How much is a premier OL worth?

[mgteich]

We start three #1's at DL, and have invested a lot in backups (a #2 and a very high long term contract to a 4th).

We pay a lot of cap money for four veteran linebackers.

The result is that we have one of the best front sevens in the league.
-----------------------------------------

What is an OL worth? How much should we invest? Let us presume that we are outbid for Neal and Ashworth, and note that Hochstein, Gorin and Koppen are all in their contract year.

Going forward we have Light, Mankins and Kaczur, all players that we have chosen to invest in this past season. We chose to start an OL with these three.

We have six for this year, plus Yates and Mruc and Roehl and Britt.

Some think that we are done. Let's move on to other positions. What say you?

 

[PATSNUTme]

If we can find a good OL in FA and can sign him for a reasonable price, we should. We should also draft a couple.

Dante has done an excellent job with some second tier guys not all but a few. It's time that we upgrade the talent there to protect our franchise and get the running game going. It all starts there.

 

[JR4]

Topicis on the Oline, of course has, been discussed a lot.
There seems to be two disctinct camps

Camp 1: What we have at Oline is good enough. Just resign Neal.
Camp 2: Oline is good but time to make it dominate.

I am in Camp 2. How much to spend to do it? I'd like to see PATs commit
another 3-5M /year to the Oline.
Miguel showed PATs could free up 17+ million in CAP space.

With that they need
1. Resign PATs FAs (not including Givens, that may cost 4M )
2. Sign the rookies and reserve for injuries in 2006 (say 6M)
3. Sign Givens or his replacement (3M)

It seems PATs could have the CAP to invest in the Oline from FA.
or
they could draft Oline 1st round (money included in point 2 above)


To me no other investment would pay as big rewards,
as this will:

- keep Brady healthy (very very important)
- improve the run game.
- improve the pass game
- help the defense becase
--- a) it is more rested
--- b) if offense gets significant lead, forces opposing Offense to be 1 dimensional.

I'd like to see PATs invest commit another 3-5M /year to the Oline.

 

[spacecrime]

Camp 2: Oline is good but time to make it dominate.

I'm with you. Who wants a position that is "good enough." Let's dominate. I'd like to see us dominate in all phases of the game, in all positions. Who says, I want the Pats to be mediocre in "this" area or the game or "that" phase of the game.

I'd like to see PATs invest commit another 3-5M /year to the Oline.

I'm with you again! Also would like to see them commit millions to LB, CB (at least double in this area), S, RB, WR (double the money on WR, too), DT (triple the money in this area to keep Seymour)

LET'S DO IT!

 

[PatsWorldChamps]

I think the pats will use a 1st or 2nd round pick on oline, and sign a FA OL

 

[JR4]

..................
LB, CB (at least double in this area), S, RB, WR (double the money on WR, too), DT (triple the money in this area to keep Seymour)

PATs do not need heavy additional expenses in these areas this year.

BB spent several years building up the defense. Last year he started working
on the Oline. There is no reason to believe that he was done with the Oline
after one year.

 

[Feep_FLA]

I'd like to see PATs invest commit another 3-5M /year to the Oline.

As usual, JR4 is right on the money (literally

To me no other investment would pay as big rewards,
as this will:

- keep Brady healthy (very very important)
- improve the run game.
- improve the pass game
- help the defense becase
--- a) it is more rested
--- b) if offense gets significant lead, forces opposing Offense to be 1 dimensional

Its hard to argue with this kind of sense and logic....... :rocker:

 

[Ring 6]

I think everyone knows where I stand on this.

Here is a question.
If many think our great DL is the key to winning, why is that?
I assume because its so good no OL can beat it.

Wouldnt the opposite be just as important? Build an OL that no DL in the NFL can beat?

If its the most important part of defnese, why wouldnt stopping it be the most important part of offense?

 

[drew4008]

As the old saying goes, games are won and lost in the trenches.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Premier athletes play on defense because they get paid more that way. Woody was getting like 2.7 mil here and Belichick let him walk. Belichick has always used the best cow in the herd method for finding OL.

Just guessing but I don't see Belichick paying more than 2 mil for a great OL and I really don't see him going that high for an old one. Mankins hit is just below 2 mil I believe.

 

[pats1]

Isn't it...uhh...against BB and SP's philosophy to do exactly that?

I'm tellin' ya, watch out for Gene Mruczkowski in 2006. I'm serious.

 

[mgteich]

This has been posted before; so I apologize for the repitition.

I believe that teams with top OL's are usually in the playoffs. There will always be teams with top running backs and wide receivers and even defensive lines that are regularly out of the playoffs. However, it is rare that a team with a top OL will be out of the playoffs for long.

just my 2 cents

I think everyone knows where I stand on this.

Here is a question.
If many think our great DL is the key to winning, why is that?
I assume because its so good no OL can beat it.

Wouldnt the opposite be just as important? Build an OL that no DL in the NFL can beat?

If its the most important part of defnese, why wouldnt stopping it be the most important part of offense?

 

[shakadave]

Questioning Dante

Dante has done an excellent job with some second tier guys not all but a few. It's time that we upgrade the talent there to protect our franchise and get the running game going. It all starts there.

I'm starting to question the oft-heard party line that Dante always does an excellent job with the O-line. [Started new thread to continue these thoughts.]