Assorted Bits of Random Blasphemy

[mayoclinic]

Heh. I don't know how well these next couple of Posts will be received!! But I'll risk it, Brothers!!

Regarding Split Ends, SlotBacks, & Flankers

Where We're At & Where We're Heading

SE Aaron Dobson ~ Ascending StudHorse. For all my concerns about picking him last Year ~ and I maintain that that Pick could've been much better deployed ~ I was very impressed with Dobson's Performance. It seems that Tom Brady can develop young WideOuts if he's forced to. Dobson's went through considerable growing pains last Year, as Rookies always do, and his Future is far from certain ~ beware the Sophomore Slump ~ but I was highly impressed.

FL Kenbrell Thompkins ~ Ascending Beast. I'm amazed by all the chatter I read on Fan Boards about Thompkins's possible imminent demise. His Rookie Campaign, too, was painful. But it's one Hell of a difficult job, mastering an Offense at This Level, and it takes time to get in Sync. Thompkins was a SuperBinky of mine, last Year. He boast phenomenal Processing Speed, exceptional Agility, and Balls of Steel. I foresee an extraordinary Career.

SB Julian Edelman ~ Ascending StudHorse. I love the guy, but while he can play Flanker effectively as well as SlotBack, the Slot is his forte, and I want bigger guys playing Flanker. As a "Utility" WideOut, I'd love to keep'm, but of course his spectacular BreakOut Campaign will drive his Price far higher than I'd wish to consider.

SB Danny Amendola ~ Starter. Like Edelman, Amendola is a SlotBack who can play Flanker. And like Edelman, Amendola plays SlotBack exceptionally well during his rare appearances on the Field. But like Edelman, he's neither Tall nor especially Fast, and is consequently only adequate at Flanker, falling far short of warranting his Salary/Atrocity.

SE Mark Harrison ~ Lottery Ticket & Potential Star. I was ecstatic when the Patriots got their UFA hands on two of my Deep Dark Draft Binkies, last Spring, in Thompkins and Harrison. Interestingly, there seems to be lot of whispering on Fan Boards about converting Harrison to Flex End, but while I think he could manage it, I think that that'd misuse an extraordinary Split End Talent: Harrison is raw, but blessed with a phenomenal fusion of Size & Speed.

What I'd Love To See

1 ~ Dump Amendola. I don't know what the obsession is with Soft, Slow Smurfs, but I wish to Jesus that it would end. Bad enough that we signed the Cripple in the first place, but to dump all that Cap Space on the guy was disgusting. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth will greet this painful Salary Cap Hit, but Bad Medicine is always best taken at once. Deferring Salary Cap Pain until the future is the best way to encourage the Cancer to grow. Kill it.

2 ~ Cut Edelman loose. I love the guy, but 6 Years of Wes Welker ~ the best SlotBack, by far, in History ~ really should've made it excruciatingly clear to all that running one's Offense through a Smurf ~ even a Legendary Smurf ~ virtually guarantees that your Offense gets Shut Down in January, when The Only Games That Matter are played.

3 ~ Foreswear Free Agents and First Rounders. If those first two suggestions don't get people calling for my Scalp, then this surely will. But now that we've all endured all the inevitable pain and suffering that attends the prominence of two Rookie WideOuts on our Offense, I believe it would be incredibly foolish to now place impediments in their way. As Thompkins and Dobson have probably gone through the worst of it ~ and us right along with them!! ~ there is now enormous reason to believe that both have a very good chance of taking huge strides forward, this Year.

4 ~ But that is no reason to fail to draft and develop Depth of Talent at the two Positions, especially if my desire to expunge all SlotBacks from the Roster were to come true. I would be very aggressive in drafting Day 3 & UFA Talent.

Some thoughts:

1. Is Josh Boyce's absence an omission, or by intention? While Boyce didn't get much playing time last year, I wouldn't write him off yet, either. And his measurables stack up pretty well against Odell Beckham and Brandin Cooks.

2. I pretty much agree with your assessment of the 5 guys you list. I'm particularly high on Thompkins compared to the rest of the board. MHTK has derided me for saying that Marqise Lee wouldn't necessarily be that much of an upgrade over Thompkins, especially given the latter's head start. Harrison is a lottery ticket, but definitely one that I'm buying at this point. I really think that Dobson, Thompkins, Harrison and Boyce will end up being a solid WR nucleus.

3. I don't want to go through the kind of mass growing-pain year that we did in 2013. It takes Brady time to gel with his receivers. These guys all need to spend time working with him and get better. We don't need more receivers - at least not with top 100 draft picks.

