Idle thought...retrospective...

[Urgent]

Always enjoy Ken's thoughts. Some reactions.

Ken's thoughts:
a. I don't think we utilized our TEs well. Watson might not be an elite receiving TE, but he isn't chopped liver either. He has the speed to threaten the seams, yet we rarely used him in that capacity. Its also no surprise that when we did, it was quite successful.

My response:
Welker was the receiving tight end -- that is, he was the guy who got open underneath or in the seams of the coverage, he caught everything, and he offered a lot of yardage after the catch.

b. I also felt that we didn't use our RBs and TEs enough in delay and dump off patterns and overall, it didn't seem like we spread the ball around enough. And what ever happen to the slant pass. The Pats almost NEVER use it.

On delays, Faulk is really the only guy effective. None of our backs are jittery enough to be really effective in this role, in my opinion. A lot of the delays delayed scoring.

d. Finally IMHO there didn't seem to be any "pattern" to our offense. We didn't run the ball to set up the pass, or pass the ball to set up the run. Down an distance rarely seemed to matter. On 3ed and long we'd still throw the same passes that we would if it had been 3rd and 4. It was more we ran running and passing plays in no particular order, for no particular reason. The play calling seemed, to me at least, to be pretty random.

And we complain even more if the offense is predictable.

2. I think we need to stop complaining about our defense for a number of reasons.

This defense really banged up opposing QB's. However, it was susceptable to the run, especially in the Baltimore game, and the coverage was loose a lot.

IMHO, what defenses have to do is to recognize this fact and change with the times. I think the key to defense in today's NFL is not how many yds you give up, but in how many Turn overs you can force or big plays you can make.

So if that's the case, then we need our defense to improve in ONE critical area. Turnovers.

Good point. But turnovers are often something you create with pressure, with plays, with coaching. Think back to the dramatic turnover in the first Super Bowl. That turnover was not based on pure athleticism, but on the coordinated play of the line that freed up Vrabel, the rush Vrabel put on, the coverage on the opposite side of the field, and the in-synch play of Ty Law.

The Patriots had a very versatile group of players - linemen that could play tackle or end, linebackers that could play end or drop into coverage, and DB's that could play safety or corner or blitz. The Patriots have been unable to replace the versatility of Vrabel, McGinest, Phifer, Bruschi, Law, and Harrison, and have been especially weakened at LB. I hope this is the year the Patriots start to develop young, versatile outside linebackers in their system.

Off season suggestions:

a. Forget Brady, the most important guy I want wrapped up early this off season is Leigh Boddin.

I think the most important guy is Wilfork. Bodden played well, but it's not like he is unique to their system. I agree that he should be re-signed - he certainly played well enough to be paid as a starter, and I have much less faith in Wilhite and Wheatley. But if not, I think another corner could fit the Patriots system. Another DT cannot necessarily fit the Patriots defense at NT. The Patriots were incredibly fortunate he fell to them, and further that he played six years for low (relative) money. They need to re-sign him.


b. The next guy you need to sign is Wilfolk. Once that's done, with Prior, Wright, Warren , Burgess, and Green, we will then be solid on the DL...even if Brace fails to develop, which I doubt will happen

I do (doubt Brace, that is). I didn't like him coming out of the draft, and was very surprised when the Patriots drafted him. He has no agility, no change of direction capability. He's heavy and terribly slow. And in games he was completely over-powered when he was fresh and faced worn offensive lines.

c. With the necessity to sign Wilfolk and Boddin, I don't see Julius Peppers as a Patriot. First, I can't justify paying ANY non-QB that kind of money. Even if the guy plays well, its STILL not a value signing, because of who you CAN'T keep. And secondly, Peppers has a lot of questions IMHO...too many to take that kind of salary structure risk

I hope for Peppers. I think he's about the only pass-rush upgrade available, and the Patriots seem to be a good fit for a hybrid third-down end, run-down linebacker. His versatility is something I think the Patriots can really utilize. There is an opportunity to really upgrade here. I recognize, financially, it could be very difficult to re-sign Brady, Wilfork, and Bodden and then add Peppers. But I think the Patriots system has done much better with great versatile linebackers and average corners than the opposite (see the Super Bowl Ty Law missed with injuries).

d. AThomas - I don't want to see him playing for the Jets next season. I think he has some legit grievances. He's been moved around a lot. He HASN'T be allowed to go after the passer much. He's been criticized for essentially being a good soldier (up until this year) I'd keep him for this upcoming year...and I'd set him loose more often. (I'd also like him to lose 15 lbs)

If the Patriots choose to release him - which I assume would be August rather than March - I don't care where he plays. Best wishes to him.

I love our OL, now and for the near future.

I agree. Good running returns, and Brady was seldom sacked given our pass-intensive offense.


e. I want to see us keep ALL our RBs...

If so, the Patriots will have the oldest RB corps in the league. Time for some youth.

f. The draft: If anyone is hoping that we will miraculously find our pass rush cure in the draft is dreaming.

