Best Team EVER!!! Seriously, let me know what you think/ how I can improve

[xrodmuc316]

Ok I just finished all the offseason and preseason stuff, and this is what my team looks like going into the first year with the New England Patriots. This is how everything looks as of now. Sorry if this is a long post, but im trying to get some advice on what I should do next. Thanks for any feedback. Oh and I didnt put any of the current overalls because I know they change from time to time as the season goes along.


QB
Tom Brady 99 POT (Potential) 3 YRL (Contract Years Remaining)
A. Woodson (Rookie) 92 POT 3 YRL


HB
L. Maroney 91 POT 3 YRL
X.Omon 91(R) POT 3 YRL
J. Buckingham (R) 90 POT 1 YRL


FB
L. Weaver 79 POT 1 YRL
H. Evans 78 POT 1 YRL


WR
Andre Johnson 93 POT 7 YRL
Brandon Marshall 93 POT 2 YRL
W. Welker 88 POT 4 YRL
Reggie Brown 83 POT 7 YRL
M. Manningham (R) 88 POT 3 YRL
Kevin Robinson (R) 89 POT 3 YRL
Devin Hester 83 POT 2 YRL


TE
B. Watson 87 POT 2 YRL
B.Bejama 65 POT 1 YRL
J. Finley 49 (R) 49 POT 2 YRL


LT
M. Light 92 POT 2 YRL
W. Britt 68 POT 1 YRL


LG
L. Mankins 93 POT 2 YRL
D. Connolly 75 POT 1 YRL


C
S. Satele 92 POT 3 YRL
A. Spieker (R) 79 POT 1 YRL


RG
S. Neal 87 POT 2 YRL
F. Matua 78 POT 1 YRL


RT
N. Kaczur 88 POT 2 YRL
Cornell Green 66 POT 1 YRL


LE
Ty Warren 91 POT 6 YRL
Kevin Smith 71 POT 2 YRL


RE
R. Seymour 93 POT 2 YRL
S. Fraser 74 POT 1 YRL


DT
V. Wilfork 88 POT 2 YRL
A. Rubin (R) 85 POT 3 YRL
B. Oshinowo 84 POT 5 YRL


LOLB
M. Vrabel 88 POT 1 YRL
P. Woods 76 POT 2 YRL


MLB
Adalius Thomas 90 POT 5 YRL
Jon Beason 89 POT 5 YRL
Vince Hall (R) 84 POT 1 YRL
M. Harris 73 POT 1 YRL


ROLB
T. Suggs 90 POT 3 YRL
E. Alexander 72 POT 3 YRL


CB
Antonio Cromartie 92 POT 3 YRL
E. Hobbs 89 POT 2 YRL
F. Bennett 91 POT 3 YRL
S. Brown 86 POT 5 YRL
D. Tribble (R) 81 POT 3 YRL


FS
Tanard Jackson 91 POT 3 YRL
Josh Barrett (R) 82 POT 2 YRL


SS
Nedu Ndukwe 87 POT 3 YRL
W. Andrews 74 POT 2 YRL


K
Ryan Longwell 91 POT 3 YRL


P
C. Hanson 81 POT 1 YRL


So as you can see, I have a lot of solid guys locked up for multiple years, so this team will be good for at least the next 3 seasons for me. I traded away a lot of guys who were on the team to start who were older and had expiring contracts like Rodney Harrison, Junior Seua, and Teddy Brusci. I also franchised Randy Moss and then traded him with no penalty. As of right now this is how the future looks in terms of cap space.


2009 $24.19 Million Cap Room, only #3.37 in penalties after all my trading.
2010 $23.64 free space
2011 $44.26 free space
2012 $79.51 free space


And then there is my draft picks. While I had to burn a lot of them in the trades I was making, I was able to get some back for trading the above mentioned guys, including the 15th overall and I believe a 5th from Detroit for Moss. So with the 7th that the Pats already had, I was able to make lots of trades to move down. By trading down I was able to stockpile later round picks for 2008, as you can see I got a lot of rookies on this team. I also was able to pretty much replenish my 2009 picks. This is what my drafts for the next 2 years look like.


