Post Draft: A Vastly Improved Red Zone Offense

[maverick4]

The Patriots must have identified red zone offense as a main area for improvement. Consider:

- Drafting a massive 6'7 340+ guard who completely destroys defenders off the line. The biggest offensive blocker I've ever seen. You think defenders won't bite on our play-action at the goal line? A real-life Billy-Bob.

- Drafting Vince Young's safety value, Texas' all time leader in catches and touchdowns for a TE. The next Christian Fauria.

- Drafting a versatile H-Back/TE with great hands. Watching his highlight clips, it seems like every catch of his was for a touchdown. The next Keith Byars.

- Drafting a runner with great vision, gamebreaking speed and agility, but who also has power. The next Edge James.

- Drafting a wideout with blazing speed and sticky hands. He will keep safeties from crowding the box.

The Patriots should be very exciting (and unstoppable) to watch this coming year. All we need now are some linebackers, and I have no doubt we will find a few veterans in the coming months.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Good post - not a lot of posters here at least made the red-zone point.

I liked how it all shook out. I read BB's comments on the draft, and he said "there was some value at that point" about 5 times, so I suspect he's drafting as he always has - picking up the best puzzle pieces at the best value point, whether in the draft or FA.

But yeah, the way this sorts out can not be bad for red zone production.

PFnV

 

[JoeSixPat]

This is why I was so high on Jackson pre-draft. I think he has speed but not blazing speed - frankly I don't even his highlight reel is that breathtaking.

What he does do are the truly important things - he gets open and holds on to passes.

He's a "good hands" reciever, and you know that Brady will find a way to get the ball to him -that's ultimately all we need.

 

[the taildragger]

definitely seems to have been high on our priorities.

killed us in denver.

I love k-faulk, but when you have to pound him up the middle on short yardage you're playing with fire.

it's easy to say turnovers are bad, but it's much easier to target a specific area like rz-O and actually do something about it.

Maybe Tom can use play-action down there this year and convert a few more. It would be nice to score a few more tiimes outside the red zone too. sorry if this offends anyone on this board who hates offense and would rather not see us score a lot of points.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

The Patriots must have identified red zone offense as a main area for improvement. Consider:

The Patriots should be very exciting (and unstoppable) to watch this coming year. All we need now are some linebackers, and I have no doubt we will find a few veterans in the coming months.

Shhh . . . . don't look now, but NEM's dream of the first-ever five-TE offense might just come true (Graham, Watson, Thomas, Mills, Vrabel).

 

[skri65]

sorry if this offends anyone on this board who hates offense and would rather not see us score a lot of points.

 

[maverick4]

re

If I am an opposing team's middle linebacker, this is what I see:

-A goal-line armada of O'Callaghan, Mankins, and Neal staring at me with murder in their eyes.
-A backfield consisting of Dillon, Faulk, Maroney, or Mills.
-Multiple tight ends featuring Graham, Watson, and Thomas.
-Sure-handed wideouts in Branch and Jackson.
-Tom Brady, a master at play-action, and an assassin to his tight ends in the red zone.

This was the kind of offense I was hoping we would have last year, but O-line injuries and running back setbacks prevented it from happening. With more depth across all positions, I fully expect the Patriots' new-look offense to be in full effect this year.

I remember at one point last year Brady mentioned subtly how he was frustrated with the team's red zone efficiency. Well Tommy, it looks like the front office heard you loud and clear!

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I for one will welcome the transition away from "Just let Adam kick it" offense. That mind set led to FGs.

May the Vinitrator rot in Hell!

 

[sieglo]

The Patriots must have identified red zone offense as a main area for improvement.

Let's not forget the massive upgrades we'll have on special teams.

 

[jczxohn1]

Maroney and Dillon both in the backfield on goal-line or 4th and 1?

 

[BradyBirdYazOrr]

Play action pass to thomas for his 15th td amazing!

 

[MoLewisrocks]

BB isn't into the overwhelming airpower offense mold ala NEM, much to NEM's annual chagrin. But he wants to move the chains, control TOP, convert 3rd downs efficiently, and score consistently from the red zone. This should do it.

