How Have We Improved

[hwc]

And as if it wasn't bad enough, now we've let another great one get away. Trent Richardson has signed with the Raiders. Why can't we get players like that?

 

[RobertWeathers]

If recent history is any lesson, we don't even have to worry until about the fifth game of the regular season.

Yep. They've started 2-2 in 2 of the last 3 years.

 

[LightSkinSmurf]

I agree that as of right now we are not a better team. However, there is still so much offseason left and the draft. I would wait to have this rant after all that is over with. If we go into next year with the same old can't get a 3rd down stop to save our lives defense then I will be right with you. I don't expect to be as good on defense next year, I'm just hoping we aren't down right terrible.

 

[LightSkinSmurf]

How have "we" improved over the team that just won the Super Bowl? Really?

Call me crazy, but I'd like to wait until after the last pre-season game to start worrying about the 2015 Patriots. Let the Jets, Bills, and Dolphins declare themselves off season/pre-season champions.

You say this like its impossible for a SB winning team to improve.

 

[PATSNUTme]

oh my god. now its off limits to want to improve. you guys are the best

If it was "off limits", I would have deleted the thread. By all means, go ahead and spend the next 6 months wringing your hands if that's what make you happy.
I enjoy the process of seeing how the team comes together over that time. Lot's of stuff going to happen during that time.

 

[JayNM]

If we were to compare the 2014 version to the (march of) 2015 version, the former is obviously better. But then again, they were better than everyone else.

I think that a fact is being grossly overlooked. We are going to play differently this year. We are not going to rely on man coverage anymore but in zone(hence the reason Browner was expandable). Dennard and Ryan were capable of playing that scheme before, granted that they have declined this past year, but they could get back on track. Moreover, our Dline should be better, with Sheard and a healthy Easly

Again, i do think we are worse, but not by a lot. Still think we are one of the best

 

[patsbrasilpatriotas]

SB50 Champs:

• QB - 2 Brady, Garoppolo - same
• RB - 4 Bolden, Gray, Blount, Gaffney OR White OR DRAFT#03.b - decline
• C - 1 Stork - same
• G - 4 Wendell, Kline, Connolly, DRAFT #04.a - upgrade
• OT - 4 Vollmer, Solder, Cannon, Cameron Fleming - same
• WR - 6 Amendola, Slater, Edelman, Lafell, Dobson, Gibson OR Tyms OR DRAFT#07 - upgrade or same
• TE - 5 Rob Gronkowski, Chandler Hoomanawanui, Wright, Develin - upgrade
• DE - 4 Ninkovich, Chandler Jones, Moore OR Buchanan OR DRAFT#06, Sheard - upgrade
• DT - 5 Chris Jones, Easley, DRAFT 03.a, Vellano, Siliga, Branch - If Easley is healthy,upgrade
• LB - 5 Collins, Hightower, Mayo, Chris White, Freeny OR Morris OR DRAFT 04.b, McCarthy - McCarthy is an upgrade if ...
• CB - 6 Ryan, Arrington, Butler, Dennard, DRAFT#01, DRAFT#02 - You cant upgrade Revis but with 2 high picks we should have a very decent group
• S - 5 McCourty,Tavon Wilson, Ebner, Harmon, Chung - same
• P - 1 Allen
• K - 1 Gostkowski
• LS - 1 Ott

 

[patsfan13]

We were the youngest team to win a SB, we can expect many of our young core players to improve. We will see if the team is better next year. Team building is necessarily a process of just signing "big names".

 

[Ring 6]

2004 may be exception i can agree to that.

Elite CB's dont need to make plays per se. if you can put him on 1 player and the player doesnt do anything thats akin to making plays. if the other QB is hesitant to go in that players direction you can adjust your defense. and you can essentially double everyone else. im not interested in stats for a corner.

You are quoting a strategy as if it is a necessity.
How many teams have won SBs with one corner taking away a #1 WR by himself? How many have won SB with different strategies?

 

[ctpatsfan1]

Wow, sorry to jump in late to this one but billdog3484 you do realize with the salary cap and the way the league is setup it is slanted against playoff teams especially the SB participants and the SB winner and in favor of the the non-playoff teams? It is called parity. Of course the Phins/Bills/Jets are going to get better they sucked last year and didn't come close to the playoffs not to mention when is the last time any of them came close to the playoffs? Which makes what the Patriots have done even that more impressive.

