The New England Patriots Sit Pat
by Richard Hill on Mar 8, 2010 1:59 PM EST
in Opinion/Analysis
54 comments
Julius Peppers went to the Bears.
Karlos Dansby went to the Dolphins.
Antonio Cromartie went to the Jets.
Anquan Boldin went to the Ravens.
Aaron Kampman went to the Jaguars.
The Patriots managed to grab...David Patten? We've let Chris Baker go, Leigh Bodden looks like a dream and Jarvis Green has a high chance of leaving. We have no Tight Ends, potentially an unproven (sound familiar?) secondary, and an aging O-Line.
I think this is a good thing.
People seem to forget that the Patriots were possessors of some of the most enticing potential free agents this off-season: Vince Wilfork, Tully Banta-Cain, Logan Mankins, Steven Gostkowski, Leigh Bodden, Jarvis Green hell, even Ben Watson and Stephen Neal. We have already signed Wilfork, TBC and Neal. Mankins and Gostkowski are tendered. If any team were to pick up one or two of those players listed, that team would be regarded as having one of the best off-seasons in the NFL. For us, it just means retaining our quality players.
No, we didn't "better" in the sense that we picked up a high profile free agent. However, how many free agents out there aren't about to be heading over that hill into the sunset?
Looking at the offensive and defensive lines, Logan Mankins and Vince Wilfork are two of the best options out there, and we brought them back (I bet we'll see a Mankins contract in the next week). We have no need to search out more players in FA on the lines, since the Patriots have been known for grooming elite offensive and defensive linemen (a la Sebastian Vollmer).
Out of the LB FAs? Karlos Dansby was the head of that class and he's 29 years old. Sure, it would be nice to have a veteran presence, but when Dansby is likely the only LB walking away from their team, wouldn't it be better just to retain Tully Banta-Cain and utilize this LB rich draft and pick for the future?
Looking at the secondary, it appears that Leigh Bodden is still the class of this Free Agency. Although it looks grim that we'll be able to retain him, due to Dunta Robinson's extremely lucrative (and extremely undeserving, in my opinion) contract setting the bar for DB contracts. However, after Bodden, the FA pool drops. Severely. Cromartie was an interesting idea, but instead of trading away picks for him, why not try and grab a young player in the draft WITH those picks? Never mind the fact that we're sitting on Butler, Wheatley has a (however slim) chance of regaining his skills and Wilhite might be able to be in his receiver's area code!
I believe that the value we'd get in return from trading for a veteran like Cromartie would be the same, or even less, than if we picked up a quality CB in the early rounds. Although people seem to forget about the CB class after looking at Joe Haden and, in the distance, Kyle Wilson, there is a very deep CB class in the 2nd round. Although we'd take a huge hit if Bodden left in FA, a weak secondary isn't anything new to us. There's still time to resign Bodden, which would give us a large boost- and other than Bodden, there isn't much to look at.
A look at every other FA position reveals old players (Terrell Owens, anyone?), whose signing would be detrimental to this getting-ever-younger team. We have young players on our team who need a chance to shine. Grabbing band-aids in free agency, when there are players in the draft who may be just as capable, isn't the wisest thing to do. We tried to cover up some spots (Joey Galloway? Fred Taylor? Junior Seau?) with old veterans. That isn't the solution. The goal is to get younger- and get younger we will this off-season.
The re-signing of Wilfork was more than just a retaining of the best player in his position in the game- it was a symbol to every other player on the team. Do your job and we'll take care of you. This sentiment was echoed in the resigning of Tully Banta-Cain. Do your job. We all have been talking about how this team lacked the locker room unity of the years past- this is our way of regaining that heart.
So yes, we have not picked up any huge free agent that wasn't on our team last year. However, we've managed to snag the most enticing free agent in Wilfork, as well as have resigned many key role players. If you're waiting for some huge pick-ups, I wouldn't hold your breath; I'd wait until the draft. By keeping our draft picks, we can groom players into our scheme, as opposing to picking up or trading for squares and pushing them into circle positions.
Some may be disappointed in our lack of big trades for players Brandon Marshall.
Some may be disappointed in our lack of monstrous signings of players Julius Peppers.
