Curran is the Mouthpiece

[fresnostatealum]

I’ve been obsessed with draft content and will basically listen to any and everything that relates to the 3rd pick.



In doing so, I’ve had to hear Curran’s take about having to trade back ad nauseam and listen to all his reasons. He’s the type of guy who really tries to hammer the same talking points and buzzwords over and over again.



Listening to Mayo today made me confirm that we all pretty much assumed gives their past relationship working together - Curran is absolutely the mouthpiece for this new regime. He’s being used to sell whatever these new guys are selling. And is still used to bury Belichick any chance he gets. Mayo basically repeated a bunch of the stuff Curran has been spewing for months, sometimes almost word for word.



With that being said, I’m officially preparing for the trade down. I’m team Take a QB so this would be super disappointing but at least I have a month to prepare myself for the letdown.

 

[upstater1]

I’ve been obsessed with draft content and will basically listen to any and everything that relates to the 3rd pick.



In doing so, I’ve had to hear Curran’s take about having to trade back ad nauseam and listen to all his reasons. He’s the type of guy who really tries to hammer the same talking points and buzzwords over and over again.



Listening to Mayo today made me confirm that we all pretty much assumed gives their past relationship working together - Curran is absolutely the mouthpiece for this new regime. He’s being used to sell whatever these new guys are selling. And is still used to bury Belichick any chance he gets. Mayo basically repeated a bunch of the stuff Curran has been spewing for months, sometimes almost word for word.



With that being said, I’m officially preparing for the trade down. I’m team Take a QB so this would be super disappointing but at least I have a month to prepare myself for the letdown.

I listened to Zolak today and he and the guys around him seem clueless about driving up interest in the pick.

The way to drive up interest is to not say much. Saying you're open to trades and trading down is NOT a way to drive up interest.

You have to put the desperation on the trading partner's side. You can't signal you're interested in trading down. You have to be overwhelmed by an offer.

 

[Ross12]

I listened to Zolak today and he and the guys around him seem clueless about driving up interest in the pick.

The way to drive up interest is to not say much. Saying you're open to trades and trading down is NOT a way to drive up interest.

You have to put the desperation on the trading partner's side. You can't signal you're interested in trading down. You have to be overwhelmed by an offer.

Mayo made a comment towards the end that referenced Washington and trading, it was hard to fully understand what he was trying to say, but I wonder if they have been so locked on "we're taking a QB" that trade partners have been calling Washington instead.

"When you see these other teams making moves, acquiring pieces to move, we can sit here and say Washington today, but that could be someone else come draft day."

 

[fresnostatealum]

I listened to Zolak today and he and the guys around him seem clueless about driving up interest in the pick.

The way to drive up interest is to not say much. Saying you're open to trades and trading down is NOT a way to drive up interest.

You have to put the desperation on the trading partner's side. You can't signal you're interested in trading down. You have to be overwhelmed by an offer.

Yes, Washington is playing it the right way. Quinn’s comments were short and sweet. “We need a QB and we like the QBs, but of course we’ll listen to any offers.” That’s all you have to say.

Instead Mayo is talking in circles about how he likes five QBs, how acquiring picks is the “guaranteed way to win” (since when??).

I get this new regime is obsessed with being the Anti-Belichick, and it seems very important that they are liked by the media, but you don’t have to blab on and on.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

I’m beginning to believe that Pats best trade back might be with a team that fell in love with Harrison Jr.

He might be the shiny object that a team is willing to mortgage it’s future for more than the 3rd QB.

 

[DarrylS]

As a point of reference look to the '21 Draft for QB's
Zach Lawrence #1
Zach Wilson #2
Trey Lance #3
Justin Fields #11
McCorkle #15

In '22 the first QB picked was Kenny Pickett at #20
Brock Purdy was pick # 262

in '23 too early to tell, but there is a bit of skepticism
Bryce Young #1 (??)
CJ Stroud #2
Anthony Richardson #4
Will Levis #33

Highly skeptical about any QB drafted, unless the Pats see a QB they really in love with.. if they don't I am firmly in the trade back camp. To many holes to fill for a QB they are not completely comfortable with, can't waste a draft pick on what sports media or the fans want.

