Retooling...
SteelCity said:
Belichickfan....
I have always been very impressed with those 3 guys. In my opionion they were critical to the pats success in recent years.
I don't get how anybody can act like losing these 3 is nothing.....
Do you really think givens isn't a big deal? I think the guy is a heck of a posession receiver.
That 34 year old LB you speak of is a terror as a situation pass rusher. How many sacks did he register against the Jags? 3? 4?.... yeah... he's real washed up.
And how can you minimize your kicker? That's just insane.
SteelCity,
As fans of the two best managed clubs in the League, we have both seen respected players leave to get the "greener grass".
Seldom do they find it.
Both our teams will stay up near the top while we transition; we have done so yesterday, and will do so tommorrow. Actually you've been at it longer than us, and I recall Kraft saying he wanted to be a perennial contender like Pitt, and not point for a big year or two window, and then rebuild. That's your MO, and I think BB is copying it, frankly.
All three guys will be missed, of that I have no doubt. Willie was reaching the end, but he had a year or maybe two as a spot pass rusher to still give, as well as his locker room presence, as a pro's pro. He will be missed most of all.
AV was clutch, but in truth his leg was fading, even if his short range accuracy and clutch kicking (when within range) was not. One thing not noted about AV was that he was no fading daisy as a ikick coverage guy. I think he must have led the league in TD saving tackles over the years he was with the Pats.
Givens was a very good #2, but any #1, even a fading one like Key or Eric, would be an upgrade for a few years. Givens was young, but in this League no one seems to stay for a career, so what difference does potential additional years bring due to youth, when they will probably be spent elsewhere? I think BB wants to add soem age an dmaturity to his Offense because last year it was just TOO YOUNG and error prone. The O self-destructed in the Denver divisional game, making many youthful(??) mistakes.
I actually am more concerened with the loss all the easily replaced other guys, who added up to a lot of quality depth. Guys like Matt Chatham,
Tim Dwight, Steve Neal, Tom Ashworth. Even though we'll draft LBs high this year, and we have depth for Neal & Ashworth in Hochstein, Kayczur and maybe Britt along with Tucker, Yates and and Mruczkowski.
I actually think the plans to draft quality LBs early, was one of the reasons Willie was allowed to leave, they opted to open a position for the draftees to come.
I assure you that you can't relax, Next season will still be a Tong War between Pitt and the Pats....