How Bad Things Can Be Good -- Some Words On Things I Watched
What I watched were last season's games and here is what I think based on what I saw.
Number one. Cam Newton was terrible -- terrible at the main thing a quarterback has to do: throwing the ball accurately to the right place at the right time. It's hard to know exactly what was going on, of course, but it looked like he was bad at the beginning of the season because he was slow to make judgements and they were often wrong while he was bad later on because he couldn't even make the simplest throws accurately and with timing. The best touchdown throw of the season was by Jakobi Meyers!
But why is this a good thing?
Because, if one thing is terrible, the other things that we're blaming may not be as bad as they're being made out to be. The Patriots won 7 games, so there must have been some good things elsewhere. And there were.
When the O-line was healthy (which wasn't too often) the running game was really excellent. And its main strengths, Harris and Michel, will be back. Also, JJ Taylor was really good too whenever called on. Losing Thuney would (will) be a blow, not just because he's a very good player, but because he's the one O-lineman who has been consistently available. That is more than luck, I think.
As for receiving, no one could pretend that Izzo, Harry, Meyers and Byrd was a decent group of pass catchers, but, again, it won't be so difficult to upgrade. They don't have to sign Hunter Henry and Allen Robinson to get better. I am very optimistic that Olszewski can take his place in the Welker/Edelman lineage. His running with the ball was really outstanding by the end of the year and his hands seem decent, at least. And (maybe this is just me) I'm hopeful about Harry. If Keene and/or Asiasi can contribute, all they really need is a tight end who is an improvement on Lacosse and someone who is an improvement on Byrd. In other words, I think that they're just a couple of mid-range players away from adequate. But put this down to my optimism.
Turning to defense, the picture isn't good. The Patriots couldn't stop short yardage or put together an effective pass rush. I can only remember one short-yardage defensive stop -- a fourth-down on the goal line by Arizona that they may have been lucky couldn't be overturned (the back looks as though he got in, but the ball wasn't visible). The contrast with 2019 is stark. But why? I'm no expert, but, in the past, the Pats have depended on their linebackers both to stop the run and for pass rush (my memory of 2019 is that a lot of the sacks came on blitzes and stunts). So losing four linebackers (KVN, Collins, Roberts and Hightower) must have been a big deal. And now they have Guy, Wise and Butler as free agents from the D-line. So serious action on the front seven is needed, I think, even if they manage to re-sign Guy and Butler. It doesn't necessarily have to be a star lineman or pass rusher, but a solid run-stopper, a "last hurrah" pass rusher (think Chris Long, Andre Carter or Adrian Clayborn), and a couple of linebackers (Hightower returning at full power and re-signing KVN?) would make a world of difference.
In short.
It all depends on the quarterback. If there is an upgrade, then a new tight end, one or two mid-range receivers and a couple of contributors to the front seven will make a big difference. They also need to plan the offensive line on the assumption that not all of the top 5 will remain healthy.
Which doesn't make me an objector to re-signing Cam! If it was obvious to me (and to Rodney Harrison and to many others) that Cam couldn't throw the ball at the end of the season, it was surely more obvious to the coaches. If they think he's worth giving a second chance (but not on a contract that commits them to making him the starter) then I'm willing to believe they're right.
I'm happy -- happiest -- if they find a way to re-sign Garoppolo. Happy if they bet the farm to trade up for one of the Big Four quarterbacks (please let it be no more than two Firsts and end up with Trey Lance). Happy if they take Mac Jones at 15. Happy if they sign Mariota (who, on the evidence of his outing last season, looks to be a different player from Tennessee Mariota). And, of course, happy if 2021 Cam turns out to be a big upgrade on 2020 Cam.
So I'm optimistic and now I'm looking for guidance on draft binkies (I have Lance, Shelvin and Meinerz so far).
