What to do at WR & TE

[deters]

I want to see the Patriots trade Mallett to the Browns for their 6th overall (apparently there's a chance) and then with that 6th overall pick, I'd trade it to the Cardinals for Fitzgerald. (Or just do this in a 3-way)

If that can't happen - trade Mallett and a 2014 3rd rounder to the Cardinals for Fitzgerald. The Patriots NEED this guy. The Cardinals could use a QB as well.

i dont want anything to do with that 8 year 120 mill contract

 

[Fencer]

I want to see the Patriots trade Mallett to the Browns for their 6th overall (apparently there's a chance) and then with that 6th overall pick, I'd trade it to the Cardinals for Fitzgerald. (Or just do this in a 3-way)

If that can't happen - trade Mallett and a 2014 3rd rounder to the Cardinals for Fitzgerald. The Patriots NEED this guy. The Cardinals could use a QB as well.

The Cardinals will trade Larry Fitzgerald for a QB with no NFL track record ... why?

 

[Fencer]

Gronk had a back injury in college that hasn't caused any problems since then. His two injuries in the NFL were a sprained ankle that just happened at the wrong time, and a broken forearm on an extra point. Some players are injury prone, some have bad luck. I'd say Gronk's injuries have been a case of bad luck. My only criticism is that he shouldn't have been on the field in the Houston game if a play where he put weight on the arm would re-injure it so easily. Hernandez hasn't had any injuries (iirc) other than an ankle sprain where someone feel into his leg. Again, that's bad luck, not a sign of someone who's injury prone.

Gronk plays with abandon. As admirable as that is, it's a style that can get you hurt.

Hernandez always seems to be limping for some reason or other.

I'm not sure that either is a case of more than bad luck, but I'm also not sure in the other direction either.

 

[Sciz]

Hernandez always seems to be limping for some reason or other.

Well this season it was from the Cardinals game. That's not an injury that heals back to 100% unless you actually rest. The playoff bye week clearly helped him a lot, but he's still moving at something like 85%. And that's unfortunate, because there's probably not a single defender in the NFL that can cover a 100% Hernandez one on one.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

1 drop should not change the fact that he is bradys security blanket..why do people only remember the bad? Without welker this year...where are the pats? Even still playing in the title game?

B-To-M, you know many people are over reacting on a lot of things right now. WW is just one of the targets of the over reaction.

Anyone who argues the Patriots are better off without WW needs to step back, take a deep breath and think it through......because you are wrong if you can't see that. He'll walk if the money isn't right -- don't blame him or the Patriots if that is the way it has to be -- but if he stays the Patriots are a better team for it. Think about it: Gronk and AH....maybe the wildcard of Ballard, JE probably stays and his upward progression likely continues, BL's second year should nets even better production results, both Rid and SV look very promising and they will both have that extra year under their belts that should make them better (please! lets get more involved out of the backfield). The OL has Mankins, Solder, Vollmer, Wendy on the OL along with a couple of other guys who look like they got promise. PLEASE think about that and see the Patriots look pretty damn good for next year. That isn't homerism, that is just plain fact. But! I would like to see WW not have to catch 100+ and it would be great to see WR#4 depth be an asset versus a stop gap warm body.

To go off thread topic about WW/the offense and speak of the D. Again. things look pretty good there too. Wilfork, Love, Ninky, Mayo, Spikes, maybe Prior....plus the two Rooks who will get that all important second offseason/training camp. Teams are not going to be running on us next year. Adding a modest pass rush component to this group should take it to an overall very solid level.
In the secondary? More worrisome no doubt....but several things make it more promising than the last few years. McCourty gets (and should) "CB" removed from his name and gets a full offseason/training camp as THE guy at safety/for the secondary. Dennard appears to look like a solid #2 corner and gets that important second year. And as much as people are down on Arrington, he has played decently enough when he is given an assignment that is appropriate for his skills -- the #3 slot guy. And if Talib stays and stays healthy and Gregory is made the backup safety/a better safety can be gotten......the secondary may not be world beaters but will be solid enough.

