There seems to be a lot of doubters in here on the Patriots F.O. lately

[Nunchucks]

That's all fine and dandy but if anyone thinks this run of success will continue without one of the best QB's of all time you are surely to experience the pre-TB era again in the not too distant future.
BB is arrogant. There's no denying that. But he better understand that TB is not going to stand back there & fling it around for the next five years. Time is running out on his dominance and BB needs to add some difference maker type players this year and next. That's all there is to it. F()CK the future. I can go through a year or two without being a top team. I've done it before. And we'll need another great QB to have any success in the future. I want this team improved over last year now, not wait. Just do it, WTF, how simple is that? You have money. Spend it. Enough of the dink and dunk game. Throw the deep ball to a deep ball threat. Help Brady help the team. Everyone knows what our deficencies are. There's not that many. Get three good players and a couple youts in the draft and be done with it. We already have 'some' depth. I just want another Lombardi trophy. It's now or it could be a while. Just ask the Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox.....and Patriots.

Its called a commitment to the run, an emphasis on TEs that can block and catch, and flexibility in the base offense...that is how Tom Brady will be protected. Asking him to spread the field and throw to a slot receiver all day is how Tom Brady will not LAST.

 

[Rob0729]

If Dropkick actually is Mav, then I could write *FART* as a post and he would try to twist it into something slamming McDaniels.

Well, FART is an acronym for Free Agent Real Trouble which clearly describes all these free agents McDaniels are "forcing" on Belichick.

 

[SeymourTrophies]

Let's finish the first week, at least, before we crush the front office for their free agency plan. We signed a slot receiver to replace Welker, and while Amendola's health is a risk, Welker's ability to remain healthy at his age the way he plays is just as much of a risk. We also don't know what Amendola's contract looks like. 10 mil guaranteed and there is more than likely some verbiage about health in there.

If they sign a corner, a safety, and a pass rusher, it's probably the best free agency period that the pats have had in a while.

Has anyone even heard a whisper about Vollmer?

 

[everlong]

The Patriots front office is if nothing else consistent. They have their value system and nothing will move them off of it. I've always said that a person's great strength is also their greatest weakness. Myself as an example I work really well under pressure. Where others would get stressed out and crack I'll excel. Conversely when there is no pressure I grow bored, lethargic and cannot motivate myself. The Patriots stick to their plan and it's served them very well however it's also helped them come up short a few times. If they didn't try to penny pinch Deion Branch they probably win another title in 06 as an example.

Their basement shopping with free agents has certainly gotten them some gems over the years and some busts. They been well documented so no need to do it again. What's frustrating is you see a team like Seattle loading up with Bennett, Avril and Harvin and you think wow they are loading up and are going for it and the funny thing is their window is just opening. They are the team to beat in my mind going into next season. I know the cliches that nobody wins the SB in March and we're building a team not a collection of talent and all cliches are based on truths but Seattle just addressed their two biggest needs big time.

With such a short window left in the Brady years I wish they would load up. I'm not saying with the contracts that the Dolphins did that's stupid long term but Seattle and SF are loading up smart. They're paying market value not 120% like the Fins. The Pats for better or worse want 95% on the stars and will roll the dice on lots of mid level or lower tier guys for 50-60%.

The 49ers back during their run certainly loaded up on solid vets like Fred Dean, Matt Millen, Jim Burt....etc. So maybe the Pats will strike it rich with Wilson, Freeney and Abraham but I look at what Seattle did and I have to be honest I'm jealous. I want to feel that buzz. I want to feel like wow they are going for it and this will push us over the top.

As it stands now the Patriots best case are the same team as last year and Denver, SF and Seattle are all better. SF with all those draft picks is still looking to really improve. Houston and Baltimore have taken steps back. GB is more or less the same team. So tier one is Seattle and SF. Tier two is Denver, NE and GB. The Patriots could still easily win the AFC but if they go up against one of those NFCW teams they lost to last year I wouldn't feel good about it.

Finally with limited draft resources they have to hit on those first three picks.

 

[borisman]

OK, I'll play. I DENY it.
I don't find that competence, knowledge and adhering to some core principles which include 'learning every day' and 'team first' as ARROGANCE.
It is those who can't or don't measure up and are jealous who find arrogance instead of admiration.

This 'arrogance' slime-fest is solely based on his media-interaction. he is maybe lacking in the PR department; but frankly that isn't my primary criteria for a coach evaluation.

Why, because he doesn't humor a bunch of egocentric football-moron mediots who want to ask the same stupid question over and over just re-phrased by answering with the standard blah-blah-blah??
Anyone who follows the team KNOWS that if a GOOD MEDIA MEMBER actually asks a useful question; he will go on for about 5 minutes citing references back to games in 1978 to give the guy an answer.

there are plenty of incidents to show BB donating time-energy-money (NOT PUBLICLY) to help out folks both with-in and outside the football community (just look at who he has hired when).

The arrogant line is a cheap insult and not valid to anyone who knows more than the cover of the sports page.

As forthe 'spend all the money'; THEY ALWAYS DO. As many have already said in this and every other like thread; the PATS have ALWAYS spent to the cap. I wont bother repeating what others have debunked before.

I love BB and his football knowledge. The arrogance I was referring to is in his recent football making decisions. I could give two craps about how he treats the media. So don't jump all over me with that crap of a reply.
He should know that this team has been this close to winning a super bowl(s), or just missing out getting to one, with some of the retreads he's signed that last couple of years. THAT may have cost us. Yeah, yeah, Ive seen WW and others drop a pass here and there. I saw how they lost. They couldn't cover well or put much pressure on the passer.
Sign a good cover corner. Sign a safety that can play. Sign a DL that can put pressure on the QB from either inside or outside. It's obvious to all of us. And if we still lose while doing all those things then I can live with that, eventually. Just because I love BB doesn't mean I can't criticize him now and then. If you wanna be like Pete Shephard, by all means.

 

[ralmat55]

I'm a Patriots fan 365 days a year. And, the first week of free agency is often my least favorite time of the year. Belichick always seem to frustrate the living hell out of me during this period. Generally, I'm a mild-mannered man who can go years without uttering a swear word. But, when it's 3rd and two and the Patriots go with an empty backfield, my blood pressure rises, and I want to shout out every cuss word I know. That level of frustration is what I've felt this entire week.

I understand the Welker decision having posted earlier my belief that the offense could actually get better by being more diverse without him. But, I am angered by how the Patriots handled his departure. They wanted Amendola all along and literally strung Welker along until they had an agreement with Amendola in place. Welker deserved better treatment than that and basic human decency demanded it as well. Business is business, but any business lacking in integrity is going to suffer in the end.

Now on to Bill Belichick's overriding operational objective which, I fear, even exceeds his desire to win football games sometimes, and that is his obsession to achieve "value" in every personnel decision. I get it. You can't have too many players making $5 million and producing at a $1 million level. But, you have to exercise a little pragmatism, don't you?

Right now, the Patriots have 3 cornerbacks on the roster: one can't stay healthy, a second is facing sentencing next month, and the third is a better safety. Aquib Talib is not a shut-down corner and we all know his health and off-field issues, but he was the most talented corner they've had since Asante Samuel, and he (and the McCourty move to safety) really improved their pass defense down the stretch. Why hasn't he been resigned yet? If he is lost to the Redskins or some other team because Belichick is trying to leverage him into taking $5 million when the market is $6 million for a quality starting corner, then even the Belichick apologists on this board should join in the chorus of his critics.

Thank you for listening to my editorial rant. Now back to regular programming.

 

[Bruins29]

Why do people worry about so many "ifs?"

Is BB really just sitting there and intentionally not signing Talib out of arrogance or spite? I just dont see why anyone would worry about any of this? You dont think he knows we have 2.5 CBs or whatever we have?

