Prognastic
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Posts posted by Prognastic
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I am saying right here right now.....THE BILLS WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR. It might be a one and done in a wildcard.....but we ARE going to make it.
Lets take a look at this claim shall we?
I think it can be said that most reasonable Bills fans know they arent winning the division. That means they must fight for one of the 2 wild card spots. Lets look at the competition with the assumptions that New England, Indianapolis, San Diego and Baltimore win their respective divisions;
NY Jets - an up and coming team though personally, I believe they will take a step back record-wise due to a tougher schedule.
Pittsburgh - 1 year removed from a Super Bowl run, Roethlisberger is healthy again.
Cincinnati - Carson Palmer is the real deal. If they can keep out of jail, they'll contend at the very least.
Jacksonville - I'm not sold on Leftwich over Garrard but they are still a decent team.
Tennessee - Vince Young and this whole team showed a lot the 2nd half of the season. Lets see what happens with Pac Man however.
Denver - they've made some pretty big moves this offseason and could compete with San Diego for the division.
Kansas City - They always seem to find themselves in the mix.
Lets also assume the loser of the Denver/San Diego division champ will secure a WC spot.
Are the Bills better than the rest of those teams given all they've lost this offseason?
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You misread what I wrote. The Giants are the ones who'll be having the abominational 2007 season. I could see Belichick jumping the Patriot ship to the Giants if all of these FA moves fall flat and they either don't make the playoffs or they get taken out by a young upstart.
I look at the Pats roster and I see a lot of bigtime players in decline. Harrison, Bruschi, Vrabel and Brown are ancient. They've also lost a ton of the members from Superbowls past in recent seasons. Think they'd wished they could have a do-over in their decision to let Deon Branch walk? So far they've tried Chad Johnson and this year they're trying Wes Walker, Donte Stallworth, Kelley Washington. That there says how desperate they've become. They're throwing anything up there at wide out and hoping it sticks. Wes will be a gamer, the other two? Not so sure about that.
They're still good but the Pats no longer look frighteningly good anymore, even after these moves.
Other than the potential storyline, what gives you the impression that Belichick will go to the Giants? The Patriots future is much brighter than the Giants'.
There are bigtime players in decline on the Pats roster, as is EVERY other roster in the NFL. There are also a good young nucleus of players especially along the O and D Lines.
The Pats were only frighteningly good in 04. Every other year they beat you and left you scratching your head at how you just got beat.
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They'll still be a good team but they won't see another Superbowl with what's left of that nucleus that got them there.
Eventually, Belichick will be having thoughts of jumping ship and "saving" the Giants organization after their sure to be abomination of a 2007 season. You wait and see.
I see you're skilled at talking out of both sides of your mouth. Which is it? Still be a good team or sure to be abomination of a 2007 season?
I'll wait and see what your answer is
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Yeah, much like letting go of Deon Branch and going with a committee of receivers. How did that approach fare for them against Indy in the conference championship when it counted??
Yeah, Deion Branch would have stopped Joseph Addai from getting into the endzone untouched. He also would have put more pressure on Manning and would have adequately covered Dallas Clark down the field.
Offense was not the problem in the AFCCG
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If you're not worried why post about it?
The Pats are building depth at WR;
Stallworth
Caldwell
Welker
Gaffney
Washington
Troy Brown?
While they dont have a true #1, they dont operate in a system that clearly defines #1 or #2 receivers. Tom Brady spreads the ball out to different receivers and what they've done with this is they've mixed up deep threat receivers with possession receivers with slot/speedy receivers.
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HD: Stallworth has talent to be sure. But that's not enough. As has been mentioned, he has attitude, injury, and substance abuse problems. There have been players with as many issues who have gotten big money deals in the recent past. Hell, Welker got almost 3 times as much guaranteed money as Stallworth, and the Pats traded picks away for him as well. So I wouldn't exactly call him a coveted FA WR, much less the top FA WR. Again the Pats taking-on a player like this is something that goes against what they've done in the past.
