BB treat Free agency kinda like he does the draft nowadays, signing a bunch of low risk, high reward players for cheap is a good idea, Belichick will be able to see what these players has left in camp, their contracts will be altered so that if they are cut, it wont make a big difference.
I think the days of BB signing a big time free agent are gone, even Lloyd who said he would come at a discount wont get paid to come here.
The Patriots just barely lost the Superbowl, so the talent on their team is pretty good, they have 4 draft picks in the first two rounds again and a bunch of cap room for signings like this, who are we to start second guessing Belichick now?
Oghhh! Please understand about Draft Choices. There is a 17% chance that a Draft Choice (rounds 1-7) will make an impact on an NFL Team. Making an impact means long term quality starter, valued or specialized back up, or those that ascend and make Pro Bowl or All Pro Status within a three year window of opportunity from year of Draft. Any Team that excels in a specific Draft class over that 17% success rate, is said to have had an exemplary Draft that said year. This does not include part time players or roster fills, nor players no longer with their original Team due to retirement , Cuts or FA.
The more higher round picks, the higher the success possibility of full time starter, or higher tier NFL player.
Example:Good class- 2010 Pats Draft Class over 17% (still pending after this year but could be over 41%. See below).
Last five years before that.
2005=13%
2006=10%
2007=9%
2008=25%
2009=16%
In those five years the Pats have had an average success rate of 14.6%.
After this year you can figure in 2010 Class.
We have 6 Choices this year. If we do what our average year is for success, it means if we get two players who work out very well as termed "success" in this years Draft, we are "doing our job".
Please consider your expectations. If BB plays his trade down B.S. game, the percentages shrink that he will find his......"value" as he and Crazy Eye like to throw out, in a redundant choice of over used verbiage. The results for all this down trading has been documented as a mixed bag at best. If he stays where he is we have a better chance to grab some play makers.
As far as talent goes, this was one of the least talented Teams to be in a Super Bowl since perhaps the Seahawks. The best starting DB was Chung and he had an injury filled mediocre year. The rest were off the street or FAs nobody would demand. Mayo was O.K., not great, Ninc played extremely well and Anderson came on. Spikes was hurt some as well but got better late. You had one star, Wilfork. You have two great TEs, a superb slot WR and a great QB. Mediocre RBs, a Mediocre O Line with a retread RG who played the best of all of them, a fading LT who was very decent and a over-rated RG with a big contract. Now some of that "talent" might play better in 2012, but that is a fair assessment of the actual talent shown in 2011 and specifically in the playoffs. Injuries were a great part to be fair, but please, this is not the 2007 or 2004 Pats as far as talent.
If you use the "Draft to build" myth, we will get two players within three years from this class who will come in and be difference makers. This happens roughly 50% of the time. If your lucky you get one impact dude. That is why 2010 is a very special class. You might have three or four difference makers but it is safe to say Gronk for sure and Hernandez. McCourty and Spikes are still in the mix and if they are Pats difference makers, then the 2101 Pats Draft class can go in history and was as good as perhaps considered the best ever, the 1974 Steelers Draft with Swann, Stallworth, Lambert and Webster etc. This year is the litmus test for McCourty and Spikes as to whether this was one of the best Draft classes ever. As you see, the third year.
How many years you think Mr. Brady plays? Can we target three years as reasonable or do we seek more "talent" for him now?
I respect your opinion, but I think the Draft Myth is a long process and we need help for 2013, not 2015.
DW Toys
