OT: Julius Peppers to Patriots?
So the only reason this can be remotely appropriate for this website is the fact that it has to do with a team that employs three former Wolverines: Tom Brady, Shawn Crable and Pierre Woods.
The Pats have had, what I think, a great free agency - signing Fred Taylor, Joey Galloway, Shawn Springs, Leigh Bodden and others, as well as trading for a second round pick.
That second round pick, according to reports, is being used to get Julius Peppers from Carolina. Let that sink in for a moment - the New England Patriots, are getting their all pro quarterback back and now are adding an all pro defensive end/outside linebacker to their team? That's insane. Couple that fact with they still have the draft to go and their strong free agency and this team is loaded again. The best part is that they have the cap room to sign him since they got rid of Cassel and Vrabel.
This team will have some VERY high expectations. I think they need to target offensive linemen and defensive back help in the draft and they'll be set.
Just a second rounder for Peppers? He should be worth a first round pick imo.
For starters, it almost is. It's the 34th overall pick in the draft. Secondly, Julius Peppers is good but not super young anymore, knocking on the door of 30. Maybe not, but he could be nearing his end.
I'm a Bostonian and a big Pats fan, and I do have high expectations for the season. The one thing that worries me, though, is keeping Brady healthy.
Teams continually raid Belichick's coaching staff and now their front office (Scott Pioli), and the Pats don't lose a step. It's because Belichick is THE best in the biz.
BB was a helmet to the chest of drew bledsoe by bryan cox away from being fired by the pats in 2001.
No brady, no super bowls, no dynasty. if u want to point to last years 11-5, imagine cassell not having moss or welker and once again no brady, no moss , no welker,no 11-5.
The Patriots also had no secondary or running game last year but still managed to keep winning and stay focused even with their leader out for the year. Last year, they managed to go 16-0 in the regular season, and you need a damn good coach to keep your players focused week in and week out, especially when they had everything wrapped up with a month to go in the season. Also, Randy Moss has been a head case where ever he has been. That all changed when he came to NE. All that I give credit to BB, especially when you consider that they have lost their assistant coaches on a yearly basis.
I realize Tom Brady is better than Drew Bledsoe, but you can't say with certainty that Bledsoe wouldn't have won any Super Bowls if he had remained the starter. He had already been to the Super Bowl once in his career.
Good point. I think many people forget that it was Bledsoe who essentially came in when Brady got knocked out of the AFC championship and won the game for them en route to their first Super Bowl.
March 16th, 2009 at 10:54 PM ^
this was the record for the pats in 2000 and in 2001 they started 1-3 when brady took over for bledsoe.
March 16th, 2009 at 11:00 PM ^
Joey Harrington had a bad year one time, too. That didn't preclude him from being a good... I mean...uhhh...he almost won a Super...
Uh.
Erm.
Jon Kitna?
March 16th, 2009 at 10:56 PM ^
ur not a true michigan fan, r u?
brady walked on...water.
March 16th, 2009 at 11:00 PM ^
That was ice, dummy.
March 16th, 2009 at 11:51 PM ^
Not only did they not have a running game or secondary, they were decimated by injuries (Rodney Harrison and Rosy Colvin are the first of many who come to mind).