Who might not be here next year?

[JoeShmoe]

That you wont be expecting? You know Bill will pull some unexpected moves on draft day or in FA

Personally I think Merriweather could be traded (he's in a contract year) and Butler released

 

[cdmc]

Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, hopefully Stephen Neal retires and we can draft another Mankins...

 

[Froob]

Noway Fred Taylor is here next here. I actually wouldn't mind them bringing Morris back for another year. He's a good blocker on special teams and is decent for short yardage. I think Neal & Faulk retires. Wilhite is cut.

 

[cloud34]

Matt Light?

 

[sieglo]

Fred Taylor needs to be gone. He's not even a reliable backup.

 

[satz]

OL

Mankins - This boat has sailed . I hope they sign but for now i am assuming he is gone. Do you want to franchise him to return in week 10. I am not sure.
Franchise and trade for a 3rd or 4th maybe. Any team that gets him needs him to sign a huge contract so low pick compensation.

Neal/Dan - I will keep both as mankins does not return. Plug a high draft guy as 1 C/G and draft another guy in the pick for mankins here.Last few years the interior pressure is killing brady.When we play 3-4 those 3-4 ends are having a field day.

Light - resign him even though its time to upgrade i am not willing to throw a new line out there. With issues at gaurd light,vollmer and kazur can man the tackle positions. Again i am hoping vollmer struggles and injures stop in 2011 and he takes over from light in 2012 or later.Levoir the next backup.



RB

Fred is out for sure. Bring a RB and FB in training camp.I feel tony richardson from jets will be cut next year. just saying or heath evans i think signed a 2yr contract. He was good played TE ,had good hands and was a decent FB.


DL
I think 2-3 will be let go. I see deadrick , warren, codden gone.

LB
Suprise cut next will be here !!! .

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

If we lose Mankins and Light, as well as Neal and Kaczur as most expect, then we need three O-line draft picks, perhaps all among the 6 picks in the first 3 rounds. That's doable, but I'd rather keep Logan and try to sign Light to a reasonable $$ deal as a future backup to a stud we draft (Carmini?). Koppen is slipping some too. This is a huge offseason with respect to O-line issues.

 

[Bertil]

I think that the OL will be overhauled for a multitude of reasons. Their playoff performances have been reason #1 for the failure of the Pats O in these crucial games. They are wwell coached and mostly overachieving yet mostly talent poor. Mankins and Vollmer are the exceptions, but Light, Connolly and Koppen continue to struggle against top flight Defensive fronts.

I'd like to see Vollmer switched to the Left and Mankins re-signed (I hope this bridge isn't burned). Draft Mike Pouncey from Florida in Round 1. Then re-sign Light and move him inside to Guard (this assumed that he moves well enough to play it). If not that, then draft Steve Wisniewski in Round 2. Kaczur, LeVoir and Ojinnaka or Draft picks can compete for the Right side, while Koppen and Connolly provide able inside depth.

Running Back will also be a spot where we'll see a few fresh faces, but the OL is ripe for change.

 

[upstater1]

After Mankins and Light, I'm not concerned about who leaves.

I'm more interested to see if they want to bring IN any free agents.

The draft class might not be quite up to speed to help with the kind of improvement the Patriots need. May need to add an FA.

Is there anything preventing the Patriots from signing a guy like Vincent Jackson--other than the fact he may be a knucklehead?

 

[Spiral]

This will be an unusual year because the free agency period will occur after the draft, not before. After this year's draft, the Patriots will be able to look at their draft picks, and make decisions on a number of veterans. This will probably work against some of the veteran free agents who might otherwise have been signed before the draft.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I think that the OL will be overhauled for a multitude of reasons. Their playoff performances have been reason #1 for the failure of the Pats O in these crucial games. They are wwell coached and mostly overachieving yet mostly talent poor. Mankins and Vollmer are the exceptions, but Light, Connolly and Koppen continue to struggle against top flight Defensive fronts.

