Should Tom Brady be benched?

[Jetfan16]

if the chowds sign Vinny, i would expect him to be starting week 4 after brady gets killed by the bengals. its simply too late in teh week for VT to absorb the playbook before sunday. but a week will be plenty of time. if the chowds sign Vinny, we better just forfeit the season.

[Gainzo]

if the chowds sign Vinny, i would expect him to be starting week 4 after brady gets killed by the bengals. its simply too late in teh week for VT to absorb the playbook before sunday. but a week will be plenty of time. if the chowds sign Vinny, we better just forfeit the season.

99 year old Vinny will not be signed by the Pats.

[jetophile]

if the chowds sign Vinny, i would expect him to be starting week 4 after brady gets killed by the bengals. its simply too late in teh week for VT to absorb the playbook before sunday. but a week will be plenty of time. if the chowds sign Vinny, we better just forfeit the season.

Hoy. It's you. Hehehe.

[Jetfan16]

Hoy. It's you. Hehehe.

aka Jetsrock16 at the ganggreen.com, good times.

[Blackout]

99 year old Vinny will not be signed by the Pats.

well they need somebody with experience and poise, and clearly Brady is not providing it right now

[BwanaZulia]

Exactly, when did Givens become a top 10 WR in the NFL?

That's exactly how the Titans paid him.

It isn't about matching, but what did the Patriots to do replace those two talents?

Where are they? Who are they?

BZ

[Garb]

It isn't about matching, but what did the Patriots to do replace those two talents?

Where are they? Who are they?

BZ

Good question. I'm thinking they replaced their ball-control passing O with a ball control, run first type offense (providing that Dillon and Maroney stay healthy). However, to really answer your question? TBD.

[PFSIKH]

It isn't about matching, but what did the Patriots to do replace those two talents?

Where are they? Who are they?

BZ

I think the Patriots' FO should get some blame, but not the way Jets' fans think.

Linking Givens and Branch together is wrong. They were both in different situations. Givens was an URFA. Branch was not. He had a year left.

The thing I think the FO can get blamed for is not being situationally aware or have an idea on the Branch situation.

One of thwo things happened.

It either just dissolved too quickly and left them few options. With the new CBA giving teams more cap room and not leaving the usual amount of good players to be had in June and before the season starts.

Or, the negotiations never had a chance because one of the two sides would not compromise.

With hindsight, we know the FO should have brought in another vet so go through TC with the Patriots or they should have tried to retain Givens.

IMHO the FO never saw the situation with Branch ending the way it did. They probably envisioned Branch, Caldwell, Brown and Jackson being the receivers. In light of what happened, I think they have done a good job. Getting a first for Branch is good and signing Gabriel a young player with alot of potential is good. It does little for them now, but I think no later then 2007, the wideout problem will be a moot point.

[BwanaZulia]

Good question. I'm thinking they replaced their ball-control passing O with a ball control, run first type offense (providing that Dillon and Maroney stay healthy). However, to really answer your question? TBD.

TBD? What round was he picked up off of?

That is the point, it looks like they didn't make any quality moves in the off season to bring in players to help make Tom Brady a success.

That to me, is cruel. Good for the Jets, but cruel.

It is like what the Packers did to Favre two years ago.

BZ

[PatsFanTX]

Good question. I'm thinking they replaced their ball-control passing O with a ball control, run first type offense (providing that Dillon and Maroney stay healthy). However, to really answer your question? TBD.

Yea, that really worked well against the Broncos.

[Garb]

TBD? What round was he picked up off of?

That is the point, it looks like they didn't make any quality moves in the off season to bring in players to help make Tom Brady a success.

That to me, is cruel. Good for the Jets, but cruel.

It is like what the Packers did to Favre two years ago.

BZ

I disagree - sort of. Maroney has great upside and should be the Pats RB of the future - Dillon isn't exactly a spring chicken. I consider THAT a quality move. The jury is still out on Gabriel and Jackson. Could they be very good? Yes. Could they suck? Yes. But after three weeks - one and half for Gabriel - I'm not willing to condeed that point quite yet.

BTW - at receiver, didn't Favre have Walker and Ahman Green when he was actually good? I believe much of the Packers failures are due to Favre's diminished skills and piss poor defense. Favre should have retired three years ago, IMO.

[raffyD]

BTW - at receiver, didn't Favre have Walker and Ahman Green when he was actually good? I believe much of the Packers failures are due to Favre's diminished skills and piss poor defense. Favre should have retired three years ago, IMO.

Nice job on the deflecting attention tidbit.

[PFSIKH]

That is the point, it looks like they didn't make any quality moves in the off season to bring in players to help make Tom Brady a success.

BZ as I said above, I think the FO deserves some blame, but I believe Branch and his agent forced Branch's way out.

Back to your point. After last season, we had Branch and Brown under contract and Givens as a free agent. Givens left, the Patriots signed Caldwell and drafted Jackson to team with Branch for at least one more year.

Then even when Branch became a holdout, I think everyone believed he would be back. That is where the FO deserves some blame, but then again it might have come out of nowhere.

They did moves to address wideout situation prior to knowing Branch was going to be gone. Then they made a subsequent move after he left to shore it up.

You make it seem like they did nothing, but that is not entirely true now is it?

[Preston Howley III]

BZ as I said above, I think the FO deserves some blame, but I believe Branch and his agent forced Branch's way out.

Back to your point. After last season, we had Branch and Brown under contract and Givens as a free agent. Givens left, the Patriots signed Caldwell and drafted Jackson to team with Branch for at least one more year.

Then even when Branch became a holdout, I think everyone believed he would be back. That is where the FO deserves some blame, but then again it might have come out of nowhere.

They did moves to address wideout situation prior to knowing Branch was going to be gone. Then they made a subsequent move after he left to shore it up.

You make it seem like they did nothing, but that is not entirely true now is it?

Remember how destructive it was to the Jets when Keyshawn pulled this crap? Imagine if the Jets lost Wayne Chrebet the same year.

That's what you have to look forward to as a Pats fan. Because that is your reality.

[PFSIKH]

Remember how destructive it was to the Jets when Keyshawn pulled this crap? Imagine if the Jets lost Wayne Chrebet the same year.

That's what you have to look forward to as a Pats fan. Because that is your reality.

JM

It is.

I am only contending BZ's claim the team did nothing. Givens was given as a goner as they choose to try and resign Branch. The place they should be blamed is not knowing the situation with Branch. This might not be fair, because Branch and/or his agent might have decided to end the realtionship during TC.

Either way, the Patriots did try to replace the lost talent with Caldwell and Jackson. Then after the Branch fiasco with Gabriel. It is not perfect, but things could really be worse.