 

[borg]

Yes, Washington is playing it the right way. Quinn’s comments were short and sweet. “We need a QB and we like the QBs, but of course we’ll listen to any offers.” That’s all you have to say.

Instead Mayo is talking in circles about how he likes five QBs, how acquiring picks is the “guaranteed way to win” (since when??).

I get this new regime is obsessed with being the Anti-Belichick, and it seems very important that they are liked by the media, but you don’t have to blab on and on.

Feels like amateur hour at the Razor

 

[Sicilian]

I think it's important to not bend ourselves into knots trying to interpret what Mayo is saying. He says more than Belichick did, but that doesn't mean it's all entirely accurate, OR that it's carefully crafted to send a particular message. Mayo is a talker. He's a personable guy who likely spends a lot of his time gabbing. For that reason, when he answers a question, he's probably speaking very much stream-of-consciousness style.

This is the problem with a 24 hour, 365 day sports news cycle, where you have 150 journalists whose ONLY job is covering this one team in this one sport... you end up with guys having to answer questions about what they're going to do four weeks before they have to do it, when they don't have all the information. So you get one of two response: The guy who says nothing, like Bill did, who everyone hates because he gives them nothing. Or the guy who speaks off the cuff, who everyone hates because they seem to be contradicting themselves or sending mixed messages.

I think we all need to chill a bit and not read the tea leaves of the draft a month before it happens.

 

[EMpats]

I’ve been obsessed with draft content and will basically listen to any and everything that relates to the 3rd pick.



In doing so, I’ve had to hear Curran’s take about having to trade back ad nauseam and listen to all his reasons. He’s the type of guy who really tries to hammer the same talking points and buzzwords over and over again.



Listening to Mayo today made me confirm that we all pretty much assumed gives their past relationship working together - Curran is absolutely the mouthpiece for this new regime. He’s being used to sell whatever these new guys are selling. And is still used to bury Belichick any chance he gets. Mayo basically repeated a bunch of the stuff Curran has been spewing for months, sometimes almost word for word.



With that being said, I’m officially preparing for the trade down. I’m team Take a QB so this would be super disappointing but at least I have a month to prepare myself for the letdown.

I get what you’re saying about the Curran and mayo relationship and you may be right, however Currans partner at NBC Phil Perry it’s also extremely close to Mayo and has been pounding the quarterback at three table for months. It’s possible Mayo is having them present both sides of the coin as his mouthpiece, but it seems more likely that they are just as much in the dark as the rest of us.

 

[upstater1]

Mayo made a comment towards the end that referenced Washington and trading, it was hard to fully understand what he was trying to say, but I wonder if they have been so locked on "we're taking a QB" that trade partners have been calling Washington instead.

"When you see these other teams making moves, acquiring pieces to move, we can sit here and say Washington today, but that could be someone else come draft day."

Washington has the better pick so I would definitely trade up with them first anyway.

But Washington has also clearly signaled they are going after a QB.

 

[AQPE]

Neither Curran nor just about any of the Boston sports media demonstrate any particular depth regarding this or any other draft. Even this season when it was obvious where the Pats were headed, you never saw or heard any of them talking about prospects during the college season. I doubt they were paying attention in the slightest. All of a sudden they are experts? NFW.

They are all parroting their sources or what they get online, with no critical thinking needed. Mr. Hair System just has the obvious in with Mayo. Do you think he could, for example, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of say Fashanu versus Fuaga versus Fautanu as OT prospects without that fivehead of his turning beet red?

 

[The Gr8est]

Even uc

Mayo made a comment towards the end that referenced Washington and trading, it was hard to fully understand what he was trying to say, but I wonder if they have been so locked on "we're taking a QB" that trade partners have been calling Washington instead.

"When you see these other teams making moves, acquiring pieces to move, we can sit here and say Washington today, but that could be someone else come draft day."

If Washington trades, it doesn’t mean the Pats can’t or shouldn’t trade down, if anything it removes an option for a team wanting a QB and increases their motivation to trade.

What Washington receives would set a ceiling for what the Pats could get, if they even decide to trade.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Mayo was his source last season when all the dirty laundry was aired. It's as clear as day.

