Key on ESPN (1 Viewer)

[3nOut]

Moss will either re-sign or be franchised. IMO, there is about a 1% chance he won't be back. They can't franchise Samuel, so Moss would be an obvious next choice.

And yes, I have heard whispers about the Pats somehow trying to get Ocho Cinco to go with Moss and Welker. I doubt it will happen, but I had heard they were interested in Moss for almost a year before they traded for him and many said that would never happen. You never know . . .

I thought Moss was an Unresricted FA. I don't think you can franchise an UFA, can you?

You are confused. A team can franchise a UFA. The only time they can't is when they signed a contract stating otherwise (like the Pats did with Asante Samuel).

I stand corrected.

 

[3nOut]

Ben said he would love a "tall receiver"

As a Big Ben owner, I wouldn't mind seeing this at all... though I doubt this happens.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

For all the talk about the WR corps, the Patriots lost in large part because they refused to use the running game properly.

. . . kinda like Mike Martz in the 2001 Super Bowl . . . I think you're conflating game analysis with offseason roster moves, Andy. There's no doubt they need to run more, but they still have some big decisions to make at the WR position.

I guess my point was that I think they're in better position to win a Super Bowl with lesser receivers and a better running game.

 

[Boston]

For all the talk about the WR corps, the Patriots lost in large part because they refused to use the running game properly.

. . . kinda like Mike Martz in the 2001 Super Bowl . . . I think you're conflating game analysis with offseason roster moves, Andy. There's no doubt they need to run more, but they still have some big decisions to make at the WR position.

I guess my point was that I think they're in better position to win a Super Bowl with lesser receivers and a better running game.

I agree with this. I don't think it was a fluke that as the weather got worse the Patriots games got closer. Obviously there were other factors involved but a cold-weather team relying too much on the pass has some legit exposure. I'd like to see them go back to having a little more of a balanced attack where a windy day or a fierce pass rush won't wreak as much havoc on this offense.

 

[ookook]

I think there is a very strong chance that Moss agrees to take the franchise tag and 8 million rather than the 9 million and change he could get elsewhere.

With Moss and Welker (as well as Faulk if he does not retire), the other WRs are not so very important. Stallworth starts looking expensive.

I think they draft defense early as well as starting to anticipate they may not be able to pay that OL forever.

 

[Boston]

I think there is a very strong chance that Moss agrees to take the franchise tag and 8 million rather than the 9 million and change he could get elsewhere. With Moss and Welker (as well as Faulk if he does not retire), the other WRs are not so very important. Stallworth starts looking expensive.I think they draft defense early as well as starting to anticipate they may not be able to pay that OL forever.

Neal, Koppen and Light are all signed long term. Mankins has at least two years left on his deal. I believe Hochstein signed a new deal last offseason as well.

 

[David Yudkin]

I think they draft defense early as well as starting to anticipate they may not be able to pay that OL forever.

They generally do like to pick OL in the draft. They do have most of them for a few more years,Koppen is signed through 2011.Light is signed through 2010.Kaczur is signed through 2009.Mankins is signed through 2009.O'Callaghan is signed through 2009.Neal is signed through 2009.Hochstein is signed through 2008.

 

[428143]

IMO, if the Pats want to improve their D, letting Moss go wouldn't be a horrible move. I believe the spread offense would still be very effective with a WR like Berrian replacing Moss...

 

[David Yudkin]

IMO, if the Pats want to improve their D, letting Moss go wouldn't be a horrible move. I believe the spread offense would still be very effective with a WR like Berrian replacing Moss...

There's effective . . . and there's record breaking effective. Sure, without Moss their offense would likely be better than the 06 receiving corps, but a Berrian/Welker/Gaffney trio looks mighty mediocre.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

IMO, if the Pats want to improve their D, letting Moss go wouldn't be a horrible move. I believe the spread offense would still be very effective with a WR like Berrian replacing Moss...

There's effective . . . and there's record breaking effective. Sure, without Moss their offense would likely be better than the 06 receiving corps, but a Berrian/Welker/Gaffney trio looks mighty mediocre.

How good were the WR trios on the winning Super Bowl teams?I really am just asking - I don't remember.

 

[redman]

IMO, if the Pats want to improve their D, letting Moss go wouldn't be a horrible move. I believe the spread offense would still be very effective with a WR like Berrian replacing Moss...

There's effective . . . and there's record breaking effective. Sure, without Moss their offense would likely be better than the 06 receiving corps, but a Berrian/Welker/Gaffney trio looks mighty mediocre.

Agreed, especially when you consider that by losing Moss you're likely not making just one but three WR positions weaker. Welker and Gaffney benefitted hugely from coverage rolling to Moss all year.

 

[Boston]

IMO, if the Pats want to improve their D, letting Moss go wouldn't be a horrible move. I believe the spread offense would still be very effective with a WR like Berrian replacing Moss...

There's effective . . . and there's record breaking effective. Sure, without Moss their offense would likely be better than the 06 receiving corps, but a Berrian/Welker/Gaffney trio looks mighty mediocre.

How good were the WR trios on the winning Super Bowl teams?I really am just asking - I don't remember.

They were solid but not spectacular. The big difference is I don't see their D being at the level of the 03 or 04 teams so there will be more pressure for the O to be very productive.

 

[David Yudkin]

IMO, if the Pats want to improve their D, letting Moss go wouldn't be a horrible move. I believe the spread offense would still be very effective with a WR like Berrian replacing Moss...

There's effective . . . and there's record breaking effective. Sure, without Moss their offense would likely be better than the 06 receiving corps, but a Berrian/Welker/Gaffney trio looks mighty mediocre.

