"You can't handle the truth "; the famous words uttered by Col. Nathan R. Jessep played by Jack Nicholson that all Patriot Nation must hear but doesn't necessarily want to. Yes, Patriot Nation, it is time to deal with the facts, time to wake up and smell the coffee because we know this much is true, Ty Law, Richard Seymour, and Troy Brown will never walk through the door again. Let's get some facts straight.  Mike Vrabel would not have been the second coming nor would he have walked across water to help out this team.  He was on the decline after a great career and could not have contributed any better.  I don't remember Vrabel flying all over the place or wreaking havoc on offenses the last time I saw him play.  It was the complete opposite, a slower version of the prototypical "Patriot Way" player, on the decline; a shadow of the edge rusher he once was.  Thanks for the good years Mike, but your time with us was up. Richard Seymour, in the final year of his contract, would not have been signed by the Patriots and furthermore, would not have helped out enough to propel this team to the Super Bowl.  There were too many glaring holes that Belichick saw, and he got what he could for a Veteran that wanted top dollars and a long term contract. Thanks for the good years Richard, but your time with us was up. Complain all you want, second guess the team's performance and Belichick's decisions but come the 2011 draft you will praise Belichick for having two first round draft picks.  I can't guarantee he won't trade those picks, but it was his forward thinking and that of this organization that gives the Patriots the possibility to wheel and deal if needed.   Take your pick: Wilfork, Vrabel, Seymour, Mankins, and Gostkowski who would you keep, sign or trade?  It's tough and those are the decisions that Belichick gets paid to make.  Theo Epstein gets killed by the fans for doing what is best for the team and not for the popularity of the team, so too will Belichick.  The Patriots don't have the stability it once had when Romeo, Charlie and Pioli were there helping out Belichick in route to winning three Super Bowls.  Their Coordinators, Scouts and Front Office personal are constantly changing and being plucked by other teams.  So let's pump the brakes and take a step back.  No need to order the Code Red on this team just yet, let's see how it evolves as the younger team emerges.  No one can remember the job Josh McDaniel's did in 2006, but they sure do in 2007.  As the Patriots experience bumps along the road, so too will you Patriots Nation, but there are still a few good men left for Belichick to lead.