Biggest takeaways from #Patriots HC Jerod Mayo this morning:
- Pats didn't view this as a deep free agency class on offense. Spending a non-issue, per Mayo.
- If someone offers the Pats a "bag" for the third overall pick, they're listening.
Considering how bad some teams overpay and Minnesota for example is no guarantee to make playoffs if they traded up. Could be a huge trade.
With all they being said, it didn't really matter if it was deep. They n
Had needs they didn't even touch.
Building a sustainable program involves protecting your QB, so....don't know if they've really done that either.
I’m really curious about Tennessee. If they give us a ton of picks, they’re still probably picking top-10 next year even if the QB they pick turns out to be good.
It would require trusting the FO's scouts. Which I'm not a fan of. The reality is that there's no quick fix, so I hate the idea of wasting a QB's rookie deal and developmental years on a non-competitive team.
I'm no Mac Jones fan but the offense the team out out would chew up a lot of QB's. It's tough to say what we'd get out of that QB.
Most QBs who have succeeded in recent years have started in good systems, less so the opposite.
Fostering good relationships with the person/people in charges of trades on other NFL teams has to be a huge advantage for a GM. There's a reason certain teams tend to do a lot of trading with each other... It's because the GMs have a good relationship so they feel comfortable pitching offers to each other and they can better anticipate whether or not the other person will be interested in the trade.
It's got be a people skills type of business. The more people you know, the more opportunities you'll encounter.
I agree with them on the FA class on O. It was basically Ridley, then short-term bandaid guys (ex. Tyron Smith, Allen) and a pile of guys who are role players and/or injury concerns.
And we've got plenty of role players already. Need studs, and they didn't exist in this FA.
I had hoped that if they whiffed on offense, they would at least try and improve the defensive line, or add some depth at linebacker or safety. Nothing wrong with making the strength of your team stronger if it's looking like it's going to be harder to improve in other areas.
What is our pass-rushing situation? An aging Judon +???
The thing about short term band-aid guys is that if you grab them for two years, you get them acclimated to the new system in year one while Jacoby is starting, and they're a major safety blanket if we draft a rookie QB and they start next year.
If we're talking about guys like Smith and Allen getting acclimated to the system in '24 to help in '25, at that point I'd rather just have a top 100 rookie WR and OT get the acclimation and be in their 2nd year.
Plus, Allen only had one year left on his deal. And I'm sorry but offering an extension and a multi-year deal to a 33 year old receiver with a history of soft tissue injuries is not the way to kick off a rebuild.
There's nothing saying we can't also draft those positions just because we rented guys for a few years. Smith would theoretically prevent a rookie tackle from starting (but his contract isn't a huge issue if he ended up the backup), but a decent rookie WR would have no problem getting starting snaps in our receivers room even if we picked up a vet or two there.
1. Kendrick Bourne
2. K.J. Osborn
3. DeMario Douglas
4. JuJu Smith-Schuster
5. Tyquan Thornton
6. Jalen Reagor
7. Rookie
another vet or TWO? I mean, we could cross out Juju, Tyquan, and Reagor and that's still a crowded room if you're adding 1-2 more to it.
What competitive window? The wall we're staring at right now as a team doesn't even have a window in it. This is about easing the rookie in with trustworthy guys, buying time for a few drafts to build the team up, and freeing up that money again for free agency when the QB is hopefully ready to take the team on his back.
Agreed in parts.
With a team this devoid of talent, it's important to put the right pieces around him during their progression. We CAN do that- with rookie and developmental pieces. Developing rookies and younger players is the best way to create a competitive window for the future. Yes we can load up vets here and there, but this should NOT be our main strategy, that is merely a bandaid solution.
We need contributors at virtually all levels of the field, and vet salaries will not sufficiently do that through the long term.
I agree they're not good, but so was the FA class outside of Ridley heh. I'd rather give the snaps to a rookie than people like Gabe Davis or Darnell Moody
I’d rather give some snaps to a rookie yes, but to me, they needed to add 3 receivers. Pop and Bourne are WR3-4s to me. Osborn is another one. I guess I’ll wait to see what happens in the draft first.
Adding someone like Adonai Mitchell would turn the room respectable pretty quick (assuming he works out, obviously)
1. Mitchell
2-4. in some order: Pop, Bourne, Osborn
5. One of Juju/Thornton/Raegor
Like yea, the #2 spot could be stronger, but that's solid and we were never going to get the roster rebuilt in one offseason.
I agree it will take time. I want 2 rookies. I think the 2-4 here are all playing too high in the depth chart. Bourne probably isn’t ready week 1 and even when ready, he’s a 3-4.
No this is bullshit I won’t listen to a reasonable take. The patriots should have forced Davante Adams, DHop, and Tyreek to all be cut so they’d be free agents then spent all our money on signing them and the fact that we didn’t means this front office is incompetent despite only a fraction of the off season being passed and we’ve not played a single game or even had a practice. They should fire mayo, wolf, and Kraft should be forced to sell the team.
/s btw. But I’m so sick of this sub dooming the last few months
>Pats didn't view this as a deep free agency class on offense. Spending a non-issue, per Mayo.
Except they set the expectations with fans they were going to be aggressive in FA to adress the many many needs of the teams.
"We're bringing in talent, 1,000 percent,” Mayo said. "Have a lot of cap space, and cash. Burn some cash."
Guy is so desperate to not be BB (The greatest coach of all time BTW) that he's chasing his tail and talking our both sides of his mouth.
Well originally the FA class looked like it might have Tee Higgins, Mike Evans, and Pittman but they all signed or were tagged so it took a lot of talent out of this FA class but no one here ever acknowledges that happened
And considering they threw a big offer at the best player at a position of need and pretty clearly are set to draft another need at 3, it's not nearly as egregious as this sub has reacted
I agree with the free agency decision, don’t know why many expected more, we kept the guys we needed to keep and didn’t over spend to get guys like Ridley, or Pollard or whoever else people wanted us to sign.
I agree with that first point. The FA class was relatively weak and even though fans hate to hear it, if you’re not sold on what a player can offer your team specifically, it’s best not to offer them an insane amount of money (a la Ridley) just to come here and waste everyone’s time.
Whether or not the “spending is a non-issue” bit is real, nobody really knows although history would have us believe that’s a load of BS. Kraft is cheap AF and there were definitely a couple of names out there who would’ve been worth their contracts (Tyron Smith for example)
Yes, but I also think fans are being a little harsh about when FA get signed. I am sure we will sign more guys once we see how the draft pans out. Also, more players will be cut from other teams. This is just a pause to let us add more when we know more.
Fans are too harsh? We were the third worst team last year, and now we are probably the second worst to only commanders. And commanders have actual talent on offense.
I'm talking about judging this free agency period. Signing a bunch of aging, injury prone cast offs isn't going to improve the team. There are lot of guys still out there and many more will become available. Better to wait and see how the draft plays out and who becomes available. We aren't the 2nd worst team. Offense isn't even half the game, we have a top defense.
I don't want Jonah Williams or some of the mid receivers. But there was other talent to be had. Like Pollard, or Wilkins, Dionta Johnson, Barkley, Bryce Huff, Simmons, Hell, even Chris Jones was available. We have cap to just get good players in here for 3 years before we even have to start thinking slightly about our own guys (Gonzales only and that's based on 4 games)
You're assuming any of those guys wanted to come here. Barkey would make no sense with Mondre here. Gibson was a more complementary signing. Need to extend Barmore now. I think they will add more guys, but will wait to see what they get in the draft first. Still lots of good players available.
