Idle thoughts - idle week...

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

BB wants to win it all this year, although he also actively thinks in the long term. The beauty is that BB wants to win now and later. Every year he is looking to win. The trade for Branch was to help the team NOW. Call it insurance, fine, but the goal is to win.

BB does not view extra draft picks the way fans or the media do. He views them as currency/money. When he needs insurance to cover somebody like Moss or Mankins, he uses draft picks as insurance payment. When he needs a position to be fleshed out, he makes a trade and pays for it with draft picks. When he wants to draft a player, he uses whatever amount of draft picks he needs to position himself to get that player at the point that the value all makes sense.

And when he doesn't see anybody he wants in next years draft at a certain point he will simply trade away the pick and accumulate more 'currency' for a rainy day. Thus no need to worry about having too many picks.

Branch absolutely will help the team this season. No question. If he has declined as a player than BB will have no qualms letting him walk after the season.

Comparing Moss, who needed to be shipped away for obvious reasons, to Branch, who is here to help us win this season and provide insurance that we have enough experience at WR, is a fool's game. Branch will not be asked to do what Moss did. Branch will be asked to help us win games as a 2nd or 3rd option. Our offense is headed back to ball control, low risk medium reward type plays. I happen to prefer this to high risk, feast or starve type plays. Moss just was not getting the job done anymore on those plays, for a variety of reasons.

I personally don't think we will beat the Ravens, although it would be great too, but I also don't think that is because of Moss. I don't think he would have made any difference in that game because if any team can shut him down, they can. I don't think tossing wing and prayer long balls to Randydogg would make any difference against the Ravens compared to a well executed ball control offense. Either we use Moss as a decoy and he pouts or we toss balls his way and get picked off. With Branch, we at least have the element of surprise.

 

[aluminum seats]

BB wants to win it all this year, although he also actively thinks in the long term. The beauty is that BB wants to win now and later. Every year he is looking to win. The trade for Branch was to help the team NOW. Call it insurance, fine, but the goal is to win.

BB does not view extra draft picks the way fans or the media do. He views them as currency/money. When he needs insurance to cover somebody like Moss or Mankins, he uses draft picks as insurance payment. When he needs a position to be fleshed out, he makes a trade and pays for it with draft picks. When he wants to draft a player, he uses whatever amount of draft picks he needs to position himself to get that player at the point that the value all makes sense.

And when he doesn't see anybody he wants in next years draft at a certain point he will simply trade away the pick and accumulate more 'currency' for a rainy day. Thus no need to worry about having too many picks.

Branch absolutely will help the team this season. No question. If he has declined as a player than BB will have no qualms letting him walk after the season.

Comparing Moss, who needed to be shipped away for obvious reasons, to Branch, who is here to help us win this season and provide insurance that we have enough experience at WR, is a fool's game. Branch will not be asked to do what Moss did. Branch will be asked to help us win games as a 2nd or 3rd option. Our offense is headed back to ball control, low risk medium reward type plays. I happen to prefer this to high risk, feast or starve type plays. Moss just was not getting the job done anymore on those plays, for a variety of reasons.

I personally don't think we will beat the Ravens, although it would be great too, but I also don't think that is because of Moss. I don't think he would have made any difference in that game because if any team can shut him down, they can. I don't think tossing wing and prayer long balls to Randydogg would make any difference against the Ravens compared to a well executed ball control offense. Either we use Moss as a decoy and he pouts or we toss balls his way and get picked off. With Branch, we at least have the element of surprise.

Good post, and I think the point about draft picks is spot on. Oftentimes there are complaints about the Pats trading down, for future picks, etc., but that's precisely the reason why there is this flexibility to trade picks without any significant impact on the draft board.

Relatedly, that's why it bugs me when any analysis of the Pats' drafts fails to list guys like Moss and Dillon as being part of a draft. It's using draft picks to get players--the fact that some are established NFL vets just happens to be an additional benefit.

 

[bucky]

The entire "Big WR" argument doesn't really apply to Moss. Yes, he's tall and has long arms. But it doesn't really show up anywhere except his speed. He's not physical. He's not a good blocker. He's not good at RAC. He doesn't jump or fight for the ball. And he doesn't go over the middle of the field.

 

[patfanken]

The entire "Big WR" argument doesn't really apply to Moss. Yes, he's tall and has long arms. But it doesn't really show up anywhere except his speed. He's not physical. He's not a good blocker. He's not good at RAC. He doesn't jump or fight for the ball. And he doesn't go over the middle of the field.

Its not just Moss. Its the lack of any "big" WR. Look a most team's rosters any you will find at least one "big" WR. Many teams have more than one.

 

[patfanken]

Good post, and I think the point about draft picks is spot on. Oftentimes there are complaints about the Pats trading down, for future picks, etc., but that's precisely the reason why there is this flexibility to trade picks without any significant impact on the draft board.

Relatedly, that's why it bugs me when any analysis of the Pats' drafts fails to list guys like Moss and Dillon as being part of a draft. It's using draft picks to get players--the fact that some are established NFL vets just happens to be an additional benefit.

BB's draft magic was best shown this past season, when IIRC the Pats started the day with a first, 3 seconds and ZERO third round picks. By the end of the Draft BB still had a pick in the first round, and 3 in the 2nd, BUT because of his trades, the Pats wound up with TWO 3rd round picks, one of which he turned into 2011 pick that is likely to wind up in the top 35 picks in that draft

 

[aluminum seats]

BB's draft magic was best shown this past season, when IIRC the Pats started the day with a first, 3 seconds and ZERO third round picks. By the end of the Draft BB still had a pick in the first round, and 3 in the 2nd, BUT because of his trades, the Pats wound up with TWO 3rd round picks, one of which he turned into 2011 pick that is likely to wind up in the top 35 picks in that draft

Exactly. I can sometimes understand the frustration while the draft is happening--it's more exciting to trade up! Get the big name! But the pursuit of value is what it's about....I think most times the Pats end up with the guys they want anyway, just w/a lower pick. (Which is why the Pats seem to make small trades to move up in later rounds, probably.)