I know the loss stings. Understandably people get pissed and want heads to roll. But this team has got too many pluses, too many things going for them to be down on them for too long. While anything can happen and they have some signatures to get/business to attend to.....the Patriots look to be in good shape to make another solid run at the SB. Like it or not that is the best a fan can expect from their team.

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

No doubt the O is concerning but the D had their pants pulled down by the Ravens and didn't respond. They didn't even give the O a chance to get back into a groove.

It just seems to me that the O was clearly worse tonight. The D played well in the first half and the O was meh; the D played poorly in the second half and the O was horrible. What makes it worse is that the O is supposed to be the primary strength of the Pats. I'm all for building up the D, but something needs to be tweaked on O to make it more capable in the POs.

why are you concerned about the O...just becasue of 1 game? Did you see what they did in the reg season? Ridley, gronk, hernandez, vereen, welker, lloyd, edleman, woodhead, demps,ballard, brady

You are really concerned about the O and not the depth in the D backfield or lack of pass rush year in and year out?

It isn't 1 game, it's 5. I saw what they did in the reg season, and I've seen them do it pretty much year in and year out since 07. Then I see them spit the bit in the POs; 14, 14, 21, 17, and 13 are the scores for the Pats in their recent PO losses.

Yes I'm concerned about the fact that no matter how great the O is during the regular season they don't maintain that level in the POs.

 

[YearbookCurfew]

Draft a WR, cut Branch, keep the TE position as it is.

 

[randomk1]

Brian Hartline is someone who intrigues me. The free agent market for big name Wide Receivers is top heavy with guys like Bowe, Jennings, Wallace and possibly Welker due to receive a lot of attention and money. That may leave a big, deep threat guy like Hartline come for a reasonably low cost and allows to use the money on other guys like Talib and Safety/Pass Rush help.

Pass on Hartline.

 

[randomk1]

Any data to demonstrate the "fact" of him getting the dropsies?

"A lot more crucial drops in big games"? How many is a lot -- 2?

Again, if you want to argue that our money can be spent better elsewhere, that's a discussion to have. But a lot of what you wrote sounds like hyperbole, maybe because we just lost, I don't know.

I think Wes has been one of the league leaders in drops over these past 3 seasons.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

I'm not sure what the chatter is about what is missing on offense. I'd love to have Fitzgerald, but I'd also like to have Ngata next to Wilfork and Adrian Peterson behind Brady, and Revis opposite Talib. Our offense was well stocked this year. If we had Gronk out there instead of Hoo-Man and Fells, we'd have our go-up-and-get-it guy, and I'd also be much happier seeing Edelboy out there instead of Branch. He's not Welker, but he was coming into his own before the injury, and his speed AND quickness can be a difference maker. He's a cheap and easy re-signing and does provide some insurance for Welker.

Given the need on defense for investment in the secondary (Talib), the need to resign Vollmer, and the cost of stocking the rest of the roster, it's hard not to expect Welker to be playing for less this year. Last year, the number thrown about was $8M per year, although we don't know what the Pat's offered. I wouldn't be surprised if it was $7M this year.

The problem I see with Welker is we have Hernandez, Gronkowski and Lloyd who clog the middle of the field. The Patriots don't have a reliable deep threat. If I was Welker and the Patriots played hard ball in contract negotiations, I walk. As it stands, I fear the cost of re-signing him may prove prohibitive.

Program note: Lloyd spends 90% of his time outside the numbers. He was unusually active on in-cuts this past game with 3 catches on or inside the numbers, but he certainly doesn't clog the middle.

 

[carterjt47]

Why can't we get someone like Julio Jones??? You seen the weapons Matt Ryan has??????, and Wes Weller is too short...

