QUOTE: “Knowledge can be acquired by a suitable and complete study, no matter what the starting point is. Only one must know how to ‘learn.’ What is nearest to us is man; and you are the nearest of all men to yourself. Begin with the study of yourself; remember the saying ‘Know thyself.’” -- G.I. Gurdjieff
I was on the Bill Simmons podcast Monday and mentioned that the Patriots benefited greatly from losing their playoff game to the Ravens on Sunday. Had they won, they would be one of the final eight teams in the NFL, which in the new system comes with severe restrictions. I was not delusional but was practical with my thought that the Patriots were really winners last weekend in the sense that they need considerably help and they need new players, not just from the draft, but also from free agency. However, final eight teams in an uncapped year are only allowed to replace players they lose to free agency and cannot add any new players. So had the Patriots won the game and lost in the next round, their ability to be proactive in the free agent market would have been hindered. If you can’t win the Super Bowl with your current roster, which clearly the Patriots could not do, then losing in the first round is the place to be.
In an uncapped year, free agency will look vastly different to fans. Players will need six years of service before making it to the market, which will cut down the number of good players available; also, teams will be restricted in who they can sign and for how much.
Teams will also have more designations to place on players, thus restricting their movement. My sense of free agency this offseason is that we’ll see players who are terminated by their current teams because of their high contract status and failure to perform to the level of those contracts. Teams will dump these players, allowing them to get rid of their future signing bonus proration without it affecting their salary cap. The market will be filled with players who have been cut and sent packing with no one from their former team offering many complimentary words about their play, and teams will have to rely on their ability to clearly evaluate their play.
In free agency, many teams often gain their information from talking, not watching, and this market will require more watching than ever. Also, teams with pro departments that study an entire team’s personnel will benefit as opposed to teams that just study potential free agents. A good pro department will have reports and grades on every player on a particular team, so when the player is available, they can act quickly. In the new system, many teams will be reacting to moves that are made, not anticipating moves. Once again, the new system will benefit the teams with a procurement plan as opposed to teams that react to individual players.
This leads us back to the Patriots. By losing, they are now able to fix their team. As of now, they are one of the lowest committed cash teams for 2010 in the NFL. They will be able to spend freely if they chose because their roster is not loaded with many high-priced players. There will be many changes happening in New England, both on and off the field, and losing to the Ravens will force them to realize they need to improve in every area. Humiliating losses have a way of refocusing an organization, and I suspect the Patriots will be very focused, very well prepared and very aggressive this offseason.
Lane Kiffin and USC
I was as stunned, as many were, by the news that Lane Kiffin was leaving Tennessee to return to USC, where he was an assistant from 2001-2006. I really feel that Kiffin has now gotten three interesting jobs without ever proving his ability on the field as a head coach. Now, in his dream job, he will have to prove that all the talk about him being a great coach is more than just talk.
In my view, Kiffin’s greatest strength so far is that he can recruit. Having his father Monte join him on the USC staff will make the defense very effective, but Lane must demonstrate that he can be a great offensive mind in his game planning and play calling to move from a coach with a great reputation to simply a great coach. His time in Tennessee didn’t convince me that he was moving in that direction, but it was early in the process.
The time is now for Kiffin to move from all the talk about being a great coach to proving he is a great coach.
Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi
Yahoo, in a couple of months you'll be jumping for joy after Fat Rex brings Adalius Thomas to the Jests.....
Whereas I don't disagree with your opinion that a team that wasn't going to win the SB might be better off losing in their first playoff game, I feel the pickings this year might be slim. As you write, there will be very few (if any) quality FAs out there with the extra eligibility years and available tags.
One thing that bears watching, and I think it's often overlooked, is that the Pats have had more competition for talent in the past 2-3 years as more teams are transitioning to a 3-4 defense. Therefore, it's worth examining which teams made the final 8 (and will have to deal with limitations), the final 8 include 4 "classic" 3-4 teams (Jets, Ravens, Cowboys, Chargers), and Arizona, a hybrid defense. Removing 5 playoff caliber teams from competition for FAs who can play the 3-4 should help the Pats improve.
