Player Signing Patriots sign vet K Matthew Wright to PS

[Steve102]

My post here is the first time I've ever typed Ryland's name.

It's absolutely ridiculous to think that fans aren't going to complain about another potential draft bust, this time for a kicker that Bill moved up to get in the 4th round.

Maybe it sounds like the beating of drums to you because so many fans see it and are commenting.

Ryland is Irrelevant. Not the first time you've complained about Bill. Won't be the last.

That's correct. Bill is the team's biggest problem. He has been for several years.

See above.

Every time that stick hits the horse, it's the same crap with you guys. I. Hate. Bill. I. Hate. Bill. I. Hate. Bill. You'll be the first to complain when the next guy/administration screws up.

Make no mistake, it's time for Bill to go, but I 100% believe you guys will hate the next guy too.

 

[Thelonious]

Ryland is Irrelevant. Not the first time you've complained about Bill. Won't be the last.

See above.

Every time that stick hits the horse, it's the same crap with you guys. I. Hate. Bill. I. Hate. Bill. I. Hate. Bill. You'll be the first to complain when the next guy/administration screws up.

Make no mistake, it's time for Bill to go, but I 100% believe you guys will hate the next guy too.

Not so at all. I was an enthusiastic supporter of Bill until he shat the bed.

Look, I'll say what I say. I really don't give a **** what you think , and I never will. I would think that would be obvious by now. But if you enjoy whining about this ****, be my guest. It's pathetic, but if it's all you've got, go with it.

 

[Steve102]

 

[borg]

 

[1960Pats]

Ryland is Irrelevant. Not the first time you've complained about Bill. Won't be the last.

See above.

Every time that stick hits the horse, it's the same crap with you guys. I. Hate. Bill. I. Hate. Bill. I. Hate. Bill. You'll be the first to complain when the next guy/administration screws up.

Make no mistake, it's time for Bill to go, but I 100% believe you guys will hate the next guy too.

There are certain positions in sports that fans have always complained about and always will. It's as American as apple pie. HCs and QBs are at the top of that list for football.

There's no way that I'll complain about the next guy if Bill leaves. Win or lose it'll be fun watching the games and hearing a coach do more than snort and grunt. You'll be able to find me where this young lady is heading. To a party...

 

[1960Pats]

Not so at all. I was an enthusiastic supporter of Bill until he shat the bed.

Look, I'll say what I say. I really don't give a **** what you think , and I never will. I would think that would be obvious by now. But if you enjoy whining about this ****, be my guest. It's pathetic, but if it's all you've got, go with it.

I look at all of the Bill supporters as neighbors but on the other side of the fence from us. I also supported Bill and would forgive the things that I got to dislike because they were winning, like his draft misses and failure to answer any questions. As predicted, his act has worn thin with the losing.

In the case of signing a punter in the 4th round who's struggling, our neighbors have to deal with the noise. If it's true, as many here beside our next door neighbor have stated, that Ryland is irrelevant, then why move up to pick him? We already had one of the best kickers.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I look at all of the Bill supporters as neighbors but on the other side of the fence from us. I also supported Bill and would forgive the things that I got to dislike because they were winning, like his draft misses and failure to answer any questions. As predicted, his act has worn thin with the losing.

In the case of signing a punter in the 4th round who's struggling, our neighbors have to deal with the noise. If it's true, as many here beside our next door neighbor have stated, that Ryland is irrelevant, then why move up to pick him? We already had one of the best kickers.

Because he couldn't kick off and when he was asked to do it last season because our punter went out, it led to three kickoff return touchdowns. I don't think Nick Folk was a guy we could rely on for a long term and Bill decided to draft a guy in the 4th.

As for all the people mad about moving up, I still don't know who the guy we didn't get in the 4th because of getting Ryland is that everyone thinks would have made any difference.

Was Ryland the right choice? It doesn't seem so right now, but I hope he turns it around, especially now that Bill has brought in a practice squad guy for competition. As many have pointed out, Viniateri struggled a lot his rookie season. That seemed to work out ok in the end.

 

[Thelonious]

Because he couldn't kick off and when he was asked to do it last season because our punter went out, it led to three kickoff return touchdowns. I don't think Nick Folk was a guy we could rely on for a long term and Bill decided to draft a guy in the 4th.

As for all the people mad about moving up, I still don't know who the guy we didn't get in the 4th because of getting Ryland is that everyone thinks would have made any difference.

Was Ryland the right choice? It doesn't seem so right now, but I hope he turns it around, especially now that Bill has brought in a practice squad guy for competition. As many have pointed out, Viniateri struggled a lot his rookie season. That seemed to work out ok in the end.

I haven't really followed this thread or this issue very closely. But I guess I think that with Folk as an option at the time (notwithstanding his limitations) and, more importantly, with all the other needs the team had and still has, I don't see that drafting a PK in that draft position at that point in the team's development (or lack thereof), made a lot of sense.

As for how this relates to Bill's situation, I'd call it yet another screwed-up draft decision by an obviously failed GM. It's not his worst such decision, but it is certainly another of many. I don't see why we would keep that sort of GM around other than as a sort of momento of past times when he was arguably a capable coach/GM. We can get less costly momentos than that any time we like, can't we?

I'd be surprised if that isn't the consensus hereabouts.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I haven't really followed this thread or this issue very closely. But I guess I think that with Folk as an option at the time (notwithstanding his limitations) and, more importantly, with all the other needs the team had and still has, I don't see that drafting a PK in that draft position at that point in the team's development (or lack thereof), made a lot of sense.

As for how this relates to Bill's situation, I'd call it yet another screwed-up draft decision by an obviously failed GM. It's not his worst such decision, but it is certainly another of many. I don't see why we would keep that sort of GM around other than as a sort of momento of past times when he was arguably a capable coach/GM. We can get less costly momentos than that any time we like, can't we?

I'd be surprised if that isn't the consensus hereabouts.

Right, look I get it. