Brady "tossing the ball around" with Welker

[Rob0729]

Still, it's a good sign. Considering all Sanchise had was a d&c and he's still not running...

As I recall Tom said he was running and cutting on superbowl Sunday 2009, and that was after complications. I'm not expecting Welker back out of the gate, but I wouldn't put anything past him given where he emerged from to what he's become...

Obviously it is a great sign. It just unfortunately is not a definitive sign of anything significant at least not yet.

 

[Sicilian]

You are joking, right? This approach might have us actually being worse than we were last year. How can you count on Edelman, a guy who has played the WR position for less than a year in his entire football career? Yeah, it wouldnt surprise me if he his a contributor, but you cant count on it by any stretch of the imagination. Tate has had 2 serious knee injuries the past 2 seasons, how can you count on any production from him? Any production would actually be quite surprising.

Why would you completely waste our 6th and 7th round picks on WRs hoping to find diamonds in the rough like Colston was? The chances of this actually happening are slim to none and fans that are counting on it happening are being ridiculous. And why is the OL a major concern? Also, you dont even list TE and a possible draft position, you are satisfied with a 50 year old veteran in Crumpler.

My drafting needs (not really in order): OLB/DE, WR, TE, CB, LB

You're assuming I'm counting on anything, which I'm not. I wouldn't count on a 1st round WR making an immediate contribution either, because from what I've seen WR is the biggest crap shoot in the draft, unless you're talking about guys that end up going top 10.

To me, the surest things in the draft are closer to the line. I feel more confident using these picks on the big guys than trying to hit on a WR early. That's why I suggested drafting multiple WR's late with our plethora or comp picks. You do it KNOWING that a couple will fail, but you have a decent chance of one surprising you and contributing.

And yes, I am counting on Edelman this year. He showed good signs last year as a rookie who had to learn a new position. I expect him to improve.

 

[mgcolby]

You friggin homers, you're all idiots, this means nothing only a stupid homer would think that he would play at all next year!!! Moron homer's!

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

IMO Welker will likely return between Halloween and shortly after Thanksgiving ,anything before that is vitually impossible to me and even if it was,it would be dangerously early to put him out there.

 

[The Dynasty]

You're assuming I'm counting on anything, which I'm not. I wouldn't count on a 1st round WR making an immediate contribution either, because from what I've seen WR is the biggest crap shoot in the draft, unless you're talking about guys that end up going top 10.

To me, the surest things in the draft are closer to the line. I feel more confident using these picks on the big guys than trying to hit on a WR early. That's why I suggested drafting multiple WR's late with our plethora or comp picks. You do it KNOWING that a couple will fail, but you have a decent chance of one surprising you and contributing.

And yes, I am counting on Edelman this year. He showed good signs last year as a rookie who had to learn a new position. I expect him to improve.

Yeah, Edelman showed improvements last year, but do you think hes ready to be a #2 WR in the NFL right now? I dont think hes ready to do that at this point being only his 2nd year in the league as well as 2nd year playing the WR position. I expect production from Edleman but not #2 WR quality.

So your reasoning on WRs in the draft is that you are more likely to get a contributing WR by drafting a lot of them in the 6th and 7th rounds and hoping one works out rather than drafting one who has proven himself in college in the 1st round?

 

[BelichickFan]

IMO Welker will likely return between Halloween and shortly after Thanksgiving ,anything before that is vitually impossible to me

Braylon Edwards had his surgery a month earlier (in the given year) than Welker and was back for the preseason. It is not "virtually impossible", you are simply incorrect to say that.

Maybe he'll have a setback. Maybe they'll be conservative. Maybe he'll be slowed because his game involved cutting on short routes. But it is simply not the case that a WR cannot be back at a good level in the time period Welker is looking at.

 

[Metaphors]

IMO Welker will likely return between Halloween and shortly after Thanksgiving ,anything before that is vitually impossible to me and even if it was,it would be dangerously early to put him out there.

Assume you mean "before" Thanksgiving. Agree with you on the assessment. Not so much because of injury risk, but because of letting Welker get back on the field when he is comfortable. Let him use the full PUP to rehab and let him use the full 3 weeks after to practice. The team will have to adjust to his absence and he will be an early Xmas present for the stretch run...kind of the inverse of last year.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Assume you mean "before" Thanksgiving. Agree with you on the assessment. Not so much because of injury risk, but because of letting Welker get back on the field when he is comfortable. Let him use the full PUP to rehab and let him use the full 3 weeks after to practice. The team will have to adjust to his absence and he will be an early Xmas present for the stretch run...kind of the inverse of last year.

No I meant afterwards like 1 week after the Detroit game....If Welker is ready by Thanksgiving why use him against the lowly Lions,keep him on the shelf one more week.....Moss and Edelman plus a rookie are good enough to beat Detroit.

 

[Sicilian]

Yeah, Edelman showed improvements last year, but do you think hes ready to be a #2 WR in the NFL right now? I dont think hes ready to do that at this point being only his 2nd year in the league as well as 2nd year playing the WR position. I expect production from Edleman but not #2 WR quality.

