Most of the criticisms leveled at my "plan" have been more than fair. If I could change my original post now, it seems the signing of Mewelde Moore and Wes Welker as RFAs in 2007 may be prohibitively expensive in draft picks. Therefore I would pencil Faulk and T. Brown back in for 2007. In 2008 I would attempt to sign both Moore and Welker as unrestricted free agents, and wave goodbye to Faulk and T. Brown.
I don't have a problem spending a 2nd rounder on Welker in a year in which we have 2 first rounders and perhaps more (because I am firmly in the Asante is tagged and outta here camp). His ST versatility and work ethic and effort make him a BB type football player. I think he loves the non-diva type old school WR.
People underestimate the potential trade value of Cassel (Thank you MoLewis for correcting my spelling- Cassel with 1 L) as trade bait. Seattle traded the equivalent of the #33 pick in the draft for former 6th rdr Matt Hasselbeck, who had barely played a down behind Favre. In 1995 Jacksonville traded a 3rd and 5th rdr to GB for Mark Brunell, a 5th rd pick in 1993 who had barely played a down behind Favre. After Cassel plays well in the preseason again, and a few injuries and other QB debates begin raging in places like Chicago, GB, Detroit and Minnesota, either this season or next Cassel WILL net the Pats a 1st day pick (even though Ryan the Colts fan, with his deep grasp of the Qb position, disagrees- BTW, isn't he late for another marathon sex session with his Peyton Manning bobble head doll?).
Ryan has been around for a while now and as Indy fans go he's OK (albeit it something of a novelty since he chose to be an Indy fan in spite of being a native New Englander - or maybe he did that for spite).
As for the QB in waiting, the whole Hasselback thing only happened because Holmgren drafted him. When he left for Seattle he had an affinity for his young backup and wanted him as his starter in Seattle. Almost lost his new job over that trade when it took 3 years for him to beat the Favre out of his boy. And what happened 14 years ago is probably not much of a barometer in today's NFL. I've read that the model of raising and grooming QB's as a means to add value to the franchise in draft picks is one BB hopes to emulate. But he hasn't had THAT much success identifying those who can even fill the 2 hole reasonably. I think he thinks Matt can do that and more. That represents value here for now to though because it isn't as if BB has batted a thousand, and Matt won't be traded until his replacement is on the roster and has absorbed the system. And that replacement won't be someone who commands $1.5-2M per as a backup, which is what Rattay has been making and likely will continue to in a QB starved market, or Huard would have never needed to move on. If Matt goes it will be in 2008, pre draft, and only if we have a viable alternative who provides BB the same peace of mind at an affordable value price.
To those who took issue with the fact I only listed 51 players on my roster for 2007... the list was not meant to be a complete roster, which is why it fell under the heading KEY PLAYERS IN 2007. Similarly, I have KEY PLAYERS IN 2008 below that, in which the roster is barely fleshed out but for starters and obvious backups.
As for the hangup most have with my suggestion that, although an impossibility due to Colvin's cap hit, I would rather keep TBC over Colvin... Neither is a starter next year according to my plan (Adalius Thomas and Vrabel would be the starting OLBs) and my feeling is that Colvin would have trouble accepting a demotion to a back-up role, and TBC would not. Also, Colvin will be making too much money for a rotational backup player. I do not feel that TBC is a better all-around player than Colvin, just better suited to a backup role. In any case, Colvin is going nowhere so the point is moot.