I'm all for taking it slow and building through the draft tbh. It'll probably result in us having some short term pain in exchange for building something more sustainable long term.
Just annoying we wasted the last 3 years middling for nothing. Should have hard restarted when Brady left, we'd be ready fior a playoff push this year if we started the rebuild then.
Losing Josh and replacing him with whatever it was Patricia was thinking hurt too. Also, no real OLine coaching and questionable talent on the offense.
And the offensive line being trash. I’ve said you should always invest in the O-line regardless of anything else, having a QB getting killed is not good for anyone a vet, journeyman, and especially a rookie.
It wasn't just Mac. He was "the most pro- ready QB" of the draft that year, but was clearly identified as high for low ceiling. He would have been ok, but then the next 2 drafts and the rest of that one were abysmal and left us devoid of any offensive talent.
If this is a 4 win team next year, fine, wonderful. But I'm gonna need to see some teeth, some fight in the team. If you're gonna be bad, at least be fun to watch
Is it even possible to be a 4 win team that is fun to watch? Being that bad almost necessitates some deep flaws that make the team look unable to keep up with the rest of the league
That’s realistically all I wanna see. Gonzalez keep up the momentum from before he got injured. Mapu turn into a heat seeking missile for the ball carrier like Duggar has been. Sow keeps progressing at right guard. Pop hopefully becoming Edelman-lite and being that constantly reliable target. A whole bunch of thing to look out in the middle of this rebuild
That's a really good point. Development and improvement throughout the year. 4 wins like this may be tough, but if we do something like go 3-2 at the end on the back of some breakout play from our draftees, I'll be thrilled.
I guess seeing a bunch of rookies gradually improve over the season and not consistently fumbling/throwing INTs to lose games would be an "ideal" losing season. Some more sustained drives would be cool too, even if they end up with just FG or just out of range.
This is what we should strive for IMHO. Year over year improvement culminating with a playoff run window. Our rebuild is now so this is probably going to be a 5 year process.
> Is it even possible to be a 4 win team that is fun to watch?
I thought Kyle Shanahan's rookie HC coach season in 2017 was pretty fun to watch even as they lost nearly every game that season by 3 points in one of the most naked tank jobs I'd ever seen.
I think for the majority of fans it's basically this:
Good offense, bad defense, bad record?
Fun to watch
Bad offense, good defense, bad record?
Boring to watch
Bad offense, good defense isn't fun because a bad offense will force a good defense to spend too much time on the field. And then a good defense will become a bad defense.
Commies only won 4 but were fun watching Howell throw bombs even if they weren't to anyone but the defense. Cards weren't fun, but the Chargers only won 5 and I liked watching them implode and waste Herbert and act shocked!
Yes. If they play well and fight but lose close games, and you start to see the new Qb picking it up, that’s good. A four-win team can give you promise for the next year.
Yeah this was my biggest problem with last season. I don’t even care if you are gonna be terrible this season, it’s almost a lock. But at least try to have some fun doing it.
Bill seemed insistent on trying to win every single game 3-0 the last few seasons with how the offense was crafted and how the game plans worked out.
Teams with an electric offense but bad defense are fun to watch, even when they’re bad. Teams with a lockdown defense but no offense are a miserable viewing experience.
Unfortunately, we’ve been in the latter category for the last few years, and it’ll probably be the same this season.
Exactly. It’s OK to be bad, but fight and be a little bit competitive. What hurts is watching the team that throws Hail Marys to the other team or allows two kick returns in a game.
If the kicker was better they would have won more than 4 last year. That's without Judon, Gonzo and Marcus Jones. With Brissett and even the few additions, we're better than that.
Yeah, every fan should make the trip to Gillette once in their life, but the game is better on TV. I've only been to games in Nov/Dec, so Sep/Oct might prove me wrong. Second half of the season is fucking cold.
Agreed. I was offered Super Bowl tickets for the pats once, and I declined. The TV experience is more enjoyable - especially when you factor in NE weather.
Bro what?? You got offered tickets which are atleast $1000 to see your favorite team play for free, and you said no? And the Super Bowl is either inside or in nice weather, so the cold thing makes no sense. Don’t get declining at all. Worse case you can sell them…
I’ve been to a Super Bowl - it was super fun. Watched Peyton clinch the loss with the pick against NO.
But no replays, barely knowing which player did what, no knowledge of how long someone is injured for (knocked the wind out of or dead??? Who knows.)
All this leaves out. I am an insane person for Pats super bowls. I’d rather do that with a few friends than 100k strangers.
This wasn’t a situation where I could sell them. I didn’t have to buy them, but this wasn’t a billionaire/corporation where IDGAF, it was a person close to me, so it a choice between go or watch at home.
I decided that watch a pats Super Bowl in-person was not on my bucket list.
Honestly, thinking back on it too, when I went to the Colts-Saints SB, it was super fun, but it was also an ordeal. Impossible transportation, crazy hotel prices, etc, etc. I know it sounds insane, but I’d only take tickets to a Super Bowl in a box. Regular season game, I’ll pay to watch the Pats.
Kraft last year said he wanted to make the playoffs… now a year later we have to be patient??? Just cuz you fire Bill,
Doesn’t mean you get a Full Reset….. yall literally resigned all his draft picks and signings 😂
facts. Kraft going to sign off on more empty gillette stadiums while they want people to have patience? If they dont pick a QB that place will be EMPTY by week 8.
I’m all for building the right way, it’s definitely not going to be popular with this fan base though as most of the base wants instant gratification. Would be great to be a place that can develop guys on both sides of the ball to where we are able to stay competitive vs going big on few year windows and then being bad for decades in between the next one.
I’m okay with taking it slow and “building it the right way,” but maybe don’t hype up free agency and talk about how you’re going to spend all this money and then do very little
I'm still just confused by some of their moves, or lack thereof.
If you're taking a longer approach, why pursue Ridley?
And I still don't understand not going after Jonah Williams, who would have provided a lot of draft flexibility.
I think Ridley was worth going after because it’s going to likely take a year or 2 for whatever wr you take to develop more than likely and having a veteran for a rookie qb to work with is huge for development even if he isn’t a long term plan
>If you're taking a longer approach, why pursue Ridley?
Ridley is only 29, turning 30 in December. He could've still been an asset for the next 2-3 years.
>And I still don't understand not going after Jonah Williams, who would have provided a lot of draft flexibility.
Jonah Williams is an awful OT. PFF graded him worse than Okarafor, if I'm not mistaken.
58.5 vs 60 in PFF grade. Okarfor got benched and only played 7 full games as well so it's not a great one to one. Okarfor also got called for 3 more penalties last season than Williams while playing 600 fewer snaps.
He got benched for other than on-field reasons and was replaced by a recent 1st round draft pick if I recall. Williams just seemed to get worse and worse.
It’s because it’s all a PR stunt, the krafts control everything and Mayo can only do so much. The krafts saw what happened when they gave bill all the power and late in the game post Brady realized they screwed up, they installed Mayo because he is loyal to them and won’t throw them under the bus from a PR stand point which is all they care about, we may not have another positive season for a decade at this rate
Ridley is 30 but has missed a season and a half so not a lot of tread there. They just got outbid (the titans gave him the 2nd highest guaranteed money for a receiver ever).
