Bolts better Top to Bottom of Roster

[rfh]

That's what I keep hearing and it's true. The question I have is WHY?

Brady is paid about HALF what other QB's are. He's at 14 million this year w/a 1 mil bonus. Kirk Cousins makes DOUBLE that, Rodgers and Matt Ryan even more. So there is a substantial savings there over other teams

Gronk is also underpaid (not so much THIS year, but his contract in general).

The only guy with a great contract is Gilmore.

So WHY do we have a team full of guys who aren't that great???

Our O line is very good IMO

It seems like Brady always has to get more done with less than everyone else, and w/the HUGE discount he gives the Pats, that should NOT be the case

 

[Kontradiction]

This year, I’d find it hard to disagree with that. The Pats have a few big time advantages (QB, namely) but, taken as a whole, the Chargers have more pure talent. But it’s not like this team doesn’t have a history of beating teams with arguably more pure talent than they have. To answer your question of “why,” it’s because they’ve had some very questionable drafts going back to 2014 and, as a result, have had to rely on trades and FA acquisitions to plug those holes. DT is a good example of that. That’s what happens when you miss, and miss high, on your biggest well of cheap, young talent.

 

[Betterthanmost]

When it comes to the Patriots this season, it is a case of the grass is greener in our neighbors lawn than us.
I disagree with the top to bottom comment. The cap management is however strange, money is tied up in a few places that I think may be undeserving. I will start with Dwayne Allen.

 

[Sicilian]

Chargers have better WR and pass rushers/DL.

Pats have better TE (look at the stats, even in Gronks down year he matched the production of all charger TEs combined), QB, OL, and LB.

I say secondary (maybe slight edge to Pats) and RB (slight edge to LA) are a wash.

I don’t think it’s top to bottom at all.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Chargers have a solid roster no question however....

QB - NE
OL- NE
WR- LA
RB- NE
TE- NE
DE- LAC
DT- LAC
LB- NE
S- LAC
CB- NE

 

[VrabelJr]

Chargers have also sucked for 4+ years and draft a lot higher. They made some good FA signings along the OL with Okung and Pouncey.

 

[Sciz]

The two worst starters on either offense are both on the Chargers offensive line. The worst starter(s) on either defense will be whoever the Chargers put at off-the-line linebacker. This isn’t top to bottom at all. People are just ignoring the Chargers’ major holes because they’re talented at the flashier positions.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan all missed the playoffs

 

[Quest4SevenHomie]

Chargers have better WR and pass rushers/DL.

Pats have better TE (look at the stats, even in Gronks down year he matched the production of all charger TEs combined), QB, OL, and LB.

I say secondary (maybe slight edge to Pats) and RB (slight edge to LA) are a wash.

I don’t think it’s top to bottom at all.

We have TWO, maybe three great running backs compared to their Melvin Gordon.

 

[bormio]

Special teams, boys. One third of the game.

 

[Jackson 2]

It's true that Brady and Gronk both signed deals that make them seemingly underpaid. It's also true that they have both done so multiple times. The larger question is, who's to blame for that? To me, the answer is simple. They are.

 

[gatsby47]

I believe it is time to give ol' Melvin "the M.A.S.H. football game pileup hypodermic in the thigh" play and take him out early.

 

[Wheelman]

I believe it is time to give ol' Melvin "the M.A.S.H. football game pileup hypodermic in the thigh" play and take him out early.

Some of us might not understand this reference.

 

[1960Pats]

That's what I keep hearing and it's true. The question I have is WHY?

Brady is paid about HALF what other QB's are. He's at 14 million this year w/a 1 mil bonus. Kirk Cousins makes DOUBLE that, Rodgers and Matt Ryan even more. So there is a substantial savings there over other teams

Gronk is also underpaid (not so much THIS year, but his contract in general).

The only guy with a great contract is Gilmore.

So WHY do we have a team full of guys who aren't that great???

