Mike Tanier from Sports On Earth has a good read on the Patriots Offseason

[Ian]

Relatively decent read on the Patriots offseason:

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/81639112/new-england-patriots-offseason-talk-and-analysis

 

[Patstopia]

"What's a perennial powerhouse to do when its quarterback is creeping up on retirement, its archrivals are a stride ahead, and a new wave of contenders appears to lead by a lap?"

The entire premise kind of throws me off. It's not like Manning is getting younger, and what other AFC contenders are leading by a lap?

 

[Rob0729]

Brandon LaFell getting cut is an extremely unlikely to happen prediction. Not a bold prediction. The guy got a $3 million signing bonus. The Pats are far more likely to let him be a bust this year in hopes he gets it by midseason than cut bait with him. LaFell is a virtual lock to make the 53 man roster.

 

[Gwedd]

Brandon LaFell getting cut is an extremely unlikely to happen prediction. Not a bold prediction. The guy got a $3 million signing bonus. The Pats are far more likely to let him be a bust this year in hopes he gets it by midseason than cut bait with him. LaFell is a virtual lock to make the 53 man roster.

Concur. Unless there's some sort of personal behavior problem that shows up he's gonna be on the 53 when the season starts. This team's Front Office is all about value for money. Sometimes thinhs happen, but overall, they're pretty solid with their hires and when you see a bonus of that size being handed out, you know he's gonna be on the roster in some fashion.

 

[RayClay]

Slater will return kicks because they can depend on him? Has the writer ever seen Slater return kicks? He was a bit less than dependable, as i recall.

 

[ausbacker]

Slater will return kicks because they can depend on him? Has the writer ever seen Slater return kicks? He was a bit less than dependable, as i recall.

I stopped reading after the 3rd paragraph. There's no much insight nor a great degree of critical analysis when you list a couple of guys who factor into future plans being labelled short-term gambles.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I loved this...

The "inflexible Schiano" routine got carried away as we tried to portray the Bucs coach as chaotic evil, when he actually is somewhere between lawful and neutral evil.

I was simultaneously ashamed that I understood what it meant.

 

[OhExaulted1]

I loved this...

I was simultaneously ashamed that I understood what it meant.

 

[DarrylS]

Not a bad read, but I got lost in his effort to embellish with some tired rhetoric.

 

[50-yard-line]

I stopped reading after the 3rd paragraph. There's no much insight nor a great degree of critical analysis when you list a couple of guys who factor into future plans being labelled short-term gambles.

Yeah, that got me, too. I don't think Revis and Browner are end-of-their-career, last-chance guys like Will Smith and Demarcus Ware.

 

[OhExaulted1]

I liked this part at the very end of the article-
"Oh, yeah, and Brady-Manning: Anarchy drops on November 2. That's All Soul's Day, so be ready to sacrifice yours to the angry pagan rivalry gods."
Obviously this date was a conspiracy orchestrated by The Hooded Overlord at his weekly clandestine seance.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

View attachment 6675

What do you know about football anyway? I bet you never played a single level or rolled a 20-sided die.

 

[patfanken]

Sorry about it, but although this article was mildly amusing with an entertaining writing style, it nonetheless was full of cliches and standard stereotypical overviews of BB and the "Patriot Way" There was really nothing to see in it. OTOH it was better than nothing, and since for the next 4 weeks we will really have nothing better to read from the outside Ian deserves credit for finding it.

Here's my "bold prediction": After this season, NOBODY will be talking about the "eminent" demise of Tom Brady's football career. I mean really. Does anyone think that Brady is going to play less than 3 more years? Well 3 years is a generation in an NFL lifetime. Yes his career ise a lot closer to the end than its beginning, but do we always have to talk about it like its going to happen next WEEK. Manning gets less of this crap, despite being a year older and showing a lot more actual physical decline.

 

[Gwedd]

S

Here's my "bold prediction": After this season, NOBODY will be talking about the "eminent" demise of Tom Brady's football career. I mean really. Does anyone think that Brady is going to play less than 3 more years? Well 3 years is a generation in an NFL lifetime. Yes his career ise a lot closer to the end than its beginning, but do we always have to talk about it like its going to happen next WEEK. Manning gets less of this crap, despite being a year older and showing a lot more actual physical decline.

Concur. I get that the mediots and repotards have to keep talking about it in order to inflame opinion and drive marketing numbers. It's how they earn their bread & butter. But WE don't need to be obsessed with it 24/7

 

[OhExaulted1]

What do you know about football anyway? I bet you never played a single level or rolled a 20-sided die.

Oh, I've squared off with BugBears and "rolled" a few back in the day. I was always this guy-

 

[Gwedd]

Oh, I've squared off with BugBears and "rolled" a few back in the day. I was always this guy-

I once played a Magic Abuser named "Flamo the Magnificent". Pyrologist on steroids who was a dangerous to himself and those around him as to any potential threats.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Okay I admit it. In high school I invented a dwarf who consulted kabbalah a lot. Take that Madonna.

 

[50-yard-line]

Carlos the Dwarf...

Kudos to anyone who gets the reference.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I would argue that adding Revis had nothing to do with desperation. If that situation presented itself to any team in the league, they'd jump on it.

 

[lurker1965]

Slater will return kicks because they can depend on him? Has the writer ever seen Slater return kicks? He was a bit less than dependable, as i recall.

As I understand it, Slater's value is as the lead blocker. Him returning means something went wrong.

I liked this part at the very end of the article-
"Oh, yeah, and Brady-Manning: Anarchy drops on November 2. That's All Soul's Day, so be ready to sacrifice yours to the angry pagan rivalry gods."
Obviously this date was a conspiracy orchestrated by The Hooded Overlord at his weekly clandestine seance.

I'm responding to the author through a joke, sorry OhExalted1. I always though all soul's day was Nov.1 so the church could compete with the pagan halloween. I could be mistaken on that.