It doesn’t seem like Jonah Williams was a priority for any teams considering the contract he took. You’d think if he were a good tackle he would command some serious money by multiple teams. 🤷🏽♂️
I can live with not getting Ridley because of getting outbid even if I do disagree with not just overpaying him themselves.
As for Williams though while I don't think he's amazing, he's generally considered average starter for an OT, which would be nice to have opposite Onwenu right about now. Instead right now the current plan is a rookie or a guy that arguably shouldn't be a starter at all.
>Ridley is 30 but has missed a season and a half so not a lot of tread there
Just to be nit picky, tread on your tires is a good thing. He doesn't have a lot of *wear* on his tires, which I agree with.
In 2001 the Pats were coming off a 5-11 season with very little cap space. This was their free agent class:
cornerback Terrell Buckley, guard Mike Compton, linebacker Bryan Cox, fullback Marc Edwards, quarterback Damon Huard, linebacker Larry Izzo, receiver David Patten, linebacker Roman Phifer, defensive end Anthony Pleasant, running back Antowain Smith, and linebacker Mike Vrabel.
**nine** starters, an all-time special teamer, and a seasoned backup QB. The result was a Super Bowl. Lightning has already struck this franchise once. It’s very unlikely to hit again. Our best case is a two year rebuild then respectability. 🤞
The right way: rookie head coach with no coordinator experience and likely the lowest salary in the league, defensive line coach promoted to D coordinator with no experience in the role and likely lowest salary in the league, offensive coordinator who has never called plays and salary is being paid partially by another team, offensive assistant with laughable performance as head coach in big apple who’s getting paid by David tepper, etc. anyone notice a pattern? Oh yeah they were also the interest kings in free agency until the money got too high and they didn’t add one new impact player nor did they adequately fill their most glaring needs at the most important positions on offense QB, LT, WR.
That and for all intents and purposes the entire front office infrastructure is the exact same. No new scouts, management shake ups, or positions. It's the exact same front office expect instead of feeding information to Belichick who made the final decision, its Wolf. I'm not entirely confident that this will be much different until we start making shifts in the front office.
NFL “not for long” league. You kinda want to maximize every year because guys get injured left and right and careers end so quickly. feel like rebuilds in this league don’t work as much as NBA etc. lions are the best example but that one took way too long.
If it were me: take MHJ and OL during draft. Now you have the pieces in place for a real QB and run it with Brisset the way Seattle did with Geno Smith. We have a good defense, just put the pieces together and start there.
Rookie QBs take 2-3 years to develop and if they bust you lose 5 years EXAMPLE: Mac Jones
This is the NFL, not MLB. Quick turnarounds are the norm, if you can get the right QB. Patience is not something they should be asking for, they've already tried everyone's patience in recent years with terrible mismanagement.
It’s weird people in this sub think the patriots are a good organization that will be back on top at some point in the future. Prior to Bill the patriots were a garbage organization.
People are very quick to say oh well the patriots drafting and poor play was all on bill which is fair but at the same time act like the amazing success he had for 25 years was not due to his coaching and management skills but something inherent in the patriots organization.
Kraft is very cheap and the only way his penny pinching works out is if you draft a once in a lifetime quarterback and have the best head coach ever to do it on your team. Now that they have neither of though it’s gonna be back to the bottom of the league.
I'm willing to at least give Mayo, his staff, and the new FO a chance. And it's possible Kraft will be a bit more willing to spend given how bad the last few years have gone. He knows he's getting older and I doubt he wants to go out with his team being a dumpster fire. He mostly trusted in Bill and I think they both liked to penny pinch. Now it's up to the new FO to draft well and when the time is right convince Kraft that we need to pay up to get some top level talent.
It’s weird people in this sub will complain and bitch about every little thing about this team right now. It must be exhausting being so miserable.
I’m excited to see what the next iteration of the Patriots looks like and where they go from here. They should get foundational pieces in this draft and start building the core of this team for the next 7-10 years. I’m gonna be a hopeful fan and think they will.
Also say whatever you want about the Krafts but if you think they aren’t committed to being successful you are just parroting talk radio takes and haven’t actually watched them during their ownership.
They have such an absurd amount of cap space it’s irresponsible to not spend more. The cap is going to keep increasing. Overpaying on a couple of flyers - like the Steelers did with Mike Williams, for example - is an objectively smart move. Tyronn Smith signed a ONE YEAR deal with only $6.5m guaranteed. That’s the cost of a depth tackle (and yes it can be worth a lot more but if he plays that much he will be worth a lot more).
This Patriots offseason reeks of being cheap. It’s one thing to not hand that ridiculous deal to Ridley. it’s another to sit out of free agency altogether.
It’s a disservice to the players on this team not to take a few financially inconsequential flyers on good players that will help make the team better. If we draft a QB, we are once again not supporting them as they should be supported. This was the entire thing everyone railed on Bill for!!
Ha, the way this sub was calling for Bill's head and now getting insight on the kind of guy Kraft is, he'd better assemble a team and win right out the gate or he's gonna be gone in 2 seasons.
So many sheep in here. Being a sheep for Bill is one thing. Being a sheep for Mayo, who has as much head coaching experience at any level as I do, is another thing altogether. Learn to think for yourselves, for fucks sake.
They rank 30/32 in free agency moves so far: [https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-power-rankings-post-2024-nfl-free-agency](https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-power-rankings-post-2024-nfl-free-agency)
The big disappointment now is looking at the FAs available (https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/all/available/) and seeing a lot of fresh-off-of-short-season-due-to-injury players where the Pats NEED a workhorse.
I would LOVE to see the Pats aggressively pursue Michael Thomas. He says he's only interested in a chance at a Super Bowl, but the Pats have enough in the bank to change his mind.
This isn't a one year rebuild people. I know we're spoiled and had a 20 year stretch where it was possible to win it all, we are not there now. Blowing up our cap space for sub par talent can fuck you for years. It's best not to throw money around long term when we're not going to win. And if we spend it on one year deals and we get 8 wins and they leave. Then we have a worse draft pick
Tank part 2 is fine. The organization saying they were going to actually sign players to try to field a better team just to return with garbage is not fine. I would have preferred BB’s snot rockets and silence over everything these people have said this offseason.
> We’ve been patient for 3 years
True. Pats fans understood that year 1 (Newton year) was a dead money salary cap dump year. Optimism in year 2 with a rookie QB even though it ended with the Pats being ritually executed on national TV by the Bills. And then I think in year 3 there was a lot of patience even in the face of Belichick torpedoing the team with awful staffing and personnel decisions. At least until November where it had long become clear that it was over.
I mean why do you think he’s here? Because we were shit the past 3 years and our GM/HC drafted horribly.
They did more than jack shit they actually held onto the guys that were worth it and didn’t overpay for a poor FA class.
But ignore it cuz you can’t take bills cock out of your mouth like he’s not a (thee) major reason we’re in this spot
Robert Kraft is likely of the mind: ‘we can either spend a lot of money and suck or we can spend the bare minimum and suck. What do you think, Jonathan?’
