st pete gogolak

For the most part, this is true, but NE built the beginning of its run with some critical mid-level FA's (Rodney Harrison, Vrabel) and they have spent money on guys who haven't worked out (Roosevelt Colvin, Adalieus Thomas). They also stole Corey Dillon and Randy Moss in trades. There have also been teams very dependent on FA's for their success. Look at NO with Brees, Sproles, Vilma and Greer just to name few.

Speaking of always knowing when to call a screen, does anyone remember the home game against the Pats during the 2002 season (Gregg Williams' second year, we finished 8-8, Pats coming off first Super Bowl win finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs)? I sat there watching and said it was absolutey uncanny that the Pats knew exactly when to call a screen. They killed us with screens all day long. That game was also the infamous punt Williams called from the Pats' 32 yard line.

This isn't even close to being close. It's the Music City Miracle. That team had a Super Bowl caliber defense and it may have gotten us to the game. I tend to doubt it would have happened because our O-Line was totally beaten up and subpar even when healthy. At the beginning of the season, I thought that the 1996 team could be a Super Bowl team but the reality was that team was OK but far from great. Kelly was on his last legs, the O-Line wasn't very good (sound familiar?) and other veterans were slowing down. As good as Bruce Smith was that year, Tony Boselli absolutely owned him in that playoff game. As also pointed out by other posters, Natrone Means ran all over us. Even if that team had squeaked out a win against JAX, it wasn't going anywhere. The 1999 team was a different story. It lost on a fluke play on the road to a team that came up one yard short of sending the Super Bowl into overtime.

Iknow the difference between "dominant" and "dominate". Just didn't pick up the mistake before hitting send.

The Pats have something like six players (Brady, Welker, Light, Mankins, Wilfork and Gotkowski - Koppen and Wright are on IR) left from their 2007-2008 Super Bowl team. That's about a 90% turnover in four years. So what is the take-away from this fact? - If you've got a Hall of Fame coach and a Hall of Fame quarterback, the rest is pretty much filler; - They don't overpay middle of the road veteran players. They let them walk. The holdovers from four years ago are All-Pro caliber or close to it (except for the kicker). That's why they can have a dominate team for a decade and still have a bunch of cap room. - They're ruthless in getting rid of veterans for draft picks (see above) and trading down on draft day for more picks. It allows faster turnover of roster but still brings in fresh talent. - For all their high draft picks, their drafts have been really mediocre. They've had some impressive hits (Mayo, Gronkowski, Hernandez) but a huge number of misses. (Check out their attempts to draft a wide receiver over the last ten years). Last year's draft was a joke. On a team needing defense, they draft OL, RB, RB and QB in first three rounds. - Don't know what league average is but it's probably around 75% for roster turnover in four years. That's why when the Bills or posters to this site talk about a three, four or five year plan, you can't do anything but laugh. Next year is it for Buddy and Chan to show it's going in the right direction.

Wes Welker is a "mid-level" free agent? Four years of 100+ catches, four years of 1,000 yards, four Pro Bowls, best slot receiver in the game. That Wes Welker? Can you please name your "top tier" free agent wide recievers?

I put this in a different thread but it disappeared into the ether. Assuming Manning is healthy and assuming the Colts don't pay him the March bonus and he becomes a free agent (two pretty big IFs, especially the former), there is one team that absolutely should make a run at Manning. It's not the Jets, Dolphins or Redskins. Each of those teams is a mess. It's certainly not the Bills. It' the 49'ers. Alex Smith is Ryan Fitzpatrick with a lower interception ratio. He's a free agent. No need to resign him. They have a monster defense, great tight end, good running game and young and improving o-line. Sign one of the veteran free agent wideouts, use your #1 pick on a wideout, plug Manning into that mix and you're next year's favorite to win the Super Bowl. You're not even mortgaging your "future". 49'ers spent #2 round pick last year on Colin Kaepernick. You could groom him behind Manning for another year or two like Packers did with Rogers. It make too much sense not to happen.

I have no idea if Peyton Manning's health will allow him to play another year in the NFL. Let's assume he gets a clean bill of health and wants to play another year or two. I have no idea if the Colts want him back or will cut ties with him in March. Let's assume that firing the Polians and Caldwell signals that the Colts will start from scratch and rebuild with Luck. That makes a heathly Peyton Manning a free agent come March. What team will sign him? It won't be Washington. Team's a mess plus I don't think he wants the drama of playing Eli twice a year. It won't be Miami. Team's a mess, new coach plus I don't think he wants to play Brady twice a year unless he has the team behind him to beat Brady. It won't be New York Jets. Team's a disaster in waiting, Sanchez situation is messy and again I don't think he wants to go up against Brady twice a year unless he's got a great team behind him. There is a perfect spot for him. San Francisco. Alex Smith is a free agent. Don't resign him. He's Fitzpatrick except he doesn't throw as many picks. You've got arguably the best defense in the NFL, an ok but hopefully young and improving O-Line, a potentially great tight end, and a really good running game. Pick up one of the free agent wideouts (V. Jackson, D. Jackson, Bowe or S. Johnson), draft a wide-out no.1 and you are absolutely set to challenge for a Super Bowl win. You're not even screwing up your "future". SF spent a #2 on Colin Kaeperick last year. Start Peyton for two years while you continue to groom him a la Rogers. It makes too much sense not to happen.

Agree with all of this wholeheartedly. Cam Cameron was atrocious all game long. No wonder he's gone. Unbelieveably overrated OC. So you've got 3 and 1 on the Pats 20 with 22 seconds left and you've got a time out. Run a draw or even a quarterback draw. If you're stuffed, call your timeout and set up your chip-shot field goal. If you pick up five or six yards, you may have opportunity to spike the ball and still have 8 - 10 seconds left for legitimate shot into the end zone. Even if you call your time out, you'll still have one shot at the end zone. Also, of the dozen or so plays the Ravens will have all off-season to contemplate, a forgotten one is Flacco's screw-up not seeing a wide-open Vonta Leach for the TD after the turnover in the end-zone. It would have put them up by 8 in the fourth quarter. Flacco played a decent enough game (decent, not great) but that one was a killer.

Note, however, that in a 16 game schedule, we played only 5 games against play-off teams and that includes games against 8-8 Denver and 9-7 Cincinnati. Despite that schedule, we still only finished 6-10 - 4-7 against non-playoff teams.

Actually, they do! Gronkowski, Graham and Hernandez all came out in the 2010 draft. We had a chance to draft every one of them (2nd, 3rd and 4th round) and instead selected Troup, Carrington and Easley!

Thank you. Personally, it would be my good friend Daryl Lamonica.

Heck, yes! Let's go get "one of those Calvin Johnson types"!