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Free Agency not urgent for Patriots

By Brent | March 30th, 2008

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With free agency seemingly dead in the water, there are still a few NFL teams looking to fill needs, but will they wait for the draft or take a veteran they know will add value?

It is interesting to see how 2008 has been similar for the Patriots to free agency periods before 2007. There was too much hype on the Patriots in 2007 and now media pundits feel the Patriots have had a terrible offseason due to losing Asante Samuel, Randall Gay and Eugene Wilson from their secondary and cutting Rosevelt Colvin.

Jamie recently gave a review on the Patriots free agency moves and outlines his thoughts and grades. Although the Patriots have found a few additions in the secondary with CB Fernando Bryant (lions), S Tank Williams (Vikings), CB Lewis Sanders (Falcons), CB Jason Webster (Bills), these players seem to be often injured and decent replacements for the likes of Gay and Wilson or at the very least special teamers.

Dom Capers knows a few of these players and they all seem to be tough physical kind of guys he likes to have to play up in the box. I am hoping that Capers is able to improve the secondary and I agree with Jamie, ‘if Bryant is the starter alongside Ellis Hobbs to start the season, I don’t like the Patriots’ chances to make it back to the Super Bowl’.

Ty Law is still available (as well as Hank Poteat), but even then I do not like to depend on him to start the whole season. The draft is deep with cornerbacks more so then safeties, so I see Meriweather playing safety in 2008 rather then filling in at corner as he did in early 2007. If Law does join he along with Capers should be able to bring along the young talent into the Belchick mindset relatively quickly. Worse case scenario Troy Brown returns as a nickle back and the Pats at least said no to ‘Pac Man’ Jones.

Overall, I disagree that cornerback is the top need for the Patriots this offseason as the Patriots have often filled the voids in the secondary with players off the street and have used quantity over quality.

If we look at the Patriots roster, the greater need is still youth at linebacker with only Pierre Woods and Eric Alexander are the only ‘veterans’ (sorry Izzo is special teams and comes in on goal line defenses) behind Tedy Bruschi, AD Thomas and Mike Vrabel. They have never played well enough to even come in during the early blowouts in 2007…

TJ Slaughter was recently signed and Panthers Adam Seward (RFA) was brought in for a check up with no contract given. These are back-ups not starters even if they figure out the Patriots system.

Junior Seau is still surfing and has not made up his mind to return and the Pats may be interested in Takeo Spikes, but age is still a concern.

So sure the Patriots did re-sign a few key players like Randy Moss and Lonie Paxton. And Tedy Bruschi is old and slow, but still a team leader and play maker having the most tackles on the team in 2007 - not bad!

I think keeping Gaffney is great as he adds value with Stallworth gone, the others that were re-signed are all fillers and not game changers and talent to get to the Super Bowl.

I would grade the free agency as a D, based on the Patriots not doing enough to fill the gaps and not much opportunity to draft starters in the draft.

Having said that …

IN BILL WE TRUST!

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 30th, 2008 at 9:19 am and is filed under Ellis Hobbs, Randall Gay, NFL Free Agency, Dom Capers, Dean Pees, Donte' Stallworth, Eric Alexander, James Sanders, Jabar Gaffney, AFC East, Ty Law, Boston Sports, New England Sports, Brandon Meriweather, Scott Pioli, Linebacker, Ray Ventrone, Cornerback, Safety, Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, Patriots Roster, Patriots Organization, Asante Samuel, Pacman Jones, MVN, Patriots Draft, Adalius Thomas, Patriot Act, NFL News, Special Teams, New England Patriots, Troy Brown, Rosevelt Colvin, Junior Seau, Rodney Harrison, Robert Kraft, Randy Moss, Defensive Backs, Bill Belichick, Draft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

6 Responses to “Free Agency not urgent for Patriots”

Kevros says:

March 30th, 2008 at 10:04 am

You said:

If Law does join he along with Capers should be able to bring along the young talent into the Belchick mindset relatively quickly.

But if Law signs, the CB depth chart would probably be Law, Hobbs, Bryant, Webster, Sanders. What young talent are they going to bring along? You say CB isn’t a top need but its seems the CBs would be almost as old as the LBs if Law signs (which might be why he hasn’t yet). I think CB is at least equal in need to LB. As it stands, each spot needs at least more more starting quality player. Especially since you agree with Jamie that:

if Bryant is the starter alongside Ellis Hobbs to start the season, I don’t like the Patriots’ chances to make it back to the Super Bowl’.
Brent says:

March 30th, 2008 at 10:38 am

Unless the Patriots make a trade, the only talent they will be able to obtain will be through the draft. The Patriots can pick up a few decent CBs via the draft and Capers will be able to build up the future secondary.

If Law is there then at least he can start the season and help one of the rookies to develop in the Pats system. second year Mike Richards will also be back from IR and knows more about the Patriots system.

I doubt all of the CBs signed (or drafted) will be with the team once the season starts. But we will have to see.

Again the Pats use quantity not quality, but if they do not pick up a veteran better then Bryant to start next to Hobbs (who has been disappointing the last two seasons) then it will be hard to make it back to the Super Bowl unless the draft provides them with starters. Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs and Randall Gay all had starts in their rookie years - since then no other draftees have stepped up to start including Meriweather.
Jamie says:

March 30th, 2008 at 12:00 pm

The only trade I could see out there would be for Asomugha, but that would have to come with a special notation that the Pats feel he is better than Samuel and worth a large contract. Otherwise, they would have just re-signed Asante. The depth of the corners in the draft leads me to believe that some could be drafted in the mid-rounds and possibly step up through training camp or make it onto the starting roster by mid-season.
Free Agency not urgent for Patriots | NFL News says:

March 30th, 2008 at 4:28 pm

[…] The Patriot Act | MVN - a New England Patriots blog added an interesting post today on Free Agency not urgent for Patriots […]
Nate says:

March 31st, 2008 at 10:06 am

I guess the perfect situation would be for the Pats to use their 3rd Round (Pick #69) to trade for Lito Shepard. That would put a bandaid on the Secondary. They should use their First Round Pick to get Gholston (Although the Jets will probably pick him at #6 out of more spite than need) or trade down for a future first round pick and select Keith Rivers. He is a very smart “Belichick Type” LB that can play the Inside.

I think the Beauty of the Pats is that they always sign descent FA Veterans, throw them against the wall, and see who sticks. Some do (Rodney Harrison, Kelly Washington, Mike Vrabel), and some don’t (Chad Brown, David Terrell). They usually don’t cost much, and the reward out ways the risk. This year is no exception with all the DBs they brought in.
Jamie says:

March 31st, 2008 at 7:11 pm

I think the Pats trading down and taking Rivers is a definite possibility that may have picked up steam with Rivers’ recent visit to Gillette. He projects to be an ILB in the 3-4, just what the Pats need.