4. I'm fine with the "let Edelman walk" and "dump Amendola" ideas, but I doubt the team will go that way. The Amendola signing never made sense to me - like you, I wanted a bigger WR, and they overpaid terribly. But I think that Amendola gets a second year, and if Edelman does walk they'll go after someone like Emanuel Sanders. Again, not my preference, but I can live with it as long as the other guys are given a chance to develop.

5. None of this particularly interests me. WRs are a necessary part of the game, but I haven't seen a dominant WR win a SB since Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin (maybe Isaac Bruce). We just saw a meaningless record-setting SB performance by Demaryius Thomas. They make for great fantasy football, though.

 

[mayoclinic]

Regarding HalfBacks & FlexBacks

Where We're At & Where We're Heading

XB Shifty Shane Vereen ~ Ascending Star!! My Beloved Binky from the 2011 Draft is finally getting the Snaps his Talent demands, and is being deployed in the Passing Game far more than I'd hoped in even my wildest Dreams!! His spectacular Potential could absolutely transform our Offense this Year if he can stay on the Field!!

HB LaGarrette Blount ~ StudHorse. I don't mind saying that Blount outperformed my expectations by Light Years, last Year. However, he remains a very one dimensional Back, with very limited capacity as Blocker, Receiver, or outside Tackle. Optimally, we'll lock'm up right now, and then trade'm during the Draft. Hey, why not??

HB Stephan Ridley ~ Horse. Ridley is surprisingly explosive for a PowerBack, but remains both a mediocre Receiver when he's given the Opportunity and a notorious planter of FootBalls. I'd prefer to trade'm and replace'm with a FlexBack.

Brandon Bolden ~ Potential StudHorse. Gotta love this kid. He's not explosive at anything, but he's competent at every Aspect of the Game, running between the Tackles especially well and adequately outside, providing good Pass Blocking, and proving startlingly solid as a Reciever. Given the chance, I think he'd make a solid 3 Down Starter and shock the world with a combined 1800 or so Yards. Mind you: I believe there are many Backs with that untapped Capacity.

Sam McGuffie ~ Lottery Ticket & Potential SuperStar. Who knows what the Future holds, and who knows why the Hell Rice switched McGuffie from FlexBack to SlotBack in 2012, when he was already rocking and rolling at FlexBack, but this kid is preposterously talented, and he exhibited both the Intelligence and the Drive to master an entire new Position at Rice. Thanks that grow-stunting switch he's raw, but phenomenal Agility, Intelligence, and Drive equal vast Potential.

What I'd Love To See

1 ~ We badly need to draft and develop Depth of Talent behind Vereen. Vereen's particular level of Talent is rare, of course, but explosive, dynamic FlexBacks are, inexplicably, available every Year at really reasonable prices, and the Dynamic Possibilities than such Players bring are so obvious that it stuns and horrifies me that our Roster isn't loaded with them every single Year...and that when we do have a little Depth of Talent, Danny WoodHead is inexplicably cut loose.

2 ~ This won't be a popular notion, but I'd really like to see us clean the cupboards on the rest of the BackField. Blount, for starters, should be signed and traded. Indeed, he should've been extended in the first place when we gave up precious Draft Capital for'm. Both he and Ridley could probably get us a 4th Rounder or so each. Bolden I might keep.

3 ~ I'd go all FlexBack, baby. It's an incredibly dynamic Role that exponentially multiplies our Options on Offense ~ unlike trotting out a slug like BenJarvus Green Hyphenator, for instance ~ and they're generally incredibly easy to acquire.

Again, some thoughts:

1. We clearly need depth behind Shane Vereen, whose absence had a profound affect on the offense last year. And this draft is deep in FlexBacks.

2. I agree with the concept that every back on the field should be a major receiving option, making it harder for defenses to predict what is coming and stack the box. That was an issue with Blount last year. I do wonder whether that part of his game couldn't be developed. Big RBs can be FlexBacks, too. I don't mind having some power backs in addition to smaller, quicker, backs, but they have to be adept in the passing game. Toby Gerhart is one such guy. Maybe Blount could be coached up in that dimension. A Blount who is an actual receiving threat would be a RB that I would love to have on the team.

3. I hope Vereen gets an extension. He's a guy to build around. But I'd love to see Ridley traded, and a younger big back with better receiving skills brought in. Tyler Gaffney and Storm Johnson come to mind.

 

[Off The Grid]

1. Is Josh Boyce's absence an omission, or by intention?

Omission. And I've corrected it.

I was rather caffeinated, last night.

Thanks, man. Owe you a Beer.

 

[Off The Grid]

4. I'm fine with the "let Edelman walk" and "dump Amendola" ideas, but I doubt the team will go that way. The Amendola signing never made sense to me - like you, I wanted a bigger WR, and they overpaid terribly. But I think that Amendola gets a second year, and if Edelman does walk they'll go after someone like Emanuel Sanders. Again, not my preference, but I can live with it as long as the other guys are given a chance to develop.

