Rebuilding this Offseason

[HailHydra]

Agreed with DE’s being on the roster already. Although I’d label Adam Butler our pass rushing DT on passing downs similar to how we were using Dominique Easley a couple of years ago.

Also like to point out DT Vincent Valentine should be coming back next year, and he showed some real promise his rookie season.

Think the #1 issue we need to address is off the line LB. we need to get faster, we need to get better.

Hightower a beast but can’t stay healthy and Van Noy is ok, but Roberts and Marquise Flowers are garbage, and Harris can’t play anymore.

Van Noy was quite solid, and Flowers was one of the better players on defense throughout the season.

 

[supafly]

I think if you hooked BB up on a lie detector, you’d find the needle start to move if he’s asked if he’d like a re-do on the Hicks decision.

Agreed, although Hicks was a bit of an odd situation in the sense that he only played about 1/4 of the snaps, and it may have been difficult to judge whether or not that season should justify a 5m+ dollar a year deal.

From what we’ve read, Belichick didn’t want him to go, as he supposedly had at least one serious conversation about trying to keep him. I agree with you that he’d likely pony up the extra cash if given a re-do.

 

[supafly]

Van Noy was quite solid, and Flowers was one of the better players on defense throughout the season.

I think KVN seems to be a smart player, but his athleticism or lack thereof, seems to hold him back a bit. We definitely need some speed at the LB position, and hopefully that comes in the draft.

 

[Soliel]

They need to do something drastic. It seemed like every play was a 25 yard gain

 

[supafly]

They need to do something drastic. It seemed like every play was a 25 yard gain

Spending about a month breaking down the KC and PHI games seems about right, as does throwing the 4 safety set on the back burner.

In all seriousness, I don’t think a drastic overhaul is needed, just a key addition at all three levels of the defense, whether that’s through the draft or FA. Easier said than done, but that’s a good place to start, and that should include adding a LB and CB, as well as replacing Jordan Richards.

 

[upstater1]

You can't just pick a QB just to pick a QB. The first 4 guys (Mayfield, Darnold, Rosen, Allen) are going well before the Patriots pick, and the next 2 guys off the board are questionable at best (Rudolph a Mallet clone [ie. big lug with big arm] and Lamar Jackson). That leaves you forced to pick a guy like Luke Falk with your later 2nd rounder.

I'd rather not.

This is just not the year for the Patriots to pick a guy. There are no small school Dak Prescott or Jimmy G. types.

Only Allen fits into that and he is going in the 1st round

 

[Joey007]

You can't just pick a QB just to pick a QB. The first 4 guys (Mayfield, Darnold, Rosen, Allen) are going well before the Patriots pick, and the next 2 guys off the board are questionable at best (Rudolph a Mallet clone [ie. big lug with big arm] and Lamar Jackson). That leaves you forced to pick a guy like Luke Falk with your later 2nd rounder.

I'd rather not.

This is just not the year for the Patriots to pick a guy. There are no small school Dak Prescott or Jimmy G. types.

Only Allen fits into that and he is going in the 1st round

If a guy like Allen had an Aaron Rodgers-esque draft fall into the early 20’s, you wonder if we’d pull a shocker and trade up several spots.

 

[HailHydra]

You can't just pick a QB just to pick a QB. The first 4 guys (Mayfield, Darnold, Rosen, Allen) are going well before the Patriots pick, and the next 2 guys off the board are questionable at best (Rudolph a Mallet clone [ie. big lug with big arm] and Lamar Jackson). That leaves you forced to pick a guy like Luke Falk with your later 2nd rounder.

I'd rather not.

This is just not the year for the Patriots to pick a guy. There are no small school Dak Prescott or Jimmy G. types.

Only Allen fits into that and he is going in the 1st round

Kyle Lauleta just sounds like a Patriots type of guy

 

[DaBruinz]

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.

You do realize that it was Hicks decision to leave, yes? By all accounts, the Patriots offered him a lucrative deal and he still chose Chicago.

 

[supafly]

You can't just pick a QB just to pick a QB. The first 4 guys (Mayfield, Darnold, Rosen, Allen) are going well before the Patriots pick, and the next 2 guys off the board are questionable at best (Rudolph a Mallet clone [ie. big lug with big arm] and Lamar Jackson). That leaves you forced to pick a guy like Luke Falk with your later 2nd rounder.

I'd rather not.

This is just not the year for the Patriots to pick a guy. There are no small school Dak Prescott or Jimmy G. types.

Only Allen fits into that and he is going in the 1st round

I think the problem is that it’s going to take at least 2 full years before he’d be able to go, so even if you take one this spring, you’re going to have to hope that Brady is good for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

If they wait another year, you’re then gambling that Brady is going to go for 3 more seasons, minimum. Not sure if Belichick will gamble with this. Falk or Lauletta may be worth a shot.

 

[ATippett56]

I think KVN seems to be a smart player, but his athleticism or lack thereof, seems to hold him back a bit. We definitely need some speed at the LB position, and hopefully that comes in the draft.

Kyle Van Noy's base salary is guaranteed for the 2018 NFL Season. Kyle Van Noy is not going anywhere in 2018.

Kyle Van Noy Contract Details, Salary Cap Charges, Bonus Money | Over The Cap

 

[supafly]

Kyle Van Noy's base salary is guaranteed for the 2018 NFL Season. Kyle Van Noy is not going anywhere in 2018.