If more than two of the abovementioned teams make it into the final 4, the Pats should rejoice even more.
I suggest yahoodave read the article again.
Mike clearly points out that the Patriots need a lot of pieces through not just the draft, but free agency as well. They are clearly not the team they once were and need help.
Had they won last Sunday, they would've been restricted in only signing one free agent per every free agent that they lost.
By losing, they are open to signing to as many free agents as they wish.
For a team that needs a ton of help like the Pats, it was a good thing.
Yahoodave, you obviously don't know too much about football. Brady not the same? Moss is a dog? Mayo is overrated? The Seymour trade killed them? Go try and peddle your worthless opinions somewhere else. For every one person that may agree with what you wrote there's a thousand that can see you don't know what you're talking about. And learn how to spell for crying out loud, google is an amazing tool. Some people just shouldn't be allowed a platform, and you are one of them.
Sonny and Dave, That's Michael's point and I am shocked more people aren't worried about this..the Jets now can't bring Adalius Thomas in until they lose someone at his cost from their current roster because they are in the Final Eight Plan limitation. As a Jet fan that was the one piece of solace I took from potentially losing in the first round- since they don't have a SB roster and could have used a draft, free agency and another year under Sanchez' belt. And while Michael's not saying NE threw the game to the Ravens- he is saying NE, on the other hand, is the one team that realistically benefits most from staying out of the Final Eight this year as they are the one team with money to spend, a plan to evaluate and Super Bowl building blocks at QB and HC even if Brady is still looking for his former skills- ACLs often take two seasons for a player to regain full confidence. If Dallas loses to Minnesota, Jerry Jones is going to wish the Cowboys lost in the first round too.
Is it safe to assume that "losing a player to free agency" doesn't count if you cut a player? There contract would have to be up in order one of the final 8 teams to replace them in free agency? As in, Roy Williams is under contract, if Dallas cuts him does that qualify them to make a move in free agency? Or does it only qualify to guys lost because their contract ran out?
t-money..
um..u think brady is the same?? have you watched him this year...inacccurate...scared to run...head not in the game..different QB all together...and its well documented on this site I think he was the best ever before this year...I always said Bellicheck was nothign without him... Moss?? Hes not a dog? did he even show up last weekend?...cmon...everyone knows hes a dog...unless hes got single coverage..hes not even gonna finish his routes.. Mayo is just plain slow...and and average tackler....was overrated last year because the rest of the LB's on that team were awful... the seyomre trade took away the only leader they had on D...for draft picks..which bellicheck has proven...he wont use...hes afraid to pick in first round ....he trades down...gets one of those guys to make a special teams tackle..and gets praised for getting "value"
Does the final eight restrictions on free agents also apply to those college kids that aren't drafted? How's Polian going to perform his magic?
I have to agree, Yahoo Dave. I don't think you got the context of what Lombardi was saying. It's like you skimmed over it, after reading "patriots" ... your bias really showed. Hehehe.
The fact that the top 8 teams are that restricted is really interesting. However, if any of the top teams are cash-strapped or looking to save money, it might be a good problem to have (Cincy would have loved it, for sure). Because now those teams have a built-in excuse to their fans on why they can't spend tons of money on free agents. Maybe Indy or Arizona will enjoy this situation?
Well, the Pats had a nice run, all the way up to the Brady injury. Truthfully, their OL got exposed by the Giants and everyone has figured out their version of the college spread and shut it down in games that count. They better focus on their run game and stopping the run if they want to be relevant again. And that means finding some WRs who can actually block and keep their heads in the game. Has there ever been a bigger waste of space than Moss? He goes down with Tim Brown and T.O. as the "greatest" wideouts never to win the big game. Ha!
Yahoodave
No I don't watch football. I just read what other people write and use it as my opinion, just like you.
Far be it from me to be an apologist for Yahoo, but there is sense in what he is saying. Mike's assumption is that the Pat's have some marvelous player procurement talent in Belichick that can make all the problems go away. One of the things Yahoo is saying is that its about time for us to start questioning that premise. New England's drafts recent drafts have been questionable, and the Adalius Thomas and Randy Moss signings may signify that Belichick's FA evaluating abilities are also questionable (although I freely admit that the Randy Moss signing is fairly debatable - you never know what you will get out of him). So in that sense, while the Patriots undoubtedly benefited from not being in the final eight, its fair to question whether they really have the "plan" in place to maximize their potential.