Neither do I. But what others do is not my concern. :snob:

 

[Off The Grid]

5. None of this particularly interests me. WRs are a necessary part of the game, but I haven't seen a dominant WR win a SB since Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin (maybe Isaac Bruce). We just saw a meaningless record-setting SB performance by Demaryius Thomas. They make for great fantasy football, though.

A point I've made many, many times and absolutely bears repeating!!

And Irvin was neither dominant nor was he instrumental to those Championships: 'twas the O Line.

Hell, even Rice wasn't instrumental.

The Miners established their Dynasty well before his arrival, as many have forgotten.

 

[mayoclinic]

Omission. And I've corrected it.

I was rather caffeinated, last night.

Thanks, man. Owe you a Beer.

I personally like Thompkins, Dobson, Boyce and Harrison as a young core. Two 6'2" guys with 4.37 speed, and two smaller guys with excellent movement skills. 4 guys who can stretch the field, and a much more varied corps than what we've seen in the past. It's a very, very young group, however, and pretty unproven. I wouldn't mind adding one veteran, at reasonable cost, and one day 3 rookie.

One of the biggest arguments for re-signing Julian Edelman is to not deprive Brady of his "security blanket" 2 years in a row. Personally, I think that what needs to be done is to deprive Brady of his security blanket, and get him to "use the whole pig". That's why I was in favor of letting Welker walk last year. Unfortunately, Brady just substituted Edelman as his new security blanket. That needs to change.

 

[Off The Grid]

I personally like Thompkins, Dobson, Boyce and Harrison as a young core. Two 6'2" guys with 4.37 speed, and two smaller guys with excellent movement skills. 4 guys who can stretch the field, and a much more varied corps than what we've seen in the past. It's a very, very young group, however, and pretty unproven. I wouldn't mind adding one veteran, at reasonable cost, and one day 3 rookie.

One of the biggest arguments for re-signing Julian Edelman is to not deprive Brady of his "security blanket" 2 years in a row. Personally, I think that what needs to be done is to deprive Brady of his security blanket, and get him to "use the pig". That's why I was in favor of letting Welker walk last year. Unfortunately, Brady just substituted Edelman as his new security blanket. That needs to change.

Yep............

 

[mayoclinic]

From Peter King's MMQB today:

Running backs and receivers have fallen to earth with a thud. Used to be backs were sexy pickups in free agency. Now even the prominent ones get no love, mostly because of the way the game is being played and because teams figure they can find adequate ones in the middle or late rounds of the May draft. Knowshon Moreno, Donald Brown and probably Chris Johnson, with young speedster Ben Tate … expect all of them to be disappointed this week. At receiver, Julian Edelman caught 121 balls in the slot for New England last year, but the Patriots seem content to let the former college quarterback seek his fortune elsewhere; could the Jets, in the latest chapter of the border war between these two lovebird franchises, be “elsewhere?” In my mind, a great fit for Edelman would be Cleveland, which has money to spend and a hole at slot receiver. Cleveland could be in the mix for Eric Decker, who needs suitors. Finally, I think the receiver who will get more action than forecasted is Golden Tate.

Michael Vick, Golden Tate, Alterraun Verner set to hit NFL free agency | The MMQB with Peter King

And this:

“Corners and offensive tackles, throw a party. Receivers and running backs, throw a funeral.”

—Anonymous AFC front-office man Sunday, in the midst of feeling out the free-agent market that appears to be on the verge of downsizing salaries to offensive skill players in a big way beginning Tuesday.

Too bad if true. I'm still hoping the rest of the league throws funny money at offensive "skill players".

 

[Snake Eyes]

One of the biggest arguments for re-signing Julian Edelman is to not deprive Brady of his "security blanket" 2 years in a row. Personally, I think that what needs to be done is to deprive Brady of his security blanket, and get him to "use the pig". That's why I was in favor of letting Welker walk last year. Unfortunately, Brady just substituted Edelman as his new security blanket. That needs to change.

I think Brady needs a security blanket because the O-line is weak up the middle, it's been a problem for many years that BB has failed to fix, and is typically exposed in the playoffs.

Get him solid interior protection and I wouldn't be surprised if Brady explored other options on his own.

 

[livinginthe past]

Interesting read as always, Grid!

I have to say I find your out of the box thinking refreshing - my immediate response is often strong repulsion, but then I actually think about the concepts you propose and they actually make sense.

I'm hoping that Aaron Dobson, Kembrell and Josh can make that second year leap, I liked plenty of what I saw last year - they definitely has a solid foundation to build upon (with the exception of Josh).

I'd love to hear what it is about post-season play, particularly defensively, that differentiates it so much from the regular season.

Teams are often fighting for seeding, or even to make it into the playoffs, so I find it hard to believe that they are holding stuff back just in case there is a post-season rematch further down the road.

I guess the weather is often a factor.

I think the reason Belichick prefers his WR's of the blue skinned variety is that they tend to be 'good soldiers' more so than the prototypical outside WR - these are the guys who tend to develop the diva complex, the guys who don't want to buy into the team concept.

The smaller guys have to fight for everything they earn - Edelman and Welker share common attributes - huge balls and the refusal to back down in the face of the enemy.

Another subject that was touched upon was Brady's habit of making someone his go-to guy all year, then watching teams take him away in a winner takes it all scenario.

Is McD strong enough to stop Brady doing this?

Gronk is a force of nature, but as soon as he hits the field again - he will be seeing a crazy amount of targets no doubt.

I much preferred the Brady that shared the ball around.

I think Ridley and Vereen can really take it up a notch this year (contract year isn't it?) - if both guys can stay healthy they offer a heady mixture of explosion and solid yardage.

First and foremost, the offensive line is going to have to be better this year.

It always seems to be the interior that gives up the back breaking sacks/hurries come the playoffs - we need a dominant centre/guard combo - not just JAGs coached up by a great offensive line coach.

 

[mayoclinic]

I think Brady needs a security blanket because the O-line is weak up the middle, it's been a problem for many years that BB has failed to fix, and is typically exposed in the playoffs.

Get him solid interior protection and I wouldn't be surprised if Brady explored other options on his own.

That's a good point, but I think the obvious solution is to address the protection up the middle. It hurts the offense in so many ways. That's a much, much higher priority to me than any WR.

 

[patfanken]

Thanks OTG & Mayo for a great page of reading, not that I agree with everything you say.

1. Where we agree:

WR's - You both have it exactly right on concernng the addition of any new WR's. Its important that we stay the course with Thompkins, Boyce and Dobson. (I really don't enough about Harrison to comment) T&D both out did the prior best yardage mark for a rookie Pats WR in the BB era, despite both missing a significant number of games. I do not understand why so many fans want to blow it up just because we didn't win the superbowl. This fascination with WR's is inexplicable to me, since the best WR's in the league usually play for teams who DON'T make the playoffs

Team's with admittedly great WR's usually end up spending too much cap space on a position that is the most replaceable in the league. The Pats need to develop what they already have on the roster while they are cheap. We do NOT need to draft any WR's or spend any significant cap space (over $2MM) on adding any new FA's

I also think JE is gone, and I'll be happy to see him get his pay day. He's earned it. - Cleveland would be a good choice, especially if Hoyer is really going to get a chance to start. But his best landing place, IMHO, is Houston. He should be BOB's first call (along with a trade for Mallett )

I love the comparison of Boyce with Beckham and Cooks. He has the quickness to play in the slot, but also has the strength to play wide as well. He's a great safety net for DA's health issues, but also has the physical traits to be a Steve Smith type wide out. That significantly adds to our depth at WR.

I also agree that we should do more with all of our RB's in the passing game. Even if its nothing more than 3yd dump offs. It will help alleviate the pass rush and broaden our options

2. Where we disagree:

While I agree that Brady tends to lock in on the gimme throws to the slot too much, and ignoring other options; I think the slot WR is a key part of offense, and is what makes the rest of it work so well when we have all the pieces available. Maybe when TBD are not rookies and Gronk plus another TE option are out there, Brady won't be so locked in on one route like he's seemed to be the last 2 years

It seems like you both have simply written off Danny Amendola. I think that's a mistake. Health is the only issue here. Given health, we will NOT have any drop off in productivity from the slot area. We got everything we wanted from him in the first Buffalo game. He is not getting enough credit for playing tough through an injury.

RB's - I don't understand all the Ridley hate. I just don't. He is a top 10 starting RB in this league. I'd be fine with a RB corps of Ridley/Vareen, and Boldin plus FB. That being said, given the FA RB market, I'd be willing to pay Blount up to $2MM/yr to stay. RVB is a good RB corps, RVBB is better one.

BOTTOM LINE Depending on what we do with Blount we look to have a very good to great RB situation going forward. Why would you want to blow it up?

 

[mayoclinic]

Thanks OTG & Mayo for a great page of reading, not that I agree with everything you say.

1. Where we agree:

WR's - You both have it exactly right on concernng the addition of any new WR's. Its important that we stay the course with Thompkins, Boyce and Dobson. (I really don't enough about Harrison to comment) T&D both out did the prior best yardage mark for a rookie Pats WR in the BB era, despite both missing a significant number of games. I do not understand why so many fans want to blow it up just because we didn't win the superbowl. This fascination with WR's is inexplicable to me, since the best WR's in the league usually play for teams who DON'T make the playoffs

"Wide receiver by committee", baby! It's so much harder to cover all the options when no one is indispensable. And WRBC + FlexBacks (RBs involved in the passing game) is the hardest offense to stop. The Saints figured that out a while ago. I'm happy to let other teams overspend for big name WRs, and keep a deep stable of "no name" guys at low cost who complement each other.

