What do YOU realistically see for the New England Patriots...

[chunkypony]

...while BB and Brady are still here?

Do you think another Super Bowl can be had? Or More? Or do you think the team is worse off than everyone sippin' the kool-aid thinks?

 

[BelichickFan]

We absolutely can but I do think we have to be a little more aggresive in getting our guys signed. I don't mean going nuts but I expect :

- Graham to be re-signed.
- Samuel to be re-signed or F&Ted for at least a #2 pick.
- London Fletcher (or equivalent) signed.

That is totally reasonable and along with our two #1s will set us up nicely. Definitely would put us in a solid position for another SB. If we let Graham and Samuel walk for comp picks - shame on Belichick/Pioli/Kraft.

 

[nukin]

I assume you mean for the next few (10 or so) years... so I voted two SB's, although I think moer then that is a possibility.

 

[chunkypony]

I assume you mean for the next few (10 or so) years... so I voted two SB's, although I think moer then that is a possibility.

Yea, I meant for as long as BB and Brady are here, together. I guess that is until at least next year (BB), or 2010 (?) (Brady).

 

[BelichickFan]

Flea, you're smoking something if you think even Belichick will be here 10 more years - I just don't see it. But even if he is, once Tommy is gone who knows. He's gonna be 31 next year, we have about a 5 year window.

I voted for one SB. Not that we couldn't win more but, as we saw, you need to get some breaks too.

 

[PATRIOT64]

I say Belichick leaves by 2009-10 season and I think we make the playoffs the next few years but I don't expect Super Bowls unless we have some emergence of talent in the Secondary,Linebacker and Wide Receiver areas where we are considerably short on and as far as linebackers goes,almost out of players with retirement possible for Bruschi,Seau and even Vrabel within the next 2 years if not sooner.

The teams below us such as Cincinnati (once the prisoners are released) and Kansas City,Baltimore and Miami will be better and getting better progressively so its only gonna get harder as the bottom tier catches up..If you think it will be Indy and NE facing each other for the AFC Championship each of the next few years you might want to take your head out of your *****


So so teams right now WILL catch up and it will get tougher to win,so just be content when we are clinching a playoff spot,that alone is a difficult task.

As time goes on Super Bowls get tougher to win or even make...Ask Pittsburgh,Dallas,San Francisco about how hard it is to maintain dominance until once you enter a dry spell,its awhile before you dig back out into contention again...and whats even more realistic is those teams did it and began to fall WITHOUT the cap,now with it makes every year excruciating tough to keep solid players.

 

[pats1]

Flea, you're smoking something if you think even Belichick will be here 10 more years - I just don't see it. But even if he is, once Tommy is gone who knows. He's gonna be 31 next year, we have about a 5 year window.

I voted for one SB. Not that we couldn't win more but, as we saw, you need to get some breaks too.

I wouldn't be surprised if BB stays at least another 5 years.

He's shown no signs of stopping.

 

[3 to be 4]

they lost to the best team in football by 4 points at their place. thats how far away they were this year from #4.
Had they had Harrison and/or Wilson they would have won it all.
they have 2 #1 picks coming up.

im quoting "Animal House" here..

ITS NOT OVER UNTIL WE SAY ITS OVER!!!!!!!!!!

 

[p8ryts]

For the next 5 years, the Pats, Colts and Bolts will continue to fight it out. The Bengals and Ravens and maybe the Steelers will be good also.

One of those years we will win another SB but it's real hard to get there. I'm not certain people appreciate the achievement of reaching the championship game this year, 4 out of 6 years, unbelievable. The last two years have really been rebuilding years and we may have one more year to rebuild linebackers but we will be there every year.

BB would say every year is a rebuilding year but each year is a new team.

Hopefully in 2007 Pats fans will be able to appreciate them for what they are instead of whining about what they aren't all year.

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

A lot of this for me depends on how we draft and how well we sustain retirements and the like, but I think things at this moment are looking pretty good. Lots of cap space, probably even more with retirements, 2 first rounders this year, still got the best coach and QB in the NFL, Maroney has a bright future, etc.

I voted 2 SBs.

