PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Mike Dussault

Ranking the Patriots 11 Pre-Free Agency Needs

by

Below are the specific team needs for the Pats as I see them before free agency. This is more a list of needs than wants, hence positions like center and are listed over positions like wide receiver and corner where players like Edelman and Talib are the main focuses.

Here’s our Pre-Free Agency Depth Chart for reference.

  1. Center – Wendell could be back, but could he be upgraded? Or maybe Connolly goes back to center after spending two years at guard. This will be figured out before the draft. Big spender: Alex Mack. Don’t count on that. 
  2. Y-Tight End – No tight end on roster but Gronk. And Gronk hurt. How about Scott Chandler from Buffalo? We can save the move tight end for later. Need to solidify the position with a Dan Graham-type, and then whatever Gronk comes back with (and whenever), is a bonus. Or do they bring back Hooman and Mulligan and count on Gronk again? Risky…
  3. Defensive Tackle – This could be a top-3 need or a bottom-3 need depending on Wilfork, Armstead and Kelly’s recovery. I wanted Randy Starks last season, I’d take him this offseason too. Or how about a flyer on Henry Melton? One veteran free agent would do the trick I think, but there are so many unknowns at this point. Melton or Starks would really be perfect. Or even Arthur Jones. Has to be tempting to play with his brobeans.
  4. Cornerback – Talib is a difference maker, the Pats need him to play press man. Maybe Brent Grimes would be a nice fallback option, he had  a great year in Miami. But if Talib’s presence proved anything the last two years, it’s that the Pats are a different team with a corner they trust to handle the number one threat. The injuries are slightly concerning, he really needs to work on his hip problems, they keep popping up. But I’d take him back, injuries and all. He has to put together a healthy season at some point, right?
  5. Defensive End – Third swing guy/designated pass rusher. Free agent to compete with Buchanan/Bequette. Someone in the Mark Anderson mold. Ideally Buchanan develops, that’s most cost-effective. Free agent defensive ends tend to be overpriced, but the Pats always take a flyer on someone like Marcus Benard and Anderson, guys who might’ve gotten derailed by injuries and are looking to bounce back on the cheap.
  6. Middle Linebacker – I like moving Hightower to MLB now, Fletcher could be back to provide depth, but I’d love to see another WILL added in the 6’2", 240 range who can run. Just have to be careful not to totally abandon all run-stoppers. I think Spikes is gone after believing he had a chance to return for most of the year.
  7. Wide Receiver – Everyone wants Edelman back, but they have 10 WRs under contract already and could survive without him. Although someone like Eric Decker would really compliment Amendola, Dobson and Thompkins well. So hard to imagine them paying Edelman after paying Amendola. Tough spot for the Pats.
  8. Running Back – Blount would round out the squad, but they need Ridley insurance regardless. If they don’t bring back Blount (which I think they will) could see a 3rd or 4th rounder here.
  9. F-Tight End – Pats never had a chance to replace Hernandez, could they target a “move” TE in the draft now? This is more of a luxury position as I see it. Getting a three-down Y is the priority and if there’s a Hernandez type in the draft go for it. Doubt we see a free agency move on a guy like this, they’re rare.
  10. Quarterback – finding a Brady replacement starts this offseason. I’d prefer the draft but with rumors the Texans now might be interested in Mallett (god bless them) they might want a vet in town sooner than later.
  11. Swing Tackle – depth was tested this year with injuries to Solder/Vollmer/Cannon at various times. Svitek could re-sign and then they’re good.

by

Welp, Gronk’s alive and he’s got another new cast/brace to add to the collection. Heal up fast pal!

H/T to edelmenkowski for the pic.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/welp-gronks-alive-and-hes-got-another-new/

THROWBACK THURSDAY (from 8/4/08): Patriots Training Camp – Why So Physical?

by

THROWBACK THURSDAY (from 8/4/08): Patriots Training Camp – Why So Physical?

It’s another throwback to the old blog, this time from training camp 2008 when it seemed like another undefeated season was possible and Bill Belichick was beating up on the boys in the early days.

Little did we know what would happen in quarter one of the 2008 season and make it the asterisk year of the Brady-Belichick reign.

Patriots getting better players is a good start – Sports – The Boston Globe

by

Patriots getting better players is a good start – Sports – The Boston Globe

I rarely link to anything Christopher Gasper writes, but today you get a special surprise because today’s turd got me fired up.

The Patriots lost to the more talented team the last three seasons?

I don’t agree on that one. 2011 – Eli made pin point throws on the final drive to win the game. Were the Giants really more talented? That’s a stretch and definitely not true if Rob Gronkowski was healthy.

Same thing with last year and the Ravens, and again, especially not if Rob Gronkowski was healthy. Match the 2012 Pats with the 2012 Ravens man-for-man and I’d take the Patriots.

Talent doesn’t ensure that your players play better on any given Sunday.

And are we even going to talk about the Pats’ lack of talent in the playoffs this year? Really? Gasper says he gets it. I don’t think he does.

It wasn’t “Belichick’s choice to play with three rookie wide receivers”. In fact his choice was to play with Gronkowski, Hernandez, Amendola and Edelman and maybe one rookie wide receiver playing a big role, i.e. Aaron Dobson. You know, the second-round pick people like Gasper have been demanding Belichick pick for however many seasons.

There’s no question, the Pats were not in an optimum position this season due to poor personnel development and acquisitions at wide receiver. But hey, despite this “three rookie wide receiver” offense, they were still a pretty good offense this year by the end weren’t they? It wasn’t their best performance against the Broncos for sure, but they fought with what they had and I don’t think anyone had any problems with the offense after they demolished the Steelers and Ravens among others.

So where is all this “talent” that Belichick is passing over? Because that sounds more like selling out your cap and draft picks to make splashy moves. Avoiding that stuff is what has kept the Pats competitive even when they are DESTROYED by injuries like they were this year.

This just goes back to stupid football cliches. Trade up in the draft! Sign Mike Wallace to a monster deal! Those are the answers!

They’re not.

Would there be an article like this when the Pats won the Super Bowl in 2001 with mostly castoffs and unknowns? No, because expectations are different now.

Records must be set. Four losses is AT MOST what the Pats are allowed in a season, or else BURN BELICHICK, BURN!

This is why I avoid this oversimplified post-season articles trying to describe why the Pats didn’t win their last two games. And that’s really what it comes down to. They couldn’t beat teams that had more talent after five months of football but they sure beat PLENTY of teams this year that did have more talent after all their injuries. 

How about those uber-talentd Broncos, Ravens and Saints?

Injuries aren’t excuses but they derail a great chunk of teams every season. The Belichick team-building approach keeps them competitive regardless. And when they have a mostly-healthy year like 2007, they dominate.

But even that much talent like they had in 2007 doesn’t assure a Super Bowl win.

Keep on doing it your way, Coach BB. The “sell out for talent” approach is best left to those who will never actually have to build  a team, and if they did they’d be fired after their big piece of talent got hurt or underperformed.