AzPatsFan
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2004
- Messages
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Like generals, fans seem to want to fight the LAST WAR rather than the next. If you draft and find replacement players that are upgrades, it does not mean you do have to draft the same positions again, and again, and again, if these new players are not INSTANTANEOUSLY Pro Bowl candidates. Players need a few years to become complete players.
The Offensive line is complete; you don't need to draft an OL. Fans forget we are playing a rookie and two sophomores. Did you ever hear of the sophomore slump? Kaczur was hurt, didn't lift in the off season and didn't even make the team until early in the regular season, now fans say he is a bum. Nonsense, he stepped in as a rookie and started a dozen games at LT, and held his own. That is supposed to be an impossibility except for high first round tackles who are expected to play poorly, while breaking into the league.
The Patriots have spent several late first day, early second day picks on the defensive backfield. Personnel drafted here need development time and the Patriots are giving them that time.
Geno Wilson, Asante Samuels are unequivocal keepers; I maintain that so are Hobbs and Sanders who are only sophomores. Hawkins is still under thirty and a signing coup, IMO. Randy Gay may be currently injured, but he also has talent, enough to be a starter in a Super Bowl and not embarrass himself. That is six young players when you only need four. The balance are depth or better; older, ex-starters like Chad Brown and Tebuckey Jones and ... Rodney Harrison.
The only positions that need more talent or more precisely better depth with future starting capability, is at ILB and then OLB. Period.
It would be nice to have a Punter, WR and you never have enough CBs too.
The Patriots have four first day picks and could fill both LB positions. They could add a developmental CB and WR to develop as well.
On the second day, a Punter and another developmental QB might be nice, as well as a Punt returner. It gets hard to find places to spend draft picks without wasting them on players who have an impossible task to merely make the team or perhaps even the PS. For example the Pats have 5 OTs; three of which are definitely capable of playing LT. A perfect specimen for RT, and a couple who can play the position. Three interior O linemen all of whom could be pro bowl candidates in their careers. And they have a "super sub" reserve in Russ Hochstein, who has started off and on at all the positions, and in two Super Bowls and done acceptably.
There is even depth below that in Yates and perhaps marginal Mrucz... where does a rookie fit? If you are unhappy with Light, then let Kaczur and Britt fight it out with him next TC. They will have been fully blooded by then.
There are only a very few openings on this team; it would be much better next season Even if they had NO DRAFT, simply as the youngsters already on the team, mature and start to reach their prime years.
The Offensive line is complete; you don't need to draft an OL. Fans forget we are playing a rookie and two sophomores. Did you ever hear of the sophomore slump? Kaczur was hurt, didn't lift in the off season and didn't even make the team until early in the regular season, now fans say he is a bum. Nonsense, he stepped in as a rookie and started a dozen games at LT, and held his own. That is supposed to be an impossibility except for high first round tackles who are expected to play poorly, while breaking into the league.
The Patriots have spent several late first day, early second day picks on the defensive backfield. Personnel drafted here need development time and the Patriots are giving them that time.
Geno Wilson, Asante Samuels are unequivocal keepers; I maintain that so are Hobbs and Sanders who are only sophomores. Hawkins is still under thirty and a signing coup, IMO. Randy Gay may be currently injured, but he also has talent, enough to be a starter in a Super Bowl and not embarrass himself. That is six young players when you only need four. The balance are depth or better; older, ex-starters like Chad Brown and Tebuckey Jones and ... Rodney Harrison.
The only positions that need more talent or more precisely better depth with future starting capability, is at ILB and then OLB. Period.
It would be nice to have a Punter, WR and you never have enough CBs too.
The Patriots have four first day picks and could fill both LB positions. They could add a developmental CB and WR to develop as well.
On the second day, a Punter and another developmental QB might be nice, as well as a Punt returner. It gets hard to find places to spend draft picks without wasting them on players who have an impossible task to merely make the team or perhaps even the PS. For example the Pats have 5 OTs; three of which are definitely capable of playing LT. A perfect specimen for RT, and a couple who can play the position. Three interior O linemen all of whom could be pro bowl candidates in their careers. And they have a "super sub" reserve in Russ Hochstein, who has started off and on at all the positions, and in two Super Bowls and done acceptably.
There is even depth below that in Yates and perhaps marginal Mrucz... where does a rookie fit? If you are unhappy with Light, then let Kaczur and Britt fight it out with him next TC. They will have been fully blooded by then.
There are only a very few openings on this team; it would be much better next season Even if they had NO DRAFT, simply as the youngsters already on the team, mature and start to reach their prime years.