Well, the dream survives. I would be very happy with Sergio Kindle, Brandon Graham, Ricky Sapp, or maybe Jerry Hughes in the first. It's time to bring in a versatile young outside linebacker.

g. As for who we draft, I'll just be hoping to find 4 guys in those first 4 picks who can play special teams and be back ups. I'm more looking forward to seeing how Crable, Tate and
McKennzie come back from IR. I don't expect, NOR do I want to see Wes Welker before November.

I expect Tate to be the primary returner and to catch 20-25 passes next season.
I expect McKenzie to rotate at ILB with Guyton or possibly a rookie.
I expect nothing from Crable. He has had chances and shown nothing, then gotten injured.

f. Like most I'd like to see a legit WR brought into the fold to fill the role Joey Galloway never filled. The Anquan Boldin rumors for one of our 2nds sounds good EXCEPT for the contract he'd want. It would be a perfect fit talentwise. The Cards AREN'T going to get a better offer, but the contract would seem to be a deal breaker.....too bad.
I agree - the Pats need a veteran outside receiver, a possession receiver. Kevin Walter, Antonio Bryant, maybe Bobby Wade.[/QUOTE]

 

[JackBauer]

Re: Idle thought....retrospective...

That's how much I think he is worth. He wasn't insulted when we offered him a ONE YEAR 2.25 MILLION contract when he signed here in the first place.

4 million a year would put him around the 6th highest average per year on this team, alongside Light & Welker. He is certainly not one of our 5 best players. He probably wouldn't be one of our top 10. I think that's plenty fair.

If he's worth that much more, he wouldn't have played for 2.25 million this year. Certainly his play wasn't worth of turning a guy who had to settled for that deal and turning him into one of the higher paid CBs in the league.

Because he was coming off a year where he didn't really distinguish himself on the worst team in the league.

You're never going to retain him for 4 years/16 million. It just isn't going to happen.

 

[captain stone]

1. I know its crazy to complain about an offense that was one of the top units in the league, but the following few items bugged the crap out of me all season.

b. I also felt that we didn't use our RBs and TEs enough in delay and dump off patterns and overall, it didn't seem like we spread the ball around enough. And what ever happen to the slant pass. The Pats almost NEVER use it.

c. I know this will come as a surprise to some fans, but the Pats had the 12th best running attack in the league, DESPITE having a dominant passing attack. I'd like the Pats to commit to the run more and use more traditional running formations....and then pass from them. It seemed to me that WHENEVER time we lined up with a FB, we ran the ball.

To put this into some perspective, there were TWENTY teams in the NFL who ran the ball WORSE than the Pats. This is surprising since EVERYONE knows that the Pats running attack SUCKED

d. Finally IMHO there didn't seem to be any "pattern" to our offense. We didn't run the ball to set up the pass, or pass the ball to set up the run. Down an distance rarely seemed to matter. On 3ed and long we'd still throw the same passes that we would if it had been 3rd and 4. It was more we ran running and passing plays in no particular order, for no particular reason. The play calling seemed, to me at least, to be pretty random.

I completely agree with your takes on the offense, whose ineptness directly led to the losses vs. the Jesters, Donkeys & Doofins. Piss-poor play-calling combined with a lack of urgency, imagination & aggressiveness. A joke of an OC, and a WR corps the majority of whom are not NFL-caliber.

2. I think we need to stop complaining about our defense for a number of reasons. It seems to me that the NFL has almost legislated dominant defenses out of the league. If you combine the rules interpretations/changes, with the complex offenses, and the size and speed of today's WRs, it is almost impossible to stop any team that has a good QB. Just look at the superbowl. The only time the defense forced a punt, it was more a case of the OFFENSE stopping itself with drops, penalties, etc, than the defense creating chaos.

And although it sometimes didn't seem like it, IMHO we have the makings of a good solid D here in NE. Its not like this was a defense that was ranked in the 20's (like the 2001 and 2003 superbowl winners) This was the ELEVENTH ranked D in the league, FIFTH in scoring D; yet we b!tch and moan about the D as if we were bottom feeders.

Is my memory deceiving me, or wasn't the '03 defense one of the best in the league, and one of the best in team history?

HOWEVER, as fans we are going to have to get used to the "New Reality" of the NFL in this decade. That is that, baring some rules changes, DEFENSES are at a major disadvantage right now. They are NEVER going to to CONSISTENTLY stop even a decent NFL offense. Sorry but it isn't going to happen.

IMHO, what defenses have to do is to recognize this fact and change with the times. I think the key to defense in today's NFL is not how many yds you give up, but in how many Turnovers you can force or Big Plays you can make.

The Saints DC is getting a lot of kudos now, but I didn't notice Peyton having any trouble moving the ball down the field. In fact they ONLY time the Colts were stopped in that game was because of the pick, dropped balls and a bad play call (3rd and short before the half) And to prove my point the ONLY time the Saints were stopped after the first drive was because of dropped balls or penalties. In this league a good offense will ALWAYS move the ball against a good defense. Just look what the Colts did the to the best D in the league in the 2nd half of the AFCCG

So if that's the case, then we need our defense to improve in ONE critical area. Turnovers.

