To Contend Deep In The Playoffs, We NEED An All-pro WR, NOT!

[upstater1]

At the risk of stating the obvious, you need both WR weapons and an OL. If you have a really good OL and no weapons, they'll just attack your line, and 5 can never hold back 7. If you have a bad line and a couple stud WRs, you'll never get the ball to them.

They need one guy to take the pressure off the line.

 

[dliverey44]

Well said. The likelihood that we can solve all of this in one off-season is damn near impossible though.

We MUST hit with the #4 pick for sure. Thank God we don't have to worry about a QB because this year's class is horrid.

That said we could still screw it up. I think taking anything other than someone in the trenches worthy of a top 5 value would be a way to screw it up. Take Carter or Graham. Ersery is still projected to be there at 38. 3rd round is ideal for Edge/DB/WR/TE. We have 2 picks. Take your pick of any combination...

Stewart/TJSanders/Mukuba/Porter/Tez/Arroyo

I think that most can be solved this offseason as long as the players learn the schemes. With the amount of money they have I think they will bring in at least 15 starters and backups total. Thankfully Higgins will be tagged and we won't waste the money on him.

 

[Brotherblues]

This is the way I look at it and maybe I am in the minority, but if Maye has enough time he will get the ball to someone downfield. I keep seeing people rate WR as the biggest need this offseason and I think that is very misguided. Think about this the OL impacts 2 aspects of the game, run and pass.

I don't care what they do at WR this offseason, if they fail to bring in quality competition on the OL then this offseason was a fail.

I care about both the line and having quality pass catchers. It ain't flag football but it also isn't just 2 lines accross each other.

 

[bakes781]

We have Pop and Bourne who can get open. Boutte improved beyond my expectations but I'm still not sure about him long term.

Having $ to spend doesnt change the fact that we aren't an attractive place to sign.

 

[Dedhampatsfan]

Ok. so apologies in advance for the rant I am about to go on. I've pretty much done it every year since I joined here over 25 years ago. It's a fairly simple rant since it is useful every year. So here we go.

We KEEP on forgetting that Football is the most team-oriented game that exists. There is no team game where an individual is more dependent on so many others for their individual success....on EVERY play. Yet every year we keep on looking for INDIVIDUALS so seemingly solve all our problems. The fact is that no ONE individual is going to turn a program around, even a QB. It is a humbling game where the best QB in the game can be made to look like a mook by one aspect of another team.

Think about it, even though we acknowledge that the QB is the most important individual position yet even he plays LESS than 45% of a team's snaps each game. I wish we would stop allowing the media and the NFL itself from INDIVIDUALIZING the game, so it no longer the Pats vs the Colts, but rather it was Brady vs Manning, 2 guys who have never been on a field together when the clock was running. We have over the years minimized the glorious team aspect of the game in order to pump up the one. Even when you seem to have a great one on one match up, like a CB/WR, or LT/DE there are still dozens of plays where they aren't directly truly matched up.

So when you look at your roster and you see that it doesn't look up to snuff, there IS no single panacea to restock. A team and staff has to develop organically, since you generally change 25-35% of your roster annually. I noticed a through away stat at the end of the superbowl stating the Eagles turned about their offense from being in the mid 20's in most stats in 2023 to being in the top 3 in most in 2024. It struck me just how often we see that kind of turnaround happen year to year.

Just look at the Pats piss poor job of getting TO's. Just 12 for the season (7 picks 5 fumbles) vs 23 give aways. Forget about talent, confidence and discipline, and how many more wins would have the Pats have had by just flipping those 2 stats.

We also forget just how much BOTH individual players as well as groups improve year to year, especially if they have some continuity between players and staff. That is when you can see a team go from being thought of as the LEAST likely team to get to a SB within 5 years in April to actually WINNING the damned thing 9 months later. A LOT of things have to go VERY right for that to happen, and god knows they did, but sometimes the chemistry you make in your building is the right stuff.

So getting back to the topic of WHO to go after this season in trying to create your TEAM, all we really can do is hope we hit on what I call the big 8. Four starting FA's and Four contributing rookies. Hit on those eight and add on half your role player shots and we too can compete for the playoffs. I believe it can happen that quickly.... or not.

That being said, every year there seem to be positions that are thin, and others that have depth. Close to 300 players will be selected in the draft, we will get about 8-10 before all is said and done. History tells us we will strike out on half of them, but we ARE due to do better. Right now I think Edge, DT, and CB seem to have a lot of depth through the first 3 rounds. Personally if we wound up with Graham, one of the 2nd tier OT's a 2nd day Edge guy, and an offensive skill player I will be very happy. But before that day, we need to find a starting LT, WR, DE and LB in FA to set the foundation.

Just a thought

I agree with this. It's a team sport. Another thought. Good coaching puts players in position to succeed.

 

[n1997y]

At the risk of stating the obvious, you need both WR weapons and an OL. If you have a really good OL and no weapons, they'll just attack your line, and 5 can never hold back 7. If you have a bad line and a couple stud WRs, you'll never get the ball to them.

They need one guy to take the pressure off the line.

We have Pop and Bourne who can get open. Boutte improved beyond my expectations but I'm still not sure about him long term.

Having $ to spend doesnt change the fact that we aren't an attractive place to sign.

Any WR who gets to play in the NFL is good enough to be a weapon. The Pats used to win with the likes of Jabar Gaffney because the QB would find whichever receiver was open, so the defense had to cover everybody on every play and on most plays somebody on the defense messed up and there would be an open receiver. Having better talent at WR means it’s more likely some one of them will beat their defender. Pop and Bourne and Boutte are all capable of doing it. Key to making it work is having the QB protected well enough that he has time and can find the open guy. Conversely, if the OL can’t protect the QB won’t have time to find the open WR no matter how good thr WRs are.