As for having a much better roster than last year, debatable at best. Thomas may or may not prove to be all he is advertised, but the track record of Ravens defenders after they leave Baltimore is pretty well-established, and Rosey Colvin hasn't come close to duplicating what he did with the Bears. And the trade-off of Dillon for Morris (a player similar to Faulk), Troy Brown for Welker, and Graham for no one isn't exactly scary. Add to that Vrabel, Bruschi, and Harrison aging rapidly...
Oh and the Pats were just as close, if not closer, to losing in the 2nd round (again) than they were to going to the SB (again). No more Marty to kick around, though and it looks like the Broncos are making serious moves to improve as well, and we all know how Shanahan has Belichick's number.
I wont argue with the first paragraph.
The second however, their roster is better than it was last year. Adalius Thomas is an upgrade over Tully Banta-Cain, Eugene Wilson and Rodney Harrison are healthy again and Vrabel, Bruschi and Harrison age no faster or slower than any other human being (except those on crack)
3rd paragraph is pure hyperbole. They were no closer to burrowing to the center of the Earth as they were to flying to the moon.
WHO CARES? They got to where they got to plain and simple.
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Thomas is 29.
What does it matter how they relate to Evans? The question to ask is if they're better than the likes of Kelvin Kight and Bam Childress. Never mind that Welker is about as good a fit for the New England offense as there is.
In any event, the Pats hardly spent "a lot of money" on Welker and Stallworth. Welker signed for $3.6 million a year, and Stallworth's deal is only $3.6 million for one year if the Pats opt out of it after '07.
HD, let them think that they have a chance. It will make mid September (the time they realize their season is over) that much sweeter.
Then again, I suspect there will be more anger around these parts come Draft Day with the exception of MadBuffaloDisease who will continue to do his impersionation of Ron Borges by claiming that the Patriots are DOOOMED!!
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According to Rotoworld :
http://www.rotoworld.com/content/HeadLines.aspx?sport=NFL
Aggressive Patriots land Donte' Stallworth
Patriots agreed to terms with WR Donte' Stallworth on a six-year contract.
The deal is worth $30 million, including roughly $12 million guaranteed, according to ESPN. This is the second player believed to be in the NFL's substance-abuse program that New England has signed this offseason (also Sammy Morris). He gives Tom Brady a deep threat to start opposite Reche Caldwell with Wes Welker in the slot, but Stallworth's fantasy numbers may not improve in the Patriots' receiver committee. Mar. 11 - 9:54 am et
Once again this put us behind the game. They are going to give the division a serious run once again. Here we sit dead in the water, waiting to rebuild our franchise. We better say screw that cap to cash BS. Otherwise we'll never compete in this division.
The Pats own the division and have done so for basically the last 6 years with one hiccup in '02. The other teams have to scramble to catch up to them.
They can now afford to use the draft for depth or to trade out and stockpile picks for next year. Its a good position to be in.
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I'm just glad Coulter isnt giving some half hearted apology and going to rehab to "make everything all better"
Is rehab the new "re-education centers"?
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This is why John Edwards shouldnt be president for saying that this type of speech "shouldnt be tolerated"
Um...there's this amendment in the constitution that guarantees this type of speech. In fact its so important that they made it the FIRST one.
I love how Ann is bucking the latest trends and is NOT apologetic.
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it's not just "pats media" anymore.
SI.com's Don Banks this week had an interesting view of the Ravens from their incredible defense of this decade and looked at ALL of the former Ravens that were very productive in the Ravens system then left as Free Agents and ALL of which ended up as non productive busts and is called the 'Ex-Ravens Factor'.
All previous members of the great team in this early decade have gone on to other teams via FA from the Ravens, and not one player has been anything but below average as Don says including Adalius's ex-teammates 'Hartwell','Sharper','Weaver','Herring','Baxter',' Washington','Dalton,'Burnett' and of course the infamous 'Starks' - Pretty much that makes it since 2000 there were 10 well productive FAs leave from Baltimore - 0 played well on other teams.
