Team Needs going into next season

[ivanvamp]

slightly different take on team needs: Figure out why Tom Brady missed so many passes this year. He missed some open guys this year and could have thrown a few balls better on Sunday. I don't know if it's health (non-throwing shoulder), mechanics or mental, or little of all the above. He just seemed a little more 'off' this year than prior years.

I guess. Here are his completion numbers the past 3 seasons:

2009: 65.7
2010: 65.9
2011: 65.6

Pretty hard to distinguish from among those numbers. He basically completed passes at the exact same rate as the previous two years - one of which he won the unanimous MVP award.

<shrug>

 

[voluntarysaftey]

Safety to help Chung

Cornerback -- either a #1 if McCourty continues to suck, or a #2 if McCourty is able to improve

2 OLB

2-3 DL

RB -- if the rookies can't improve past ben

1 top WR


Of course if we had all the above then we'd be unstoppable. If BB can target 1-2 great wideout and 1 great rb free agency/trade, that would make the offense better than 2007 (that lacked great rb or te's); and I'd be happy with just trying to improve the defense via the draft and natural career progression

 

[Lowercaseg]

It would be nice to add an outside receiver or two that could be a threat (beat man/press coverage and have a larger catching radius than what the Pats have now besides the two TEs). Brandon Lloyd has had injury and work ethic issues in his past but he makes some great catches and looks like a real threat. I love how the guy leaps to make the catch and seems to have very good hands and body control in the air. Check out this video, what do you think? Brandon Lloyd 'Spectacular' Highlights - YouTube

 

[goheels22002]

Re-sign Welker, Koppen, Connolly and Carter

Sign Brandon Lloyd

Add a WR who can fill Branch's role, or be another middle-deep threat

Add 2 DE/OLBs

Add S

Add CB

I agree with your needs. Only add to the signings of free agents is Mark Anderson. Bring back Carter and Anderson and use the first pick on another defensive lineman. I'd use the second 1st rounder on another offensive lineman - a center or a tackle.

The Pats will get better, in 2012-13 I believe, especially as the defense matures. The oldest positions among the guys who play lots of snaps are defensive line and WR. The defensive line is already part way through a make over, so I expect one of the #1s to be defensive down lineman one to be an offensive down lineman depending on whether Connolly is a true center in the coach's eyes.

Oddly, I love the current defensive backfield - very young, quick, and now battle-tested with an 18-game season. The early season roster gyrations made a mess of things early, but these guys got much better as a unit down the stretch, especially when Chung returned.

Watching the core DB group - Chung, Arrington, McCourty, Moore and Ihedigbo - kept making me think about Ty Law and Rodney Harrison who both came into their own as DBs and leaders at around the age of 27 - 28, older than all of these guys, except Ihedigbo who is 28. Harrison was 31 his first season with the Pats. What we must remember about Ihedigbo is that he never started an NFL game until this year.

If there is a Harrison or Law caliber free agent out there to add to the mix, they should try to get him, but those guys are so expensive, it seems like you have to grow your own or risk messing up the cap balance the way the Eagles did. My feeling is that this is a good corps to keep and further develop with a full off-season ahead. I'd try to add one more in the draft, but that is a complete crap shoot as we've seen with other promising picks.

The Patriots offensive line and backfield are going through their own rejuvenation with the pieces in place. At receiver, Welker has three more years in him, the TEs are spectacular and wideout needs a makeover with Branch near the end and Ocho all but useless. That is the position that Belichick will probably stock with all sorts of free agents including Brandon Lloyd. WR is like DB. The really good ones cost too much and the draft is loaded with potential but mostly misses who cannot adjust to what is needed at this level.

 

[ATippett56]

You assume that McCourty isn't moved to FS.

All season long the New England Patriots were looking for a legitimate free safety. McCourty is not the answer.

I don't want a rookie FS next season and I don't want M. Griffen as a FA (not much FA-wise except at SS).

The New England Patriots won a Super Bowl with Eugene Wilson playing free safety as a rookie.

Also, Moore may play FS himself. Regardless of what BB decides positionally, Moore has shown huge progress in a short period of time.

I'd rather sign Richard Marshall in unrestricted free agency who has shown he can play cornerback and free safety in the NFL.

Personally, I think we move McCourty and not draft a FS (high).

Personally, the New England Patriots don't have a bona fide free safety currently on the roster.

 

[JackBauer]

All season long the New England Patriots were looking for a legitimate free safety. McCourty is not the answer.

I don't believe there's any basis for this assertion, other than a desire to keep him at cornerback.

