Rebuilding this Offseason

[MrNathanDrake]

Going into this offseason, the team is in worse shape than I can remember.


Future QB. We know it's gonna happen. The Pats love drafting QBs to push Brady and groom for the future. Garoppollo, Ryan Mallet, Jacoby Brisset, Kevin O'Connell. With 2-3 years left for Brady, you can guarantee the Pats will take another QB in the top 3 rounds of this years draft. I wouldnt even be surprised if the Pats used their 1st rd pick on a QB.

Linebacker is desperately needed. Elandon Roberts is terrible. David Harris experiment didnt work. Do they take the risk with Hightower coming back? He's always been injury prone due to his hard playing style. Whats the status of Shea McClellin? He might get cut. I think this gets addressed in rd 2 of the draft.

DT. Malcom Brown will hit FA next year and Alan Branch is done. We have nothing here and our run defense got destroyed. Theres a few good DT in this years free agency. I'd love to see the Pats sign Sheldon Richarson.

CB. Malcolm Butler was our #1-#2 CB all year and hes definitely gone. Hard to replace this guy. He's not just a CB, he was a core part of the defense. I heard the Broncos might release Aqib Talib. Pats have to jump on that opportunity if it comes up. Otherwise, we're screwed here because Belichick will probably find a 5'8" 3rd or 4th rounder and expect them to start and play against other teams best WR's. We've seen him do it so many years.

DE. It goes without saying the Pats need to do something here. Depth is non existant.

The entire offense is aging. Gronk has maybe 2 years left if we are extremely lucky. Next big injury is game over for Gronk. Amendola and Edelman are both on the wrong side of 30. Dion Lewis might be gone in FA.

 

[patsfaninpa]

Always walk on the bright side of life.

 

[PhillySteaks]

R E L A X

2nd best team in football. 1st in AFC

 

[ivanvamp]

Going into this offseason, the team is in worse shape than I can remember.


Future QB. We know it's gonna happen. The Pats love drafting QBs to push Brady and groom for the future. Garoppollo, Ryan Mallet, Jacoby Brisset, Kevin O'Connell. With 2-3 years left for Brady, you can guarantee the Pats will take another QB in the top 3 rounds of this years draft. I wouldnt even be surprised if the Pats used their 1st rd pick on a QB.

Linebacker is desperately needed. Elandon Roberts is terrible. David Harris experiment didnt work. Do they take the risk with Hightower coming back? He's always been injury prone due to his hard playing style. Whats the status of Shea McClellin? He might get cut. I think this gets addressed in rd 2 of the draft.

DT. Malcom Brown will hit FA next year and Alan Branch is done. We have nothing here and our run defense got destroyed. Theres a few good DT in this years free agency. I'd love to see the Pats sign Sheldon Richarson.

CB. Malcolm Butler was our #1-#2 CB all year and hes definitely gone. Hard to replace this guy. He's not just a CB, he was a core part of the defense. I heard the Broncos might release Aqib Talib. Pats have to jump on that opportunity if it comes up. Otherwise, we're screwed here because Belichick will probably find a 5'8" 3rd or 4th rounder and expect them to start and play against other teams best WR's. We've seen him do it so many years.

DE. It goes without saying the Pats need to do something here. Depth is non existant.

The entire offense is aging. Gronk has maybe 2 years left if we are extremely lucky. Next big injury is game over for Gronk. Amendola and Edelman are both on the wrong side of 30. Dion Lewis might be gone in FA.

Everyone is always aging.

The offensive line is young. 29, 24, 25, 25, 29.

Cooks is very young. The RBs are young. Mitchell is young. Injured but young. Gronk is actually pretty young still, though it feels like he is older.

QB is very old obviously. And a couple of WRs are getting up there but that's fine. They're still really good.

Defense is very young except at S. In fact the Pats had one of the youngest rosters in the league this year.

Lots and lots of upside on this team still.

 

[Snooky97]

Well this was positive

 

[IllegalContact]

I think they need to figure if B.B. is actually going to coach next year.....I think B.B. is taking some time to decide if he is going to continue with the organization ..... I think the garoppolo trade set some things into motion if it was against B.B.s wishes....yes kraft owns the team, but I believe personnel decisions are contractually B.B.s right

If he’s pissed enough, he could walk just to prove the point about who is really responsible for the patriots success

I would bet that if B.B. walked, the pats don’t come close to the afcc

McDaniels is back because kraft begged him....imagine Patricia and McDaniels both gone and B.B. saying buh bye....who would kraft turn to?

 

[IllegalContact]

Everyone is always aging.

The offensive line is young. 29, 24, 25, 25, 29.

Cooks is very young. The RBs are young. Mitchell is young. Injured but young. Gronk is actually pretty young still, though it feels like he is older.

QB is very old obviously. And a couple of WRs are getting up there but that's fine. They're still really good.

Defense is very young except at S. In fact the Pats had one of the youngest rosters in the league this year.

Lots and lots of upside on this team still.

The quality of the defensive personnel is a much bigger issue than the age

 

[archstanton543]

DT and DE are the top priorities. Then LB. Then S/CB. Then QB.