Team's with admittedly great WR's usually end up spending too much cap space on a position that is the most replaceable in the league. The Pats need to develop what they already have on the roster while they are cheap. We do NOT need to draft any WR's or spend any significant cap space (over $2MM) on adding any new FA's

Yup. If you look at the career progression of WRs, we should see a big jump in productivity this year. We have the "dream" situation for the next 2-3 years in terms of a nucleus of talented young WRs for minimal cost. That gives us the luxury of using that cap space to address other critical areas of need. It is beyond me why so many people are so eager screw it up.

I also think JE is gone, and I'll be happy to see him get his pay day. He's earned it. - Cleveland would be a good choice, especially if Hoyer is really going to get a chance to start. But his best landing place, IMHO, is Houston. He should be BOB's first call (along with a trade for Mallett )

I don't know if the market is going to give JE the big payday that you think he's earned, but I wouldn't overspend for him. He's had 1 good season and has had his share of injuries. He was an afterthought until this year, suddenly he's indispensable. Would I rather have Edelman than Amendola? Yes. Do I think he's worth paying big money for? Nope.

And I think by 2015 Josh Boyce will be better than either of them.

I love the comparison of Boyce with Beckham and Cooks. He has the quickness to play in the slot, but also has the strength to play wide as well. He's a great safety net for DA's health issues, but also has the physical traits to be a Steve Smith type wide out. That significantly adds to our depth at WR.

I also agree that we should do more with all of our RB's in the passing game. Even if its nothing more than 3yd dump offs. It will help alleviate the pass rush and broaden our options.

Yup. And if you look at Blount's measurables, he'd be a terrific weapon on some of those 3 yard dump offs with a bit of space to build up a head to steam and maneuver. If he just could learn how to chip a defender and then turn and catch the ball, he'd be so much more effective.

2. Where we disagree:

While I agree that Brady tends to lock in on the gimme throws to the slot too much, and ignoring other options; I think the slot WR is a key part of offense, and is what makes the rest of it work so well when we have all the pieces available. Maybe when TBD are not rookies and Gronk plus another TE option are out there, Brady won't be so locked in on one route like he's seemed to be the last 2 years

It seems like you both have simply written off Danny Amendola. I think that's a mistake. Health is the only issue here. Given health, we will NOT have any drop off in productivity from the slot area. We got everything we wanted from him in the first Buffalo game. He is not getting enough credit for playing tough through an injury.

Realistically, I expect Amendola to be with the Pats for at least 1 more year. His contract makes it hard to dump him. If he improves this year, he could be around longer. I'm "meh" on Amendola - he's not a bad receiver, and his toughness is laudable; but the Pats overpaid ridiculously for him last year, and I think all 4 of the rookies have a higher upside.

RB's - I don't understand all the Ridley hate. I just don't. He is a top 10 starting RB in this league. I'd be fine with a RB corps of Ridley/Vareen, and Boldin plus FB. That being said, given the FA RB market, I'd be willing to pay Blount up to $2MM/yr to stay. RVB is a good RB corps, RVBB is better one.

I don't hate Ridley. He's a perfectly serviceable - and perfectly replaceable - very solid RB in a RBBC. He's an improvement in BJGE, without a doubt. I'm ok keeping him at low cost for this year, but he's coming into a contract year, and I think there's a very good chance he is gone after this year, so I'd be happy to trade him and get something for it, and then replace him via the draft. I don't hate Ridley at all, but he's not a priority to extend, and I'd rather have every RB be a functional receiving threat.

 

[patfanken]

Realistically, I expect Amendola to be with the Pats for at least 1 more year. His contract makes it hard to dump him. If he improves this year, he could be around longer. I'm "meh" on Amendola - he's not a bad receiver, and his toughness is laudable; but the Pats overpaid ridiculously for him last year, and I think all 4 of the rookies have a higher upside.

I don't hate Ridley. He's a perfectly serviceable - and perfectly replaceable - very solid RB in a RBBC. He's an improvement in BJGE, without a doubt. I'm ok keeping him at low cost for this year, but he's coming into a contract year, and I think there's a very good chance he is gone after this year, so I'd be happy to trade him and get something for it, and then replace him via the draft. I don't hate Ridley at all, but he's not a priority to extend, and I'd rather have every RB be a functional receiving threat.

While we fully agree on most of the important issues the Pats face this off season, I narrowed down the DISagrements to these 3 differing evaluations on 3 players.

