It's the pats fan version of Philly stax! Complete with useless things like pro bowl appearances as a measuring stick of a players ability. The pats live and die with Brady, which isn't a bad thing because he is the best. Beating the pats still comes down to shutting down Brady. Most teams won't be able to do it. The Jets know they can.
. Good question. Could be several possibilities 1. Leaving no stone unturned 2. Tate hasn't been practicing the last week, and maybe the problem is serious . 3. The Pats don't have that "big tall receiver" 4. He played with Chad in college and the were catching up and since he was in town....... I personally don't get it. IMHO, in the ideal world the Pats need more speed and size on the outside. Unfortunately Randy Moss isn't coming back. Meanwhile back in the real world. Given the WR corp we have, I'm fairly confident that a corps of Branch, Welker, Chad, Edelman, Tate, and Price (over 100yds Thursday) will be fine. The Pats proved last year that they can move the ball with OUT big name WRs If signed TJ would become our version of Plax, not a deep threat, big possession receiver....whose actually played in the NFL the last 2 years (but not particularly well) Not only that, if the Pats actually signed him, they'd have to let go one of the young WRs that have show great potential. It makes no sense....and I doubt it happen. Most likely the Pats want to get a read on him as a possible mid-season addition in case multiple injuries at WR cocur
For some reason I thought he was bigger. If that's the case then that's one LESS reason to sign him. However the more I think on it, the more the last point I made makes the most sense. Getting a read on him as a possible mid season injury replacement.
Injury talk is really only applicable when using it to show opportunity for improvement between last year and this year. Jenkins was injury prone to the extent that you guys knew his backup was a high priority, and would almost be certain to play some snaps. In addition to that, you guys will not have him this year either, so you guys will not improve at all due to that injury. Leonard was a key contributer who will return this year, so I would consider this to be an opportunity for significant improvement. However, if you think that losing one starting player (a safety none the less), and having another playing at less than 100% is your "fair share" of injuries, I suggest you take a closer look around the rest of the league. The patriots lost most of their DL players to injury last year, including 2 of their 3 starters. Although the best player on that list (Ty Warren) will not be returning, the patriots have an opportunity for HUGE improvement in this area assuming that we won't again be forced to play 3rd and 4th stringers and practice squad players. The Patriots also lost their best CB going into the year (Leigh Bodden), which forced us to play Darius Butler, Kyle Arrington, and Jonathan Wilhite. Again, this resulted in a HUGE dropoff in talent that will be regained going into this season. Another implied casualty of that injury is that we were sometimes forced to play two of the above players, or use guys like Pat Chung in coverage to counter opponents' spread offenses. Perhaps another overlooked factor is that Wes Welker was essentially completing the rehab from his 2009 injury over the course of the 2010 season. Most people did not expect that he would play at all in 2010 when the extent of his injury was first announced. I don't expect that he will improve greatly this season, but it is worth mentioning. I would also include OL injuries like Kaczur and Neal, but I don't really see great potential for improvement there until guys like Solder and Cannon are ready to start... probably not until next season. I am sure that I am overlooking some smaller-scale injuries that the Jets faced as well, but overall I feel that the potential for improvement-due-to-injury (if that makes any sense) is far greater for the Patriots.
He hasn't been great in recent times and he's a bit of a dick, but I don't see that he's still around mid-season - there's enough cap room floating around that I reckon someone's going to give a player with his track record vet minimum by week 1.
I can't agree with you more about using probowls as a measuring stick of players abilities. At best its an "indicator". Haynesworth is a HUGE question mark...but no bigger than Holmes was last season, when the Jets took a low risk, high upside chance on a high talent guy with character issues. Even a Jet fan can't deny that if it works out, it will as impactful a move as the Holmes trade IMHO there is less risk, but also less reward with the Ocho addition. I see him as a bigger version of Branch. A good route runner who gets separation with his ability to accelerate out of his cuts. However he is not a consistent deep threat a la a Moss or Edwards. Also you have the issue of learning a new offensive system. Chad has done it one way for almost a decade, and its been reported that the Pats passing system is unique and complicated. Joey Gallaway never got it, and he was gone before the first game. The thing is, if they work out, the Pats WILL BE BETTER - Even if BOTH don't, they are still bringing back the same 11 starters and back ups that that were the best offense in the league and won 14 games last season. On defense they will still be bringing back the same 11 starters, but a year more experienced and the additions of Boddin and Wright off the IR My point is, in the unlikely event that if the ALL of the Pats FA signings go bust, its not like the sky is going to fall. They STILL would be a very good team, a team that might even be better than last season (especially on D), but NOT as good as they could be if some of the FA's work out. BTW- of all the DL men that the Pats have brought in. My out of the box guess of the guy who is going to have the most impact, is Andre Carter. Kist a guess.
