Admit it, we are REBUILDING. But how far from the bottom are we?

[spacecrime]

When you jettison players like Seymour and Vrabel, when you have 7 new defensive starters (8 when you consider Adalius being inactive frequently), when you depend upon so many new guys learnng a system, when you are counting on non-star-level rookies (who generally take a few years to make an impact), when special teams was also drastically overhauled, I reach the obvious conclusion that this year was a rebuilding year from the beginning.

You say that we are rebuilding because we jettison players like Vrabel and Seymour? Two guys with one year left on their contract weren't part of the team's future plans anyway, so 'jettisoning' them is not a sign of anything.

Every year every team uses rookies. What was wrong with Vollmer's play? You like Kaczur better because he is a veteran?

You don't like Edelman because he is a rookie? Prefer Galloway?

The Pats won the division and made the playoffs, and that makes it obvious they are rebuilding? Come on.

The only thing obvious to me is that Brady has not recovered fully from his knee surgery.

 

[bostonia3333]

We aren't too far off from being a playoff team next year---we are simply an average team right now. It will take some miraculous roster changes/FA acquisitions/trades to make this team a super bowl contender. The DC and OC must be changed too, and I have my doubts that they will change

As it looks right now, without Welker for 2010, without Wilfork, and an OL a far cry from its former self...... 7-9/8-8 doesn't sound too far off. That's part of the cycle I guess. Hopefully it doesn't last too long.

 

[emoney_33]

We aren't too far off from being a playoff team next year---we are simply an average team right now. It will take some miraculous roster changes/FA acquisitions/trades to make this team a super bowl contender. The DC and OC must be changed too, and I have my doubts that they will change

As it looks right now, without Welker for 2010, without Wilfork, and an OL a far cry from its former self...... 7-9/8-8 doesn't sound too far off. That's part of the cycle I guess. Hopefully it doesn't last too long.

7-9/8-8 is the dumbest thing I've heard. Absolutely ridiculous.

 

[mgteich]

I don't think 8-8 or 7-9 is all that unreasonbable if we were lose Wilfork, have no welker AND not improve the line. I expect us to re-sign Wilfork, secure Mankins for the year, and use a very high draft choice to draft a RG, so I think out receord will be better.

We aren't too far off from being a playoff team next year---we are simply an average team right now. It will take some miraculous roster changes/FA acquisitions/trades to make this team a super bowl contender. The DC and OC must be changed too, and I have my doubts that they will change

As it looks right now, without Welker for 2010, without Wilfork, and an OL a far cry from its former self...... 7-9/8-8 doesn't sound too far off. That's part of the cycle I guess. Hopefully it doesn't last too long.

 

[emoney_33]

I don't think 8-8 or 7-9 is all that unreasonbable if we were lose Wilfork, have no welker AND not improve the line. I expect us to re-sign Wilfork, secure Mankins for the year, and use a very high draft choice to draft a RG, so I think out receord will be better.

Yea it's reasonable if the patriots sit on their ass, lose everyone, trade all their draft picks and get no one.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

The Pats won the division and made the playoffs, and that makes it obvious they are rebuilding? Come on.

The only thing obvious to me is that Brady has not recovered fully from his knee surgery.

People treat the "R word" (rebuildng) like it means you are 1-15 and are blowing everything up and bringing in 53 new guys. Nobody does that. The amount of roster turnover from 2008 to 2009 seemed abnormally large to me, especially for a successful team, and so if you hate the R-word just call it a massive one-year reshaping that is part of a larger roster reshaping process.

I call it a rebuilding effort, and I'd be very thrilled if this year was the bottoming out of the process and we only go up from 10-7. I certainly think that this is possible, and that was the point of the thread.

It makes it obvious they are rebuilding / reshaping/ because they replaced >70% of their defensive and special teams players in a single season, for the one-millionth time. Bill Belichick didn't wait until he had to revamp the team due to lack of success-- he jump-started the process early, and I think that his choice will be judged wise in the long run.

They could have kept Vrabel, kept Seymour, kept Gaffney, talked Bruschi into staying in a limited role, and all of those things might have helped them a little bit this year but it would have been a 1-year fix (maybe a little more with Gaffney) but the cost would be less player development, less money to bring in younger guys, and a delayed transition to the roster Bill wants to have a couple of years down the road. I think he decided to make changes for the future, and to make more of them in one year than is typical for him, knowing that the core was strong enough that we could still have a winning season. Guys like Guyton, Butler, Aiken, Willhite, Chung, McGowan et. al would have to step up. Being young guys or even rookies, it wasn't going to be easy because guys like Vrabel left big shoes to fill. The experience will help these guys going forward, though, and help the team more than relying on guys who are better now (like Seymour and Vrabel) but are arguably trending downward at least relative to their salary expectations.

 

[emoney_33]

People treat the "R word" (rebuildng) like it means you are 1-15 and are blowing everything up and bringing in 53 new guys. Nobody does that. The amount of roster turnover from 2008 to 2009 seemed abnormally large to me, especially for a successful team, and so if you hate the R-word just call it a massive one-year reshaping that is part of a larger roster reshaping process.

Because rebuilding means that the old building was destroyed. The Patriots were never broken, or crumbled. They have consistently done maintenance every year, this year just so happens that a few different parts of the building require a little more attention. Patchwork, not rebuilding

 

[bradyovermanning]

rebuilding? i'm sorry but a 10-6 record, division title, and playoff birth doesn't qualify as rebuilding in my opinion. this is more like a team with some holes to fill. and knowing the patriots they will fill those holes. and the patriots will do better next year. that much i'm sure of.