In my mind, Mike is wrong for another reason - since when has a team REALLY taken itself to the next level by investing heavily in free agents. This is as hit or miss a proposition as anything - and it certainly isn't the "Patriot Way" - whatever the hell that is supposed to mean.
well said scot
well said scot
Yahoodave
No I don't watch football. I just read what other people write and use it as my opinion, just like you.
Trades may actually reflect more value in uncapped times, as oppposed to formulated free agency. The top restrictions will enforce parity to new levels, but they also end up providing a steeper correction curve to get teams back in line on payroll.
It's time to add another round to the draft, as the NFP own value agent stated in a recent article.
Mike had the Pats advanced and then lost they would still have the ability to sign some players. I though the free agent for free agent rules only applied to to the final four teams. The other 4 not only can replace those they lost but can also sign one guy for close to 5 million in a 1st year cap figure and as many guys as they want for about 3.3 in the first year. I cant see how losing is good for a team, especially in a year with so few UFA's.
Robert Boland, actually the Jets can bring in Adailius Thomas, because the stipulation is that if the player is cut from a team, even the "elite 8" can sign him.
it's players who have an expiring contract that teams must follow an "eye for an eye" clause, not players that are released
Robert Boland, actually the Jets can bring in Adailius Thomas, because the stipulation is that if the player is cut from a team, even the "elite 8" can sign him.
it's players who have an expiring contract that teams must follow an "eye for an eye" clause, not players that are released
Robert Boland, actually the Jets can bring in Adailius Thomas, because the stipulation is that if the player is cut from a team, even the "elite 8" can sign him.
it's players who have an expiring contract that teams must follow an "eye for an eye" clause, not players that are released
Guys c'mon, I agree that BB's draft choices in specific areas, have been pretty bad: most glaringly he has had a horrible track record of drafting college wideouts.
But you're not giving him cred when you say that the Randy Moss trade was "questionable." QUESTIONABLE? Randy Moss broke the NFL single season record for TD's in 07... did you forget this? They traded a FOURTH ROUND pick for him... and he restructured his contract to less than 5 million overall. A FOURTH ROUND pick... for a receiver who broke the single season record for TD's. If his career ended after that and he never played another game that would still go down as one of the best trades in NFL history.
Yeah, BB has had some misses but he's made some shrewd moves and has been way ahead of the game on a couple others (trading for Welker and Moss when NO ONE else in the NFL wanted those guys is on the top of that list.)
Well, my Packers are in the same boat that Lombardi's glad the Patriots are in, but I'm not sure I see the appeal. It sounds like I'm supposed to be excited that we're in the "deep end" of a very shallow pool. Free agency will be crappy because the category of who's "restricted" is much larger, and there are many more tags. So, by being out of the elite 8, my team is one of *only* 26 teams that are free to chase after somebody's 4th string, cast-off special teamers? Or we could pay a super premium for the privilege of signing one of the few decent players who actually somehow makes it through the maze of restrictions. ...and then the decent player in question will instantly get a big ego because he's the highest paid player at his position, and so, in addition to being average, he'll also be a cancer. ...lucky us!
Sounds like the draft is the place to be this year. ...which any team can take advantage of equally regardless of where it finished this season.
Robert Boland, actually the Jets can bring in Adailius Thomas, because the stipulation is that if the player is cut from a team, even the "elite 8" can sign him.
it's players who have an expiring contract that teams must follow an "eye for an eye" clause, not players that are released
Blockbuster signing time! Great news, this means the Pats could easily reclaim Joey Galloway! The NFL fantasy commercial with the geek saying" (/Championship) " comes to mind.
In fairness to New England, this signing is promising and could be one of those hybrid types Bill coaches up:
1/13/2010 Bruce Davis, LB (NE) signed
He had more sacks than Gholston in his final year of school, and can rush from outside with a ahnd on the ground. Got the motor, may have trouble with the reach to shed blocks, so he switched to linebacker from end. He's got an NFL bloodline and good game sense.
