8-8 Team really improved???
 

I honestly don’t know of a single team in the league that added more quality to their team while losing virtually nothing. Maybe the Redskins? I don’t know, but I see the following list and can’t help but think we are going to be MUCH better next year than 8-8. And that’s not even including the coaching additions. Its nice to add quality coaches for a change instead of lose them (cough*Zook-Bunting*cough).

Players we’ve essentially added to our 8-8 team, in order of my perceived quality of impact.
DE-Darren Howard (missed 11 games, played last four 1-handed, I call him an addition)
DT-Bryan Young
SS-Mel Mitchell (missed 16 games)
CB-Jason Craft
FB-Sam Gash
RB-Aaron Stecker
OG-Jamar Nesbit
LB-Sedrick Hodge (missed 9 games, debateable addition)
MLB/WLB-Cie Grant
DE-Will Smith (R)
MLB/WLB-Courtney Watson (R)
WR-Devery Henderson (R)
DT-Rodney Leisle (R)
FB-Mike Karney (R)


Players we lost from an 8-8 team
FB-Terrell Smith
TE-Walter Rasby
RB-James Fenderson

8-8 Team really improved???
 

Amen to that Gator. Seems like Danno is this year\'s Billy. Hey Billy, now that you\'re back, you should get that supply of Tang you gave to Danno back. He\'s really been getting into it. It must have a cumulative effect, huh Gator?

So, 12-4 Danno? LOL I knew it wouldn\'t be long. You\'re really selling yourself big time.

8-8 Team really improved???
 

Love that thoughtful insight fellas.
Pessimist of the world unite!
With that mindset I\'m surprised you know how to turn on the TV Sunday\'s.
Where is it over the top?
Quit griping and start commenting.
I\'d say 10-6 right now. Coaching will probably keep us from going any higher.
Show me a flaw (other than including Hodge) ;)

8-8 Team really improved???
 

WhoDat --

I\'ve been in TA !! :P For those of you that don\'t know what that is, it\'s Tang Anonymous. ;)

I don\'t think Danno is being unrealistic. He makes some very valid points. All he\'s doing is looking at the new guys that were signed and all the injured players that will have back on the field. Right away I think we improved from last year. And, we barely missed the playoffs last year.

But, the problem is, so did a lot of other teams. Some of those teams improved too. How much any team improved, including us, is anyone\'s guess. And, that\'s the way the NFL is today. You have so much parity and things happen that you just can\'t account for.

I\'m not looking at this team any more optimistically than I am negatively. There\'s only a couple of really strong teams in the NFC. After that, it\'s wide open. I don\'t think anyone can really argue that we don\'t have one of the best offenses in the NFL. Now, our defense has some question marks. No doubt about it. But, we have some serious talent on the D-line. Haslett is talking like Cie Grant is going to be our starting MLB. Actually what he said is that Cie, Courtney Watson and Ruff were going to battle it out and the best man would win. He said he hoped one of the young guys could win. Will Smith IS going to help.

Look at this season any way you want to. Me, I think we have a good chance of finishing anywhere from 8-8 to 11-5.


[Edited on 6/5/2004 by GumboBC]

8-8 Team really improved???
 

Cool your jets Danno. I\'m just joshin\' ya. I think 10-6 is a distinct possibility. So is 6-10, but... ;)


Uh, how about these just on the defensive side of the ball:

DT - Sullivan - young, not real experienced, what experience he does have was considered by the coaches as a let down, not real mature, overweight.

DT - Young - undersized a sometimes starter in St. Louis. Also, we have a rookie to throw into the lineup. Yippee!

OLB - Hodge, Allen, Smith, Rodgers, Will Smith, Cie Grant, Watson. Hmm - looks like chronic underacheiver, underacheiver, decent but getting old, not a LB, no experience with only what 1 yr in college as an LB, rookie. Solid baby, solid.

MLB - See above... then add Ruff - a never starter who couldn\'t start here and is slower than me. 16-0 baby.

CB - Fred Thomas - solid but getting old and has always been too small and best suited as a number 2 CB. He\'s our number 1.

CB - Jason Craft - lost his starting job in Jax and then was replaced by a gaggle of CBs. Will be decent if he can stay healthy, but is hardly a number one type guy.

CB - Ambrose. Old, slow, IMO is probably in his last year. His experience and \"knack\" for the game will be outweighed by WRs speed and quickness.

CB - Fahkir Brown - potential. Lots of potential... that means, hasn\'t done a thing yet.

CB - Craver. Overweight, bad attitude - god help us if this kid gets in the game.

S - Mel Mitchell - a kid who is in his third season and has never started a game and is coming off a major injury. Yeah, that\'s solid.

S - Tebucky Jones - the guy can\'t tackle to save his life (or ours). Fantastic.


Those enough flaws?

8-8 Team really improved???
 