And one of the ways to create Turnovers, and Big Plays, is to Kill the QB. Bill also needs to face the New Reality of the new decade: the Bend But Don't Break is Broken. Read & React is both Passionless & Passive. We desperately need young, aggressive Pass-Rushers with enough size to not be a total liability vs. the run.

Off season suggestions:

a. Forget Brady, the most important guy I want wrapped up early this off season is Leigh Boddin. I thought he was one of the best CBs in the league, and he's the key (IMHO) to the Pats secondary for the forseeable fuure. With Boddin on board to anchor the secondary, Merriweather, McGowan, Chung, Sanders, Butler, Willhite, Wheatley are all young athletic and fast guys who are only going to get better with time. (and I'm willing to bet that one of those first 4 picks is going to be a DB come April)

Agreed. Bill should've signed him to a multi-year deal instead of the ancient Springs.

b. The next guy you need to sign is Wilfolk. Once that's done, with Prior, Wright, Warren , Burgess, and Green, we will then be solid on the DL...even if Brace fails to develop, which I doubt will happen.

I don't think that Burgess should be considered part of the DL rotation; in fact, I don't want to consider him part of the team, period. I would also like to see Jarvis fulfill his wish of playing for his hometown Saints. Both of these has-beens need to be upgraded. I do agree that re-signing Wilfork is a must-have.

c. With the necessity to sign Wilfolk and Boddin, I don't see Julius Peppers as a Patriot. First, I can't justify paying ANY non-QB that kind of money. Even if the guy plays well, its STILL not a value signing, because of who you CAN'T keep. And secondly, Peppers has a lot of questions IMHO...too many to take that kind of salary structure risk

Agreed.

d. AThomas - I don't want to see him playing for the Jets next season. I think he has some legit grievances. He's been moved around a lot. He HASN'T be allowed to go after the passer much. He's been criticized for essentially being a good soldier (up until this year) I'd keep him for this upcoming year...and I'd set him loose more often. (I'd also like him to lose 15 lbs)

Unfortunately, I believe that this horse has already left the barn. I do NOT want him to sign with Tubby Wrecks, however - trade his ass first.

e. I love our OL, now and for the near future. I think that an OL that is made up of Light, Mankins, Volmer, Kaczar, Koppen, Connolly, LeVoir; is deep and talented. I think its time to part ways with the oft injured Steve Neal...unless he wants to come back on the (relative)cheap and finish his career as a Patriot. I think his shoulder is too much of a liability to risk market money on him.

More likely we will see Light stay at LT while Volmer starts on the right side. Not because Kaczar wasn't adequate, but because Volmer could be just THAT good.

I also would only re-sign Neal to a 1-year vet minimum deal. I would then move Kaczur, who is a turnstile at Tackle, inside to RG before he gets Brady killed. Koppen is getting not only older, but also weaker by the year; we need to find his replacement ASAP. Unfortunately, it does not appear that Maurkice Pouncey will be avail. with even our first 2nd-rounder, and I don't like any of the other draft-eligible Centers. Dan Connelly is barely adequate as a replacemant G/C; he needs to be upgraded too. O'Burger & Bustey are utter wastes of draft picks - again. Other than that, I love our OL too.

f. I like having Taylor and Morris on the team, but BOTH those guys are well past their primes. Also I can see Moroney in the future morphing into the Kevin Faulk role, because Kevin doesn't have much tire on the tread either. Regardless, getting younger at RB is a must, and to that end I can't see BOTH Taylor and Morris on the team next year.

I'd love to see a young FB opening holes for LaMa, Faulk & one of Taylor or Morris (I agree; it's either one or the other). The 5th RB needs to be an upgrade over BJGE, who just can't run or block well enough to guarantee himself a spot.

g. The draft: If anyone is hoping that we will miraculously find our pass rush cure in the draft is dreaming. BELIEVE me, there are 31 OTHER teams in the league whose #1 goal in this draft is to find a legitimate pass rushing threat. IF we DO find this diamond in this draft it will be more because of luck than skill. NONE of the obvious choices are going to be around come the 22nd pick.

But there will be choices available during the 2nd round, and maybe beyond. Bill just has to commit a pick to one of them, as opposed to last year's draft, or 2007's, or 2006's, or 2005's, or 2004's.

h. As for who we draft, I'll just be hoping to find 4 guys in those first 4 picks who can play special teams and be back ups. I'm more looking forward to seeing how Crable, Tate and
McKennzie come back from IR. I don't expect, NOR do I want to see Wes Welker before November.

STs & Backups? We need kids who can start from Week 1 at WR, OLB & ILB; and that's IF all of Wilfork, Mankins, Faulk, TBC & Bodden are re-signed.

i. Like most I'd like to see a legit WR brought into the fold to fill the role Joey Galloway never filled. The Anquan Boldin rumors for one of our 2nds sounds good EXCEPT for the contract he'd want. It would be a perfect fit talentwise. The Cards AREN'T going to get a better offer, but the contract would seem to be a deal breaker.....too bad.

Sorry I'm late to the party, PFK. But I wanted to read & respond before the thread becomes lost in Page 2.