Bruschi's thoughts

[Kontradiction]

This is something that some Pats fans really need to understand. They are at a point where they need production now or they won't win with Brady at QB.

I think a lot of us do understand this. I've been saying that all offseason.

 

[DW Toys]

This is something that some Pats fans really need to understand. They are at a point where they need production now or they won't win with Brady at QB.

Excellent. Everyone of the homers neglects to say that. "Does that Koolaid come in grape, Bill?"

I would not have any other coach in the league but someone (Mr. Kraft?) has told him to ignore players that could help this Team now. His advice was "Let's see what happens before the season when the other Teams have to cut people". That makes me giddy as a good plan. Paris burns fellas.
Like I said before.....Rebuild is the plan it appears. They threw away the chances to make themselves better on some (not all) of these players.
I love these "When you wish upon a star and the Draft will make us better than we are" homers.
18%...GET THAT IN YOUR HEAD. Of our 12 picks 18% are make a difference players by.......2013! That is the average, Then we have those three picks in the second round (our nemesis). We had four last year and missed on 50% to date...but we do have a few years to see if they work.

No, the sky is not falling for me. We have been spoiled. We were blessed with seeing a Team compete at a a top level for the last ten years. We won't be bad because of TB, just not as competitive. Then we have to listen to all the "See, you're not winning so you must have been cheating" crap. Instead of watching us compete for the SB I will be happy upsetting some of the Teams we play. I look forward to 2013 and hope TB is still playing at a high level.
DW Toys

 

[Jangles]

I think a lot of us do understand this. I've been saying that all offseason.

Most here don't

They want to ridicule those of us who get upset when we don't sign veterans that have proved themselves and they hide behind the Pats past successes. I hate the idea of relying on the draft to find every player we need. We could have handled the WR needs several times already and we choked.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

I think a lot of us do understand this. I've been saying that all offseason.

Maybe you do, but a lot, if not most Pats fans are content with were the team is at right now and won't mind if their 2010 draft class has spot duty like their 2009 draft class. In 2010, this team needs picks from 2009 such as Vollmer, Butler, and Chung to start. This is not asking much as the competition at CB, S, and OL are wide open. And as Bruschi said, this team needs at least 2 starters from their 2010 draft class. This isn't 2003-2004 were the team had the luxury of throwing away picks because their core were in their prime. The time is now in actually developing players and becoming starters in this league.

 

[PATRIOTS-80]

Maybe you do, but a lot, if not most Pats fans are content with were the team is at right now and won't mind if their 2010 draft class has spot duty like their 2009 draft class. In 2010, this team needs picks from 2009 such as Vollmer, Butler, and Chung to start. This is not asking much as the competition at CB, S, and OL are wide open. And as Bruschi said, this team needs at least 2 starters from their 2010 draft class. This isn't 2003-2004 were the team had the luxury of throwing away picks because their core were in their prime. The time is now in actually developing players and becoming starters in this league.

I agree the Pats need Vollmer, Butler and Chung to play well. All three show promise, and so does Edelman. And I also agree that this team need at least 2 starters out of the first four picks. We also need to need to hit on at least one of our late picks (we have a whole bunch). If we draft as good this year as last year, I'll be happy. If we draft like we did in 06, we'll be in trouble.

 

[tombonneau]

This is something that some Pats fans really need to understand. They are at a point where they need production now or they won't win with Brady at QB.

This is 10,000% correct. They need to draft an above-average starter on both sides of the ball in this draft. If they don't, well, let's just hope BB has a few more Moss/Welker trades up his sleeve, because the window she is a closin'.

 

[stinkypete]

Why the lack of any big FA signing since 2007? Why the bargain basement vets? The stockpiling of picks? This is a rebuilding, and it began when Brady went down to start the 2008 season. The core of the dynasty era Patriots was spent by the end of the '07 run. They weren't going to win it again with that group, and so the only way to remain viable long-term was to rebuild early rather than hanging on last-gasp and blowing the whole team up like the Jags and Titans had to early in the decade.

As a rebuilding team, we got no right *****ing about a 10-6 year and a playoff loss. The Lions have been rebuilding for 11 years. The

I agree with Bruschi about the importance if this draft, as well as the 2011 draft, with that Raiders pick. The Patriots have enough ammunition to fill all their holes with long-term starters by the start of the 2011 season...if they hit. Another 2006, it's over. Another 2003, you're looking at a five year contender.