2009
2nd round from Saints
2nd round from Seahawks
3rd round from Saints
3rd round from Rams
3rd round from Eagles
4th round from Titans
4th round from Chargers
5th round from Panthers
5th round from Chargers
6th round from Browns
7th round from Bucs
7th round from Ravens
7th round (my only original pick lol)


2010
No first this year either, which is a bummer, but I had to give it up to get Cromartie from the Chargers
2nd round (NE)
3rd round from Saints
4th round from Saints
4th round from Seahawks
5th round from Broncos
5th round (NE)
6th round from Saints
6th round from Rams
6th round from Jags
6th round from Steelers
6th round (NE)
7th round from Jags
7th round from Steelers
7th round (NE)


I know that is a ton of draft picks, but the team is good at evaluating rookies, so I figure if I can get solid players from a 3rd of those picks ill be in great shape.
Now my question is, do you guys have any advice on what I should do next to improve this team? Do you think im good and should just hold onto all my picks. Do you think I should go out and get the top FA next season? My weakest position is fullback, but in the Pats offense its not really that important.
Ok well if anybody has any questions for me post them here too, im still new to this forum but I think ive got a solid formula so id be happy to give anybody else advice if they would like. Thanks everyone (again sorry for such a long post).

[Guggy107]

It looks like you could use some depth on OL and DL, especially the OL. Injuries hit these positions hard and its good to have quality backups here.

[xXMedicXx]

Dont get cought with your video camera .... Oh wait the Defence can call plays in the helmet.

So dont get cought with your Frequency book and recorder.....

And yes get some depth @ OL and the DL you WILL need it !

[xrodmuc316]

Yeah I definitly plan on using all my draft picks to address the OL next season. Maybe ill look into trading for 1 solid backup tackle just because both my backup tackles are kind of week.

DL I think im ok, ive got 3 80+ OVR DT and while my backup ends are weak, I can always stick one of the DT's there if I get in a tight spot because they are all faster guys who can play both positions and remain over 80 OVR.

[filtertmp]

That team is pretty incredible, I'm particularly impressed with your depth at WR... Any "advice" would almost seem like nit-picking, but if I had to suggest anything it would be to maybe find a larger, 3-4 MLB and perhaps more coverage orientated, quicker safeties.

Be aware I am recommending this purely on my knowledge of the 3-4, rather than my experience with these players in the game. I love Beason, but he seems like the kind of MLB that thrives in a 4-3 where he takes on the center rather than G's and has room to maneuver (think fellow UM alum Vilma, but he is a little heavier). The norm for 3-4 MLB is a little taller than 6' even, obviously with some exceptions. Again this isn't to say he wouldn't be effective in such a system, but remember I am stretching to find flaws with your team (I mean physically he is very similair to ray lewis (strange, another UM grad) whose game didn't truly suffer when the ravens switched to 3-4).

And as for your safeties, having physical safeties seems almost unnecessary with the run-stopping ability and size of your front 7. Previous Pats units used to regularly trot out basically CB's at the FS position (think eugene wilson etc.) and those units didn't have the talent you've assembled. You might be able to bolster your pass defense by taking a center fielder FS with very high speed, awareness to help against the pass (ty law? just throwing out ideas)

I wish I could turn my jets team into a juggernaut like yours with some slick trading but I'll have to settle on a less impressive team. I'd say you got a good shot at a perfect season, and by that I mean 19-0 and not 18-1 :P

[oklandr8rs]

impressive, but highly unlikely/realistic

[xrodmuc316]

Filtertmp, thank you very much for your input. Looking at a guy like Ty Law and moving him from CB to Free Safety is a great idea. I personally would rather go for a younger cheaper option, do you have any suggestions? I do like the idea of looking for a fast CB with good awareness and converting them to FS, I hadnt thought of that. I think I would also end up converting Tanard Jackson from FS to SS in that case.

As for Beasley, I agree he is more of a 4-3 MLB but I figured that teaming him up with Adalius Thomas who is a much larger player at 6'2" and 270 lbs that I could get away with Beason's lack of size.

I also was considering going after Vilma, but the Saints were not interested in trading him.

And I do plan on doing what the real Patriots couldnt, closing on that 19-0. As of now im 2 games in, and im 2-0 with a margain of victory in those 2 games being 87-17.

Oklandr8rs, while I appriciate the compliment, I dont know how this team isnt realistic. This isnt like Madden, you can only trade for available players, and you can only select predetermined offers.

This formula could work with any team. Its simply a matter of trading high priced talent with expiring contracts and a small penalty on your team for draft picks. Then trading your average players and draft picks for younger players who are locked up. You then take what remaining picks you have, and trade down constantly. Sure your approval rating will suffer in the draft, but stockpiling later round picks and finding gems is the way to go. When you scout before the draft, scout the lower players so you can get their potential. That way your flyer picks arent really all that risky. By doing this you can not only get some very solid talent as backups for your team, but you can stock up, or in my case replenish, you future drafts.

Some teams do build themselves through free agency and high draft picks. I did it through trades and low round picks. Now of course this is easier if you are a team like the Pats because you have more room to start with, but you can definitly improve any team you want this way. You just have to make calculated moves.

[Guggy107]

i agree it might be unlikely, but thats not the same as unrealistic. he has definitely put together a realistic team here.