keep an eye on FA and soon to be FAs....

[dryheat44]

Mark Bruenner
Antwan Peek
Chris Brown
LaBrandon Toefield
Brian Simmons
Christian Fauria
Travis Henry

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Mark Bruenner
Antwan Peek
Chris Brown
LaBrandon Toefield
Brian Simmons
Christian Fauria
Travis Henry

Should i watch them as they sign with other teams?





/sarcasm

 

[homerpatsfan]

what do you think of risky proel?

 

[homerpatsfan]

oops ricky proel not risky

 

[SeanBruschi54]

what do you think of risky proel?

I thihnk he should go back into retirement. At his age he'd be glad if he could run with the defensive lineman.

 

[dryheat44]

Should i watch them as they sign with other teams?





/sarcasm

If you'd like. With the exception of Henry, and possibly Peek, they should all be bargain-basement priced. I've always liked Toefield, I'd like to see what he could do with more than 1-4 carries a game.

I'd also have no problem signing the sinking battleship Brown and running him into decommission for a season. The guy's been beaten like Gerry Cooney the last couple of years, but he probably has a season's worth of short-yardage carries left in him.

 

[dryheat44]

oops ricky proel not risky

I thought "Risky" was done intentionally. I guess I gave you too much credit for being clever.

 

[homerpatsfan]

forget about that last reply i lost my head . rookie mistake.what about brandon stokely

 

[Jimke]

Don't give up your two week cruise that is scheduled for early March

waiting for Pats' signings. Last year, except for Caldwell who signed

about 20 Mar., it was the first week of April before the Pats did anything

very substantive (Gramatica, Jones, Mitchell, Warfield). I imagine that

they may re-sign a couple of their own players very shortly.

Look for the Pats to start losing their own players as soon as the bell

sounds at midnight tonight.

 

[cstjohn17]

Mark Bruenner
Antwan Peek
Chris Brown
LaBrandon Toefield
Brian Simmons
Christian Fauria
Travis Henry

Watch with managed expectations, they could surprise us all and sign someone before St. Patricks's Day.

I will be watching the ILB names the closest, at least one starter should be added or 2 "serviceable" players. Not all of these players are free agents but their names have been linked to unsubstantiated internet rumors which is good enough at ths point.

Napolean Harris, Mitchell (KC), Kendrick Bell, Edwards, Seau, Emmons, Sirmon, Hartwell, Fletcher-Baker, Orlando Huff, Spragan, Rob Morris, Danny Clark

- some real stiffs in the group but the market should be interesting

Garnder (removed from list , recovering from injury, possible June\ July addition)

 

[patsfan55]

If you'd like. With the exception of Henry, and possibly Peek, they should all be bargain-basement priced. I've always liked Toefield, I'd like to see what he could do with more than 1-4 carries a game.

I'd also have no problem signing the sinking battleship Brown and running him into decommission for a season. The guy's been beaten like Gerry Cooney the last couple of years, but he probably has a season's worth of short-yardage carries left in him.

ive always liked toefield too
i remember i thought we might draft him
playing under saban and all
he really has been buried on that amazing depth chart in jax
i would def love to give this guy a shot
and hed come extremely cheap

toefield and kelley washington, two guys i thought we might draft, and two guys we could get at the minimum and give them a chance to make the roster

 

[Jimke]

The reoccurring theme throughout this thread is bargain-basement

and cheap. More often than not, you only get what you pay for.

If you only want to spend a little money, you get a stop gap player.

If you want someone who will be a core player on your team for

years to come, you have to pony up some money.

 

[Patriotic Fervor]

The reoccurring theme throughout this thread is bargain-basement

and cheap. More often than not, you only get what you pay for.

If you only want to spend a little money, you get a stop gap player.

If you want someone who will be a core player on your team for

years to come, you have to pony up some money.

One of the steadfast principles of the Belichik reign has, almost without exception, been the avoidance of signing "superstars". While acknowledging the high level of play that can accompany such players, the reality, seen as a bedrock of BB's philosophy, is that if (when) such players get injured and removed from the lineup, the player that replaces him, however good, however faithful and fruitful with 100% effort, cannot play at the same level that the departed "superstar" could, leading to a fall-off of productivity, sometimes catastrophic.

With a Belichik-coached team, invariably, what you see is what you get - all the time!

I agree with you - you get what you pay for. But this is the functional difference between Daniel Snyder and Robert Kraft.

Now that I've open my trap, we'll doubtless see the Pats embarrass me in ways I cannot yet fathom....

 

[DW Toys]

Good Mornig Cousins,
Just some O.J. with an english muffin and coffee this morning.
Kind of interesting, this FA thing. I wish we had a spy in the Pats FO to tell us what and why they choose to deal with an entity.

I see a pattern here and have developed the DWT Patriot personnel rating system and grader. They Godfather and SP have a set of values. It appears that this is what they use (this would also pertain to draft picks):

1-Character=value 1 point

2-Versility=value 1 point

3-Intellegence=value 1 point

4-Team Oriented=value 1 point

5-Speed=value 1 point

6-Being a "Football Player"=value 1 point

7-Program (mostly for draft)=value 1 point

8-Signability=value 1 point

ALL 8 POINTS WOULD GIVE THE PLAYER AN "A"

7=A-

6=B

5=B-

4=C

3=C-

2=D

1=D-

Now have they had some D- types? Sure but A players or close are what they seek.

