Think NE's FO is so great?

[JohnC]

I did some more research about this. A number of well-known football people stated that the Patriots' cheating probably didn't give them any significant advantage. I'm now much more open to the possibility that the Patriots would have won all three of those Super Bowls even without cheating.

 

I continue to believe that the Patriots are not adding young talent at a fast enough pace to sustain their dominance. That in no way detracts from the impressiveness of what they accomplished since 2000; nor the impressiveness of what they're likely to achieve between now and Brady's retirement. But these next few seasons probably mark the end of an era.

 

I apologize if my resopnses on this topic come off as being excessively harsh. I have very strong feelings on the mind-set of a particular fanbase. I respect excellence, especially long term excellence; I have little tolerance for long-term ineptitude, especially in a system designed for parity.

 

With respect to Pats not adding enough young talent to their roster this year they added 13 rookies to the roster. Not sure if some of them went on to the practice squad or if all made it to the active roster.

[Pneumonic]

Just to buttress your point: ask yourself why do all teams have two or three people signaling in plays (all but one a dummy signal) ? It is also a common practice in the college game. Why is it standard practice for a HC to raise the clipboard to his mouth when talking to the qb on the sideline? That also happens in the college ranks. Nothing new is going on that the opposition isn't aware of. The Pats stretched the boundaries of a common practice. They got caught and paid a hefty price. What they did had little to do with the outcomes of any games.

 

If anyone wants to talk about cheating in the pro and college game then a bigger issue is faking injuries to slow down the game, and sometimes make strategic substitutions. This will become a bigger issue as more teams run a faster paced office, such as Kelly's at Philly.

 

Also, keep in mind that Godell harshly fined the Pats not so much for the actual act of videotaping but because BB disobeyed his order to stop, at a time when Godell was just getting started in his role as judge and jury of the league. IIRC, BB's counter was that he misinterpreted what he felt were vague rules on the matter.

[Orton's Arm]

I apologize if my resopnses on this topic come off as being excessively harsh. I have very strong feelings on the mind-set of a particular fanbase. I respect excellence, especially long term excellence; I have little tolerance for long-term ineptitude, especially in a system designed for parity.

 

With respect to Pats not adding enough young talent to their roster this year they added 13 rookies to the roster. Not sure if some of them went on to the practice squad or if all made it to the active roster.

 

Apology accepted. Likewise, I apologize if some of what I wrote was one-sided.

 

I fully agree that we should demand greatness from our own team; and respect greatness in whichever NFL teams it might occur. I've often wished that the Bills' front office would show more intellectual rigor; like what we see from the Patriots. The Bledsoe trade exemplified TD's search for the quick fix; and the Patriots' focus on the long term.

 

But just as I subject the Bills to a high standard of critical scrutiny when I evaluate them, I also subject the Patriots to that same standard. They've done a lot right, and I'm not going to take away from that. But they are not perfect. The last Super Bowl they won took place in 2005 (2004 season). While I greatly respect the magnitude of their accomplishments, I don't think it's appropriate to be awed by them. The appropriate attitude toward the Patriots is the one the Giants had before the first Giants/New England Super Bowl matchup. In a nutshell, their attitude was, the Patriots are a very good team. We can be at least as good. We can beat them.

 

But that kind of thinking won't work if it occurs only on game day. Everyone in the organization, from the top down, needs to think that way all the time.

[NoSaint]

 

 

Apology accepted. Likewise, I apologize if some of what I wrote was one-sided.

 

I fully agree that we should demand greatness from our own team; and respect greatness in whichever NFL teams it might occur. I've often wished that the Bills' front office would show more intellectual rigor; like what we see from the Patriots. The Bledsoe trade exemplified TD's search for the quick fix; and the Patriots' focus on the long term.

 

But just as I subject the Bills to a high standard of critical scrutiny when I evaluate them, I also subject the Patriots to that same standard. They've done a lot right, and I'm not going to take away from that. But they are not perfect. The last Super Bowl they won took place in 2005 (2004 season). While I greatly respect the magnitude of their accomplishments, I don't think it's appropriate to be awed by them. The appropriate attitude toward the Patriots is the one the Giants had before the first Giants/New England Super Bowl matchup. In a nutshell, their attitude was, the Patriots are a very good team. We can be at least as good. We can beat them.

 

But that kind of thinking won't work if it occurs only on game day. Everyone in the organization, from the top down, needs to think that way all the time.

