Strange year for the Patriots, were never fully healthy it seemed. Brady was not the Brady of years past, Moss seemed to be hit or miss, and the D was pretty bad. Unless some of their young talent in the D make a big turn or they go on a spree (Peppers, Merriman?) to get some outside help, and secondary help, they will be in the same boat next year.
Yeah, it's going to be a mixed bag over the next 3 or 4 seasons - especially since 2011 is likely to be a strange year. If I had to put money on the team in the best position right now I'd say that we very narrowly win that race due to having the QB already on board and having a defense that only needs to fill a few holes to stay very good. Miami would be my choice if their continued ascendancy didn't require Bill Parcells presence. He has a proven track record of getting bored and moving on at the first sign of frustration in his rebuilds. My guess is he's outta Miami by end of next season at the latest. They'll have profited from his patronage, just like the Jets and Cowboys did, but they won't be building on it any time soon. If Henne is the answer then they have a chance to put it all together maybe in 2012 or 2013 on the Cowboys plan. If he's not or gets hurt then they are probably on the Jet progression and it could be quite awhile before they see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I'm not so sure we need Parcells to continue to ascend. No doubt, having Parcells helps. But he has set up this organization from the day he got here to be able to continue long after he leaves. I'm not a fool into thinking he will be around forever. Like you said, his track record speaks for itself. If he leaves (maybe next year?), Ireland is our GM and Sporano is our HC. If Ireland and Sporano need Parcells to be successful, then we have the wrong people in place to begin with... I think the biggest benefit in having Parcells is the weight he carries in trade talks. Not many people will play games and string along Parcells, like they would with other GMs. I'm curious why you give Sanchez the lock of having your QB in place, but put question marks around Henne? I think we both have our QBs in place for the future, which is why I think our 2 teams have the brightest futures, and will be competing for the AFCE for years to come. Like everyone else, the Pats are definitely on the decline. Their OL is terrible, and isnt getting any better. They cant protect Brady. Moss is on the decline. Welker screwed up his knee. Their defense has fallen apart w/ the loss of all of their vets and leaders. Its not looking bright for them...
Part of the problem for the Pats is that their OL doesn't dominate as much. They have been in slow decline. I don't follow them closely enough to know if Belichik has some younger players who can be worked in there with effect. But that OL used to be one of the best in the league. Not anymore. It also seems like the overall IQ of the defensive players has noticeably dropped off. Seymour, Vrabel, Bruschi and Harrison were all very smart players.
I'm moderately impressed by Henne at this point, as apparently are the Dolphins personnel people. He came in and did a very workmanlike job after Chad got hurt and he played fairly well after absorbing the system for a year. He's in the situation now that Trent Edwards was in going into 2009 and I think the Dolphins are on the fence as to whether he's the guy they want to commit to longterm, or whether they want to go get a veteran QB at this point. I like Sanchez much more because I see a higher upside with him, both within the organization (no question that he's the guy - so growing pains will be absorbed more easily) and in terms of where the NFL as a whole values him. One easy way to look at what I'm saying is that Chad Pennington is currently a free agent. It's quite possible that the Dolphins could re-sign him to "compete" for the job, or even as the backup, and that he'd win it from Henne in training camp. He did lead the Dolphins to 11-5 two years ago and Henne only managed 7-7.
Pennington also lost the last 4 games he started for the Dolphins. Higly unlikely that Henne isn't the starter for the Dolphins for a long time.
That's what the Bills would have told you about Edwards going into this season. He was a bright young prospect who had a very solid season under his belt and looked like the guy moving forward. Then they brought in TO and made a few changes on the offensive line and the offense collapsed and now Edwards is out. If you're not THE guy then you last only as long as the offense is functional. I don't think Henne is the guy yet. Tony Sparano was noncomittal as to whether or not Henne was the starter going into 2010. That has to mean the personnel department (read Bill Parcells) is still thinking hard about him.
Henne has a vagina like forehead, that is impossible to overlook. If I was a owner I would not want a vagina has the face of my franchise. Pennington is a butterarm, everything is great except her arm. ( I still love Chad, and wish he'd comeback to mentor Sanchez)
Trent Edwards was drafted at the end of the third round as an insurance policy. The Bills had little invested in him. Henne was clearly picked to take over and was being groomed and has shown that he belongs.
And the Dolphins drafted Pat White last year in the 2nd round and they didn't give Henne the job out of camp this year at the start of his second season as you're supposed to do if you're the heir apparent with a journeyman vet at QB ahead of you and they only won half their games with him at QB and the offense was the problem in several of those games. Henne is a good prospect at this point but neither you nor I nor anyone else would be rocked to our socks if somebody else was starting at QB for the Dolphins by midseason next year. That's just what it is. If Henne was the guy they were absolutely grooming to take the QB job there is no way in hell they go for Pat White in the second round last year. Even taking him for the wildcat makes no sense at all on a team that thinks they know who their QB is and that has Ronnie Brown to run the specialty sets. If Chad didn't do his usual odd year screw up Chad Henne might well never have started an NFL game.
You actually think they took him to take Ronnie Brown out of the trigger position in the wildcat? For the record: he's listed #2 at QB on the depth chart for them.
I think they like him because he can run, pass and maybe catch the football. This was a talent pick not a QB pick in a pretty weak draft.
You don't do that in the second round of the NFL draft if you are Bill Parcells. You go pick a QB (3 drafts in a row) or you fill a hole. I'll reiterate: he's listed as their backup QB.
Respectfully disagree with this post..and others who think we are not the favorite for next year in this division. Offensive lines, like the one we have, do not grow on trees. A number 1 statistically...repeat..statistically number 1 defense which will be even more dominant in real life next year. Its up to the qb. If the qb has hit most of his bumps..besides the Patriots having a comeback year, I just do not see any team that has made the improvements we have made. Not sold on whats going on in Miami at all. In fact, their HC should have won coach of the year for two straight years..its not Parcells..who I love...but this team revolved around a running game and some magic for two years now..and it caught up with them finally. That roster and what Parcells has done down there doesnt move me in the least. The running game was there before he arrived. Nothing else stands out at all..except what that coach did with Pennington and Henne.
we've heard talk of the Patriots demise before........I'll believe it when i see it. I think it's safe to say Brady was pretty banged up. Their defense really isn't as good as it used to be, i will say that.........but it'll be their division to lose again next year
