One More Major Free Agent: Which position?

[Urgent]

If the Patriots have enough cap room, given the desire to save some money for extensions, etc., to afford one more free agent over $3mm, which position do you target?

 

[A.C Vegas]

I think they should go with a WR casue mosto f hte other ones cna be handled well in the draft

 

[mgteich]

I presume that Springs is signed, otherwise the answer is CB.

I agree. Given who is left in fre agency, there seems to lots of choices at WR, but very little available at OLB, ILB or DE. We'll need to wait for the draft.

I think they should go with a WR casue mosto f hte other ones cna be handled well in the draft

 

[nantucketguy]

Just one??! We are weak in three. OLB, CB, and SS. Maybe 4 with ILB. But I say we need more experience in either LB or SS. Traditional those postions need to be smarter and more "in tune" with the zones and assignments. We need to replace Vrabel and Harrison. CB, well prob draft, then we'll also draft some back up positions for the OL and maybe a WR. Although I think the #3WR will be a JAG we pick up at some point. I hope its Galloway or Harrison, money depending, but their older and will be a one year deal. It'll be interesting, I tired of WAITING. It's like I can't rest until the holes are filled in!

 

[Mogamedogz]

Did we have a first major FA signing that I missed?

 

[mayoclinic]

Depends on how much is available and who is available. As I see it the options are:

1. Julius Peppers, OLB. Would cost the most in terms of both salary and picks.
2. Jason Taylor, OLB
3. Leigh Bodden, CB
4. A mid-range WR

Options 2-4 are probably roughly in the same ballpark in terms of salary. Bodden would have been my first choice before signing Springs, at this point I would probably go for OLB or WR. I'm not sure I like the WR options available at this time.

 

[JSn]

Scrap the Peppers dream, sign Taylor, trade one second into the first next year and draft the missing/future pieces.

That's my line of thinking, anyway.

 

[mgteich]

Fine, but does Taylor ahve any interest at all in playing in the Northeast? Location is very important to Taylor. Washington was too far away from home!

Scrap the Peppers dream, sign Taylor, trade one second into the first next year and draft the missing/future pieces.

That's my line of thinking, anyway.

 

[satz]

Springs is the signing , Non we have so many picks and people want to draft a tonne of players but have starters so they can stay in the roster and learn. Not happening.

OLB - thomas primary starters but vrabel and woods spot is open for the for a rookie / crable /reed. so draft good and hope woods/rookie/crabel can make up vrabel snaps and backup thomas

ILB - Mayo ,Bru and Guyton . Now another opening for a rookie or rudd. rudd came out of college as a run stuffer and which is what we need. so another opening for a rookie or rudd.

Safety - With James and Merriweather are starters and we need a solid backup

Safety/LB - we need a tall safety who can cover TE this is a spot a veteran slower safety can be usefull

so i say a coverage safety who has slowed a bit.

 

[alvinnf]

Jason Taylor....

 

[PatriotsInGA]

i'd say jason taylor, he's played almost all his years in miami so seeing him go back there in a pats uniform would be great. plus he's a mid to upper defensive lineman

 

[JSn]

Fine, but does Taylor ahve any interest at all in playing in the Northeast? Location is very important to Taylor. Washington was too far away from home!

Location has nothing to do with. Having to spend more than just the football season away from home has everything to do with it.

If he's still interested in playing, he's playing for a ring. If it was for money, he just shot himself in the foot with a NUKE.

 

[mgteich]

Do you think that the draft can produce a backup out of the following who should be available in the 2nd?
Smith, Delmas, Chung, Moore, Johnson, Vaughn

I do agree that safety is an optionf for a free agent. There are three of our own out there: Sanders, Williams and Harrison.

Springs is the signing , Non we have so many picks and people want to draft a tonne of players but have starters so they can stay in the roster and learn. Not happening.

OLB - thomas primary starters but vrabel and woods spot is open for the for a rookie / crable /reed. so draft good and hope woods/rookie/crabel can make up vrabel snaps and backup thomas

ILB - Mayo ,Bru and Guyton . Now another opening for a rookie or rudd. rudd came out of college as a run stuffer and which is what we need. so another opening for a rookie or rudd.

Safety - With James and Merriweather are starters and we need a solid backup

Safety/LB - we need a tall safety who can cover TE this is a spot a veteran slower safety can be usefull

so i say a coverage safety who has slowed a bit.

 

[Sicilian]

All things being equal, I would have said OLB because we don't currently have a starter there. WR we have Moss and Welker, the 3rd is automatically made better by those two. ILB we have Mayo as a stud and a combo of Bruschi and Guyton are good as a second starter. CB we have Springs and Hobbs, with either Wheatley or Wilhite ready to step in.

But, I haven't really seen a name out there that excites me at OLB for the money it would cost. I'd love to see Taylor or Peppers, but I don't want to give them the money they'd be demanding.

So, I settled on CB, because I feel like Bodden could solidify the secondary and we've had better luck drafting people closer to the line. I think we have a better chance of landing an impact OLB in the draft than we do a starting corner, at least this year.

 

[satz]

Do you think that the draft can produce a backup out of the following who should be available in the 2nd?
Smith, Delmas, Chung, Moore, Johnson, Vaughn

I do agree that safety is an optionf for a free agent. There are three of our own out there: Sanders, Williams and Harrison.

I hope so atleast a backup this year and starter next year .we need 3 in CB,Safety position as we run alot of 3 CB,2 Safety or 3 Safety or 2 DB combo.

we have only 53 spots and cannot carry a veteran starters and rookie backup for each and every position.

I like lewis sanders and tank as they are taller and might gives us the presence is red zone defence. I am not sure about harrison we need younger guys just because they atleast last longer then older guys.

 

[DNR]

I went CB because I'm convinced they will be signing Bodden. (although Peppers or Taylor would be great)

That will allow them to focus on OLB/ILB/S in the draft.

It also means Hobbs will be allowed to walk after next season...

 

[JSn]

I went CB because I'm convinced they will be signing Bodden. (although Peppers or Taylor would be great)

That will allow them to focus on OLB/ILB/S in the draft.

It also means Hobbs will be allowed to walk after next season...

It's hard for me to imagine Bodden and Springs.
Unless the Wheatster is out for good, I think we've got a full stable. Low picks/UDFA's for competition. And that's coming from a guy who's pulling for Al Smith to become a Patriot.

 

[mgteich]

How about Mike Wright? or Lew Sanders?

 

[mojocaster.com]

OLB... we still have to replace Vrabes...

 

[VJCPatriot]

Did we have a first major FA signing that I missed?

Fred Taylor
Chris Baker
James Sanders
Shawn Springs

Most of the gaps are plugged except in the LB area. Hmmm, does this suggest our draft strategy?