Suppose Vince goes down with an injury, say for 6 weeks or the whole season. How well are the Pats prepared for that? Of course no team is ready for a seamless transition after losing one of their cornerstone players. But I could see this being pretty devastating, so where do the Pats turn? Would we be comfortable with Kyle Love anchoring the NT spot? Deaderick? Call Ron Brace and see if he's in shape? Maybe the team has to go exclusively 4-3?
Would adding a backup NT be a luxury? I am thinking of a veteran that is near the end of the line, not ready for the rigors of a full season in the trenches, but able to limit Vince's snap count and provide quality injury insurance. There are probably going to be a few of those veteran NT players available, perhaps at a reasonable cost. Casey Hampton, Antonio Garay, Pouha just to name a few.
Again, luxury or real need?
Would adding a backup NT be a luxury? I am thinking of a veteran that is near the end of the line, not ready for the rigors of a full season in the trenches, but able to limit Vince's snap count and provide quality injury insurance. There are probably going to be a few of those veteran NT players available, perhaps at a reasonable cost. Casey Hampton, Antonio Garay, Pouha just to name a few.
Again, luxury or real need?