Vic Carucci doubles down on crazy

[ctpatsfan77]

From his NFL.com chat today:

Josh, Wellington FL
02:10 PM ET
do you really think that jason taylor would land with the patriots?

Vic Carucci, Senior Writer, NFL.com
He seems to fit the profile of the type of player Bill Belichick likes to acquire to fill out his defense: a smart veteran who might not be able to produce at a top level physically, but still has something left in the tank. And I think the real key is that there wouldn't be a heavy financial investment, leaving open the possibility of taking on another outside linebacker by the name of Julius Peppers.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

Talk about an embarrasment of riches

In passing situations he's have Thomas and Mayo inside with Peppers and Taylor outside I guess Run downs, Taylor out with Thomas outside and Bru next to Mayo.

Just playing along . . .

 

[DefenseRules]

Talk about an embarrasment of riches

In passing situations he's have Thomas and Mayo inside with Peppers and Taylor outside I guess Run downs, Taylor out with Thomas outside and Bru next to Mayo.

Just playing along . . .

LOL, why not?

 

[JSn]

Well, the boy sure is putting his ballsack on the line. If this happens, and we can't win... quadridang! Twilight Zone.

Someone please please please send this to ProFootballTalk. The guy's server will explode.

 

[Cramden]

I'd love to know who Vic's source is or what he's hearing that's makes him keep the Peppers situation alive. Peppers to New England seems to be dead everywhere else.

 

[Rob0729]

If the Pats can afford it without screwing up the cap (I have serious doubts there) and risk losing a key free agent next year (I have less doubts since there may not be a cap and several key free agents immediately become RFAs if the cap does go away), I say the Pats should go ahead. I think Taylor will only have a $2-3 million cap hit like Fred Taylor in 2009. That isn't a lot, but add Peppers' cap which would very conservately be in $5-6 million range (and I said conservately) and it gets a little too much than the Pats can handle. That is when the talks of cutting Faulk would become a reality.

I think if the Pats wanted either guy, I think they could make the cap room without too much pain. Both together though might be a challenge. Granted if the Pats bolster the pass rush significantly, Belichick might feel that it is worth it to lose talent in other areas like a third down/change of pace RB. Or a back up DE (Jarvis Green). Or maybe they could give Brady an extention that might make the whole thing moot.

 

[Rob0729]

I'd love to know who Vic's source is or what he's hearing that's makes him keep the Peppers situation alive. Peppers to New England seems to be dead everywhere else.

I don't know if it is dead everywhere else. I think most people who think it is a possibility know that IF is it going to happen, it won't happen closer to the draft.

Remember that a lot of people who are saying that the Peppers' thing is an impossibility are the same people who thought the Pats wouldn't trade Cassel away at least not until late spring or early summer when Brady was back working out on the field. Predicting what the Pats will do some times is harder than picking the Mega Millions numbers for the next drawing.

I don't know if the Pats will trade for Peppers. I think there is a lot of smoke though. Usually when there is that much smoke, there is at least a little bit of fire. Even if Carucci was given good info, it doesn't mean the deal will come to fruition.

 

[BradyManny]

Talk about an embarrasment of riches

In passing situations he's have Thomas and Mayo inside with Peppers and Taylor outside I guess Run downs, Taylor out with Thomas outside and Bru next to Mayo.

Just playing along . . .

I'll continue playing along, I'll say you have to have Bruschi sit on the bench all downs in that situation. Thomas at SILB is a big upgrade over Bruschi, and when he played there in 2007, our defense hasn't ever been better. A Peppers-Thomas-Mayo-Taylor combination would is a pipe dream unfortunately, as nice as it looks on paper. We hardly have the room for Jason Taylor as it is, but I think we'll make that one happen.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

I'll continue playing along, I'll say you have to have Bruschi sit on the bench all downs in that situation. Thomas at SILB is a big upgrade over Bruschi, and when he played there in 2007, our defense hasn't ever been better. A Peppers-Thomas-Mayo-Taylor combination would is a pipe dream unfortunately, as nice as it looks on paper. We hardly have the room for Jason Taylor as it is, but I think we'll make that one happen.

You could be right, I was trying to get Taylor off in running downs and Bru is still pretty good at banging down there against the run.

 

[Sicilian]

I'll continue playing along, I'll say you have to have Bruschi sit on the bench all downs in that situation. Thomas at SILB is a big upgrade over Bruschi, and when he played there in 2007, our defense hasn't ever been better. A Peppers-Thomas-Mayo-Taylor combination would is a pipe dream unfortunately, as nice as it looks on paper. We hardly have the room for Jason Taylor as it is, but I think we'll make that one happen.