 

[ivanvamp]

The quality of the defensive personnel is a much bigger issue than the age

I don't disagree with that. Fortunately, I think there IS some talent there. Wise, Flowers, Butler, Gilmore, Jonathan Jones, Brown...these are all good young players. McCourty and Chung and Hightower are good older players.

They need a lot more speed at LB and another good player at DL. I hope that J.Jones can step up at CB, or they'll need to get one.

 

[mihap]

I still dont get it to let Akiem Hicks go. He was monster this year for Chicago.
BB drafted and selected players, some ppl here say in BB we trust, i just have one wish, i hope he wont draft Jordan Richards type again in second rd or any round and especially not start in SB.

 

[mcmurtry86]

Keeping Solder, Amendola Burkhead, adding two LB's (one starting quality, one useful backup/spot starter) and a quality DT will go a long way to ensuring the Pats are back competing deep into January (hopefully February) next year. Assuming Gronkowski is back.

Replacing/upgrading Malcom Brown/Branch/Jean-Francois in the defensive interior is a must. They need someone who can be a high end run stopper or someone who can be decent vs both pass and run. Brown is a rotational player at best and seems to have maxed out his upside. He was dreadful in the Super Bowl and offers nothing in the pass game. The rest of the DT are rotational or backup guys.

LB with Hightower, maybe Rivers, Van Noy has some talent to work with but clearly you need one more guy who can start since Hightower/Rivers are unknowns/injury problems. M.Flowers is a solid #5/ST guy. They need a 4th LB, as Roberts is awful and Harris is good as gone.

 

[mosslost]

Going into this offseason, the team is in worse shape than I can remember.


Future QB. We know it's gonna happen. The Pats love drafting QBs to push Brady and groom for the future. Garoppollo, Ryan Mallet, Jacoby Brisset, Kevin O'Connell. With 2-3 years left for Brady, you can guarantee the Pats will take another QB in the top 3 rounds of this years draft. I wouldnt even be surprised if the Pats used their 1st rd pick on a QB.

Linebacker is desperately needed. Elandon Roberts is terrible. David Harris experiment didnt work. Do they take the risk with Hightower coming back? He's always been injury prone due to his hard playing style. Whats the status of Shea McClellin? He might get cut. I think this gets addressed in rd 2 of the draft.

DT. Malcom Brown will hit FA next year and Alan Branch is done. We have nothing here and our run defense got destroyed. Theres a few good DT in this years free agency. I'd love to see the Pats sign Sheldon Richarson.

CB. Malcolm Butler was our #1-#2 CB all year and hes definitely gone. Hard to replace this guy. He's not just a CB, he was a core part of the defense. I heard the Broncos might release Aqib Talib. Pats have to jump on that opportunity if it comes up. Otherwise, we're screwed here because Belichick will probably find a 5'8" 3rd or 4th rounder and expect them to start and play against other teams best WR's. We've seen him do it so many years.

DE. It goes without saying the Pats need to do something here. Depth is non existant.

The entire offense is aging. Gronk has maybe 2 years left if we are extremely lucky. Next big injury is game over for Gronk. Amendola and Edelman are both on the wrong side of 30. Dion Lewis might be gone in FA.

AFC is sewage....

All we need is Brady and to get some luck in SB 53.. (A pick, a ST TD, something)

 

[mosslost]

R E L A X

2nd best team in football. 1st in AFC

best team in football

 

[Joey007]

Malcom Brown won’t hit FA if we pick up his 5th year option.

Btw, what’s the consensus there? I’d call it 50-50 we pick it up.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Solder (Likely Re-signed)
Thuney Year 3
Andrews Year 4
Mason Year 4
Cannon All-Pro

2018 will be our best OL unit since 2011. Pair that with Brady, Gronk & 4-5 starting caliber WRs and you have a case that it could be our best passing offense ever. Philly basically had no answer without Edelman, Cooks & Mitchell. We even ran on their #1 run D. Since Solder returned to form we saw the OL stonewall the two best DLs in the NFL in JAX & Philly.

The story of 2018 will be can the defense not suck. Judging by Hightower returning, Wise/Butler/Rivers year 2 & hopefully 2-3 high draft choices I like their odds to field a complimentary defense.

I’ve read/heard some negative stuff regarding the 2018 team & while it’s reasonable to be skeptical defensively it’ll probably be next to impossible to hold the offense under 30 if Edelman returns to 80-90% form.

 

[maust]

2018 is more a reload year than a rebuilding one.

 

[Tony2046]

DT and DE are the top priorities. Then LB. Then S/CB. Then QB.

I think the DE's are already on the roster. Rivers, A. Butler, Wise etc... but they need a solid NT/DT to balance the front four out.

Agree with the rest.

 

[Tony2046]

Malcom Brown won’t hit FA if we pick up his 5th year option.

Btw, what’s the consensus there? I’d call it 50-50 we pick it up.

90%

 

[Joey007]

90%

I think he’s played well enough, but I only put at 50% due to our general unpredictability. I haven’t forgotten the Easley situation, no one saw that coming

 

[BlueThunder]

Wasn't Malcolm coming off a recent injury? Could explain his SB performance as not being top notch...