Brady#12
On the Game Day Roster
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2005
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The State Of The Patriots
A year removed from their unprecedented run of three championships in four years, the New England Patriots are looking to rebound from a 2005 season that saw them overcome myriad injuries to make the playoffs at 10-6 only to be undermined by their own uncharacteristically sloppy play and even sloppier officiating in a loss to the Denver Broncos. The team is poised to maintain their hold on the AFC East title, despite a newly emerging challenger in the revitalized Miami Dolphins.
Here are the positional breakdowns for the 2006 edition of the New England Patriots.
Quarterbacks
==================
The Knowns:
Tom Brady, depending on what punchbowl you're drinking from, is either the best or second-best quarterback in the NFL. Nothing can be said about him that hasn't already been said many times. The guy comes up in the clutch better than any quarterback since Joe Montana, shows remarkable resiliency - both mental and physical, and seems to improve with every passing year. 2005, despite not culminating in a championship, was a season of great individual accomplishment for Brady, who led the league in passing yards, posted the second-best passer rating of his career [92.3] and had to carry the team on his shoulders as injuries on both sides of the ball mounted. He started every game despite taking as many shots as any quarterback in the league, behind an offensive line that featured two rookies protecting his blind side.
For 2006, there's nothing to suggest that Brady is about to slow down, with a new set of weapons around him, and one of the league's youngest and deepest protection units in front of him. The return of left tackle Matt Light should mean that Brady spends a lot less time on the ground this season, much to the relief of fans everywhere.
The Unknowns:
Doug Flutie, the team's only veteran backup quarterback announced his retirement from pro football last year, after more than two decades, leaving a major void behind Brady. Matt Cassel, a 7th round pick out of USC last season showed promise as a backup last season, but he is still a long way away from being a reliable option because of his lack of experience. This teem absolutely needs a veteran backup, or it will be in very dire straits if Brady should go down for any length of time. Former Dolphin/Jet Jay Fiedler seems to be on the team's radar, but overall the options are limited. The only other high-profile veteran on the market is Kerry Collins, and most people would agree that he would be a very poor fit in New England.
Overall position grade: A-
Running Backs
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The Knowns:
Corey Dillon, who was not at 100% for much of 2005, will be healthy again to start 2006, and will provide a steady power running game for this team, as well as veteran leadership. Of course, with Dillon turning 32 in late October, the team wisely decided to look to the future in the draft, taking Minnesota running back Laurence Maroney with their first round pick. Maroney is known as an explosive, instinctive runner who can make people miss in the open field, and uses his blocks extremely well. If he can bring the full extent of his abilities to the NFL, he will be a star in this league. Kevin Faulk and Patrick Pass are both good 3rd down options, though neither figures to contribute much as a runner this season. The buzz is that either Faulk or Pass will be cut in training camp to make roster space for Maroney.
The Unknowns:
Just how much does a healthy Corey Dillon have left in the tank at age 32? He seemed a step slow at the beginning of last season, before the injuries hit, but some of that may have been the result of new personnel along the offensive line. But if Dillon can't be expected to provide more than the 3.5 yards per carry that he posted last season, how ready is Maroney to carry the load? Running backs are more likely than any other offensive players to contribute significantly as rookies, but every year there seem to be exceptions to the rule. If Maroney proves to be one of those exceptions, the Patriots will not have much more luck running the ball than they did in 2005, which will again put all the pressure on Brady.
Overall position grade: B
Wide Receivers
==================
The Knowns:
Deion Branch will likely land a lucrative contract extension before the 2006 season is out. He is one of the new breed of elusive 'water bug' receivers that lit up the league last season. Branch is coming off a 2005 season in which he came within 2 yards of his first thousand-yard performance, and once again proved to be a force in the playoffs. He, along with the ageless, selfless and limitless Troy Brown provide veteran leadership to what is not an especially proven wide receiver unit. The team will be relying a great deal on its talented tight ends and Tom Brady's savvy to take pressure off this unit.
The Unknowns:
Chad Jackson was the #1 or #2 ranked receiver on virtually every draft board, and was considered a steal by most in the 2nd round. He does appear to be the most complete receiver in the 2006 draft class, and has impressed the Patriots coaching staff with his polish. The question is, just how much can he contribute as a rookie? History shows that most receivers take at least a year to become major players in their offenses. The Patriots are banking on Jackson being an exception to the rule. If this does not prove to be the case, the team is left without a true #2 receiver behind Branch. Reche Caldwell still carries the potential he brought with him to San Diego, but conventional wisdom indicates that at this stage in his career, the potential will never become fully realized. Troy Brown has always been a reliable target, but he will be 35 by the start of the season and hasn't played a full 16 games since 2001. Brandon 'Bam' Childress is a dark horse with a lot of the same attributes as Brown, but there's no guarantee that he'll even make the roster. 2003 second round pick Bethel Johnson has a lot of skill as a returner and has arguably the best straight-line speed in the league, but as a receiver, he's been a flop - showing little route running ability and poor hands.
Overall position grade: C
Tight Ends
==================
The Knowns:
This is by far the deepest corps in the league at the position. Not one, but two former first-rounders sharing the starting role [the team loves to run multiple tight end packages] in Ben Watson and Daniel Graham. Each brings a different skill set tot he table, with Watson being the physical freak, capable of stretching the field and outrunning most defensive backs, and Graham the more 'classic' tight end who is a powerful in-line blocker and short-range target.
New to the team are Dave Thomas, a [surprising] third round selection out of Texas who was rated by many scouts as having the best hands of all tight ends in the 2006 draft class, and Garrett Mills, a [even more surprising] fourth round pick from Tulsa, who set a number of team and conference receiving records for a tight end in college, but projects as a fullback/H-back at the pro level. With such a diverse and talented group of tight ends, the Patriots look to run a number of power sets, and other packages to take advantage of mismatches in both the secondary and linebacking corps of opponents and provide Brady with no less than 4 big, reliable targets to offset the lack of strength at wide receiver.
The Unknowns:
Ben Watson emerged last season as one of Brady's favorite targets, and showed the ability to flummox defenses with his freakish athleticism/size combination. He did, however, also get alligator-armed at times, dropping some relatively easy throws. If this continues, it may well stunt his development into the intimidating player the team is counting on him becoming.
Graham will be using this season to showcase his talents for other teams, as he is a free agent after 2006 and is not expected to re-sign. Can he take advantage of the opportunity, or will he be discouraged by the fact that the team that drafted him will probably be moving on without him?
Overall position grade: A+
A year removed from their unprecedented run of three championships in four years, the New England Patriots are looking to rebound from a 2005 season that saw them overcome myriad injuries to make the playoffs at 10-6 only to be undermined by their own uncharacteristically sloppy play and even sloppier officiating in a loss to the Denver Broncos. The team is poised to maintain their hold on the AFC East title, despite a newly emerging challenger in the revitalized Miami Dolphins.
Here are the positional breakdowns for the 2006 edition of the New England Patriots.
Quarterbacks
==================
The Knowns:
Tom Brady, depending on what punchbowl you're drinking from, is either the best or second-best quarterback in the NFL. Nothing can be said about him that hasn't already been said many times. The guy comes up in the clutch better than any quarterback since Joe Montana, shows remarkable resiliency - both mental and physical, and seems to improve with every passing year. 2005, despite not culminating in a championship, was a season of great individual accomplishment for Brady, who led the league in passing yards, posted the second-best passer rating of his career [92.3] and had to carry the team on his shoulders as injuries on both sides of the ball mounted. He started every game despite taking as many shots as any quarterback in the league, behind an offensive line that featured two rookies protecting his blind side.
For 2006, there's nothing to suggest that Brady is about to slow down, with a new set of weapons around him, and one of the league's youngest and deepest protection units in front of him. The return of left tackle Matt Light should mean that Brady spends a lot less time on the ground this season, much to the relief of fans everywhere.
The Unknowns:
Doug Flutie, the team's only veteran backup quarterback announced his retirement from pro football last year, after more than two decades, leaving a major void behind Brady. Matt Cassel, a 7th round pick out of USC last season showed promise as a backup last season, but he is still a long way away from being a reliable option because of his lack of experience. This teem absolutely needs a veteran backup, or it will be in very dire straits if Brady should go down for any length of time. Former Dolphin/Jet Jay Fiedler seems to be on the team's radar, but overall the options are limited. The only other high-profile veteran on the market is Kerry Collins, and most people would agree that he would be a very poor fit in New England.
