Curran's Off Season Grade

[TheRainMaker]

Lol, we all know it's your thinking that's not deep.

That gave me a good laugh. Gotta take personal shots when there’s resistance.

Not deep?

Cajuste is probably the swing tackle and has big potential. We also get Froholdt this year. Herron,Woodard etc.

A bunch of unproven guys with 3 of them taken in rounds 6 and 7.

And you have a bunch of IFs with this group.

 

[jimnance]

We got a 3rd round compensatory pick for losing Flowers. For context, two similarly-talented D-line players were franchised in 2019: Clowney and Dee Ford and traded for a 3rd round pick and a 2nd round pick, respectively. So maybe a team would've been desperate enough to give up a 2nd rounder for Flowers - but that's a big IF. And why put yourself in a position to give another team that much leverage over your cap situation for only a move a pick from the 3rd to 2nd round? And even if you could guarantee that Patricia would've traded a 2nd in retrospect, that's a pretty minor blip in the holistic picture of roster building over the past 2 years.

You're WAY over his head. He's only got so many fingers and toes.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

My point was never keeping Flowers. They could’ve Franchised him, then trade and get him off their books.

My point remains. Those types of deals don’t happen that quick. It would’ve handicapped us during last years free agency period. And in the chance you don’t get a deal done we’re stuck with that contract. At least in thuneys case Brady already let his intentions known and we shifted our priorities to both he and Dmac.

 

[jimnance]

That gave me a good laugh. Gotta take personal shots when there’s resistance.

A bunch of unproven guys with 3 of them taken in rounds 6 and 7.

And you have a bunch of IFs with this group.

There's ifs with every group on every team. It's the freakin NFL. Collision sport. Dudes get hurt.
You still didn't answer my question, because you can't. Their ol is in very good shape despite the loss of Dante.
I think it'll be the 2nd best unit on the team after secondary.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Another point on this Thuney flowers debate is the cap space that opens up next year. He could very well walk next year and we get a 22 comp pick but we at least have the cap room to make him a competitive offer.

 

[TheRainMaker]

There's ifs with every group on every team. It's the freakin NFL. Collision sport. Dudes get hurt.
You still didn't answer my question, because you can't. Their ol is in very good shape despite the loss of Dante.
I think it'll be the 2nd best unit on the team after secondary.

My original argument was that this group is not deep because they have unknowns at backups.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Is roster building an exact science?

1.) last season’s defense was magnificent, but everybody here knew we could not resign everybody! Bb chose to let certain elements of the defense leave.
I think his 2020 defense will still be suspect against the run, but still superior against the pass and better able to deal with rpo teams.

2.) special teams should again be top 10 in the league and if the new kicker works out, top 5.

3.) last year’s offense was victimized by devastating injuries to the offensive line. Andrews, cajuste and frodholtz were out all year. Wynn was out half the year. Cannon, mason, Wynn and maybe even thuney played dinged up! Cunningham, elumener and Newhouse were jag!
Not even the greatest qb to ever play this game, still operating near the top of his game, could overcome the offensive line problems, lack of anything resembling tight ends, youth, experience and dead weight galore at wide receiver, and a running game handcuffed by decimated offensive line.

I think bb expects his 2020 offense to have better offensive line play, Be able to pound the rock on the ground and have his young qb make complete timely throws to put points on the board. The offense does not need to be prolific, just efficient! If that happens, we will be competitive!

it’s all an exercise in roster building.

 

[DarrylS]

The Patriots needed to become younger and faster+ clean up their cap space issues.. they have made progress to meet these needs..

All of this leads to this year rebuilding with a lot of the core in place, while next year there is a lot of cap space available and anticipate a different set of faces next year..

Have followed Curran since his ProJo days and he has always been in the Brady camp, remember when there was a huge brouhaha when he reported some sort of "staph" infection with regards to #12's knee after that surgery. This message board wanted to run him out of town..

OTOH if the article is as controversial as reported he has done his job to stay pertinent in a time when there is not a lot of sports news out there.. Curran as do all them need clicks.

 

[zimmy]

Curran's definition of what constitutes a good off season (adding talent) was deliberately chosen so he could give them an F. It's pathetically transparent and agenda driven as always.

It's easy to say that losing Brady means they aren't as good, while you can't possibly quantify at the stage what development might be expected from the team's younger players. Not to mention that you have to assess the off-season as part of the longer term plan.

I don't think anyone thinks this has been an excellent off season but I think we can all understand why they have gone down this path. If you can understand their reasoning than an F becomes a completely ridiculous grade.

 

[BTTA]

My original argument was that this group is not deep because they have unknowns at backups.

No, absolutely wrong. They have three or four backups that they know very well.
They may be unknowns to YOU, but nothing could matter less than that in the Pats' roster building. Your emotional satisfaction will never show up on their radar.

 

[TheRainMaker]

No, absolutely wrong. They have three or four backups that they know very well.

