Team improvement 2015 to 2016

[farn]

This team seems to have the potential to do very impressive things. But TC is just that : training. We'll see if the players that are showing well atm can keep it up until winter.

Injury concerns at WR are troublesome. But even if healthy, there have been games against strong Ds that our WRs have seemed limited. The RBs & OL are more worrisome. Despite the many bodies, outside of Lewis (who has yet to show an entire season) I remain unimpressed. On the OL, there are as many questions as answers. The D seems like it could be a force. At CB, there are areas for opponents to attack.

So, overall, I think NE is one of the most talented teams in the league. But to say that they are significantly "improved" is a stretch.

 

[captain stone]

Let me use this rest day to share my thoughts on 2016 team compared to last year after first week of TC

Last year Pats looked like unstoppable force before a series of key injuries.
This year on paper they look even more unstoppable.
I wanted to see position by position how much better they could be this year (on paper).
+ for improvement - for drop 0 for about the same level. Its about expectations of course.


QB: -1
Brady looks like his unstoppable self at the moment. JG will be good. But he's not Brady so even the optimists have to see it at least as a slight downgrade for the 1/4 of the regular season.

RB: 0
Brown, Gaffney and D.J. Foster are added to camp/preseason depth. Blount looks healthy.
On the + side Develin being back and improved OL (at least on the interior) promise better chance for running
On the - side Lewis is a double ? can he come back as his last year self? and can he stay healthy?
Since Lewis was such a key factor to last years NE dominance this ? is huge.

OL: +1
First week of TC promises improved and deeper interior and continuing problems at T.
+ is mostly for Dante - there is just so much belief in him everywhere

LB: +1
High and Collins maturing. #3 fels better with McClellin. Nink training for another option here. A small +
(and if KGH shows he can step in at times - a solid+)

Those with which I disagree:

QB: -2, for obvious reasons.
We'll be lucky if Grop, behind the Worst running game & one of the worst, if not The worst, OLs in football, performs like even a mediocre QB.
Many people still don't understand just how much Brady has covered-up for the lack of Brady-worthy talent at RB, OL & WR over the years; but we're going to all find out soon enough.

RB: -2
Blunt's a year older, slower, and is coming off hip surgery. He's finished.
Dion Lewis is also coming off surgery, and simply cannot stay healthy in the NFL.
And the FO shockingly did not draft a single RB, the incompetent fools.

OL: -1
Our starting OTs are a year older and more brittle than ever before.
There is not a single OLman on the roster other than Solder capable of playing even backup-worthy LT,
and the FO, again showing its incompetence, failed to draft a LT.
Aside from Mason & we hope Thuney (a 5th-round talent taken a full 2 rounds earlier than projected),
the rest of our C/Gs are either injury-prone, fat blobs, or just plain suck; or all of the above.

LB: 0
They didn't get worse, but they didn't get better either. McClellin is a Bust, the "depth" is non-existent,
and we still don't have a LB who has proven coverage capabilities.

 

[Bradyking12]

Guys coming from a hardcore patriots fan barring major injuries I swear to fu*king we are winning the Super Bowl this season no questions asked get used to this calling it now

2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, 2017

 

[long distance]

Those with which I disagree:

RB: -2
Blunt's a year older, slower, and is coming off hip surgery. He's finished.
Dion Lewis is also coming off surgery, and simply cannot stay healthy in the NFL.
And the FO shockingly did not draft a single RB, the incompetent fools.

OL: -1
Our starting OTs are a year older and more brittle than ever before.
There is not a single OLman on the roster other than Solder capable of playing even backup-worthy LT,
and the FO, again showing its incompetence, failed to draft a LT.
Aside from Mason & we hope Thuney (a 5th-round talent taken a full 2 rounds earlier than projected),
the rest of our C/Gs are either injury-prone, fat blobs, or just plain suck; or all of the above.

LB: 0
They didn't get worse, but they didn't get better either. McClellin is a Bust, the "depth" is non-existent,
and we still don't have a LB who has proven coverage capabilities.

a bit grumpy as usual - but i appreciate it
-
RB: People who were following TC from the stands report of Blount being fully healthy, faster, “nimble“
OL: I'd like to see Mason tried at C as well
-
Our draft looks better and better in most people's eyes + we discussed this already: no RB's or OT's available after #60 would made a difference; many draft binkies are already out of the season (not only injury, also arrests, misbehaviour etc.)
-
but i really don't see any sense or value in this kind of statements:
(a 5th-round talent taken a full 2 rounds earlier than projected)
Projections are just a game. Meaningless. And I wrote about the meaning of talent in previous page.
Thuney looks like a solid starter. Constant and productive. Important piece for improving our OL.
Most people - even previous sceptics - see him as a “find“ of the 3rd round, as “underrated“, “better than advertised“ etc. What he shows so far to me is a great rookie value for any pick.