 

[Brono]

It's interesting how the uncertainty surrounding the team has increased in scope over the course of the season.

For example, early in the season, it was uncertain how the team would play for two consecutive halves. Later, the uncertainty expanded to two consecutive games. Now, it's up to two consecutive seasons.

 

[rabthepat]

We are in a rebuilding year. We need to rebuild the following;

1) Coaching
2) Running back - we have none.
3) Tight End
4) Secondary
5) Linebackers - a hodge podge fit for replacement
6) O/L - Time for new blood. The Matt Light experiment is over.

If we do not revamp and Miami gets a QB I expect to finish third next year.

 

[Relentless649]

Teams like the Rams(1-15), Bucs(3-13), & the Raiders(5-11) are Rebuilding. We(10-6) are transitioning.

 

[PowerRunRevival]

We made the playoffs this year. We are not anywhere near the bottom. We will be even better next year after a draft in which we have a lot of early picks.

 

[vyrago]

We made the playoffs this year. We are not anywhere near the bottom. We will be even better next year after a draft in which we have a lot of early picks.

Well according to Bob Ryan on Globe 10.0, the Jets are going to win the AFC East next year.

What's with this Jets fear? The Bungles, esp. Palmer played like the haven't-won-a-playoff-game-in-19-years team they are. Palmer couldn't throw it in the ocean.

Maybe someone in the Cinn FO forgot to rescind the lie down order from the week before.

I expect the Chargers to beat them soundly, but should they beat the Chargers, the Colts won't let them through the gate again.

 

[WhiZa]

I like the term rebuilding. Yes, as far as NFL standards this was not a usual rebuilding year, but we don't have an average franchise. For all intents and purposes, the actions that were taken over the offseason mimic a rebuilding year. Cutting veterans, drafting large amount of players, changes in coaching staff and personnel. The fact we went 10-7 is just a testament to the system that was built here. Transition means just moving on to the next thing good or bad. Every NFL team does that.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Well according to Bob Ryan on Globe 10.0, the Jets are going to win the AFC East next year.

What's with this Jets fear? The Bungles, esp. Palmer played like the haven't-won-a-playoff-game-in-19-years team they are. Palmer couldn't throw it in the ocean.

Maybe someone in the Cinn FO forgot to rescind the lie down order from the week before.

I expect the Chargers to beat them soundly, but should they beat the Chargers, the Colts won't let them through the gate again.

The Jets should win the East next year...and easily with that loaded roster

 

[eagle eye]

I agree with one or two of you comments.

We are in a rebuilding year. We need to rebuild the following;

1) Coaching So you want to get rid of Pees then? But you are looking for a whole new D, so its hardly his fault if there was nobody good enough to be on the field. Or do you want to get rid of BOB? Please explain?
2) Running back - we have none. If you want to be taken seriously don't go down this road
3) Tight End Possibly but well down the list of requirements
4) Secondary Our secondary is fine and will improve, most of the problems on our D were eminating from our lack of a pass rush
5) Linebackers - a hodge podge fit for replacement Two pass rushers badly required
6) O/L - Time for new blood. The Matt Light experiment is over.We don't need a left tackle or a right tackle either, we need guards

If we do not revamp and Miami gets a QB I expect to finish third next year. A lot of ifs there.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

We made the playoffs this year. We are not anywhere near the bottom. We will be even better next year after a draft in which we have a lot of early picks.

The question was whether we are at the bottom for us-- there was a lot of roster turnover and a 10-7 season. Was this year as low as the Patriots will sink? It asked nothing about whether we were at the bottom of the league, which would be a crazy assertion.

I think that this year was the low point of the rebuild for us, and you apparently agree, with your point about the draft.

 

[furley]

This season I view as a transition year. Transition indicates change so changes are certainly on the horizon this off-season. But how can anyone mistake this season as a rebuilding year. If New England intended to rebuild, they wouldn't have stopped at trading Vrabel and Seymour.

I mean there's a big different in saying, rebuilding versus retooling. When you rebuild, even more importance is placed on having success from your draft and the personnel you sign and resign or coordinators you hire. Conversely, whenever a team decides to retool, they're upgrading certain positions or replacing specific coordinators. They're still a playoff team, a contending team.

 

[mgteich]

I agree that we are not near the bottom, since we are indeed division winners.

FIVE picks in the first five rounds will not necessarily make us better in 2010. First, picks often take a year or two to develop. Second, youn are presuming that we are able to replace any players who are leaving through free agency or being cut with equal or better players.

So, we will lose players through freea gency, cuts, and injuries. We will added draftees and free agents. If we add better than we lose, we will be a stronger team.

Ehat I have left out is that some players are better because of one year more of experience. For others, being one year older means that they will ahve lost production. I presume that this balances out.

So, NO, there is no guarantee at all that we will be better.

We made the playoffs this year. We are not anywhere near the bottom. We will be even better next year after a draft in which we have a lot of early picks.

 

[WhiZa]

This season I view as a transition year. Transition indicates change so changes are certainly on the horizon this off-season. But how can anyone mistake this season as a rebuilding year. If New England intended to rebuild, they wouldn't have stopped at trading Vrabel and Seymour.

I mean there's a big different in saying, rebuilding versus retooling. When you rebuild, even more importance is placed on having success from your draft and the personnel you sign and resign or coordinators you hire. Conversely, whenever a team decides to retool, they're upgrading certain positions or replacing specific coordinators. They're still a playoff team, a contending team.

The only change needed in a transition is a change of time or space. We could have the exact same team, but still transitioned into a new year.