Yahoodave,
I can't see where you thought that Lombardi inferred that the Pats would be able to heal themselves through "some marvelous player procurement talent that can make all their problems go away."
Isn't possible that he was just using the Pats as an example?
He could have plugged in the Eagles for this column, but would you have read into Lombardi stating that the Eagles will be able to heal themselves through "some marvelous player procurement talent that can make all their problems go away?"
He mentioned the Pats because he said this on Bill Simmons podcast (and Simmons is a Pats fan). Lombardi did mention in the podcast that Belichick has not had a stellar track record of drafts and free agent pick-ups. He even said something to the effect of "if Junior Seau is on your team and is actually playing, then you've made a mistake somewhere."
I'm not going to hide it, I'm a a Patriots fan so my view is from a Pats fan perspective. The Pats got blown out by Baltimore last Sunday and the roster will need to be overhauled this offseason. I thing what is certain about Belichick is that he doesn't accept mediocrity and he doesn't stand pat when the opportunity for imporvement exists.
The 2009 version of the Patriots responsible for the worst playoff defeat since Belichick took over in 2000. This team was not good enough to compete for a SB so the roster will be changed come 2010. In some way this was a "good" loss.
There are 16 Patriots who will be free agents, among them the notable players are: NT Vince Wilfork, CB Leigh Bodden, RB Kevin Faulk, DE Jarvis Green, TE Ben Watson, PK Stephen Gostkowski, LG Logan Mankins and RG Stephen Neal.
The Pats catch a big break with no cba in place and the uncapped season. That will push Gostkowski and Mankins to RFA. The Pats can tender them so that if another team signs them to an offer sheet and they decline to match they'll get a draft pick compensation. In order to get a 1st Rd pick, the Pats would have to offer both players 1 yr deals for $2.62 mil. If they want a 1st Rd and a 3rd Rd pick, the tender will have to be $3.27 million. Mankins had a base salary of $1.4 mil in 2009 and Gostkowski made about $1 mil.
As Michael points out by losing in the first-round, the Pats are not part of the "Final 8" teams in the playoffs. To clear things up, the "Final 8" can only sign as many FAs as they lose and the first-year salaries of the incoming FAs can not exceed the first-year salaries the departing free agents received from their new teams.
In my view, this is what the top off-season priorities for the Pats are:
* Sign Vince Wilfork and sign Tom Brady to an extension --> Wilfork is the teams' best DL, whether he is playing NT or DE. Brady is Brady.
* Get back to the Patriot Way --> Something was missing this year. The locker room lacked leadership. Not enough players drank the Kool-Aid. Only 4 players remain on the roster who have been around for all 3 SB titles and 11 players who had won a SB w/the team. Go back to 2001 offseason type signings and bring in some veteran leaders.
* Upgrade at LB --> The teams biggest weakness is an inability to consistently rush the passer. Tully Banta-Cain, finished with 10 sacks, but he's not a player team's game plan around and he is a liability vs the run. An effort will be made to re-sign him but they will not break the bank. As everyone knows, OLB Adalius Thomas, who is scheduled to make almost $5 mil in 2010 will not be back and the same may apply to UFA OLB/DE Derrick Burgess. Gary Guyton, who has struggled to consistently defeat blocks vs run, is not an every-down ILB. Mayo needs help inside and he needs to get healthy.
The Pats will look to improve through FA here, Julius Peppers maybe??, The Pats have the
money and draft picks to make it happen if he's franchised again.
This is very funny, some people have very short memories. At the beginning of the season, Lombardi was praising the offseason moves and last years draft tactics of the Pats and extolling BB's brilliance. Clearly indicating the Pats were still the team to beat in the NFL. Now that they're toast, they're suddenly in a great position to capitalize on LOSING to replenish their squad. Well, if they made so many great moves why the heck are they OUT??? If the talent evaluation of BB was sooooo great, why do they need to retool??????? In Lombardi's world, all things Belechick are genius......BARF. GIMME A BREAK, MIKE!
