Breaking Down The Richard Seymour Trade - Albert Breer - The Trenches - Sporting News
lot of interesting points...
lot of interesting points...
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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.The National media seems to have a better grasp of what transpired here than some of the locals and fans. And Breer also references the long history of Seymour never quite developing the all in mentality that any top tier player here MUST embrace.
This relates to the Branch example. Sure, it's nice to have a full complement of draft picks. But if you cost yourself championship opportunities now, by trading one of the few impact defensive players you have left, and that opportunity has dwindled by the time you get to use those picks, then what good is that?
Breaking Down The Richard Seymour Trade - Albert Breer - The Trenches - Sporting News
lot of interesting points...
he also makes this somewhat valid pt
He's right. But . . . I think Belichick wants to have a good chance to win indefinitely. He knows we could have won in 2005 (crappy PI call), 2006 (one 3 yard completion away), 2007 (we all know what happened), 2008 (if that hit didn't happen). Sh!t happens and I think Belichick would prefer a good chance every year than a little better than a good chance for a couple of years before disintegration. Most championship teams implode from within; this trade lessens our chance this year by a little bit but these trades over the years keep the chances good for a long time. Would we have won in 2007 with Branch ? Maybe; but we may have lost to SD with him, there's no way to tell. I do know that if we use our draft picks well the next two years and re-sign Brady we'll be really good now for about 7 more years.he also makes this somewhat valid pt
Yup.
In 2006, Belichick did the "right" thing. Had we won the Super Bowl with the deficiency at WR that he left, then there would have been no second guessing. Belichick rolled the dice and lost. Perhaps we would have lost anyway, but looking back and forward from the day Branch left, it seemed a great risk.
And here we are again. In 2009, Belichick is doing the best thing for the future of the patriots. But, make no question, Belichick is again rolling the dice with the 2009 season.
Yup.
In 2006, Belichick did the "right" thing. Had we won the Super Bowl with the deficiency at WR that he left, then there would have been no second guessing. Belichick rolled the dice and lost. Perhaps we would have lost anyway, but looking back and forward from the day Branch left, it seemed a great risk.
And here we are again. In 2009, Belichick is doing the best thing for the future of the patriots. But, make no question, Belichick is again rolling the dice with the 2009 season.
Let's also not forget that it WAS NOT the offense that lost us that 06 Con-Championship game. We put up 35 points in that game and had a 21-3 lead at half-time. The defense COMPLETELY **** the bed. Another big probably was the fact that the RUNNING game couldn't eat enough clock to keep Peyton on the bench.
It's like blaming the defense for us losing the SB in '07...
Let's also not forget that it WAS NOT the offense that lost us that 06 Con-Championship game. We put up 35 points in that game and had a 21-3 lead at half-time. The defense COMPLETELY **** the bed. Another big probably was the fact that the RUNNING game couldn't eat enough clock to keep Peyton on the bench.
It's like blaming the defense for us losing the SB in '07...
Believe it or not completed passes would also have kept Manning on the bench. Also, completed passes might have led to another touchdown or two. But the issue is never really the end of the game. We would have had a better chance to win the game with Branch on the team. I don't think there is any question of that.
And yes, in 2007, we would have a better chance had we had an additional top corner. More importantly, we would have done better had we had more depth and health at linebacker and if the players all were forced to have flu shots. But you are correct, the mighty 2007 offense should have scored more points. The defense did enough to win.
No doubt about it. We were so close to the SB in 2006, and any one of several things would probably have made the difference, including Branch at WR. There's no question that we could dearly miss Seymour come January.
More importantly, we would have done better had we had more depth and health at linebacker and if the players all were forced to have flu shots.
he also makes this somewhat valid pt
Best new yet: Borges is due on NECN and he believes this is a big mistake...
Best new yet: Borges is due on NECN and he believes this is a big mistake...
If Borges had been present at the miracle of the loaves and fishes, he surely would have complained that there was no lemon to go with the fish, and would have demanded butter for the bread.
Things that would have won us the AFCCG:
1. Being able to keep Peyton off the field a bit more in the second half - would have given him less chances and time to come back, and would have rested our defense. Could have been accomplished with a better running game, or with a few timely receptions. Branch would definitely have helped, even just to keep the Colt's defense honest. With no solid WRs for TB to throw to and no running game, we just didn't have enough offensive options. BB clearly saw to that in the 2007 offseason with the Moss and Welker trades.
2. Being able to stop the Colts offense at least once. Our defense was old, slow, and exhausted from the flu. It spent way too much time on the field in the second half. Better speed, youth and depth would have helped.
Probably ANY one of these (or more) would have changed the outcome, given how the Pats led up till the final minute.
Well, we went the other way with Asante and that didn't tip the balance either. Who's to say Branch would have had any impact in that game or even active for it. And the price to keep him proved to be far too steep. He's hanging by his fingernails in Seattle, don't think they don't wish they had a do over.
The defense collapsed. It's been a recurring theme since 2005. He's turning it over.
Best new yet: Borges is due on NECN and he believes this is a big mistake...