Here is a list of players I can see that fit into the Pats system of all FA's

Michael Lewis SS-1,2,3,6,8=5
Kevin Curtis WR-1,2,3,4,5,6,=6
Chris Henry WR-4,5,6,8=4
Brian Simmons ILB-1,2,3,4,6,8=6
Adalius Thomas LB-1,2,3,5,6=5
Drew Bennett WR-1,2,3,4,6,8=6
Fletcher-Baker ILB-1,3,4,6,8=5
Donte Stallworth WR-5,6,8=3
Donnie Edwards LB-1,2,3,5,6,8=6
Junior Seau ILB-1,3,4,6,7,8=6
N.Harris ILB-1,4,5,8=4
K.Mitchell ILB-2,3,4,5,6=5
Ron Dayne RB-1,3,4,8=4
Dexter Coakley LB-1,3,4,8=4
Fred Smoot CB-4 (KIND OF A PARTY GUY-LOVES WATER SPORTS), 8=2
N Clemmons CB-1,2,3,5,6=5


Possible Trades:

Lance Briggs LB-1,2,3,4,5,6=6
Jarred Allen DE/LB-2,5,6=3
Torry Holt WR-1,3,4,5,6,8=6
Dre Bly CB-1,2,3,6=4

The average NFL team makes five significant off-season deals on F/A 's or trades. If we could make only 5 deals, which players would you take? Please remember CAP space and reality (come on? We can't get all the best dudes. Also BB/SP won't bury our future like the Redskins):

My choices to make this team instantly better would be (this has to be real world):
Michael Lewis SS/LB
Jarred Allen DE/LB
Kevin Curtis WR
Dre Bly CB
Donnie Edwards ILB

Why? Lewis, Allen and Curtis are versitle, young and potential very good Pats players for years to come. It makes us younger. Both Allen and Lewis can play the outside LB as well and Curtis can return kicks. Allen gives us great added proven pass rushing. You could not block everyone of our DL on 3rd down Peyton!
Dre Bly gives us a experienced veteran starter (Gay is the alternative?) with very good numbers (check his stats) on a bad team and provides two or three years to develop a CB draft choice in this years draft like the young man from Arkansas, Chris Houston. He'll pick up the sytem quickly. Hobbs could then play slot DB.

Donnie Edwards is still a fine tackler and good on coverage (we need this. Please see Indy in the last one minute) and will allow someone like a Willis from Ole Miss to develop in a year on two while letting Vrabel stay outside. He can also take some pressure off of Teddy on passing downs.

We can do some Draft Choices later.
DW Toys

 

[SamBamsFan]

Toys-
I believe Jared Allen is a RFA, and as such would cost 2 1st picks.

 

[cstjohn17]

ALL 8 POINTS WOULD GIVE THE PLAYER AN "A"

As good of a scale as I have seen, nice work but... I don't think we will see the Pats sign 5 B type players.

$20 M in cap space ($8M is locked up for Asante)
- 5 for rookie
- 5 (say to 4-6) for in season replacements and some room to redo contracts
$10~ left to sign FAs

Michael Lewis SS/LB - $2M cap hit - Safety is not a critical need, especially strong safety
Jarred Allen DE/LB - $2M - cap hit - is a drunk and is still under contract with KC
Kevin Curtis WR - $4-5 cap hit, good pickup
Dre Bly CB - $3-4 cap hit - requires a trade, likely a 3rd rounder plus he wants a new contract
Donnie Edwards ILB - $2-4 cap hit, good pickup in a rotation

I think you will see thje Pats sign 1 or 2 of the players in your list as well as some $1M or less veteran JAGs.



-

 

[DW Toys]

Thanks for your kind words. Question the SS comment. Sanders does not seem to be the answer. The Pats don't really play a SS and a FS but more left and right. After Rodney, I see no one. Wilson has been getting worse and more injury prone every year and Hawkins was a stop gap that was exposed by Manning. Interested in your comment as to the safety situation. I just saw Lewis as still young and versitle to play kind of a safety/OLB hybrid. His coverage is only fair but his hitting is better than anyone we have other than Rodney. What do you think?
DW Toys

 

[DW Toys]

Sam, Allen is still under contract but wants out of K.C. so it would have to be a trade. He is a major star in K.C. but is way under paid. He's one of the best pass rushers in the league and fast enough to do some "elephant LB" stuff alal Willie M if we can keep him on the wagon. 2 dui's!. If we can get a no-drinking clause he makes the Pats better instantaneously. How do you pass block this team?
DW Toys

 

[RayClay]

One of the steadfast principles of the Belichik reign has, almost without exception, been the avoidance of signing "superstars". While acknowledging the high level of play that can accompany such players, the reality, seen as a bedrock of BB's philosophy, is that if (when) such players get injured and removed from the lineup, the player that replaces him, however good, however faithful and fruitful with 100% effort, cannot play at the same level that the departed "superstar" could, leading to a fall-off of productivity, sometimes catastrophic.

With a Belichik-coached team, invariably, what you see is what you get - all the time!

I agree with you - you get what you pay for. But this is the functional difference between Daniel Snyder and Robert Kraft.

Now that I've open my trap, we'll doubtless see the Pats embarrass me in ways I cannot yet fathom....

With the salary cap increase, the reality is the faster you spend the more likely you get less than you pay for.

Remember better, though unproven, talent is available in the draft. And teams that make a big splash in free agency still have roaster cut downs.

Dollars aside, I think some teams did as well with patience as others did with dollars.

David Givens and Randall El vs. Jabbar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell. Millions and millions of $$$ in difference?

Sometimes the early FA signers are just "making it rain" like Pacman Jones.

I'd love to sign an impact LB. At double their value? I'm out. I'd rather draft some and struggle with the inexperience than be stuck with a huge contract.

 

[RayClay]

We can do some Draft Choices later.
DW Toys

Thanks for the work. A lot of stuff to chew on there.