Bedard: Boston.com Chat (off-season roster building plans)

[borg]

Super Bowl chat with Greg A. Bedard - Extra Points - Boston.com

A worthwhile read....especially his takes on the off season roster build. His take is so in line with my point of view, we may be twins

-"That's why I think the likely scenario is to play nice with Welker, let him set his value on the open market and then make a decision. But I think Talib will be the first order of business this month and into March. Still, if I'm him I go to market.

-"The fact that Vollmer can play left and right tackle will send his value through the roof."

-"I think they should forget about Reed and get a good enforcer next to him(McCourty)"

-"Personally, I don't see Cannon as a tackle -- and I know some in the organization agree with me "

-"The Patriots have to figure out a way to be more explosive in the pass game to setup the run."

-"They need upgrades to Lloyd"

-"Not very(comfortable with Cannon at RT). I'd rather draft a right tackle and plug him in. Deep tackle draft."

-"The linebackers, outside of Mayo who was great this year, are slow....They can use more athletes there"

-"But the more I saw of Hernandez on the outside, the less I was a fan of that."

-"I think Belichick thought it would be a low-scoring game and he was right. It's just he didn't expect his offense to suck."

-" I think the Patriots have to think hard if Lloyd is giving them what they need at X to win a title. and he has an $3 million option bonus coming up soon. "

 

[Ian]

Super Bowl chat with Greg A. Bedard - Extra Points - Boston.com

A worthwhile read....especially his takes on the off season roster build. His take is so in line with my point of view, we may be twins

-"That's why I think the likely scenario is to play nice with Welker, let him set his value on the open market and then make a decision. But I think Talib will be the first order of business this month and into March. Still, if I'm him I go to market.

-"The fact that Vollmer can play left and right tackle will send his value through the roof."

-"I think they should forget about Reed and get a good enforcer next to him(McCourty)"

-"Personally, I don't see Cannon as a tackle -- and I know some in the organization agree with me "

-"The Patriots have to figure out a way to be more explosive in the pass game to setup the run."

-"They need upgrades to Lloyd"

-"Not very(comfortable with Cannon at RT). I'd rather draft a right tackle and plug him in. Deep tackle draft."

-"The linebackers, outside of Mayo who was great this year, are slow....They can use more athletes there"

-"But the more I saw of Hernandez on the outside, the less I was a fan of that."

-"I think Belichick thought it would be a low-scoring game and he was right. It's just he didn't expect his offense to suck."

-" I think the Patriots have to think hard if Lloyd is giving them what they need at X to win a title. and he has an $3 million option bonus coming up soon. "

Just read this during my lunch break. There is quite a bit of great stuff in there

 

[BigMike]

Good stuff. Although he doesn't say it here, Bedard has said (earlier this season) Amendola is signed to replace Welker.

 

[Raymond]

Good stuff. Although he doesn't say it here, Bedard has said (earlier this season) Amendola is signed to replace Welker.

Good God. I can't imagine this place if that happens and Amendola goes down week 10 with some injury.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Good God. I can't imagine this place if that happens and Amendola goes down week 10 with some injury.

You think he'd last that long?

 

[Jackson 2]

Good stuff. Although he doesn't say it here, Bedard has said (earlier this season) Amendola is signed to replace Welker.

I don't like Amendola's history of getting hurt. We already have enough receivers who can 't seem to stay on the field. And unlike some others here, I don't think it has anything to do with being "soft" with any of them. Broken arms and broken feet and broken hands and severe ankle sprains aren't insignificant bumps and bruises that guys can simply play through by gutting it out. In most cases it's just GD bad luck, and Amendola seems to carry bad luck in his back pocket.

 

[BigMike]

Agreed.....both Amendola and Edelman will be on the DL by game two.....

 

[Ring 6]

Bedard should stick to reporting and leave the analysis to others.

 

[Jackson 2]

Bedard should stick to reporting and leave the analysis to others.

Such as whom?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Bedard should stick to reporting and leave the analysis to others.

Bedard isn't a reporter. He's a columnist. And as those go he's top notch. All of these mediots tend to go off the rails at least a bit periodically once they start vying for on air time. I wish newspapers paid a living wage, but apparently they don't. So everyone is queing up for regular appearances on TV and radio where they don't have editors and they aren't putting something in print and they don't always think clearly on their feet when a douche like Felger is baiting them or they're trying to get a word in edgewise between Big O and Holley yukking it up or D & C intent on poking a stick into something or someone.

