woodbuck27
07-09-2006, 08:35 PM
Getting issue-oriented
Patriots need answers to these five questions
July 9, 2006
All is relatively quiet on the NFL front, although it won't be for long. While personnel men such as the Patriots' Scott Pioli and his aide, Jack Mula, scramble to get rookies signed and disgruntled veterans such as Deion Branch appeased, most offices are quiet. Even a workaholic like Bill Belichick finds his way to Nantucket for a few days this time of year, albeit with a video-playing laptop in one hand and a tome on the evolution of the Notre Dame Box in the other.
With so little activity, this seemed a good time to examine five issues the Patriots must cope with this season.
1. Tom Brady can throw it, but who's going to catch it?
For years it's been fashionable to say you don't waste top picks on wide receivers. In the case of the Patriots, they have drafted five wide receivers in seven drafts under Belichick, including Chad Jackson in the second round in April. Of the five, only Branch and 2002 seventh-rounder David Givens have been productive, which perhaps makes the point.
Givens left in free agency without much of a fight once the Tennessee Titans drove his price out of sight, and P.K. Sam, we hardly knew ye, which leaves Brady with an unhappy Branch, Troy Brown, Chargers reject Reche Caldwell, and, one has to hope, a productive Jackson. Perhaps if Jackson starts fast Caldwell will resent seeing another University of Florida receiver having more success than he's had and raise both his game and his work ethic, but there's little reason to believe that will happen.
The bright spot is that perhaps tight end Ben Watson will emerge as another Tony Gonzalez. Certainly Watson has shown the athletic flashes that give one hope that if he stays healthy he could be special. Considering the rest of the receiving corps, he'd better be.
2. If Laurence Maroney can run, where will Corey Dillon hide?
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan believed Maroney was the best back in the draft and Belichick must have shared that opinion. That may not be the death knell for Dillon but if he thinks that phone call from Belichick assuring him all was well or the reading of his accomplishments during a post-practice media session will make a difference this fall, he's sadly mistaken.
Jerry Glanville used to say that NFL stood for Not For Long and Dillon needs to understand that and be productive. While his nine-year record is exemplary, over the last three years Dillon had the greatest individual season of his career between the two worst.
To his credit, Dillon worked out diligently in the offseason to rehab his bad calf and troublesome ankle. If he stays healthy he could have a resurrection, but there's a problem with 32-year-old backs. Once they start to break down they usually don't reverse that process.
If Maroney is what Shanahan thinks, he was a brilliant pick, but if he gets the ball and does something with it, how will Dillon react? He has been a pretty good soldier since arriving in New England but he has a checkered past when unhappy and was clearly peeved when Heath Evans had a big day against Miami and was surrounded by reporters afterward.
3. Who will do what Adam did?
Belichick allowed Adam Vinatieri to leave for relative chump change, especially for a team with $15 million of salary cap space. One has to assume he believes Vinatieri has seen his best days. But if that's the case, why bring in Martin Gramatica, who looked done two years ago in Tampa, was unemployed last season, has never kicked in bad weather, and is temperamental and considered by those who knew him with the Buccaneers as an ``I" guy, not a ``we" guy? With the pressure Vinatieri's replacement will be under and the terrible conditions in Foxborough late in the season, Gramatica doesn't seem like the right fit.
Perhaps fourth-round choice Stephen Gostkowski is the answer but you can count on one foot the number of rookie kickers who have come in and been as reliable as Vinatieri. This seems to be a mighty big gamble.
4. Who's your cover corner?
A year ago, the Patriots decided Ty Law was overpaid and he ended up leading the AFC in interceptions with 10, earning $6 million in the process. The Patriots paid a combination of Duane Starks, Chad Scott, and Tyrone Poole nearly as much to play not half as well. As business decisions go it wasn't a good one, which is why they're trying to woo Law to return for short money.
Unless Ellis Hobbs's exemplary play as a rookie improves, they don't have a shutdown corner. One hope is that Randall Gay, coming off an ankle injury, turns promise into consistent production.
Law is leaning toward Kansas City but he's a bottom-line guy, so the best offer will decide where he lands.
5. How do you deal with Dom and Daunte?
Perhaps the biggest problem looms in Miami, where Belichick disciple Nick Saban has the Dolphins back in contention. They won their final six games of 2005 and traded for former Pro Bowl quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Culpepper is coming off a terrible season and a worse knee injury but two years ago he produced 5,123 yards of total offense and 41 touchdowns.
The Dolphins also hired former Texans coach Dom Capers as defensive coordinator. The last time Capers was fired as a head coach, he built a defense in Jacksonville that went to the AFC Championship game. These are changes the Patriots can't do anything about so they need to find answers to the first four questions. If they do, the fifth will take care of itself.
woodbuck27: Different cities ,different teams and players - yet similiar problems/issues.
