http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/75...-football-2012

this could help out the deep threat "deficiency"

BRING MOSS BACK!

fair enough. but...

I don't understand this then. not trying to nit, but are you saying they should have traded draft picks for established players? (ie, more of the Branch moves?). you seem unhappy with how we treated the draft somehow, but don't want to grade the individual picks

also you can easily argue that drafting long terms starter quality talent to inexpensive rookie contracts (ie Solder and Cannon) is a more successful move than 1 year rentals.

granted I said the opposite about Branch, but that cost only a 4th round pick and I think there's now a good chance he resigns for low cost.

I like this. Right now it looks like we got 2 starting tackles for the future whenever we decide to part ways with Light and Vollmer (Solder could start over Vollmer next year IMO) Dowling, when healthy, was drafted to be a starter or have an impact in the dime defense right away, he was just hurt all year. Ridley looks to be the starter next year (if he fixes the fumbling issue) with Vereen getting some significant time as a backup.

I think that just those 5 guys (with Mallet as the 6th who will have some sick trade value and will be traded before TB retires) make for a great draft.

Maybe that's the "homer" in me since I see every game and obv have higher expectations for our rookies, but if I were one of the other 31 teams I wouldn't be disappointed with those guys as my first 6 picks.

mark anderson afterthought obv

only 28 too

I'm confusing tenses, sorry. We have picks to work with this year.

My 2011 Patriots games trip report with a Super Bowl

much rather have a legit downfield threat and no welker than welker and deion branch.

But Welker+Branch just got us to the Super Bowl! They had the lead in the fourth quarter!

Why is everyone so eager to blow this team up?

If his contract wasn't up, I don't think anyone would be discussing wanting to blow anything up. It's just a matter of spending the dollars, and if Welker is going to cost 8 milli/year or more for 3 years minimum, I feel they're better served spending that kind of dough on a downfield threat.

And people are saying the franchise tag would cost about 9.5 milli for 2012 and over 11 for 2013, so I don't like the idea of tagging him for 2 years either.

I could understand that if the money had to come from your pocket but WTF its one of the top 5 WRs in the league who clearly meshes well with our QB but you dont want to pay him a certain amount? Some of you are nuts. Yeah clearly adding Vincent Jackson and minusing Welker is the key ?! So bizarre.

if anything resign some blazer with declining skills like David Patten (or Randy Moss in a slightly less funny example), give Welker what he wants and at least we are still able to get firsts on 3rd and 4.

I don't see any scenario where they don't resign him. Fits perfectly with the Patriots and their "motto" of doing your job and putting the team first. Since joining the Patriots in 2007:

2011- 122 rec for 1,569 yds and 9 TD's
2010- 86 rec for 848 yds and 7 TD's
2009- 123 rec for 1,348 yds and 4 TD's (tore ACL week 17)
2008- 111 rec for 1,165 yds and 3 TD's (Brady tears ACL week 1)
2007- 112 rec for 1,175 yds and 8 TD's

Agree as a Jets fan bc thats way worse imo

Brady short passes >>>>>> Brady deep passes

He seriously is probably the GOAT at throws under 10 yards, which makes Welker so much more important than a deep threat. I wouldn't say hes special at throwing it deep though, even if that is generally more important to any given offense

I'm pretty sure that's Chad Pennington. And no, Brady is not special at throwing the deep ball, he really never has been elite at it... I think he CAN do it, but his ability to do so post-injury has been very much in question.

Can we differentiate between a "deep field threat" and a WR who is fast/athletic enough to create separation and catch a ball outside the numbers? I think that's the biggest concern with the passing offense. Ocho is useless and Branch is most useful when a play breaks down. I am less concerned about a barn-burner type of guy than someone who can consistently be a possession target on the sidelines, even if they're just 10-15 yd outs. We hoped Ocho would be that guy, and he wasn't.

At the very least, a viable threat to key away some of the defense from the middle all the time knowing the Pats are going to go there all the way down the field.

I think BB will definitely go and try to get the guy he thought 85 would be. Welker is ridic good in this offense, in no way do I want to see him go or think we would be better off with a Kenny Britt type

everyone is talking about Brandon Lloyd, I guess that makes sense, but BB generally prefers drafting guys or trading low picks for guys who might be out of favor with their current team. there's a lot of risk in paying $$$$ for FA's who haven't played in your system before, and we've been burned by that (Adalius Thomas, Rose Colvin). you get burned in the 85 or Haynesworth deals, it's not a big deal. you get burned by paying Lloyd $20m guaranteed, that is a big deal.

I think it's unfair to Colvin to lump him in there with Thomas. It looked Colvin was going to be a beast for the Pats, and then he got seriously injured in one of his first few games and he never fully recovered from it.

fair enough

I agree with all of this. I don't really think we need a deep threat but rather another "branch of five years ago" or a David Patten in his prime type.

does anyone else in here want moss back and think he can still play at a high level?



.... i do

Also not that excited about the potential addition of Brandon Lloyd, he's only had 1 thousand yard year out of 9. I understand that the year he did that was with McDaniels, but the FA class of WR's this year is much, much deeper than most years. Time to go out and get a proven guy, VJax or Reggie would be A++ additions.

Projected cap space of $30 mil this offseason

Lloyd fetched a conditional 5th round pick that was originally a 6th. He's 30, only 1 great season, and has stated he wants to play for McDaniels wherever he went

He's not getting anything close to 20M guaranteed, and I dont expect even the contract dollar total to come close to 20. Something like 2 yrs 10-12M, maybe even less

Not so much.

Hindsight being 20/20, Moss would have been better than ocho last year but no I wouldn't want him back next year. That ship has sailed.

I'll add my name to the list of hypocrites who say "No Moss" now, then get excited if we get him.