Offseason Adjustments: New England Patriots
We’re taking a quick look at all the teams that the Jets are going to be playing in the upcoming season and the changes that the team has experienced since the end of their season. Today, Week Two’s and Eleven’s the New England Patriots
Gained Free Agents:
TE Chris Baker, LB Tully Banta-Cain, CB Leigh Bodden, LB Vinny Ciurciu, RB Omar Cuff, WR Joey Galloway, LS Nathan Hodel, OL Al Johnson, LB Paris Lenon, P Tom Malone, S Brandon McGowan, WR Robert Ortiz, CB Shawn Springs, RB Fred Taylor, S Ray Ventrone, DT Steve Williams
Lost Free Agents:
FB Heath Evans, WR Jabar Gaffney, S Rodney Harrison, CB Ellis Hobbs, LB Lamont Jordan, LB Larry Izzo, LS Lonie Paxton, LB Darrell Robertson, OT Oliver Ross, LB Bo Ruud, WR Kelley Washington, G Billy Yates
Players Traded Away:
QB Matt Cassel, CB Ellis Hobbs, LB Mike Vrabel
Players Traded For:
WR Greg Lewis, TE Alex Smith
Drafted Players:
SS Patrick Chung, DT Ron Brace, CB Darius Butler, OL Sebastian Vollmer, WR Brandon Tate, OLB Tyrone McKenzie, OG Rich Ohrnberger, OT George Bussey, LS Jake Ingram, DT Myron Pryor, QB Julian Edelman, DT Darryl Richard
Overall Assessment:
Give us your tired, your poor, your veteran castoffs seems to be the credo of this team. For each and every player that left in the past season, the Patriots might have added an equal or better player back into that spot via free agency or the Draft. With players like Fragile Fred, Chris Baker Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis to provide depth on offense, along with Shawn Springs, Leigh Bodden, Ron Brace, Darius Butler and Patrick Chung, this team just got a lot deeper.
The team still needs to prove that they can use their younger and less experienced linebackers to rejuvenate the corps that is being led by Jerod Mayo. But one of their biggest weaknesses, a faltering secondary got a major upgrade during the offseason, and this team now stands poised to make a serious run.
Factor in that one of the best QBs in football will be back, hungry and rested and will have his two top receivers in their third season with the team’s offense, it’s hard to imagine that they won’t be better than they were in 2008.
Jets Quickie Matchup:
The Jets should be able to move the ball some on this defense, but their offense could far outstrip the Jets’ defense, even with the coaching changes and additions that the team made in the offseason. I don’t expect this offense to be the 2007 version of what Tom Brady ran, but it’s going to be more like that than the 2008 version.
21 Responses to Offseason Adjustments: New England Patriots
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Wise Old Jet Fan says:
Boy, lots of action on this blog which I love, had to go back three full pages to find my comment from yesterday and it seems my criticism irritated some.
Bent, my comments were in response to Keller becoming and elite TE, and to be considered elite he will need to be just a tad more productive than Baker with all due respect. That Baker caught all his passes from a certain formation is irrelevant.
Keller will need to be a three down TE to approach elite status, which means he will need to block to stay on the field in an offense that will ground oriented.
I am cautiously optimistic that he will, but just because Scott the Mouth starts talking someone up does not mean it is fact, and that is all I was trying to point out.
GL80, I have my facts straight, I usually do before commenting. The Jets LB’s were one of the worst if not the worst coverage unit in the game last season, and they changed only one player from that unit.
Yes one of the reasons they signed Scott was because he could cover, but he only one of four in the unit.
Harris, Thomas, Gholston and Pace are converted DE’s that were abysmal(Pace less than the others but far from great) in coverage last year, which is unlikely to change and in fact may be exploited more in a blitz happy scheme. This problem is not going to disappear simply because they upgraded at one position.
Y’all need to remember Bart Scott is a very good, not great LB, his mere presence is not going to suddenly morph this LB unit to top of the league. Yes, they have a bunch of number one picks so there is talent, but it is talent that so far has underperformed.
Perhaps Ryan will bring out the best in them, we all hope so, but it is entirely possible they simply are not that good, in which case this blitz happy defense is going to get burned again and again underneath.
And for the record, I was not crticizing other commenters, everyone is entitled to their opinion, I was critcizing Bart Scott and his comments hyping Keller.
I am a little cranky, I guess, but I am put off by the Kool Aid continually spouting from the HC and Scott, a little swagger is good, but mouthing off usually has a way of coming back to haunt you. Do your talking on the field.
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On topic, yes, the Pats are back, they will win this division for fun.
I disagree that Jets will be able to move the ball against this defense, in fact they will struggle versus everyone. Bellichick has devised schemes to stop the best in the league year after year, dontcha think he will be able to stop Clemens/rookie?
Without Coles and Favre (or Chad) the Pats will key on the run forcing the QB of choice to air it out. In fact, projecting anything out of the Jets offense is darn near impossible. Statistically, it will likely be near the bottom of the league in points scored.
Jets defense will be improved, sure, but they will need to turn Brady over and score on defense to beat the Pats, and that is highly unlikely.