I'd like to see Vollmer switched to the Left and Mankins re-signed (I hope this bridge isn't burned). Draft Mike Pouncey from Florida in Round 1. Then re-sign Light and move him inside to Guard (this assumed that he moves well enough to play it). If not that, then draft Steve Wisniewski in Round 2. Kaczur, LeVoir and Ojinnaka or Draft picks can compete for the Right side, while Koppen and Connolly provide able inside depth.

Running Back will also be a spot where we'll see a few fresh faces, but the OL is ripe for change.

In his last 4 playoff games, Brady has been sacked 14 times. Spread that frequency over a 16 game season and that is TB hitting the dirt 56 times. Those are is David Carr levels.

Why is this happening?

A. Defenses do not respect the running game and are teeing off on TB.

B. Defenses do not respect the deep pass and subsequently are bringing in more defenders closer to the LoC, thus making them either sit in zone coverage or blitz.

C. TB is not overly mobile and cannot escape pressure like Roethisberger, etc.

D. The O line is not athletic enough to match-up with elite defensive lines or defenses with creative schemes.

E. The coaches are not preparing them for the different fronts and looks that they see in playoff games.


Answer- All of the above.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Mankins and Light need to be brought back. BJGE also but I believe he's some sort of restricted FA, so very unlikely we lose him.

Arrington and Warren I bet won't be too hard to retain.

It's going to be a very competitive TC this year, even after trading a few picks into next year which I'm sure BB will do I bet we have more picks than open roster spots. Then there's FA.

 

[TBradyOwnsYou]

After Mankins and Light, I'm not concerned about who leaves.

I'm more interested to see if they want to bring IN any free agents.

The draft class might not be quite up to speed to help with the kind of improvement the Patriots need. May need to add an FA.

Is there anything preventing the Patriots from signing a guy like Vincent Jackson--other than the fact he may be a knucklehead?

I am under the belief that until there is a new CBA in place there can be no FA movement.

 

[JackBauer]

Koppen needs to be replaced ASAP. He may still be here, but hopefully not in a starting capacity as the last three playoff losses the ginger has played very small.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I am under the belief that until there is a new CBA in place there can be no FA movement.

That is correct; in fact, in the absence of a new CBA, teams can't even trade players still under contract.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Taylor is gone

Morris is probably gone

Neal will retire

Kevin Faulk may not be back,expect a retirement ..a surprise here

Shayne Graham who did a masterful job is gone

I really don't know how much value Brandon Tate has here,he could be a surprise move

Banta Cain is on the bubble


that's all I got

 

[ctpatsfan77]

This will be an unusual year because the free agency period will occur after the draft, not before. After this year's draft, the Patriots will be able to look at their draft picks, and make decisions on a number of veterans. This will probably work against some of the veteran free agents who might otherwise have been signed before the draft.

We don't know that; it depends on how glacially the new CBA talks go. If they can agree on a new CBA before around March 15 or so, I think FA might well start before the draft. That said, if things don't move as quickly, I believe you're right, and we'll be in the unusual position of having the draft before FA.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Shayne Graham who did a masterful job is gone

If Graham were better at kickoffs, I'd be worried about Ghost's future, but he isn't, so I'm not.

 

[ATippett56]

Gerard Warren (33 years old next season)
Stephen Neal (retirement)
Fred Taylor (retirement)
Kevin Faulk (retirement)
Sammy Morris (34 years old next season)
Mark LeVoir (serious upgrade required)
Quinn Ojinnaka (serious upgrade required)
Tully Banta-Cain (31 years old next season)
Eric Moore (30 years old next season)
Landon Cohen
Marques Murrell
Shayne Graham

 

[upstater1]

If there's no CBA then there's no point in discussing any of this, so I'm assuming the next CBA will allow FA. In that case, I'm assuming Jackson is gone from the Chargers when play starts up again.