The last time Belichick has brought a significant player here mid season?

[IcyPatriot]

Almost all of the receivers being mentioned are better than Welker.

That being said, BB has also brought in tons of FAs making more than his vet leaders.

Adalius Thomas was making quite a bit more than Vrable, and Bruschi.

But he also was supposed to be a better player then them ... he wasn't.

Bill does factor salary, veteran experience and all of that into who comes here and why. He's capable of mistakes but he makes every effort to slot players in where they belong and where he thinks they'll fit.

 

[Teenuh]

Well I dont understand why people are making up threads like... "Fitzgerald for a mankins and a first..."

Belichick has never brought anyone here mid season so half of these terrible trade threads can stop.

Because people are in denial about what our team is about to become and want to hang on to that last sliver of hope for our season and immediate future.

 

[Patspsycho]

Because people are in denial about what our team is about to become and want to hang on to that last sliver of hope for our season and immediate future.

Speak for yourself.

 

[VJCPatriot]

He cannot bring in a player who makes more than Welker who is the current veteran voice of the receivers.

Miguel's UNOFFICIAL 2010 Patriots Salary Cap Information Page has Welker at $4.32 Million.
That number is the key to who can come here ... no doubt in my mind.
If Bill brings in a player it's for less than $4 million or nothing.

Because bringing in Larry Fitzgerald would destroy the lockerroom? Puhleez. The only reason that Fitzgerald wouldn't be coming here is because the Cards aren't idiotic enough to give up their best offensive player for any price. I certainly don't buy the - he can't make more money than the players we've already got at the position argument.

 

[Teenuh]

The only reason that Fitzgerald wouldn't be coming here is because the Cards aren't idiotic enough to give up their best offensive player for any price.

Unlike other people I know...

 

[TBradyOwnsYou]

Because people are in denial about what our team is about to become and want to hang on to that last sliver of hope for our season and immediate future.

We've lost significant players early in the season before and came out on top!

 

[lamafist]

Off hand, I remember the Patriots trading a 5th for Doug Gabriel sometime during 2006 season.

While that's not exactly at the same level of compensation as trading for Vincent Jackson, it still demonstrates that BB will make an in-season trade for a receiver if he feels that his current batch is lacking.

And anyway, as people have pointed out, precedent is kind of besides the point. Over the course of his coaching tenure in NE, BB's done just about every thing that the columnists and pundits previously swore he'd never do. The problem is that people are always trying to decipher general rules and principles from Belichick's various personnel decisions about which positions he values more than others, and where he likes to draft talent and where he likes to acquire veterans, etc. This ignores the one thing BB has said, over and over again -- every decision is about that specific set of circumstances, how that particular player can help that particular Patriots team.

That said, I think it's 10x more likely that the Patriots end up reaquiring Branch than trading for Jackson. Not only will he come cheaper in terms of both salary and draft picks, but he will also be able to contribute right away, given his familiarity with the Pats' offense and with Brady.

 

[Teenuh]

We've lost significant players early in the season before and came out on top!

We lost Brady and failed to make the playoffs... And we'll most likely fail to make the playoffs again this year after losing our best receiver. I'm sure all of the homers all think this is the greatest thing that has ever happened and we'll win like 3-4 consecutive championships without Moss but they aren't living in reality.

 

[TBradyOwnsYou]

We lost Brady and failed to make the playoffs... And we'll most likely fail to make the playoffs again this year after losing our best receiver. I'm sure all of the homers all think this is the greatest thing that has ever happened and we'll win like 3-4 consecutive championships without Moss but they aren't living in reality.

But we did manage to win 11 games. We lost a dirty tiebreaker, it happens.
However, remember when we lost Bledsoe and replaced him with some skinny 6th round nobody? That ended up pretty well for us.

I'm not saying we have anyone who can replace Moss, nor do I think he is replacable. I'm just saying we've still got a great team and we will figure out a way to make it work.

 

[lamafist]

We lost Brady and failed to make the playoffs... And we'll most likely fail to make the playoffs again this year after losing our best receiver. I'm sure all of the homers all think this is the greatest thing that has ever happened and we'll win like 3-4 consecutive championships without Moss but they aren't living in reality.