 

[Nonentity]

Here's the quote that's interesting to me:

"With his early picks in the first and second round, there's a strict formula that coach Belichick will follow. You have to be worth the 22nd pick in the draft to be drafted with the 22nd pick. If the player they want isn't there, they will move to another position and pick that one. And he's got to be worth that pick."


This is hardly earth-shattering news, but a confirmation. It probably means at 22 we can forget about Graham or Hughes (too short), Bryant (too slow and problematic), Spiller and Best (too light), Hernandez (too short), Golden Tate (too short).

Assuming we don't need a first round OL or DB, that pretty much leaves Kindle, McLain, Odrick, Graham, Mathews.... or a trade down.

I don't think that's quite right, bucky.

Tedy isn't saying that the players at 22 have to fit Bill's prototypes, only that they are good enough football players to be worth the 22nd pick. Yes, prototype does affect how you evaluate players, but either they get sacks, make catches and run the ball well, or they don't.

If Bill feels he can get sufficient production out of them to justify the 22nd pick, he'll draft them. If not, he'll trade up or down for other players.

 

[Marqui]

Why the lack of any big FA signing since 2007? Why the bargain basement vets? The stockpiling of picks? This is a rebuilding, and it began when Brady went down to start the 2008 season. The core of the dynasty era Patriots was spent by the end of the '07 run. They weren't going to win it again with that group, and so the only way to remain viable long-term was to rebuild early rather than hanging on last-gasp and blowing the whole team up like the Jags and Titans had to early in the decade.

As a rebuilding team, we got no right *****ing about a 10-6 year and a playoff loss. The Lions have been rebuilding for 11 years. The

I agree with Bruschi about the importance if this draft, as well as the 2011 draft, with that Raiders pick. The Patriots have enough ammunition to fill all their holes with long-term starters by the start of the 2011 season...if they hit. Another 2006, it's over. Another 2003, you're looking at a five year contender.

This is correct.

 

[Kontradiction]

Maybe you do, but a lot, if not most Pats fans are content with were the team is at right now and won't mind if their 2010 draft class has spot duty like their 2009 draft class. In 2010, this team needs picks from 2009 such as Vollmer, Butler, and Chung to start. This is not asking much as the competition at CB, S, and OL are wide open. And as Bruschi said, this team needs at least 2 starters from their 2010 draft class. This isn't 2003-2004 were the team had the luxury of throwing away picks because their core were in their prime. The time is now in actually developing players and becoming starters in this league.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but what do you not like about the 2009 draft? I thought our draft last year was excellent.

 

[ALP]

Here's the quote that's interesting to me:

"With his early picks in the first and second round, there's a strict formula that coach Belichick will follow. You have to be worth the 22nd pick in the draft to be drafted with the 22nd pick. If the player they want isn't there, they will move to another position and pick that one. And he's got to be worth that pick."


This is hardly earth-shattering news, but a confirmation. It probably means at 22 we can forget about Graham or Hughes (too short), Bryant (too slow and problematic), Spiller and Best (too light), Hernandez (too short), Golden Tate (too short).

Assuming we don't need a first round OL or DB, that pretty much leaves Kindle, McLain, Odrick, Graham, Mathews.... or a trade down.

if memory serves, Mayo was also on the short side....and yet we took him at 10

 

[DaBruinz]

Great post and the most realistic observation.
DW Toys

No, DW. It wasn't a great post or even realistic observations. You should read BritPat's posts if you want those.

The Pats had some issues, but they were hardly the RAIDERS or even the Buccaneers. People like yourself and Jangles insist everything is 1000 times worse than it really is. You discount the Pats having 9 rookies on the team last year. 11 if you include the 2 on the practice squad. Not to mention the two who were on the IR. You also had some guys like Lockett and Arrington come in who played extremely well on special teams.

There are issues with the team, but there were more prior to the start of free agency. The only two players who have contract issues unresolved are Mankins and Gostkowski.

All the rookies showed improvement over the course of the year. And that is something to remember.

 

[DaBruinz]

if memory serves, Mayo was also on the short side....and yet we took him at 10

Mayo isn't short for the ILB position. He'd be short for OLB.

 

[Marqui]

if memory serves, Mayo was also on the short side

Not really. He's the same size as Patrick Willis, Ray Lewis, Jon Beason

 

[ausbacker]

I really enjoy reading/listening to Tedy Bruschi. Put aside the fact that he is one of my all time favorite Patriots players, when he speaks he states the bleeding obvious unlike some people in the media.

