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Saban is building a dynasty

Finole

Finole

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I am currently reading Nick Saban's book, and I have to tell you, I am impressed. Belichick wrote the introduction. They're good friends.

And then I watched the Pats dismantle the Vikes this past Monday night, and I got to thinking... How the hell does Belichick do it?

Well, the Pats did go 5-11 Belichick's first year. BTW, Brady rode the bench that entire season. But then they won the Super Bowl his 2nd year. Why hasn't Saban enjoyed this kind of success?

The simple answer: luck.

Yep. The Pats benefitted from a weak schedule because of their 5-11 finish. 9 of their 11 victories came against teams with losing records. A win is a win to be sure. But it's a little easier to win when your opponents aren't very good. Their two other wins came against division rivals: the Jets and the Fins.

The best team they played that year was St. Louis. They lost. But Belichick got to study his future Super Bowl opponent up close. Brady threw one touchdown pass in 3 playoff games! They benefitted from the tuck rule, and Vinatieri made a 48-yarder to win the Super Bowl. This is not a team that dominated opponents.

The Pats were exposed in 2002. With a tougher schedule, they finished 9-7 and failed to make the playoffs.

So what I'm getting at is this: Belichick got lucky early on, but his dynasty wasn't completely built until 2003. It took him four years:

2000: 5-11 (rebuilding year)
2001: 11-5 (due to a weak schedule and good luck)
2002: 9-7 (exposed)
2003: 14-2

Here's my prediction for Nick Saban:

2005: 9-7 (due to a weak schedule and good luck)
2006: 5-11 (exposed)
2007: 11-5
2008: 14-2
 
Listen to Belichick, and you will hear Saban. Listen to Saban, and you will hear Belichick...

Belichick: "Each of us has a job to do."

Saban: "Everybody has to focus and do the things they need to do."

Belichick: "I don't think we played or coached well enough (in 2002). The year before, we executed better at critical times. When the bar was raised (in 2002), we didn't rise with it. We went from 11-5 to 9-7, we missed the playoffs on the third tie-breaker, and we had the same record in the division and against the NFC, but we just weren't good enough. In the end, that's all it was."

Saban: "We need to play with more discipline as a team so we can get better execution."

Belichick: "It's about making progress. At the beginning of minicamp, it was, 'How can we have a better minicamp?' During training camp, it was, 'How can we have a better training camp?' When the season began, it was about being better tomorrow, being better next week, how can we correct our mistakes? That's all I've worried about."

Saban: "I think the most important thing, when things are going this way is to find positive things that you’re doing, build on them, work to try to get better, stay focused on putting your energy into having success and not thinking about what you did and what you didn’t do, but once it’s corrected focus your energy in a positive way to continue to work to get better and do the things you need to get the kind of execution you need to get to be successful and to win."

Belichick: "When you win everything isn't great. Usually when you lose everything isn't terrible. A lot of times when you lose, you just didn't do enough good things to win."

Saban: "If we're winning all our games, that doesn't change the formula. And if we're losing, that doesn't change the formula.''

Belichick: "It's just a question of which team goes out and plays well. And can you get your best performance on the field at this point in time. And that's really what it comes down to. There's plenty of talent on every team, and I'm sure we'll have some very competitive games as we go through the playoffs. But it'll just come down to the team that can execute the best at critical points in the game."

Saban: "I always tell the players you don't look at the scoreboard. That doesn't determine how you compete, whether you're ahead or behind. The focus is on the next play. Focus on what it takes to get to become a champion, and not on getting there."

Belichick: "You have to have a vision of where your team is going to be in two, three, four years, and you want to try to move toward that point."

Saban: "We want to stay focused on the process of what we need to do long-term, and that's what we're going to do."

Belichick: "Nothing really matters except how we can each do going forward. That's where our focus is, to try to get our game to its highest level."

Saban: "The record doesn’t really matter, the result doesn’t matter and the score in the game doesn’t really matter. What we need to do is turn the corner. But the future is right now."

Belichick preaches never-say-die-mistake-free football. Sound familiar?

Also, check out this quote from Belichick: "Nick Saban is a great coach. I know he said he learned things in Cleveland, but I might have learned more from him than he learned from me. I'll tell you that."
 
Here's a breakdown of how Belichick built his (current) team...

QB is obvious. Everybody knows that story.

RB:
Inherited Kevin Faulk.
Traded a 2nd round draft pick for Corey Dillon in 2004.
Laurence Maroney was a 1st round draft pick in 2006.

FB: Signed free agent Heath Evans in 2005 after the Fins cut him.

WR:
Inherited Troy Brown.
Traded an undisclosed draft choice for Doug Gabriel in 2006.
Signed free agent Reche Caldwell in 2006.
Chad Jackson was a 2nd round draft pick in 2006.

Also, everybody knows Deion Branch was traded to Seattle for a 1st round pick in 2007. Branch was a 2nd round pick in 2002.

TE:
Benjamin Watson was a 1st round pick in 2004.
Daniel Graham was a 1st round pick in 2002.

