As of Week 10, how would you rate the Pats' needs?

[ctpatsfan77]

Here's my question:

For each of these player categories, how would you rate the need level for the Patriots in next year's draft?

Starter: The Patriots need to find a rookie who can start by mid-season.
Depth: The Patriots need to find a rookie who can provide depth at the position.
Value: The Patriots don't need a player at that position, but should take a player there if the value is right.
No need: The Patriots shouldn't draft any players at that position, period. UDFAs only, if that.

Here are the positions as I see them:
QB
RB
Outside WR
Slot WR
TE
OT
OG
OC
DT
DE
OLB
ILB/MLB
Outside CB
Slot CB
S
K
P
LS
ST

 

[ctpatsfan77]

And I'll start.

QB: Depth
RB: Value
Outside WR: Depth
Slot WR: No need
TE: Depth
OT: Value
OG/OC: Starter [I'll cheat a bit here—Connolly can handle one, but they need the other.]
DT: Depth [could rise to starter depending on triumvirate of Sopoaga/Kelly/Wilfork]
DE: Value
OLB: Depth
ILB/MLB: Depth
Outside CB: Value
Slot CB: Value
S: Value
K: No need
P: No need
LS: No need
ST: No need

 

[manxman2601]

QB - Value
RB - Depth
Outside WR - Value
Slot WR - No need
TE - Depth
OT - No need (depending on Vollmer).
OG - Starter
OC - Starter
DT - Starter
DE - Value
OLB - Depth
ILB/MLB - No need
Outside CB - Starter (depending on Talib) Otherwise value
Slot CB - No need
S - Depth
K- No need
P - No need
LS - Don't care
ST - No need

 

[meatface]

QB: Value (they most likely wont be able to get a high pick for Mallet so they really don't need a backup but they may want to grab someone late)
RB: Depth (Vereen & ridley are both fre agents after next season and Blount will be a free agent after this one. They will need to lock these guys up or pick someone if they plan on letting them leave)
Outside WR: Value (bordering on no need, if they want to upgrade at WR at all they would probably look to free agency)
Slot WR: No need
TE: starter (this really depends on if they want to go back to a two TE system and if not they will need a depth pick)
OT: Value
OG:starter (This could be cannon in which case it would drop to depth, but if they keep him at tackle then they need a starter)
OC:starter (Theoretically this can be Connolly but hes not very good and they need a starter after next season anyway)
DT: Depth
DE: Value
OLB: Depth
ILB/MLB: Depth
Outside CB: Value
Slot CB: Value
S: depth
K: No need
P: No need
LS: No need
ST: No need

 

[kennyb]

Depends on who they sign/keep of Wendell, Wilfork, Spikes, Talib, Kelley


QB - late round flyer
RB - late round flyer needed
Outside WR - need unless Boyce shows something great, hard to target due to complexity of offense
Slot WR - no need, amendola, edelmen, moe
TE - Huge need
OT - Need replacement for Solder eventually if Vollmer can't play LT
OG - Huge need
OC - Huge need
DT - not that much need even if Wilfork retires/ cut
DE - not much need
OLB - need a fast LB who can cover TEs/RBs - need
ILB/MLB - not much need
Outside CB - need replacement for Talib
Slot CB - not neededS -
K
P
LS
ST

 

[patsinthesnow]

This is a weird year. I think our complete HEALTHY team is stacked. As long as Talib is resigned, there is no need anywhere for a "immediate starter" IMO. I think the closest thing to arguing is C, and maybe G/DT.

As for the coverage LB role, we just drafted a LB with our first pick at pick 52. Considering only two LBs are on the field 95% of the game, there's no need to draft another one. Let Spikes walk, and use Mayo, Hightower, Collins.

 

[Luxusdk]

Depends on who they sign/keep of Wendell, Wilfork, Spikes, Talib, Kelley


QB - late round flyer
RB - late round flyer needed
Outside WR - need unless Boyce shows something great, hard to target due to complexity of offense
Slot WR - no need, amendola, edelmen, moe
TE - Huge need
OT - Need replacement for Solder eventually if Vollmer can't play LT
OG - Huge need
OC - Huge need
DT - not that much need even if Wilfork retires/ cut
DE - not much need
OLB - need a fast LB who can cover TEs/RBs - need
ILB/MLB - not much need
Outside CB - need replacement for Talib
Slot CB - not neededS -
K
P
LS
ST

You counting on Solder leaveing ?

 

[kennyb]

You counting on Solder leaveing ?

After next year, probably. Unless they want to pay huge money to him.

In general I think they try to find replacements for guys who are about to hit the end of the rookie deal who will be getting big money. There's a limited amount of players they can pay 7-10M dollars to. Like 4 or 5. Mankins, Brady, Wilfork, Mayo.

Solder, McCourty, Talib will need money to retain them (Talib after this year and and the other two the year after). Going to be impossible to keep everyone.

One reason why I think Wilfork will probably get salary reduced or cut.

 

[JerseyShore99]

QB - Depth
RB - Depth
Outside WR - Depth
Slot WR - Depth
TE - Starter
OT - No need (depending on Vollmer).
OG - Starter
OC - Starter
DT - Depth
DE - Depth
OLB - Value
ILB/MLB - Value
Outside CB - Starter (depending on Talib) Otherwise depth
Slot CB - No need
S - Depth
K- No need
P - No need
LS - Don't care
ST - No need

 

[fester]

After next year, probably. Unless they want to pay huge money to him.

