It really was all that post warranted. Is the Pats' draft history really all that impressive under Belichick? I think not. Maybe compared with Bradway's drafts, and taking into account the LUCK drafting of Brady, but at this point if you check out the number of remaining members of BB's drafts I don't think I'm going to be extremely worried about how they draft this year.
They aren't all still there now but here are some of the players he has drafted. Faulk, Seymour, Graham, Branch, Givens, Samuel, Watson, Maroney and Brady who you mentioned. Probably not a lot of stars for 8 years, I agree. May be a few I missed. I think, what this shows, is how they really build that team through free angency and not the draft so much and why I think we have to do that, to some degree, too. It doesn't hurt to luck into one of the best QBs in the game either.
First of all, I don't know what Samuel you are talking about but Asante Samuel was not drafted by the Patriots. Second, you are making my point for me. You list a bunch of no-name guys that the Patriots have drafted and you argue that they are not stars and that the Patriots have succeeded through free agency. Please name the free agent stars that have helped the Pats succeed over the years. The thing about the Pats that has made them so successful is that the team has no star power - it's a true team. It's the sudden influx of star power (although Stallworth and Welker weren't really stars in any sense until they signed with NE) that I think is going to ruin the Pats dynamic.
That sums up to me the overall success. They got a lot of guys together that play hard, mistake free football. Not because they are necessarily the best of the best player wise, but as a team they tend to function well. Only in New England do you see the defensive back depth or WR depth depleted and still have guys stepping up and making plays with little experience. It is a credit to the system and team philosophy they employ, imo. Throw them a few guys and they will find a way to use them to their advantage.
So how then are we at such a disadvantage and falling so far behind them after the draft, as your flippant initial comment in this thread suggested? You made it sound like the Pats are masterful in that department. I understand your tendency to be downtrodden with the Pats' recent history of success, but they haven't won anything past division titles for going on 3 years. Pats fans love to bash the Colts for not taking the next step in the playoffs, but that's what their own team's recent history is beginning to trend toward. Even dynasties fade, and the fact that the Pats have poured-on the FA action after having trickled it in (successful) years' past seems more to me like they are changing their winning strategy of team-chemistry (as you so allude in the post above) to fill holes with haste. They have also neglected their true star in Tom Brady by not addressing the wideout position as well as they should have. After he signed a contract of less-than-market-value so they could build a team around him. Basically, the only FO philosophy they don't seem to be abondoning is the one where they show no real allegiance to the players that have gotten them there.
Im not sure how you can argue with his points..well...at least his overall point. With Brady at QB, the Pats have something the Jets will never have. Flexibility on which direction they want to go. They went the whole entire season last year with perhaps his weakest supporting cast ever. Yet they still made the playoffs. If Brady had Coles and Cotch for support, they probably would have ended up in the superbowl again..and probably won. The Jets dont have that flexibility. The Jets could have 3 of the top receivers in the game and because of Chads limitations, it is what it is. They would still allow other teams defenses to crowd the line. With Brady, even if the Pats defense struggles, they will just outscore you. The Jets arent built to do that...even with 2 fine receivers and a solid running game. Even with a rebuilt offensive line that should be even better this year. Any additions the Pats make just give more fuel to the guy that has carried them to all of their succes...not BB...not the defense..its Brady. Lets be honest, the Jets have made a bunch of moves to just improve...and the Pats have made a bunch of moves to just dominate...because they have Brady and we dont. If for some reason, the Jets pass or come even close to the Pats this year, it would not be because of talent. It would be because the team is more hungry then the Pats...the coaching staff has more to prove....period. That all could easily happen...but not because of talent.
