People under-estimating the loss of McGinest?

[Joker]

the elephant position didn't go out of style with Carroll...what a ridiculous assertion...it's an integral strategy of ANY 3/4 defense

Obviously ytou choose to be disappointed because your need for some big name flashy linebacker wasn't met....you must be a fantasy league whacko. Time will prove all this out.

 

[MDPATSFAN]

A robust running game has more impact on improving the team at this point.

The offense got by on magnificent effort by Brady and smoke and mirrors. The Defense doesn't need to re running back out on the field after a 3 and out, consisting of 3 pass plays which burn a collective 19 seconds off the clock.

 

[bostonbuzz]

The thing that really really knaws at my stomach about all of this. BB toasted a third round pick to move up in the second to get Jackson. That same third rounder would have moved us to #16 and grabbed Greenway. Perhaps he tried but could not get it done.

Never in a bazzzzzzillion years would that (toast) third round pick/trade up in round two have come close to equalling the same move up value from 21 to 16 in the first round...no way! Moving up and grabbing Jackson will be well worth toasting a 3rd rounder I have a feeling.

Willie is gone, he'll be missed, (at least until we play the Browns) and he'll be in the HoF some day as a Patriot no doubt but...as with the rest of the big names in the past that moved on he will be replaced and the championships will continue to come as long as BB has his way.

 

[Warren=underrated]

Mr. Patriot will be missed, but it's time to let Vrabel play his true position and see what he can do. He's put in his time at every other position imaginable (WOLB/ILB/TE/DE) and has never let us down. To suggest that after all that, he won't be able to hold up at his natural spot seems foolish to me. Replacing McGinest won't be a problem, it's finding the new ILB that's going to be tough.

 

[rabthepat]

Salary Cap Reality...

Whether we like a player or not the salary cap is going to prevent most players from retiring with the teams they started with. Willie was lucky to spend so much time with one team. Look what happened to Joe Montana, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith, Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice and etc. All Hall of Fame players who didn't get to finish where they started.

That's why for me, once they leave I put them behind me. I am sure as H*LL Bill B. doesn't think twice about them.:rocker:

 

[spacecrime]

Whether we like a player or not the salary cap is going to prevent most players from retiring with the teams they started with. Willie was lucky to spend so much time with one team. Look what happened to Joe Montana,

Joe Montana? Are you telling me Montana retired and went to the HOF as a Chief? I don't think so.

WMG can still retire as a Patriot if he wants to. After OTIS left and spent a year with the Lions and then wanted to retire, BB signed him to a one-day contract and OTIS retired a Patriot.

WMG can go into the HOF as a Brown or a Patriot. It will be up to him.

 

[cubedoggy]

Thinking we are fine and will not miss him is not a sign of disrespect. What an odd concept. I have a ton of respect for OTIS. Do I want him on the team? No. Respect for the player and an impartial evaluation of the impact his loss will have on the team are not related.

Respecting what he did for us and thinking it is a good idea to give him a big contract for next year are two different things.

I have a lot of respect for WMG. For a couple years I thought he was dogging it with the back injuries, but the last five year or so he has been awesome. I will always remember the tackle of Davis in the backfield after Houston had gotten to the 30 yard line. The five yard loss knocked them out of FG range. Ditto his sack of Peyton. He was terrific.

But he can and will be replaced. The king is dead. Long live the king.

The fact that I think teh Patriots will be fine without him is not a sign of disrespect. It is a sign that I have a grip on reality.

Thinking that you can only show respect to a player's past accomplishments by continuing to pay him is not a sign of respect.

The reverse is also true, by the way. I think we may miss AV this coming year, but I have zero respect for him for the way he left. Ditto Milloy.

Couldn't've said it better myself. :rocker:

 

[rabthepat]

My point was...

Joe Montana? Are you telling me Montana retired and went to the HOF as a Chief? I don't think so.

WMG can still retire as a Patriot if he wants to. After OTIS left and spent a year with the Lions and then wanted to retire, BB signed him to a one-day contract and OTIS retired a Patriot.

WMG can go into the HOF as a Brown or a Patriot. It will be up to him.

Joe went into the HOF fame as a 49er yet they have his Chiefs uniform in a case as well. But what I really meant was that no matter how great your were the salary cap makes you get rid of older great players once they become too much of a cap hit. Nostalgia doesn't work anymore. The Dolphins should have dumped Marino's a** 3 years earlier then let him peter out.




The Chiefs do claim Joe as a Hall of Fame Player from the Chiefs as well as the 49ers.

 

[Feep_FLA]

Willie was and is a great, great NFL player. Will he be missed: yes! Will we survive and thrive: Yes! Good luck in Cleveland Willie and thanks for all the memories, ya big galoot!... My .02 cents on the subject..:rocker:

 

[Joe_n99]

Touchy subject..

Some uncharecteristic biting comments in this thread...hopefully I won't be asked to go back to lurking..

Anyway, I don't think anyone is "underestimating" the loss of Willie. In fact, I think the Braintrust have taken great strides to address the problem. They just did not go the obvious route and try and replace Willie with an obvious Willie Clone. Keep in mind Willie was one of my favorite players.... but

They are in fact addressing the Willie loss and several other holes by:

1. Going full bore to make a SERIOUS ball control offense that can eat clock, keep our defense off the field and keep the opposing D honest and score more points, and improved ST play... maybe not everyone else's plan but a good one in my opinion. I though I might be the only person in the world that has wanted a REAL short yardage smashmouth FB in our backfield since Sam Gash left, so I am freakin' thrilled! Three TE set Watson, Graham, Thomas with Mills and Dillon. BLAM! More redzone scoring, more success on 3rd/short, more success on 4th/realshort, more Play action success, more deep ball threat (keep that D honest).

2. Drafting a monster RAW talent, with lots of potential upside, that if you watch his film... could be Willie with the right coaching. So Joker, I at least agree with you.

In my opinion he is...our 6th round pick

Your opinion back in 2001 was "Brady? who cares...we need a future QB to replace Drew down the line"....must have been a stunning rock hard slap in the head when Brady WON the Super Bowl, eh?

now you are pulling the same old "expectations not met" pity party....and Jeremy Mincey is there right in front of your face with all the exact attributes of the prototypical Belichick elephant linebacker staring you square in the eyes...and you STILL don't see it...read BB's post draft interview, with every single pick he says "he projects, he may , he could, we think..."...only ONE pick does Bill STATE "he will" and THAT's Jeremy Mincey.

You say what you want and I'll say , right now, for the record, that the tandem of Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli are WITHOUT peer in judging talent across the ENTIRE 1st through 7th round spectrum.

I don't know anything but what I saw on his little highlight film, but this is what I saw.He explodes off the line like Willie, and might be a little quicker. Pursues like a rabid dog, has GREAT awareness, and frankly looked just like Willie.
No, I am not saying and neither was Joker that a "6th round Pick is our saviour"... but I don't remember anyone saying that losing Willie was to be equated with Doomsday either.

3. With the run on high draft pick LB's you can bet your bottom dollar some of BB/SP's favorite type of LB's (Smart, wiley, cheap, veterans) are going to be available in FA/trade/etc.. as the insurance plan.

Again, none of this is in any way meant to be disrespectful to Willie, but he has already been replaced... the minute he signed elsewhere (actually probably before that), BB/SP made a plan to "replace" the loss, but frankly there is more ways to skin a cat and usually, as the draft shows, BB/SP find new an interesting ways to replace losses.

Also, you can apply this same posting to Adam V just plug in 4th round kicker and FAs... and ball control football plan... Voila!

Joe