My Defense right now.
DE - 5 - Jones Nink Peppers(FA) Aaron Lynch(Draft) ???? (someone else)
DT - 5 - Kelley Aaron Donald(Draft) Hatcher(FA) Jones Siliga
LB: - 5 -Mayo Collins Hightower Woodyard(FA) Fletcher
CB: - 5 - Revis(FA) Dennard Ryan Arrington Keith McGill(Draft)
S - 4 - McCourty Major Wright(FA), Harmon Ebner
I am not gonna tell you how I would make this happen. Just MAKE IT HAPPEN.
We are getting BTFO by Denver in free agency and need to respond.
I know the difference between building a team and adding talent. I also know the more talent you have generally the better chance you have to win.
You bring up the 2001 Patriots which were overall a less talented team than the Rams that year. However, that team did have a lot of talent looking back in hindsight. Law, Milloy, Brady, Brown(in a career year), McGinest, ect... It is not like they did not have the talent to compete with the Rams.
Right now I don't think the Patriots have the talent to compete with the Broncos, Seahawks or 49ers in a serious manor. Maybe you do but If so we can agree to disagree.
Also my approach is ENTIRELY feasible. I don't think BB will do it but it is entirely possible to make happen provided we back load contracts and make some room with smart cuts/extensions.
However the thing that bugs me the most is you said my approach did not make sense. How so? I built a team with players that can play well within a traditional 4-3 defense that has strong pass defense and good enough rush defense. Makes sense to me. whether it would actually work is of course in question but I think it is better than doing what we usually do.
There are several things I like about your proposal, one of which, the Revis signing, has already occurred. I obviously love the idea of Aaron Donald, and the combination of Donald disrupting inside and Revis locking down half the field would be potentially awesome.
There are 2 main issues I have:
1. First, I don't think the FA signings are "realistic" from a cap space. Revis + Peppers + Hatcher, plus a few others. We already know Revis is costing us at least $12M in cap space, possibly more. Peppers won't come for free, and Hatcher was a Pro Bowl DT last year. I just can't see any way of fitting that in - and I fully understand that your proposal involves cutting Wilfork to free up cap space. But there are offensive needs, too. Maybe we get lucky and find a way to squeeze enough money to get Peppers and Woodyard. I don't personally see Major Wright as a starter at safety, but that's JMHO, and differences of opinion are fine.
In addition, I don't understand your subsequent comment about also trading up to get Kony Ealy if he lasted to 24 or so in the 1st round. With what? Donald would require a trade up. What would we have to basically have 2 1st round picks in the top 24? I don't understand where that is coming from, though it was not part of your original plan.
2. The part that makes no "sense" to me is signing Jason Hatcher - a high cost FA 3-tech - and then trading up to draft Aaron Donald. I like both players, but they are redundant. Why would you make a high profile pass rushing 3-tech signing and then trade up to draft a pass rushing 3-tech?
I don't mean to be demeaning. Some of the ideas are very appealing, if they could be made to work. But that was why I used those 2 words, which I didn't intend as insulting.