When the season or TC starts and we have no secondary then we can all attack BB..until then what is the point of worrying about it?

It would be like getting on an airplane and worrying that the pilot is going to fly into a mountain. He is a professional. He probably knows what he is doing and dosent want to fly into a mountain any more than you do.

Getting nervous or agitated about BB not signing anyone as quickly as you would like is ridiculous....especially when we know they will spend to the cap every year. And sometimes waiting is better.

Maybe is is trying to see if there is a better option out there...or a draft pick...or a way to get Revis..Who knows. Let BB do his DD.

Or maybe with DA on board at a cap friendly number. they are trying to sign JE for something really cap friendly and then dump Lloyd and go out and get a burner....

You will have a complete and competitive team come season opener. I promise. I cant believe people worry about that at this time of year.

 

[captain insano]

most productive != greatest

I'd still take stanley morgan and troy brown over welker.....

as would I any day of the week. you can add branch in his prime to that list for me.

 

[IllegalContact]

as would I any day of the week. you can add branch in his prime to that list for me.

branch was clutch especially in the playoffs, but he was pretty spotty

 

[tonyto3690]

It's the same whining garbage every year, by the same idiot fans who expect us to sign big contracts to the top 5 FA every offseason.

In Belichick we trust.

 

[mgteich]

Signing at least 5 players in the first 3 days of free agency is fine with me.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

The Patriots' Front Office has never acted as though it were in a popularity contest. We should all have figured that out in 2003, when Lawyer Milloy was sent packing.

As far as I can tell, the FO has a constituency of one, Robert Kraft. Even Belichick is accountable to him, though he no doubt has enough favors in the Kraftian "Favor Bank" to survive almost any errors of judgement; remember that Kraft famously called Belichick a "schmuck" for Spygate, but also increased his salary by the exact amount of his fine the next year.

So, if the Front Office continues to meet the owner's requirement that it field a "competitive" team every season, the fuss over Welker or Seymour or Milloy or Vinatieri or Samuel or anyone else will all just be part of the background noise in Foxboro.

As it applies to us fans, it's pretty much "Bob's way or the highway." With five trips to the SB in 11 seasons and what would have been five Lombardis except for a freak catch and a dropped pass (is it just a coincidence that it was dropped by Welker???), I'm ready to live with that, even if I don't always like it.

 

[borisman]

This year, unlike others, I was hoping for quality over quantity. It's all good to sign a bunch of players, build depth and have good competition in camp, only to cut half the players you just signed three/four months ago. I haven't biatched about this method AT ALL, until now, but my point stands that the next couple of years ARE different and a change/modification in philosophy will not necessarily be deterimental to the team/salary structure/or fill in the blank. But whatever, if we don't win next year or the year after, because we didn't have that impact player(s) to nulify another teams strength or having our weakness exploited week in week out only to have it bite us in the ass at crunch time, then BB will not even get a full pass from all the In Pope William We Trust.

 

[borisman]

I'm getting tired of hearing "every year the Pats do this". I/we all know this. These are different circumstances. Will you say that next and the year after when TB starts tailing off? Or will you say "we should have gone for it while Brady was still on top of his game"?

F()ck it. It's no use. I'd rather go bang my head against the wall. Doesn't mean it will happen.

 

[Jimke]

We have two decent cornerbacks Arrington and Dennard (if he doesn't
go to jail).

Our experienced wide receivers are Amendola, Jones, and Lloyd (if he restructures).

I will cease to doubt when these positions have a full complement of
quality players.

 

[shmessy]

I get it with the Welker gamble. That's a decision that I don't really agree with but they have a plan and I'll wait how this Amendola, Welker trade plans out.

But look at the Broncos or Colts making really good acquisitions all over the board.......

Friday late afternoon:

Teeeeheeeheeeeeheeeeeheeeeeh......................