The aggressive spending (if rumors pan out) by New England should not be an unforseen abberation. The brilliance of Belichick's game planning is that he does whatever is necessary to win, and that includes going against tendencies when that is the best play. I could smell this coming. The Pats 2nd year out of the Super Bowl, coupled with the unusual retention of Samuel signaled that Kraft and company were going to shift gears this offseason. Combine that with the fact that A. Thomas is the perfect fit for the defense (not to mention ours), this was a no-brainer. Too bad Tannebaum didn't try to do anything about it.
Just found this little tidbit off the Boston Globe story that the deal is nearly done: One factor that might have helped the Patriots in their pursuit was that Thomas got to know coach Bill Belichick at the Pro Bowl in February. "I never really met Belichick before, and you always hear about how he's a mean guy, but it's real interesting to see how he reacts with different players, how he gets comfortable over here," Thomas told the Associated Press at the time. "He's actually a really nice guy. I was surprised." I guess we would've been better of with New England getting to the Super Bowl.
Yeah because the last time we signed ''some backup cornerback'' from Seattle last year, he was so bad for us.
That guys no backup. Let me correct myself,,, Jets will sign some backup CB and the majority of ya will praise it saying they saved money and that they need another second day draft pick.
If the Jets want to shop for players at the auto auction fine, but then don't be charging BMW prices for tickets. Green used to stand for JETS, now it's just GREED.
Stop crying in your cereal, would ya. Belichick and his band of geniuses haven't won a Super Bowl in two years, so while I give props where it is due, the guy isn't without fault. And part of the reason they have money to spend is because there wide receiver corp has been decimated by defections and free agency losses, partly due to his arrogance and bull headedness. Is A. Thomas a good player? Sure. Does that mean the Pats have won the Super Bowl and we're doomed forever? No.
Great signing by the Pats- just another reason why they're a great franchise. Ugh, Jets better draft extremely well or sign somebody to help our anemic pass rush. If our marquee FA signing is TJ Duckett, I'm going to be a little disappointed. Man, I haven't felt this bad about a Patriots move in a while. I know I shouldn't be too worried (as its early in FA) but it just hurts to see all these FA signings
What you say is true. However, let's look at what else is true: --The Patriots seem to be on the verge of adding an impact player onto a defense that was thisclose to getting back to the SuperBowl (and you know they would've demolished the Bears.) --The Patriots beat the crap out of the Jets (when it counted) in the playoffs because of superior roster talent. The lines were bigger and stronger allowing them to dominate the running game both ways. They're cornerbacks picked off balls while ours just knocked them down. And they're quarterback scored red zone TDs while ours could not. --The Jets, from all rumors and insider talk and past history, are poised to be poised and sit back and wait and sign a bunch of lesser talents that will not close the gap on the Pats. Am I missing something? Let me put it another way: How do you see the Jets winning the division this year? That's not a smart ass question, but I desperate plea for some ray of hope.
Belichick has won three and you're saying "Well he's such a genius he hasn't won one in two years" ??? What? Jets haven't won one since 1969. Belichick did improve his team, Jets (as of now) have not.
The two teams are in different situations. The Pats can afford to break the bank on one guy b/c that one guy can put them over the top. Right now we have too many holes to spend this kind of cabbage on one guy.
Being better than the Pats won't come overnight. It may not come for another five years.. their organization is already in place. They have their franchise QB, and they added some quality in the Adalius Thomas signing. They also have their young back in Maroney.. the Jets don't have that franchise QB yet (we can hope that Clemens is) nor that running game and Mangini basically was given the task of having to rip it all up and start from scratch. Rome wasn't built in a day.
We should be acting like the 2001 Patriots as opposed to the 2006 Patriots. The core needs to be solidified smartly and cheaply (i.e. draft picks and younger free agents and cheaper "Mangini-type" free agents). Then we can add the expensive trimmings.
Why?? Why all the whining after only being one day into the F/A period? Get over it, A.Thomas signed with the Patsies. It happens.. We will do some things that will spook those Patsie fans too. All of you guys complaining already about how we are doomed, and how the Patriots are so much more smarter than we are. Be honest.. Your just upset/biased because you wanted the headlines on us. You desperately wanted that NEEDFULL feeling of getting that big name LB from Baltimore.. That is all it is. It will pan out, give it time.
no, they added an impact player to a Defense that gave up nearly 40 points and cost them a chance at the Super Bowl.
And what exactly would you have had Tannenbaum do? Sign a 29 year old player to a contract that will bust the cap in a few years when the Jets still have bigger fundamental holes than they had last year on the offensive and defensive lines? If the Jets went into next season with the same 4 linebackers they entered this season with it wouldn't be a disaster. If they have the same 3 defensive linemen it will. The Patriots got scared and they made a very unwise move with Thomas. Their dynasty is getting older, particularly in the linebacking corps and what they needed was some young blood to work in back there. Instead they signed a player who is generationally similar to what they already have. Which means in a couple of years all the Patriots linebackers are going to get old together. Belichik is still in panic mode from losing Mangini and now he's making mistakes.
I think there's a lot of sense in what you say. The thing that stands out to me is that this isn't how the Pats have done things in the past. Their usual method has resulted in them being the dominant franchise in the NFL for years - now suddenly they make a big free agent splash on a guy who will be 30 next year. Whether or not you think this is a great player, the key is that the Patriots have changed their gameplan - why would they do this unless they were worried?
That is very true. I agree with you completely. It was a similar situation i think we were in after the 04 season when we were a kick away from the championship game. I think Bradway, Herm, and Woody felt that they had enough talent on the team and they just needed aa guy to put them over the hump. We signed Ty Law which is a signing we would never make now. There are too many holes in the roster to go out and spend the bank on one guy. What we have to do this season is fill the holes go out and play solid football and then we can talk about signing impact players. Because i will tell you this, impact players can not make impacts without other talent around them. ex: Edgeran(sp?) James who signed with the Cardinals to make them a playoff team last year...but where were they in january?
