You have to excuse Robo, he doesn't watch the games. Jabaal Sheard is considered by many to be a rising star on a team with a good defense and ZERO offense. If he were a Patriot you would be extolling how great he is. Brooks Reed right now is being used as a situational pass rusher on a great defense and he's still better than anyone the Pats have. Mark Anderson has 3 garbage sacks, he barely plays.
And if Belchick thought that the rookies wouldn't have an impact he's stupid. Because Watt, Kerrigan, Fairley, Miller, Dareus, Green, Jones, Sheard, Aldon Smith, Solder are all making impacts.
Hey Robo, where do the Pats go now? They have no pass rusher for next season and will never spend the money to acquire one. Even if Bill finally relents and drafts one, they will be a rookie. Also, Carter is a FA, you going over pay for another guy in a contract year over 32? They have almost no young talent in the front 7.
This organization needs to look itself in the mirror. There 2nd best player Wes Welker...unsigned. He's going to be another guy they drag through the mud for money. If I were him, I would say..CYA. I have just as much a shot at a championship somewhere else as here. The Pats still think they are the model franchise in the NFL. They aren't even the model franchise in their division right now.
Let's see, go play for Bill, get nickled and dimed, live in Foxboro, and don't dare EVER speak your mind. Or go play in New York, spend weekends in NYC, play for a team trending up not down, let's not forget they have gone farther than us the last TWO years, and get to be yourself. Oh, and the Jets spend money. They are not trying to win every negotiation. As I said yesterday Belichick is getting to be like Sinden at the end. Dragging every player through a negotiation. No foresight. Ray Bourque, Cam Neely. They have a value....it should be giving Bruin fans flashbacks. And Sinden was once as good a talent evaluator as anyone in the NHL.
For instance. Gronk is a special player, will the Pats lock him up early. NOPE. How about Mayo, where is his contract? The Pats gripe about Mankins, Samuel, Seymour etc. Well, if you didn't wait until the guy was able to test free agency you wouldn't have to overpay for him. The Pats could have locked Samuel up earlier, Branch earlier, Welker last year. Even Brady when Big Ben signed.
But they won't and that's why they have become fools. Great players like Bruschi, Harrison, Troy Brown are not going to take below market deals anymore. You have 7 years to make money in this league on average. If you play in the Super Bowl every year maybe you concede a little, but when you can't offer that anymore, then its about money.
Sorry Patsfans, this thing is going to hit the iceberg before it gets better.