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PatsFans.com Retired Jersey Club
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Totally agree on defense. The nuts and bolts of a defense is the key.So how do we think we're doing, so far? I've got a few thoughts:
01 ~ I love the fact that Mad Bill has held his fire in Free Agency. There're some exceptions to that, to be sure, and some moves that I would've made...But when it comes to Free Agency, I'd much prefer to see less moves than more. Others'll disagree with my perspective on this, but I believe that building through The Draft is 1000 times more effective, and that history agrees.
02 ~ Mad Bill has already made more mistakes than I can count, this off season. I refer, of course, to the fact that there've been dozens of Free Agents out there, and dozens of our own players to make decisions on, and not once has he called me to seek my wisdom. Inexplicable.
03 ~ But he's nevertheless managed to plot a wise course. He's had the balls and discipline to steer clear of the madness of Free Agency, and somehow managed to find bargains despite a bloated market. That affords optimal flexibility not only this year, but in the years to come.
04 ~ Left Tackle is in a terrifying spot, because Matthew Tobin cannot play Left Tackle...But while I do not trust LaAdrian Waddle to stay healthy, I do believe that, despite his poor play last year, his fundamental athleticism and, far more so, his WingSpan, is sufficient to develop into an adequate, potentially an exceptional Left Tackle, which is obviously a precious and rare commodity. Coach Scarnecchia just might transform this guy into the year's greatest Free Agent bargain.
05 ~ Amazingly, Offense seems, otherwise, locked and loaded!!
06 ~ I do not know if anyone else believes that the Defensive outlook has changed even one tenth as dramatically as I do. There is simply no model, mathematical or otherwise, to extrapolate the potentially enormous and indeed exponential impact of embedding a Trench Gorilla of Danny Shelton's skills into our Defensive Line next to Malcom Brown, and of further strengthening our Front 6 with Adrian Clayborn. The combined effect of these two moves could be amazing.
07 ~ Brown, toiling away in The Trenches without any top caliber help, was a man on an island. But with Shelton next to'm on Double Bear Downs or sharing the Snap Load on Single Bear Downs, the effect they will potentially have on each other's Games is far more than the some of the parts: Shelton's addition doesn't sure up a weakness. It transforms it into a gigantic strength.
08 ~ Ditto, the addition of Clayborn: The sum of his potential impact is greater than the sum of one part in his case: Lion is my term for guys at about 6.4 or 6.5 and about 300 pounds who profile as Defensive Ends in a 3 man front and Defensive Tackles in a 4 man front. Before signing Clayborn, that was a weakness, with only Lawrence Guy and Adam Butler...now we're suddenly deep. The rotational possibilities, allowing guys to play at a higher level because they're not worn out, and enabling guys to sustain themselves against the injuries that excessive wear and tear cause, are immense. They significantly increase our chances both of efficacy and of lasting health. That's precisely the formula that the 2013 SeaHawks used for their Front 7: historic greatness.
09 ~ The ripple effect on the rest of the Defense is Part III of the sum of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts: A deeper, more talented interior defensive line, combined with a deeper, more talented Line/Edge crew ~ Clayborn is instantly the best of them, of course ~ enables the Dragons and Bandits ~ the Trey Flowers and Kyle Van Noy types, respectively ~ to cut loose more: reduce responsibilities that compensate for a shaky line, and attack...And this in turn, combined with enormous improvement in front of them, drastically increases the pressure on the opponent's Offense...to the enormous advantage of our MidFielders and above all of our Secondary.
10 ~ Getting McCourty to replace Butler is about a Push, and I'd always like to get more MidFielders, of course...But as far as the scheme that Mad Bill plays ~ and this amazes me even before I write it, though it really shouldn't, after years of watching Mad Bill operate ~ we're already set.
I'm always in pursuit of more Depth of Talent everywhere, but my list of Draft needs?
01 ~ Left Tackle.
That is all.
I'll see what I can do about this.So how do we think we're doing, so far? I've got a few thoughts:
02 ~ Mad Bill has already made more mistakes than I can count, this off season. I refer, of course, to the fact that there've been dozens of Free Agents out there, and dozens of our own players to make decisions on, and not once has he called me to seek my wisdom. Inexplicable.
I'm not sure if he even had that much of the pre-season, either.
Which one? There is more than one Safety who qualifies.
On offense? Obviously yes.
A 2 year 20 mill deal is very uncharacteristic for the patriots, (not to mention agreeing not to use the tag) so I think you are correct that it was the agents doing.