1. DA - Last season the market for a top slot receiver was between $5-6MM/yr. For whatever reason you want to make, DA was viewed by many in the league to be in that top category. So I don't really think we over paid....by that much. We all know that in reality, whatever the media wants to say, this was ultimately a 2 year 11MM deal, with team options to extend it.

No question we didn't get our money's worth, but no one ever does when a player is injured. Still, because of JE, we DID get our money's worth and more out of the position. I don't expect "great things" from Amendola this season. I simply expect to see what we have come to expect from EVERY slot receiver we've had since Troy Brown and 2001. Nothing more, nothing less.

2. Steven Ridley - You think Ridley is eminently replaceable. I think he's a top 10 RB in this league. Fortunately being a top 10 RB in the NFL these days, isn't going to cost you much, because you can get top a top 10 RB for a top 30 price. Yes I know that no RB is essential to running this offense. But with Ridley its better.

Until Ridley came along a 20+yd run by a Patriots RB was a rare and cherished thing. He's made it common place. That's what makes Blount so enticing. Its not for the 2yd runs in short yardage situations. Its the possibility of him breaking a long one. Personally he's more valuable if he's consistently getting those 3 yds, but its sexy when he breaks the long ones.

A few games makes LB somewhat of a risk. For the next season, Ridley is more important, and more consistently explosive option, who proved in 2012 that he can also get the short yds as well. Having both makes us that much better. The idea that you trade both for 3rd day picks is just self destructive

3. The final lightning rod is our old friend Dante Hightower.

We aren't going to agree on this one, but it will very interesting to see how the Pats use him this season and IF we will see a more explosive, big play player, or the solid NFL starter, who wasn't worthy of a trade up in the first round.

Right now I see him as the Mike, stuffing runs and blitzing up the middle but we both know that he could also be used as the Sam/DE coming off the edge with Mayo as the Mike. I'm really curious as to how BB/Patrica are going to go.

BTW - depending on who we draft, and the health of Vince, we might see a return of the 3-4 with both Mayo and Hightower in the middle. That would make an interesting alignment if you intend to us Hightower as a consistent blitz threat to create quick pressure up the middle. If they are planning to use the 3-4 more this season, we are going to need more OLB's.....but fewer DLmen. Interesting to see who we add to this roster.

 

[mayoclinic]

While we fully agree on most of the important issues the Pats face this off season, I narrowed down the DISagrements to these 3 differing evaluations on 3 players.

1. DA - Last season the market for a top slot receiver was between $5-6MM/yr. For whatever reason you want to make, DA was viewed by many in the league to be in that top category. So I don't really think we over paid....by that much. We all know that in reality, whatever the media wants to say, this was ultimately a 2 year 11MM deal, with team options to extend it.

No question we didn't get our money's worth, but no one ever does when a player is injured. Still, because of JE, we DID get our money's worth and more out of the position. I don't expect "great things" from Amendola this season. I simply expect to see what we have come to expect from EVERY slot receiver we've had since Troy Brown and 2001. Nothing more, nothing less.

Too much to pay a slot receiver, in my book, whether it's the league average or not.

My expectation is that DA will play out the 2nd year of his "2 year deal", and then the Pats won't renew their option. But we'll see how it plays out.

2. Steven Ridley - You think Ridley is eminently replaceable. I think he's a top 10 RB in this league. Fortunately being a top 10 RB in the NFL these days, isn't going to cost you much, because you can get top a top 10 RB for a top 30 price. Yes I know that no RB is essential to running this offense. But with Ridley its better.

Until Ridley came along a 20+yd run by a Patriots RB was a rare and cherished thing. He's made it common place. That's what makes Blount so enticing. Its not for the 2yd runs in short yardage situations. Its the possibility of him breaking a long one. Personally he's more valuable if he's consistently getting those 3 yds, but its sexy when he breaks the long ones.

A few games makes LB somewhat of a risk. For the next season, Ridley is more important, and more consistently explosive option, who proved in 2012 that he can also get the short yds as well. Having both makes us that much better. The idea that you trade both for 3rd day picks is just self destructive

I never suggested signing and trading Blount, that was Grid's idea. I'd re-sign Blount and work on making him more a part of the passing game as well.

As for Ridley, my baseline is that he plays out his contract and then gets replaced. But if you can get value for him (such as Mallett+Ridley to Houston for #33) then I'd do it in a flash.

Alfred Morris and Andre Ellington were 6th round picks. Zac Stacy was a 5th round pick. I think that if the Pats did trade Ridley, they could get an RB capable of providing depth in a RBBC committee approach, more use in the passing game, and the ability to break off some big runs for reasonably cheap.

3. The final lightning rod is our old friend Dante Hightower.

We aren't going to agree on this one, but it will very interesting to see how the Pats use him this season and IF we will see a more explosive, big play player, or the solid NFL starter, who wasn't worthy of a trade up in the first round.