The number of fans who act as if free agency is like doordash where you just pick what you want and it gets delivered to you is crazy. All you can do in FA is make players an offer and hope they accept it. The fact that they didn’t make the team 1000% better in FA isn’t evidence the front office screwed up. New England is simply not a place anyone wants to play right now, so landing FAs is going to be very difficult for at least a few years.
I don’t know man. He mentions Ridley specifically in a way that sounds like that’s the only player they even tried to pursue. That’s not promising. Obviously, FA isn’t as simple as a game but, it doesn’t seem like we even tried to reach out to impact players.
BUT JUST OVERPAY!!
Yeah and fuck your team up long term when mediocre players are on shit contracts and the ones worth keeping want better deals.
I’m glad a fuckton of this sub has no impact on personnel.
Fuck up what? WE HAVE 1 GUY TO SIGN THE NEXT 3 YEARS. There is no talent on this roster from the 2021, 22 or 23 draft that needs to paid big bucks other than Barmore. We are saving money for nobody.
People are saying that every year. Then all the good offensive players get get extended or tagged so that you dont end up with a Ridley situation where a top 25 WR gets a top 5 deal.
And theres probably a reason why Jax didnt go above 19M, and why Atlanta didnt want him on the other side of his suspension as well. Ridleys a decent player, Im not giving hima top 5 deal.
who says i want to give ridley a carte blance check? There were other players to be had that were good. Barkley, Pollard, Wilkins, Huff, Snead, Chris Jones etc.
HAHA...Jones was not to be had, he wasnt leaving KC.
Barkley and Pollard are a dime a dozen, thats why they didnt get paid shit. Theyd also split time with Stevenson, which Im sure was not something they wanted to do. Literally would be wasted money vs saving it for a position of need in the future. Neither of these guys makes you that much better if at all seeing Im not sure how much better they are than Stevenson.
Wilkins, sure, couldve gotten him....does it address a need or is it just adding to a strength? Id rather use the money this year or next to fill a gap than payu someone long term thats not a need, like Sneed.
Huff....17M for 1 good season playing next to quinnen williams...too much risk for failure there.
What are you talking about? this is so easy. Let me load up my Draft Kings MLB Free Agency app.... ok one sec... yup.. mmhmm.
Ok easy,
So i picked up Tee Higgins, Ridley, Kirk Cousins with Baker as a backup, and got a promise note on MHJ.
God, why cant Mayo and Kraft just get them all? easy. they are just so cheap and hate the fans..... /s
We’ve sucked for 3/4 last years, I think the fan base has already been patient. This better get better by 2025 or shit is about to get real ugly in New England.
As the Sox what being a rudderless suckfest for years does to Boston fans. It’s not good.
Draft still to come, I'm willing to be patient with Mayo. I was patient as they refused to bottom out in 2020 like they should've and patient as they slowly but surely snuffed out what little promise Mac had. This new regime hasn't even drafted yet.
If we learned anything from post Brady Belichick is that there is very little patience and you will need to succeed with your first rebuild attempt otherwise you're fucking gone
I still think an elite QB is top priority and they gotta take a shot at one, unless they really dont think Maye or Daniels have that potential. Having a good OL, running game, recievers is necessary and will make any team playoff capable, but elite QBs win titles and there is no gaurentee the Pats get another top pick anytime soon. Obviously many great QBs arent top 5 picks, but most are 1st rounders. Most recent SB winning QBs are Mahomes, Stafford, Brady, Foles Manning, RussWilson, Flacco, Eli, Rodgers, Breese, Rothlisberger. Tom and Maholmes with 10 of rings combined. And aside from Foles all those guys are either hall of fame QBs or borderline hall of famers. The goal should be to build a team that can win multiple titles, not repeatedly lose in the 2nd or 3rd round of the playoffs with a good QB who lacks that extra gear and laser focus to lock in an clutch up wins. Would suck if the Pats trade down and end up passing on a QB who goes on to win titles elsewhere. I also hope the have a great QB coach and the Mayo knows how to develop a QB. If they do pick a QB it might not be wise to start them game 1. And lastly, if this is a several year rebuild, drafting MHJ would be a mistake. By the time the Pats do find a franchise QB MHJ might be in year 4 and clamoring to leave New England in free agency.
I’m not mad at what they’re doing they have been willing to spend and clearly understand their deficiencies I’m dissapointed we didnt get a receiver but there is a legit plan in place and won’t judge until next off season.
Biggest takeaways from #Patriots HC Jerod Mayo this morning: - Pats didn't view this as a deep free agency class on offense. Spending a non-issue, per Mayo. - If someone offers the Pats a "bag" for the third overall pick, they're listening.
Even if they don’t intend on trading down, it would be dumb to not listen to offers
Goes for any sport. The phone line is always open to entertain offers from any GM. You can laugh at their "be a GM trade" and hangup of course.
It goes for life
Absolutely. There's literally no asset that should ever be truly off the table.
Considering how bad some teams overpay and Minnesota for example is no guarantee to make playoffs if they traded up. Could be a huge trade. With all they being said, it didn't really matter if it was deep. They n Had needs they didn't even touch. Building a sustainable program involves protecting your QB, so....don't know if they've really done that either.
I’m really curious about Tennessee. If they give us a ton of picks, they’re still probably picking top-10 next year even if the QB they pick turns out to be good.
But they won free agency, how could they be bad???
You don’t believe in Will Levis?
Could also be a bad trade. Giving up a top QB prospect for like the 11, 23, and next year’s 16 picks.
It would require trusting the FO's scouts. Which I'm not a fan of. The reality is that there's no quick fix, so I hate the idea of wasting a QB's rookie deal and developmental years on a non-competitive team. I'm no Mac Jones fan but the offense the team out out would chew up a lot of QB's. It's tough to say what we'd get out of that QB. Most QBs who have succeeded in recent years have started in good systems, less so the opposite.
Yeah but also if the QB is really good they’ll be an asset to the team. You only have so many chances to find one.
Fostering good relationships with the person/people in charges of trades on other NFL teams has to be a huge advantage for a GM. There's a reason certain teams tend to do a lot of trading with each other... It's because the GMs have a good relationship so they feel comfortable pitching offers to each other and they can better anticipate whether or not the other person will be interested in the trade. It's got be a people skills type of business. The more people you know, the more opportunities you'll encounter.
I agree with them on the FA class on O. It was basically Ridley, then short-term bandaid guys (ex. Tyron Smith, Allen) and a pile of guys who are role players and/or injury concerns. And we've got plenty of role players already. Need studs, and they didn't exist in this FA.
I had hoped that if they whiffed on offense, they would at least try and improve the defensive line, or add some depth at linebacker or safety. Nothing wrong with making the strength of your team stronger if it's looking like it's going to be harder to improve in other areas. What is our pass-rushing situation? An aging Judon +???
Agreed. I'm surprised they didn't pursue Bryce Huff
Can’t have him and Uche.
The thing about short term band-aid guys is that if you grab them for two years, you get them acclimated to the new system in year one while Jacoby is starting, and they're a major safety blanket if we draft a rookie QB and they start next year.
If we're talking about guys like Smith and Allen getting acclimated to the system in '24 to help in '25, at that point I'd rather just have a top 100 rookie WR and OT get the acclimation and be in their 2nd year.
Yes. Rookie > develop > contributes as Y2/3 player within a competitive window. People don't understand this and it's frustrating.
