Hawg73
12-26-2002, 11:33 AM
Regardless of what happens with the rest of this season it is pretty clear what the Patriots weaknesses are and what needs to be addressed for next season in order to upgrade the team's talent and improve the chances for another championship.
Since I am not particularly interested in the minutae of capology - that will not be a major consideration even though I know it is a big factor. Consider this a fantasy spiced with some hopefully coherent observations.
In my opinion, though our weaknesses are plentiful, the number one need is to improve the run defense under the theory that if teams can run up the middle on you pretty much at will, it allows them to play a low-risk type of game that is physically taxing and mentally demoralizing on your defense. The Steve Martin experiment has ended as a dismal failure but there was nothing wrong with the concept of bringing in a big, strong run stuffing tackle to pair with Seymour.
Three of the finest defenses that the league has seen in recent years would be the Ravens of 2000, the Bears of 2001 and the Dolphins circa 99/00. All three D's had some similar traits utilizing giant DT's to control the line and screen the MLB and free him up. All three had superior MLB's and this combination meant that you could pretty much forget about running up the gut. All three used athletic DE's and/or OLB's to generate a pass rush and it is this blueprint that we should be emulating. Since pass rushing capablity is a nice-to-have but not imperative quality for this kind of guy, I'm hoping that there is a mountainous young man available in the draft this year that will not cost one of our premiere picks that is capable of giving a Pat Williams's/Tony Siragusa/Ted Washington/Tim Bouwens type of performance. There are usually guys like this available in later rounds since they lack the kind of athleticism that the high picks possess. Finding one should be a high priority.
There are 2 premiere FA ILB's available this offseaon. Takeo Spikes and Chris Claiborne. Both are recognized as top notch guys who happen to play for horrible teams and either one would be a fine addition to this club assuming we could pay them. If so, that would allow us to move Bruschi outside where I think he is more effective and allow some breathers for Phifer who is not getting any younger. Claiborne is younger and bigger, probably more versatile so I will settle for him.
What to do with the two high picks which should be say 12th and about 22nd? The next most glaring weakness is lack of credible running game. We need a better threat than Antowain, and I am guessing that the excellent Willis McGahee will be long gone but that Penn State's Larry Johnson will be available and he does fit the BB mold of a bruising straight-ahead power runner. If he can just get to the holes a split second before Smith (a likely scenario) then it would be a shot in the arm for the entire offense especially the O-line which has been run blocking well enough IMO, but not well enough to offset the lead-footed Antowain.
We will have another 1st rounder and since it is not a strong year for receivers I will guess that BB will take the best available developmental (I hate that word) OT or CB. No goosebumps with this pick but we need help in both areas and I don't think we will get an immediate impact player at either spot. The 2nd rounder should be used to grab a DE. I'm hoping that a guy like Penn State's Michael Haynes is available, but he will have to slide a bit to get to us. God knows we could use some pressure from this spot and I'm looking for a pass rusher with this pick. People forget that Jason Taylor was a 2nd rounder and I'd settle (!) for a guy like him.
With whatever money they can save by cutting some of their current stiffs, Hayes, Cleeland, Redmond and maybe Otis retiring I'm hoping they can grab one more top ticket FA. I know that it is not in the Pioli/BB modus operandi to do so, but imagine a David Boston starting at one wideout. I could see him causing D's to back up, Deion Branch claiming the other starting "possesion" WR spot and bringing Troy in as a slot/3rd down guy to torture LB's. A role he should be sliding into as he ages. We need to take some of the pressure off Troy and get him off the field once in a while. Boston is a poor man's Terrell Owens and he would probably be thrilled to come to a team with a chance to win after years in Arizona.
If I was really going to get off-the-wall I would have mentally signed Orlando Pace and moved Matt Light to RG. I think Light's future is bright if he didn't have to contend with that big pass-rushing move to the outside and this would allow the oft-banged up Andruzzi to fill in and back up. Finding a premiere LT like Pace is probably impossible given the economics but that would change the entire nature of the line and I said that I was fantasizing.
