AzPatsFan
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2004
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Watching a Master at work is very instructive. Just like the annual Drafts where everyone immesdiately criticizes what the Master does, only to see after a little perspective that it was a wise, well thought out plan.
BB had a policy of stretching to patch the Super bowl club for another run in 2006 and 2007 and even going into 2008. He used draft picks in trades to get patching materials,so the Drafts were not too productive, otherwise. He traded draft picks for Moss, Welker, that worked spectacularly, and the WR and DE from the Raiders that didn’t work out too well.
But when Brady went down in 2008, BB recognized that the end had come. Patching wouldn’t work anymore. The Team had gotten too old and slow, not producing enough INTs, fumbles and other "Big plays".
He decided that rebuilding was necessary. So he created a plan, and without sharing it with us, and began. Some players were sent into retirement, like Rodney, Junior etc. Others were traded for Draft picks, like Richard Seymour, Matt Cassel, Mike Vrabel, and a starting CB/KR and others.
Then the Master went to work. He recognized that youth and speed is needed in some positions more than others. So he invested repetitively on Defense and specifically in the Secondary and to a degree in the Line backing. He added a few late picks to the Defensive line but no big picks. Still he found future reserves and in Pryor, Deaderick, Brace, Richard, Love etc. But think of all the picks invested in youth and speed in the secondary and line backing. McCourty, Meriwether, Butler, Wheatley, Chung, and Mayo, Spikes, Crabel and Cunningham, while also looking and finding talent in UDFAs Arrington, Fletcher, and Guyton.
He did little with the younger Offense, mostly adding patches, and drafting youth and speed in WRs which take a few seasons to mature, like Tate, Price. He added TEs, like Gronk and Hernandez. While finding some UDFAs to contribute, like BJGE and Woodhead.
We can see he continued to do so, until the Team led the league in INTs; he then knew he was ready to do other things. This past Draft, he showed this when he turned his attention to the Offense, drafting a future All Pro at LOT, to go with a young Probowl RT. He also added some young RBs.
Only this offseason was he prepared to employ experienced vets where youth and speed gives way to sage experience. He knew that he needed lots of depth to make it work, so the vets could pace themselves. He did so. Look at all the defnsive linemen candidates onthe roster.
Suddenly, he has a full fledged Super bowl Favorite, with no weaknesses anywhere, and deep depth everywhere, not just a Team that is a possible contender. Yet in the meanwhile, he kept it competitive during the past two seasons while Work was in Progress. Astounding, winning while rebuilding.
Now that the Master Builder is about finished with his rebuilding, we can see it, the architect’s full plans; and what you should do first, second, and last. Like considering one of his Drafts after he startled you, it is simply Awesome, just awesome. He executed a Five Year rebuilding Plan in three years with Double Drafts.
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