8 Cost-Effective Moves the Patriots Should Make This Offseason
It’s an off-day B/R piece, taking a look at the cap and where the Pats could do some cutting and extending.
Pre-Free Agency Patriots Depth Chart
Here are the current depth charts as I see them, let me know if I’m missing anything. I’ve put some of the injured players are various spots. Guys expected to make full returns go back to the top like Mayo and Vollmer. Guys with some uncertainty like Gronk and Wilfork are left in the middle for now. All free agents have been removed.
The number of wide receivers sticks out to me. Could an unheralded guy like Harrison or Moe come out of nowhere next summer? I think so. The other rooks have to make big jumps.
Tackle isn’t the disaster most might make it out to be, but Wilfork and Kelly are big question marks. Armstead will be one to watch. The depth at defensive end is concerning and will be an area to watch in free agency and the draft, as will cornerback.
Not expecting Spikes back and I’ve took the liberty of making Hightower an MLB for now. They should add depth at LB as well.
Patriots Take 2: Lack of weapons, running game among reasons for loss to Broncos – Going Deep – Boston.com
Great breakdown from Frenz, a definite must-read and likely the last thing we’ll have to say about the Broncos game. Because how many different ways can you say “we done got dominated”?
New England Patriots enter another offseason seeking offensive weapons | masslive.com
New England Patriots enter another offseason seeking offensive weapons | masslive.com
Let’s face it, during the primary team-building portion of last offseason, the Pats were essentially counting on Gronk and Hernandez to be big parts of their offense. They won’t be under that illusion this offseason.
PatsPropaganda & Frenz Podcast: 2013 Patriots Season Wrap Today at 11am EST
PatsPropaganda & Frenz Podcast: 2013 Patriots Season Wrap Today at 11am EST
Join Frenz and I as we put a final bow on the 2013 season and look forward to the 2014 offseason and what the Patriots will need to do to get back to and thru the AFC Championship.
Broncos were far better than the Patriots across the board – Sports – The Boston Globe
Broncos were far better than the Patriots across the board – Sports – The Boston Globe
Cold, hard breakdown if you’re into reading this kind of thing yet…
Recapping the Pats Stats
Here are a collection of some of my favorite stats, mostly Football Outsiders’ DVOA rankings, with the final 2013 values in.
Some dropoff on offense, but considering the changes, they barely registered a blip. Pats offense was still elite.
The defense saw it’s best pass defense since 2007, but the regression in run defense is huge as to be expected without their two two tackles and top two tacklers.
Pats played their most sub defense in four seasons this year, that tends to happen when you essentially run out of defensive linemen. Even with better pass defense and more defensive backs, they regressed on 3rd down. They need to solve that problem and until they do they will never be an elite defense.
Nothing exciting about these numbers either, except that they finally did a good job covering tight ends after two-straight seasons of futility. Maybe Jamie Collins helped play into that a bit. The drop at #2 WR is likely due in part to Talib locking down WR #1 and not many passes going that way.
