FA acquisitions - Predict 'Em.

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Are we still trying to fill Dante's role? Seems like Welker scares them as much as a second deep guy would.

Sure, but I still think the Pats need another WR that can stretch the field and take pressure off of Moss and Welker.

 

[JSn]

Sure, but I still think the Pats need another WR that can stretch the field and take pressure off of Moss and Welker.

Oh man, I hope against hope it's Housh.

I was a fan of the Bengals in HS (as a nerdy card collector, not a nerdy sports fan) and picked up there until I became a Boston junkie after visiting. I want to see someone from Cinci fail to suck EPICALLY.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Oh man, I hope against hope it's Housh.

Housh is going to want big bucks, which he deserves and it would be foolish for the Pats to spend lots of money on a WR. However, I would love to have Housh as well.

 

[BadMoFo]

I tend to get one or two right a year (I correctly picked Adalius Thomas and Victor Hobson in subsequent years), but I get most wrong. So here I go.

Potential Patriots FA targets

Ray Lewis - 3-4 experience, great leader, probably too expensive with the Jets and Cowboys chasing after him.
Bart Scott - 3-4 experience, solid starter
Leigh Bodden - Experience in Belichick's defense, rising star prior to last year, still young
Channing Crowder - 3-4 experience. Rumored that the Pats are really high on him. Taking away from Dolphins helps the Pats and hurts the Dolphins.
Bryant McFadden - Young corner, starting to break out as a player, Pats love Steeler defenders.
Yerimiah Bell - Hard hitting safety, upgrade from Sanders and a potential replacement for Harrison, again helps the Pats by improving the position and hurting the Dolphins.
LJ Smith - Belichick loves his TEs
Darren Sharper - Belichick also loves older veterans who are smart football players with great instincts and reaction abilities.
Fred Taylor - Just because Belichick is all about RB by committee these days and they have already shown interest.

I think Lewis and Scott will be long shots because both will draw a lot of interest elsewhere especially with the Jets. Bell and Sharper may be resigned by their own teams even before free agency starts on Saturday.

I get your strategy. You pick every high-profile free agent and you are bound to get one right.

 

[pats63]

Jets Are Gay

best quote of the year,dude.....

 

[DocE]

Prediction:

CB Leigh Bodden
Veteran WR: Torry Holt on the high end, Ronald Curry, Joey Galloway, Donte Stallworth (like Holt a rumored cut). I think one of these guys ends up a Patriot.
QB Damon Huard if Cassel is traded, Huard will be the veteran backup
S Mike Brown

Lewis Sanders and Lonnie Paxton will be re-signed.

What I am hoping for:

CB Ron Bartell
CB Chris McAlister- for a possible late career resurgence as a S
WR Joey Galloway at vet minimum
OT Marvel Smith or Stacey Andrews- both coming off injury, would only want one of them if they could be had a significant discount due to injury.
TE Jim Kleinsasser- a great blocking TE who is likely to stay in Minnesota

My only big contract would be for Bartell, who I think is an ascending player. I think someone will give him 5-6 million a year which will be too much for the Patriots. I'd love to be able to add a defender to the defense who is between 26-28 (ie proven, but still young legs) either through FA or by trade (Carlos Rogers is rumored to be available).

 

[Clonamery]

Prediction:

CB Leigh Bodden
Veteran WR: Torry Holt on the high end, Ronald Curry, Joey Galloway, Donte Stallworth (like Holt a rumored cut). I think one of these guys ends up a Patriot.
QB Damon Huard if Cassel is traded, Huard will be the veteran backup
S Mike Brown

Lewis Sanders and Lonnie Paxton will be re-signed.

