Re: McGinest: "Starks was trash. He was terrible."
lapatsfan said:
I disagree with Willie on this one.
Don't forget, the Pats made it into the second round of the playoffs with a patchwork defense. Therefore, I credit the system more than the players. Of course, adding more talented (and knowledgable) players only strengthens that system.
Willie lived it, we just watched it, so take it for context. Rodney pretty much confirmed for me the week be was benched that Starks shoulder wasn't the issue, it was his attitude (or lack thereof). That said, there will be a certain amount of sour grapes from any core guy who leaves, as there was when Milloy left. They all have egos and from time to time resent the credit that goes to "the system" aka Belichick even though they know all things being equal his putting them in a position to win is the difference maker here.
But the fact remains, players play and coaches coach. We have part 2 of that equation nailed. Part 1 is fluid depending on who we lose and who we acquire and who can stay on the field. And we do need to start replacing some of the core as it departs because the core is what pulls you though the tough times. Lots of people had begun referring to Deion as a core player - not the case. A critical player at a crucial position, yes. Core, nope. He's flunked the core (compensation) portion of the BB conditioning test. Even Seymour failed it on the first try though he managed to re-group, re-take it and pass. His overall leadership value will remain slightly tainted as a result (see What I Taught Deion Branch To Do by Richard Seymour, 2005).
Adam was a core leader (kicker or not) when for 6 years he took what was offered and delivered. Ditto Willie and Ted. So that's 3 gone both in core talent and core leadership. Troy cannot play forever. We need to start replacing these guys in all their roles - talent, work ethic, brains, savvy and leadership. We've also lost most of the less elitely talented but high in leadership vets BB brought in initially because those were guys BB personally identified in earlier stops who were well beyond prime already when they got here but still had that fire to win and the will to pull others perhaps more talented along with them.
Hopefully some of the rookies playing out or through their deals will begin to emerge, but I haven't seen it at all yet - hear it talked about a lot (so and so has to step up), but talk is not walk. BB probably needs to make a trip or two to the hungry elite/veteran leadership well where he mines guys like Rodney and Rosie. Most often those qualities are forged of frustration and there hasn't been a lot of that here to develop or bring those qualities out in players we've drafted over the last 6 seasons. Winning tends instead to breed contentment which is when guys begin to focus (or as in Seymour's case day dream) on things other than winning - like padding their pre-retirement bank accounts or career stats. Which is why turnover is not always a bad thing. It's just that in our case it's the core that's been turning over (or getting decimated by injury) because it wasn't all that young when the system was installed.
The bad news for other HC's and their fan bases is that the traits that made these guys leaders here don't export well. When they leave here they are either aging core guys checking out for someone else's financial gravy train or youngsters who just hitched a brief ride on the coat tails of others and have no real concept of how to forge themselves as core leaders because their success was a more matter of association with a team where that core already existed - for a time almost in excess.
We are just lucky that the QB came out of college a leader forged in adversity with elite talent and an almost pathological distain for contentment. The Mike LB has a similar mentality. Vrabel got his forged courtesy of the Chin thinking little of him. Rosie playing for a downtrodden bad news Bears. Rodney wasting his hitman prime in beautiful Southern California. Willie and Adam and Ted and to an extent Lawyer and Ty got their hunger living through the Tuna tease followed by the Poodle flop on a team still desperate to finally shed the Patsy label.
Home grown talent these days landed on an established championship gravy train. For most of them last season was their first taste of adversity. Some cried when it was over, but in some cases unfortunately those were apparently crocodile tears....