 

You may enjoy Sean Payton's book. While marrone was gone by the superbowl season, it talks a lot about how they worked towards building that culture when they arrived in New Orleans

[JohnC]

Apology accepted. Likewise, I apologize if some of what I wrote was one-sided.

 

I fully agree that we should demand greatness from our own team; and respect greatness in whichever NFL teams it might occur. I've often wished that the Bills' front office would show more intellectual rigor; like what we see from the Patriots. The Bledsoe trade exemplified TD's search for the quick fix; and the Patriots' focus on the long term.

 

 

 

I remember an interview in which Donahoe discussed the Bledsoe trade. He stated that he was well aware of where Bledsoe was at his stage of his career and he was very aware that this trade was a short term remedy. What TD said he was trying to do was inject some instant credibility and enliven a very weary fan base. The problem that became quickly evident was that he had an immobile qb who had a very elongated release that took a lot of time to get passes off and a brutal OL. That is not a recipe for success.

 

The problem with TD was that he was the type of guy who needed to demonstrate to others how smart he was. Instead of making the obvious move he had to make the surprise move to show others how imaginative he was. I had very high expectations when he was first hired. His first draft, including his trade down maneuvers, was a superb draft. One move that he made that really got me off of his bandwagon was when he gratuitiously let Pat Williams go. That was a dumb and damaging move.

 

There is a number of reasons why he had a troubled tenure with the Bills. His biggest liability was himself. He was an arrogant/pompous/insufferable/assss. What he didn't realize is that the more people that you alienate within the company are the same people who will not act on your behalf when you are in trouble. One time TD made a highly critical comment about the intelligence of the fan base. The owner forced him to publicly apologize for his comments. Ralph is not an easy boss to work for. But when he calls you on the phone you don't put him on hold or leave a message that he will be called at a later time more convenient to the egotistical GM. Ralph may be old but when he is being treated disrespectfully he can squeeze the nuts as hard as anyone.

 

But just as I subject the Bills to a high standard of critical scrutiny when I evaluate them, I also subject the Patriots to that same standard. They've done a lot right, and I'm not going to take away from that. But they are not perfect. The last Super Bowl they won took place in 2005 (2004 season). While I greatly respect the magnitude of their accomplishments, I don't think it's appropriate to be awed by them. The appropriate attitude toward the Patriots is the one the Giants had before the first Giants/New England Super Bowl matchup. In a nutshell, their attitude was, the Patriots are a very good team. We can be at least as good. We can beat them.

 

But that kind of thinking won't work if it occurs only on game day. Everyone in the organization, from the top down, needs to think that way all the time.

 

There is no perfect franchise. The system is designed for parity. What is up is supposed to come down. What is down is supposed to go up. What the Pats have done exceptionally well is expand the life span of the cycle. That is a remarkable accomplishment.

 

No one should be awed by any other franchise. You can only control what you do. After Donahoe left the owner had a string of dismal hires to run the football operation. Levy/Brandon/Nix represent six wasted years. Now going into the seventh year post TD the franchise is starting another rebuild. It's infuriating.

Edited September 7, 2013 by JohnC

[OCinBuffalo]

With respect to Pats not adding enough young talent to their roster this year they added 13 rookies to the roster. Not sure if some of them went on to the practice squad or if all made it to the active roster.

This is a point that has flown over many heads thus far. I believe they now have 14 rookies on the roster. In fact they are now one of the youngest teams in the league. So, it's not just us that is going with the young guys.

 

Brady is the difference. Both in that analysis, and, in the larger analysis that says: "how do you get away with drafting so poorly, and having so many bad FA signings"? Tom Brady.

 

As soon as he leaves, Belechick will follow, and the Pats will go right back to being in the bottom 5 of the league....where they normally reside.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

I don't know how to put this any other way than to say:

 

If the Pats stopped their winning ways after "cheating" then I might acknowledge that said cheating aided them in their wins, no matter the margin of victory. But, the sheer dominance that this team has demonstrated, post spygate, clearly indicates otherwise.

 

I don't know how to put this any other way than to say:

 

They barely won their Super Bowls by close margins when they were cheating.

 

They lost their Super Bowls by close margins when they stopped cheating.

 

The videotaping of opponents signals has been going on since Christ was a cowboy and isn't illegal.

 

The Pats method of videotaping (ie close-up instead of afar) is what got them into trouble. In retrospect, I am sure BB wishes he had kept his video guy away from the action like all the other teams do.

 

Oh. All the other teams cheat too but only the Cheatriots*** got caught?