How good were the WR trios on the winning Super Bowl teams?I really am just asking - I don't remember.

They we some combination of Givens, Branch, Brown, and Patten. They weren't terrible, but they weren't ground breaking.Let's not forget that in 3 playoff games this year the Pats defense only allowed 4 TD and an average of 16 ppg. The defense is far for bad. They may have some aging players (Bruschi, Harrison, Seau) and will have CB issues when Samuel leaves. but all teams have salary cap concerns and weaknesses somewhere.

 

[Chadstroma]

IMO, if the Pats want to improve their D, letting Moss go wouldn't be a horrible move. I believe the spread offense would still be very effective with a WR like Berrian replacing Moss...

There's effective . . . and there's record breaking effective. Sure, without Moss their offense would likely be better than the 06 receiving corps, but a Berrian/Welker/Gaffney trio looks mighty mediocre.

Agreed, especially when you consider that by losing Moss you're likely not making just one but three WR positions weaker. Welker and Gaffney benefitted hugely from coverage rolling to Moss all year.

Exactly, you give the double attention to Welker, put your speed guy on Berrian, and your nickle back or FS on Gaffney. If their running game stuggled like it did this year, they would be a very mortal offense. Without someone getting open so quickly, the O-line will break down and Brady gets put on his rear a few times and then the offense is broken. What made this offense so great was that if you put your attention to Moss, Welker could break open. If neither of them were open then you have Stallworth, Faulk, Watson, Gaffney etc open in time enough for the O-line to protect without added help and Brady is quick thinking enough to find the open guy and hit them before putting the O-line in a stressful position of blocking too long. You take out Brady, the under rated O-line, or the overly impressive group of WR and the offense will take a huge hit.

 

[Chaka]

Key is HORRIBLE. He just talked again on ESPN and I have no idea what he just said. Is there someone on air be it TV, radio, or a puppet show on a corner in New York... that is more useless than this guy? He can not speak clearly and he has nothing intelligent to add.

Ditka never finishes a sentence, Lou Holtz sounds like Sylvester the Cat and let's not forget Emmitt "LJJ Cool" Smith.There are lots of guys worse than Key. It doesn't make Key good, or even tolerable, but he is not the worst guy out there.

 

[loose circuits]

it's ######ed to even speculate moss is going anywhere. He'll be franchised if they can't work out a deal

 

[Chadstroma]

Key is HORRIBLE. He just talked again on ESPN and I have no idea what he just said. Is there someone on air be it TV, radio, or a puppet show on a corner in New York... that is more useless than this guy? He can not speak clearly and he has nothing intelligent to add.

Ditka never finishes a sentence, Lou Holtz sounds like Sylvester the Cat and let's not forget Emmitt "LJJ Cool" Smith.There are lots of guys worse than Key. It doesn't make Key good, or even tolerable, but he is not the worst guy out there.

But you can respect those guys for what they have done in football. Key has done what? He was known for his mouth and the funny thing is that he can not even excel at a job that he is suppose to be talking. He is not a HoF guy. He is not a brilliant football mind. He is not a top notch speaker. He does not have a journalistic network within the game to break news stories. He is worthless.

 

[Chaka]

Key is HORRIBLE. He just talked again on ESPN and I have no idea what he just said. Is there someone on air be it TV, radio, or a puppet show on a corner in New York... that is more useless than this guy? He can not speak clearly and he has nothing intelligent to add.

Ditka never finishes a sentence, Lou Holtz sounds like Sylvester the Cat and let's not forget Emmitt "LJJ Cool" Smith.There are lots of guys worse than Key. It doesn't make Key good, or even tolerable, but he is not the worst guy out there.

But you can respect those guys for what they have done in football. Key has done what? He was known for his mouth and the funny thing is that he can not even excel at a job that he is suppose to be talking. He is not a HoF guy. He is not a brilliant football mind. He is not a top notch speaker. He does not have a journalistic network within the game to break news stories. He is worthless.

Please like any of the things you listed is important to get a job at ESPN. The fact that you do not acknowledge what Key did on the field tells me everything I need to know about how you will judge him going forward.He was a helluva receiver. It is possible to be a damn good player and not make it to the Hall of Fame.

 

[Chadstroma]

Key is HORRIBLE. He just talked again on ESPN and I have no idea what he just said. Is there someone on air be it TV, radio, or a puppet show on a corner in New York... that is more useless than this guy? He can not speak clearly and he has nothing intelligent to add.

Ditka never finishes a sentence, Lou Holtz sounds like Sylvester the Cat and let's not forget Emmitt "LJJ Cool" Smith.There are lots of guys worse than Key. It doesn't make Key good, or even tolerable, but he is not the worst guy out there.

But you can respect those guys for what they have done in football. Key has done what? He was known for his mouth and the funny thing is that he can not even excel at a job that he is suppose to be talking. He is not a HoF guy. He is not a brilliant football mind. He is not a top notch speaker. He does not have a journalistic network within the game to break news stories. He is worthless.

Please like any of the things you listed is important to get a job at ESPN. The fact that you do not acknowledge what Key did on the field tells me everything I need to know about how you will judge him going forward.He was a helluva receiver. It is possible to be a damn good player and not make it to the Hall of Fame.

You usually do not get a tv gig unless you are a HoFer or you can actually bring something to the table in front of the tv. He got the chance because he was known for his mouth and it was a relative easy assumption to think he would be a 'mouth' in front of the tv. That was wrong. Maybe he is in there to make the HoFers look good.