Roster
Since I'm in absolutely no mood to shine the light of truth on the Junta today, let's look at the Patriots roster and what we may need from free agency and the draft to get back to our Super Bowl (and it is ours, don't let anybody tell you different).
QB - You're kidding, right? A hernia-free Brady will challenge for the MVP.
RB - All we need is Corey Dillon, but will he be there? He was seriously dinged up last year, after his 1,600 yards the year before. Uber Coach Belichick went into the season with only three backs (Dillon, Kevin Faulk, and Patrick Pass), and their injuries seriously slowed us down. Is more depth the answer, or perhaps some younger legs to spell the old men? Still, RB's are plentiful on the FA market, so don't look for a big move here. I'd expect one or two veteran free agents and a second-day draft pick.
WR - With the FA loss of David Givens, we do need some help here. Perhaps if Bethel Johnson could grow past his teen years we'd be okay. Givens was a tough-blocking possession guy with good hands, and is replaceable. I'd look for a mid-level free agent and a late first-day draft pick here.
TE - Lots of good TE's around camp - we're set here and can expect to see many more Ben Watson hightlights if he can stay healthy.
OL - We picked up two very good OL's in the draft last year - Logan Mankins and (Canadian) Nick Kazcur. If Matt Light can return from his broken leg, Kazcur can move to RT and put Brandin Gorin back on the bench (backing up both tackle spots). We also need to get Dan Koppen back from injury, and re-sign Stephen Neal at OG, but we are okay here and won't need to spend a first day pick. Belichick likes to have young OL to develop, though, so don't be surprised if he takes a guy on the second day.
DL - No problem here, other than Richard Seymour's contract. He's the best DL in the game and they need a way to pay him. NT Vince Wilfork is a growing force, and Ty Warren continues to improve. Depth could be an issue, and Belichick usually brings in a number of FA bodies to test at training camp. Jarvis Green gives them a solid backup in the 3-4 and a quality starter when they go 4-3, but you can never have enough depth. We're still waiting for 2005 second-rounder Marquis Hill to make his mark.
LB - Trouble. Willie McGinest free-agented to Cleveland, and Tedy Bruschi, while a fine starter after his return, has too many health questions to rely on for a whole season. Mike Vrable is more than solid, and Rosy Colvin should be back to 100% after his hip injury two years ago. Monty Beisel was not the answer at ILB last year (and shot his mouth off), but can be a good cog in the machine. With a year in the system, he might actually know what he's doing. Same goes for Chad Brown, though at his age he might just put his hand on the ground as a pass-rushing DE. Normally I'd say look for a first-day pick here, but Belichick doesn't like rookie LB's. I'd say more likely look for a mid- to upper-level free agent pick-up and a couple of picks in or after the third round (I know, that's first day - let's say late first day or after).
DB - More trouble. For some reason, DB's just can't stay healthy on this team. They need to carry like 20 of them to field four consistently. They re-signed Artrell Hawkins - a CB capably playing SS - and have Eugene Wilson (a corner playing FS), Randall Gay, Asante Samuel, and Ellis Hobbs. That's a good start, but who is the shut-down corner? Who is the lock-on guy for crunch time? And will Rodney Harrison come back and play anything like he did the past few years? Stay tuned, but look for help to arrive.
The whole defense suffered last year because the starters were gone, and then the back-ups, and then their back-ups. The team was starting a number of 'street' guys, who hadn't been at training camp. They suffered for lack of knowledge of the scheme in mid-season, but were a threat by playoff time because they understood, finally, what was expected of them.
Special Teams - Desperately Seeking Kicker. The loss of K Adam Vinatieri to the Colts hurt. Josh Miller is a fine punter, so we're fine there. Tim Dwight is gone from the return game, but that's okay because one of the young DB's or WR's will be fine there. Look for them to sign an experienced kicker - there's no way they go into the season with a rookie.
There you go. The needs are mostly on defense - starting LB, starting DB, backup DL. Offense needs help at WR and RB, but less urgently.
QB - You're kidding, right? A hernia-free Brady will challenge for the MVP.