 

[BelichickFan]

I wouldn't be surprised if BB stays at least another 5 years.

He's shown no signs of stopping.

I agree with you. When I talked about 10 years, I do think he'll likely be gone by then but I didn't quite get it out right, I was really trying to say that Brady is gone for sure then and we can't assume that even if Belichick is here that we'll just keep on winning.

Anyway, we have a 5-6 year window with Brady we HAVE to make it count with one more at least. 4 in the decade would be alright :rocker:

 

[jeffd]

they lost to the best team in football by 4 points at their place. thats how far away they were this year from #4.
Had they had Harrison and/or Wilson they would have won it all.
they have 2 #1 picks coming up.

im quoting "Animal House" here..

ITS NOT OVER UNTIL WE SAY ITS OVER!!!!!!!!!!

Was it over when the German's bombed Pearl Harbor???? HELL NO, and it ain't over now!

We didn't play our best game and were still only a play or two from making the Superbowl with no reason to think the Bears could have beat us. BTW, the world champs had to play their best game in YEARS to beat us. Next year we fill in some blanks without too many losses expected. Samuel could be the only impact loss. I like Graham and hope he stays but Watson and Thomas wouldn't be a bad backup plan.

 

[Jimke]

Good post by Bellichick Fan. We have to be more agressive in

free agency. The Pats can't wait until are the good players are

gone.

 

[PatsMyBoyz!]

I voted 2 more SB's with the contingent thought of drafting well and hopefully taking better advantage of FA. My understanding is the cap space looks good,we have some youth which should only improve (Maroney,Jackson,Gost, for ex-include Josh here as well),and providing we can keep Rodney on the field for another year things look good.
I'd also add Brady needs a solid break this offseason. I was glad he turned down Pebble Beach for that reason. Actually,the whole team needs to hunker down,get some rest,heal up and take inventory.

 

[pheenix11]

I see Brady retiring around 2013 (at 36). Unless he goes the route of Joe Montana...(god I don't want to see that).

I think Belichick will be here for a while. I think he has no life and football is his world. He's a junkie.

I think the Pats will grab 2 more in the next 6 years. I know one thing, I am going to really enjoy the next one. I've been spoiled and I forgot how precious it is. Like that last M&M in the bag, I am going to savor it.

 

[PromisedLand]

I truly believe we have a very good chance to win at least one more Super Bowl, perhaps two, over the next 4 or 5 years.

Here is my thinking:

1. Our window of opportunity will remain open as long as Brady stays here and continues to play well, and as long as Belichick continues to run the team. Brady is 30, and is signed through 2010 (4 more seasons). After 2010 who knows, his skills may start to diminish, and he may go elsewhere, but that gives us another 4 seasons to compete with him in his prime.

2. This year we had a very flawed team and still came within a whisker of getting to the Super Bowl. And I think everyone agrees that had we gotten there, we would have beaten the Bears. This despite the facts that:

• We had half our defense sick or out. (BB hinted that 15 players had the flu. We know Colvin was out most of the second half, Harrison was hurt, Wilfork was exhausted and on the bench getting his cramps stretched out, etc.)
• We had to travel on the road one week after a VERY tough, physical game on the other side of the country.
• We had a receiving corps which was average at best. The Deion Branch fiasco (and lets remember he was under contract) and basically shot his way out of town) left us scrambling to recover.
• We had an aging linebacker corps which was further depleted by the loss of Seau.
• Our safety corps was devastated by injuries beginning in preseason: Wilson, Harrison, Tebucky Jones, Mel Mitchell were all unavailable for this game, and Artrell Hawkins was hurt during the game.

3. We go into the offseason with

• Youth, talent and stability on both lines
• Up and coming talent in both sides of the ball (Maroney, O'Callaghan, Thomas and perhaps Jackson on offense, Hobbs, Sanders, Wilfork and Warren on defense)
• One of the top quarterbacks in the league, THE best according to many
• The best coach in the league
• No losses in our coaching staff
• 30M in cap space
• 2 first round draft picks
• a total of 12 draft picks

4. The competition is not that scary:

• The Colts have a lot of key free-agents, only one pick in the top 90, and little cap room to maneuver, and will face the usual problems faced by Super Bowl winners
• The Ravens have an aging quarterback and some key free agents
• The Chargers extended Marty Schottenheimer
• The Bengals are all on probation
• The Jets are still a year or two away
• We don't play the Broncos next year, and they will not win their division anyway with the Chargers there.
• etc.