Other than re-signing some of our key players, it has been relatively quiet up here in New England.
I think that's a good thing.
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Biggest indeed.
I agree with you. This year, draft picks > FAs. I’m feeling good about next year. Some coordinators might be nice, though…
Oh, if a man tried to take his time on earth, and prove before he died
What one man's life could be worth--oh, I wonder what would happen to this world.
by LegendaryTadpole on Mar 8, 2010 2:12 PM EST up reply actions
The key to this season is the Draft.
But not the 2010 draft. The 2009 Draft.
Players make the biggest jumps between their first and second years. We haven’t really seen what Butler, Chung, Brace, et al can do yet. We should get a MUCH better glimpse this year into exactly what we got last April. If the 2009 Draft was good (meaning these players, with a year under their belts to adjust to the NFL), the 2010 season could be great. if the 2009 Draft was mediocre or poor (meaning these players just don’t get it or don’t have what it takes, a la Chad Jackson), the 2010 season will be rough.
As I see it, there isn’t really anything the Pats can do with this year’s draft that will markedly improve this team THIS year (except for some huge blockbuster trade, which would almost certainly be against the team’s long term interests).
i'm dissappointed
We still have not signed a FA except for Patten. Sign someone…whether its a mid level player
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
I love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.....159 mph is my top speed..will top that this spring
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
(formerly mathew.40)
Those mid-level guys can crop up rather late - post-draft
Teams have a roster full of mid-level vets, they suddenly have a couple of really good rookies drop to them unexpectedly in the draft in the same position, and they jettison the veterans. Ch-ching! That’s when the Pats sign them – it’s how they got guys like Jabar Gaffney, an October signing (October! That feels like forever away).
Better to sign them when they’re cut and feel glad about any contract offers than to sign them in the middle of free-for-all bargaining sessions.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
I look at this offseason like I do last year's ('08-'09) Red Sox offseason.
We whiffed on the big free agents, but that’s OK. We locked up the guys (or, in this case, guy) who is really important to us going down the line (IE: Lester, Pedroia, Youkilis). We can rely on having the same guys making big impacts next year (same Sox group as before : Wilfork, TBC, Neal) while getting even greater contributions from the more recent group of arrivals (Buchholz, Bard : Chung, Butler, Edelman, Vollmer).
Maybe a bit of an analogy stretch, but Baseball is the game I know best, so I had to try.
USG
That sounds about right
Better the devil you know than the devil you have to pay $91M to get…
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
I'm not disappointed.
I didn’t figure we’d keep Bodden. They’re trying, which counts, but I’d rather see the dollars spent on pash rush than a free agent in the secondary.
Pass rush needs the secondary to cover guys just long enough to get to the quarterback. Most receivers can get open given time, so spending tons of money on a cover guy doesn’t make a lot of sense. Bodden is good, not elite. He doesn’t shut down half the field.
With decent pressure, even OK cornerbacks can look good. Eventually the QB will make a mistake and you get an incompletion or an intercepation. Without pass rush, there will always be someone open. It makes sense to spend money on people who can do it well.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Mar 8, 2010 2:55 PM EST reply actions
It'd better be one or the other.
I buy Hill’s argument about the defensive secondary only if we have serious pass-rushers to take up the slack. If you don’t have one, you’d better have the other or you’re gonna get torched. If we fail to keep Bodden, there’d better be a plan to get some fire off the edge.
As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "I" in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team... I don't know what he's talking about. --Shaun of the Dead
by JohnHannahRules on Mar 8, 2010 3:21 PM EST up reply actions
It's a draft with talent at OLB/ rushing DE
and they have to have realised that they need a pass-rush if they aren’t going for shutdown corners; it’s hunting season on decent pass-rushers. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hoodie changes tack a little and targets some relatively single-dimensional pass-rush guys in the later rounds, on the basis of ‘just in case’.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
Without one or the other, the post-season isn't happening.
