we need a pass rusher:

look at the difference wiht balt o line and pats o line. 

brady whacked after 3 secs

we cant sniff flacco

baltimore has 2 big wrs.

we have none

What's the point of talking draft as we are not winning another SB anytime soon!

offseason

 

2 big wr's

1 big cb

1 big safety

1 pass rusher

1 fast linebacker

best off coord we can get.

fire the coachign staff below bb.

hire a real gm. bb learns to share.

if that makes bb leave then so be it.

Back to the drawing board. This team wins in the regular season but cant seal the deal when it matters . Without gronk this offense doesn't scare anyone. Welker can't be the number one option anymore. We lack athleticism on o and can use a talent like a Julio jones. Our defense completely different without Talib . Amazing how drastically it can change. We lack explosion , pass rush and have coverage issues. Can't believe it after we have invested so much.

guys, I am reeling like most of you. How do we get this team over the 8 year hump? 

is it time to burn the ships and start over? I am questioning if Brady can get it done, we have the right receivers and a defense that can stop a team when it matters.....

In response to PatsLifer's comment:

And you think Ravens having Gronk would have scared the ravens?

In response to PatsLifer's comment:

I believe he can, but the team may need to reconsider its philosophies on game planning.

In response to PatsLifer's comment:

Agreed, he's definitely offseason priority #1 on the defensive side of the ball.

In response to mbeaulieu07's comment:

Agree, but also a wr needed.

In response to dwhite1220's comment:

Def interested to see how they address the WR position with both WW and Edelman hitting FA.  I suspect that they'll tag WW and resign Edelman, but I'm also a proponent of addressing the position on atleast Day 2 of the draft.

In response to bredbru's comment:

I know you have, sorry, I'm way behind on here...

Does anyone think BB will double dip like he did with TEs and RBs?  I think he might if he can trade back and accumulate more picks.

Senior Bowl Weigh-in

http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2013/01/2013-senior-bowl-weigh-in-results.html

Notes:

Margus Hunt  6'8.2    277lbs

J Jenkins       6"3.7    359lbs

 

 

 

Part of our problem with the draft is we don't seem to take into consideration durability issues.  Case in point, Ras-I Dowling.  I was screaming, "NO" to the high heavens not to take him because he can't stay healthy, not only do we take him, we take him a round too high at pick 33!!!  In two seasons, he started 2 games, appeared in 7 others and has amassed an eye popping: 10 tackles, 1 pass defended.

Even Gronk had injury issues.  Great player when healthy but he missed 5 games this year and was out for most of the play-offs the last two years when he was needed most.

Ron Brace, drafted in the second round.  After an injury plagued stint in NE, he was waived last month - a complete BUST!!

Terrance Wheatley, ditto

Chandler Jones - traded up to get him in the first.  Shows tremendous promise but battled injuries in college.  He missed three games earlier this year, and was basically a no-show for a fourth against JAX where he had no stats, then disappeared in the play-offs. 

Patrick Chung - High 2nd round pick.  He started only half of the regular season games the past two season, hurt for many of them and when healthy is playing behind a SD Charger throw-away.

Jermaine Cunningham - Another 2nd round wasted pick.  After starting ZERO games in 2011, he showed promise this year until he got suspended for 4 games then was a non-factor last night.

Brandon Spikes - Yet another 2nd round ???  In 2011, he get suspended 4 games, then hurt for 4 more starting in only 6 games.  He missed two more games this year due to injury.  A good run stuffer but a liability in the passing game.

Not drafted by us but signed with injury concerns include Talib, Demps, and Ballard.

In all 14 players ended the season on IR or PUP including main contributers, Gronk, Edelman, Barrett, Dowling, Demps, Fletcher, Stallworth, Ballard and Pryor. 

I'd like to see us actually draft players who have shown they were durable in college for a change.

In response to bredbru's comment:

I agree with your player needs exactly but not sure I agree McDaniel's should be fired.  He led the #1 Offense that outscored the #2 offense by 100 points.  He brought back a credible running game.  But, he called a poor game against the Ravens, either he or BB.  We were way to conservative on those 4th and makeable distances inside the Raven's 35.  But some of this is Brady.  Brady just does not play well against the Ravens.  He plays the worst against them.

Thankfully Ray is gone and I hope Ed too.  But the Ravens still have a load D. 

Mb or whoever,

What is the deal with Kenneth Tate, LB Maryland?  Remember a couple of years ago when he was a S a lot of us thought top 10 pick.  Then he transitioned to OLB.  He's listed at 6-4, 220.  I remember some vicious hits he got on the QB on safety blitzes.  Might he be able to switch back to strong safety or play nickel LB?  Right now it's 50/50 if this kid even gets drafted.

I think that with yet another playoff loss this season, that we need to shake something up on the offense because yet again we put up lots of points during the regular season games, but continue to time and time again struggle to score more than 21 points when facing teams with good defenses.

We have too much of an emphasis on short to intermediate routes in the passing game.  With Welker about to hit free agency at the age of 32 years old, I think I would consider signing someone like Mike Wallace who is coming off of a down year but typically puts up big numbers, can stretch the field and is also 5 years younger than Welker. 

Signing Talib to an incentive laden deal is a no brainer in my opinion because of how he stabilzes our secondary. I would consider letting Vollmer walk in free agency in order to net the potential savings from having to shell out big bucks in order to re-sign him.  With the money that would've gone to him, I would instead make a play to sign Dashon Goldson in free agency (might take upwards of 8mil/yr to get it done.