Not to say the talent couldn't make up for this, but bear in mind with that setup you've got three of your four LBs playing out of their primary positions (and two of them weren't really even LBs to begin with).

 

[Deus Irae]

Talk about an embarrasment of riches

In passing situations he's have Thomas and Mayo inside with Peppers and Taylor outside I guess Run downs, Taylor out with Thomas outside and Bru next to Mayo.

Just playing along . . .

I'll continue playing along, I'll say you have to have Bruschi sit on the bench all downs in that situation. Thomas at SILB is a big upgrade over Bruschi, and when he played there in 2007, our defense hasn't ever been better. A Peppers-Thomas-Mayo-Taylor combination would is a pipe dream unfortunately, as nice as it looks on paper. We hardly have the room for Jason Taylor as it is, but I think we'll make that one happen.

Heck, don't forget to include a defensive rookie from the draft while you're at it.

 

[Feep50]

Peppers/Mayo/Thomas/Taylor?!? I just went into cardiac arrest!

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

Peppers/Mayo/Thomas/Taylor?!? I just went into cardiac arrest!

To finish you off, remember we added Springs and Bodden to the backfield too . . .

 

[signbabybrady]

I have been playing Madden with all the new additions to the team.....and just for fun I have been inserting Taylor or Peppers at one of the OLB spots.....and lately I have been playing with both hey Madden pipe dreams are fun but I never figures it would happen. Imagine if it did though


Thing is in past Maddens I had traded Dillon to the Pats hundreds of times and never thought it would happen and ditto to Moss too.

 

[BradyManny]

You could be right, I was trying to get Taylor off in running downs and Bru is still pretty good at banging down there against the run.

Bruschi had his moments good and bad last season. I saw him getting manhandled more than a few occasions.

Honestly, to step away from our dream lineup for a sec, I think the LB corps we have right now is good enough, and we might go into the season with it + a rookie. Jason Taylor would help me feel better about 2009, for sure, but we can do without him (we have the leverage). There's no rookie at #23 who will have any big impact on anything earlier than about 3/4th of the way through the 09 season. Woods-Bru-Mayo-Thomas. Not quite as good as our pipe dream, but a solid crew nonetheless.

 

[Rob0729]

I'll continue playing along, I'll say you have to have Bruschi sit on the bench all downs in that situation. Thomas at SILB is a big upgrade over Bruschi, and when he played there in 2007, our defense hasn't ever been better. A Peppers-Thomas-Mayo-Taylor combination would is a pipe dream unfortunately, as nice as it looks on paper. We hardly have the room for Jason Taylor as it is, but I think we'll make that one happen.

Belichick loves a three man rotation at OLB. He has only had it sporatically in his tenure, but the OLB position was probably at its strongest when McGinest, Colvin, and Vrabel all shared time in 2004.

 

[BradyManny]

Belichick loves a three man rotation at OLB. He has only had it sporatically in his tenure, but the OLB position was probably at its strongest when McGinest, Colvin, and Vrabel all shared time in 2004.

And AD's ability to play SILB is a bonus to that. I think outside of the base defense, Belichick will just put the best linebackers on the field, regardless of position.

I don't think there's anyway we'll get Peppers AND Taylor. But I think we can get Taylor. Woods provides a 3rd quality starting OLB, TBC provides a quality pass rusher, Crable & a Day 1 OLB are unknowns, but potentially valuable as well. So we'd have the ingredients to have a healthy rotation at OLB.

Heck, we have the ingredients for a healthy rotation at OLB without either Taylor or Peppers.

 

[Feep50]

To finish you off, remember we added Springs and Bodden to the backfield too . . .

I know, I know! Paramedics are working on me now!

 

[farn]

I'll continue playing along, I'll say you have to have Bruschi sit on the bench all downs in that situation. Thomas at SILB is a big upgrade over Bruschi, and when he played there in 2007, our defense hasn't ever been better. A Peppers-Thomas-Mayo-Taylor combination would is a pipe dream unfortunately, as nice as it looks on paper. We hardly have the room for Jason Taylor as it is, but I think we'll make that one happen.

To say that the 07 Pats' defense was better than it was in 01, 03, 04... I dunno. I seem to remember that 03 team kicking Peyton all over the field in the snow... stopping Tenessee... I'd say they were waaaaay better in 03 (obv not on Offense).

 

[farn]

...PLUS : add a few draft prospect to that gang - yikes !