Great job on FA day three! Pleased with the front office?

[zimmy]

lol no he doesn’t.

We have the experience after 2021 to see that throwing money to bad players just for the sake of throwing money because you can, isn’t working.

I think what the Patriots are doing is the right approach. Don’t over extend yourself on bad player because you can. They targeted Ridley gave him a fair offer and I am fine with them letting the Titans gave him an absurd contract that they will regret in a year or two. I am fine not going after Williams. The guy is a turnstyle at LT. He is a RT and that’s where the Cards will play him.

We resigned all of our good players and got some depth pieces. Now go to the draft, take a QB at 3, an OT at 34 (if no Smith) or a WR (if smith) and a WR at 68 and reassess after 2024. With the cap space that you still have in 2025 FA because you didn’t spend it on C- players, the team will be able to target specific and hopefully players because you’ll have a year to see how your draft pick have developed.

It makes no sense for me to harmstring yourself with bad contract on bad players just for the sake of spending. I think it’s more important to give you the flexibility in the coming years to react based on the development of your rookies and more importantly your rookie QB

I appreciate the half glass full approach, but a counter point would be:

1. People over-estimate how bad the 2021 free agency was. The hit rate was fine - probably above average actually. Judon has been a stud with a value contract. Henry has been good. Godshaux has been good and got a new contract. Bourne was a good value WR signing and got a new contract. Mills was solid. Jonny and Agholor were the bad signings - and neither prevented us from doing anything cap wise if we wanted to. Agholor only signed a 2 year $22m deal and people make out like he signed on for $100m.

2. No one thinks Calvin Ridley is a bad player. There was an opportunity to improve our team with a guy who a number of teams obviously wanted. Instead, we cheaped out, and in the process, also failed take advantage of the trade market as we were desperately hanging on for Ridley. Jeudy and Diontae Johnson have both moved for cheap compensation on reasonable deals.

3. The chances of hitting on a QB at 3, an OT at 34, and a WR at 68 are really quite low - especially if we are now expecting them to come in and start from day 1. Having a Jonah Williams or Calvin Ridley to pick up the slack would have really helped their development. The real risk is that we actively harm a rookie QB due to the poor set up around him.

4. Next year's free agency is unlikely to be any better. Due to the significant cap increases, great players don't reach the market, only good ones. We'll only be looking at the Calvin Ridley equivalent next year. And we'll also likely have another poor year, with a coaching staff and front office under even more pressure to win, likely leading to worse contracts being handed out anyway.

 

[raduray]

Yes, I would prefer the guy who coached us to 6 Super Bowls and drafted the greatest QB of all time to get another shot with a new young QB. He got one shot with Mac Jones, which was a massive whiff, and Thunder kicked him right out the door.

Letting Brady walk was also a massive whiff. How many does he get?

 

[maust]

Wrong. I post more "I Disagrees" than anyone.

Only because that meanie @Ian did away with the 'X' so beloved by my man @QuantumMechanic
If that 'X' was still at QM's disposal you sir would be a distant 2nd

 

[maust]

I appreciate the half glass full approach...

Whether it is half full or half empty I'd like to think the one thing we can all agree on is it's time for another round

 

[Fuzz]

I think the argument that the inability to draw star talent is because of mediocrity is overstated. The vast majority of the players will go where the money is. Most elite free agents who sign elsewhere go to mediocre teams.

 

[archstanton543]

I think the argument that the inability to draw star talent is because of mediocrity is overstated. The vast majority of the players will go where the money is. Most elite free agents who sign elsewhere go to mediocre teams.

Most elite players play for mediocre teams because the teams were bad before they drafted the elite player.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I think the argument that the inability to draw star talent is because of mediocrity is overstated. The vast majority of the players will go where the money is. Most elite free agents who sign elsewhere go to mediocre teams.

The Titans are a mediocre team. They just beat us for Ridley.

Either you draft star talent or you overpay in cash or trade. It's really that simple.

 

[Fuzz]

Most elite players play for mediocre teams because the teams were bad before they drafted the elite player.

I agree, but its also the case when looking at free agent signings specifically.

 

[PatsFan2]

The Titans are a mediocre team. They just beat us for Ridley.

Either you draft star talent or you overpay in cash or trade. It's really that simple.

Oh really have you seen the upside of their Roster?? A QB Young -Three Really Good WR's plus a up and coming RB T Spears is a two way player @ RB. Yeah knowing what I know I would have chosen them over us like Ridley.

