My Strategy to keep the dynasty alive

[Rmfnlt]

So hard to emulate what NE has accomplished over a very long time.

First, and foremost, it takes developing depth... but how to do that?

My plan?
1] Keep only absolute key players (Donald, for example. Guys who have proven they are:
a) Still on the rise
b) Mainly not injury-prone
c) Highly productive

2] Let players go that hamper your cap (even if they are important)
Guys like Watkins, Sullivan (age), Barwin, Johnson, Joyner, Robey-Coleman, etc.
This is something NE does effectively. If they believe a player is:
a) On the downside of his career
b) Injury-prone
c) Has not fit into the system as much as they believe they should

They let him go.. period. And, yes, it might be a big name...
AND... they accumulate picks... lots of picks. They draft well and know how to identify players that fit their system. They build depth!

3] Similarly, they identify free agents that fit their system. Sometimes, they take chances on "character issues guys" (like Britt)... but they structure deals that they can exit out of with minimal hassle and financial impact.
The Rams did a great job of that this year with Whitworth and Sullivan. I believe Sullivan comes up this year and he'll be 33 in August.
I see both these guys as band-aids (good ones, but band-aids nonetheless) and , when their contract comes up, got to move them for picks.

I know... it's hard... they worked hard for you, did a good job... but, it's a business... got to keep the tank (quality players early in their careers) full for the engine to run.
As fans who fall in love with players, this is particularly difficult. But, it's exactly why some franchises fail (GMs "fall in love") while NE remains successful.

I do not think the Rams are nearly there yet (next man up, with little drop off).

I'd also suggest that it's not only only depth. I think you also have to have a scheme that allows for lesser players to come in and still excel. I'm not sure McVay has all of that yet... but I think he is smart enough to develop that "back-up plan".

So... keep only the key players and ones that have a proven record of production, health and are on the upside of their careers.

Let as many of the others go for as many draft picks as you can accumulate.

And, this goes without saying but... you need good scouting!

Absolutely great season... the challenge now is to improve that roster.

 

[Stl2La]

Joyner is a must sign. No way around that. Robey-Coleman should be brought back too. Neither would hamper the cap seeing as we will have plenty of cap space.

 

[Merlin]

Build the defense. They were solid, but came up short of where they need to be overall. Offense does have some needs, but if you finish building the defense around Donald with some young pieces this team is going to be a perennial playoff group.

 

[Rmfnlt]

Robey-Coleman should be brought back too.

Where is he on the depth charts?

 

[Stl2La]

Where is he on the depth charts?

Starting slot corner and a very good one. Can play on the outside too when needed.

 

[DCH]

NE is successful because of two things: very good, stable coaching and a very good, stable QB.

McVay seems to be good at both acquiring talent that fits his system and adjusting his system to the talent on the roster... that's the most important part.

And NE would never spend what it will cost to retain Donald. They've never invested in superstar players - they'd rather have three Brockers-level players than one Donald.

IMO, McVay needs to transition the offense over to an assistant/coordinator over the next couple of years like Belichick did with his defenses in NE, and grow into an executive rather than a coordinator with a HC title. Oversee the coordinators, but let them be autonomous and concentrate on giving them the overall situation and coordination between all personnel groupings and phases of the game necessary to succeed.

If he does that, he'll groom tons of coordinators who go off to HC somewhere else but still have folks in the pipeline who have grown up in his system so even when coordinators leave, continuity remains.

Remember, Brady was more of a Trent Dilfer-style QB early in his career. It wasn't until he'd mastered every facet of the Belichick/Weis/O'Brien system over the course of years and years that he became the passing game force he is. Goff is a significantly better raw talent than Brady ever was; if McVay can keep the continuity in scheme going for years, Goff really become all-time special.

But continuity and coordination are key, if the model you want to follow is New England.

 

[DCH]

Something else to underscore @Rmfnlt 's point about scouting - when you scout a guy and love him, but he gets taken in the draft by someone else, FOLLOW HIS CAREER CLOSELY. If you're confident in his skills and fit for your plans, and he doesn't seem to be lighting the world on fire, chances are you'll have a chance to grab him in a couple of years at a reasonable price. What you liked about him isn't gone, and chances are you'll be able to fit him into your plans. You'll also have a few years worth of tape to identify what his drafting team did that squashed his ability to make plays.

 

[Rmfnlt]

And NE would never spend what it will cost to retain Donald. They've never invested in superstar players - they'd rather have three Brockers-level players than one Donald.

