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Post by digit on Apr 24, 2017 11:00:23 GMT -5
I don't mean playing all four RBs at the same time. Just many more two-back sets.
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Post by digit on Apr 24, 2017 10:41:13 GMT -5
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Post by digit on Apr 24, 2017 8:33:22 GMT -5
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Post by digit on Apr 20, 2017 13:18:12 GMT -5
That's what the "some feel" comment was intended to handle. NO rumors but he's a pending FA whose injury history may halt extension talks and they've loaded up on RBs (plus a deep draft at the position). That makes him a pretty good candidate in my book but, bc that's all feel (by me and others) I made his inclusion on the list different than the others. The same injury history that makes him questionable about extension would surely also make him questionable about trading him for picks, wouldn't it? I doubt you can get much for him at this point and he might be worth more to the Patriots than whatever he brings back.
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Post by digit on Apr 20, 2017 11:52:49 GMT -5
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Post by digit on Apr 19, 2017 15:32:59 GMT -5
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Post by digit on Apr 19, 2017 15:17:48 GMT -5
I suspect the Patriots don't feel very good about this draft, as I saw somewhere they had a list of about 70-75 'draftables' on this draft... and by 'draftables', they mean players who filled the Patriots' requirements for their players, not the draftniks' assessment of skills.
Also, something that should be pointed out:
Part of the reason the Patriots had this much salary cap room in the first place was that they had the money allocated to signing their OWN FREE AGENTS.
Chandler Jones was traded to make the cap room.
Jamie Collins, I think, was going to get an extension, but then became a locker room cancer and a sloppy player on the field, so Belichick traded him to get him off the team.
Malcolm Butler turned down an extension because he wanted to be paid like an unrestricted FA.
With Butler now locked into the tender, suddenly, plus the money that was earmarked and extended for Collins becoming available because Collins was a moron, and Hightower being paid somewhat less than he was expected to get, there suddenly becomes a lot more money available.
With Butler being apparently an issue and the Patriots wanting to lock themselves into getting a CB for the future, they went for the best one on the market with the money that was originally earmarked for Collins and Butler's extensions, and then used the rest of the money up on the running backs they actually -wanted-, it seems.
Nobody would say boo, I think, if those free agents we signed had been our own picks, I think - the money that could have been spent extending Jones, Collins, Hightower, Butler was instead spent on signing Gilmore, Hightower, Burkhead, and Gilleslee. Doesn't seem like a bad re-allocation of funds, especially since Jones and Collins weren't going to stay in New England. (They -still- have plenty of room to extend Butler, actually!)
Also, I don't think the Cooks acquisition itself was out of character.
What they -did- pay for him was a bit out of character, but I'd point this out: the Patriots have been, for years, trying to find that sort of player that could replicate what Moss did. They traded up for Chad Jackson in the draft, they used a pick on Aaron Dopson, and we've seen parades of formerly great WRs come through trying to recapture when they were very good (Chad Johnson, Torry Holt, Joey Galloway, Reggie Wayne...).
I think once they had a chance at a young WR like that who checked all the boxes they wanted, they jumped on it. Put it this way - Chad Jackson cost a second rounder and a third rounder. Would you swap that second rounder for a first rounder in order to trade for someone the same age who already had two years experience with a couple more years available for about 10 million without the two/three years of discovering the guy can't play...? Especially if they were close to the same age at the time of acquisition?
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Post by digit on Apr 18, 2017 15:58:34 GMT -5
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Post by digit on Apr 18, 2017 15:13:46 GMT -5
I bet his 4m salary in year one is guaranteed to mess with the Bills cap I really like this move - go figure, the Patriots picked up the running back ranked #1 in Football Outsiders’ DVOA rankings (admittedly, they were measuring by rate, not overall). Burkhead ranked #2. Doubt it matters which one is in the game, they all are fairly versatile players. The Patriots doubled up on this position in free agency, so probably we can now assume they won't be looking at a RB.