Jets and Fins are both getting better. The division is far from won.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Mar 8, 2010 4:45 PM EST up reply actions
Saints had a pass-rush and 'okay' corners
And they had a little success, right? In fact, they build the roster in a very New England way – solid linemen, versatile linebackers, and the talent and experience in the Safety positions, not the corners.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
True
The corners stepped up when needed, but they did make a big investment at CB in the draft by grabbing Malcolm Jenkins. Sharper brought veteran leadership, and the rest of the story tells itself from there.
I wouldn’t say Ty Law didn’t have experience, though…
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Mar 8, 2010 8:30 PM EST up reply actions
I wondered about Jenkins...
It’s not clear whether Jenkins is meant to be a CB or S long-term or if he’s meant to be a bit of both. It’s reminiscent of a couple of Pats players – 2nd rounder, 34th overall Pat Chung played slot-corner at times in his rookie year, and 2nd rounder, 36th overall Eugene Wilson alternated a bit, too. And 1st, 24th pick Brandon Meriweather was projected as a CB in his rookie season, and played quite a few of his snaps as a CB before dropping back to S in his second and later years.
It’s not to say the Saints (and Pats) won’t invest initially at CB – they do – but they don’t tend to shell out to keep big-money CBs after their rookie contract. So it’ll be interesting to see if they keep Jenkins at CB or slide him back to FS to cover the (potentially departing) Sharper.
If you wanted to draw parallels, Sharper is very much like the acquisition of Rodney Harrison. Jenkins could be much like Meriweather – start off at CB and drop back to cover retirements and the like.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
i watched him for 4 yrs
he will fit better @ the SS position than as a cb.
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
I love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.....159 mph is my top speed..will top that this spring
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
(formerly mathew.40)
SS and not FS?
Or a Meriweather cover-style SS rather than a big-hitting Harrison-styled Strong Safety?
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
both
actually…he is a great @ zone coverage; kinda sucks @ man cov…..loves to come down in the box to support the run D….Doesn’t have great speed though….thats why i think he will be moved to SS..or even FS
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
I love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.....159 mph is my top speed..will top that this spring
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
(formerly mathew.40)
That makes sense
I thought he was okay at man-to-man, but I wasn’t entire sure about it. I’m sure they’ll mix-and-match to suit his talents anyway, irrespective of his actual position.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
Trust me, Jenkins is VERY good in zone coverage...
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Mar 8, 2010 10:50 PM EST up reply actions
lol
still remember that 08 int w. a min left?
he is great @ zone cov…not so much in man
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
I love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.....159 mph is my top speed..will top that this spring
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
(formerly mathew.40)
Of course, Wisconsin had expletive at QB that year...
His name is a curse word…
Didn’t he put a brutal end to Michigan’s hopes that year too?
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Mar 9, 2010 12:56 PM EST up reply actions
yeah
wisc did blow a 19 pt lead to lose that game
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
I love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.....159 mph is my top speed..will top that this spring
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
(formerly mathew.40)
I meant Malcolm Jenkins brutally putting an end to RR's fragile hopes and dreams
I watched every agonizing moment of Wisconsin @ Michigan in 2008. It was like watching MSU collapse…only MSU was wearing white jerseys and pants with red trim…
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Mar 9, 2010 11:16 PM EST up reply actions
The only thing I'm disappointed about...
…is that Boldin’s three year extension turned out to be very affordable and given what the Cardinals got for him, I have to think we could’ve had him for a second round pick. Given that there’s a fair chance the Pats use one of the second rounders on a wide receiver, I’d rather have had Boldin.
On the other hand, if this means all the hype about this being Moss’ last year with the Pats is just so much run-of-the-mill bull, then never mind.
I agree on the pressure part.
It also works in reverse. Look at the Raiders, their D sucks but Nnamdi Asomugha still isn’t thrown near very often. That man is the human equivalent of leash on a receiver.
Of course, given your theory, this also means Derelle Revis is gasp just a decent corner.
You can count one less than one hand the NFL corners that are of the shutdown variety.
What happens with Asomugha and Revis ? They just throw the ball elsewhere unless the pressure is there.
Paid a ton of money to shut down part of the field. If you can do that everywhere, I’d agree it was more important than the pass rush.
When a team can go 5 wide, that’s five holes to plug up in the field. If you can hit the QB fast enough, it doesn’t matter.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Mar 8, 2010 6:10 PM EST up reply actions
It's still my opinion...