Patriots need answers to these five questions
July 9, 2006
All is relatively quiet on the NFL front, although it won't be for long. While personnel men such as the Patriots' Scott Pioli and his aide, Jack Mula, scramble to get rookies signed and disgruntled veterans such as Deion Branch appeased, most offices are quiet. Even a workaholic like Bill Belichick finds his way to Nantucket for a few days this time of year, albeit with a video-playing laptop in one hand and a tome on the evolution of the Notre Dame Box in the other.
With so little activity, this seemed a good time to examine five issues the Patriots must cope with this season.
1. Tom Brady can throw it, but who's going to catch it?
For years it's been fashionable to say you don't waste top picks on wide receivers. In the case of the Patriots, they have drafted five wide receivers in seven drafts under Belichick, including Chad Jackson in the second round in April. Of the five, only Branch and 2002 seventh-rounder David Givens have been productive, which perhaps makes the point.
Givens left in free agency without much of a fight once the Tennessee Titans drove his price out of sight, and P.K. Sam, we hardly knew ye, which leaves Brady with an unhappy Branch, Troy Brown, Chargers reject Reche Caldwell, and, one has to hope, a productive Jackson. Perhaps if Jackson starts fast Caldwell will resent seeing another University of Florida receiver having more success than he's had and raise both his game and his work ethic, but there's little reason to believe that will happen.
The bright spot is that perhaps tight end Ben Watson will emerge as another Tony Gonzalez. Certainly Watson has shown the athletic flashes that give one hope that if he stays healthy he could be special. Considering the rest of the receiving corps, he'd better be.
2. If Laurence Maroney can run, where will Corey Dillon hide?
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan believed Maroney was the best back in the draft and Belichick must have shared that opinion. That may not be the death knell for Dillon but if he thinks that phone call from Belichick assuring him all was well or the reading of his accomplishments during a post-practice media session will make a difference this fall, he's sadly mistaken.
Jerry Glanville used to say that NFL stood for Not For Long and Dillon needs to understand that and be productive. While his nine-year record is exemplary, over the last three years Dillon had the greatest individual season of his career between the two worst.
To his credit, Dillon worked out diligently in the offseason to rehab his bad calf and troublesome ankle. If he stays healthy he could have a resurrection, but there's a problem with 32-year-old backs. Once they start to break down they usually don't reverse that process.
If Maroney is what Shanahan thinks, he was a brilliant pick, but if he gets the ball and does something with it, how will Dillon react? He has been a pretty good soldier since arriving in New England but he has a checkered past when unhappy and was clearly peeved when Heath Evans had a big day against Miami and was surrounded by reporters afterward.
3. Who will do what Adam did?
Belichick allowed Adam Vinatieri to leave for relative chump change, especially for a team with $15 million of salary cap space. One has to assume he believes Vinatieri has seen his best days. But if that's the case, why bring in Martin Gramatica, who looked done two years ago in Tampa, was unemployed last season, has never kicked in bad weather, and is temperamental and considered by those who knew him with the Buccaneers as an ``I" guy, not a ``we" guy? With the pressure Vinatieri's replacement will be under and the terrible conditions in Foxborough late in the season, Gramatica doesn't seem like the right fit.
Perhaps fourth-round choice Stephen Gostkowski is the answer but you can count on one foot the number of rookie kickers who have come in and been as reliable as Vinatieri. This seems to be a mighty big gamble.
4. Who's your cover corner?
A year ago, the Patriots decided Ty Law was overpaid and he ended up leading the AFC in interceptions with 10, earning $6 million in the process. The Patriots paid a combination of Duane Starks, Chad Scott, and Tyrone Poole nearly as much to play not half as well. As business decisions go it wasn't a good one, which is why they're trying to woo Law to return for short money.
Unless Ellis Hobbs's exemplary play as a rookie improves, they don't have a shutdown corner. One hope is that Randall Gay, coming off an ankle injury, turns promise into consistent production.
Law is leaning toward Kansas City but he's a bottom-line guy, so the best offer will decide where he lands.
5. How do you deal with Dom and Daunte?
Perhaps the biggest problem looms in Miami, where Belichick disciple Nick Saban has the Dolphins back in contention. They won their final six games of 2005 and traded for former Pro Bowl quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Culpepper is coming off a terrible season and a worse knee injury but two years ago he produced 5,123 yards of total offense and 41 touchdowns.
The Dolphins also hired former Texans coach Dom Capers as defensive coordinator. The last time Capers was fired as a head coach, he built a defense in Jacksonville that went to the AFC Championship game. These are changes the Patriots can't do anything about so they need to find answers to the first four questions. If they do, the fifth will take care of itself.
woodbuck27: Different cities ,different teams and players - yet similiar problems/issues.