News Article: Patriots Appear to Be Making Tough Decisions on Two Starting WRs - by Ian Logue

[Thelonious]

For a team with such a horrid GM, they sure have a lot of talent to trade. The GM screwed up the QB position, and sometimes that can be enough. Or maybe the headcoach screwed up last season when he had a QB playing great, who was 2-0 as a starter and instead of sticking with the hot hand he went back to his turnover mistake prone QB instead.

We were told Jonnu and Agholor were a problem as well, now those two players are thriving with their new teams.

We have a basketball team with no point guard, we need to find a competent point guard.

1) They do not "have a lot of talent to trade." They have a few players of very modest value - 4th/5th round - and these are their better players, arguably worth keeping. Beyond that, over the past few years, they have had stunningly few higher draft players able to make any sort of splash even on this dismal roster. See Return on top Patriots trade options could be underwhelming, GMs say

2) They are "thriving"? Agholor has 17 receptions. I will certainly concede, but offer as supportive of my view, that these two players are indeed doing better under competent coaching and team management for a change than they did here.

3) Mac may or may not be the solution going forward - I suspect frankly that will not be - but ignoring the very serious problems with the roster and the persons responsible for it is delusory and irresponsible.

 

[raduray]

Not a tough decision. JuJu and DeVante have done squat. Don't let sunk costs or ego drive decisions.

 

[mgteich]

Not a tough decision. JuJu and DeVante have done squat. Don't let sunk costs or ego drive decisions.

So, cut/trade Thornton also? He has done squat.

 

[raduray]

Remember that game many moons ago in Miami when Parker schooled Stephon Gilmore?? How comes we have yet to see that Parker here?? After we made that Trade with Miami their fans were literally laughing because they knew Parker was a bum.

 

[Zuma]

So, cut/trade Thornton also? He has done squat.

Now that’s a conundrum.

 

[mgteich]

Now that’s a conundrum.

I suggest that we have a viable solution available.

Have a high priority of bringing in a new, well qualified, WR position coach, and an assistant. He could even have the title of Assistant OC.

WR coaching has been a problem for a very long time. and, very clearly, the current staff does not have the answers. They didn't have the answers last year either.
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We'll see who we have after Tuesday. However, whoever is there, we should extend Bourne and Reagor.

In 2024, the new coaches work with who we have plus a couple of more 6th rounders. Even this year, any one of our receivers could be a solid game or two away from being a regular contributor, even Parker or Shuster, certainly Thornton or Reagor or Boutte.Surely, that is possible for any of them in 2024, or from Nixon or the new 6th rounders.

We have SEVEN WR's on the 53. We can keep them all through the middle of 2024 camp. It doesn't hurt for Shuster or Parker to be one of our 90 man squad. And, yes, the team is looking for someone to take one of them, and greatly help the patriot cap situation.

 

[n6249c]

I suggest that we have a viable solution available.

Have a high priority of bringing in a new, well qualified, WR position coach, and an assistant. He could even have the title of Assistant OC.

WR coaching has been a problem for a very long time. and, very clearly, the current staff does not have the answers. They didn't have the answers last year either.
==============================
We'll see who we have after Tuesday. However, whoever is there, we should extend Bourne and Reagor.

In 2924, the new coaches work with who we have plus a couple of more 6th rounders. Even this year, any one of our receivers could be a solid game or two away from being a regular contributor, even Parker or Shuster, certainly Thornton or Reagor or Boutte.Surely, that is possible for any of them in 2024, or from Nixon or the new 6th rounders.

We have SEVEN WR's on the 53. We can keep them all through the middle of 2024 camp. It doesn't hurt for Shuster or Parker to be one of our 90 man squad. And, yes, the team is looking for someone to take one of them, and greatly help the patriot cap situation.

Nine hundred years?!?!

you are much more patient than anyone else on this board!

 

[mgteich]

Nine hundred years?!?!

you are much more patient than anyone else on this board!

I do have more typos on numbers, more than other posters. I'll fix it.

 

[n6249c]

I do have more typos on numbers, more than other posters. I'll fix it.

Don’t fix it, I like playing the long game!

 

[Wozzy]

1) They do not "have a lot of talent to trade." They have a few players of very modest value - 4th/5th round - and these are their better players, arguably worth keeping. Beyond that, over the past few years, they have had stunningly few higher draft players able to make any sort of splash even on this dismal roster. See Return on top Patriots trade options could be underwhelming, GMs say

Oh no? Here’s the list of 2024 free agents, want to guess how many of these guys get paid in the top tier at their respective positions? Josh Uche, Kyle Duggar, Mike Onwenu, Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, Jalen Mills, Trent Brown, Kendrick Bourne, Anfernee Jennings…. 3-5 of them will. But they have no talent… sounds legit.