Lombardi is a homer, just like Simmons, and just like the douchebag on Football Outsiders.
I'm not sure that the FA flexibilitiy that Lombardi speaks of will be all that important. I say that because the rules seem to indicate that a semi-finalist or quarter-finalist can re-sign their own players AND can sign Free Agents to replace players that they lost in free agency, so long as the replacements make less than their former players make with their new teams. Net Net, the Pats, had they advanced to the quarters, would have been able to play in Free agency as they are going to have plenty of people leave .....Burgess, Jarvis, Bodden, Neil, maybe Wilfork .etc etc etc, I'm not saying their isn't a small advantage here, but it certainly isn't a game changer.
I think its reasonable to assume that the Pats will need 6-8 new bodies next year. As mentioned earlier, they have four picks in the top 54, an extra One in 2011 that could be used to trade up,and a couple guys coming back off injury, Tate and McKenzie, who could figure into thier plans. That leaves a few spots for Free Agents and perhaps a later rounder. Yes, they need a pass rusher, a third receiver, a corner, a tight end and some depth at guard, but the needs seem manageable.
And to YahooDave ....yes Brady was down this year. No question about it. But his pass rating was the second best of his career and his DYAR was excellent against the toughest slate of "pass defenses" that anyone in football faced this year.
In fairness to BB and his recent drafts I think where the Pats were picking has limited his options, both in terms of picking talent and moving up and down the draft board. If you're consistently picking late, as has been the case since 2003 it's more difficult to find impact players. Pioli though has to bear some of the responsibility for those poor drafts as well.
I feel like last year the team had an impressive draft, in addition they positioned themselves beautifully for the 2010 draft through that draft. They need D-linemen and LB's as mentioned this draft is loaded with those type of players. They have a bunch of kids that played from the 2009 draft. Patrick Chung, Sebastian Vollmer, Darius Butler, Myron Pryor and Julian Edelman were solid picks. They also have Ron Brace and Tyrone McKenzie (who was hurt in camp) from the 2009 draft. Julian Edelman was a 7th Rd steal.
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In fairness to BB and his recent drafts I think where the Pats were picking has limited his options, both in terms of picking talent and moving up and down the draft board. If you're consistently picking late, as has been the case since 2003 it's more difficult to find impact players. Pioli though has to bear some of the responsibility for those poor drafts as well.
I feel like last year the team had an impressive draft, in addition they positioned themselves beautifully for the 2010 draft through that draft. They need D-linemen and LB's as mentioned this draft is loaded with those type of players. They have a bunch of kids that played from the 2009 draft. Patrick Chung, Sebastian Vollmer, Darius Butler, Myron Pryor and Julian Edelman were solid picks. They also have Ron Brace and Tyrone McKenzie (who was hurt in camp) from the 2009 draft. Julian Edelman was a 7th Rd steal.
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I'm not sure that the FA flexibilitiy that Lombardi speaks of will be all that important. I say that because the rules seem to indicate that a semi-finalist or quarter-finalist can re-sign their own players AND can sign Free Agents to replace players that they lost in free agency, so long as the replacements make less than their former players make with their new teams. Net Net, the Pats, had they advanced to the quarters, would have been able to play in Free agency as they are going to have plenty of people leave .....Burgess, Jarvis, Bodden, Neil, maybe Wilfork .etc etc etc, I'm not saying their isn't a small advantage here, but it certainly isn't a game changer.
I think its reasonable to assume that the Pats will need 6-8 new bodies next year. As mentioned earlier, they have four picks in the top 54, an extra One in 2011 that could be used to trade up,and a couple guys coming back off injury, Tate and McKenzie, who could figure into thier plans. That leaves a few spots for Free Agents and perhaps a later rounder. Yes, they need a pass rusher, a third receiver, a corner, a tight end and some depth at guard, but the needs seem manageable.
And to YahooDave ....yes Brady was down this year. No question about it. But his pass rating was the second best of his career and his DYAR was excellent against the toughest slate of "pass defenses" that anyone in football faced this year.
Yahoo Dave - Brady Holds the single season passing TD record the year after he had the illigit kid. He is recovering from knee surgery. Your constant bashing of him just shows how little you know.