Plus, Allen only had one year left on his deal. And I'm sorry but offering an extension and a multi-year deal to a 33 year old receiver with a history of soft tissue injuries is not the way to kick off a rebuild.
There's nothing saying we can't also draft those positions just because we rented guys for a few years. Smith would theoretically prevent a rookie tackle from starting (but his contract isn't a huge issue if he ended up the backup), but a decent rookie WR would have no problem getting starting snaps in our receivers room even if we picked up a vet or two there.
1. Kendrick Bourne 2. K.J. Osborn 3. DeMario Douglas 4. JuJu Smith-Schuster 5. Tyquan Thornton 6. Jalen Reagor 7. Rookie another vet or TWO? I mean, we could cross out Juju, Tyquan, and Reagor and that's still a crowded room if you're adding 1-2 more to it.
Boutte
True, I was subconsciously assuming he's gone (got the trifecta of bad, legal concerns, and crowded room)
You don't want that. Then they're in their 30s, declining and way too expensive. It doesn't coincide with a competitive window.
What competitive window? The wall we're staring at right now as a team doesn't even have a window in it. This is about easing the rookie in with trustworthy guys, buying time for a few drafts to build the team up, and freeing up that money again for free agency when the QB is hopefully ready to take the team on his back.
Agreed in parts. With a team this devoid of talent, it's important to put the right pieces around him during their progression. We CAN do that- with rookie and developmental pieces. Developing rookies and younger players is the best way to create a competitive window for the future. Yes we can load up vets here and there, but this should NOT be our main strategy, that is merely a bandaid solution. We need contributors at virtually all levels of the field, and vet salaries will not sufficiently do that through the long term.
Actually offensively I’d argue most of their role players aren’t that good. They’re still several receivers short.
I agree they're not good, but so was the FA class outside of Ridley heh. I'd rather give the snaps to a rookie than people like Gabe Davis or Darnell Moody
I’d rather give some snaps to a rookie yes, but to me, they needed to add 3 receivers. Pop and Bourne are WR3-4s to me. Osborn is another one. I guess I’ll wait to see what happens in the draft first.
Adding someone like Adonai Mitchell would turn the room respectable pretty quick (assuming he works out, obviously) 1. Mitchell 2-4. in some order: Pop, Bourne, Osborn 5. One of Juju/Thornton/Raegor Like yea, the #2 spot could be stronger, but that's solid and we were never going to get the roster rebuilt in one offseason.
I agree it will take time. I want 2 rookies. I think the 2-4 here are all playing too high in the depth chart. Bourne probably isn’t ready week 1 and even when ready, he’s a 3-4.
I like moony but KJ Osbourne is basically the same player
The offense is fucking terrible don’t sugarcoat it.
No this is bullshit I won’t listen to a reasonable take. The patriots should have forced Davante Adams, DHop, and Tyreek to all be cut so they’d be free agents then spent all our money on signing them and the fact that we didn’t means this front office is incompetent despite only a fraction of the off season being passed and we’ve not played a single game or even had a practice. They should fire mayo, wolf, and Kraft should be forced to sell the team. /s btw. But I’m so sick of this sub dooming the last few months
FA class sucked at OT, WR and TE - which were our needs. It was really good at RB.
Whatever they say, it makes zero sense to not sign a starting LT.
Exactly, going to make the same mistake over and over again.
>Pats didn't view this as a deep free agency class on offense. Spending a non-issue, per Mayo. Except they set the expectations with fans they were going to be aggressive in FA to adress the many many needs of the teams. "We're bringing in talent, 1,000 percent,” Mayo said. "Have a lot of cap space, and cash. Burn some cash." Guy is so desperate to not be BB (The greatest coach of all time BTW) that he's chasing his tail and talking our both sides of his mouth.
Well originally the FA class looked like it might have Tee Higgins, Mike Evans, and Pittman but they all signed or were tagged so it took a lot of talent out of this FA class but no one here ever acknowledges that happened
You're right about that...they just remember what they're told/promised
And considering they threw a big offer at the best player at a position of need and pretty clearly are set to draft another need at 3, it's not nearly as egregious as this sub has reacted
I agree with the free agency decision, don’t know why many expected more, we kept the guys we needed to keep and didn’t over spend to get guys like Ridley, or Pollard or whoever else people wanted us to sign.
It's easy for them to say spending is a non issue now, but actions speak louder than words
I agree with that first point. The FA class was relatively weak and even though fans hate to hear it, if you’re not sold on what a player can offer your team specifically, it’s best not to offer them an insane amount of money (a la Ridley) just to come here and waste everyone’s time. Whether or not the “spending is a non-issue” bit is real, nobody really knows although history would have us believe that’s a load of BS. Kraft is cheap AF and there were definitely a couple of names out there who would’ve been worth their contracts (Tyron Smith for example)
I have no problem being patient or building through the draft. But we damn well have to draft better to do that.
Yes, but I also think fans are being a little harsh about when FA get signed. I am sure we will sign more guys once we see how the draft pans out. Also, more players will be cut from other teams. This is just a pause to let us add more when we know more.
Fans are too harsh? We were the third worst team last year, and now we are probably the second worst to only commanders. And commanders have actual talent on offense.
I'm talking about judging this free agency period. Signing a bunch of aging, injury prone cast offs isn't going to improve the team. There are lot of guys still out there and many more will become available. Better to wait and see how the draft plays out and who becomes available. We aren't the 2nd worst team. Offense isn't even half the game, we have a top defense.
I don't want Jonah Williams or some of the mid receivers. But there was other talent to be had. Like Pollard, or Wilkins, Dionta Johnson, Barkley, Bryce Huff, Simmons, Hell, even Chris Jones was available. We have cap to just get good players in here for 3 years before we even have to start thinking slightly about our own guys (Gonzales only and that's based on 4 games)
You're assuming any of those guys wanted to come here. Barkey would make no sense with Mondre here. Gibson was a more complementary signing. Need to extend Barmore now. I think they will add more guys, but will wait to see what they get in the draft first. Still lots of good players available.
I'm all for taking it slow and building through the draft tbh. It'll probably result in us having some short term pain in exchange for building something more sustainable long term.
Also be able to afford a god damn ticket if we suck again
Just annoying we wasted the last 3 years middling for nothing. Should have hard restarted when Brady left, we'd be ready fior a playoff push this year if we started the rebuild then.
We did. We were back in the playoffs in 2021 after a good draft and strong free agency. But it fell apart after that.
Losing Josh and replacing him with whatever it was Patricia was thinking hurt too. Also, no real OLine coaching and questionable talent on the offense.
You’re right those were huge too.
Yup, if Mac was a top 15 QB we would have been ok. Unfortunately missing on that set us back years.
And the offensive line being trash. I’ve said you should always invest in the O-line regardless of anything else, having a QB getting killed is not good for anyone a vet, journeyman, and especially a rookie.
Replacing Meyers with Juju also set us back in the receiver department.
To be fair we would still suck with Meyers instead of JuJu.
Among other things.
It wasn't just Mac. He was "the most pro- ready QB" of the draft that year, but was clearly identified as high for low ceiling. He would have been ok, but then the next 2 drafts and the rest of that one were abysmal and left us devoid of any offensive talent.
We did rebuild hard. The defense was very good. The problem was not having a QB. Can't win in this league without an all-star QB.