 

[Lansdowne]

Ah yes, who can forget about offensive coordinator David Andrews

I’m guessing this was an AI-assisted search result?

 

[Real fan 02]

Ah yes, who can forget about offensive coordinator David Andrews

I’m guessing this was an AI-assisted search result?

It was a Google search.. curiosity got the best of me.. I wanted to see who was thought of as elite OL over the years. Lmao

 

[TomPatriot]

We went 4-13. Just so you know, we need just a little more than that. Lol. Can we field a frikin team who knows how not to lose before we even imagine playoffs again?

I think that amplifies his point.

 

[TomPatriot]

The dynasty Pats had quite a few elite linemen on both sides of the ball. On top of that they found very good players in free agency and the draft. It was almost always a well rounded unit.

Kinda like the Eagles this year. Some things are timeless.

 

[Real fan 02]

Kinda like the Eagles this year. Some things are timeless.

What was it 7 or 8 1 score games we lost last season?

 

[TomPatriot]

What was it 7 or 8 1 score games we lost last season?

I think it was 7.

 

[Real fan 02]

I think it was 7.

I think it's time to for us to wake up from the tee Higgins dream.. Cincy announced they are working to extend Higgins.. so trade is best way to secure a WR.. here's what the plan should be:

Adams will be released. Sign him. He's familiar with Josh and he raved about Josh and his abilities as an offensive coach. He'd thrive here and even at 32 he still has game left in him.

Try to trade for DJ Moore or kupp or deeboo... Vrabel should also put pressure on Philly to see.. how serious they are about AJ Brown.. there are plenty of options for js to explore. I will say again that 3rd rounder for judon was a excellent move by wolf. Our FA focus should be on the trenches.. OL&DL.. go after BJ hill, chase young on the DL. If Carter is there at 4 take him with no hesitation.

Jackson or Stanley at LT will do just fine.

 

[TommyD4207]

Any WR who gets to play in the NFL is good enough to be a weapon. The Pats used to win with the likes of Jabar Gaffney because the QB would find whichever receiver was open, so the defense had to cover everybody on every play and on most plays somebody on the defense messed up and there would be an open receiver. Having better talent at WR means it’s more likely some one of them will beat their defender. Pop and Bourne and Boutte are all capable of doing it. Key to making it work is having the QB protected well enough that he has time and can find the open guy. Conversely, if the OL can’t protect the QB won’t have time to find the open WR no matter how good thr WRs are.

I get why you'd think that way, but look at the last 10 Super Bowls, and find me the team without a legitimate #1 receiver, and a strong #2 (yes Edelman and Amendola are that).

It's not 2006 anymore.

 

[upstater1]

Any WR who gets to play in the NFL is good enough to be a weapon. The Pats used to win with the likes of Jabar Gaffney because the QB would find whichever receiver was open, so the defense had to cover everybody on every play and on most plays somebody on the defense messed up and there would be an open receiver. Having better talent at WR means it’s more likely some one of them will beat their defender. Pop and Bourne and Boutte are all capable of doing it. Key to making it work is having the QB protected well enough that he has time and can find the open guy. Conversely, if the OL can’t protect the QB won’t have time to find the open WR no matter how good thr WRs are.

#1. We don't have Brady
#2. Jabar Gaffney had Moss and Welker surrounding him.
#3. You need a threat.

 

[Real fan 02]

#1. We don't have Brady
#2. Jabar Gaffney had Moss and Welker surrounding him.
#3. You need a threat.

Exactly correct. Be it kupp, Deebo, AJ need someone to command coverage. Opens up everything else in the offense.

 

[Dec54]

I agree with this. It's a team sport. Another thought. Good coaching puts players in position to succeed.

We KEEP on forgetting that Football is the most team-oriented game that exists.......Try Rugby!

 

[Dedhampatsfan]

We KEEP on forgetting that Football is the most team-oriented game that exists.......Try Rugby!

Now there's a team contact sport with no helmets yet very few concussions. Maybe they're onto something there...

 

[n1997y]

I get why you'd think that way, but look at the last 10 Super Bowls, and find me the team without a legitimate #1 receiver, and a strong #2 (yes Edelman and Amendola are that).

It's not 2006 anymore.

To be clear I’m not at all averse to getting a top WR. I loved what Randy Moss and Brady did together, although I’m sorry it spoiled Brady’s willingness to settle for the recipe that had been successful before.

Thing I’m most trying to say is, fix the OL. Fix the OL. Fix the GD OL! Before worrying about mortgaging the farm to get some flashy WR to appease the fantasy football fans.

Looking at the past ten Super Bowls for WRs won’t matter if the OL continues to suck. A better OL will improve mediocre receivers much more than better receivers will improve a mediocre OL.

Focus on fixing the OL, don’t get distracted chasing every WR that looks like an upgrade to our receiving corps this year. We’re not going to the Super Bowl right away, so build the foundation first.

 

[rkarp1]

the team has a few complimentary WR's that can be nice contributors.
but the league has evolved from the examples listed on this thread from 10 and 15 years ago, that used to play for the team.
it's an offensive league, thriving on offensive scheme and mismatches, buoyed by the league rules.
the team currently does not have an offensive weapon that other teams need to scheme for, double team to create for others. they don't have an offensive weapon that once the ball is in his hands, can score from anywhere on the field.
that player does not have to cost $100m. that player does not have to be the #4 pick in the draft. we see players like AJ Brown, Worthy, JJ, CD Lamb, Puka, Thomas Jr, St Brown all drafted after 1-15