Right now I see him as the Mike, stuffing runs and blitzing up the middle but we both know that he could also be used as the Sam/DE coming off the edge with Mayo as the Mike. I'm really curious as to how BB/Patrica are going to go.

BTW - depending on who we draft, and the health of Vince, we might see a return of the 3-4 with both Mayo and Hightower in the middle. That would make an interesting alignment if you intend to us Hightower as a consistent blitz threat to create quick pressure up the middle. If they are planning to use the 3-4 more this season, we are going to need more OLB's.....but fewer DLmen. Interesting to see who we add to this roster.

No, we're not going to agree. And I think it's ridiculous to talk about returning to a 3-4. I think that ship has sailed, and it's a silly discussion, anyway. The defense will be "multiple". To quote Ray Horton, what's important isn't the number of men on the front line at any particular time, it's the basic approach:

"I don't really care what we are on defense," Horton said. "I want to know what are we going to look like. We're going to look like an aggressive, forward-attacking defense . . . and I've seen that on tape. That's the most important thing to me – what do we look like, not what we line up in. We may be a 3-4 on one snap. We may be a 4-3 on another snap. I guarantee you we'll be a 5-2 sometimes, and we'll be a 4-4 sometimes. We are a multi-front, attacking defense, and that's the most important thing."

Ray Horton's Hybrid Defense - The Base Front Seven - Music City Miracles

That's what I'd like to see. If Hightower can be an explosive difference maker in that kind of defense, I'll be the first to applaud. I don't see it, personally. I think he'll be a solid but unspectacular starter, with plenty of room to upgrade.

Again, 3 guys who I think will likely be a part of the team in 2014. 3 guys who aren't bad, and the alternative could be far worse. But 3 guys who I personally wouldn't build around. They are complementary pieces who are all replaceable and upgradeable, IMO.

 

[everlong]

1. DA - Last season the market for a top slot receiver was between $5-6MM/yr. For whatever reason you want to make, DA was viewed by many in the league to be in that top category. So I don't really think we over paid....by that much. We all know that in reality, whatever the media wants to say, this was ultimately a 2 year 11MM deal, with team options to extend it.

I think DA's signing was reactionary to losing WW. For all the media's talk about how the Pats didn't want him the evidence speaks otherwise. The problem was they wanted him for their price and WW thought they owed him more for what he had done for the team. Team's don't pay for past performance, if they're smart, but you can't fault a player for expecting some loyalty when his prior deal left him underpaid based on the production. The problem was when he went to Denver the Patriots pounced on DA to not get shut out and they had no competition for his services. I think they could have gotten a deal done for less or at least some performance and injury escalators built in.

 

[Off The Grid]

I think DA's signing was reactionary to losing WW. For all the media's talk about how the Pats didn't want him the evidence speaks otherwise. The problem was they wanted him for their price and WW thought they owed him more for what he had done for the team. Team's don't pay for past performance, if they're smart, but you can't fault a player for expecting some loyalty when his prior deal left him underpaid based on the production. The problem was when he went to Denver the Patriots pounced on DA to not get shut out and they had no competition for his services. I think they could have gotten a deal done for less or at least some performance and injury escalators built in.

Letting Welker go only to dump all that Money on Amendola was like giving up Crack but getting hooked on Oxycontin. :nooo:

 

[Off The Grid]

"Wide receiver by committee", baby! It's so much harder to cover all the options when no one is indispensable. And WRBC + FlexBacks (RBs involved in the passing game) is the hardest offense to stop. The Saints figured that out a while ago. I'm happy to let other teams overspend for big name WRs, and keep a deep stable of "no name" guys at low cost who complement each other.



Yup. If you look at the career progression of WRs, we should see a big jump in productivity this year. We have the "dream" situation for the next 2-3 years in terms of a nucleus of talented young WRs for minimal cost. That gives us the luxury of using that cap space to address other critical areas of need. It is beyond me why so many people are so eager screw it up.



I don't know if the market is going to give JE the big payday that you think he's earned, but I wouldn't overspend for him. He's had 1 good season and has had his share of injuries. He was an afterthought until this year, suddenly he's indispensable. Would I rather have Edelman than Amendola? Yes. Do I think he's worth paying big money for? Nope.

And I think by 2015 Josh Boyce will be better than either of them.



Yup. And if you look at Blount's measurables, he'd be a terrific weapon on some of those 3 yard dump offs with a bit of space to build up a head to steam and maneuver. If he just could learn how to chip a defender and then turn and catch the ball, he'd be so much more effective.