 

[Feep_FLA]

If Dillon can run for his usual bruising 1,000+ and Maroney picking up the slack we have a major upgrade..... Brady must be sleeping a lot better...... I don't know enough on Jackson to have any reasonable expectations... Thomas looked like Vince Young "binky" with really sticky hands... sure handed TE's are always welcome... I agree with all the comments about special teams should improve. The one thing I thought was a "reach" was a kicker in the 4th round.... Seemed like a low pick for a kicker. I would have thought 6th round for that.....

Overall I'd give the draft an A- simply on the reach for the kicker

 

[shakadave]

Maverick, you're on a draft-analyzing roll all over this board! Agree with most all of it.

Possibly we're relying on more rookies than usual, but if we wait until December (after possibly letting some bad moments transpire during the learning curve of Sep-Nov) we could be pretty fierce for the playoffs.

I for one have had enough with defense-oriented drafts! Years of stocking the defense have left us needier on offense. Now we have flooded the O with exciting new talent ---- I have a real good feeling about this....

 

[zippo59]

If Dillon can run for his usual bruising 1,000+ and Maroney picking up the slack we have a major upgrade..... Brady must be sleeping a lot better...... I don't know enough on Jackson to have any reasonable expectations... Thomas looked like Vince Young "binky" with really sticky hands... sure handed TE's are always welcome... I agree with all the comments about special teams should improve. The one thing I thought was a "reach" was a kicker in the 4th round.... Seemed like a low pick for a kicker. I would have thought 6th round for that.....

Overall I'd give the draft an A- simply on the reach for the kicker

I think that is a very valid concern but I for one feel that if BB and SP think he was worth a 4th round pick, that's good enough for me.

 

[maverick4]

re

Maverick, you're on a draft-analyzing roll all over this board!

I don't know what to say... Thank you? I'm flattered!!

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I for one will welcome the transition away from "Just let Adam kick it" offense. That mind set led to FGs.

May the Vinitrator rot in Hell!

Actually I think it's a transition away from "defense wins championships" being equated with a JAG mentality on offense which was only successful because we got lucky in the 6th in 2000 - and because BB had the good fortune of inheriting the best clutch kicker in the league when he signed on here. I think BB has evolved to understand that just because you get away with something - even to the tune of 3 superbowls - doesn't mean it's a good idea to maintain that status quo mentality. He has a tremendous weapon in Brady - one who can get him by more often than not in a pinch. But relying on him to do that every year is really wasting an incredible asset and eventually pushing your luck. There is much merit in the old adage the best defense is a good offense.

This defense is fundamentally sound when healthy. Losing Willie was unfortunate but barring further core losses on D and if Rodney returns before mid season, this offense should dramatically help this defense by limiting their time on the field and putting up points pretty consistently. And it should also be pretty well set for the forseeable future (with the possible exception of Center should Koppen decide to test the market) allowing BB to focus primarily on defense for the next few off seasons.

 

[jczxohn1]

Actually I think it's a transition away from "defense wins championships" being equated with a JAG mentality on offense which was only successful because we got lucky in the 6th in 2000 - and because BB had the good fortune of inheriting the best clutch kicker in the league when he signed on here. I think BB has evolved to understand that just because you get away with something - even to the tune of 3 superbowls - doesn't mean it's a good idea to maintain that status quo mentality. He has a tremendous weapon in Brady - one who can get him by more often than not in a pinch. But relying on him to do that every year is really wasting an incredible asset and eventually pushing your luck. There is much merit in the old adage the best defense is a good offense.

This defense is fundamentally sound when healthy. Losing Willie was unfortunate but barring further core losses on D and if Rodney returns before mid season, this offense should dramatically help this defense by limiting their time on the field and putting up points pretty consistently. And it should also be pretty well set for the forseeable future (with the possible exception of Center should Koppen decide to test the market) allowing BB to focus primarily on defense for the next few off seasons.

One only need look at our game against Indy last year to realize how badly we needed to upgrade our offense. We kept up until the the 2nd half of the 2nd qtr, then Indy pulled away. That game had all the earmarks of a shoot-out, but we couldn't keep up.

 

[Patjew]

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[maverick4]

re

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That is a GREAT photo!! Not that I would do this for sure, but would you mind if I re-size it and made it my avatar pic?