We were the first 11-5 team to miss the playoffs since 1985.

We were 11-5 the first year we won the Super Bowl.

Yet you say "failed to make the playoffs" as if we were an 8-8 team, or as if managing to still go 11-5 the year we lost Brady somehow supports your argument that the team is doomed.

 

[PYPER]

NEVER.... This is the team we have. Were not getting V JAX were not getting Branch. Deal with it

It doesn't happen often but it HAS happened and on both occasions I remember, the player acquired was a WR.

Gaffney was picked up late in the 2006 season and quickly became Brady's favorite target.

Doug Gabriel was also added late in the year although I don't recall which season. 2005? 2006?

I just remembered a few other occasions. Artrell Hawkins joined us late in 2005 and shored up our secondary which up to that point in the season had been horrible. There were also other guys like Hank Poteat but I don't believe any of them were actually traded for. Doug Gabriel may have been the only guy we actually traded for. No wonder we don't make more in-season trades.

 

[jmt57]

NEVER.... This is the team we have. Were not getting V JAX were not getting Branch. Deal with it

I don't think this is a Belichick issue. How often does ANY team bring in a significant player in mid-season? And yes, spare me the example of the Vikings; that's only one example.

Nearly all movement of 'significant' players is done between the first day of free agency and the draft in today's NFL. Trading players is not very common; trading players once the season gets under way is rare.

 

[jmt57]

We lost Brady and failed to make the playoffs... And we'll most likely fail to make the playoffs again this year after losing our best receiver. I'm sure all of the homers all think this is the greatest thing that has ever happened and we'll win like 3-4 consecutive championships without Moss but they aren't living in reality.

The 'failed to make the playoffs' in 2008 logic is a bit short-sighted, considering the team was 11-5 and missed out on what, the third tiebreaker? And if the team does fail to make the playoffs, if you want to point fingers my guess is the blame will more likely fall on the defense rather than the offense.

Regardless, how about we try to stay on topic in this thread, which is about whether or not a significant player will, or should be be added to the roster? I'm pretty sure there's more than one active thread debating whether or not the decision to trade Moss was good or bad elsewhere.

 

[Bill 4 Prez]

NEVER.... This is the team we have. Were not getting V JAX were not getting Branch. Deal with it

the only thing Ive learned in the BB era is to expect anything......

 

[bucky]

Well I dont understand why people are making up threads like... "Fitzgerald for a mankins and a first..."

You're right. These threads are stupid. Just like threads that say "BB never drafts OL in the 1st round", "BB never drafts LBs in the 1st round", and "BB never trades for veterans in mid season".

2 wrongs do not make a right.

 

[slash83]

When did Branch become a significant player? riddle me that please...

 

[WhiZa]

When did Branch become a significant player? riddle me that please...

When he became superbowl MVP. The real question is when did he stop becoming a significant player? Once fans figure that out then we can put the Branch threads to bed

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

It doesn't happen often but it HAS happened and on both occasions I remember, the player acquired was a WR.

Gaffney was picked up late in the 2006 season and quickly became Brady's favorite target.

Doug Gabriel was also added late in the year although I don't recall which season. 2005? 2006?

I just remembered a few other occasions. Artrell Hawkins joined us late in 2005 and shored up our secondary which up to that point in the season had been horrible. There were also other guys like Hank Poteat but I don't believe any of them were actually traded for. Doug Gabriel may have been the only guy we actually traded for. No wonder we don't make more in-season trades.

Thank you, thank you, thank you very much for actually knowing and reciting FACTS. Junior Seau. Doug Gabriel (although he did not really perform, it was a big move at the time). Artrell Hawkins. Jabar Gaffney. Rosie Colvin joined real late a few years ago. Poteat was signed off the street and then played in the Super Bowl a few weeks later.

The fact is that the Moss trade is a major anomaly in terms of precedent, not just on the Pats but in the entire league.

I would be really pleased if people would do the slightest bit of research (Google exists, wikipedia exists, profootballreference exists) before posting ridiculous threads that spit silly chicken little rhetoric. Enjoy the season.