In general I think they try to find replacements for guys who are about to hit the end of the rookie deal who will be getting big money. There's a limited amount of players they can pay 7-10M dollars to. Like 4 or 5. Mankins, Brady, Wilfork, Mayo.

Solder, McCourty, Talib will need money to retain them (Talib after this year and and the other two the year after). Going to be impossible to keep everyone.

One reason why I think Wilfork will probably get salary reduced or cut.

Solder is easily a top-10 left tackle in this league and he is not even into his physical prime yet. Those types of players are worth serious money to a team that relies on precision passing. Going forward to 2015, the four big money contracts according to OvertheCap for the Patriots are:

• Brady @13 million
• Mankins @ 11 million
• Mayo @ 10.6 million
• Gronk @8.6 million

Mayo and Mankins will have cap benefits if cut. I am not advocating a Mayo cut for cap reasons, but am pointing out the leverage. If Mayo returns to full health, he would be a prime restructure/extend candidate. Mankins is extremely cutable or pay cuttable in 2015.

Other potential big money contracts that could go into play between now and then and which would have higher priority than Solder getting a market rate LT long term deal would be Talib and McCourty. Talib would probably be a 7 million cap hit in 2015 if he extended in 2014 or 11 million if he was double franchised. McCourty as a safety could probably have an AAV of 6 million per year, but a significantly lower cap number.

The Pats can keep Solder and keep him at market rate in 2015 if they structure the deal so the first two years are reasonably low (4 million/year cap hit) and then cap hit increases going forward. Hell cut Adrian Wilson and Sopoaga, and that pays for Solder's extension in the first year.

The other big contract that the Pats will need to start thinking about before the 2015 season is the Chandler Jones extension.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

After next year, probably. Unless they want to pay huge money to him.

(A) The Pats can pay Solder top-15ish money for a 2015 option, and then franchise him in 2016 if it comes to it.

(B) I'd give at least even odds that Solder will be a Pat longer than Vollmer.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

The other big contract that the Pats will need to start thinking about before the 2015 season is the Chandler Jones extension.

As a point worth thinking about, teams can exercise a fifth-year option after the third year of first-round player contracts.

It means paying roughly what the 15th highest player at that position gets.

 

[kennyb]

As a point worth thinking about, teams can exercise a fifth-year option after the third year of first-round player contracts.

It means paying roughly what the 15th highest player at that position gets.

That you for that. I did not know that.

I wonder is that money guaranteed or if cut does it not get paid?

So that means OT is a little less of a need.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

That you for that. I did not know that.

I wonder is that money guaranteed or if cut does it not get paid?

So that means OT is a little less of a need.

Here is the relevant paragraph from the CBA:

The entire Paragraph 5 Salary for the Fifth-Year Option shall be guaran-teed for injury-related termination only, effective upon the Club’s exercise of the Option. The entire Paragraph 5 Salary for the Fifth-Year Option shall be guaranteed for skill, injury, and Salary Cap-related termination if the player is on his Club’s roster at the start of the player’s fifth League Year (i.e., the option year).

I believe what this means is that as soon as the option is exercised, the contract is guaranteed against injury. As soon as the league year begins, it acts like a franchise tag, and is fully guaranteed.

 

[doesntmatter1]

It'll just be easier to post the guys I want replaced.

wilfork-cap casualty
mankins- cap casualty
cole-we can do better
bolden-not really a fan
connolly-age and he seems to have frequent concussions
spikes-cap casualty
dan mulligan-he is strictly a blocker
boyce-may easily change my mind but so far is taylor price

So I basically see the interior of the oline as a serious need and would even consider drafting someone like rb seastrunk high if available. Everything else is mainly depth.

 

[Avenger]

It'll just be easier to post the guys I want replaced.

wilfork-cap casualty
mankins- cap casualty
cole-we can do better
bolden-not really a fan
connolly-age and he seems to have frequent concussions
spikes-cap casualty
dan mulligan-he is strictly a blocker
boyce-may easily change my mind but so far is taylor price

So I basically see the interior of the oline as a serious need and would even consider drafting someone like rb seastrunk high if available. Everything else is mainly depth.

can't even get names right...

 

[Snake Eyes]

can't even get names right...

Is he correct or do you just want to criticize?

 

[Avenger]

I disagree with multiple of his players he wants replaced, it's been discussed before so I don't want to get into it again.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

So I basically see the interior of the oline as a serious need and would even consider drafting someone like rb seastrunk high if available. Everything else is mainly depth.

Setting aside the list of players, how does Seastrunk help given the list of needs you have, unless you're planning to trade away Ridley?

Yeah, maybe the Pats can do better than Bolden, but how much more will it cost? They're paying Bolden about $400K for the season.

 

[doesntmatter1]

Setting aside the list of players, how does Seastrunk help given the list of needs you have, unless you're planning to trade away Ridley?

Yeah, maybe the Pats can do better than Bolden, but how much more will it cost? They're paying Bolden about $400K for the season.

When I look at our offense, all I see our young guys everywhere except at the guard position. I don't feel it is wise to overly depend on guys up there in age with no obvious replacement. I had always wondered what would happen if Wilfork went down and I don't want to ask that question for the oline because that will potentially hurt Brady.

You may question a high running back being drafted, but I still feel we pass too often and that would change if someone better or equal to Ridley was in the rotation. I basically want a Marshawn Lynch clone. I also wouldn't be too concerned about the cost of a rookie contract. A back chosen in the second round would probably be more useful and cost efficient than another wasted db.

I just strongly feel a strong interior line with a beast rb is what we need to get over the hump.