Thanks, Rook, for your point-by-point rebuttal. Some thoughts...
9) Didn't Dwight sign a one-year deal for <$1M? If true, and given his status as our returner, that doesn't sound unreasonable.
10) I think that Keyshawn has mellowed out since his run-in with Gruden. Parcells did not want to lose him in favor of Terrel Owens; this was a Jerry Jones transaction.
11) Ross Tucker is a better player than Mruczkowski. Replace the latter with the former; Hochstein and Tucker then become our backup interior linemen.
12) Corey Dillon had his best years in Cinci when he ran behind Lorenzo Neal. A Sam Gash/Marc Edwards type of FB also plays STs.
13) Point taken. Give him one more year, then?
14) Junior is not chopped liver at all. What I meant was, if Bruschi can't go on Sunday, then the ILB backups are Izzo, Davis and Alexander. Maybe there's hope for Alexander.
15) Heart and soul are needed for STs; so are speed, strength and explosiveness. Izzo and Davis don't have enough of the latter any more. Do we have to keep both? How about just one, like a mascot.
16) Keith (son of Julius) Adams was a very good STer for the eagles. He was exposed when he had to start at OLB last year, however. I would still rather see him take snaps on D instead of Izzo and Davis.
17) Point taken. The Ghost has looked terrific so far...better to cut the cord a year early than a year late, I suppose...Still,...
I agree that Mitchell, Gardner, Jones, Gabriel and Seau were all good/very good pickups. Yet, by the end of TC, there are still holes at WR and LB due to injury and ineffectiveness. I would like to see the FO add one more young vet, with some history of production, to each of those spots.
No gripe about Branch from me. I am in agreement with the FO on that one.
p.s. to the Strangler: Mea maxima culpa for daring to question the FO. Give me a break. I've been living and dying with the pats for 35 years. You may question my ability to comprehend reality; I do that myself, sometimes. Criticizing the FO and rooting against them are completely separate. That's reality.