Ummm... Brady, sir?
We don't know if he'd be gone since he kept signing home town friendly contracts... but, my guess is they would have done everything in their power to keep him.

I'd say they might be inclined to invest heavily in no more than two players. No more than that... need to keep the roster financially balanced.

 

[Jacobarch]

So hard to emulate what NE has accomplished over a very long time.

First, and foremost, it takes developing depth... but how to do that?

My plan?
1] Keep only absolute key players (Donald, for example. Guys who have proven they are:
a) Still on the rise
b) Mainly not injury-prone
c) Highly productive

2] Let players go that hamper your cap (even if they are important)
Guys like Watkins, Sullivan (age), Barwin, Johnson, Joyner, Robey-Coleman, etc.
This is something NE does effectively. If they believe a player is:
a) On the downside of his career
b) Injury-prone
c) Has not fit into the system as much as they believe they should

.

Mate, you're letting go of too many players.

Sully - actually held up better than Whit towards the end of the season IMO. The guy was solid AF and he wont be expensive to resign. So why create a hole where it isn't needed. I think we already have his replacement on the current roster.

Joyner??? I think you're the only person that doesn't want him around next year. He was a stud this season and he'll only get better in year 2 of Wades system.

Tru - Totally agree with you. Which brings me back to joyner. You now have plenty of cap space to sign the guy who's pretty much in on every play.

NRC - Cut him too? Are there good all pro CB's falling from the sky or something? What am I missing here?

Watkins - I'm on the fence about. I'd like to sign him but only at the right price. His hustle isn't always the best, but i also think this has to do with him not being targeted more than 5 to 7 times a game.

Barwin - Good depth guy but that's it. I'd bring him back on a cheap 1 year deal again and focus on upgrading his position.

_______________

So, you want to get rid of 3 of our best Defensive backs in one offseason? I agree, I'd like to do things the Pats way but you have to win for awhile first. You can't go into next season down 3 or more DB's it's not feasible. A decent DB is hard to come by and you can't just expect every draft pick or FA pickup to be a home run. There will be bust or players that don't live up to their potential. Let me put it to you this way. Webster may never be a serviceable CB again in the NFL. Why? Because he tore his achilles and that is one of the hardest injuries to come back from playing Corner. So it's possible in your scenario that we would be down 4 DB's.
New England has a system that works because they won a couple of SB's before they started kicking players to the curb. No player is too big for that team, and players have a lot easier time dealing with that when you're WINNING. One winning season here in LA isn't going to get us such a luxury.
We have a lot of FA's this year, and we have to resign a good portion of them or else we're going to playing next year with a bunch of rookies and FA's and that's not how you build a team that's how you rebuild a team, and we're not doing that.

 

[DCH]

Ummm... Brady, sir?
We don't know if he'd be gone since he kept signing home town friendly contracts... but, my guess is they would have done everything in their power to keep him.

I'd say they might be inclined to invest heavily in no more than two players. No more than that... need to keep the roster financially balanced.

Brady has always been underpaid compared to other elite NFL QBs, and the QB is the one position that they've invested lots of money in a single player. That's why everyone was so shocked when they signed Gilmore for so much money this past offseason... it was a startling change of pace by Belichick.

They'll pay good money for good players, but they've never been willing to spend the kind of money that gets agents all hot and bothered. It's why they traded Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones, and why they were willing to let Dont'a Hightower go hit the market and try to get a crazy-go-nuts contract that they weren't going to even consider.

 

[yrba1]

There's no absolute right or absolute wrong method of maintaining success. It's a simple matter of avoiding complacency, Pete Carroll/John Schneider fielded an elite Seahawks team back in the early 2010s because they worked their asses off to make a Super Bowl caliber team; you can tell that Schneider and Carroll got complacent in recent drafts, reflecting on the lack of young talent overhaul and unwillingness to fix the O-line.

My first impression of McVay is that he won't let complacency linger; he'll flip the switch when he feels the slightest sense of it.

 

[Merlin]

NE is successful because of two things: very good, stable coaching and a very good, stable QB.

The most crucial continuity that New England benefits from is their defense. Thanks to Bill MFing Belichick. He is at the core of their success. Look at this BS, and keep in mind that they miss on players in the draft, trade guys before they hit FA, etc, so it's not like they're way more talented than everyone else...

