I dont agree with the 'Bledsoe saved the franchise' stuff.
Bob Kraft and Bill Parcells pulled it out of the scrap heap, and Kraft and BB made it the model of all franchises.
The argument that we owe so much to Bledsoe presupposes that Parcells and Kraft would have led the team to further ignominy if they had not drafted Bledsoe. I strongly disagree.
Bledsoe was made the face of the franchise in a time when the MANAGEMENT of the team was improving it dramatically, so I understand the link. But we didnt 'become winners' because of Drew Bledsoe.
5-11
10-6
6-10
11-5
10-6
9-7
8-8
5-11
0-2
Those were our records in the Bledsoe era. That is a combined 64-66 record, a LOSING record.
Now, I dont think its accurate to blame Bledsoe for the LOSING record, but if you are putting him on a pedestal for being resposnible for the franchise becoming the model of winning, how do you reconcile that the team lost more than it won in his tenure?
My opinion of Bledsoe is this:
He was an overall mediocre QB on overall mediocre teams. For a few seasons he was a good qB on a good team, then both deteriorated. He was fortunate to be on a team that allowed him to build up stats that overstated his talent by throwing the ball more than anyone else.
IMO, by 1996-1997, he had the opportunity to become a very good QB, on very good teams, but the teams got worse, and a primary reason was the QB play. The 'demise' of the Carroll years was on offense, and when defenses began to try to exploit the QB position, the Pats stopped winning.
Sure, if your bar is set at the miserable years from 1987-1992 before he got here, you could feel indebted to him, but in retrospect, with what we have seen about ownership, with what we know about the defensive talent that was here, with what Pete Carroll has gone on to do, I think that from about mid-1998 on, Bledsoe held back this franchise. I set the bar higher for an overall #1 than to toil 9 years in mediocrity, with one magical (almost) season.
The exact same team that didn't win with Bledsoe went on to post what may be the best ever overall record for a 6 year period by replacing him with an unknown 2nd year player.
The best thing Bledsoe did for this franchise was get injured. Mo Lewis is more deserving of having his number retired by us.