Kyle Van Noy Contract Details, Salary Cap Charges, Bonus Money | Over The Cap

I most certainly didn’t mean to suggest as much. I’m with you 100%. I’m simply pointing to the need of a more athletic LB in addition, that’s all.

That said, I don’t think that a 700k dead cap loss would necessarily prevent Belichick from making any moves that he saw fit, either, especially with the option of a post June-1 release which would actually save money.

Either way, Van Noy is likely here for another year. He’s tough and smart.

 

[ATippett56]

I most certainly didn’t mean to suggest as much. I’m with you 100%.

I’m simply pointing to the need of a more athletic LB in addition, that’s all.

Dont'a Hightower is returning for the 2018 NFL Season.

I view cornerback as a bigger issue than linebackers:

Butler, Malcolm - unrestricted free agent
Bademosi, Johnson - unrestricted free agent
Jones, Cyrus - reserve/injured list
Jones, Jonathan - reserve/injured list

Johnson Bademosi is best known for special teams not defense. Personally, I would rather re-sign unrestricted free agents Matthew Slater and Nate Ebner than Johnson Bademosi. Please note that Brandon King is a restricted free agent not an unrestricted free agent.

 

[supafly]

Dont'a Hightower is returning for the 2018 NFL Season.

I view cornerback as a bigger issue than linebackers:

Butler, Malcolm - unrestricted free agent
Bademosi, Johnson - unrestricted free agent
Jones, Cyrus - reserve/injured list
Jones, Jonathan - reserve/injured list

Johnson Bademosi is best known for special teams not defense. Personally, I would rather re-sign unrestricted free agents Matthew Slater and Nate Ebner than Johnson Bademosi. Please note that Brandon King is a restricted free agent not an unrestricted free agent.

Having HT back is great, but they still need to have a more athletic LB in obvious passing/option situations, substitutions, potential injuries, and schemes when HT moves up front and/or rushes the passer.

That’s also assuming that he doesn’t miss any games due to injury.

 

[supafly]

Dont'a Hightower is returning for the 2018 NFL Season.

I view cornerback as a bigger issue than linebackers:

Butler, Malcolm - unrestricted free agent
Bademosi, Johnson - unrestricted free agent
Jones, Cyrus - reserve/injured list
Jones, Jonathan - reserve/injured list

Johnson Bademosi is best known for special teams not defense. Personally, I would rather re-sign unrestricted free agents Matthew Slater and Nate Ebner than Johnson Bademosi. Please note that Brandon King is a restricted free agent not an unrestricted free agent.

CB is a need, sure.

Gilmore
J.Jones
Rowe
C.Jones

Should be a starting point, but when looking ahead and even attempting to upgrade, I would like to see CB addressed. Of course, Cyrus may not make the team unless he shows some improvement in the summer.

Jonathan Jones is a lock, as is Gilmore (obviously), and almost certainly Rowe.

 

[ATippett56]

Having HT back is great, but they still need to have a more athletic LB in obvious passing/option situations, substitutions, potential injuries, and schemes when HT moves up front and/or rushes the passer.

The New England Patriots need a bona fide slot cornerback in passing situations as well as against three wide receiver sets not Patrick Chung. That's in addition to replacing Malcolm Butler. The "Big Nickel" is a "Big Dud".

Furthermore, I don't rate Eric Rowe unless you feel that a 131.3 defensive passer rating in Super Bowl LII is acceptable.

Advanced Stats Report: Tom Brady’s mastery marred by defensive implosion

 

[ATippett56]

CB is a need, sure.

Gilmore
J.Jones
Rowe
C.Jones

Should be a starting point, but when looking ahead and even attempting to upgrade, I would like to see CB addressed. Of course, Cyrus may not make the team unless he shows some improvement in the summer.

Jonathan Jones is a lock, as is Gilmore (obviously), and almost certainly Rowe.

I can't even state that Cyrus Jones will reliable at fielding punts let alone actually playing cornerback.

 

[supafly]

The New England Patriots need a bona fide slot cornerback in passing situations as well as against three wide receiver sets not Patrick Chung. That's in addition to replacing Malcolm Butler. The "Big Nickel" is a "Big Dud".

Furthermore, I don't rate Eric Rowe unless you feel that a 131.3 defensive passer rating in Super Bowl LII is acceptable.

Advanced Stats Report: Tom Brady’s mastery marred by defensive implosion

Rowe isn’t as great as some here make him out to be, but he’s not nearly as bad as his SB showing.

At worst, he’s a serviceable CB4 or something. Hard to imagine Rowe not being around, even if it’s only as a depth option. I think he’s a lot closer to being our CB2-3 than he is to being cut. Obviously, Belichick felt comfortable enough to make him the CB2 in this past SB, and he played a prominent role in the one before.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

I don't remember a non super bowl winning year with so much talent on IR. Should make reloading a bit easier. I'd bet my house BB drafts a QB. Then assuming the injured come back healthy we need a CB, LB and DL help.
Anyone know how we are with cap space?

 

[ATippett56]

Rowe isn’t as great as some here make him out to be, but he’s not nearly as bad as his SB showing.

At worst, he’s a serviceable CB4 or something. Hard to imagine Rowe not being around, even if it’s only as a depth option. I think he’s a lot closer to being our CB2-3 than he is to being cut. Obviously, Belichick felt comfortable enough to make him the CB2 in this past SB, and he played a prominent role in the one before.

Dump Jordan Richards and convert Eric Rowe safety. Maybe Rowe will have better luck covering tight ends and running backs in dime packages than Jordan Richards.