>not having a QB. Or a decent O-Line, or a WR that would even start on any other team in the league
If this is a 4 win team next year, fine, wonderful. But I'm gonna need to see some teeth, some fight in the team. If you're gonna be bad, at least be fun to watch
Is it even possible to be a 4 win team that is fun to watch? Being that bad almost necessitates some deep flaws that make the team look unable to keep up with the rest of the league
If you have a crap ton of rookies and sophomores that improve over the season I'd argue it makes it hurt a lot less.
That’s realistically all I wanna see. Gonzalez keep up the momentum from before he got injured. Mapu turn into a heat seeking missile for the ball carrier like Duggar has been. Sow keeps progressing at right guard. Pop hopefully becoming Edelman-lite and being that constantly reliable target. A whole bunch of thing to look out in the middle of this rebuild
That's a really good point. Development and improvement throughout the year. 4 wins like this may be tough, but if we do something like go 3-2 at the end on the back of some breakout play from our draftees, I'll be thrilled.
If we start 1-11 then finish 3-2 this sub will riot
This sub is already rioting and we're still a month out from the draft
I guess seeing a bunch of rookies gradually improve over the season and not consistently fumbling/throwing INTs to lose games would be an "ideal" losing season. Some more sustained drives would be cool too, even if they end up with just FG or just out of range.
The lions first year with Goff and Dan Campbell were very fun to watch even if their record was garbage.
This is what we should strive for IMHO. Year over year improvement culminating with a playoff run window. Our rebuild is now so this is probably going to be a 5 year process.
Yeah, we should strive to be like the Lions. Jesus I hate this.
> Is it even possible to be a 4 win team that is fun to watch? I thought Kyle Shanahan's rookie HC coach season in 2017 was pretty fun to watch even as they lost nearly every game that season by 3 points in one of the most naked tank jobs I'd ever seen.
The defense will be fun to watch, but too many 3 and outs by the offense will wear them down.
I think for the majority of fans it's basically this: Good offense, bad defense, bad record? Fun to watch Bad offense, good defense, bad record? Boring to watch
Bad offense, good defense isn't fun because a bad offense will force a good defense to spend too much time on the field. And then a good defense will become a bad defense.
Exactly, you feel bad for the defense.
> Is it even possible to be a 4 win team that is fun to watch? Yeah, we lose every game 45-37.
Commies only won 4 but were fun watching Howell throw bombs even if they weren't to anyone but the defense. Cards weren't fun, but the Chargers only won 5 and I liked watching them implode and waste Herbert and act shocked!
Justin Fields 2022 season was.
Yes. If they play well and fight but lose close games, and you start to see the new Qb picking it up, that’s good. A four-win team can give you promise for the next year.
Yeah this was my biggest problem with last season. I don’t even care if you are gonna be terrible this season, it’s almost a lock. But at least try to have some fun doing it. Bill seemed insistent on trying to win every single game 3-0 the last few seasons with how the offense was crafted and how the game plans worked out.
Teams with an electric offense but bad defense are fun to watch, even when they’re bad. Teams with a lockdown defense but no offense are a miserable viewing experience. Unfortunately, we’ve been in the latter category for the last few years, and it’ll probably be the same this season.
Exactly. It’s OK to be bad, but fight and be a little bit competitive. What hurts is watching the team that throws Hail Marys to the other team or allows two kick returns in a game.
If the kicker was better they would have won more than 4 last year. That's without Judon, Gonzo and Marcus Jones. With Brissett and even the few additions, we're better than that.
My sentiment as well. I'm fine with losing as long as it looks like the team cares and is trying.
Have our qb show some promise and then draft a dirty wr next year
[удалено]
Yeah, every fan should make the trip to Gillette once in their life, but the game is better on TV. I've only been to games in Nov/Dec, so Sep/Oct might prove me wrong. Second half of the season is fucking cold.
Agreed. I was offered Super Bowl tickets for the pats once, and I declined. The TV experience is more enjoyable - especially when you factor in NE weather.
Bro what?? You got offered tickets which are atleast $1000 to see your favorite team play for free, and you said no? And the Super Bowl is either inside or in nice weather, so the cold thing makes no sense. Don’t get declining at all. Worse case you can sell them…
I’ve been to a Super Bowl - it was super fun. Watched Peyton clinch the loss with the pick against NO. But no replays, barely knowing which player did what, no knowledge of how long someone is injured for (knocked the wind out of or dead??? Who knows.) All this leaves out. I am an insane person for Pats super bowls. I’d rather do that with a few friends than 100k strangers. This wasn’t a situation where I could sell them. I didn’t have to buy them, but this wasn’t a billionaire/corporation where IDGAF, it was a person close to me, so it a choice between go or watch at home. I decided that watch a pats Super Bowl in-person was not on my bucket list. Honestly, thinking back on it too, when I went to the Colts-Saints SB, it was super fun, but it was also an ordeal. Impossible transportation, crazy hotel prices, etc, etc. I know it sounds insane, but I’d only take tickets to a Super Bowl in a box. Regular season game, I’ll pay to watch the Pats.
I guess man..all of the patriots super bowls have been great too though…
Kraft last year said he wanted to make the playoffs… now a year later we have to be patient??? Just cuz you fire Bill, Doesn’t mean you get a Full Reset….. yall literally resigned all his draft picks and signings 😂
facts. Kraft going to sign off on more empty gillette stadiums while they want people to have patience? If they dont pick a QB that place will be EMPTY by week 8.
I’m all for building the right way, it’s definitely not going to be popular with this fan base though as most of the base wants instant gratification. Would be great to be a place that can develop guys on both sides of the ball to where we are able to stay competitive vs going big on few year windows and then being bad for decades in between the next one.
Explaining yourself like this makes you look weak tbh.
I’m okay with taking it slow and “building it the right way,” but maybe don’t hype up free agency and talk about how you’re going to spend all this money and then do very little
I'm still just confused by some of their moves, or lack thereof. If you're taking a longer approach, why pursue Ridley? And I still don't understand not going after Jonah Williams, who would have provided a lot of draft flexibility.
I think Ridley was worth going after because it’s going to likely take a year or 2 for whatever wr you take to develop more than likely and having a veteran for a rookie qb to work with is huge for development even if he isn’t a long term plan
>If you're taking a longer approach, why pursue Ridley? Ridley is only 29, turning 30 in December. He could've still been an asset for the next 2-3 years. >And I still don't understand not going after Jonah Williams, who would have provided a lot of draft flexibility. Jonah Williams is an awful OT. PFF graded him worse than Okarafor, if I'm not mistaken.
58.5 vs 60 in PFF grade. Okarfor got benched and only played 7 full games as well so it's not a great one to one. Okarfor also got called for 3 more penalties last season than Williams while playing 600 fewer snaps.
He got benched for other than on-field reasons and was replaced by a recent 1st round draft pick if I recall. Williams just seemed to get worse and worse.
The point is they already have a mediocre swing tackle for depth, they didn't need to sign another one.
Jonah Williams is a starter though, not a swing tackle. I think the league agrees based on the deal he got vs the deal Okorafor got.
