Talent

[caradoc]

Was just thinking about talent.  I think there's more talent here than our record should indicate.  So I made a semi-list of those "great" talent players...
In our Glory years we had:
Sapp
Lynch
Barber
Brooks
Nickerson
Many others like Smith, abraham, etc, on D
On O we had:
Dunn and Alstott

In their prime, these were all great players, Multi-probowl players.  Dominant defensive players.

Now we have on D:
Brooks
Barber
with Brooks Declining
Rice, who's absent more than not

On O:
Caddy
Joey? - stretch but hey give an old man a bone

MIA is Clayton, what a disappointment.

For all the "talent" I just thought we had, when I really look at it, there aren't any "greats" here any more.
Jury is out on whether Davin or Tru will pan out.

I know alot of people will say it's all Gruden and Allen, but the guys who should be "Great now" should have been drafted in 00, 01,02.

And those greats from the first list, how many did McKay draft?  And how many did Wyche?

Hadn't thought about this before in all honesty.  I thought the team had talent, but when compared, sheesh...

There's a talent gap here right now.  It goes to all those lost picks.  And it doesn't help Gru at all, because he'll need a couple more years to get a "great" talent level up and running.  I can see him here next year, but without that talent, he'll be hard pressed to get it done...

[caradoc]

Oh, PS... that's why Dungy was fired...with all that talent, he didn't get it done...

[escobar]

The Patriots seem to make a living with just average players buying into the scheme and putting their personal goals aside. It takes finding the right kind of players if you are going to have a TEAM rather than a few stars and some roll players, which is what we have. Although with the way Brooks and Rice have been playing, I'm not so sure we have any stars at all save for Ronde. As you said though, our missing draft picks play a huge roll in this. Now that we have some, and some money to spend in FA, things will surely get better. We just have to wait and see if the Glazers have the patience to let it all play out.

[alstott40]

Bert Emanuel was good also,

[SamoaJoeBucFan]

I agree.  We don't have the talent here anymore.  I think D-Jo, Caddy, Grads, and Alex Smith will become what we're looking for on O.  But as far as D goes, all I can see is White and Ruud.