They know very well?

They’ve never played an NFL down!

 

[BTTA]

They know very well?

They’ve never played an NFL down!

Some of them have played a down.
Some of them have been with the team, practicing and working out and learning and showing their mettle every day.
Some, the rookies, have plenty of tape.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Players can look great in college.
Players can look like stars in training camp.
Players can look like all pros on the practice field.
Players can be all of the above and also turds on game day.

the point is, there is no way to duplicate game conditions. And not everybody can cut the muster when the scoring counts. The nfl is, has been and always will be a performance based business!

 

[40yrpatsfan]

I like where we're at given the cap situation and the mass exodus. The QB change had to happen either this year or next, I'm kind of glad to have it finally underway, and it simultaneously helped a terrible cap problem. Hopefully Stid is up to the challenge.

The WR's and TE's will without a doubt be significantly better. The OL should be significantly better. We also played without a FB last year, so that position and our running game will be better.​

The D is more of a work in process but I'm not overly concerned, we invested 3 high picks plus BB will find a couple of castoffs that will end up as starters.

Our biggest concern is our schedule, as now KC, SF, & Baltimore are all premier teams, not to mention Seattle on the road, and the division has become tougher too. The overall quality of this year's opponents vs last year's is night and day, though if you think about it we lost to Balt and KC last season and still went 12-4.

Playoffs are not out of reach, though our best chance is to win the division.

 

[captain stone]

I like where we're at given the cap situation and the mass exodus. The QB change had to happen either this year or next, I'm kind of glad to have it finally underway, and it simultaneously helped a terrible cap problem. Hopefully Stid is up to the challenge.

The WR's and TE's will without a doubt be significantly better. The OL should be significantly better. We also played without a FB last year, so that position and our running game will be better...​

The QB change didn't have to happen - and should not have happened - until 2022...That would've given Stid 2 more years to learn & mature, and also would've given us 2 more years of legit contention...unless people actually believe that he gives us a better chance to contend now than Brady would have...which is, of course, both foolish and unfair to the Kid...

The TEs might be significantly better - how could they not? - but that improvement came at a very and unnecessarily high cost...The WRs are a completely different story, however...I don't see any improvement at all there, significant or otherwise...

The OL should be better...IF Andrews plays this year as if last year never happened, and IF somebody shows enough to replace Cannon at RT, who let's face it is washed-up...Newhouse played better at RT last year than he did...​

 

[Ivan]

Curran said the grade was based on improving the talent but caveated it by saying NE did what it had to do.

-Get younger
-Clean up the cap
-Move on from Tom/Start the new QB process

This is how I see it. Curran was doing a generic look at their offseason, and whether they are better now than last year. By that measure they can’t be because you can’t lose the GOAT and get better. And I don’t believe that was what Belichick is trying to do. Rather he is resetting the roster for the future, and resetting their cap space and dead money. Overall I really like what he is doing but the true measure will be in the results, which will take a few years to make conclusions on.

 

[RobertWeathers]

This is how I see it. Curran was doing a generic look at their offseason, and whether they are better now than last year. By that measure they can’t be because you can’t lose the GOAT and get better. And I don’t believe that was what Belichick is trying to do. Rather he is resetting the roster for the future, and resetting their cap space and dead money. Overall I really like what he is doing but the true measure will be in the results, which will take a few years to make conclusions on.

Yep thats exactly what he did. Its harsh but he took the time to explain it.

 

[Steve102]

Yep thats exactly what he did. Its harsh but he took the time to explain it.

I dunno man. I think they could be freakin' awful, by Patriot standards, and have a 5, 6, 7 win season. The coaches could get the most out of these guys and they could 9, 10, 11 wins together. It's all gonna hinge on whether or not Stid is the real thing or not.


EDIT: What are we, eff'n Jet fans? Who gives a chit about winning the GD off season? Cheezus! I like Tom E Curran and all, but who gives a rats azz ? Jete fans worry about winning the GD off season, not us.

there, I feel better. sorry for ranting.

 

[tasmlab]

If improving a 12-4 team to be SB contender is the metric, then Belichick deserves an F.

"If improving a 12-4 team to be SB contender is the metric" - I think this is true. It's a helluva expectation from a fanbase who is habituated to the best. I'm not sure other teams can afford to think this way and keep sane.

"then Belichick deserves an F" -- Yea, I guess so. We'll see.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I dunno man. I think they could be freakin' awful, by Patriot standards, and have a 5, 6, 7 win season. The coaches could get the most out of these guys and they could 9, 10, 11 wins together. It's all gonna hinge on whether or not Stid is the real thing or not.


EDIT: What are we, eff'n Jet fans? Who gives a chit about winning the GD off season? Cheezus! I like Tom E Curran and all, but who gives a rats azz ? Jete fans worry about winning the GD off season, not us.

there, I feel better. sorry for ranting.

Agree. I was just explaining how I interpreted Curran's piece.