 

Not to mention how big a pain the arse it would be to asterisk all of this leagues records and accomplishments dating back to day 1 due to "cheating"

 

Please tell me you're not raising children because we don't need any rationalizing, cynical, excuse-makers cheaters passing their beliefs down to their children.

 

This world sucks enough without people like you passing on their "belief system."

[KRT88]

Per Albert Breer. From 2007-12, Pats spent 8 picks in 1st 4 rounds on DBs. Only 2 are left - Devin McCourty and Tavon Wilson. 33rd overall pick in 2011, CB Ras-I Dowling, cut today.

 

P.S. Should we sign him

 

OK in the past 10 years, how many times has NE made the playoffs?

 

How many times have the Bills?

 

yeah, their FO is better, even when they make mistakes.

 

We can answer this question for real once the Tom Brady era stops, because it's amazing how good or bad you are when you do or do not have a HOF QB.

Edited September 7, 2013 by KRT88

[26CornerBlitz]

OK in the past 10 years, how many times has NE made the playoffs?

 

How many times have the Bills?

 

yeah, their FO is better, even when they make mistakes.

 

We can answer this question for real once the Tom Brady era stops, because it's amazing how good or bad you are when you do or do not have a HOF QB.

 

I'm not all that impressed with the Patriots given the lack of competition within the AFC East. They have been almost a guarantee to make the playoffs with the ineptitude of the Bills, Jets, and Dolphins.

 

Since their last championship in 04 what have they really accomplished? Zero SB championships since the uncovering of their blatant violation of NFL rules in the video taping scandal.

 

Bleep Belichick, Kraft, Brady, and the entire organization!

[bills44]

I don't know how to put this any other way than to say:

 

They barely won their Super Bowls by close margins when they were cheating.

 

They lost their Super Bowls by close margins when they stopped cheating.

 

 

 

Oh. All the other teams cheat too but only the Cheatriots*** got caught?

 

 

 

Please tell me you're not raising children because we don't need any rationalizing, cynical, excuse-makers cheaters passing their beliefs down to their children.

 

This world sucks enough without people like you passing on their "belief system."

[Pneumonic]

I don't know how to put this any other way than to say:

 

They barely won their Super Bowls by close margins when they were cheating.

 

They lost their Super Bowls by close margins when they stopped cheating.

 

So, had Mario Manningham not miraculously caught that ball that bounced off his head in SB XLVI we'd not be having this discussion.

 

I'm not all that impressed with the Patriots given the lack of competition within the AFC East. They have been almost a guarantee to make the playoffs with the ineptitude of the Bills, Jets, and Dolphins.

 

Since their last championship in 04 what have they really accomplished? Zero SB championships since the uncovering of their blatant violation of NFL rules in the video taping scandal.

 

Wow, tough crowd

[San Jose Bills Fan]

So, had Mario Manningham not miraculously caught that ball that bounced off his head in SB XLVI we'd not be having this discussion.

 

If the Cheatriots*** had not been caught cheating, we certainly wouldn't be having this conversation because they probably would have won that game.

 

In any close game there are typically 5-6 plays which could swing the game in either direction. Over the last decade the average margin of victory in NFL games is between 5-6 points.

 

This means that teams which cheat have a big advantage.

[Orton's Arm]

I remember an interview in which Donahoe discussed the Bledsoe trade. He stated that he was well aware of where Bledsoe was at his stage of his career and he was very aware that this trade was a short term remedy. What TD said he was trying to do was inject some instant credibility and enliven a very weary fan base. The problem that became quickly evident was that he had an immobile qb who had a very elongated release that took a lot of time to get passes off and a brutal OL. That is not a recipe for success.

 

The problem with TD was that he was the type of guy who needed to demonstrate to others how smart he was. Instead of making the obvious move he had to make the surprise move to show others how imaginative he was. I had very high expectations when he was first hired. His first draft, including his trade down maneuvers, was a superb draft. One move that he made that really got me off of his bandwagon was when he gratuitiously let Pat Williams go. That was a dumb and damaging move.

 

There is a number of reasons why he had a troubled tenure with the Bills. His biggest liability was himself. He was an arrogant/pompous/insufferable/assss. What he didn't realize is that the more people that you alienate within the company are the same people who will not act on your behalf when you are in trouble. One time TD made a highly critical comment about the intelligence of the fan base. The owner forced him to publicly apologize for his comments. Ralph is not an easy boss to work for. But when he calls you on the phone you don't put him on hold or leave a message that he will be called at a later time more convenient to the egotistical GM. Ralph may be old but when he is being treated disrespectfully he can squeeze the nuts as hard as anyone.