This has been said about the Patriots since the mid 2000’s, they have no talent and win because of Tom and BB alone… then in the offseason it was always Patriot’s players getting paid.

3) Mac may or may not be the solution going forward - I suspect frankly that will not be - but ignoring the very serious problems with the roster and the persons responsible for it is delusory and irresponsible.

A great QB, an even “good” QB would change the entire outcome of the first third of this season. How do we know, Mac had a flashback to “average/good” last week and they beat the Bills. What happens if they had “great” QB play?

 

[Thelonious]

Oh no? Here’s the list of 2024 free agents, want to guess how many of these guys get paid in the top tier at their respective positions? Josh Uche, Kyle Duggar, Mike Onwenu, Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, Jalen Mills, Trent Brown, Kendrick Bourne, Anfernee Jennings…. 3-5 of them will. But they have no talent… sounds legit.

This has been said about the Patriots since the mid 2000’s, they have no talent and win because of Tom and BB alone… then in the offseason it was always Patriot’s players getting paid.

A great QB, an even “good” QB would change the entire outcome of the first third of this season. How do we know, Mac had a flashback to “average/good” last week and they beat the Bills. What happens if they had “great” QB play?

I guess I would refer you to Phil Perry's as-always-thoroughly-researched article on the real-world market value of the Pats players they are likely to consider trading. In a way, our discussion is so incomplete as to be pointless, as a team with as little talent as this and as rich presently in resources would do well to keep at least a number of the players who are worth a damn around for the rebuild. This is particularly the case given Perry's analysis which suggest the best we are likely to get is a smattering of 4's, 5's. Given this, at least some - I would say a fair number - may well be worth more to us as roster pieces than as liquidable assets. The whole conversation re the trade deadline will I think prove to have been a tempest in a teapot. I don't think much will happen, though the possibility of an unexpectedly good windfall option we might want to take on is a somewhat remote possibility. We will also trade a couple, I suppose, but the wholw episode is unlikely to amount to much. My own preference would be to trade JJSS and Parker to the Schweinfurt Football Developmental League for a nice beer stein with which we can drink to their departure.

As for the quarterback. Because of Bill's fireable failures in developing his first-round qb, we do not have nearly as clear a picture here as we would like, and frankly as we - and Mac - have deserved. As of now, I would let Mac play out the year, see how the draft positions and draft market develops, then either draft a replacement/competition for Mac at some point in the draft (depending again on our eventual draft position, on the needs of other players near us in draft position, and on the quality of qb available to us at that point), or draft for another position earlier then let the competition between Mac and the newbie develop as it develops. If we draft a first-round QB, we would likely expect him to beat Mac in the competition. A more developmental draftee QB might be expected to sit behind Mac for some time, but you absolutely never know how such things will go, and if we end up with Mac for a while longer, that isn't the end of the world: he ain't that bad. This is not in any case, given the deriliction over the past few years and resultant broad problems with the roster, likely to be a one-year rebuild anyway, so the need to "get our guy" at QB, though it is important, may not really be all that urgent.

 

[mgteich]

Oh no? Here’s the list of 2024 free agents, want to guess how many of these guys get paid in the top tier at their respective positions? Josh Uche, Kyle Duggar, Mike Onwenu, Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, Jalen Mills, Trent Brown, Kendrick Bourne, Anfernee Jennings…. 3-5 of them will. But they have no talent… sounds legit.

I'd add Slater; that makes ten.

There's talent there. BTW, I think that this is fairly normal list. Our advantage is that we have lots of cap money in 2024 and into the future. We have backloaded contract much less than other teams.

I think that we are in fine shape as long as we re-sign Onwenu, Brown and one of the EDGE rushers. And, Dugger would be a major plus.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I liked the Parker contract at first. Thought it was for number 2 or 3 money. I liked the JuJu contract as well. I thought Jakoby had peaked and we weren’t getting much else out of him.

After further review, I’ll take Meyers and his limited skill set which was at least reliable in every which way compared to the other 2 bums. Obviously he works well in that 2 role behind Adams.

 

[Captain Cliche]

Just dug this up. Doesn't deserve a separate thread.

 

[State]

For a team with such a horrid GM, they sure have a lot of talent to trade.

Are you on drugs? Other than Gonzo and Judon, no one is offering a high draft pick for any of our other players.

Maybe a third for Onwenu.

If you can’t see this team lacks talents esp on the offensive side, you must have rose tinted glasses.

 

[Wozzy]

Are you on drugs? Other than Gonzo and Judon, no one is offering a high draft pick for any of our other players.

Maybe a third for Onwenu.

If you can’t see this team lacks talents esp on the offensive side, you must have rose tinted glasses.

Very brave of you coming here a day after the trade deadline to tell us nobody was worth trading.