In summary, I think we will be a better team next year than we were this year, the competition will be weaker, and we almost made it this year DESPITE so many things going wrong.

 

[ajmitch81]

I truly believe we have a very good chance to win at least one more Super Bowl, perhaps two, over the next 4 or 5 years.

Here is my thinking:

1. Our window of opportunity will remain open as long as Brady stays here and continues to play well, and as long as Belichick continues to run the team. Brady is 30, and is signed through 2010 (4 more seasons). After 2010 who knows, his skills may start to diminish, and he may go elsewhere, but that gives us another 4 seasons to compete with him in his prime.

2. This year we had a very flawed team and still came within a whisker of getting to the Super Bowl. And I think everyone agrees that had we gotten there, we would have beaten the Bears. This despite the facts that:

• We had half our defense sick or out. (BB hinted that 15 players had the flu. We know Colvin was out most of the second half, Harrison was hurt, Wilfork was exhausted and on the bench getting his cramps stretched out, etc.)
• We had to travel on the road one week after a VERY tough, physical game on the other side of the country.
• We had a receiving corps which was average at best. The Deion Branch fiasco (and lets remember he was under contract) and basically shot his way out of town) left us scrambling to recover.
• We had an aging linebacker corps which was further depleted by the loss of Seau.
• Our safety corps was devastated by injuries beginning in preseason: Wilson, Harrison, Tebucky Jones, Mel Mitchell were all unavailable for this game, and Artrell Hawkins was hurt during the game.

3. We go into the offseason with

• Youth, talent and stability on both lines
• Up and coming talent in both sides of the ball (Maroney, O'Callaghan, Thomas and perhaps Jackson on offense, Hobbs, Sanders, Wilfork and Warren on defense)
• One of the top quarterbacks in the league, THE best according to many
• The best coach in the league
• No losses in our coaching staff
• 30M in cap space
• 2 first round draft picks
• a total of 12 draft picks

4. The competition is not that scary:

• The Colts have a lot of key free-agents, only one pick in the top 90, and little cap room to maneuver, and will face the usual problems faced by Super Bowl winners
• The Ravens have an aging quarterback and some key free agents
• The Chargers extended Marty Schottenheimer
• The Bengals are all on probation
• The Jets are still a year or two away
• We don't play the Broncos next year, and they will not win their division anyway with the Chargers there.
• etc.

In summary, I think we will be a better team next year than we were this year, the competition will be weaker, and we almost made it this year DESPITE so many things going wrong.

Let's also not forget that in 2005-2006 the Patriots probably win the Super Bowl if they don't fall victim to pitiful officiating that night in Denver.

Sometimes you just don't get the calls - and that's been the case two seasons in a row. 2005-2006 was amazing that the Steelers won despite that same fate.

Here's to 2007 -- I'm sure watching Manning and Polian celebrate is all the motivation the Pats need, if they needed any more.

 

[ATippett56]

We absolutely can but I do think we have to be a little more aggresive in getting our guys signed. I don't mean going nuts but I expect :

- Graham to be re-signed.

I'm not so sure about this decision. If the Patriots re-sign Graham, then David Thomas rots on the bench for the remainder of his rookie contract.

 

[PatrioticDynasty]

I'm not so sure about this decision. If the Patriots re-sign Graham, then David Thomas rots on the bench for the remainder of his rookie contract.

I wonder if BB will keep Graham as an Offensive lineman/specialist, something like Vrable does, this way Thomas can get in the play. Graham would also help out on the blind side as well and God only knows how our line needs just a little more stability on that side.
Graham could be a special weapon at goal line/3rd & short...A crazy thought, but maybe one worth looking into? your thoughts...

PD

 

[hoosier_patriot]

BelichickFan hit it on the head, can't let some of the FA's geat away, and if #22 wants out, then better "tag" him and start the trade talks.