 

There is no perfect franchise. The system is designed for parity. What is up is supposed to come down. What is down is supposed to go up. What the Pats have done exceptionally well is expand the life span of the cycle. That is a remarkable accomplishment.

 

No one should be awed by any other franchise. You can only control what you do. After Donahoe left the owner had a string of dismal hires to run the football operation. Levy/Brandon/Nix represent six wasted years. Now going into the seventh year post TD the franchise is starting another rebuild. It's infuriating.

 

Good post.

 

> What TD said he was trying to do was inject some instant credibility and enliven a very weary fan base.

 

With TD, there was always a rationalization for emphasizing the short term over the long run. He squandered a first round pick on another team's aging backup QB because we as fans needed to be "enlivened." He used a second round pick on Travis Henry; despite Henry not providing a significant upgrade over Antowain Smith. Just two years later, he used a first round pick on yet another attempt to upgrade the RB position.

 

When you don't have a long-term plan, or a clear picture in your head of what you want to build, it's easy to get sidetracked by shiny things. That was always the story with TD.

 

> One move that he made that really got me off of his bandwagon was when he gratuitously let Pat Williams go.

 

By the time TD let Pat Williams go, Williams had become an older player. Normally DLs that age would quickly start to decline. For whatever reason, Williams was able to continue playing at a high level for several years after having been released.

 

A bigger concern for me personally was when he let Antoine Winfield walk in order to sign Troy Vincent and Lawyer Milloy. TD didn't even slap the franchise tag on Winfield; so we got nothing when he went to the Vikings. One of the absolute worst, most shortsighted things a GM can do is to use a first round pick on a DB, let him go first-contract-and-out, then use another first round pick on his replacement.

 

> What the Pats have done exceptionally well is expand the life span of the cycle. That is a remarkable accomplishment.

 

Tom Brady is as good as, or better than any quarterback in the league except for Aaron Rodgers. If you compare the Patriots to other teams with elite QBs, it becomes a contest to see which team can build his QB the best supporting cast. For the past eight Super Bowls, the Patriots have not finished first in that contest. Some teams--such as the Steelers and Ravens--have been able to win Super Bowls during that span despite having inferior QBs to Brady. To achieve these Super Bowl wins, those other teams had to be better than the Patriots at non-QB positions in order to compensate for the Patriots' advantage at QB.

 

It's not like the Patriots are competing with all 32 teams for the Lombardi Trophy. Most teams don't have franchise QBs, and are not serious Super Bowl contenders. For the most part, their only serious competition is from other teams which have QBs at or near the franchise level--about eight teams or so. Winning three Super Bowls in the span of four years is indeed a remarkable accomplishment; made more remarkable by the fact that Brady had not yet reached his peak. They'd done a great job of assembling talent at the non-QB positions; especially on defense. The Patriots' coaching staff also did an exceptional job. The plans Belichick put together for beating the Bills were works of brilliance.

 

But somewhere along the way that team's talent level declined, especially on defense. Even the coaching staff may not be what it once was. For example: Fitzpatrick put up a ton of points on the Patriots. Just a week or two later, the Bengals' defense unveiled the correct blueprint for exposing Fitzpatrick for what he was. Normally, Bill Belichick would be the one to reveal the correct way to beat a Bills' QB. But he squandered the opportunity to do that with Fitzpatrick.

 

Fluid intelligence--the ability to adapt to new situations--declines with age. Maybe Belichick has less fluid intelligence today than he did back when he drew up defensive plans for the Bills/Giants Super Bowl. And maybe the Patriots as an organization are less adept at talent acquisition today than they'd been back when they built a top-5 scoring defense to go along with Tom Brady.

[JohnC]

Good post.

 

> What TD said he was trying to do was inject some instant credibility and enliven a very weary fan base.

 

With TD, there was always a rationalization for emphasizing the short term over the long run. He squandered a first round pick on another team's aging backup QB because we as fans needed to be "enlivened." He used a second round pick on Travis Henry; despite Henry not providing a significant upgrade over Antowain Smith. Just two years later, he used a first round pick on yet another attempt to upgrade the RB position.

 

When you don't have a long-term plan, or a clear picture in your head of what you want to build, it's easy to get sidetracked by shiny things. That was always the story with TD.

 

> One move that he made that really got me off of his bandwagon was when he gratuitously let Pat Williams go.