It Tebucky\'s only problem is that he can\'t tackle, we shouldn\'t be too worried. Unlike so many other things, that is something that can be taught (and learned) - sure he\'s had lots of time to learn, but IMO the right coach could really help here. I\'m not sure why people hate this guy so much; the number of deep passes were way down this year - unless it was just good luck :) , T-buck had something to do with that.

We still need a CB (even if it is just for depth); I\'m starting to get concerned that we really, really need a S too.

I love Ambrose, but I think he\'s done after this year too (unless he could play an in-the-box role as a S) - he just looked so slow out there.

8-8 Team really improved???
 

I agree with Danno. Except for the number. 10-6 is too negative. I reckon we got 12-4 in us this season. We improved at every spot were we needed a guy and didn\'t lose guys that we needed. The best part is that Jim finally has his team together, no more mediocer players just because they were free. We are going to win the whole division.

8-8 Team really improved???
 

And the 2004 Billy Carpenter Award goes to....


Haz08!

LMAO.

People keep saying that. If the guys hasn\'t learned to tackle in his however many years in the league while playing for one of the three best coaches in the league on a Super Bowl Champion team, what are the odds that he picks that up under Jim Haslett, demotivator and underachievement specialist?

8-8 Team really improved???
 

Yea, if you\'re looking at the negative of every player.
I can generate just as negative a report about the world champ Patriots too if I try hard enough.

Oh yea you left out a few other flaws too.
McAllister-Refuses to work out, Faded down the stretch 3 straight years now. Since he’s taken over for Rickey Jackson we’re 7-9, 7-9, 8-8. WOW! What a strength. Now he’s getting fat.
Bentley, 2nd year guy that appears to be injury prone. He can’t be depended on it seems. Was owned most of 2003.
Horn-Drops way to many passes, biggest motivator for the other team. Loses as many games as he wins us now.
Boo Williams-Can’t block and tries to juke out 180 lb CB’s instead of plowing over them.
Michael Lewis-Runs East and West as soon as he gets the ball. Yeah, that’s helps.
Darren Howard-Plays OK for the 5 stinkin’ games a year we have him. Our D-line is pathetic, he’s part of the problem.

8-8 Team really improved???
 

Go ahead and try... I dare you!



1. Rickey Jackson played RB? ;)
2. I don\'t remember Bentley getting owned at all. At least I\'m not making stuff up... or do you have any imperical evidence?
3. Unfounded. Are you really going to say in the last 3 years Horn has lost as many games as he won for us? Or to put it another way, our 3-time Pro Bowler hurt us more than he helped? At least mine have some merit Danno.
4. Boo - you\'re right.
5. Again - correct. Which is probably why he\'ll be cut no?
6. Good point. Howard needs to stay healthy or maybe he isn\'t worth the trouble... but I already said that.

You\'re not very good at this Danno. I can feign optimism better than you can try to be pessimistic. ;)

8-8 Team really improved???
 

sorry guys but that goes to me, cuz the saints will be 13-3.... i have seen it



all that and it looks 13 n 3 to me, ok ok maybe im dreaming but hey, whats wrong with a few great expectations


[Edited on 5/7/2004 by pakowitz]

8-8 Team really improved???
 

;)

New England Patriots

Players added (6):

RB Rodney Bailey (FA, PIT)
CB Jeff Burris (cut, CIN)
RB Corey Dillon (trade, CIN)
P Josh Miller (cut, PIT)
CB Otis Smith (FA, DET)
DT Keith Traylor (FA, CHI)

Players lost (5):

S Chris Akins (FA, MIA)
G Mike Compton (FA, JAX)
RB Antowain Smith (cut)
DT Ted Washington (FA, OAK)
G Damien Woody (FA, DET)

Re-signed (7):

S Je\'Rod Cherry
RB Mike Cloud
LB Don Davis
RB Kevin Faulk
G Russ Hochstein
FB Patrick Pass
WR J.J. Stokes

Rd Sel# Team Player Pos Ht Wt School

1 21 Patriots Vince Wilfork DT 6-2 344 Miami (FL)
The FOX Take: Wilfork becomes the 6th Hurricane taken in the first round, a record for most first-round picks from one school.
1 32 Patriots Ben Watson TE 6-3 255 Georgia
The FOX Take: Tom Brady gets another safety net in the passing game. Watson should be recovered from an ankle injury that hampered him in 2003.
2 64 Patriots Marquise Hill DE 6-7 294 LSU
The FOX Take: The Pats just keep loading up on D-linemen.
3 96 Patriots Guss Scott S 5-11 195 Florida
The FOX Take: Could be groomed to succeeed Rodney Harrison at strong safety.
4 114 Patriots Dexter Reid S 6-0 200 North Carolina
The FOX Take: Punishing hitter earned the nickname \'Super Ram\' with the Tar Heels.
4 129 Patriots Cedric Cobbs RB 6-0 232 Arkansas
The FOX Take: Could have been a first rounder if not for inability to stay healthy.
5 165 Patriots P.K. Sam WR 6-3 195 Florida State
The FOX Take: Could have benefitted from another year at FSU and been an earlier pick in 2005.
6 198 Patriots Drew Caylor DE 6-5 275 Stanford
The FOX Take: It\'ll be the Patriots\' challenge to tap the impressive athletic potential of this prospect.
7 234 Patriots Christian Morton CB 6-1 180 Illinois
The FOX Take: Enigmatic talent who arrived on campus with great fanfare and then slowly deteriorated into a role player.

