2006 Juggernaut...
Why I think 2006 could be very good. By position:
QB: Brady, Cassel and Flutie Now that Cassel has a 116 QB rating agasinst a 9-7 club he will be better than as a rookei. Flutie will settle into a role as vet backup
WR: There isn't enough room for all the WRs. Possession+; Branch, Givens (resigned) PK, and Brown . Speed; Davis, BJ, and Dwight.
TEs: Graham, Watson and Weaver. Experienced and Healthy Graham and Watsons's not a rook anymore. Weaver gives you the TE blocking you want in a third TE, plus he can catch the short ones too. Can't forget he is a former starter for two clubs.
OT: Light, Kayczur, Ashworth, Gorin and Britt. Not bad at all, but no susperstar here.
G/C: Mankins, Neal, Koppen, Hochstein, Mruzckowski, Yates et cetera. Two probowl possible Gs, and Koppen will start getting probowl votes at C too. Hochstein has developed into a better than average starter and hence a superb backup.
RBs: Dillon Faulk, Pass, Evans and X & Y. More depth to come. Fuilk still has it, and Cory still has the star potential. Plus possible reinforcements too.
DL: Seymour, Wilfork, Warren, Green, plus Hill, Wright, Thomas and X... The front line plus Green is experienced and of Superbowl quality, now so is the remainder and perhaps augmented too.
ILBs: Bruschi and Vrabel both heady signal callers and players, Beisel will have a year of BB's defesnive theories under his belt, and its starting to show off of the Jax game. Brown is being asked to do what he is used to doing, and be a spot player, not impossible for an oldie but goodie.
Claridge is an unknown, but Chatham has demonstrated he can be an ILB reserve too.double digit tackles in Miami game.
OLBs: Willie and Colvin are the front line and TBC, Brown and Chatham plus X & Y, look to be fairly good reserves. Chatham showed that last season and TBC is still learning. This is the year of the LB and BB/SP will harvest a couple of OLB/DEs, IMHO. The 2005 clubs team weakness, although Vrabel can swing in a pinch but at the cost of hurting the ILB situation.
CBs; Youth together with experience. Hobbs, Gay, Samuel, Poteat and Starks. plus X . Chance for Poole, Scott and perhaps Hawkins as reserves plus Mr X too...
S; Wilson and Hawkins with Harrsion plus X and Sanders, Scott, Scott and Stone not bad.
ST: Vinetieri ands Mller, 'Nuf said. Stone has taken Izzo's thunder, TBC and Chatham are fine ST; Davis may lose out too. The changing of the ST guard is starting.
Only old timers are Willie 34, Bruschi 33, Vinatieri, Miller, Brown(s), 34,36 (maybe) and Dillon 31. Perhaps the team is too young ????
But in analyzing this forthcoming team every position has an experienced starter and every position has a reserve who has demonstrated the ability to be at least a borderline starter as well. That is well above average depth.
Some positions will be augmented by highly drafted rookies too. In fact the only probable opennings will be filled by day one draftees, What will we do with the rest of the draft picks? How can it not be the strongest?