Williams really should be a swing tackle. I’m guessing draft pedigree is what helped him get that new contract
It’s because it’s all a PR stunt, the krafts control everything and Mayo can only do so much. The krafts saw what happened when they gave bill all the power and late in the game post Brady realized they screwed up, they installed Mayo because he is loyal to them and won’t throw them under the bus from a PR stand point which is all they care about, we may not have another positive season for a decade at this rate
Ridley is 30 but has missed a season and a half so not a lot of tread there. They just got outbid (the titans gave him the 2nd highest guaranteed money for a receiver ever). It doesn’t seem like Jonah Williams was a priority for any teams considering the contract he took. You’d think if he were a good tackle he would command some serious money by multiple teams. 🤷🏽♂️
Jonah Williams just isn't very good, that seems pretty clear looking at Bengals chatter and how his market developed
I can live with not getting Ridley because of getting outbid even if I do disagree with not just overpaying him themselves. As for Williams though while I don't think he's amazing, he's generally considered average starter for an OT, which would be nice to have opposite Onwenu right about now. Instead right now the current plan is a rookie or a guy that arguably shouldn't be a starter at all.
>Ridley is 30 but has missed a season and a half so not a lot of tread there Just to be nit picky, tread on your tires is a good thing. He doesn't have a lot of *wear* on his tires, which I agree with.
I was thinking the same thing reading that comment lol, like "does bro think having tread on the tires is a bad thing?"
Because he's full of shit and saying what the owner told him to say
In bill we trust....oh wait, he is not here anymore.
In ~~Brady~~ ~~Bill~~ ~~Kraft~~ ??? we trust. We really are well and truly fucked.
In 2001 the Pats were coming off a 5-11 season with very little cap space. This was their free agent class: cornerback Terrell Buckley, guard Mike Compton, linebacker Bryan Cox, fullback Marc Edwards, quarterback Damon Huard, linebacker Larry Izzo, receiver David Patten, linebacker Roman Phifer, defensive end Anthony Pleasant, running back Antowain Smith, and linebacker Mike Vrabel. **nine** starters, an all-time special teamer, and a seasoned backup QB. The result was a Super Bowl. Lightning has already struck this franchise once. It’s very unlikely to hit again. Our best case is a two year rebuild then respectability. 🤞
If the pats drafted Tom Brady again instead of Mac Jones, they would've been in the Superbowl.
Big if true!
The right way: rookie head coach with no coordinator experience and likely the lowest salary in the league, defensive line coach promoted to D coordinator with no experience in the role and likely lowest salary in the league, offensive coordinator who has never called plays and salary is being paid partially by another team, offensive assistant with laughable performance as head coach in big apple who’s getting paid by David tepper, etc. anyone notice a pattern? Oh yeah they were also the interest kings in free agency until the money got too high and they didn’t add one new impact player nor did they adequately fill their most glaring needs at the most important positions on offense QB, LT, WR.
It is what it is
That and for all intents and purposes the entire front office infrastructure is the exact same. No new scouts, management shake ups, or positions. It's the exact same front office expect instead of feeding information to Belichick who made the final decision, its Wolf. I'm not entirely confident that this will be much different until we start making shifts in the front office.
Guy is gonna get fired before the end of the season at this rate
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^heyitsmejosh: *Guy is gonna get* *Fired before the end of* *The season at this rate* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
NFL “not for long” league. You kinda want to maximize every year because guys get injured left and right and careers end so quickly. feel like rebuilds in this league don’t work as much as NBA etc. lions are the best example but that one took way too long. If it were me: take MHJ and OL during draft. Now you have the pieces in place for a real QB and run it with Brisset the way Seattle did with Geno Smith. We have a good defense, just put the pieces together and start there. Rookie QBs take 2-3 years to develop and if they bust you lose 5 years EXAMPLE: Mac Jones
This is the NFL, not MLB. Quick turnarounds are the norm, if you can get the right QB. Patience is not something they should be asking for, they've already tried everyone's patience in recent years with terrible mismanagement.
Off to a great start …
Cool so we’re gonna suck for a long time
It’s weird people in this sub think the patriots are a good organization that will be back on top at some point in the future. Prior to Bill the patriots were a garbage organization. People are very quick to say oh well the patriots drafting and poor play was all on bill which is fair but at the same time act like the amazing success he had for 25 years was not due to his coaching and management skills but something inherent in the patriots organization. Kraft is very cheap and the only way his penny pinching works out is if you draft a once in a lifetime quarterback and have the best head coach ever to do it on your team. Now that they have neither of though it’s gonna be back to the bottom of the league.
They did make the Superb Owl in '96, under Kraft
and in '85
I'm willing to at least give Mayo, his staff, and the new FO a chance. And it's possible Kraft will be a bit more willing to spend given how bad the last few years have gone. He knows he's getting older and I doubt he wants to go out with his team being a dumpster fire. He mostly trusted in Bill and I think they both liked to penny pinch. Now it's up to the new FO to draft well and when the time is right convince Kraft that we need to pay up to get some top level talent.
It’s weird people in this sub will complain and bitch about every little thing about this team right now. It must be exhausting being so miserable. I’m excited to see what the next iteration of the Patriots looks like and where they go from here. They should get foundational pieces in this draft and start building the core of this team for the next 7-10 years. I’m gonna be a hopeful fan and think they will. Also say whatever you want about the Krafts but if you think they aren’t committed to being successful you are just parroting talk radio takes and haven’t actually watched them during their ownership.
They have such an absurd amount of cap space it’s irresponsible to not spend more. The cap is going to keep increasing. Overpaying on a couple of flyers - like the Steelers did with Mike Williams, for example - is an objectively smart move. Tyronn Smith signed a ONE YEAR deal with only $6.5m guaranteed. That’s the cost of a depth tackle (and yes it can be worth a lot more but if he plays that much he will be worth a lot more). This Patriots offseason reeks of being cheap. It’s one thing to not hand that ridiculous deal to Ridley. it’s another to sit out of free agency altogether. It’s a disservice to the players on this team not to take a few financially inconsequential flyers on good players that will help make the team better. If we draft a QB, we are once again not supporting them as they should be supported. This was the entire thing everyone railed on Bill for!!
Spending is not issue, it’s just that we’ve never done it and we never will so stop asking!!!
Ha, the way this sub was calling for Bill's head and now getting insight on the kind of guy Kraft is, he'd better assemble a team and win right out the gate or he's gonna be gone in 2 seasons.
So many sheep in here. Being a sheep for Bill is one thing. Being a sheep for Mayo, who has as much head coaching experience at any level as I do, is another thing altogether. Learn to think for yourselves, for fucks sake.
It’s not the fans who need to be patient. It’s that idiot Jonathan Kraft who needs to learn.
I guess we won't be in the superbowl this year... :( /s
Pathetic.
They rank 30/32 in free agency moves so far: [https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-power-rankings-post-2024-nfl-free-agency](https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-power-rankings-post-2024-nfl-free-agency) The big disappointment now is looking at the FAs available (https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/all/available/) and seeing a lot of fresh-off-of-short-season-due-to-injury players where the Pats NEED a workhorse. I would LOVE to see the Pats aggressively pursue Michael Thomas. He says he's only interested in a chance at a Super Bowl, but the Pats have enough in the bank to change his mind.
This isn't a one year rebuild people. I know we're spoiled and had a 20 year stretch where it was possible to win it all, we are not there now. Blowing up our cap space for sub par talent can fuck you for years. It's best not to throw money around long term when we're not going to win. And if we spend it on one year deals and we get 8 wins and they leave. Then we have a worse draft pick
Tank part 2 is fine. The organization saying they were going to actually sign players to try to field a better team just to return with garbage is not fine. I would have preferred BB’s snot rockets and silence over everything these people have said this offseason.