Realistically, I expect Amendola to be with the Pats for at least 1 more year. His contract makes it hard to dump him. If he improves this year, he could be around longer. I'm "meh" on Amendola - he's not a bad receiver, and his toughness is laudable; but the Pats overpaid ridiculously for him last year, and I think all 4 of the rookies have a higher upside.



I don't hate Ridley. He's a perfectly serviceable - and perfectly replaceable - very solid RB in a RBBC. He's an improvement in BJGE, without a doubt. I'm ok keeping him at low cost for this year, but he's coming into a contract year, and I think there's a very good chance he is gone after this year, so I'd be happy to trade him and get something for it, and then replace him via the draft. I don't hate Ridley at all, but he's not a priority to extend, and I'd rather have every RB be a functional receiving threat.

This is why we pay Brother Mayo that bloated Salary!! One of your finest, Brother!! :rocker: :singing: :rocker:

 

[Off The Grid]

Regarding Defensive Tackles

Ah, The Grizzliest of Grizzlies!!

Defensive Tackles are perhaps my favorites Beasts on the Field.

And they are the most important Defenders, regardless of what the Clowns on TeleVision may say.

When evaluating Defensive Tackles, these are the Attributes to which I pay most particular attention:

Power. Above all: Core Power. Upper body Strength is important, but lower body Strength, from the Knees to the Ribs, is absolutely crucial. It speaks to a Lineman's Capacity to project Power in the Running Game, and to reject Power in the Passing Game. I believe, as well, that those Players who invest the time and effort in developing superior Core Power are far likelier to enjoy sustained good Health and stay on the Field.

Agility. Lateral Velocity, Acceleration, and above all: Fluidity or Core Agility. Core Agility is even more essential to sustained good Health ~ and to sustained good FootBall ~ than Core Power. The ability to react with Serpentine smoothness is a tremendous asset in all Aspects of the Game, and certainly in the Hand to Hand Combat that characterizes Trench Warfare. All the Power in the World goes only so far if you're stiff and lumbering.

Mechanics. Combat Tactics. Launching Speed, Paw Power, and Technique.

Intangibles. Diagnostic Capacity, Processing Speed, and Motor. How effectively he masters Spatial Diagnostics & Angles, how rapidly he recognizes and implements Blocking Schemes based on changing Defensive Tactics, and of course: Drive. How badly he wants it. These are of course difficult things to assess, but it's crucial to at least try to.

Where We're At & Where We're Heading

Vince Wilfork ~ RedShirt SuperStar. The best that I believe we can expect from Big Vince in 2014 is a mediocre Campaign with flashes of Excellence. But if we're smart about it, relegating him to a reserve role with a Snap Count and allowing him to slowly work his way back into the rotation, I believe that he'll finish strong and regain most of his former Prowess.

Sealver Silga ~ Ascending Beast!! Count me as fully on board the Sealver Siliga Train. He came out'f nowhere, but his Core Power, surprising Agility, and outstanding Motor are for real, and I believe that he's ready to step in and start immediately. His Pressure is surprisingly good, and his Run Defense is well on the way to outstanding.

Christopher Jones ~ Potential Beast!! Jones got exposed as a Run Defender last Year, and his Ceiling there is probably just Adequate, but his Agility is simply phenomenal and he commands immense UpSide as a Pass Rusher.

Joe Vellano ~ Reserve. I generally only review those who I consider potential Impact Players, but I really love Vellano, despite his obvious limitations in Run Defense. He's a Reserve level Talent, though, and I'd look to upgrade.

What I'd Love To See

1 ~ I covered my thoughts on Vince Wilfork extensively a few weeks ago, but suffice to say I neither wish for us to carry him at that enormous Salary nor for us to cut'm outright. There's no way that I expect him to recover his formerly magnificent level of Play, but if I were running things, I'd look to restructure his Contract for about $2,500,000 a Year plus Unlikely Incentives, I'd work'm back through the gears in 2014, and I'd expect outstanding Play for 2 or 3 more Years.

2 ~ I've been a merciless Advocate of Attack Defense since The Dawn of Time. I'd like to see us invest heavily in Top Shelf, Elite Talent Pass Rushing Prowess at Defensive Tackle. FootBall is WarFare, and should be treated as such.

3 ~ Depth of Talent. Always: Depth of Talent. My loud, screeching Warnings of Impending Doom went unheeded for each of the last two Years, and thus precisely what I'd prophesized ~ the Cataclysmic Loss of Vince Wilfork and that event's devastating effect on our Super Bowl Aspirations ~ came to pass. Here's hoping that a Lesson was learned.

 

[manxman2601]

Here's a tale of two DTs.

Player A: 792 snaps, 21 total pressures on the QB, 18 defensive stops

Player B: 672 snaps, 18 total pressures on the QB, 27 defensive stops

If everything else was equal and you were only allowed to keep one, which would you choose?