That said to answer your specific question about CB........just my opinion.........I think BB has decided to put the money in the front 7 and go with lesser talent at CB. Between, Easley, Collins, Hightower, Sheard, Niko, Jones.........he should be able to scheme to create some interesting ways to get to the QB quicker than they have been. Maybe he has other ideas on how to get better CB's in here, but right now it looks like he is putting a premium on the pass rush at the expense of the CB position. Maybe he sees the way refs are calling holding excessively and has decided that the way to impede the passing game is to get to the QB faster as opposed to being able to cover longer. I don't know but it appears to be a fundamental change in the way he views his defense attacking the O. Only time will tell if what he is trying works or not. Considering he has won 4 SB championships with the Pats and has kept them competitive for well over a decade now and is the reigning SB Champion HC..........IMHO, he can try whatever the heck he wants, he deserves that respect and latitude because in fact he has probably forgotten more football than everyone on this board has ever known. And yes you and anyone has a right as a fan to disagree but understand the history he has with the team and how chances are you are going to be wrong more often than you are right.

 

[PATSNUTme]

You say this like its impossible for a SB winning team to improve.

This team won the Super Bowl. Last I checked that's as high a goal as you can reach in the NFL. Can't improve over that, or is there a Super, Super Bowl this year?

 

[IcyPatriot]

oh my god. now its off limits to want to improve. you guys are the best

How is Geno going to improve?

 

[Ring 6]

2004 may be exception i can agree to that.

When you say something has NEVER happened you cannot 'agree to an exception'. You simply should say "I was wrong, ignore my conclusion'

 

[LightSkinSmurf]

This team won the Super Bowl. Last I checked that's as high a goal as you can reach in the NFL. Can't improve over that, or is there a Super, Super Bowl this year?

Ok, so you're saying that every team that wins the SB is a perfect team? They are perfect in every single area and can't possibly do anything to be a better team next year? You are talking about goals, I'm talking about the talent of the team. You aren't comprehending this.

 

[hwc]

Can/should people point to the youngsters gaining experience as a reason for our team getting better? I mean, isn't that the expectation of every team? I don't think we should use this as a reason to set ourselves apart from other teams.

That's why you can't compare teams one year to the next. Rough numbers here, but in any given year:

a) About 1/3 of your players will be better than the year before
b) About 1/3 of your players will be worse than the year before
c) About 1/3 of your player from the year before will be gone

Will the sum total be better or worse? Who the F knows? I guarantee you that Bill Belichick doesn't know. And probably won't know until sometime in November. So, if Bill Belichick has no idea, what prayer do schmucks like us on a fan forum have of trying to make that determination in March? It's just folly.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Ok, so you're saying that every team that wins the SB is a perfect team? They are perfect in every single area and can't possibly do anything to be a better team next year? You are talking about goals, I'm talking about the talent of the team. You aren't comprehending this.

If I wanted to say that I would have said that. Again, it's March, a lot of things are going to happen between now and 9/10/15.
And having most "talent" does not translate into winning championships. Just ask the "all in" Denver Bronco's. I'd rather achieve goals than win the fantasy pool.

 

[Marinlik]

How have "we" improved over the team that just won the Super Bowl? Really?

Call me crazy, but I'd like to wait until after the last pre-season game to start worrying about the 2015 Patriots. Let the Jets, Bills, and Dolphins declare themselves off season/pre-season champions.

Hell, I'll wait atleast a few games into the regular season before I start to worry. Because really, the pre season means **** for the Patriots as they barely show anything there.

If we had gutted the team like the 49ers, then I could understand all this panick. But we haven't. I agree with you, this is way to early to go into complete chaos mode.

 

[scott99]

We haven't improved at all (simple answer to a simple question). I would say we are a LOT weaker than we were Feb 1st. But that doesn't mean Belichick can't coach these guys up. Look at the 2001 roster, one of the worst SB winning rosters ever, look at the 2004 Super Bowl winning team, he helped coach a Championship team with a rookie FA corner, and a 2nd year 4th round corner. So despite the suckitude of this offseason (SO FAR), there is always hope.

Despite my anger over things, think about how BB operates. We still had Faulk and BJGE when BB drafts Ridley and Vereen. Still have Vereen when he drafts James White. The man is always thinking 2 steps ahead, drafting and signing guys (Woodhead back in 2010) who are eventual replacements for guys who are leaving after their contracts end. I'm sure he has a master plan for what has happened. Of course, he still has Tom Brady, who is the key difference maker in the NFL.

I'm pissed, but BB, thank God, has never changed his M.O.

 

[LightSkinSmurf]

If I wanted to say that I would have said that. Again, it's March, a lot of things are going to happen between now and 9/10/15.
And having most "talent" does not translate into winning championships. Just ask the "all in" Denver Bronco's. I'd rather achieve goals than win the fantasy pool.

You did say that, indirectly. You made it seem like improving the team was not possible since we just won the SB.

 

[PATSNUTme]

You did say that, indirectly. You made it seem like improving the team was not possible since we just won the SB.

And your saying that I'm saying something I didn't say or I would have said what you are saying I said.
OK, move along, nothing to see here.