Bringing Back Everyone Means A Super Bowl Quality Team

[PatsWickedPissah]

It's easy to say that bringing everyone back should result in another SB. But I don't see it that way. Other teams will improve in the offseason and may close the gap. And contrary to popular belief, no team is "perfect" - even teams that win SBs. They just happen to be less flawed than their competition.

I think there are definitely areas of improvement. D-line being the obvious one.

OL @ guard is a priority. Maybe a 2nd or 3rd round pick and a vet FA.
Brady gets slammed a lot.

 

[mgteich]

When do we ever retain ALL of our free agents, which is specifically what you suggested in your OP?

As mentioned, there are years when a handful are re-signed, and there are years when more than a handful are re-signed, but who on this forum honestly expects to retain ALL fifteeen+ free agents?

That's ridiculous, not to mention impossible.

As mentioned, I don't know what the retention rate for average free agents is for all 32 NFL teams, but I couldn't possibly imagine it to be much higher than 50-55-60 percent at best (note: Seattle had approx. a 66 percent retention rate last year, according to ESPN--although I'm sure not what they take all into account). This is the era of free agency and the salary cap. Every single NFL team has turnover every single year.

I believe that it's been stated that we normally have about 35-40 percent roster change in every single year.

Believe as you will. We have already signed or extended 7 of the 15 players who would have been free
agents this year. There are 8 left. We shall see whether you are correct and the total is 50-55-60 at best.

SIGNED OR EXTENDED (7)
Slater, Chung, Cannon, Bolden, Siliga, Develin, Tyms

FREE AGENTS TO BE RE-SIGNED OR NOT (8)
McCourty, Ayers, Casillas, Branch, Ridley, Vereen, Gostkowski, White
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You are quoting statistics on roster turnover. That is an entirely different matter. The issue we are discussing is bring back free agents. Obviously, some of these will not make the 53 man squad.
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BOTTOM LINE
You have stated that the "best" we can do in retaining free agents is "50-55-60" . You imply that 60% is at the best of the best.

WELL, let's see what happens. How many of the 8 remaining do you that the patriots will sign? For the patriots to be within your prediction of "best", they would need to sign ONE of the eight, for a total 53%.
If the team signs TWO, the goal will be at the edge of your best or 60%.

If the patriots sign 3 or more of the 8, the total signed will be more than 60%.

The patriots have taken care of business and have already brought back 7 players from this year's roster. All but Tyms have been contributors to this year's success.
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So, should I put you down for ONE of the remaining 8, and total of 53%?

I believe that it is possible to retain all eight. I do NOT believe that team will choose to do so. Ayers and Vereen are especially vulnerable to be offered salaries that we will not match.

 

[mgteich]

OL @ guard is a priority. Maybe a 2nd or 3rd round pick and a vet FA.

I agree. I would guess a vet OL, a 2nd or 3rd or 4th round pick, plus a later pick. Of course, the vet could be Connolly.

 

[ZoisKing]

Anything to keep Brady off his butt, allowing more time to pick apart the defense. Now that he's won another ring, he'll have a slightly larger target on his back than last year.

 

[supafly]

Believe as you will. We have already signed or extended 7 of the 15 players who would have been free
agents this year. There are 8 left. We shall see whether you are correct and the total is 50-55-60 at best.

SIGNED OR EXTENDED (7)
Slater, Chung, Cannon, Bolden, Siliga, Develin, Tyms

FREE AGENTS TO BE RE-SIGNED OR NOT (8)
McCourty, Ayers, Casillas, Branch, Ridley, Vereen, Gostkowski, White
=================================
You are quoting statistics on roster turnover. That is an entirely different matter. The issue we are discussing is bring back free agents. Obviously, some of these will not make the 53 man squad.
===============
BOTTOM LINE
You have stated that the "best" we can do in retaining free agents is "50-55-60" . You imply that 60% is at the best of the best.

WELL, let's see what happens. How many of the 8 remaining do you that the patriots will sign? For the patriots to be within your prediction of "best", they would need to sign ONE of the eight, for a total 53%.
If the team signs TWO, the goal will be at the edge of your best or 60%.

If the patriots sign 3 or more of the 8, the total signed will be more than 60%.

The patriots have taken care of business and have already brought back 7 players from this year's roster. All but Tyms have been contributors to this year's success.
=================
So, should I put you down for ONE of the remaining 8, and total of 53%?

I believe that it is possible to retain all eight. I do NOT believe that team will choose to do so. Ayers and Vereen are especially vulnerable to be offered salaries that we will not match.

You decided to start a thread on the possibility of retaining ALL fifteen+ free agents, and I pointed out the very low odds of that happening.

I brought up roster turnover per average team, along with the thought that historically, we don't see much more than 6/10 (or 55-60 percent, as I stated) free agents brought back in any given year.

Perhaps this is a year where we see more than 6/10 free agents brought back, but that doesn't change the fact that it would be rather unusual, and that most years do not see retention rates that high.

Either way, there's no chance in hell of the team retaining each and EVERY one of its free agents, which is how the conversation was started in the first place. This is the era of free agency + salary cap. That just doesn't happen.

 

[supafly]

OL @ guard is a priority. Maybe a 2nd or 3rd round pick and a vet FA.
Brady gets slammed a lot.

We spoke of needing to get tougher, younger, stronger, and faster in the trenches this past offseason--but just as importantly, cheaper. That was partially accomplished by moving Logan Mankins and not seeing much negative change outside of the first few games.

As far as Brady getting slammed a lot, it will be interesting to see what Belichick feels about the truth of that statement. While interior OL is often a need in the draft every few years, Brady and the OL basically cut his sacks in half from last year (40), bringing Tom Brady's personal total all the way down to somewhere in the early 20s (the team total was a handful higher due to JG playing out the 2nd half of the last game vs BUF). You can't get much better than that.

I do agree with you that it may be the perfect time to pounce on a high round interior OL, as we don't have many glaring holes or weaknesses. That may depend on how the coaches see guys like Cameron Fleming and Josh Kline, and whether or not we retain Dan Connelly.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Brady takes far more hits than sacks. Contrast with how aging Manning is rarely knocked to the ground after a pass.