 

[PATRlOT]

i dont want anything to do with that 8 year 120 mill contract

He would without a doubt restructure that contract for a chance to wear a Patriots uniform and win a SuperBowl

 

[ausbacker]

I'm not sure what the chatter is about what is missing on offense. I'd love to have Fitzgerald, but I'd also like to have Ngata next to Wilfork and Adrian Peterson behind Brady, and Revis opposite Talib. Our offense was well stocked this year. If we had Gronk out there instead of Hoo-Man and Fells, we'd have our go-up-and-get-it guy, and I'd also be much happier seeing Edelboy out there instead of Branch. He's not Welker, but he was coming into his own before the injury, and his speed AND quickness can be a difference maker. He's a cheap and easy re-signing and does provide some insurance for Welker.

Given the need on defense for investment in the secondary (Talib), the need to resign Vollmer, and the cost of stocking the rest of the roster, it's hard not to expect Welker to be playing for less this year. Last year, the number thrown about was $8M per year, although we don't know what the Pat's offered. I wouldn't be surprised if it was $7M this year.

Program note: Lloyd spends 90% of his time outside the numbers. He was unusually active on in-cuts this past game with 3 catches on or inside the numbers, but he certainly doesn't clog the middle.

I may have worded that poorly. I know Lloyd isn't an over the middle kind of guy, I was more referring to the intermediate routes he runs.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Why can't we get someone like Julio Jones??? You seen the weapons Matt Ryan has??????, and Wes Weller is too short...

That would mean a bottom 10 finish. How does that sound?

 

[chicowalker]

I think Wes has been one of the league leaders in drops over these past 3 seasons.

Has he also been among the league leaders in balls thrown to him the past 3 seasons?

 

[carterjt47]

Has he also been among the league leaders in balls thrown to him the past 3 seasons?

You guys do realize that Wes Welker's stats are inflated right?...ie Marvin Harrison.

 

[Sivy]

All this debate, and they'll probably sign moss (not sure on his contract situation though)

 

[Heisenberg]

Sign Talib. Figure out what we can offer Welker after that, if he walks he walks. Our O will still have a top tier backfield, by far the best TE situation in the league, and we'll have Lloyd, Edelman and whomever we bring in either through the draft, FA or trade. If Welker's gone, I see us drafting a WR relatively high, not a first rounder. I don't see us bringing in a stud FA WR. Our O-Line is very solid as well.

It sucks, but this year came down to Gronk being hurt again. He is the best player on the Patriots. It's tough to see as a fan of the team hoping our favorite guys will come through, but it's similar to playing the Lions without Calvin or the Vikings without Peterson. His absence is colossal and we need him to be healthy going forward. You can't have Gronk, Larry Fitz, and Greg Jennings all on the same team. Gronk is our stud and he was injured at the absolute worst time of year again.

Going forward, we need to

1. Stay healthy in key positions. Nothing you can do there, BB is a master at building a deep roster, but with a cap you just simply have to hope that your best players don't get hurt. You can't have starting caliber players throughout your bench.
2. Sign Welker at a home-town discount or let him walk. I respect the hell out of the guy but he is far from a must sign at age 32 with the TE's we have working the middle of the field. I'd much rather lock up Talib for a few years and let that defense grow into a top tier unit.
3. If Welker walks, hope Edelman, Gronk and Hernandez can replace a good deal of that slot production and bring in another WR. If Terrance Williams is available in round two or if Kenny Stills falls to round 4 or 5 I'd be happy to grab either of them.

Honestly not a lot to be done. I don't think we'll see any massive overhaul. Gronk, Hernandez, Lloyd, Edelman, Ballard is as talented as any WR/TE grouping in the league. Additionally, our RBs are a great pass catching group with Woodhead, Vereen and whatever Demps brings to the table, which could be significant. Stay healthy and bring in somebody on top of that. We're golden.

 

[chicowalker]

You guys do realize that Wes Welker's stats are inflated right?...ie Marvin Harrison.

you've got to bring more to the table than that...

 

[JoeShmoe]

We absolutely have to give Brady a tall physical outside the numbers WR, he can take us so far with our small and shifty approach (far further than any other QB could get btw) but you aint going to win it all without that deep threat

Look what he did with Moss as the prime example