 

By the time TD let Pat Williams go, Williams had become an older player. Normally DLs that age would quickly start to decline. For whatever reason, Williams was able to continue playing at a high level for several years after having been released.

 

A bigger concern for me personally was when he let Antoine Winfield walk in order to sign Troy Vincent and Lawyer Milloy. TD didn't even slap the franchise tag on Winfield; so we got nothing when he went to the Vikings. One of the absolute worst, most shortsighted things a GM can do is to use a first round pick on a DB, let him go first-contract-and-out, then use another first round pick on his replacement.

 

> What the Pats have done exceptionally well is expand the life span of the cycle. That is a remarkable accomplishment.

 

Tom Brady is as good as, or better than any quarterback in the league except for Aaron Rodgers. If you compare the Patriots to other teams with elite QBs, it becomes a contest to see which team can build his QB the best supporting cast. For the past eight Super Bowls, the Patriots have not finished first in that contest. Some teams--such as the Steelers and Ravens--have been able to win Super Bowls during that span despite having inferior QBs to Brady. To achieve these Super Bowl wins, those other teams had to be better than the Patriots at non-QB positions in order to compensate for the Patriots' advantage at QB.

 

It's not like the Patriots are competing with all 32 teams for the Lombardi Trophy. Most teams don't have franchise QBs, and are not serious Super Bowl contenders. For the most part, their only serious competition is from other teams which have QBs at or near the franchise level--about eight teams or so. Winning three Super Bowls in the span of four years is indeed a remarkable accomplishment; made more remarkable by the fact that Brady had not yet reached his peak. They'd done a great job of assembling talent at the non-QB positions; especially on defense. The Patriots' coaching staff also did an exceptional job. The plans Belichick put together for beating the Bills were works of brilliance.

 

But somewhere along the way that team's talent level declined, especially on defense. Even the coaching staff may not be what it once was. For example: Fitzpatrick put up a ton of points on the Patriots. Just a week or two later, the Bengals' defense unveiled the correct blueprint for exposing Fitzpatrick for what he was. Normally, Bill Belichick would be the one to reveal the correct way to beat a Bills' QB. But he squandered the opportunity to do that with Fitzpatrick.

 

Fluid intelligence--the ability to adapt to new situations--declines with age. Maybe Belichick has less fluid intelligence today than he did back when he drew up defensive plans for the Bills/Giants Super Bowl. And maybe the Patriots as an organization are less adept at talent acquisition today than they'd been back when they built a top-5 scoring defense to go along with Tom Brady.

 

Let's put the Patriot record in perspective. Correct me if I'm wrong (not willing to do the research) but over the past dozen years don't they have the best record in the NFL? In the same period don't they have more SB trophies than any other franchise? You are suggesting that just because they don't at the end of a football season raise the SB trophy against the field of the 31 other teams that they have not lived up to one's expectation? I have problems with that logic

 

As you know the system is designed for parity. If a team cumulatively has the best record in a dozen years I will tip my hat to that accomplishment, even if it doesn't result in a gatorade dumping display. (That tired tradition needs to stop.I remember in one of the confernce championship games played in freezing weather gatorade was dumped on BB and his elderly father. It put the elderly man in a bad health situation. Sometimes my curmudgeon persona gets the best of me. )

 

There is an issue relative to the Pats and teams in general. Because of the cap rarely is there a team, good or bad, that has a complete team. All teams have liabilities. I remember when the Packers won a SB and they had an atrocious defense. They also didn't have a respectable defense. What good teams are able to do is to accentuate there strengths and mask their liabilities. That is where good coaching comes into play.

 

You brought up an interesting point regarding that many teams don't have franchise qbs. If having a franchise qb is such a critical ingredient toward success then why didn't the Bills make it a priority a long time ago to find one? Not having a prospect or a free agent qb not work out is no excuse not to make it a continuing priority. What elevates a team more is the addition of a good qb----even for a team that has numerous needs. Another way of looking at the issue is that you can have a very flawed team yet still be competitive if you find your qb.

 

With respect to your ranking of qbs I also consider Aaron Rodgers to be the best qb in the game. If you asked me to select one qb in the league that I would most want on my team it would be Andrew Luck. He is a more athletic and mobile Peyton Manning. I consider John Elway to be the best qb in the history of the game. He elevated a lot of mediocre Denver teams.

