Focusing on 2008
Almost 2 weeks later and I still can't bear to watch NFL Network or ESPN. I had the misfortune of seeing Eli say, "I'm going to Disneyworld!!" and that was because I was too slow with the remote. In order to get my mind moving away from the ONE in the loss column, I'm trying to focus on the future, on 2008.
First and foremost, a few facts and some background reading:
Salary Cap: The Patriots have $10.93 million in cap space
Patriots Salaries: Here's a descending list of Patriots salaries
Free Agency: A list of free agents for 2008
Mock Draft: This Fantasy Football Mock Draft has some good info and is worthwhile background reading.
Here are my predictions of things to come, listed in no particular order:
Asante Samuel: No real surprise here, Gone. Already franchised for 2007 and ineligible for that "honor" in 2008, the Pats won't pay him what he's likely to demand as one of the premier corners in the league. Some are saying his payday will be decreased due to the "missed" interception near the end of the SB. Rubbish. That pass was out of his reach.
Randy Moss: He's shown himself to be one of the top WRs in the league and is the most likely candidate for the franchise tag. That tag will fetch him the average of the top 5 players in that position, a cool 7.84 million. This will give the Pats a year to work out a longer term contract if they choose that route. I think they will as Brady needs a target of his caliber. When he's catching balls, he's unbeatable. When he's not, he's drawing coverage.
Donte Stallworth: He has a relatively complex contract which will cost the Pats a $6 million option bonus due by February, 25 2008. I love Donte's post-catch abilities, but I just don't see the Pats ponying up the cash; my money's on letting his option pass so they can fix some other problems. In addition, I just don't think he was one of Brady's consistent/preferred targets.
Linebackers: Ahh yes, the "aging" linebacker core. Most of us don't want to admit it, but there is some truth to it. It hurts to say it because Tedy and Junior are the heart and sole of our defense, if not the team. Yeah, I know - 2 out of the 4 San Diego red zone stops were attributed to these guys, but I think we need some youngins who'll throw their bodies around with abandon. I say keep Junior and Tedy (if they choose to stay and I think they will) and trade down our first round 7th pick for some young meat in the LB area.
Wes Welker: No problems here; I just like writing about Wes!! He's the Troy Brown of the coming era. Mr. Patriot. He's EXACTLY the type of player who thrives in Belichick's system and I'm grateful he's on this team. I know everyone likes watching him catch passes, but take your eyes off of a Brady-to-Moss pass to focus on Welker and you'll see him throwing some incredible blocks.
Ok, done for now. Thoughts? Opinions? Please add issues/concerns I missed.
Posted at: 14.03.2008
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