Offensive Line:
New England's offensive line has been anchored by LT Matt Light since 2001. A 2nd round pick.
Their current Center, Dan Koppen, was a 5th round pick in 2003.
Their current RG, Stephen Neal (undrafted) played with the team for 3 years before starting in 2004.
Their current LG, Logan Mankins, was a 1st round pick in 2005.
And their current RT, Ryan O'Callaghan, is a rookie picked in the 5th round.

Of the 11 starters on offense, 2 are 1st round picks, 3 are later round picks, 2 are free agents, 2 are trades, 1 is an undrafted free agent, and 1 is inherited.

Defensive line:
Richard Seymour was a 1st round pick 2001.
Ty Warren was a 1st round pick in 2003.
Vince Wilfork was a 1st round pick in 2004.

Linebackers:
Inherited Tedy Bruschi.
Signed free agent Mike Vrabel in 2001.
Signed free agent Larry Izzo in 2001.
Signed free agent Rosevelt Colvin in 2003.
Brought Junior Seau out of retirement.

Interesting to note: Belichick currently carries three of Saban's former LSU players on his roster...
DE Jarvis Green (4th round - 2002) and DE Marquise Hill (2nd round - 2004).
And he signed undrafted free agent LB Eric Alexander in 2004.

Secondary:
Eugene Wilson was a 2nd round pick in 2003.
Asante Samuel was a 4th round pick in 2003.
Signed free agent Rodney Harrison in 2003.
Ellis Hobbs was a 3rd round pick in 2005.

Of the 11 starters on defense, 3 are 1st round picks, 3 are later round picks, 4 are free agents, and 1 is inherited.

K: Stephen Gostkowski was a 4th round pick in 2006.

Although, he is no longer with the team, it is interesting to note that Belichick inherited Adam Vinatieri. Thank you Bill Parcells.
 
Belichick drafted a QB and traded for a RB.
Saban drafted a RB and traded for a QB.

Belichick built his LB corps thru free agency.
Saban built his defensive line thru free agency.

Belichick drafted primarily defensive linemen and tight ends in the 1st round.
So far, Saban has drafted a RB and a Safety in the 1st round.

Belichick has a 1st rounder and 2nd rounder on his offensive line.
Saban inherited Vernon Carey and made a bad decision with L.J. Shelton.

Belichick has re-built his WR corps.
Saban has re-built his secondary.

Inherited players still on Belichick's team: Kevin Faulk, Troy Brown, and Tedy Bruschi.
Inherited players still on Saban's team: Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Randy McMichael, Vernon Carey, Damion McIntosh, Rex Hadnot, Jeno James, Wes Welker, Marty Booker, Chris Chambers, and Olindo Mare.
 
Lets all hope he doesn't build a Dynasty in Miami like his dad did at Buffalo.

1972....4-9-1

1973....9-5

1974....9-5

1975....8-6

1976....2-3.....left or was fired....and went to the college ranks.


By the way.....thru these years....the Bills NEVER beat the Dolphins...nice job Shula and the 70's players.
 
yeah Im not getting the exposed part for this year. We have only played one team with a winning record (the pats) so I guess we have been exposed..... to a weak schedule with no success.
 
MoneyBrown said:
yeah Im not getting the exposed part for this year. We have only played one team with a winning record (the pats) so I guess we have been exposed..... to a weak schedule with no success.
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DUDE i have a little trucks just like that! i love it! i want a real one like it. sorry to get off subject.
 
its nice to see people can dream... now come back to reality, we aint finishing 5-11. This current team has more holes than it can fill this off-season, so next year isnt looking too bright.
 
We've had an unbelievably weak schedule this year so let's not look too much into that. I don't like this mirroring Saban and Belichick thing. He may have learnt from Belichick but he needs to become his own coach. No two great coaches in NFL history are exactly alike. I mean Shula and Cowher sort of have the same chin but that's about it. The really great ones define themselves. I dont want Saban to be some cheap imitation of Belichick because then he is doomed to fail.
 
FINOLE said:
I am currently reading Nick Saban's book, and I have to tell you, I am impressed.

Yep. The Pats benefitted from a weak schedule because of their 5-11 finish. 9 of their 11 victories came against teams with losing records. A win is a win to be sure. But it's a little easier to win when your opponents aren't very good. Their two other wins came against division rivals: the Jets and the Fins.
We have the weakest schedule in the NFL and haven't beaten them. :shakeno:

I'm calling the cops...I think Nick has a stalker!
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
SarahAnn said:
its nice to see people can dream... now come back to reality, we aint finishing 5-11. This current team has more holes than it can fill this off-season, so next year isnt looking too bright.
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Exactly
 
One thing I see is that New England drafted their whole Line in the first round. 2001, 2003 and 2004 . . . New England always had their picks . . . we didn't have many of our top picks for a few years due to some TERRIBLE trades to say the least. One thing I can say is that Nick going after CPep is a decision I admire, tho it may ultimately not work out for him, he went after a guy who can be a playmaker at the QB position, not an unknown talent, and I think Nick understands that Pep is the guy and that he needs to get healthy for this "dynasty" to prevail. Obviously the low price talent that BB got hasn't been in the FA market the last few years . . . and thats where the "luck" factors in. I honestly feel that Nick is gonna get this team to the next level, but it hasn't even been 2 years yet, and people are calling for his head. IMO I think that would be a very STUPID decision, its frustrating but I KNOW we have the right guy as our HC.
 
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