CB Robert McClain signing with Pats; UConn alum was w/ Falcons last 3 years

[n6249c]

Classic Kraft/Belichick - ponies instead of horses ....spend 15M on 7 guys, pick the best one, cut the rest instead of 15M on one guy...it's worked, sort of, in the past, and has come home to roost in the playoffs/super bowl....i'm not thinking they go back to back with this strategy.
I think every fan on here would trade an incredible shot at a repeat this season with Revis, Browner, etc. for the resultant "cap jail" in 2 years....heck, it was FUN watching last year's team on defense and it was TORTURE watching the defense of 08-13 (sans the few games Talib was healthy)...

Wrong.

 

[n6249c]

Wow. I'm glad I don't share a workplace with some of you. I can imagine how you'd react when someone gets some form of reward or recognition that you don't agree with.

Heck, just somebody having a job would set them off.

 

[n6249c]

[...]What I do have a problem with is the posters who defend every damned signing*, either by pimping up every lousy player or by constantly bashing people for pointing out that bad players have been bad players.

Some of us aren't bashing for pointing out that players have been bad in the past, but for being prejudiced and unwilling to consider that improvement might be possible.

We have one of the greatest coaches of all time, give him a chance to coach up whatever talent and desire guys have, and wait to see the results before condemning newly acquired players to eternal failure.

Guys like Nink show it is possible for a player who couldn't stick with other teams to become a star with this one. How can we know what these new guys will do until they show us? If we went on form and consensus evaluations we wouldn't waste time on a QB who wasn't good enough to get drafted before the sixth round would we? Trust the coaching staff to see how they respond, and act accordingly. Unwillingness to give that courtesy to a coach with six Super Bowl rings deserves to be bashed.

 

[Bruins29]

Heck, just somebody having a job would set them off.

Exactly. A bunch of losers who have to pin all their hopes on anything positive in their life on a phucking football team. If they spent half the energy they do here *****ing on something worthwhile in their life they might actually have something worthwhile in their life.

Clowns

 

[n6249c]

Glad I could be there.

When the Patriots make a signing people like, it gets pimped up.

When the Patriots make a signing people don't like, it gets criticized.

That's the way it is. That's the way it should be. That's what message boards are for. Tossing out the "wailing and gnashing" line after a suspect signing is a ridiculous response and merits a ridiculous answer in kind.

Disagree. I keep hoping message boards are for rational discussion, intelligent exchanges based on information and thinking, not emotional wailing and gnashing of teeth and the feeling that the sky is falling because someone's unrealistic pipe dream was dashed, or their fear of something falling short of fantastic expectations being triggered. Chicken littles should keep their heads down and their fingers away from the keyboard so the rest of us can talk football. That's the way it should be!

 

[Deus Irae]

Disagree. I keep hoping message boards are for rational discussion, intelligent exchanges based on information and thinking, not emotional wailing and gnashing of teeth and the feeling that the sky is falling because someone's unrealistic pipe dream was dashed, or their fear of something falling short of fantastic expectations being triggered. Chicken littles should keep their heads down and their fingers away from the keyboard so the rest of us can talk football. That's the way it should be!

Given that people were discussing the signings of players here, and it was the homer interjecting the comments about wailing and gnashing, your post, in context, is just twaddle, and the notion that the CLs should keep their heads down and fingers away from the keyboards is ridiculous, to say the least.

 

[Ivan]

That McClain contract is a damn slap in the face. What an absolute feckin travesty. Disgraceful.

Who the FECK is Robert Feckin McClain to deserve that much - if any - guaranteed money?

What a horrible, horrible day this has been. This is like the Worst St Paddy's Day hangover, Ever.

Yep. If he starts murdering people for no good reason the Patriots are back in cap jail.

 

[supafly]

Malcolm Butler disagrees. He already owned Brady in practice all last year, before he owned Seattle at the end of the season.

I'm excited about Butler too, but where on earth did you hear that "Malcolm Butler 'owned' Brady in practice all last year?"

The only thing I've seen printed/posted was when he called his agent in excited fashion after picking him off once at the end of a meaningless training camp drill.

 

[Username]

I'm excited about Butler too, but where on earth did you hear that "Malcolm Butler 'owned' Brady in practice all last year?"

The only thing I've seen printed/posted was when he called his agent in excited fashion after picking him off once at the end of a meaningless training camp drill.

Brady said he'd been picking him off all year in practice. Probably an exaggerated throwaway comment made in the heat of the moment at the end of the Superbowl, but I'm sure he's probably had a few picks. If nothing else Butler is a competitor who gives it 100% every play.

 

[Patsgofor4]

There is literally nobody saying that, at all. And there are ways to win a Super Bowl that do not include having Revis and Browner on the roster. I know you hate the Revis move, that's understandable. He's gone. Just like Mankins, just like Welker. Have to learn to get over some of this stuff.

You are 100% wrong. Deus loves the fact that they got rid of Revis and Browner. When they won the Super Bowl, he knew that he was supposed to be happy and was probable briefly tempted to make complementary statements about Belichick as a GM but such emotions and statements are not satisfying to him.

He can now go back to his comfort zone as one of the fellowship of the miserable. Spewing negativity and typing snarky, condescending and sarcastic things is what makes him reach for the KY, not success in Foxboro.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I'm a little confused by this signing.

People say that he is a slot DB.

I have read that hes more comfortable operating on the outside.

His height is a bit of a concern. He is 200lb so he is bulky.