8-8 Team really improved???
 

OK WhoDat, I will. Also keep in mind this is the world champion New England Patriots I\'m using to make my point. Imagine how much easier it would be using someone else...
So cut me some slack, I\'m a fish out of water when it comes to one-sided pessimism ;)

FROM THE PATS BOARD:
WhoPat> All you guys on cloud nine better wake up. This team isn’t nealy as talented as you think. When we lose Romeo, and we will soon, this team will go back to the Cleveland era Belichick teams. Do you forget we were 9-7 just 2 years ago, and had to win in OT week 16 to do it?
So while all you other PATSies are worshipping this team, I prefer realism. Pound all the sunshine you want boys, cause it ain’t gonna last long with these guys. Donno, Willy C, and patsfan, enjoy it now cause this roster stinks! Gatorpat and I can see right through this roster of undertalented overachievers.

Tom Brady-So we’re paying him like he’s the 2nd coming of Joe Montana? He can’t run, can’t throw the deep ball. He’s one blown call in the snow from being Jeff frickin\' Hostettler. Can you say system QB? That system will be gone soon so wake up so quit drinking that PatTang and sober up.

Corey Dillon-This guy is now an injury prone shadow of former self. He’s become a locker room cancer, and his teammates hate him. Not exactly a good pick-up for a team with building internal problems already.

Kevin Faulk-A 3rd down back at best. He’s one good hit from the DL.

Antoinne Smith-He’s always got the job done, and we cut him??? Classless.

WR-Deion Branch-Midget WR who can’t separate. 3TD’s in 15 games. WOW! The next Randy Moss!

WR-Troy Brown-33 years old, 4 catches per game and 4TD’s per year scares no one. We need WR help and PK Sam ain’t it! Of course, I said the same thing last year, and the year before, and the year before. We need a stud WR!

WR-David Patten-6 catches, 0 TD’s for the year. And he sucked in 8 is enough!

WR-JJ Stokes-I don’t have time to type all his flaws. Couldn’t even shine in Frisco’s pass happy O? Yea, like he\'s gonna make an impression here? Against AFC East DB\'s? I don\'t think so.

TE-Daniel Grahm, 1st round pick has 5 TD’s, IN TWO YEARS! No wonder we took another TE this year. TOTAL BUST! I bet he comes to camp fat.

TE-Fauria-Seattle reject, MEDIOCRE back-up at best. But I guess when your #1 TE is a total bust, he\'s a nice little security blanket.

CB-Ty Law-Unhappy wants to leave, will retire before he plays for Bill again. Best player on our team wants out. As did Lawyer Milloy. See a trend here guys?

We draft Vince Wilfork? A guy who’s built a reputation for ballooning up and taking the 2nd half off? Teams that ran on Miami did it running straight at them. Well here’s a news flash for you Donno…It was Wilfork they were exploiting! We could have had Devery Henderson. We could have had Steven Jackson or Kevin Jones.

Ben Watson? An undersized TE with a reputation for being soft? Now I hear UGA was glad he left. Apparently he wasn’t the ideal teammate to say the least. Yea thats the answer to our bust TE Graham. Clueless.

Their only decent pick was Marquis Hill. He’s gonna be a stud.

I’ve been screaming we need a stud WR and RB for three years now and you know what, next year we’ll be screaming we need a WR and RB again!

We are one assistant coach loss away from being the Mickey Mouse New Orleans Saints!.

You know, its not really that hard to be a total pessimist. I may have missed my calling. ;)


[Edited on 7/5/2004 by Danno]

8-8 Team really improved???
 

Danno, though I most often agree with \"whopat\" and \"gatorpat\", I have to say that your satire post was VERY WELL DONE! It made my day, and I really needed a pick-me-up.

Thanks!

8-8 Team really improved???
 

DANNO --

Man, you deserve an award for that post. Hilarious!! :D

That sounds just like WhoDat. ;)

8-8 Team really improved???
 

You\'re completely full of sh!t Danno, but I will give you props for that one. I laughed and cried. ;)

8-8 Team really improved???
 

I\'ll take that as the utmost compliment, thanks, I tried really hard :)