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
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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.
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
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.
[...] The Patriot Act | MVN – a New England Patriots blog added an interesting post today on Free Agency not urgent for Patriots [...]
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.
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.