Another related article from another writer on the same day says Adalius and the Ravens DC worked great together and if he goes to another team it might be hard to duplicate the type of player he was in Baltimore Since he was raised in their specific system and was used in so many versatile ways just like we do.
Since 2000, what exactly have the Ravens accomplished to prove that they are great talent evaluators?
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- The on-field circus in SD after the win over the Chargers
- The whining by Bruschi and others over the Colts getting too much glory and the Pats not getting enough respect
- Bellycheck's arrogant attitude with Solomon Wilcots after the loss to the Colts
- etc.
Which two words sums up the above best;
Ticky Tacky
or
Wishy Washy?
- The on-field circus in SD after the win over the Chargers
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So you Pats fans (HD, Prognastic, 3BillsDrive) are predicting now that the Pats will win the SB this year?
I predict that they will contend for the Super Bowl along with Indy, San Diego and possibly Denver.
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So is the logic here that the Pats should have stuck with Tully Banta-Cain instead of Adalius Thomas?
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Why didnt someone tell me there were Bushbots out there?
Dont you guys know I'm deathly afraid of robot overlords?
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The beauty of this is that the Pats can simply draft the best players rather than reaching for need.
They can still afford to grab a LB and a Safety or WR and let them develop
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"On a day when they could have had impact players David Terrell or Koren Robinson or the second-best tackle in the draft in Kenyatta Walker, they took Georgia defensive tackle Richard Seymour, who had 1 sacks last season in the pass-happy SEC and is too tall to play tackle at 6-6 and too slow to play defensive end. This genius move was followed by trading out of a spot where they could have gotten the last decent receiver in Robert Ferguson and settled for tackle Matt Light, who will not help any time soon". - Ron Borges, MSNBC after 2001 Draft.
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hhhhmmmm, i could see thomas being a disappointment in NE too. defense-happy ravens don't part with top defensive players that easily.
ON FOOTBALL
More of the same?
Banking on Thomas is no sure thing
By Ron Borges | March 4, 2007
Long before the free agency period began, strong side linebacker Adalius Thomas was designated the year's premier catch by many pundits and personnel men. Perhaps he will prove to be just that, but if history is any predictor, he should be approached with caution.
Thomas is a versatile, athletic, aggressive linebacker who at 270 pounds has played both strong safety and nose tackle, which is about as useful as a man can be on one side of the football. He has the speed to cover top tight ends like Antonio Gates; the agility to be used as the spy against mobile quarterbacks like Vince Young and Michael Vick (he broke Vick's ankle a couple of years ago after running him down); and the quickness to be a top pass rusher (28 sacks the past three seasons, including 11 in 2006).
So what would the doubts be about such a player? Three things, according one NFL personnel man: His age, his price tag, and the history of defensive players after they leave Baltimore.
"In free agency, the negatives are usually evident, but if you need something bad enough, you minimize them," said an AFC North executive Friday night, before it became clear the Patriots would make Thomas the richest free agent signing in team history. "We've all done it. That may be happening with this guy.
"Thomas is a good athlete, and he was productive in their scheme in Baltimore, but he's not good setting the edge against the run and he's not a traditional 'Sam' [strong-side] linebacker because he has trouble getting off a tight end's block. I saw [Daniel] Graham bury him against the Ravens a couple years ago. They ran right over him the whole game.
"A guy who can do as many things as Thomas can is the kind of player Bill Belichick likes, though. I heard he fell in love with him at the Pro Bowl. His versatility and his athleticism are big pluses, but that's a pretty big price tag for a guy who can't set the edge and will be 30 years old this season.
"Those are two things that won't change: He won't get younger, and at his age, if you're not good against the run, you can't be coached out of that.
"The fear I'd have is he may be a little bit of a system guy. Baltimore's defense is very aggressive. They attack from a lot of directions, so a guy like Thomas gets a lot of open runs [at the quarterback] with just a running back to block him.