So this off-season I have just cured the run D, improved the pass rush and added developmental talent, while on O fixed our run offense and entire passing game.
I can dream can't I?:thumb:
Since I am not particularly interested in the minutae of capology - that will not be a major consideration even though I know it is a big factor. Consider this a fantasy spiced with some hopefully coherent observations.
In my opinion, though our weaknesses are plentiful, the number one need is to improve the run defense under the theory that if teams can run up the middle on you pretty much at will, it allows them to play a low-risk type of game that is physically taxing and mentally demoralizing on your defense. The Steve Martin experiment has ended as a dismal failure but there was nothing wrong with the concept of bringing in a big, strong run stuffing tackle to pair with Seymour.
Three of the finest defenses that the league has seen in recent years would be the Ravens of 2000, the Bears of 2001 and the Dolphins circa 99/00. All three D's had some similar traits utilizing giant DT's to control the line and screen the MLB and free him up. All three had superior MLB's and this combination meant that you could pretty much forget about running up the gut. All three used athletic DE's and/or OLB's to generate a pass rush and it is this blueprint that we should be emulating. Since pass rushing capablity is a nice-to-have but not imperative quality for this kind of guy, I'm hoping that there is a mountainous young man available in the draft this year that will not cost one of our premiere picks that is capable of giving a Pat Williams's/Tony Siragusa/Ted Washington/Tim Bouwens type of performance. There are usually guys like this available in later rounds since they lack the kind of athleticism that the high picks possess. Finding one should be a high priority.
There are 2 premiere FA ILB's available this offseaon. Takeo Spikes and Chris Claiborne. Both are recognized as top notch guys who happen to play for horrible teams and either one would be a fine addition to this club assuming we could pay them. If so, that would allow us to move Bruschi outside where I think he is more effective and allow some breathers for Phifer who is not getting any younger. Claiborne is younger and bigger, probably more versatile so I will settle for him.
What to do with the two high picks which should be say 12th and about 22nd? The next most glaring weakness is lack of credible running game. We need a better threat than Antowain, and I am guessing that the excellent Willis McGahee will be long gone but that Penn State's Larry Johnson will be available and he does fit the BB mold of a bruising straight-ahead power runner. If he can just get to the holes a split second before Smith (a likely scenario) then it would be a shot in the arm for the entire offense especially the O-line which has been run blocking well enough IMO, but not well enough to offset the lead-footed Antowain.
We will have another 1st rounder and since it is not a strong year for receivers I will guess that BB will take the best available developmental (I hate that word) OT or CB. No goosebumps with this pick but we need help in both areas and I don't think we will get an immediate impact player at either spot. The 2nd rounder should be used to grab a DE. I'm hoping that a guy like Penn State's Michael Haynes is available, but he will have to slide a bit to get to us. God knows we could use some pressure from this spot and I'm looking for a pass rusher with this pick. People forget that Jason Taylor was a 2nd rounder and I'd settle (!) for a guy like him.
With whatever money they can save by cutting some of their current stiffs, Hayes, Cleeland, Redmond and maybe Otis retiring I'm hoping they can grab one more top ticket FA. I know that it is not in the Pioli/BB modus operandi to do so, but imagine a David Boston starting at one wideout. I could see him causing D's to back up, Deion Branch claiming the other starting "possesion" WR spot and bringing Troy in as a slot/3rd down guy to torture LB's. A role he should be sliding into as he ages. We need to take some of the pressure off Troy and get him off the field once in a while. Boston is a poor man's Terrell Owens and he would probably be thrilled to come to a team with a chance to win after years in Arizona.
If I was really going to get off-the-wall I would have mentally signed Orlando Pace and moved Matt Light to RG. I think Light's future is bright if he didn't have to contend with that big pass-rushing move to the outside and this would allow the oft-banged up Andruzzi to fill in and back up. Finding a premiere LT like Pace is probably impossible given the economics but that would change the entire nature of the line and I said that I was fantasizing.
So this off-season I have just cured the run D, improved the pass rush and added developmental talent, while on O fixed our run offense and entire passing game.
I can dream can't I?:thumb: