Ok, Willie in my eyes has not been replaced. Willie was more or less replaced by Banta Cain. Colvin and he played together. Then came Thomas. No one has replaced his big time key plays. Colvin did not live up to the billing. I think they moved Thomas around too much last year.
Fine, we agree to disagree, though I believe your thinking to be false. Why? Because TBC wasn't ever a starter. Colvin "didn't live up to his billing" because of the major hip injury he suffered in his 2nd game with the Pats. As for "moving Thomas around too much last year," how do you figure that? Thomas was playing ILB until Colvin went down. Then he moved to OLB.
Harrison did not replace Milloy. Wilson replaced Milloy. Milloy would not redue his deal, then he was cut a week before the season. Milloy and Harrison lined up next to each other all through training camp. So Milloy was replaced by Wilson.
No you are re-writing history. Milloy was the SS, not the FS. Harrison replaced Milloy when Milloy was cut. And it was 5 days before the season. Harris actually got the start against Buffalo and it wasn't until the 2nd game of the season that Wilson saw time at FS.
Like you just said, draft can be a crap shoot. The guy could be a bust for all we know. Can't put faith in a guy we know nothing about. Seems like other rookie DB got more playing time.
So other rookie DBs got more playing time. That doesn't mean anything especially if you follow how the Patriots DON'T like to put pressure on rookies and would rather then develop for a year. Yes, there are the cased like Mankins and Mayo who are the exceptions. But, overall, the Pats would rather their draftees develop through special teams and on the practice field than on the game field where a mistake can cost you the game.
My point all high draft picks at different levels of the D. Great players that were the core through the playoffs and the 1st SB win. Game changers.
And the Patriots, under Belichick, have drafted players who are great players and have been part of that core also. Matt Light. Dan Koppen, Richard Seymour, Jarvis Green, Tom Brady, Asante Samuel, Gino Wilson (pre-injury), Deion Branch, David Givens, etc etc. All play makers on different parts of the team.
Having 3 UDFAs on the field means nothing. I have news for you, some of the best players in the league are UDFA. Adam Vinatieri, Kurt Warner, etc, etc.
I have no problem with UDFA. It is just sad when you have UDFA and low round draft picks beating out 2nd rounds picks on the regular.
B. Johnson 2nd beat out Givens 7th round.
M. Hill 2nd beat out by M. Wright UDFA
Chad Jackson 2nd beat out by Jab Street FA.
A Klemm. Beatout by Joe A.
I'm not sure how you can compare Bethel Johnson to David Givens when they are different types of receivers. Johnson was supposed to be able to stretch the field. Givens was a possession type receiver who excelled at the underneath routes.
Marquise Hill wasn't beaten out by Mike Wright. They played different positions. Hill at DE. Wright at NT. Also, Wright brought some diversity in that he also played on special teams.
Chad Jackson got beat out by a former 2nd round pick in Jabar Gaffney.
Adrian Klemm played tackle. Joe Andruzzi played guard. Klemm was the starting tackle coming out of camp several times, but got injured.
You do realize that those 3 draft picks you are talking about occured over a 5 year time span, yes? Belichick has spent 9 picks over a 9 year period on TEs. Not sure how you can consider that a LOT.
Your kidding right? It worked out so well that they went to the spread. Signed some great WR's. Would you be upset if the Pats did not resign Watson? I wouldn't.
I rather see the wealth spread around. 3-4 is your core D, pats always have injuries. Why not use one of those picks on the next great LB or DB.
You really don't follow this team as well as you think you do. The Patriots moved from the 2 TE set to the spread for a variety of reasons. One was an attempt to give Maroney more running room, they they seem intent on slamming him into the line. Another was because they didn't have the blocking TE they had in Graham anymore. Kyle Brady was a flop, unfortunately, who actually left the team at one point last year and was injured much of the time. So, its kind of hard to run the 2 TE set when you don't have TEs capable of blocking effectively. Also, they had added Stallworth and Welker and didn't add Moss until the draft. Who knows what they would have run if the Pats hadn't gotten Moss.
As for using "one of those picks on the next great LB or DB" again, you need to understand the Patriots drafting philosophy. You need to understand that they don't use the draft agencies that are out there. They use their own scouting personnel. They have their own rating system. And they draft based on value and not just need or just BPA. And the wildcard is that you never know what is going to happen. Jackson looked to be the better WR from his draft. Yet he flopped here.
He could have been great for all you know. We will never know.
And he could have flopped and been out of football by now. Like you said, we'll never know.
I am talking aout LBs not D-linemen. You have to admit that they have had some great LBs in that System that produced Vrable. They signed Scott the DB and they Townsend in for a vist and I think they offered him a contract, but he went back to Pitt.
So I think the FO keeps and eye out on potential FA from that system.
The fact that you think I am talking about just the linemen when I talk about the difference between the Pittsburgh 3-4 and the Pats 3-4 shows that you don't understand the defense much at all. Vrabel wasn't a LB in the Steelers system. He was actually playing DE is sub-sets and not getting time.
So the Patriots signed Chad Scott and looked at Townsend. They are DBs and the Pats play a lot of zone coverage.
The Pats review all of the free agents. They see who has done well against them and whether they can bring something to the Pats. Its why they went out and got Wes Welker.
As for what the Patriots should have done with the draft, you don't seem to understand that the Patriots use their own scouting to set their draft boards. At BEST, all the internet sites should be used as a loose guideline as to whether or not the Pats will like the player. The Patriots also draft personel based on their criteria of VALUE. Not based strictly on need and not based on best player available.
Everyone and their sister knew they were going to draft Mayo. Michael Hollie called the day before the draft. All the guys at weei knew who they were going to draft.
Then I guess it will be a surprise to you to know that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was also on their list to pick in the 1st round and that the Pats would have taken him if Mayo wasn't available.
No one can KNOW with 100% certainty who is going to be the person taken beyond the 1st overall. Surprises happen all the time. Donte Whitner being drafted by Buffalo a few years ago at #9. No one knew that. There was talk of Mayo and there was talk of the Pats dropping back farther in the 1st round than they did.
I know they look towards value. I think value is just coach speak. All coaches have their systems. A highly rated 225 LB that still on the board and the value is great, I don't see the pats drafting that player.
If he's the highest value player on their board, why not? Particularly if they have in mind to move him to SS or to have him be a special teams ace?
Speaking of value. was Dan Klecko better value than Koppen and Samuels? Was drafted higher.
Clearly, at the time, the Patriots felt that Klecko offered slightly higher value than Samuel (only 3 picks apart) and Koppen. This goes back to the draft being a crap shoot and you never know exactly what you are going to get. Thank you for proving my point for me.
I don't put this on Guyton, like you said it was a great throw.
Yet you said that none of the team was set and ready for the play. And admitting that it was a great throw suggests that it didn't matter if the rest of the team was set.
The point in the game where players and coaches are confused, there should have been a time out. Pats were in a shoot out and needed to try to hold them to a FG. Call time out, get your best players on the field and get the best play called.
I think some of the confusion was Pees was up in the coaches box for the 1st time
Again, I wouldn't say bad coaching as much as just a series of mistakes. And we don't know if BB tried to get a Time Out in since he'd have to run a bit to get to an official. Also, you have to give Pennington credit for seeing that the Pats weren't set and rushing the snap.