Patriots Scoring Defense (Regular Season)
2017: 18.5ppg (5th)
2016: 15.6ppg (1st)
2015: 19.7ppg (10th)
2014: 19.6ppg (8th)
2013: 21.1ppg (10th)
2012: 20.7ppg (9th)
2011: 21.4ppg (15th)
2010: 19.6ppg (8th)
2009: 17.8ppg (5th)
2008: 19.3ppg (8th)
2007: 17.1ppg (4th)
2006: 14.8ppg (2nd)

Going back as far as I could before I got tired of looking at it, it's very rare for them to have a defensive season outside the top ten in scoring. That is ridiculous consistency man.

They are the best prepared and most well coached defense in the league year to year. Now, of course their offense has been good too and Brady's so amazing and all that, but IMO at their core they are a consistent defensive unit that always has them positioned to win a ton of games and get into the playoffs. Also they tend to enter the playoffs playing their best ball on defense, like you saw this season where they started the year terrible but week to week ratcheted things down and are now very stingy.

 

[DCH]

The most crucial continuity that New England benefits from is their defense. Thanks to Bill MFing Belichick. He is at the core of their success. Look at this BS, and keep in mind that they miss on players in the draft, trade guys before they hit FA, etc, so it's not like they're way more talented than everyone else...

Patriots Scoring Defense (Regular Season)
2017: 18.5ppg (5th)
2016: 15.6ppg (1st)
2015: 19.7ppg (10th)
2014: 19.6ppg (8th)
2013: 21.1ppg (10th)
2012: 20.7ppg (9th)
2011: 21.4ppg (15th)
2010: 19.6ppg (8th)
2009: 17.8ppg (5th)
2008: 19.3ppg (8th)
2007: 17.1ppg (4th)
2006: 14.8ppg (2nd)

Going back as far as I could before I got tired of looking at it, it's very rare for them to have a defensive season outside the top ten in scoring. That is ridiculous consistency man.

They are the best prepared and most well coached defense in the league year to year. Now, of course their offense has been good too and Brady's so amazing and all that, but IMO at their core they are a consistent defensive unit that always has them positioned to win a ton of games and get into the playoffs. Also they tend to enter the playoffs playing their best ball on defense, like you saw this season where they started the year terrible but week to week ratcheted things down and are now very stingy.

It's a good point... and Belichick's always obsessed with points allowed over all else.
Turnovers? Less important.
Sacks? Less important.
Yards per game? Less important.
The Patriots only care about keeping offenses out of the endzone. Individual stats are nothing.

 

[Rmfnlt]

Mate, you're letting go of too many players.

Sully - actually held up better than Whit towards the end of the season IMO. The guy was solid AF and he wont be expensive to resign. So why create a hole where it isn't needed. I think we already have his replacement on the current roster.

Joyner??? I think you're the only person that doesn't want him around next year. He was a stud this season and he'll only get better in year 2 of Wades system.

Tru - Totally agree with you. Which brings me back to joyner. You now have plenty of cap space to sign the guy who's pretty much in on every play.

NRC - Cut him too? Are there good all pro CB's falling from the sky or something? What am I missing here?

Watkins - I'm on the fence about. I'd like to sign him but only at the right price. His hustle isn't always the best, but i also think this has to do with him not being targeted more than 5 to 7 times a game.

Barwin - Good depth guy but that's it. I'd bring him back on a cheap 1 year deal again and focus on upgrading his position.

_______________

So, you want to get rid of 3 of our best Defensive backs in one offseason? I agree, I'd like to do things the Pats way but you have to win for awhile first. You can't go into next season down 3 or more DB's it's not feasible. A decent DB is hard to come by and you can't just expect every draft pick or FA pickup to be a home run. There will be bust or players that don't live up to their potential. Let me put it to you this way. Webster may never be a serviceable CB again in the NFL. Why? Because he tore his achilles and that is one of the hardest injuries to come back from playing Corner. So it's possible in your scenario that we would be down 4 DB's.
New England has a system that works because they won a couple of SB's before they started kicking players to the curb. No player is too big for that team, and players have a lot easier time dealing with that when you're WINNING. One winning season here in LA isn't going to get us such a luxury.
We have a lot of FA's this year, and we have to resign a good portion of them or else we're going to playing next year with a bunch of rookies and FA's and that's not how you build a team that's how you rebuild a team, and we're not doing that.

I think you may have misunderstood (or I didn't make things clear)...

