AFC. If that is the question, then the answer is no.
Would having Hightower, McClellan and Jones available for the SB made the difference of a touchdown? Perhaps.

Having Hightower & JJones would have absolutely made the difference of a TD,
as would having Malcolm Butler.
Having McClellin on the field would have probably hurt us.

 

[IllegalContact]

We can say a hundred times that Butler was a solid slot corner. Folks suggested that since the beginning of the year. Belichick disagreed.

If you believe the notion that the only reason he sat was scheme....I don’t

 

[maineman209]

If you believe the notion that the only reason he sat was scheme....I don’t

The Pats clearly went with the 3-safety Big Nickel for pretty much the entire game, and were often in a 4-safety Dime (hence, Richards). It didn't work because the players didn't execute well at all (none of them ... not just "the usual suspects").

In any case, that strategy was, by default, going to reduce the number of CBs on the field. Butler had been ill and missed some time with the team because of that. He didn't execute as well in practice that week as Rowe did, so Rowe got the game snaps.

"Football decision."

It seems to me that this is far more interesting and meaningful from a football perspective (especially in terms of the evolution of the game) than any of this soap opera melodrama that folks are reading into it (and urged to by media types).

 

[IllegalContact]

The Pats clearly went with the 3-safety Big Nickel for pretty much the entire game, and were often in a 4-safety Dime (hence, Richards). It didn't work because the players didn't execute well at all (none of them ... not just "the usual suspects").

In any case, that strategy was, by default, going to reduce the number of CBs on the field. Butler had been ill and missed some time with the team because of that. He didn't execute as well in practice that week as Rowe did, so Rowe got the game snaps.

"Football decision."

It seems to me that this is far more interesting and meaningful from a football perspective (especially in terms of the evolution of the game) than any of this soap opera melodrama that folks are reading into it (and urged to by media types).

Except it did not work at all from the very beginning and to not take at least a chance with butler on Agholor is the stupidest ‘football decision’ if it indeed was a ‘football decision’ since 2 of those part of that ‘football decision’ had showed zero capacity to execute that decision in a football game

The problem with your theory is the infinite stupidity associated with it

 

[maineman209]

Except it did not work at all from the very beginning and to not take at least a chance with butler on Agholor is the stupidest ‘football decision’ if it indeed was a ‘football decision’ since 2 of those part of that ‘football decision’ had showed zero capacity to execute that decision in a football game

The problem with your theory is the infinite stupidity associated with it

F**k off.

 

[IllegalContact]

F**k off.

Struck a nerve there, buddy ol boy....... tough sh.t