ESPN Insider: Pats look "virtually unstoppable" on offense

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

Since they already paid their best TE and refused to pay their best WR, who would they invest the WR money in? Is there a young up and comer on the team at WR that has produced like AH has?

I would be blown away shocked if the failure to get Welker extended (they didn't refuse to pay him BTW, they simply couldn't agree to an extension) didn't have a lot to do with making sure they had money set aside for when AH is a free agent in 2013.

As much as I love Welker and understand his importance to this team, he's 31 years old. Hernandez won't be 23 until midseason. The choice is obvious on who to throw the money at, if it can only be one.

 

[BananaRepublican]

The Bills had the chance to replace the NJJ last year and got their asses kicked in their own building.

I think the off season moves were stalwart and you already had a nice core of talent (if you can keep it healthy.)

The Jets are playing with matches around an old gas tank.

 

[DejaBLue]

Please.
Belichick dictates the whole deal.

Ex-player says Belichick paid him to start fights - CBSSports.com

 

[Salva135]

Please.
Belichick dictates the whole deal.

Ex-player says Belichick paid him to start fights - CBSSports.com

Briefly scrolling down to the comments section of that article, everytime a Jets logo shows up in the poster's avatar, you see a "POST DELETED BY ADMINISTRATOR"... shocking.

 

[goheels22002]

Please.
Belichick dictates the whole deal.

Ex-player says Belichick paid him to start fights - CBSSports.com

Chad Eaton? What is it with guys named Chad?

 

[RobertWeathers]

Chad Eaton? What is it with guys named Chad?

Yep. Chad Scott and Chad Brown are wondering the same thing.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

Yep. Chad Scott and Chad Brown are wondering the same thing.

and the latest chad as well...johnson/ochocinco.

 

[PP2]

Please.
Belichick dictates the whole deal.

Ex-player says Belichick paid him to start fights - CBSSports.com

"I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling going on in here!"

 

[WinstonSmith]

Chad Eaton? What is it with guys named Chad?

My favorite Chad was The Hanging Chad; after the 2000 election he officially changed his name to The Hung Chad and pursued an ultimately unsuccessful career in porn.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Very true. The only way to stop this offense is to put Brady on the ground and beat him up. Defenses will be coming after him like free beer. If he has time in the pocket somebody will get open. Sure this can be said about any QB, but a lot of teams rely on coverage sacks and pressures. There won't be a lot of those with this receiving corp. It's going to be blitz, blitz and blitz some more. The O-line has to pass protect and those three players are instrumental.

Blitzing in 2012 only means more death, quicker.

The only thing thatslowed the offensein 2011 was a down graded TE.

That will not even be an option this year because the weapons, formations, and scheme will not allow for an adjustment that will not have a re-adjustment.

 

[Frezo]

Blitzing in 2012 only means more death, quicker.

The only thing thatslowed the offensein 2011 was a down graded TE.

That will not even be an option this year because the weapons, formations, and scheme will not allow for an adjustment that will not have a re-adjustment.

Is there a better way to stop this offense?

 

[IllegalContact]

Blitzing in 2012 only means more death, quicker.

The only thing thatslowed the offensein 2011 was a down graded TE.

That will not even be an option this year because the weapons, formations, and scheme will not allow for an adjustment that will not have a re-adjustment.

The giants did the same thing to the pats offense in the regular season with a healthy TE.....

The giants also did not blitz.

It comes down to game plan. Is Brady willing to resort to dink and dunk to win a game now? They would have won the SB, if they chose to do so last feb.

 

[Claremonster]

Florio is a jackass. Just wanted to clear the air about that.

Spicing things up in practice makes the team better I think. Nothing wrong with doing it.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Is this something the Pats will do? Invest $17-18M per year in the TE position? AH wants WR money, right?

Or was the Ballard pickup a) leverage for them in the AH negotiations and b) insurance if he walks?

Seems like they are in a good position to play hardball with AH and flip him for a R1 or R2 once Ballard gets healthy. Can't see AH playing nice in light of the Gronk deal and the Welker situation. He'll get $8M somewhere and he knows it.

Shrewd move claiming Ballard. IMO it was done with this situation in mind.

All of the above, IMO. The Pats will do their best to re-sign him, because... well, why wouldn't you? Besides, as you said, he's a hybrid TE/WR. If two of your top three targets in the passing game are TE's, then why not invest $17M per in the position? They were willing to pay a slot receiver $8M per year, because regardless of what the position is generally considered to be worth, he was that good and that important to the offense. Why can't the same be true for Hernandez? Besides, with those guys manning the middle, the WRs don't really need to be anything more than credible as downfield threats in order to give you one of the most dangerous offenses in the league.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I would be blown away shocked if the failure to get Welker extended (they didn't refuse to pay him BTW, they simply couldn't agree to an extension) didn't have a lot to do with making sure they had money set aside for when AH is a free agent in 2013.

As much as I love Welker and understand his importance to this team, he's 31 years old. Hernandez won't be 23 until midseason. The choice is obvious on who to throw the money at, if it can only be one.

Exactly. As soon as word got out that the Pats and Welker were struggling to come to an agreement, in part because the Patriots didn't want to give him many years, I tied it to Hernandez. If the Pats have to choose between paying Welker and paying Hernandez, then Hernandez will be the choice. Maybe that's not fair, but that appears to be the dynamic at work.

 

[jah]

Since they already paid their best TE and refused to pay their best WR, who would they invest the WR money in? Is there a young up and comer on the team at WR that has produced like AH has?

You read my post wrong. I meant that they might be considering Hernandez to be a WR in the future.