Blood In The Water... AFCEast Active in FA

[Pride]

The AFCE is extremely active today it seems in trying to land top name Free Agents. Is it because the 3 teams smell Patriot blood in the water and feel that this year may be the first year in many that any team could challenge New England for the division title?

[BuffaloBillsStampede]

I doubt that is why. Do you honestly think that the Bills, Jets, or Dolphins will challenege them next year? Even I as a die hard Bills fan can't say that with a straight face. I think they are picking up players so that they can get better overall as a team not just because of the Patriots. What exactly did they lose that makes you think they are going to be much worse than what they were last year?

[Michael82]

I think it is because the Dolphins and Jets were pretty bad last year. Plus the Bills have a lot of money to spend a couple big holes to fill that should have push them into the playoffs. :up:

[Buffatexas]

I doubt that is why. Do you honestly think that the Bills, Jets, or Dolphins will challenege them next year? Even I as a die hard Bills fan can't say that with a straight face. I think they are picking up players so that they can get better overall as a team not just because of the Patriots. What exactly did they lose that makes you think they are going to be much worse than what they were last year?

I dont think it is a matter of what the pats lost. I think it is a matter of the Giants did showing the world how to beat the pats. Think of going through the whole season without really having to alter their gameplan as they were, for the most part, handing asskickings out at will. Now they go to the SB and get manhandled and their whole gameplan shot to hell. They will have to retool for that and more than likely will show less flash and dash and will probably go back to the dink and dunk that won them their first SB

[realdealryan]

Blood in the water? 1 loss is blood in the water?

If 18-1 is blood in the water, then what are we? Rotted carcass on the beach?

We are just trying to close the gap, along with the Jets and the Fins. It sucks to get swept every year, and owners have to sell tickets.

[Pride]

Well, they have very little salary cap, and have about 10 starters that are Free Agents.

Factor in the embarrassment of the SB loss
The SpyGate Scandal that may very well force their head coach to retire
A game plan put on by the Giants that illustrates exactly how to beat the Pats
And the couple of guys in trouble withe law in the last month...

And I believe the writing is on the wall and that the other 3 teams have the best chance in years to bring down the "king" of the division.

[Mitchy moo]

Blood in the water? 1 loss is blood in the water?

If 18-1 is blood in the water, then what are we? Rotted carcass on the beach?

We are just trying to close the gap, along with the Jets and the Fins. It sucks to get swept every year, and owners have to sell tickets.

We roll them in both games this year. I hope we play them in the first game of the year in their house.

[realdealryan]

We roll them in both games this year. I hope we play them in the first game of the year in their house.

That would be awesome. I don't know how realistic it is until we get a secondary....

[Mitchy moo]

That would be awesome. I don't know how realistic it is until we get a secondary....

We need to be sitting on Brady's bleeding head first, then he'll play his dink and dunk.

[Ickybaluky]

I would think the rest of the AFC East is active because they sucked last year and are trying to get better.

At any rate, this thread seems a tad premature. Here we are less than 15 hours into the new league year and already the balance of power in the division has changed?

I don't deny the Pats have some big questions to answer on defense, but really they aren't in that bad a shape. Consider:

- If they bring back Randy Moss, and both Adam Schefter and John Clayton have said they are closing in on a deal, they will return all the name players in the best offense in the NFL last season.

- NFL Network listed them as $14M+ under the cap, and Jonathan Kraft stated they are $22M under the cap. Either way, they are in comfortable cap shape and could free up additional money by restructuring a contract or two.

- They have lost Asante' Samuel, a definite blow, but they have the opportunity to re-build their defense. They reportedly contacted Calvin Pace's agent (per an ESPN Insider Chat with Scout.com), and they will add some players in the back-end of their defense. Having the #7 overall pick and 4 day 1 picks in the draft (they have Oakland's high 3rd) should help add some youth.

- They still have a top-notch front office and have added a pretty experienced defensive coach in Dom Capers to the coaching staff.

Really, things aren't so bad. Some players will come and some will go, but I'm pretty confident they have a plan. At least, I'm willing to give them more than 15 hours to see what happens. If they re-sign Moss and can add some speed and athleticism in the back-end of the defense, while returning one of the NFL's best QB and coaching staffs to go with solid continuity on both the OL and DL (where games are won), I'll take my chances.

[realdealryan]

- They have lost Asante' Samuel, a definite blow, but they have the opportunity to re-build their defense.

This "opportunity" isn't all it's cracked up to be - ask anyone on here.


You guys will be fine, though i hope you won't.

[BuffaloBillsStampede]

If Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker are still there with that O-Line then I don't see it happening. If B coach retires then much more possible, but as of right now I don't see anyone challenging them for the division. I will say that if we get Stroud and a decent draft then we will be the closest and well on our way to doing so maybe in the 2009 season.

[Mitchy moo]

I would think the rest of the AFC East is active because they sucked last year and are trying to get better.

At any rate, this thread seems a tad premature. Here we are less than 15 hours into the new league year and already the balance of power in the division has changed?

I don't deny the Pats have some big questions to answer on defense, but really they aren't in that bad a shape. Consider:

- If they bring back Randy Moss, and both Adam Schefter and John Clayton have said they are closing in on a deal, they will return all the name players in the best offense in the NFL last season.

- NFL Network listed them as $14M+ under the cap, and Jonathan Kraft stated they are $22M under the cap. Either way, they are in comfortable cap shape and could free up additional money by restructuring a contract or two.

- They have lost Asante' Samuel, a definite blow, but they have the opportunity to re-build their defense. They reportedly contacted Calvin Pace's agent (per an ESPN Insider Chat with Scout.com), and they will add some players in the back-end of their defense. Having the #7 overall pick and 4 day 1 picks in the draft (they have Oakland's high 3rd) should help add some youth.

- They still have a top-notch front office and have added a pretty experienced defensive coach in Dom Capers to the coaching staff.

Really, things aren't so bad. Some players will come and some will go, but I'm pretty confident they have a plan. At least, I'm willing to give them more than 15 hours to see what happens. If they re-sign Moss and can add some speed and athleticism in the back-end of the defense, while returning one of the NFL's best QB and coaching staffs to go with solid continuity on both the OL and DL (where games are won), I'll take my chances.

We'll see what congress does and how the coaching staff handles that trauma. Not being able to steal everyone's signs and the demorlizations coming up will hopefully play a big factor. Personally, I think the pats are pieces of **** and they screwed the rest of the league for the past 8 years, it's time to pay.

[yordad]

F- that. I smell Patriots blood.

[Dozerdog]

The AFC East is active in FA because 3 of the teams stink.

They cut all their sucky players and have lots of cap space

[DynaPaul]

Don't forget about Spygate II. There's definitely blood in the water.

[Ickybaluky]

Losing Moss would be a big loss, if that were to happen. If the Pats let him go, they will be making a grave mistake, IMO. He turned a good NFL offense into a dynamic one, and he isn't someone they would be able to replace completely.

That said, if it happens it happens. I'll wait a little longer than a day to see how things play out, and I'm not going to panic about anything. It isn't like they have to line up for a game this week, they have a long time to prepare for the season.

However, Spygate is the most overrated thing out there. It is something all the people who hate the Pats hang on to because it makes them feel better. There is nothing to it, it was over and done with long ago. All it really is at this point is something that all the people in the media or are affiliated with other teams and hate Bill Belichick hold out there like it is going to amount to anything.

To think that Matt Walsh, who has zero credibility, or Arlen Specter (who can't bring anyone before his committee unless his chair, the esteemed Patrick Leahy of Vermont, approves it) are going to have any effect on the Patriots future is the fantasy of the Belichick haters.