BB built the pats last two superbowls through the draft ass hat. Samuel/Wilfork/Warren/Seymour/Hobbs all playing key roles on D. Mankins/Kazur/Brady/Watson/Neal In addittion he made draft day trades to aquire welker Moss and others.
Yes not every pick or trade is going to work out - you shoot for 50%. For you to even state that he does not know what he is doing is personal ignorance on your part.
Yes he traded down the last 2/3 years because thats where the value was - high second rd picks thatyou can sing for longer contracts for shorter money. See where these drafts grade out in 2/3 years. As clearly it it going to take a few years for most second and third round talenet to make an impact.
Have fun with the sanchize and his handcuff of a contract for the next 5 years.
As to Lane Kiffin. I agree about his reputation preceding any accomplishment. However, as a first year coach he lost to 'Bama by 2; Auburn by 4; and Florida by 10. Yeah, he finished 7-6, but those are "impressive losses". Now, what will he do going forward is, as ML pointed out, the real question.
USC needed to move quickly.... They did! The full coaching staff is good to excellent. This could be a great move, but at worse it will be a good selection.............
I couldn't care less about Lane Kiffin or college football, but saying "Kiffin has now gotten three interesting jobs without ever proving his ability on the field as a head coach" is shoddy.
He got the Raiders "interesting" job because.... well, who knows why Al Davis does anything? He got the Tennessee job because of his dad and because they were desperate (and are, again). He got the USC job because he was visible there for 8 years. I'll give you odds he won't be getting another job until he proves himself this time.
Yahoo Dave, referring to any child as "illigitimate" [sic] in 2010 could only result from the thought process of an idiot. Legitimate, by what standard? Stop talking in cliches or better yet, just stop talking.
"Instead of going into the fact that Bellicheck has obviously lost a stop, Brady..is not the same since the knee...the illigitimate kid.and the new kid with the wife. Moss is a dog..and without attention to Welker..hes irrelevant. Adalius Thomas was a terrible FA signing. Mayo is overrated. And..the seymour traded killed them..because..has hes proven for years..Bellicheck cant draft... Hell just keep trading down to make it look like he knows what hes doing."
none of those are facts, they are all opinions, and you did not go into "fact" you went into numerous opinions. Bad with grammar, spelling, and we all know you know nothing about football. the old trifecta.
the pats deserve some criticism for bad drafting recently, but to say BB cannot draft is foolish. the seymout trade killed them? they have not even received the #1 pick from the raiders yet? what if that is a top 5 pick in 15 months? even top ten would be great. the pats have 4 picks in the top 50 this year. two first rounders next year. they need to use them wisely; othersie the pats may be on the downward spiral.
enjoy the next few days, yahoo dave....then the jets will be on the sidelines too....and as ML pointed out, at least the pats will be able to sign people fo fill their holes.
oh well, you will always have super bowl 3.
Mike,
I wish there was a little bit more insight and reasoning into this final 8 approach during the uncapped 2010 offseason. I'm still not sure why the rule exists ... is it sort of an amnesty day the NFL plans on instituting every 10 years or will it be utilized every year?
I agree 100% with your Pats sentiment. However, I think this offseason will say a lot about the Patriots ... as a fan, we can take it when a team lays down for the betterment of the future. See: Knicks fans. But Belichick is so tight lipped that you never know what he's thinking. So all we have to rely on is him showing us. Hopefully they'll be quite active ... one of their 2nd round picks (or two) for Josh Cribbs? Seems to be what the doctor ordered.
One last thing ... Belichick reminds me a lot of Phil Jackson. It seems that he can always get way more out of under appreciated veteran than a blue chip prospect. Last year they made the uniform decision to go quicker and get more athletic, thus cutting or forcing retirement on all their veteran defensive players. But it seems to me that this team has gotten so slow mentally and so stagnant psychologically that they have actually regressed. It appears that smarter play and more heart power the motor much better than a combine score and a stronger physique. I hope the Pats go back to what made them so successful in the past, which was a nice mix of veteran leaders and young role players (not the other way around)
Thanks for all your insight. Keep up the great work.
yahoo dave is such a typical meathead Jets fan.