 

[Jim Beankie]

I think it's important to not bend ourselves into knots trying to interpret what Mayo is saying. He says more than Belichick did, but that doesn't mean it's all entirely accurate, OR that it's carefully crafted to send a particular message. Mayo is a talker. He's a personable guy who likely spends a lot of his time gabbing. For that reason, when he answers a question, he's probably speaking very much stream-of-consciousness style.

This is the problem with a 24 hour, 365 day sports news cycle, where you have 150 journalists whose ONLY job is covering this one team in this one sport... you end up with guys having to answer questions about what they're going to do four weeks before they have to do it, when they don't have all the information. So you get one of two response: The guy who says nothing, like Bill did, who everyone hates because he gives them nothing. Or the guy who speaks off the cuff, who everyone hates because they seem to be contradicting themselves or sending mixed messages.

I think we all need to chill a bit and not read the tea leaves of the draft a month before it happens.

That being said, Wolf did the Patriots no favors by saying FA's will go where they'll get the most cash. Transparency's great and all, but there's a reason why people still quote Sun Tzu 2,500 years later.

 

[Brotherblues]

I think it's important to not bend ourselves into knots trying to interpret what Mayo is saying. He says more than Belichick did, but that doesn't mean it's all entirely accurate, OR that it's carefully crafted to send a particular message. Mayo is a talker. He's a personable guy who likely spends a lot of his time gabbing. For that reason, when he answers a question, he's probably speaking very much stream-of-consciousness style.

This is the problem with a 24 hour, 365 day sports news cycle, where you have 150 journalists whose ONLY job is covering this one team in this one sport... you end up with guys having to answer questions about what they're going to do four weeks before they have to do it, when they don't have all the information. So you get one of two response: The guy who says nothing, like Bill did, who everyone hates because he gives them nothing. Or the guy who speaks off the cuff, who everyone hates because they seem to be contradicting themselves or sending mixed messages.

I think we all need to chill a bit and not read the tea leaves of the draft a month before it happens.

I love your posts and regard you as one of the more level headed people on this forum, but what you're saying here amounts to:

- We can't take anything Mayo says seriously because it's just stream of consciousness.
- If he contradicts himself, sends mixed messages, or puts his foot in his mouth, it's the media and fan's fault.

 

[Sicilian]

I love your posts and regard you as one of the more well grounded people on this forum, but what you're saying here amounts to:

- We can't take anything Mayo says seriously because it's just stream of consciousness.
- If he contradicts himself, sends mixed messages, or puts his foot in his mouth, it's the media and fan's fault.

Not really what I was trying to say, but reading back I can see why it would come across that way, so I'll try to clarify. My point about the 24/365 news cycle was just that it forces people to have to answer questions multiple times at different stages of all different developments. And so the messages can appear mixed, because it's off the cuff remarks being made with different information at hand.

I didn't mean to fault anyone, just trying to advise against the sort of "gotcha" mentality that some people (not saying you) seem to have, where they're looking for contradiction where it may not really exist, at least in a way that indicates maliciousness or incompetence. More that I think Mayo is still learning the public facing part of the job, and is going to occasionally speak a little too soon while he gets the hang of that side of the business.

 

[mgteich]

I get all the questioning.

I still think that good coaching could have developed Jones, Fields and Wilson into solid starting quarterbacks.

I think that this happens often. A weak team or a team with poor coaching of QB's gets to pick in the top 15 and chooses a QB. A top rookie QB does NOT make the team better, even in 2-3 years, UNLESS they have good coaching or UNLESS they are one of true superstars as Stroud probably is.

 

[State]

Highly skeptical about any QB drafted, unless the Pats see a QB they really in love with.

I’m in complete agreement. But my sense is that they have identified JJ McCarthy as their WB of choice. At 3 Drake Maye I guess doesn’t move the needle enough. But JJM at 3 sounds a bit of a reach.

 

[Steve102]

Curran's job (Perry's too) is to garner clicks.

What else are they (Curran and Perry) going to do for the next month? Break down third round OTs? *yawn*. Your average fan won't give a chit. Talk about not picking at #3, people listen.

 

[TommyD4207]

I’m in complete agreement. But my sense is that they have identified JJ McCarthy as their WB of choice. At 3 Drake Maye I guess doesn’t move the needle enough. But JJM at 3 sounds a bit of a reach.

He was a Day 2/Day 3 pick until the hype machine behind him fired up.