So your reasoning on WRs in the draft is that you are more likely to get a contributing WR by drafting a lot of them in the 6th and 7th rounds and hoping one works out rather than drafting one who has proven himself in college in the 1st round?

I don't think he needs to be the #2 necessarily. I still want the Pats to go out and get another veteran, maybe through a trade or something. My point is, if we make no other vet additions to the WR group, relying on a 1st round rookie is just as risky as relying on a later round group of rookies. So I would rather use the early picks on positions that tend to have less potential swing.

 

[CheeseMonkeys]

Obviously a good sign but I don't see Welker back until late October the earliest. I don't want to see him back untill then either because he could aggravate his injury.

 

[The Dynasty]

I don't think he needs to be the #2 necessarily. I still want the Pats to go out and get another veteran, maybe through a trade or something. My point is, if we make no other vet additions to the WR group, relying on a 1st round rookie is just as risky as relying on a later round group of rookies. So I would rather use the early picks on positions that tend to have less potential swing.

I can agree that the Patriots do need to go out and get veteran guy that has proven he can contribute in the league, but if that cannot happen I would definitely rather see them draft a WR with one of their 1st 2 picks rather than waiting till the later rounds and hoping one of them works out. A player drafted in the first round has a better chance of being successful than one drafted in the 6th or 7th round, doesnt take a genius to realize this. Also, the positions that has less potential swing would probably be OL and DL players, well these are not needs for the Patriots so why would we waste top picks on guys like this when we have much greater needs that need to be addressed immediately

 

[JFK]

Would it be better news if it was Tate and not Welk?

 

[Nonentity]

Would it be better news if it was Tate and not Welk?

Nah, I think Welker's more important, especially when you realise that this is April and the season doesn't even start until December.

Would love to see Brady throwing to Tate in passing camp though.

 

[The Dynasty]

Nah, I think Welker's more important, especially when you realise that this is April and the season doesn't even start until December.

Would love to see Brady throwing to Tate in passing camp though.

Here in America the season starts in September, maybe its different across the pond?

 

[ALP]

Here in America the season starts in September, maybe its different across the pond?

dude, uve never heard of the time zones?.....they came up with this new thing.....the month zones, were 3 months behind

 

[eagle eye]

It doesn't change our need at WR, unless you believe that Tate is 100% ready to produce in the NFL. I like him but I'd like to have some depth. Lining up a replacement for Moss would be ideal, but the 1st round WRs in 2011 look a better bet than any of this year's WRs.

The end of your statement is the most important, and we are in place with the Raiders pick to get a top WR prospect next year. There is no need to chase that this year although I think Golden Tate would be a steal should he drop to 22.

 

[RIP#40]

Using this exact strategy is the only way I can see the Pats getting an immediate impact out of this draft. Hopefully Belichick sees it this way too. Otherwise the Pats might be in trouble.

Let me get this straight, If BB doesn't have the same draft philosophy as Sicilian, the Pats may be in trouble? I need some weed.

 

[Nonentity]

Here in America the season starts in September, maybe its different across the pond?

dude, uve never heard of the time zones?.....they came up with this new thing.....the month zones, were 3 months behind

Oops...the post was after midnight, UK time...obviously my brain had gone to sleep for the night

The end of your statement is the most important, and we are in place with the Raiders pick to get a top WR prospect next year. There is no need to chase that this year although I think Golden Tate would be a steal should he drop to 22.

Living in the UK I don't get to watch college football, but I can certainly say that I'm not especially impressed by any of this year's receivers aside from Bryant. This draft is deep in 2nd/3rd round WRs but they all have issues, whether it's pace, hands, route-running, separation against press coverage, etc.


Tate will almost certainly be available at 22, but I haven't been able to form a proper opinion on him as to whether or not he'd be a fit.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

You are joking, right? This approach might have us actually being worse than we were last year. How can you count on Edelman, a guy who has played the WR position for less than a year in his entire football career? Yeah, it wouldnt surprise me if he his a contributor, but you cant count on it by any stretch of the imagination. Tate has had 2 serious knee injuries the past 2 seasons, how can you count on any production from him? Any production would actually be quite surprising.

Why would you completely waste our 6th and 7th round picks on WRs hoping to find diamonds in the rough like Colston was? The chances of this actually happening are slim to none and fans that are counting on it happening are being ridiculous. And why is the OL a major concern? Also, you dont even list TE and a possible draft position, you are satisfied with a 50 year old veteran in Crumpler.

My drafting needs (not really in order): OLB/DE, WR, TE, CB, LB

This makes zero sense. Why exactly can't you count on Edelman? Who exactly was Welker before he arrived here? BB now drafts guys to never count on them?

It's amazing how inconsistent this board can be

Complain we have no big time receivers.

Complain Brady only throws to his big time receivers and no longer "throws to the open guy".

Need to draft a WR but receivers don't make immediate impact but we need one this year because the guys from last year are too young to be counted on.

A superior passing game requires talented players and hours of off season work. Having a fully healthy and available Brady makes this year and last not comparable.

Besides all the complaining this board does about Brady locking onto Welker kinda makes the "Welker replacement" concept no really appliciable.