…that Asomugha is just slightly above average. It’s just that he “benefits” from having scarecrows on the other side of the field. No one throws to him not because he’s unbelievable, but because the other side is just so darn terrible.
I wasn't sure if Asomugha was as good as he's reputed...
but I have to say, I was very impressed with him in the Pro Bowl. He wasn’t allowed to press cover due to Pro Bowl rules, yet still looked like a shutdown corner at times. That’s quite impressive, given who he was matching up against.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
little of both
happy to have our guys back, hopefully we keep the rest also but id of liked to see a good player or two added. even if they’re an up and comer who didnt get alot of playing time else where
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
im gonna be all up on you like a spider monkey!
"…traded as many times this summer as a bad hooker’s phone number at a Vegas convention of Proctologists ."
by remembering9ergods on Mar 8, 2010 3:11 PM EST reply actions
Wish the second choice added the phrase "so far"
because I don’t think the Patriots are done only three days into free agency. I’m really not sure any big names out there are worthy of trading away draft picks for, or worthy of breaking the bank. The Draft is where the team-building will happen anyway.
Keep the faith!
Anyone know the details on Wilfork?
I’m hoping there are some pretty strong weight-based incentives in there, or his career could be 2/3’s over.
As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "I" in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team... I don't know what he's talking about. --Shaun of the Dead
He's no Ted Washington
And Teddy W managed to play for a decent what 8 or more years in the NFL? Vince should be okay…I think he’s actually pretty good about his playing weight, what will help him and what won’t.
I loved TW.
Good point. And I love Vince, too.
I’m a sucker for hardworking bigmen, I guess.
As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "I" in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team... I don't know what he's talking about. --Shaun of the Dead
by JohnHannahRules on Mar 8, 2010 8:07 PM EST up reply actions
Leigh Bodden is not a requirement to a successful off season
Sure Bodden has a good season, but I don’t think I’d call it great by any means – and to SMPs point the money being thrown around at the corner position – especially with young corners in the fold and more avail in the draft – he’d be nice to have but they won’t suffer nearly as much without him as they would have without Wilfork.
Bodden's value
…is not so much related to how good he is, but rather, the question of what do we have in his place? Not that I’m saying overpay him, but just pointing out it’s one thing to let a guy go because he is asking more than he is worth, and in the big picture that makes sense, but when push comes to shove when week 1 rolls around you gotta put someone on the field in his place. The fact you saved $5m or $10m by not signing him doesn’t bring a whole lot of consolation when Manning or (gack, even worse) Mark Sanchez is lighting up our secondary.
In other words, money saved is of zero value unless you turn around and spend that money somewhere else.
Are there 2 CB’s on our team right now (presuming we lose Bodden) that you’d feel comfortable as our starting two for a 16 game season next year? I sure the heck don’t see them.
Offseason
Dolphins fan stopping by. Your coaches have the right idea: since Brady is the franchise, keep the offensive line together (Neal). However, keeping Wilfork was the biggest accomplishment, as 3-4 nose tackles don’t jump out of pools. I would be surprised if Jarvis Green left (add to Pryor-Brace-Wright rotation). Bodden, I wouldn’t be, as he’s part of the overpaid wave of free agents. But that still is a gamble, since that would mean the coaches are expecting Butler, Chung, Wheatley, and Wilhite to make jumps in their second or third years. I would not be surprised to see a one-year deal for a veteran, though Belichick might be against that (see: Deltha O’Neal). Overall, this is a typical Patriots offseason. I’m looking forward to some heated divisional games next season!
Touchdown, Ronnie Brown Edition!
The division keeps getting more competitive (read heart-failure in all the close games). Fins and Jets keeping it interesting to be sure.
The draft will be interesting (probably plenty of dealing there), and then the UFA fire sale, and post draft trades. The offseason is far from over.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Mar 8, 2010 4:50 PM EST up reply actions
I thought the Dolphins vs Jets games were some of the best this past season.
They both came down to the wire and the two teams were really intense in facing each other.
One More Thing...