There might be years where you need to be judicious about who to sign and who to let go... Joyner? Fine. The others? See what you can get in terms of draft picks and maybe they do go.

Got to stop living for today... even if it sets you back a tad. Got to constantly be thinking about tomorrow... building depth. You don't do that by staying put with your existing players... especially, as they become more expensive.

 

[Jacobarch]

I think you may have misunderstood (or I didn't make things clear)...

There might be years where you need to be judicious about who to sign and who to let go... Joyner? Fine. The others? See what you can get in terms of draft picks and maybe they do go.

Got to stop living for today... even if it sets you back a tad. Got to constantly be thinking about tomorrow... building depth. You don't do that by staying put with your existing players... especially, as they become more expensive.

I have no doubt that we aren't going to upgrade positions but you can't upgrade all of them at once is my point. I'm all for getting players at positions that we need upgraded or eventually upgrade. For example ILB / OLB / NT

 

[Riverumbbq]

So hard to emulate what NE has accomplished over a very long time.

First, and foremost, it takes developing depth... but how to do that?

My plan?
1] Keep only absolute key players (Donald, for example. Guys who have proven they are:
a) Still on the rise
b) Mainly not injury-prone
c) Highly productive

d) Having the Commissioner in your hip pocket

 

[Loyal]

Most depressing time of the year. Playoffs still going on and we got beaten badly by a team in the Wild Card round. I understand this "dynasty" is a hypothetical, but it also seems to be a cruel discussion in a way. We have to win a Championship to start a dynasty, and right now that seems very far away....

 

[FrantikRam]

Our model should be that of the Seahawks, to a degree, until Goff needs re-signed.

Meaning - keep and pay all the talent currently on our roster while the QB contract is cheap. We have Goff for another 3-4 relatively "cheap" years. So EVERYONE should be re-signed with the bulk of their money being paid to them in the next 3 years - TruJo, Joyner, NRC, Watkins and Donald - although Donald would be the exception to this.

This team is unbelievably talented. Fans of other teams don't know it just yet, but this team IMO should win a super bowl in the next three years - maybe even next year.

But we must take heed of the Seahawks. They have been dying a slow death since paying Russell Wilson - there's not a whole lot we can do, but the only way we stay successful once we have to re-sign Goff is if he is elite.

We have pretty solid depth already. Fans are weird about depth. Troy Hill was not considered to be good depth before the season - but he played near perfection in a PLAYOFF game. We re-sign everyone and then this years draft and free agency are about building depth.

 

[bomebadeeda]

New England takes a lot of chances on guys that are cast offs from other teams. Chris Long worked out well for them.....but does anyone see success from Kenny Britt? And New England doesn't worry about what others think. Chandler Jones was a risk. He's still very productive for AZ.....but obviously....NE felt it was time to part ways. I'm sure there is a bit more to every story than an absolute equation. I would love to mimic their success.....I'm not sure if they themselves have an across-the-board formula.......

 

[FrantikRam]

The most crucial continuity that New England benefits from is their defense. Thanks to Bill MFing Belichick. He is at the core of their success. Look at this BS, and keep in mind that they miss on players in the draft, trade guys before they hit FA, etc, so it's not like they're way more talented than everyone else...

Patriots Scoring Defense (Regular Season)
2017: 18.5ppg (5th)
2016: 15.6ppg (1st)
2015: 19.7ppg (10th)
2014: 19.6ppg (8th)
2013: 21.1ppg (10th)
2012: 20.7ppg (9th)
2011: 21.4ppg (15th)
2010: 19.6ppg (8th)
2009: 17.8ppg (5th)
2008: 19.3ppg (8th)
2007: 17.1ppg (4th)
2006: 14.8ppg (2nd)

Going back as far as I could before I got tired of looking at it, it's very rare for them to have a defensive season outside the top ten in scoring. That is ridiculous consistency man.

They are the best prepared and most well coached defense in the league year to year. Now, of course their offense has been good too and Brady's so amazing and all that, but IMO at their core they are a consistent defensive unit that always has them positioned to win a ton of games and get into the playoffs. Also they tend to enter the playoffs playing their best ball on defense, like you saw this season where they started the year terrible but week to week ratcheted things down and are now very stingy.

Brady and the offense deserve some credit for this. Teams know they have to score and warps the way they play offense against the Patriots.

That and playing against a trio of the most incompetent sports franchises in modern history.