Re: Do you think with the Patriots being active early....
I'm not sure what it means, but I'm pleased and optimistic that the Pats have been aggressive early. Small moves, yes, but they round out the roster well:
- Fred Taylor gives us a mentor to Maroney, depth at RB, and a really strong RB-by-committee with Maroney-Taylor-Morris-Faulk (and possibly Green-Ellis). Deepest RB corps we have ever had. Taylor will be better for us than Lamont Jordan.
- Chris Baker gives us a solid blocking TE to complement Ben Watson, leaving Dave Thomas as our #3 option and DeVrees/Listorti as PS guys. Puts us in much better shape after 2009, when Watson and Thomas are both FAs.
The only real hole on the offense right now is at WR, where we currently have Moss, Welker, Aiken and Slater. We need at least one more solid WR - either resigning Jabar Gaffney or a FA - and probably a developmental WR in the draft.
That leaves us pretty much free to concentrate on the defense in the remainder of FA and the draft. We're already looking at CB options (Leigh Bodden). I expect one JAG FA CB and probably one in the draft, unless we get lucky and snare someone good unexpectedly.
The loss of Mike Wright would be a blow, but not a severe one. My guess is that LeKevin Smith would get more PT and we would move on. If Wright can be resigned at a reasonable deal, that would be great.
That leaves safety as our biggest hole, with only Meriweather currently on the roster. Certainly we need more bodies, either in FA (resign some combination of Sanders/Sanders/Harrison/Williams) or the draft.
Either way, we are in pretty good shape and can make moves from strength rather than from necessity in most areas.