I've enjoyed his contribution because there is no bull**** and it's face value stuff.

 

[DaBruinz]

Here's the quote that's interesting to me:

"With his early picks in the first and second round, there's a strict formula that coach Belichick will follow. You have to be worth the 22nd pick in the draft to be drafted with the 22nd pick. If the player they want isn't there, they will move to another position and pick that one. And he's got to be worth that pick."


This is hardly earth-shattering news, but a confirmation. It probably means at 22 we can forget about Graham or Hughes (too short), Bryant (too slow and problematic), Spiller and Best (too light), Hernandez (too short), Golden Tate (too short).

Assuming we don't need a first round OL or DB, that pretty much leaves Kindle, McLain, Odrick, Graham, Mathews.... or a trade down.

Where do you get that Bryant is too slow and problematic?? The only problem with Dez Bryant is that he was afraid of the NCAA scum bags not understanding about the situation with Deion Sanders and so he lied to them. That's it. As for "being slow" he ran between a 4.49 and 4.62 depending on who you listened to. That is plenty fast enough. Especially when you consider he plays faster than he appears in full gear.

Where do you get that Spiller and Best are too light? If by Hernandez, you mean the TE, he's never been mentioned as a 1st round prospect that I've heard, and Tate is hardly "too short".

Seriously, unless you know for a fact about these things, you're as clueless as the rest of us. And considering the players that BB has drafted for certain positions, one can hardly make the comments you've made that I've addressed.

Time and again people need to be reminded that previous drafting does not necessarily set the rules for future drafting. If it did, the Pats would never have drafted Vince Wilfork (underclassmen), Logan Mankins (interior lineman) or a bunch of others.

 

[bucky]

if memory serves, Mayo was also on the short side....and yet we took him at 10

Supposedly the requirements for ILB are 6'1.5" and 245 lbs. Depending on which combine measurements you want to believe, Mayo was between 1/8 and 1/4 of an inch short and between 3 and 7 lbs light (depending on whether you go by combine or pro day weight). So I guess technically yes, he was undersized. Still nowhere near as bad as Graham and Hughes though.

 

[Ring 6]

Where do you get that Bryant is too slow and problematic?? The only problem with Dez Bryant is that he was afraid of the NCAA scum bags not understanding about the situation with Deion Sanders and so he lied to them. That's it. As for "being slow" he ran between a 4.49 and 4.62 depending on who you listened to. That is plenty fast enough. Especially when you consider he plays faster than he appears in full gear.

Where do you get that Spiller and Best are too light? If by Hernandez, you mean the TE, he's never been mentioned as a 1st round prospect that I've heard, and Tate is hardly "too short".

Seriously, unless you know for a fact about these things, you're as clueless as the rest of us. And considering the players that BB has drafted for certain positions, one can hardly make the comments you've made that I've addressed.

Time and again people need to be reminded that previous drafting does not necessarily set the rules for future drafting. If it did, the Pats would never have drafted Vince Wilfork (underclassmen), Logan Mankins (interior lineman) or a bunch of others.

Interesting choice of words implying Bryant was correct to lie because the NCAA are scumbags.

 

[Keyser Söze]

Getting an impact player early is key. We need more playmakers that can break a game open

 

[Rob0729]

This is something that some Pats fans really need to understand. They are at a point where they need production now or they won't win with Brady at QB.

Really? A conservative estimate has Brady playing 4-5 more years at an elite level barring injuries. For a QB especially a QB who loves the game like Brady and doesn't overly rely on his physical skills can easily play until he is 37 or 38 at a similiar level he can play right now. Look at Warner, Elway, Gannon, Favre, Steve Young, Warren Moon, Dan Fouts, Fran Tarkenton, Roger Staubach, etc. all played well into their late 30s or even their early 40s and most at a high level.

Brady will be 33 when the season starts. He already said he wants to play until he is 40. He should play at a high level at least until he is around 38 barring injuries.

The window with Brady is shorten for the Patriots, but it isn't now. They have probably 5-6 more years with the guy before the end is over. If Favre is any indication, it could be 7 or even 8. If QBs from the 70s and 80s could play at a high level at age 38, why can't Brady with today's sports medicine and conditioning? When did 34-35 become the end of the line for a QB? At least a non-mobile QB who uses his brains to be great as much as his phyiscal talents or more so.

All that said, the Pats only have as little as 4-5 more years with Brady and they need to make every season count.