The Buffalo GM gambled and lost his gamble, apparently - he tried to save about 900,000 and now if he wants to match it, he has to pay about 2 million more than if he'd offered a second round tender.
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Post by digit on Apr 11, 2017 10:19:59 GMT -5
I had to check to see if Eddie Romero is still around, and yes! Assistant GM now.
My optimism about signing him went up, a bit.
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Post by digit on Apr 11, 2017 8:26:13 GMT -5
The Hawks make me sigh. It feels like we should handle them, but Millsap feels like he just eats everyone up in the inside and we don't rebound enough to stop them from getting extra chances. I expected better adjustments.
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Post by digit on Apr 10, 2017 14:08:56 GMT -5
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Post by digit on Apr 10, 2017 13:15:46 GMT -5
Edge Rushers do get overpaid but the draft is the one place to get them on the cheap. I also think they've looked at a TON of them during the pre-draft process. Understood, but it feels like in recent years, he's been more about 'containing the edge', it feels like, than using them as edge rushers, so he may not be exactly looking for an edge rusher as much as someone who basically collapses the pocket from the inside. I think 'edge player' is probably a better phrase for what I think they'd end up looking at, than edge rusher?
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Post by digit on Apr 10, 2017 9:42:24 GMT -5
Otani is someone I really would love to see try two-way in the majors.
But yeah, I share reservations about Farrell getting to manage that.
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Post by digit on Apr 10, 2017 9:38:07 GMT -5
I think the way the Patriots draft they tend to rely on free agent to fill this year's holes and draft picks to fill -next- year's holes. They also tend to double up on positions, don't they?
So if we look at it that way...
1) Tackles. Someone to train behind Solder this year, and then maybe move Solder to RT if they resign him or let him go. Also another RT if needed.
2) Defensive back. I know, I know, they do this every year, but the current starting safeties are 30. They have to look at someone. A hybrid DB (either CB/S or S/LB). Maybe a straightup CB pick to replace a Rowe or a Butler if needed.
3) DL. Don't think it'll be edge rusher exactly as much as someone who can swing between DT and DE... Edge Rushers tend to be overpaid, and I feel like Belichick has a system going where he'll grab edge rushers off free agency or trades cheaply, then let them go for compensation picks and pick up more. Either way, someone who can put pressure up the middle and let the LBers clean up the edges for containment seems more likely.
4) LB. Needs more depth and youth here. With the shift towards the passing game, probably more coverage LBers and use Chung/Safeties for run support.
5) Running backs. I expect two RBs out of this draft, whether as a free agent or a late pick. Dalton Crossan as a UDFA seems like a good shot here. Brian Hill of Wyoming?
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Post by digit on Apr 9, 2017 10:08:18 GMT -5
There is something to be said about a groove from repeated carries, but in order to do that, you'd have to commit to it for a whole game. And sometimes, you just end up with slow starts against strong defenses because you've limited your playbook to run and play action passes with him in there. Note his postseason stats, with strong run defenses: www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BlouLe00/gamelog/post/Over the regular season, Blount's great because he can pretty much carry the load against weaker run defenses, but in the playoffs against strong run defenses (And no, the Colts D is NOT a strong run defense), he's a liability because he limits your offense, and why NE turned to Shane Vereen and James White in the Super Bowls.
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Post by digit on Apr 8, 2017 19:03:05 GMT -5
How about we discuss what he -could- do instead? Burkhead is basically the Danny Amendola signing. He's the highest paid RB, they'll give him the shot at being a starter, but the fallback is if he doesn't live up to it, he can be either the 3rd down back, or he can play special team. He's basically a RB swiss army knife, the way Amendola can start outside, be the 3rd down WR, or play special teams. *edit* Illustration of versatility: www.csnne.com/new-england-patriots/film-review-rex-burkhead-provides-new-england-patriots-combination-power-quicknessThe best feature is this: Since they had him line up in the -slot- in Cincinnati, the Patriots could exploit him in audibles by having him line up there while Cooks goes to the outside, and Edelman shifts to the intermediate routes. www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/173758/bengals-call-rex-burkhead-a-running-back-but-keep-using-him-as-a-slot-receiverOr just line him wide, and switch up Cooks or Edelman at the slot, and really force defenders to try and figure out who to cover. This could be done on first, second, or third down, since he's able to catch the ball, and has enough wriggle to run the ball as a threat if they catch defenses in a nickel or dime situation - this will be really exploitable if they manage to find a defense they can run the no-huddle against - just exploit the mismatches whether in the spread offense, or the two-TE offense. He'd be basically a bigger version of Super Bowl James White. With more power running capability than White or Lewis, though Lewis is a more dynamic runner.
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Post by digit on Apr 7, 2017 14:18:54 GMT -5
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Post by digit on Apr 6, 2017 22:48:51 GMT -5
Wasn't there something about not wanting to burn a year of his contract for a 'cameo' this season? I don't follow hockey nearly as much as the other sports. (I'm still annoyed at the Seguin/Hamilton trades, primarily.)
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Post by digit on Apr 6, 2017 22:45:12 GMT -5
Not matching up well doesn't explain a 20+ point loss at home and giving up 120+ points to one of the worst offenses in the game. No it really doesn't... the team is talented enough to win 50 games, but it seems like the margin of error has gotten too thin. I just don't really like the match-ups with Cleveland or Atlanta, mostly because they have the defense to really bother IT4 while keeping the rest of the team from hitting shots. It feels like this team is equipped very well to handle perimeter shooting team, but not teams that are -good- at muscling their way around the inside, which is what Atlanta and Cleveland feel like to me.
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Post by digit on Apr 6, 2017 22:39:09 GMT -5
The point is having anything above junk at that position puts you in the top half of baseball. There are a handful of great hitting and slugging first basemen then a group of solid to good hitters followed by a bunch of crap. Some people act like the only way to win is to have a top hitting first baseman, which just isn't the case. Most first basemen can at least hit -better- than crap at other positions, so if you're gonna have fungibility at a position, it might as well be a position where it'll be easier to upgrade with 'solid to good' and where you can hide most DH-type hitters who need to move out of the outfield. An average 1B bat is still better than the average position bat at other positions. A fungible bat at 1B will still be better than at most other positions, and it's also probably easier to upgrade one way or another at any time and to 'fix' in the case of injury.
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Post by digit on Apr 6, 2017 22:06:56 GMT -5
Yep, but the Celtics jut don't match up well with Atlanta or Cleveland. We really need someone who can score consistently without IT4 on the court.
Horford is a good faciliator, but he's never going to be a scorer.
I think to get anywhere past the first round we'd need, well, someone who can step up and score. Of the players on this team, the only one who feels like he could make the leap is Jaylen Brown, and I don't think he's doing it -this- year.
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Post by digit on Apr 6, 2017 21:56:47 GMT -5
The hardest thing is to play back to back, especially when you have to hit the road for the second game against a team that gives us trouble.
Just glad they fought back from being 20 down to at least making a game of it on the road.
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Post by digit on Apr 6, 2017 21:50:10 GMT -5
Christmas on a bike, that's what I said earlier except he goes on and on about special teams because he has to defend his Bolden comparision, which was a crazy to begin with.
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Post by digit on Apr 6, 2017 19:15:38 GMT -5
If we're going by what you said before, you compared him to Bolden, a guy who got next to nothing to carries for a running back.
And then you say that Burkhead's paid 'not because a good well-rounded running back', but is going to be a "core special teamer'.
You shift from Bolden, a guy with practically no carries to '5-10 carries a game'. Then you claim you said half the carries.
Um, dude, a guy who can run, catch, and play special teams -is- a good, well-rounded running back. I don't even know why you are arguing this point.
For whatever reason, you keep arguing as though he's being paid to be an special teamer who can run the ball 'like Bolden', and I'm saying he's being paid to be a well-rounded RUNNING BACK. Which he is.
Perhaps YOU should be the one to read your own posts, hmmmm?
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