Patriots = 6 Super Bowls since the merger, 3 championships
Jets = uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
Niko, my dad is a Pats fan, he told me this, the last year where the Pats were picking, what 23, they traded the pick to baltimore, could have had Michael Oher, then in 2nd round traded say 52 to Green Bay where they drafted Clay Mathews.
Don't dare defend Belichek, he screwed up
scot (what happened did you lose a t at the end of your name?) and dave (you really are a yahoo!)...it's good to see you haters are still out there with your ill concieved notions of what it's all about...because that means that inside you do realize that the Pats are still a player in the near future...in fact even with things the way they are they are probably closer to a SB ring than the Jets are...but you're still steaming over the BB note "I don't want to be HC of the NYJs"?.....that was 10 or 12 years ago ( and 3 SB rings,a fluke away from a 4th, 2 AFC coach of the the year award, 8 division champs, etc,etc, etc) and "youse guys" cant give it up...not that I would expect a NYJ fan to live in the present since your last SB was ....let's see....ummm oh yeah...40 some years ago....I'm not sure but ....I think Mr. Lombardi may have just a bit more knowledge and insight as to where certain teams are and he states it without being a fan(-atic) as you or I would... by the way...should someone email SexyRexy to let him know that he is not eliminated from the playoffs???
Using this logic the Bills will be the AFC team to beat in 2010!!! Yay Bills
JDB .....how about this defense .....
With the 59th pick last year, the Pats selected Vollmer who might not have Oher's back story, but he can competantly play the same position. And who else would you want to play a violent ground acquisition game than a German?
And Mathews? I have no idea what you are talking about. Are you suggeting that the Pats should have kep their pick (from Balt) and selected Mathews at 26 rather than trading the pick away for picks? I'm not sure your DAD told you this .... but that trade looks like Mathews for Darius Butler, Brandon Tate and Jacksonvill'es number two this year, which looks like it will be about 44 (in a draft that is assumed to be MUCH deeper than last year).
Get back to me in three years and we will determine whether your DAD was right.
Are you kidding me? Belichick gets Moss for a song and Moss then goes on to have a record-setting offensive year (for any WR)? I'd say that's far less than questionable.
Sorry, that was supposed to say (a career year for any WR).
Hey YahooDave:
Brady threw for 4398 yards (5th in the NFL) and had a QB rating of 96.2 (9th). I am guessing there's at least 23 other teams who want a quarterback like that (They may overlook the fact that he has a kid with a supermodel)
Moss had 13 TD's (tied for 1st) with 1264 yards (tied for 5th). I am guessing there's 27 other teams who want a dog like that.
Hey YahooDave:
Brady threw for 4398 yards (5th in the NFL) and had a QB rating of 96.2 (9th). I am guessing there's at least 23 other teams who want a quarterback like that (They may overlook the fact that he has a kid with a supermodel)
Moss had 13 TD's (tied for 1st) with 1264 yards (tied for 5th). I am guessing there's 27 other teams who want a dog like that.
Hey CP,
As Belichick himself says stats are for losers. Brady's #s look good but of the 28/13 - 13 TDs and 1 pick came in their 3 blowouts vs TB, Tenn and Jacksonville which were 3 of the worst pass D teams in the league.
That is a fact.
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Jan 13, 2010
11:20 AM
Mike,
This has got to be your most absurd Bellicheck kool aid spin I have ever seen you write. Instead of going into the fact that Bellicheck has obviously lost a stop, Brady..is not the same since the knee...the illigitimate kid.and the new kid with the wife. Moss is a dog..and without attention to Welker..hes irrelevant. Adalius Thomas was a terrible FA signing. Mayo is overrated. And..the seymour traded killed them..because..has hes proven for years..Bellicheck cant draft... Hell just keep trading down to make it look like he knows what hes doing.
But yeah..getting embarrased at home...rolling over..and showing hte league..that this is a far cry from those patriot championship...and the mystique is over.....yeah..that was a good thing for the team....I think Bellicheck actually planned it because hes soo much smarter than everyone else..
CMon mIke...really??????