 

[archstanton543]

The Titans are a mediocre team. They just beat us for Ridley.

Either you draft star talent or you overpay in cash or trade. It's really that simple.

Or you are a contender and guys will come to you to win a ring.

 

[Vindicate]

Welcome to the bottom tier of the NFL. I remember being frustrated as a young fan (back in the 90's) when the Pats had trouble attracting talent. It is what it is. Get better and the talent will come. They're not even close to that now.

I said it the other day - I forget who it was, Groh or Wolf, but they said something to the effect of "players don't think about that as much as fans do" in regards to where a player would enjoy being, suggesting it was really just money.

It was the biggest deflection of that press conference, imo. Two things:

- if it is just "money", then it makes sense why players don't wanna come here - of you're in a bad team, it's harder maximize the next contract. Will this signing set you up for the most control over your destiny in the long term?

- you're telling me FA's are just happy to be miserable if the money is right? I don't think that's true in the slightest.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I said it the other day - I forget who it was, Groh or Wolf, but they said something to the effect of "players don't think about that as much as fans do" in regards to where a player would enjoy being, suggesting it was really just money.

It was the biggest deflection of that press conference, imo. Two things:

- if it is just "money", then it makes sense why players don't wanna come here - of you're in a bad team, it's harder maximize the next contract. Will this signing set you up for the most control over your destiny in the long term?

- you're telling me FA's are just happy to be miserable if the money is right? I don't think that's true in the slightest.

The Jags are a contending team that's getting better. The Titans just fired their coach. Ridley chose the money.

If the money is close (or as @archstanton543 said, if you're going to a legit contender... Chiefs, Ravens, 49ers, Eagles), I think that plays into it. But Ridley now doesn't need to worry about being miserable in Tennessee or what his next payday is. Because a lot of money is a LOT of money.

 

[Big Bucks]

Who said Bill "nearly gave" Cooks anything close to what he got with the Rams? I think the only time Bill ever had a receiver paid in the top 5 was Moss and he was at #4 in terms of APY. Bill doesn't seem to value the position.

I have no issue with the contract reportedly offered to Ridley. You want one of these guys in free agency that's what it takes.

I wasn't comparing Parker to Ridley in anyway whatsoever. Just saying if Bill was still the coach we would also have that bum on the roster. If he paid Parker that much to be a blocker then it is an even worse signing then anyone ever could have imagined.

In paying a first rounder for a player in his last year.. common sense is who said.

 

[Fuzz]

Or you are a contender and guys will come to you to win a ring.

How many elite free agents signed with the patriots during the entire 20 year dynasty run? 2?

 

[203Pat]

In paying a first rounder for a player in his last year.. common sense is who said.

Huh? He "paid" a first round pick in a trade for a guy on a rookie contract. When it came time to actually pay, as in a contract, he traded him for a first round pick because Bill likely wasn't going to pay him $50 million guaranteed. Bill didn't invest money into receivers.

 

[denverpatsfan]

I'm all in. It will be awesome to follow the draft for the first time in decades.

 

[TheRainMaker]

How many elite free agents signed with the patriots during the entire 20 year dynasty run? 2?

Revis, Colvin, Adalius Thomas and Gilmore were the big ticket Free Agents. How many were elite is another story. Colvin and Thomas were considered borderline elite at the time while Revis' stock wasn't very high and Gilmore signing was controversial because he struggled in Buffalo. Stallworth was a big singing with the Pats having an out after year 1. Brian Waters was an elite G and had a Pro Bowl season with the Pats in 2011.

This is how I ideally like FA or trade where you draft well and use trade/FA as the final piece. SF is the current example.

 

[Triumph]

Letting Brady walk was also a massive whiff. How many does he get?

Brady was a pain in the axx.

The players were confused about who to listen to regarding conditioning.

BB and his staff or Brady and the TB12 plan.

 

[50-yard-line]

1. Mayo will have to change the locker room culture for a start - unhappy players make that known far and wide and their peers listen.
2. Kraft needs to improve the behind-the-scenes facilities pronto.
3. The team needs to show some cohesion and competitiveness

The best thing in this underwhelming FA period was that the Pats have kept almost everyone I hoped they would keep. That alone is a change in how we did it before. Now extend Barmore and Peppers before next year's round.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

So ridiculous. BB made Mac cry wildly when he had a high ankle sprain? Mankins played without an ACL and no-one knew.

Pain is a very weird thing. There are severe injuries that don't cause a lot of pain and minor things that hurt like the devil.