What I am hoping for:

CB Ron Bartell
CB Chris McAlister- for a possible late career resurgence as a S
WR Joey Galloway at vet minimum
OT Marvel Smith or Stacey Andrews- both coming off injury, would only want one of them if they could be had a significant discount due to injury.
TE Jim Kleinsasser- a great blocking TE who is likely to stay in Minnesota

My only big contract would be for Bartell, who I think is an ascending player. I think someone will give him 5-6 million a year which will be too much for the Patriots. I'd love to be able to add a defender to the defense who is between 26-28 (ie proven, but still young legs) either through FA or by trade (Carlos Rogers is rumored to be available).

Good thoughts as usual.

 

[Rob0729]

I get your strategy. You pick every high-profile free agent and you are bound to get one right.

Huh? There are far more high profile free agents. I only picked the free agents that are relevant to the Patriots who might be actually free agents they want. Otherwise, I would have listed Albert Haynesworth, TJ Whosyourmamma, Chris Canty, Marvin Harrison, Jonathan Vilma, etc.

Isn't the name of this game to list the free agents the Pats would go after? That's what I did. I listed the players who fit a need and would fit into the Pats strategy of acquiring players. Besides, I wouldn't consider Leigh Bodden, Bryant McFadden, Yerimiah Bell, Darren Sharper, or LJ Smith among the high profile free agents of this free agent class. Below is ESPN rankings of the free agents using Scout Inc.'s grades and none of them are in the top 10.

The only high profile free agents I listed were Lewis, Scott, and Crowder. And I said Lewis and Scott were long shots. LJ Smith and Darren Sharper would only be high profile free agents if this was 2005.

NFL Football Free Agents - All Positions - National Football League - ESPN

 

[Rob0729]

Prediction:

CB Leigh Bodden
Veteran WR: Torry Holt on the high end, Ronald Curry, Joey Galloway, Donte Stallworth (like Holt a rumored cut). I think one of these guys ends up a Patriot.
QB Damon Huard if Cassel is traded, Huard will be the veteran backup
S Mike Brown

Lewis Sanders and Lonnie Paxton will be re-signed.

What I am hoping for:

CB Ron Bartell
CB Chris McAlister- for a possible late career resurgence as a S
WR Joey Galloway at vet minimum
OT Marvel Smith or Stacey Andrews- both coming off injury, would only want one of them if they could be had a significant discount due to injury.
TE Jim Kleinsasser- a great blocking TE who is likely to stay in Minnesota

My only big contract would be for Bartell, who I think is an ascending player. I think someone will give him 5-6 million a year which will be too much for the Patriots. I'd love to be able to add a defender to the defense who is between 26-28 (ie proven, but still young legs) either through FA or by trade (Carlos Rogers is rumored to be available).

I don't see Stallworth getting cut so quickly since he got a big bonus from the Browns last year. He definitely will not return to the Pats since he slid down the depth chart late in 2007.

 

[JSn]

Looks like anyone who included Channing Crowder or Gibril Wilson lost a couple points. Both signed with the Fishies.

 

[PatsDparty]

Prediction:
Fred Taylor
D'angelo Hall
Galloway

Hoping: Somehow landing Peppers

 

[JSn]

Prediction:
Fred Taylor
D'angelo Hall
Galloway

I'm surprised by how many people here seem to think this is a good idea. Not because I disagree, but I just thought 37 and cut by the Bucs would be a tough stigma to beat.

D. Hall is interesting. I sure hope he has lower expectations than Greer.

 

[PatsDparty]

I'm surprised by how many people here seem to think this is a good idea. Not because I disagree, but I just thought 37 and cut by the Bucs would be a tough stigma to beat.

D. Hall is interesting. I sure hope he has lower expectations than Greer.

Galloway is still a burner (even at 37), but he does seem to have trouble staying on the field. I'd be looking at a vet min deal here, b/c I think he'd be nice to put opposite Randy.

The pats really seem to like Hall, both when he was drafted and last year when he was cut. Maybe they feel that his weaknesses would be covered up in our Def, versus what he was asked to do for the Raiders (I didn't really see how he did in DC).