Overall position grade: A-
Running Backs
==================
The Knowns:
Corey Dillon, who was not at 100% for much of 2005, will be healthy again to start 2006, and will provide a steady power running game for this team, as well as veteran leadership. Of course, with Dillon turning 32 in late October, the team wisely decided to look to the future in the draft, taking Minnesota running back Laurence Maroney with their first round pick. Maroney is known as an explosive, instinctive runner who can make people miss in the open field, and uses his blocks extremely well. If he can bring the full extent of his abilities to the NFL, he will be a star in this league. Kevin Faulk and Patrick Pass are both good 3rd down options, though neither figures to contribute much as a runner this season. The buzz is that either Faulk or Pass will be cut in training camp to make roster space for Maroney.
The Unknowns:
Just how much does a healthy Corey Dillon have left in the tank at age 32? He seemed a step slow at the beginning of last season, before the injuries hit, but some of that may have been the result of new personnel along the offensive line. But if Dillon can't be expected to provide more than the 3.5 yards per carry that he posted last season, how ready is Maroney to carry the load? Running backs are more likely than any other offensive players to contribute significantly as rookies, but every year there seem to be exceptions to the rule. If Maroney proves to be one of those exceptions, the Patriots will not have much more luck running the ball than they did in 2005, which will again put all the pressure on Brady.
Overall position grade: B
Wide Receivers
==================
The Knowns:
Deion Branch will likely land a lucrative contract extension before the 2006 season is out. He is one of the new breed of elusive 'water bug' receivers that lit up the league last season. Branch is coming off a 2005 season in which he came within 2 yards of his first thousand-yard performance, and once again proved to be a force in the playoffs. He, along with the ageless, selfless and limitless Troy Brown provide veteran leadership to what is not an especially proven wide receiver unit. The team will be relying a great deal on its talented tight ends and Tom Brady's savvy to take pressure off this unit.
The Unknowns:
Chad Jackson was the #1 or #2 ranked receiver on virtually every draft board, and was considered a steal by most in the 2nd round. He does appear to be the most complete receiver in the 2006 draft class, and has impressed the Patriots coaching staff with his polish. The question is, just how much can he contribute as a rookie? History shows that most receivers take at least a year to become major players in their offenses. The Patriots are banking on Jackson being an exception to the rule. If this does not prove to be the case, the team is left without a true #2 receiver behind Branch. Reche Caldwell still carries the potential he brought with him to San Diego, but conventional wisdom indicates that at this stage in his career, the potential will never become fully realized. Troy Brown has always been a reliable target, but he will be 35 by the start of the season and hasn't played a full 16 games since 2001. Brandon 'Bam' Childress is a dark horse with a lot of the same attributes as Brown, but there's no guarantee that he'll even make the roster. 2003 second round pick Bethel Johnson has a lot of skill as a returner and has arguably the best straight-line speed in the league, but as a receiver, he's been a flop - showing little route running ability and poor hands.
Overall position grade: C
Tight Ends
==================
The Knowns:
This is by far the deepest corps in the league at the position. Not one, but two former first-rounders sharing the starting role [the team loves to run multiple tight end packages] in Ben Watson and Daniel Graham. Each brings a different skill set tot he table, with Watson being the physical freak, capable of stretching the field and outrunning most defensive backs, and Graham the more 'classic' tight end who is a powerful in-line blocker and short-range target.
New to the team are Dave Thomas, a [surprising] third round selection out of Texas who was rated by many scouts as having the best hands of all tight ends in the 2006 draft class, and Garrett Mills, a [even more surprising] fourth round pick from Tulsa, who set a number of team and conference receiving records for a tight end in college, but projects as a fullback/H-back at the pro level. With such a diverse and talented group of tight ends, the Patriots look to run a number of power sets, and other packages to take advantage of mismatches in both the secondary and linebacking corps of opponents and provide Brady with no less than 4 big, reliable targets to offset the lack of strength at wide receiver.
The Unknowns:
Ben Watson emerged last season as one of Brady's favorite targets, and showed the ability to flummox defenses with his freakish athleticism/size combination. He did, however, also get alligator-armed at times, dropping some relatively easy throws. If this continues, it may well stunt his development into the intimidating player the team is counting on him becoming.
Graham will be using this season to showcase his talents for other teams, as he is a free agent after 2006 and is not expected to re-sign. Can he take advantage of the opportunity, or will he be discouraged by the fact that the team that drafted him will probably be moving on without him?
Overall position grade: A+
