You are STILL missing Jack's point. EVERY team that has won the superbowl has had more JAGS starting in the top 22 than "stars". First of all you seem to reject fact that the last player on an NFL roster is an unbelieveably good football player. From our couches we summarily dismiss some amazing athletes as bums and JAGS without any idea of what these guys are capapble of, compared to us.
Back when NFL rosters were 45, I was one of those JAGS. A damned fine football player....BUT not quite good ENOUGH to make it. That was close to 40 years ago, and the coaching and training of those athletes have evolved to the point, the competition is even greater, the players bigger faster, and quite frankly better prepared. I have a fair idea of what these so called JAGs go through, DESPITE knowing their chances of catching on are slim. If you think for JUST A SECOND about the competition that they've had to overcome just to get to THIS point, you might just have a better appreciation for what they are doing.
The other thing we often forget is that the 'other' guy is on "scholarship" too. And every player isn't going to make the play ALL the time. There isn't a true all pro DLman who HASN'T been pancaked....several times. Tom Brady has played horrendous games. Yet we continue to sit at our keyboards and JUDGE these players, as if we could go out and show them how to do it, when they do it badly.
Sorry, I just realized I was pontificating, and making these judgements is what makes being a fan fun. So on that basis...carry on...but try and keep in the back of your mind what I said. btw, Let me get back on point
Go look at ANY NFL starting line up from last year and/or projected starting line up from this year and you will again find them littered these so called JAGS often more of them than the so called "stars"...and that just covers 22 players. By definition after THAT the rest of your 53 man roster is made up of JAGS. And those JAGS are going to play significant minutes during the season. What some of us fail to realize is that the Pats have FEWER of these players than most of the rest of the league, with only the Steelers and Chargers even coming close.
Yes it a fine GOAL to upgrade at every position, every year. But it isn't realistic in the cap era. Its time we recognize that 85-90% of the players in this league are all at the same talent level. Maybe 5-10 players on every team exceed that mean. The great teams have one or two more than the bad teams, but thats not what makes them good or bad. Its the coaching, systems, organizations, and luck that determine who ultimately wins the big game. That's what makes football so much fun to watch. The so called best team in the league, can be beaten on ANY given Sunday, even by the "worst" team.
IF Pierre Woods is a JAG, then the Pats have won superbowls with more "Pierre Woods" types playing for them than they will have on THIS team. And it will take ME more than a few plays in the first preseason game to make the determination that he actually IS a JAG. I think he'll be better than that.