I think most of them know things we can't, not all of which turns out to be the whole story depending on their sources. I think Bedard has some good connections both in the building and on the team. Although it is fair to say Bill isn't one of them. No one really has access there unless it's after the fact (like Holley when he was writing Patriots Reign). I do think he talks a little more openly off air with guys he's on the radio with because they have built up a trust. They seldom embarass each other by asking him questions he isn't going to answer. But the little snipets of insight he gives them still requires playing massive connect the dots, and most of them aren't thoughtful enough to really do a good job at that. In part because they're being asked to comment incessantly as part of their jobs.

Bedard isn't always going to be right any more than any of us will be. But I think they like him because he is fair and reasoned and he puts in the time and he knows how to shape view based on access without outing his sources.

 

[Ring 6]

Such as whom?

Analysts.....

 

[Ring 6]

Bedard isn't a reporter. He's a columnist.

According to his employer he is a reporter

- Staff list - The Boston Globe

 

[DocHoliday]

Analysts.....

I can't think of an analyst who is any better at giving thoughts on the Patriots on a consistent basis.

 

[Ring 6]

I can't think of an analyst who is any better at giving thoughts on the Patriots on a consistent basis.

Funny, I cant think of one that is worse. Bedard is great at his job as a reporter. When he doesn't do his jo and tries to analyze, particularly assessing players, or projecting personell moves, he is poor.

 

[supafly]

Super Bowl chat with Greg A. Bedard - Extra Points - Boston.com


-"That's why I think the likely scenario is to play nice with Welker, let him set his value on the open market and then make a decision. But I think Talib will be the first order of business this month and into March. Still, if I'm him I go to market.

I enjoy reading Bedard's takes, whether he's a columnist/analyst or whatever...

I don't think that I necessarily agree with his thoughts on Welker though. If I were NE, I would try and come to terms with him now.

Waiting for some other team to "set the market" very well could backfire in an enormous way. (Thinks to self) Didn't we get screwed along these same lines before?

 

[supafly]

I agree that Vollmer is gone...long gone.

I'm not sure that I'd make Aqib Talib my #1 priority though, especially over Wes Welker.

Personally, I'd probably try to strike a fair deal with Welker as soon as they are able. If anyone "goes to market" it should be Talib, not Welker.

 

[Ring 6]

I enjoy reading Bedard's takes, whether he's a columnist/analyst or whatever...

I don't think that I necessarily agree with his thoughts on Welker though. If I were NE, I would try and come to terms with him now.

Waiting for some other team to "set the market" very well could backfire in an enormous way. (Thinks to self) Didn't we get screwed along these same lines before?

I think you underexaggerate, and we always lose the guy who tests the market.

 

[yopats]

I agree that Vollmer is gone...long gone.

I would not be shocked if they franchised him resigned Talib and let Welker go.



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[supafly]

I think you underexaggerate, and we always lose the guy who tests the market.

Possibly.

I think my concern is that someone will come in and offer Welker something which amounts to be significantly more than what NE deems as "fair," which would likely be something closer to what he may have wanted last year.

All it takes is one other team to screw up keeping him.

He seems to be still wanting to reach an acceptable pact here, and it still seems that he'd take something in the range of "fair" (although that term is broad depending upon your definition) to stay here and continue things with Belichick and Brady.

MoLewisRocks recently proposed something in the range of 4/34 or 8.5 aav, with about 18 million guaranteed. That seems to be very fair to me. If someone else comes in and somehow makes that 4/38 with a guarantee of 21 million, does he now still stay in N.England? Or does he go and take his chances with another potentially contending team?

To me it's playing with fire. I'd much rather see Kraft and Belichick negotiating in good faith at this current moment with the end result something in the range of the 4 yr/34 million dollar deal that MLR proposed. His offer actually still allows for a very lower end cap hit and even a potential way out after year 2.

My concern is that they'll piss Welker off (or it will appear that way even if that isn't the intent) and that he may very well walk. That would leave this offense very different.

 

[supafly]

I would not be shocked if they franchised him resigned Talib and let Welker go.



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Looking at the broad picture of the OL position itself, we have a lot of money currently tied in with Mankins, and Solder will be due after 2 more years. Obviously the Solder deal will take up a big chunk if they intend on keeping him, which I would imagine that they would want to do.

Of course by then the Mankins deal may be moot since he may only have 2 more years here, although I'm not sure of the potential finanical implications of what that would specifically mean in releasing him early.

Regardless Mankins is currently slated to be here for 4 more years at the moment, so there very well may be overlap with Mankins' pact and a new Solder pact in two more seasons.

I'm not sure that I could envision them giving money to S.Vollmer when he has injury concerns and durability issues as it is, let alone have 3 guys at the same time taking up enormous amounts of money on the OL.

Vollmer just isn't worth as much to the Pats as he may be to another team, especially if that team has plans on moving him to LT. We've seen other RT's do just fine in the past. You can't have probowlers at every position obviously.