- Joined
- May 1, 2008
- Messages
- 16,682
- Reaction score
- 3,686
Some things that the Pats have accomplished in the past 12 months:
1. Another Super Bowl appearance, albeit a heartbreaking loss
2. Finishing the 2012 season 12-4 with the #2 seed, poised for yet another Super Bowl run
3. One of the most prolific offensive performances in history, with 557 points scored, 7028 yards, and season records for 1st downs and plays
4. The development of perhaps the best young RBBC group in the league, at very low cost for the next 2 years.
5. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez both locked up for the next 7 years.
6. The apparent advent of a long term foundation at defensive end in Chandler Jones, who showed signs of becoming a Pro Bowl talent down the road before getting injured.
7. The possibility of stability in the secondary with Aqib Talib and Alfonzo Dennard outside and Devin McCourty moving to FS, where he flourished. This will be dependent on whether the team can extend Talib.
8. Significantly upgraded the talent level on defense with the additions of Jones, Talib, Dennard and Dont'a Hightower.
Although the Pats were a SB team last year, this year's team seems much stronger and more balanced in terms of the running game and the talent on defense, and appears built for a nice run for the next several years if the team can maneuver the cap and re-sign its key players.
The 2013 team will have had the benefit of several things:
- The experience of a playoff run (and hopefully a Super Bowl) under their belts
- A season's experience learning to work together; both the offense and defense had a significant learning curve with new personnel in 2012, which will hopefully not be so much the case in 2013
- Hopefully much less significant personnel change than in 2012, assuming the Pats sign their key FAs
- A full offseason with the basic position groups set
- A second season for coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia
It all depends on how the FO is able to deal with the offseason and the cap situation, but they've been pretty good about managing to fill holes in the past.
1. Another Super Bowl appearance, albeit a heartbreaking loss
2. Finishing the 2012 season 12-4 with the #2 seed, poised for yet another Super Bowl run
3. One of the most prolific offensive performances in history, with 557 points scored, 7028 yards, and season records for 1st downs and plays
4. The development of perhaps the best young RBBC group in the league, at very low cost for the next 2 years.
5. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez both locked up for the next 7 years.
6. The apparent advent of a long term foundation at defensive end in Chandler Jones, who showed signs of becoming a Pro Bowl talent down the road before getting injured.
7. The possibility of stability in the secondary with Aqib Talib and Alfonzo Dennard outside and Devin McCourty moving to FS, where he flourished. This will be dependent on whether the team can extend Talib.
8. Significantly upgraded the talent level on defense with the additions of Jones, Talib, Dennard and Dont'a Hightower.
Although the Pats were a SB team last year, this year's team seems much stronger and more balanced in terms of the running game and the talent on defense, and appears built for a nice run for the next several years if the team can maneuver the cap and re-sign its key players.
The 2013 team will have had the benefit of several things:
- The experience of a playoff run (and hopefully a Super Bowl) under their belts
- A season's experience learning to work together; both the offense and defense had a significant learning curve with new personnel in 2012, which will hopefully not be so much the case in 2013
- Hopefully much less significant personnel change than in 2012, assuming the Pats sign their key FAs
- A full offseason with the basic position groups set
- A second season for coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia
It all depends on how the FO is able to deal with the offseason and the cap situation, but they've been pretty good about managing to fill holes in the past.