0-2 vs. the Pats in 2009.
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Bent says: “The Jets LB’s were one of the worst if not the worst coverage unit in the game last season, and they changed only one player from that unit. Yes one of the reasons they signed Scott was because he could cover, but he only one of four in the unit. ”
Actually, the coverage unit wasn’t that bad until after Harris got hurt, so they’ve really improved two positions. Harris and Scott is way, way better than Barton and Bowens.
“Harris, Thomas, Gholston and Pace are converted DE’s that were abysmal(Pace less than the others but far from great) in coverage last year”
Harris has never played DE – he’s always been a MLB. He bulked up to 260 last year and it may have affected him in coverage, but the unit was still way better when he was in there (I am overlooking the last few games where he clearly wasn’t 100%). Now he has presumably got the weight back down so he can play more MIKE, I expect he’ll do a good job this year, although I anticipate Scott playing mainly on the strongside, so he’ll be the one tasked with running with TEs.
With Pace and Thomas (and Gholston), blitzing rather than dropping into coverage a lot more often, I believe the coverage unit as a whole will benefit.
Re: Your Baker comment, point taken. Keller is already more productive than Baker ever was though and will only get better. Injuries might sting a lot, but I’m comfortable with the fact they don’t have a big money blocking TE, because they can always get one in the first week of September.
And, yes, back on topic I don’t expect the Jets to beat the Pats next year, but it would be freaking great if they did!
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Brendan says:
I have hope for a season split. The blueprint to beat Brady is throw wave after wave of pressure at him and knock him around. Rex knows how to do this and has schemed gameplans that kept his Ravens teams in games against the Pats, even when their offense was laughable.
I saw this now, but in week 2 if Brady goes for 350 and 3 td’s, i’ll be singing a completely different tune.
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Davo says:
Jets offense is the problem – don’t be surprised if the Pats open up in a 4-3 with two big men in the middle just to stop the “run first” game plan. They’ll goad Sanchez into passing the ball and wait for the (inevitable) rookie mistakes. Starting 1-0 away to the Texans seems like a make or break fixture the more you think about it.
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I’d be surprised if players like Leigh Bodden turn the secondary around. The scheme they run is great, but I dont think the personnel they brought in is very good, to be honest. The Pats are lucky in that the division stinks and they can deal with Brady’s pains and still get into the playoffs. Id be very surprised in Brady comes out and looks anything like the Tom Brady we all know. Its such a serious injury and none of the guys who recently got hurt in the same areas that I can think of- Manning, Palmer, McNabb, Culpepper- came back strong after surgery. Manning, with a far lesser injury, took half a season. Palmer took at least half a year before he stopped being jittery behind the line. McNabb took close to a full year and Culpepper never recovered. Their spread offense is geared to try to make it easy for him and not let teams blitz, but teams should have a shot those first few weeks. Im not sure if our team has a good shot, but New England probably wont be a finished product until at least November.
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Bent says:
I read the other day that Bodden is predicted to have a pro bowl season.
Of course this prediction came from his agent…a certain Mr Keels.
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MSM says:
Davo… I agree… the 1-0 vs. Houston is critical. I like the matchup though. Their main threats are really Mario Williams, Slaton and Andre Johnson. We can neutralize those with a good O line, Jenkins, and Revis. Then they have Owen Daniels and Kevin Walter etc. etc. but we should be able to hang. We will need that momentum going into the NE game. It would be a downer to start the new era with a loss to Houston.
I do believe we can split with NE just based on the fact that the only thing of impact we lost since last season was Favre and Coles and we gained a lot on defense and in the running game so we should be able to split again. Granted Favre won that game for us, but mostly it was because he stopped listening to Mangini and did his thing (that game showed how bad Mangini really was, the players had to fight against the Pats and their own coaching staff to win that one.
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MLB Matt says:
Always fun to see that picture.
And to make my post somewhat relevant to the topic, the Pats will cruise to the AFC East title.
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SackDance99 says:
What’s up with Wilfork? Sorry, but Ron Brace will be overwhelmed by Faneca, Mangold and Moore in the running game. If Wilfork is either out, uninterested or disgruntled, the Pats defense is very vulnerable to the run. As for the pass, where’s the pass rush? Who is playing the WILL now that Vrabel is gone? The Pats D will be good, but not elite.
But, the Pats will have the best passing game in the NFL and will try to get in front of teams to force the opposing offense to be one-dimensional. The key is, of course, Brady and whether his somewhat suspect OL can protect him. I say the Jets split with the Pats because Mankins can’t handle Big Jenks and that means Brady won’t be able to sit back in the pocket to toss long deep passes to Moss. As I’ve said before, I think the Jets will play the 46 against the Pats to have 4 DL and constant QB pressure. Put Revis on Welker and hope that the rush gets to Brady before he can hit Moss deep. Plus, with Izzo now on the Jets, I’m guessing that Westhof will have a considerable special teams edge.
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Chris says:
Their draft class is going to be very very strong. Chung and Butler are underrated and Brace is a beast who will fit in great with the defense. I also think Tate has a chance to be a very good receiver.
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MSM – agreed, but I think 1-0 is an necessity if for no other reason to give Sanchez some confidence. If it was a home game, I’d pencil the Jets in for an easy win, but away, Sanchez first game, who knows. At least he has all pre-season to prepare for it!
SackDance – What’s up with Wilfork? He wants an extension for more money, he’s at camp and it’s a “contract year”. If we’ve learned anything from history, it’s that players in that position generally play out of their skin. My point about Brace was that in a 4-3 he’d be another big guy to move and would take away the running game. I don’t care what “D” you’re facing, if you force a QB into consistent 3rd and 6+ situations, you’re asking for trouble. Now, do that to a rookie QB and you’re REALLY asking for trouble. Sanchez is going to need a consistent running game this year to flourish.
IMHO
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BubbyBrister/shovelpass says:
That’s SUCH a great picture !
Let’s see it again next season…shall we?
;-)
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AL says:
I hate to say it but I wish we would take a page out of NE and draft much more depth.
Just last Year people were saying BB is nothing without Brady and he wins 11 games after he goes down. Because the guy doesn’t let any one position ruin his season.
When was the last time we won 11 games.
They have drafted like 21 players in the last 2 seasons and we have drafted 7.
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Davo,
My point was that I don’t care who the rookie is, facing Faneca, Mangold or Moore in the running game is a tough assignment (and I think Brace could be fine in a couple of years). And, I believe your thesis is wrong on Wilfork. In the NFL, contract year players often dog it because of injury risk. Think John Abraham. If Brace starts and Wilfork isn’t there, I don’t care if Joey Harrington is the QB, they’ll be opportunities in the running game.
AL,
In 2008, the Jets drafted 6 players; the Pats 7. Even without Gholston, Keller and Lowery might out-perform the Pats’ guys because, so far, it only looks like Mayo is a player. In 2009, Tanny and co. decided the draft was weak and concentrated on quality over quantity. But, it also looks like UDFA Westerman is a player (since the draft is only 7 rounds now, UDFA finds are critically important). A draft class of Sanchez, Greene, Slauson and Westerman sounds pretty good to me (and I have high hopes for Brock, too). The Pats drafted 12 players in 2009, but 5 were in the 5th round or later…hard to say that any of those guys are much better than UDFA pick ups, especially the 7th rounders. It’s way too early to rate their draft or the Jets’ draft. But, I wonder how many of those 12 make the opening day roster (Tyrone McKenzie is out for the season, so the number is down to 11) and, then, how many start? I mean, isn’t the goal of the draft to get starters? If the Jets end up with 6-7 players from the class of 2009 on the squad (which is likely), how does that mean that the Pats have done so much better? This whole “the Pats/Giants are smart because they draft so many players” argument is bunk. It’s the quality of the guys that end up on the active roster and, IMO, the Jets may have surpassed the Pats in overall quality, especially on defense.
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Bent says:
I’ve gone on record as saying that Brace was a big reach. He’s no second rounder…there just was a huge drop off to the next NT, so the Pats (who had so many picks they could afford to) reached. He couldn’t have landed in a better situation, because he will be surrounded by talented players, but I don’t know what we can expect from him as a rookie.
It would be good to have some Pats-type depth, but I’m not sure drafting it is the answer. They have a big advantage in being able to get some veterans at a low price, because they want a chance to play for a contender. Until they prove themselves, the Jets won’t have the same luxury. Having said that, I wish they’d come out of the draft with more than 3 players too – even if the 3 guys they gave up were surplus to requirements.
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James in TN says:
The patriots effing suck. They will be lucky to be 8-8. They picked up Walter from Oakland for a QB backup. When , and notice I didn’t say if, Brady goes down they will have nothing for offense. The smoke and mirrors and the commissioner making rules for Brady every year will not help them. Only Buffalo will have a worse record in our division at 6-10. I love that the Patsies are getting older and slower. Next stop for Brady, a reality show about an ex NFLer who tries to break in to the fashion business or hair dressing, not sure which.
Go Jets!!!!!
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Spoken like a true believer james ;-)
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Mike S. says:
If the Pats o-line keeps Brady upright, the Jets will need more firepower to keep up.
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Jeff says:
AL out of all those 21 players how many remain on the roster???
What I like about the Pats more than anything is the way they stockpile picks. It seems every year they have an extra 2nd or 1st round pick
This Team Looks Really Good in my eyes! They replaced many of their aging stars with young, highly rated talent. Their CB’s were their weakest area last year, and now its going to be their strength. Their front three has been one of the best for years, and now they added a monster in Ron Brace as back up to Wilfork. The Jets are about running the ball, think it will be difficult to run on the Pats. U have questions on their LB’s, I dont know really why- They still have the Bruschi- long in the tooth, but still makes plays all the time; Adalius Thomas- the leon and favre sack killer, and they have the defensive rookie of the year in Mayo; what they have one unknown LB- we have VG starting the first 4 games- still might give them the edge in LB’s until Pace comes back.
Offensively for them, they are as dangerous as ever, my question is who is their FB? I have high hopes for our defense, especially after the way Jenkins manhandled their OL at times last year.