RB - All we need is Corey Dillon, but will he be there? He was seriously dinged up last year, after his 1,600 yards the year before. Uber Coach Belichick went into the season with only three backs (Dillon, Kevin Faulk, and Patrick Pass), and their injuries seriously slowed us down. Is more depth the answer, or perhaps some younger legs to spell the old men? Still, RB's are plentiful on the FA market, so don't look for a big move here. I'd expect one or two veteran free agents and a second-day draft pick.
WR - With the FA loss of David Givens, we do need some help here. Perhaps if Bethel Johnson could grow past his teen years we'd be okay. Givens was a tough-blocking possession guy with good hands, and is replaceable. I'd look for a mid-level free agent and a late first-day draft pick here.
TE - Lots of good TE's around camp - we're set here and can expect to see many more Ben Watson hightlights if he can stay healthy.
OL - We picked up two very good OL's in the draft last year - Logan Mankins and (Canadian) Nick Kazcur. If Matt Light can return from his broken leg, Kazcur can move to RT and put Brandin Gorin back on the bench (backing up both tackle spots). We also need to get Dan Koppen back from injury, and re-sign Stephen Neal at OG, but we are okay here and won't need to spend a first day pick. Belichick likes to have young OL to develop, though, so don't be surprised if he takes a guy on the second day.
DL - No problem here, other than Richard Seymour's contract. He's the best DL in the game and they need a way to pay him. NT Vince Wilfork is a growing force, and Ty Warren continues to improve. Depth could be an issue, and Belichick usually brings in a number of FA bodies to test at training camp. Jarvis Green gives them a solid backup in the 3-4 and a quality starter when they go 4-3, but you can never have enough depth. We're still waiting for 2005 second-rounder Marquis Hill to make his mark.
LB - Trouble. Willie McGinest free-agented to Cleveland, and Tedy Bruschi, while a fine starter after his return, has too many health questions to rely on for a whole season. Mike Vrable is more than solid, and Rosy Colvin should be back to 100% after his hip injury two years ago. Monty Beisel was not the answer at ILB last year (and shot his mouth off), but can be a good cog in the machine. With a year in the system, he might actually know what he's doing. Same goes for Chad Brown, though at his age he might just put his hand on the ground as a pass-rushing DE. Normally I'd say look for a first-day pick here, but Belichick doesn't like rookie LB's. I'd say more likely look for a mid- to upper-level free agent pick-up and a couple of picks in or after the third round (I know, that's first day - let's say late first day or after).
DB - More trouble. For some reason, DB's just can't stay healthy on this team. They need to carry like 20 of them to field four consistently. They re-signed Artrell Hawkins - a CB capably playing SS - and have Eugene Wilson (a corner playing FS), Randall Gay, Asante Samuel, and Ellis Hobbs. That's a good start, but who is the shut-down corner? Who is the lock-on guy for crunch time? And will Rodney Harrison come back and play anything like he did the past few years? Stay tuned, but look for help to arrive.
The whole defense suffered last year because the starters were gone, and then the back-ups, and then their back-ups. The team was starting a number of 'street' guys, who hadn't been at training camp. They suffered for lack of knowledge of the scheme in mid-season, but were a threat by playoff time because they understood, finally, what was expected of them.
Special Teams - Desperately Seeking Kicker. The loss of K Adam Vinatieri to the Colts hurt. Josh Miller is a fine punter, so we're fine there. Tim Dwight is gone from the return game, but that's okay because one of the young DB's or WR's will be fine there. Look for them to sign an experienced kicker - there's no way they go into the season with a rookie.
There you go. The needs are mostly on defense - starting LB, starting DB, backup DL. Offense needs help at WR and RB, but less urgently.
posted by fiduciary at 8:10 AM
1 Comments:
I think they would take a RB if somebody dropped unexpectedly. I stopped rooting for them to take RB's when I was heartbroken that they passed on (or didn't make a short trade up for) Curtis Enis. My bad - carry on Bill.
Given their history, the best bet would be another TE.
If I had to guess - I'd say it will be a DE who can be converted to a LB, and can put his hand down as a DE if he can't grok the LB thing.
But as you say, they always surprise - and they're almost always right.
Post a Comment
<< Home