Until the Patriots acquire another big name defensive end in the draft the memory of Richard Seymour will continue to haunt them via articles like this one from Tom E. Curran.
It’s undeniable that New England took a calculated half-step back by dumping Seymour, but if Nate Solder ends up being the long term Left Tackle it’s my view that it was a good business decision that worked out well for the Pats.
The question you have to ask is: Would the ‘09 Patriots have won a Super Bowl if Seymour was on the team? I’d say probably not, given that was a year of near total defensive turnover, especially in leadership positions.
Have the Pats missed Seymour? Of course. But trying to squeeze every last bit out of every player you have is often not the smart long term approach. It might be painful, and it might be a small step back, but ultimately it is setting the franchise up for continued and sustained success.