 

[ATippett56]

I don't believe there's any basis for this assertion, other than a desire to keep him at cornerback.

The basis for the assertion was the revolving door at free safety all season long.

 

[JackBauer]

The basis for the assertion was the revolving door at free safety all season long.

Which is not dispositive to the question of whether McCourty is or isn't the answer at free safety.

 

[ATippett56]

Which is not dispositive to the question of whether McCourty is or isn't the answer at free safety.

McCourty was the best of the worst, which is not saying much. The New England Patriots have 4 draft picks in the top 63; it's time to select a legitimate free safety in the 2012 NFL Draft.

You can have the following at the free safety position:

James Ihedigbo
Sergio Brown
Matt Slater
Nate Jones

I'll take my chances with the free safety position in the 2012 NFL Draft.

 

[THELAWFIRM226]

Safety to help Chung

Cornerback -- either a #1 if McCourty continues to suck, or a #2 if McCourty is able to improve

2 OLB

2-3 DL

RB -- if the rookies can't improve past ben

1 top WR


Of course if we had all the above then we'd be unstoppable. If BB can target 1-2 great wideout and 1 great rb free agency/trade, that would make the offense better than 2007 (that lacked great rb or te's); and I'd be happy with just trying to improve the defense via the draft and natural career progression

Couldn't agree more about your secondary suggestions. I got flamed in another thread for saying BB would take a real hard look at cornerbacks this draft. Who knows what Ras I will be, and mccourty improving dramtically is a possibility but still no guarantee.

 

[JetsfaninPeace]

Greetings,
I really like James Ihedigbo, just not as a starter though. I think he has a lot to contribute as a special teamer and when you have nobody else to play safety.

Celticboy04

He's a great ST player. No doubt about that. There's a reason he never started for a Rex Ryan defense behind the other garbage safeties we have (hello, Pool and Erik Smith).

Now that the season is over, do Pats fans admit Ellis was a subpar signing for $4 million? Didn't catch all the Pats games this year, but I don't remember reading or seeing him make any impactful plays.

 

[Deus Irae]

Just to flesh out my earlier posts a bit...

Defensive line:

Bringing back Carter and Anderson would give the team two DEs who could rush the passer on passing downs. Thank Warren and Ellis for their service, and move on from them. Wilfork, Pryor, Love and Deaderick seem like locks to be back, while Brace seems likely to be gone. That leaves 2-3 slots to fill. At that point, you try to add a stout 3/4 DE, likely via the first round of the draft, maybe look to pilfer Rogers or Franklin from the Saints, or Gregg from the Chiefs, to spell Wilfork on occasion, and find another fill-in sort of player who's got some pass rush ability.

OLB:

Even if you think Ninkovich is a legit player, the team needs another starter at OLB. That's another 1st-2nd round draft pick. Guyton's probably already looking for another job, and he'll have to be replaced. White and/or Tarp can be upgraded and replaced as well, and bringing in real competition for Fletcher wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

CB: You have to think that the Patriots will try to get McCourty back on track. He's not really big enough to work as a safety with Chung, because that would be a tandem with no size. That leaves McCourty/Dowling as the likely starting pair, and Arrington as the CB3. Drafting yet another young corner would seem a bad way to go, IMO, so looking at a quality corner like Finnegan, Carr or Rogers would seem like a worthwhile investment. After that, it's likely to be a matter of a bunch of players brought in to compete for the last slot(s).

S: Terrible aligning of the stars here. The Patriots have major needs at the safety position, and this year's safety class looks as if it sucks hard. Unfortunately, the pickings are slim in the free agency class, as well. With the Patriots known to work the safeties more as left/right than SS/FS, it might be worth it to gamble on players like Landry, Griffin and/or Branch.

WR: Signing Lloyd instantly gets the team its medium-deep receiver for the next couple of years, and gives the passing attack the look of Lloyd/Welker/Gronk/Hernandez, which is about as good a foursome as any team in the league. Edelman should be back, both as Welker's backup and as a general jack-of-all-trades. The team should look to a receiver in the draft (rounds 1-2), and bringing Branch back with the understanding that he's probably not going to start would be another good move, IMO. From there, you're looking at bringing in various low enders/bargains to compete for any remaining spot(s).

C: Re-sign Koppen and Connolly. Let them battle it out for the starting job. Also, drafting a developmental center would be a good idea here.

G: Depending upon Waters return/retirement and the feeling of the organization about Cannon as the RG, the Patriots may, or may not, need to look at adding a player for the position. This seems to be the most fluid spot for the offseason.