Our O line is very good IMO

It seems like Brady always has to get more done with less than everyone else, and w/the HUGE discount he gives the Pats, that should NOT be the case

I remember when Belichick first came to NE I was discussing the fact that he seems to want to have a roster full of guys making 3Mil and have less highly paid players with a deeper roster. It clearly worked over the years. That's why we can still make a serious run when we lose players while other teams are left out in the dark.

 

[Redstorm]

Don’t believe the media. New England is being undersold because that’s the “cool” thing to do in 2018. They’re only 11-5 after all. Chargers are tough but they will have a very hard time winning in Foxborough. It’s real hard to win a road playoff game in the Northeast, look at the statistics of Pats/Bills (when they actually get to host one). I expect a good game and I expect the Patriots to win. Brady loves cold weather and the Charger defense can be exploited by the run game and Brady’s skill

 

[Sicilian]

We have TWO, maybe three great running backs compared to their Melvin Gordon.

Ekeler isn’t bad either, though right now with Melvin hurt I can certainly see it either way. If Melvin was 100%, he’s the best pure runner on the field Sunday.

 

[Nunchucks]

Chargers have a better WR, RB, DL, and excellent secondary players. Their LBs are crap and their offensive line is not that good.

 

[Bill Lee]

So WHY do we have a team full of guys who aren't that great???

We've won the AFCE ten straight years.

This means we draft at best in the last 8 picks of each round for the last ten years, and often worse, since we have a great record in the playoffs.

The league stole away a first and a fourth round pick from us.

This means we tend to take riskier picks on talented guys with injury histories hoping they can get healthy and stay healthy long enough to help the team, rather than locking in to less talented guys. Some times this works, some times it doesn't.

The better question is why the teams that suck so bad don't get better.

 

[RayClay]

We have two first round picks at receiver. See what I did there? If we play well, we can beat anyone this year, especially if Gronk is healthy.Stop the run and put pressure on te QB will be keys IMO. Using Cordarelle too. He has seemed to rise to the occasion so far.

 

[BobDigital]

The Chargers have more stars but not a better roster automatically... particularly going into this weekend, which is all that matters.

QB - Patriots
RB - Patriots (with Gordon being hurt I think this is clearly the Pats advantage)
TE - TBD - Depends how Gronk/Allen look and how Hunter Henry looks. This side of the ball has too many uncertainties on both sides.
WR - Chargers
OL - Patriots

DL - Chargers
LB - Patriots
CBs - Patriots - Gilmore = King, Hayward > JCJ and McCourty > Davis. So the top stars here cancel out. I think whoever you believe the second best CB is (be it JCJ or McCourty) is not as far behind Hayward as their 3rd CB is behind our 3rd CB.
S - TBD - Derwin James is clearly the better than McCourty, but McCourty isn't a scrub. Chung/Harmon are clearly better than Addae/Phillips. So the single player is better but the overall unit is questionable.

Even if you give Safety and TE to the Chargers the Patriots still are better at 5 or 9 spots going into Sunday IMO. People talk about the Chargers having a great roster but that is shallow.

They talk about the great skill players but the meat and potatoes of the team is highly questionable. Their OL is by far the worst unit left and they don't have a single LB who can play at an NFL level. The talent behind most of their stars on defense is highly questionable at best. In the NFL you need stars to win you games, but you also need to be able to play guys who won't lose you games.

No one on the Patriots back end will lose you a game. That isn't true for the LAC. The Patriots have 2 LBs who won't lose you a game. The Chargers don't have a single one. The Patriots don't have an single OL man who will lose you a game. The chargers have 2-3 who easily could.

Of the Patriots 22 key starters and key rotational guys they don't have a single one except maybe Roberts who is likely to mess up. The Chargers have a number of players who will be on the field a lot that are likely to screw up. They may have more play makers but unlike the Patriots have have a TON of liabilities. That isn't getting much play in the media, but it should.