Belichick loves old veterans that might have something in the tank. Word has it that Brad Hoover (FB, Carolina) was just released. He’s 33, but still clears lanes in the running game. Do you all think Belichick would be interested?
Touchdown, Ronnie Brown Edition!
Possibly.
We need a bigger back. Hoover could be a temporary fix if something else (draft, FA) doesn’t happen. With all the loose talk out of Foxborough it’s a wonder we don’t know more.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Mar 8, 2010 4:54 PM EST up reply actions
Look, the Pats came away from this by getting the best defensive player that would have been available
No, not Peppers, but Wilfork. I think that alone makes it a win. Not as big a win as I’m sure many of us would have liked but a win notheless.
There's only so much grocery money to go around.
If all you do is buy the best steak until the cash runs out, you’re missing the rest of the meal. Not only that, but you’re going to end up pretty hungry at the end of the month (playoff time).
That’s the approach the Redskins take under Snyder – hasn’t really worked out. The fans pretty much hate it / him.
My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.
by SlotMachinePlayer on Mar 8, 2010 5:05 PM EST reply actions
Albert Haynesworth doesn't...
he can buy a LOT of steak. Mmmmm. Steak.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
What's not to hate?
He’s basically selling a QB who COULD be a franchise QB down the river for JIMMY CLAUSSEN? That’s a bad idea.
I admit I like Campbell, but Snyder seems determined to throw a screwball grenade at him…
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Mar 8, 2010 8:33 PM EST up reply actions
How many starting quality CBs has Belichick ever drafted?
One – Asante Samuel. No disrespect to Ellis Hobbs, who is a great player but better suited to nickel/returner. The verdict is out on Darius Butler. The point is, I would not count on getting better at CB through the Draft. Our best 2 CB last year were Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs; without Bodden we likely start Butler and Springs/Wilhite/Wheatley/draftee. Unless our pass rush gets a lot better than last year, this year could be ugly, really ugly with the Pats’ defense.
Belichick re-signed Banta-Cain after a one-year "show me what you got" deal
for quite a significant upgrade in terms of cash and length (and didn’t do the same for Bodden, at least thus far). That indicates to me he’s far more interested in getting a decent pass-rush than getting shutdown corners, so I’d expect that to continue on into the draft.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
yeah, I remember them joking about it on the Eagles' fan site
that Samuel didn’t like New England because apparently they wanted him to tackle.
Keep the faith!
Fixed
Ellis Hobbs, who is a great player serviceable corner and legitimate return threat.
As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "I" in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team... I don't know what he's talking about. --Shaun of the Dead
by JohnHannahRules on Mar 8, 2010 8:10 PM EST up reply actions
Not disappointed
I know the pats are just as successful without spending tons of money on guys that might stay for 3-4 years(and who knows how productive they’ll be?). Wilfork was what we wanted, and we may have paid the price of not signing others because of Wilfork, but I’d rather have wilfork than any free agent out there.
This is basically the Patriots' draft strategy:
Players drafted in the first two rounds are players that define the team. The hope is that they will be there for at LEAST one additional resigning other than their rookie contract. The 3rd and 4th round picks are expected to be around for their rookie contract, and we’ll go from there. Everything after that is depth.
Round 1 and Round 2: O-Line, D-Line, MLBs, Safeties
Round 3 and Round 4: CBs, WRs, RBs, TE, OLBs
Expect this to be our draft method for the next couple of years. Belichick isn’t going to draft a player who will expire after a couple years (a la RB) in the first couple rounds any more, nor will he pick players that are really hit or miss (WRs, TEs). He also won’t pick players that are more system players (CBs, OLBs) who fit the system, instead of making the system their own.
Our team is a team that wins by the trenches. CBs and OLBs don’t really play there, so we pick up “lower” draft quality players in those positions, while we utilize our early picks on the more essential, to our team, line positions.
by Richard Hill on Mar 8, 2010 10:08 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
bodden has offically re-sigbed. 5 yrs, $28.5m
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
im gonna be all up on you like a spider monkey!
"…traded as many times this summer as a bad hooker’s phone number at a Vegas convention of Proctologists ."
by remembering9ergods on Mar 9, 2010 4:46 PM EST reply actions
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