Funny thread .
lets see last year we had avg pass rush so the plan to improve over offseason was.
1)Trade your leading sack leader - seymour - done
2)Sign banta and trade for burgess .Banta - 5 sacks and burgess no idea probabily 0 or 1 - done
3) Wonder how we are not getting more sacks when we traded our 8 sack de away and replaced with rushing OLB who cannot sack.
I know 2011 draft will be intresting but can anyone tell me if we had a DE who has 5 sacks now will be totally bummed and disappointed during draft time in 2011.
Green was getting blocked by a RB and wright was taken care by a gaurd. Vince was doubled and 2 guys on warren meant they had 2 blocker free to pick up what ever we send.
no pass rush.
The 2011 draft is looking like we will be going after a wide reciever with guys like Julio Jones, A.J Green and Michael Floyd and with Randy Moss getting older and going into free agency at the end of next season. All of these guys will go within the top 15 and with the curret state of the Raiders, I think we will have a top 10 pick, so that is the direction I think we will go in.
I believed the Seymour trade was the right move to make at time for the following reasons:
#1. Seymour is aging (30 in a month), and has had injury issues in the past.
#2. Seymour along with Wilfork, Green, Faulk, Neal, Bodden, Mankins, Hanson, Alexander, Guyton, BJGE, Pryor, and others are FA after 2009, the money available because Seymour is gone can be used to resign some of the more critical ones, and pay for new FA's as well.
#3. Seymour was going to try and get a life time achievement contract, or be a very upset hombre about being franchised again (any player can be franchised twice, and he already was once).
The team is somewhat weaker this year in Seymour's absence, but, it is probably going to a good deal stronger going forward. BB doesn't want 3 17-2 teams sandwiched around a bunch of 9-7's and 6-10's. He want's 12-4+ every year. That's what his mind set was when making that deal.
At the time, Burgess and Jarvis Green were viewed step in and do a fine job. People forget that Seymour missed the first 6 games of the 2007 season. The person who filled in during that time was Jarvis Green, and he did a great job. Seymour is extremely injury-prone, and although he's a Pro Bowl DE, his best days are behind him. Both of which have been horrid this season and haven't worked out at all. Green with 0 sacks and Burgess with 2 sacks. This has not work out in the least.
The Patriots could go their usual route of trying to upgrade their team through multiple second rounders, but I think that they need to bring in a real defensive difference maker through the draft this upcoming April. It's no secret that the Pats aren't getting pressure on the opposing QB enough this season. Seymour may have helped that problem quite a bit, but I would still make that trade every day of the week. You can't pass up a guaranteed top 10 pick. But I digress.
I believe that the Pats should target Greg Hardy from Ole Miss. He's projected by many to go in the top 20, which means that the Pats would have to try to trade up. I think this kid will be an absolute stud. He's 6-5, 265 pounds, and has apparently been clocked at 4.67 seconds in the 40 yard dash. Now, he has some injury problems, but I honestly think he could be worth the risk. He's probably the best DE coming out this April.
I think they should draft for the 4-3. I believe they only changed to the 3-4 because of the Seymour trade. If the Pats draft a premier pass rusher, they would probably go back to running the 4-3.
You could also address a little bit through free agent agency. Will we have to resign Wilfork and then go after another D-Lineman such as Johnny Jolly or Tony Brown are a couple under the radar guys who have had great years this year and would fit right in with the 4-3.
I would love to be able to snag Hardy in the first round, then snag Sergio Kindle out of Texas in the 2nd round, where is projected to drop. Thomas should be gone.
It may take this unit another season or two to be able to get it together and be affective, but at least we are on the right path.