This article (PFF) talks about his 2013 season

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2013/05/14/secret-superstar-robert-mcclain/

Are people thinking Arrington is on shaky ground?

 

[BelichickFan]

Doug Kyed ‏@DougKyedNESN 8h8 hours ago
Want to get excited about Robert McClain? Watch him vs. the Saints in Week 16. Played a great game.

Doug Kyed ‏@DougKyedNESN 7h7 hours ago
Played outside a lot end of '14. Smooth athlete. Changes direction well.

They can save over $800K by moving on from Arrington. I suspect Arrington will stay, it seems unlikely we'll take a spot that's been hit and hit it even move. It sounds like McClain can play but at his height matchups will be important. He's also a good ST player and was cheap.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

Good point. Fletcher/McClain is a significant upgrade over Revis/Browner, and only crazy people would be disappointed in these two signings...

All the rational people are currently popping the corks on bottles of champagne, as these signings have guaranteed a SB win in the upcoming season.

I think these are basically garbage camp body signings, a throw crap at the wall and see what sticks approach.. which is the right thing to do in their situation but certainly not excited about it..

But signing Revis would not have guaranteed them anything. They nearly lost the divisional round because of the defense, so nothing is certain. If Revis blows his ACL out again in training camp, the Jets have like 16% of their cap in an ice tub. there are always risks involved

 

[50-yard-line]

Wrong.

Very aptly and succinctly put. The post to which you responded has to be the least-self-aware post in the history of the internet.

I think every fan on here would trade an incredible shot at a repeat this season with Revis, Browner, etc. for the resultant "cap jail" in 2 years....heck, it was FUN watching last year's team on defense and it was TORTURE watching the defense of 08-13 (sans the few games Talib was healthy)...

Keep in mind, this was posted a few weeks removed from the Pats winning the Superbowl, and prefaced by outrage that the team had to suffer some cap hits this year. For a lot of people here, it seems that Superbowl euphoria lasts about a month, then it's back to freaking out...we're to believe that these same people would magically accept "cap jail" for a ring?

Hilarious.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

Very aptly and succinctly put. The post to which you responded has to be the least-self-aware post in the history of the internet.



Keep in mind, this was posted a few weeks removed from the Pats winning the Superbowl, an prefaced by outrage that the team had to suffer some cap hits this year. For a lot of people here, it seems that Superbowl euphoria lasts about a month, then it's back to freaking out...we're to believe that these same people would magically accept "cap jail" for a ring?

Hilarious.

Could you imagine this board if we mortgaged our future for instant gratification now.. and then had to clean house like the Saints are doing?

Oh my god... I can even fathom how horrifying these forums would be if we were going through a rebuild mode like the Saints.

 

[50-yard-line]

Could you imagine this board if we mortgaged our future for instant gratification now.. and then had to clean house like the Saints are doing?

Oh my god... I can even fathom how horrifying these forums would be if we were going through a rebuild mode like the Saints.

Could you imagine this board if we mortgaged our future for instant gratification now.. and then had to clean house like the Saints are doing?

Oh my god... I can even fathom how horrifying these forums would be if we were going through a rebuild mode like the Saints.

Imagine it if we DID do that - signed Revis and/or Suh to the types of contracts they received - and then they tore an ACL or whatever.

Or if we did that and hollowed out our middle/back of the roster and didn't win, even if those guys kept performing at the hoped-for level. I remember a season not long ago when SI claimed the Red Sox were a 100-win team. Yeah, no...there are no guarantees in sports.

 

[chasa]

this can't be right, the atlanta falcons had DB's last year?

 

[JackBauer]

Given that people were discussing the signings of players here, and it was the homer interjecting the comments about wailing and gnashing, your post, in context, is just twaddle, and the notion that the CLs should keep their heads down and fingers away from the keyboards is ridiculous, to say the least.

Thank you, I'm flattered.

 

[farn]

I prefer the "give ourselves a good chance every year" approach. I am sad Revis is gone and was quite hopeful, several weeks before FA period began, that NE would in fact keep him (and Browner) for another little while.

But as much as I wish Revis was around, I will not be onboard with those who think NE should go "all in". Those same people were probably saying Brady's window was closing five years ago. So WHEN do you go all in ?!?! I for one am hoping the answer is never.

Sign a tonne of DBs. Maybe one becomes a keeper. Target draft and trades if possible.

 

[patman52]

These signings are just low hanging fruit for posters that actually seem to enjoy bashing the team and trying to get a rise out of other posters. It seems like BB signs and cuts 3 or 4 vets during camp every year, these guys may be examples of that or examples of Ninko, or the two DEs (Carter/Anderson) that he signed off the scrap heap and got 10 sacks from each a few years ago.

BB sees something in these guys to warrant the signing, bashers want you to believe that these signings are what BB envisions as direct replacements for Revis and Browner. Loss two guys, signed two guys, yeah that is it, direct replacements. Their take/opinion is the same take as other teams fans have when these signings are discussed with the same arguments.

I don't know McLain at all, Don't recall ever watching him. Fletcher played well for St Louis, went to Philly and regressed under Davis, If BB can just get him back to where he was with the rams, it will be a great signing for 2mill. Davis treated his CB like he had Revis and Sherman, not Fletcher and Williams.

BB rented Revis and Browner for a year, got a SB and most likely a 3rd and 6th rd pick next year as comp. Wonderful job, now a part of the "fanbase" now thinks that is the benchmark that has to be met with FA signings going forward.