I'm not stating a position in the discussion of whether Cromartie or McCourty is the better player, just stating that the use of highly subjective top ten lists is no way to prove a particular point.
Of course but that doesn't mean our defensive line still isn't going to rip your O-Line a new one. Pat Chung as in the one who called the fake punt?
lol, I think you just completed the cycle... this is where I bring up Shaun Ellis and we start all over again.
If the D-line's youth injection and rotation of fresh strong bodies performs as the CS expects them to, the LBs and secondary will automatically improve as a natural consequence. Sanchez should be better. Keller should be better. Holmes as good if not better than last year. Burress, if he can stay healthy, will be better than Edwards and will be best red=zone receiving threat we've had in ages if not ever. JK and Mason will be pleasant surprises whom I believe will exceed expectations. With his special combo of size and speed, I am also hoping that Cumberland will step up as a contributor. Special teams will always be solid under Westy. If the O-line and running game (which I am not yet as confident about) are able to maintain last year's quality of play, we should be better all the way around provided we don't suffer any major injuries to key players.
Where exactly did I mention pro bowl appearances? I agree the lists are subjective in nature, but that doesn't mean they are meaningless. I presented four separate, non-biased sources that all said the same thing. McCourty is one of the best corners in the league, Cromartie doesn't belong in the discussion. I think that's a pretty good baseline to say that McCourty is a better player. If that's not good enough, what is? None of us have access to coaching tape, and stats obviously don't tell the whole story.
OK, but then doesn't it stand to reason that if these unproven players can't preform the LBs and DBs will struggle as a natural consequence?
But it also depends on the defence they're playing in. Every list has Asante Samuel in their top ten, but he would have no place on the Jets because the last thing you want from a #2 corner who is getting the majority of targets in a man coverage scheme is someone who spends the entire game ballhawking. I like McCourty and I like Cromartie. I don't think we can currently state which is the better player with any authority, but if push comes to shove Cromartie has proven a lot more than McCourty by virtue of his time in the league. That's about as far as you can sensibly go, I think.
I agree with you that scheme plays an important role, and I also agree that only one year in the league is a relatively small sample size, and Cromartie has accomplished more. With that said, McCourty's one year had him locking down receivers with a consistency that Cromartie has never shown. He also demonstrated an ability to play physical and tackle, which has never been Cromartie's strength. Cromartie wouldn't be terribly effective in Belichick's defense. But, I think if Rex Ryan had McCourty on his team, he would be starting him over Cromartie.
Absolutely. However, I don't think that Rex would have let Shaun Ellis go if he did not believe he would be getting as much if not more from the new recruits. On paper at least, we've added so much quality AND depth to the D-line,..... more than we've had in ages. Rex & Co obviously believe that they are going to get much more consistent and disruptive penetration from the D-line with this year's crew than we did last year and if they are right, we have a fair shot at going from being a top defense to a shutdown defense. I hope to see glimpses of that potential tonight.
Which part of my breakdown was too "one-sided" for you. Was I wrong about Harris and DBrick never making an all-pro team? Was calling Mangold a dominant interior lineman not enough for you? Did I leave out any elite players? Or is the only problem with my post the fact that I root for another team on Sundays?
neither holmes or welker are top 15. these guys are all better with others knocking on the door larry fitz. calvin johnson, andre johnson, hakeem nicks, mario manningham, roddy white, hines ward, mike wallace, colston, austin miles, dwayne bowe, jeremy maclin, deshean jackson, brandon marshall, vincent jackson, greg jennings, brandon lloyd,