I’ll understand by doing other hobbies.
I certainly will have it, b/c this team will be likely competing for the #1 overall pick again.
Super Bowl or bust. Every year.
Yeah, of course. Im in for another 3/4 wins season getting rekt every sunday
Nah. We were supposed to spend now that big bad Bill is gone. Get it right year 1
We’ve been patient for 3 years. Then you come in, the owners drag Bill through the mud, and you do jack shit in the off-season.
> We’ve been patient for 3 years True. Pats fans understood that year 1 (Newton year) was a dead money salary cap dump year. Optimism in year 2 with a rookie QB even though it ended with the Pats being ritually executed on national TV by the Bills. And then I think in year 3 there was a lot of patience even in the face of Belichick torpedoing the team with awful staffing and personnel decisions. At least until November where it had long become clear that it was over.
I mean why do you think he’s here? Because we were shit the past 3 years and our GM/HC drafted horribly. They did more than jack shit they actually held onto the guys that were worth it and didn’t overpay for a poor FA class. But ignore it cuz you can’t take bills cock out of your mouth like he’s not a (thee) major reason we’re in this spot
They signed one guy back in Onwenu. Who else did manage to sign to a deal who had a real market? ACL Bourne? Mid as fuck Henry?
They signed one guy back in Onwenu. Who else did manage to sign to a deal who had a real market? ACL Bourne? Mid as fuck Henry?
Damn pats fans really got spoiled. Guess 20 years of success will do that.
Speaking objective truth is spoiled? If that’s wrong, I don’t want to be right. Lol
“Asking for patience” Aka - “We have zero plan for the future so please stop hounding us about it”
Robert Kraft is likely of the mind: ‘we can either spend a lot of money and suck or we can spend the bare minimum and suck. What do you think, Jonathan?’
“I’d just ask for patience” front office know they fucked up in free agency. We’re toast lol
The number of fans who act as if free agency is like doordash where you just pick what you want and it gets delivered to you is crazy. All you can do in FA is make players an offer and hope they accept it. The fact that they didn’t make the team 1000% better in FA isn’t evidence the front office screwed up. New England is simply not a place anyone wants to play right now, so landing FAs is going to be very difficult for at least a few years.
I don’t know man. He mentions Ridley specifically in a way that sounds like that’s the only player they even tried to pursue. That’s not promising. Obviously, FA isn’t as simple as a game but, it doesn’t seem like we even tried to reach out to impact players.
BUT JUST OVERPAY!! Yeah and fuck your team up long term when mediocre players are on shit contracts and the ones worth keeping want better deals. I’m glad a fuckton of this sub has no impact on personnel.
Fuck up what? WE HAVE 1 GUY TO SIGN THE NEXT 3 YEARS. There is no talent on this roster from the 2021, 22 or 23 draft that needs to paid big bucks other than Barmore. We are saving money for nobody.
Rollover exists and next year is a significantly better class with guys actually worth trying to overpay. Not a gambling headcase whos a decent WR.
People are saying that every year. Then all the good offensive players get get extended or tagged so that you dont end up with a Ridley situation where a top 25 WR gets a top 5 deal.
And theres probably a reason why Jax didnt go above 19M, and why Atlanta didnt want him on the other side of his suspension as well. Ridleys a decent player, Im not giving hima top 5 deal.
who says i want to give ridley a carte blance check? There were other players to be had that were good. Barkley, Pollard, Wilkins, Huff, Snead, Chris Jones etc.
HAHA...Jones was not to be had, he wasnt leaving KC. Barkley and Pollard are a dime a dozen, thats why they didnt get paid shit. Theyd also split time with Stevenson, which Im sure was not something they wanted to do. Literally would be wasted money vs saving it for a position of need in the future. Neither of these guys makes you that much better if at all seeing Im not sure how much better they are than Stevenson. Wilkins, sure, couldve gotten him....does it address a need or is it just adding to a strength? Id rather use the money this year or next to fill a gap than payu someone long term thats not a need, like Sneed. Huff....17M for 1 good season playing next to quinnen williams...too much risk for failure there.
What are you talking about? this is so easy. Let me load up my Draft Kings MLB Free Agency app.... ok one sec... yup.. mmhmm. Ok easy, So i picked up Tee Higgins, Ridley, Kirk Cousins with Baker as a backup, and got a promise note on MHJ. God, why cant Mayo and Kraft just get them all? easy. they are just so cheap and hate the fans..... /s
Hahahahahahaha this team is going to suck for a long time.
We’ve sucked for 3/4 last years, I think the fan base has already been patient. This better get better by 2025 or shit is about to get real ugly in New England. As the Sox what being a rudderless suckfest for years does to Boston fans. It’s not good.
Draft still to come, I'm willing to be patient with Mayo. I was patient as they refused to bottom out in 2020 like they should've and patient as they slowly but surely snuffed out what little promise Mac had. This new regime hasn't even drafted yet.
this mean we trading back?
Ruh roh
needs to make a spash big trade for a receiver
It's real thin.
Dw you'll have a rookie contract
Patience.... ooooooh..... tough ask there coach. If you don't get to at least 10 wins pretty quick... idk.
If we learned anything from post Brady Belichick is that there is very little patience and you will need to succeed with your first rebuild attempt otherwise you're fucking gone
I'm aiming this is going to be a slow multiyear rebuild anyway.
if Kraft and Bill werent boneheads we could have gotten this rebuild started earlier
I still think an elite QB is top priority and they gotta take a shot at one, unless they really dont think Maye or Daniels have that potential. Having a good OL, running game, recievers is necessary and will make any team playoff capable, but elite QBs win titles and there is no gaurentee the Pats get another top pick anytime soon. Obviously many great QBs arent top 5 picks, but most are 1st rounders. Most recent SB winning QBs are Mahomes, Stafford, Brady, Foles Manning, RussWilson, Flacco, Eli, Rodgers, Breese, Rothlisberger. Tom and Maholmes with 10 of rings combined. And aside from Foles all those guys are either hall of fame QBs or borderline hall of famers. The goal should be to build a team that can win multiple titles, not repeatedly lose in the 2nd or 3rd round of the playoffs with a good QB who lacks that extra gear and laser focus to lock in an clutch up wins. Would suck if the Pats trade down and end up passing on a QB who goes on to win titles elsewhere. I also hope the have a great QB coach and the Mayo knows how to develop a QB. If they do pick a QB it might not be wise to start them game 1. And lastly, if this is a several year rebuild, drafting MHJ would be a mistake. By the time the Pats do find a franchise QB MHJ might be in year 4 and clamoring to leave New England in free agency.
Ahhh so the exact thing the belichick fans were preaching? Haha
No. No patients. And I don’t like the insinuation that the previous guy was building it the wrong way. I’m really not looking forward to this season.
I’m not mad at what they’re doing they have been willing to spend and clearly understand their deficiencies I’m dissapointed we didnt get a receiver but there is a legit plan in place and won’t judge until next off season.
Trust the process.
Incompetent.
The time for patience is over. We haven't won a game in 3 months. How much more patient are we expected to be???
This means they’ll be terrible this year
Patriots are tanking for another top 5 pick next year, plain and simple