As far as the draft is concerned....  I would target someone like Jesse Williams (with our first pick) to pair with Wilfork on the D-line.  Wilfork is starting to get up there in age (although he's still a beast)so having someone next to him that can draw double teams and stop the run is crucial.

In the second round, I'd select Oday Aboushi in order to replace Vollmer at RT.  In the third round I'd take Tyrann Mathieu as a FS/CB.  He has off the field issues for sure (the Patriots have shown a willingness to overlook these sort of things a la Dillon, Moss, Hernandez, Haynesworth, & Talib) so I wouldn't be surprised if they would take a chance on him. 

In response to dwhite1220's comment:

If I am not mistaken, he's never completed a season. Always out to injuries for a significant period. Frankly, I have my doubts that Dennard will be the type who completes seasons either. 

I believe another strong CB is also the priority in the draft.

In response to Faucetman's comment:

I am not saying McD should be fired. I just want to point out that they were the #1 offense without him too. He probably is not the reason why they accumulate yards and points in the reg season. 

I just wish they spend time developing ways of winning outside of TB's arm, and proving it through tough games.

In response to seattlepat70's comment:

BTW... Until I see Dowling play at least 10 games in a season, I am not counting him as the third CB.

This post has been removed.

In response to Faucetman's comment:

Faucet, he is projected by NFLDRAFTScout as #31 out of 252 OLBs.  Had a right knee injury earlier in his career. Projected to run a 4.74 forty.  I would say a bit slow for safety.  7th round or UDFA.

Some things have been painfully clear.

#1 We need more and better CB's. I'd make Talib signing priority #1 this offseason as the team is drastically different without him then with him. Beyond that they need depth and lots of it. Lets face it Williams, Cole, Arrington you can let them all go and I don't trust Ras to stay healthy as far as I can kick him

#2 We need an inside pass rush. The outside rushers seemed to be fine but Flacco just stepped up into the pocket all day. When you have 5yrds to step up it doesn't matter if the outside edge rush collapses the ends you can just step up. It was clear doubling Wilfork basically meant Flacco had a clean pocket. They desperately need someone next to Wilfork to take advantage of the double team

#3 We need a receiver to fight for the ball. Gronk is the only one of our receiving corp that will fight for a ball but he's not always there. Now I don't think they need to completely rebuild the WR core with large guys but they need at least 1 guy who can do it. 1 person that creates match up issues and no a deep threat isn't that type of guy. I'm thinking a Manningham, Bolden, Bowe type of guy.

Just looking over FA and draft here's what I'd like to see:

FA:

WR - Let Welker go. It's painful for me to say that but I think his money could be better used in other places. Sign Bowe. He's a bigger possession WR who can play on all 3 levels and make plays after the catch. He's exactly what the doctor calls for. Unless the Giants are not smart enough to tender Cruz at the top RFA level then I'd gladly give up some picks for Cruz

DT - I'd love to see Melton or Starks in here but they could price themselves out. Frankly if you don't get either then I'm not even looking at the FA market for an interior pass rush

CB - I want Talib back but in addition some guys I'm looking for in FA as solid #2/3 guys Tony Carter, Chris Houston, Keenan Lewis

 

Draft:

1st - To me the 1st has to go on the D side. I want an interior rusher or a CB but there are limited options where we are sitted. To me it boils down to 3 guys Rhodes, Jenkins, Williams. All 3 have a shot of being there in the back of the 20's and all 3 would be upgrades to what we currently have on the roster.

2nd - This is where it spreads out a bit and there is more debate on players but again I'm primarily looking at 3 guys McFadden CB, Hunt DE/DT,  Da'Rick Rogers. McFadden to me is a guy I really like. I want to see how he does at the bowl against better competition but I just see this kid as being an extremely solid dependable cover corner in the league. Hunt is a guy who can swing inside or out which makes him a 3 down player. If he gains another 10lbs he could be a very solid D player on the line with trememdous flexibility. Rogers is a first round talent if not for off field drug concerns but BB doesn't seem to shy away from that it the value is right. Rogers is the big ellusive WR I think we need, if he can keep his noise clean

3rd - Back to the skill position I'm look exclusively at DB's and a WR here. I really like Hyde as a potential bigger slot CB or a S conversion and also Sanders Commings who is a bigger CB and had a great game against Tenn's top end WR talent. For WR there's really only two names for me Ryan Swope who started the season off really slow but had great games against Ala and Miss state. He destroyed Ala's secondary which is impressive enough and deserves a long look. The other WR is Markus Wheaton. He can be explosive once the ball is in his hands but I'd like to see video of what he looks like against better competition.

 

My ideal offseason - 

FA - Sign Talib, Bowe, Starks, Vollmer, Edelman, Woodhead, depth on OL

Draft - 1st Rhodes, 2nd Hunt (Starks makes Williams and Jenkins redundant), 3rd Wheaton/Swope (depending on bowl), trade into 5th Tyrann Mathieu (hedging CB bets)

I'd be pretty happy with that offseason

Nice list PatsEng. Question, if you don't land an FA DT, where do you get one? Hunt I like, but is he a kid that can play inside next to vw and command doubles and penetrate?

bowe would be interesting here. I question his football smarts and ability to pick up the offense, but his skill and size is near perfect.