OK, we officially need 5 receivers

[DaBruinz]

If we had the 2003-2004 defense and running game, then we would be fine with a set of receivers as good as what we had then.

The Pats running game ranked 9th last year despite all the issues..
The defense was actually pretty good, overall, though they fell apart at the end..

Why is it that people act as if this team isn't going to get better by having a healthy Mayo and players like Meriweather, Chung, Brace, Butler, and Wilhite each with a year more of experience than they had last year???

Every team has question marks this time of year. Every team has questions marks during the season... But if you can't admit that players like Edelman, Chung, Butler, etc, improved as the year went on, then you clearly aren't dealing with reality. Even Bodden got better as he got more comfortable back there.

But it's March. The 2010 free agency period is just over a week old. And training camp doesn't start until the end of July. We've got all the Pro-Days and the Draft yet as well as the rest of free agency.

What is ironic is that the same people who have criticized the Pats for just signing vets willy-nilly are criticizing the Pats for not signing people.

 

[supafly]

If we had the 2003-2004 defense and running game, then we would be fine with a set of receivers as good as what we had then.

That's an extremely valid point, with respect to DaBruinz' point too.

Since our offense is supposed to be our strongest point, the area where we have a future HOF QB etc, we must surround him with a bit more talent. As I've said before, a strong #2 opposite Moss gives us a very nice group of WR's.

If, as mg said, we weren't in a bit of rebuilding phase with the defense, etc--then I believe we could get by without any other talent added.

For me, it seemed like we already had issues at WR last year, then Welker went down and Watson (who Brady still looked to at some times of trouble) left. There's no doubt that we need some additional talent to compensate, at worst a solid #2 downfield threat to open things up, add to Moss' skills, and be there in case of injury. Anything other than a solid #2, such as Reed, draft pick will be fine too, but not as necessary IMO.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Well, when you go back and look at 2001-2004 when the Pats had Brown, Patten and Charles Johnson and then Brown, Patten, Givens, and Branch, I can fully understand why people would think that Moss, Edelman and Patten is enough to compete with. I don't necessarily agree, but I understand.

I also understand that you can't have an All-Pro at every position and back-up on the bench as well. In a perfect world, the Pats would already know exactly who is lining up across from Moss and they'd know that Welker would be back in the line-up in September. But we don't live in a perfect world. The Pats can't have All-Pros at every position and they may have to settle for some unknowns at the WR position going forward. But this team, under Belichick, has always performed well despite holes in their line-up. The last 2 years, the Pats LB corps has been thinner than papyrus, yet they've still managed 11 and 10 games respectively.

Regardless, I am confident that BB will bring in talent at both the WR and TE positions that will help this team contend..

You mean the sky is NOT FALLING?? Blasphemy! Watch out or you'll be called a HOMER for not wanting to bring in headcases like TO and Marshall as the ANOINTED SAVIOURS for what apparently looks to be a DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN at WR!

 

[BostonPatriot]

You really shouldn't listen to Boston Patriot. He's nothing but an imbecilic homer hater who actually does more attacking of people than I do.. Which is saying something..

Funny you mention this. According to your most recent meltdown, you've never attacked anyone on this board, ever.

Things that make you go hmmm....

 

[supafly]

The Pats running game ranked 9th last year despite all the issues..
The defense was actually pretty good, overall, though they fell apart at the end..

Why is it that people act as if this team isn't going to get better by having a healthy Mayo and players like Meriweather, Chung, Brace, Butler, and Wilhite each with a year more of experience than they had last year???

Every team has question marks this time of year. Every team has questions marks during the season... But if you can't admit that players like Edelman, Chung, Butler, etc, improved as the year went on, then you clearly aren't dealing with reality. Even Bodden got better as he got more comfortable back there.

But it's March. The 2010 free agency period is just over a week old. And training camp doesn't start until the end of July. We've got all the Pro-Days and the Draft yet as well as the rest of free agency.

What is ironic is that the same people who have criticized the Pats for just signing vets willy-nilly are criticizing the Pats for not signing people.

While you make some nice points about the running game, defense, etc, I still think the area of the team that will carry us and has the most immediate potential is the offense.

While I agree that the defense was sufficient, and should only improve, I am not entirely convinced that they are prepared to carry the team as of yet. With the older SB teams, the defense was very good, and had lots of veteran leadership. In a yr or two, hopefully we can improve and be more of an overall force.

In the meantime, I still think our bread and butter is the offense--revolving around Brady/Welker/Moss, who are proven league leaders, and proven weapons. The reason teams worry when they face us is our attacking offense. While the defense was quite sufficient, even decent at times, I'm not sure they're keeping any opposing coaches awake at night--at least not yet.

I think the proven lack of sufficient weapons at the WR position severly limited our offense last year. If we have the ability to make a damn good offense even better, then I'm all for it. But after witnessing Welker and Watson's departure, these postions need re-upping anyway. I think we'll be just fine with a solid #2 opposite Moss.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

I wouldn't say absolutely positively on anything seeing the circumstances of this year with the CBA, and what not. The analysts have already said expect to see more trades this year than any other.

They were just options that's all.

I'll bet a beer they don't trade a second for any vets. Any takers?

 

[DaBruinz]

I'll bet a beer they don't trade a second for any vets. Any takers?

The only vet available who'd I'd trade a 2nd for is Leon Washington, when healthy.. I would trade a 2011 conditional 3rd for him right now..

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

Imo we have a no.1, no.3 and no.4 in Moss, Edelman, Tate.

When Welker returns Edelman becomes 5.

We only need one WR.

That seems about right. A remarkably sober assessment for this list.

I personally think that there are medical question marks for all three; Moss has the icepacks on the knees, Edelman has a penchant for taking a big hit, and Tate may have gimpy knees. Ideally I would like to see them get 2 WRs and 2 TEs but that would be in perfect world and the defense needs some shoring up before a second WR is taken.

Hopefully the new carpet at Gillette is not be the green asphalt of the old, and it won't cause the number of injuries that the old nasty surface did and be softer on aging knees.

 

[supafly]

You mean the sky is NOT FALLING?? Blasphemy! Watch out or you'll be called a HOMER for not wanting to bring in headcases like TO and Marshall as the ANOINTED SAVIOURS for what apparently looks to be a DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN at WR!

I agree that the sky isn't even close to falling, and anyone who thinks so is being a bit too pessimistic. But there's nothing wrong with thinking that there were some obvious issues at WR last year, issues that the team didn't expect with failures such as Galloway, Lewis, and Smith. We seemed to be way too predictable in our offense, an attribute that many think was playcalling. I'm under the impression that we simply lacked just one more offensive weapon, and that limited the downfield shots to a double covered Moss, and made our bread and butter the underneath slot routes.

Once teams caught on to watching more for the underneath routes, while including the taking away of Moss, we simply lacked any good downfield, possession receiver options. Aiken surely didn't cut it.

Moss needs another downfield threat to continue to do his thing, it should even improve his game--not to mention, that we should be prepared in case of injury to him. With no Moss, and no Welker, we still need to be properly prepared. Everyone knows our offense is our strongest point, at least right now, but at the same time we need to make sure it stays that way.

I think with Moss and Edelman, plus the hopefulness of Tate, that we should only be a solid #2 away from remaining a competitive WR group. If I have added into the 'sky is falling' group by stating this, then I can only apoligize and say that I mis-communicated my thoughts. I am in the group however, that believes we need to continue to surround our biggest weapon, HOF bound TFB. We all caught a glimpse of what could be with a solid 1-4 WR group in 2007.

 

[ayjackson]

That seems about right. A remarkably sober assessment for this list.

It's not right at all because when Welker gets back up to speed, Moss is playing his last couple of games. We have to replace Moss as well in this draft so the talent is up to snuff by the time 2011 comes around. And yes, I do think that Moss will be playing his last year here.

 

[DaBruinz]

You mean the sky is NOT FALLING?? Blasphemy! Watch out or you'll be called a HOMER for not wanting to bring in headcases like TO and Marshall as the ANOINTED SAVIOURS for what apparently looks to be a DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN at WR!

I've already been called a homer by Boston Patriot on more than one occasion. Including in threads I wasn't even participating in. I better watch it, I think he has a thing for me.. *shiver*

Anyways.. I'd rather be a homer who has a better understand of the game both on and off the field than someone who just goes around proclaiming others to be idiots and homers and offering nothing to the threads..
:rocker:

 

[mgteich]

DEFENSE
Let us start with accepting you position that the defense is pretty good, fell apart at the end, and will expect to improve as the youngsters improve. You mention Meriweather, Brace, Bulter and Wilhite. You might have mentioned Pryor. We also COULD have production from those returning from injuries: McKenzie, Crable and Wheatley.

And Finally, I agree that it is early in the offseason. We can presume that someone will be found to take the roster spots of Green, Burgess and Thomas and replace their production.
===================
The bottom line is that the defense is top 10 and improving, still not close to the good old days.
==================

SO WE NEED TO DEPEND ON OUR OFFENSE
After all if the defense is between top 10 and top 5, we will likely need to improve our defense to reach the Super Bowl. Do you disagree?
==============

Is depending on Tate good enough?
Is depending on a 9th best running offense good enough?
==========================

OVERALL BOTTOM LINE
To get to the Super Bowl, I think that we will need to improve in both our running and passing game. I also think that losing Welker for as long as he is gone is a major loss.

The Pats running game ranked 9th last year despite all the issues..
The defense was actually pretty good, overall, though they fell apart at the end..

Why is it that people act as if this team isn't going to get better by having a healthy Mayo and players like Meriweather, Chung, Brace, Butler, and Wilhite each with a year more of experience than they had last year???

Every team has question marks this time of year. Every team has questions marks during the season... But if you can't admit that players like Edelman, Chung, Butler, etc, improved as the year went on, then you clearly aren't dealing with reality. Even Bodden got better as he got more comfortable back there.

But it's March. The 2010 free agency period is just over a week old. And training camp doesn't start until the end of July. We've got all the Pro-Days and the Draft yet as well as the rest of free agency.

What is ironic is that the same people who have criticized the Pats for just signing vets willy-nilly are criticizing the Pats for not signing people.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

It's not right at all because when Welker gets back up to speed, Moss is playing his last couple of games. We have to replace Moss as well in this draft so the talent is up to snuff by the time 2011 comes around. And yes, I do think that Moss will be playing his last year here.

I agree, but I must have not communicated it correctly.

Moss's contract will give out and so may his knees. Too matters worse Felger and his fellow jackals will help drive him out. Yes the Patriots have to plan for the future without Moss, alas. In years to come I wonder if the Jackals will ever say something like, "He is a good WR, but not Moss." That's flipflop that D & C may try.

 

[eagle eye]

It's not right at all because when Welker gets back up to speed, Moss is playing his last couple of games. We have to replace Moss as well in this draft so the talent is up to snuff by the time 2011 comes around. And yes, I do think that Moss will be playing his last year here.

No we don't have to replace Moss. Firstly we don't know that this is his last year here, he might well sign on again.

Secondly we have potentially a very high pick next year and there are three WRs expected to come out next year who would be the top 3 WRs in this years draft. That pick could also be used in a trade to replace Moss if he goes next year.

 

[mgteich]

Felger and his mediots will have exactly ZERO effect on whether Moss leaves or not. They are not capable of influencing his decision to leave, or the patriots' decision to want to have him leave. Felger and the media just aren't that important in New England decisions.

That being said, I don't expect Moss to playing for the patriots in 2011.

I agree, but I must have not communicated it correctly.

Moss's contract will give out and so may his knees. Too matters worse Felger and his fellow jackals will help drive him out. Yes the Patriots have to plan for the future without Moss, alas. In years to come I wonder if the Jackals will ever say something like, "He is a good WR, but not Moss." That's flipflop that D & C may try.