[Orton's Arm]

Let's put the Patriot record in perspective. Correct me if I'm wrong (not willing to do the research) but over the past dozen years don't they have the best record in the NFL? In the same period don't they have more SB trophies than any other franchise? You are suggesting that just because they don't at the end of a football season raise the SB trophy against the field of the 31 other teams that they have not lived up to one's expectation? I have problems with that logic

 

As you know the system is designed for parity. If a team cumulatively has the best record in a dozen years I will tip my hat to that accomplishment, even if it doesn't result in a gatorade dumping display. (That tired tradition needs to stop.I remember in one of the confernce championship games played in freezing weather gatorade was dumped on BB and his elderly father. It put the elderly man in a bad health situation. Sometimes my curmudgeon persona gets the best of me. )

 

There is an issue relative to the Pats and teams in general. Because of the cap rarely is there a team, good or bad, that has a complete team. All teams have liabilities. I remember when the Packers won a SB and they had an atrocious defense. They also didn't have a respectable defense. What good teams are able to do is to accentuate there strengths and mask their liabilities. That is where good coaching comes into play.

 

You brought up an interesting point regarding that many teams don't have franchise qbs. If having a franchise qb is such a critical ingredient toward success then why didn't the Bills make it a priority a long time ago to find one? Not having a prospect or a free agent qb not work out is no excuse not to make it a continuing priority. What elevates a team more is the addition of a good qb----even for a team that has numerous needs. Another way of looking at the issue is that you can have a very flawed team yet still be competitive if you find your qb.

 

With respect to your ranking of qbs I also consider Aaron Rodgers to be the best qb in the game. If you asked me to select one qb in the league that I would most want on my team it would be Andrew Luck. He is a more athletic and mobile Peyton Manning. I consider John Elway to be the best qb in the history of the game. He elevated a lot of mediocre Denver teams.

 

> over the past dozen years don't they have the best record in the NFL?

 

I'm not willing to do the research either, but your statement seems like it's probably true.

 

> You are suggesting that just because they don't at the end of a football season raise the SB trophy against

> the field of the 31 other teams that they have not lived up to one's expectation?

 

What I'm suggesting is that in the early 2000s, they did a very good job of drafting/other talent acquisition. Their top-5 scoring defense was a reflection of that. But somewhere along the way, their talent acquisition became less impressive. Draft day successes still occurred, but became more rare. The fact that it's been eight years since the Patriots won the Super Bowl is a symptom. The slowdown in talent acquisition is the underlying problem.

 

The 2006 draft demarcates the beginning of the slowdown in talent acquisition. Their best player from that draft was Laurence Maroney. Maroney's career lasted six years, and he never had more than six starts in a season. Their cubboard for the 2007 draft was likewise bare. The best player from that draft was Brandon Merriweather. He played four years for the Patriots before bouncing around the league as a backup. The 2008 draft was better, because at least the Patriots got Jerod Mayo.

 

The Patriots' 2009 draft was better than usual. They got Pat Chung, a safety who's a starter more often than a backup. They also got Vollmer, a starting OT. They also got a few backups. Their 2010 draft was also good. Highlighted by Rob Gronkowski, it also brought them Aaron Hernandez, Devin McCortney, and Brandon Spikes. The best player from their 2011 draft was Solder, a starting OT. It's too soon to evaluate their more recent drafts.

 

The Patriots experienced draft day successes from 2006 - 2011. But were there more and better successes than an average NFL front office would have achieved? Take the Bills' front office for example. During that same period, we drafted Kyle Williams, Marshawn Lynch, Stevie Johnson, Eric Wood, Jairus Byrd, Leodis McKelvin, Andy Levitre, C.J. Spiller, Alex Carrington, and Aaron Williams. Few would claim that the Bills were building a dynasty from 2006 - 2011. If the Patriots' drafting during that span was no better than the Bills', then it's not clear to me they had drafted well enough to sustain a dynasty.

 

The Bills' drafts were usually good under Polian. But once Polian was replaced by Butler, there was a significant drop-off in our drafts' quality. Nevertheless, we remained a playoff contender for years. This was due to the combination of holdovers from the Polian era + the talent Butler did manage to add + free agent signings. The Bills had built a reputation for winning; making them an attractive destination for free agents who wanted to be part of a winning club.

 

I think the Patriots may be in a simiar situation now that the Bills were in in the late '90s. But the fact that they still have Tom Brady--and that he's playing at a high level--means they inherited more talent from their talent-building era in the early 2000s than the late '90s Bills had inherited from Polian.

[KD in CA]

All I know is, Brady lost 92% of his completions from last year. Who's he gonna throw the ball to??