"How will he do in a more disciplined system like the Patriots', where they expect you to stay at home and play your responsibility? The Ravens have had a lot of these kind of players on defense. They do well in Baltimore because of the scheme and because of [Ray] Lewis, [Ed] Reed, and [pass-rushing defensive end] Terrell Suggs
"Take them away from that, and a lot of their players became different guys."
The Patriots have to hope Thomas will be the same guy he was last season, when he finished third on the Ravens with 106 tackles and was second in sacks, trailing Trevor Pryce's 13 while nosing out both Suggs and Bart Scott, who each had 9 1/2.
Such production is impressive. So is his athletic versatility, the kind that would allow a football mind as facile as Belichick's to have a field day using Thomas's skills differently from week to week to create difficult matchups.
What is worrisome, though, is whether the source of that production was more Thomas or the people around him.
Since the Ravens won the Super Bowl six years ago, they have lost a trainload of defensive talent in free agency. None of the players who departed went on to maintain their level of play at their new addresses.
That is true of defensive tackle Sam Adams, linebacker Jamie Sharper, cornerback Duane Starks, safety Kim Herring, cornerback Gary Baxter, defensive linemen Rob Burnett, Keith Washington, and Lionel Dalton, and linebacker Ed Hartwell.
The Falcons signed Hartwell to a six-year, $26.5 million contract three years ago and thought they had a bargain and a run-stuffing force. Hartwell never returned on that investment, though, partially because of injuries. He was released Friday.
Now it is Thomas whom the Ravens allowed to leave without a fight. That was not the case with Lewis or Reed, whom they paid handsomely to stay. General manager Ozzie Newsome has yet to make a mistake in that regard, and last week he made it clear he didn't believe he was making one with Thomas, either.
"This was not an 11th-hour decision," Newsome said. "We've been facing that since the beginning of training camp [in 2006], knowing that we could have to make that decision. I think it was a fair decision. I think it was fair to the organization and fair for A.D.
"I had a chance to sit down and talk with him the Monday before I came to the combine and explained our position, gave him an opportunity to talk to me. I think it was the fair thing to do.
"The way we approach it, we come to the threshold of what we think the player's value is in Baltimore. When it goes beyond that, then we don't mind them going out the door. If we lose them, we feel like we can go out and find some more."
Past history does not guarantee future success or failure, but the question that suitors of this year's Raven in flight had to consider was whether Thomas would prove to be the exception to the rule or just another former Raven about whom his new employer ends up saying a year or two later, "Nevermore"?
Obviously, Belichick believes the answer will prove to be the former, not the latter.
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patr...he_same/?page=1
Borges two days ago;
Best values 1. Adalius Thomas, LB: He wants a $18 million signing bonus and will probably get it, likely from the 49ers. Wherever he goes, the 270-pound Thomas appears headed toward making an impact.
Keep in mind, he hates the Pats as much as any Stadium Waller
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We all know that no money ever just disappears from the "general fund"
BIGGER GOVERNMENT!!
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Iran and Saudi "talking" is akin to the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff "talking" behind the Hulkster's back.
Whatever they're talking about, it probably isnt good for us.
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I'm a conservative and I dont remember wanting to lock up gays in institutions.
Build strawmen much?
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I'm not scurred of Wes Welker, anyone?
He pretty much single handedly KILLS the Pats and does a lot of things very well. He'd be a FANTASTIC addition to the WR corps.
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So much for the Pats being DOOMED!!
Did I mention TWO first round draft picks?
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I believe Bobby Knight was the General and David Robinson was one of the admirals. Captain Morgan also voiced his disapproval.
Both Captain Crunch and Colonel Sanders give it the thumbs up however.
Mel Kiper's Latest
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
You should feel good seeing mocks that show the Pats taking Willis. You know they NEVER take a guy who they're "projected" to take. They're lucky to be in a position to take the best players available at 24 & 28 regardless of position.