What are we going to do with the $$$?

[shmessy]

Ya know what makes me more optimistic than last year, Iron Helmet?

1) There's almost zero chance we will see Heath and Amos as our 1-2 RB combo.

2) The OL is FAR, FAR better than last year (and just you wait, Wesley Britt will emerge as a wild card)

3) We still have those $$ to spend (or construct on Branch, Graham, etc.)

4) The Offensive ball-control depth is UNBELIEVABLE! (I'll give you we're short at WR). Look for many 5-6 minute drives this year. Time of Possession stats might break records in 2006. T.O.P. has many ancillary effects on a Defense.

5) Josh McDaniels has a year under his belt.

6) The kickoffs will be far better. How many times last year did opposing teams start drives from beyond the 35 yard line? That was unacceptable.

7) The odds are that we will not lead the league in injuries for a 4th year in a row.

 

[Iron Helmet]

Your philoshopies are the exact opposite of spacecrime's. He personally believes draft picks with potential should take higher priority (that might not be the best way to put it) over veterans.

You believe that proven players should take supreme priority over "unproven" rookies.

I'm somewhere in-between.

I believe that it is a rare player than can walk onto a team and play at the NFL level. I feel that rookies should be surrounded by proven veterans, to LEARN all aspects of NFL life: playing and living as an NFL player. I believe this increases the probabilities of success at the next level. Obviously some positions need less nurturing than others, but as a general rule, my beliefs should hold true.

 

[DaBruinz]

I believe that it is a rare player than can walk onto a team and play at the NFL level. I feel that rookies should be surrounded by proven veterans, to LEARN all aspects of NFL life: playing and living as an NFL player. I believe this increases the probabilities of success at the next level. Obviously some positions need less nurturing than others, but as a general rule, my beliefs should hold true.

What's amazing is how you want to ignore the FACT that the Patriots still have a TON of PROVEN veterans. Brady, Bruschi, Vrabel, Dillon, Harrison, and Matt Light, just to name a few. Not to mention the likes of Seymour, Wilfork, Warren, Jarvis Green, Eugene Wilson, Asante Samuel, Daniel Graham, Stephen Neal, Dan Koppen, Russ Hochstein, Larry Izzo, Don Davis, and others. They are all proven veteran talent.

One the the media just wrote that the Patriots have only lost 5 players from their last SB win. Those 5 were Andruzzi, Givens, McGinest, Vinatieri and someone I can't remember. So, please tell us again how this team is worse off than last year. We're you claiming this team was worse off prior to last year because they let Ty Law and Andruzzi go?

I agree that it is rare that a player coming out of college can just walk onto a team and be a starter. The Patriots have had some success with that. Other players have taken a few months to 2 years to develop. But you don't have to go back too far to see where the Patriots have had a good rate of rookies who have gotten a decent amount of playing time. Going back to 2003, you had Koppen, Klecko, Samuel, Wilson, Johnson, and Ty Warren all contributing. As rookies. In 2004, they had Watson, Reid, G. Scott, and Wilfork set to contribute, though Watson and Scott went down to injury early. In 2005, they had Mankins, Kaczur, Sanders and Hobbs contribute in their rookie seasons with Mankins being a 16 game starter. Kaczur probably should have been starting out of camp, but he was contributing from game 1 in a rotation at RT and then took over at LT when Light went down.

So, I think the Pats have shown a good knack of finding rookies who can come in and contribute immediately. I think Maroney, Jackson, Thomas, Gostkowski and Mills will all contribute this year. It remains to be seen about O'Callaghan, Mincey, Smith, Andrews, and Stevenson.

Now, help me understand your knocking of Cassel because I just don't understand it. The kid was solid, but unspectacular in pre-season and performed very well during the season. Had Watson not dropped the pass from Cassel in the Final game against Miami, the Pats could have won that game.

 

[PATSNUTme]

What are "we" going to do with the $$$? I've thought long and hard about this. I've even pondered a bit. And, this is what I've come up with.



There are no Hooters restaurants in Maine. I think that "we' should invest in a couple of Hooters in Maine.:rocker:

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I think this past draft and upcoming year will set the table for another 5 years of glory. I'm not sure if this year's team is a championship team, though.

I have no worries about the Ghost or the offensive line, but I don't like the linebacker situation and its ability to stop the run. I also don't like how we are counting on a rookie and a reclamation project as our #2 and #3 receivers.

You just did a much, much better job of saying what I've been trying to say out here all week: the Patriots have spent this offseason focusing more on the future than on the coming year. This doesn't mean that they're not going to be competitive (certainly in the Division, which I believe they will win) and it doesn't mean that they might not light things up in January (except for two highly questionable calls vs. Denver they would have had Pittsburgh at the Blade for the AFC Title last year). It just means that they've decided to take the chance of letting a few key players, who would command premium salaries, go without replacing them with already proven talent. It means that they're not going to be the Steelers with a 26 year wait until the next SB, whatever happens this year.

 

[mgcolby]

You just did a much, much better job of saying what I've been trying to say out here all week: the Patriots have spent this offseason focusing more on the future than on the coming year. This doesn't mean that they're not going to be competitive (certainly in the Division, which I believe they will win) and it doesn't mean that they might not light things up in January (except for two highly questionable calls vs. Denver they would have had Pittsburgh at the Blade for the AFC Title last year). It just means that they've decided to take the chance of letting a few key players, who would command premium salaries, go without replacing them with already proven talent. It means that they're not going to be the Steelers with a 26 year wait until the next SB, whatever happens this year.

5 turnovers ring a bell....

 

[Clonamery]

There are no Hooters restaurants in Maine. I think that "we' should invest in a couple of Hooters in Maine.:rocker:

Frankly, I'd rather save a bit of construction $$ and send you off to Vegas to the Hooters Casino Hotel.

Seriously, the Krafts' treat.....

 

[Kdo5]

I believe that it is a rare player than can walk onto a team and play at the NFL level. I feel that rookies should be surrounded by proven veterans, to LEARN all aspects of NFL life: playing and living as an NFL player. I believe this increases the probabilities of success at the next level. Obviously some positions need less nurturing than others, but as a general rule, my beliefs should hold true.

EARTH TO IRON HELMET. Believe it or not there is still great veteran prescense and leadership on the Patriots. Maybe you dont want to believe it, but we do have Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Mike Vrabel, Rosey Colvin. They are all very very good veterans that can easily lead that defense. Its unlikely you'll find such leadership, and team players on a defense like the Pats have. Offensively Tom Brady is a huge team player, always gives his team mates respect, never throws them under the bus. He is also quite possibly the best Quarterback in the NFL. Troy Brown...yes that old man we still have. He is a great prescense for the young WR's we have. Dillon as much as you may want to believe reports is more than willing to provide as much help as Maroney needs. Then you have Faulk also, who has been here for a while now. Then you've got BB.

So please, dont play the "we're losing our veteran leadership". Willie was a great prescense for these guys, locker room especially. But believe it or not, we are still chalk full of great veteran leaders.