Mike Dussault

Maybe for a year or two if it all comes together just right, but it’s hard to throw together a bunch of big names with big contracts and have everyone on the same page.

I’ve played and watched enough sports to truly believe it’s rarely the most talented team that wins the championship at the end of the season. Because that’s what we’re talking about. The Patriots have won more games than anyone else the last decade, yet the main talking point is that they haven’t won another Super Bowl.

So we’re talking about a very special set of circumstances you’re trying to create with team building, with a number of variables that cannot be controlled. You need a team to win three or four-straight games in January and February.

And it’s not like the Pats don’t spend to the cap, that’s the biggest misunderstanding. They just believe in spreading it out as much as they can. So can a team that gives a bunch of high end contracts but basically has no depth make it through the fifth month of the season without losing any of those high-priced free agent they signed? They’re living on the edge and usually their lack of depth will catch up to them.

More often than not you’ll lose a top player or two and it’s the teams that can overcome that that make Super Bowl runs. 

I hate the “go all in” thing. What that really means is “sign a some high priced free agents that were stars for other teams at some point”.  Just because they were stars elsewhere doesn’t mean they still be stars with your team or that they’ll still have the same desire after getting a big fat contract.

The Pats “go all in” every season, but by making hard decisions on their own players and building a team that can withstand the inevitable injuries that pile up over the course of the season.

It’s certainly not sexy and can be frustrating when they stick to a salary they think a player is worth and don’t budge, but it wins games. Lots of them. The Pats just have to find the right balance and stay healthy enough and they’ll have a shot at the Super Bowl every season.

Yes, some great options. Give me one of those guys and I’m excited.

“Who?” (along with just about everyone else including Mel Kiper Jr.)

I think the starters are set with Hightower sliding to Mike, Collins at Sam and Mayo at Will, at least in the 4-3. In the 3-4 you probably just stand Ninkovich or Chandler up.

In subpackages I think Collins will be next to Mayo, effectively eliminating the need to play a safety at the money position. Collins has better size than any safety you could put there and seems like the next evolution of subpackage player, since he can cover big tight ends or even be sent after the quarterback. 

Perhaps the biggest question is whether or not Collins overtakes Mayo as the top coverage linebacker. Mayo has always had the speed and smarts but he’s just never seemed to develop that coverage savvy that someone like Bruschi had.

Take a look at Victor Cruz’s TD in SB 46 to see what I’m talking about. Mayo has the perfect call to at least defend the pass and probably should’ve intercepted it. Instead he never gets his head around and it’s six points. This is an indicative example of the biggest weakness I see in Mayo’s game.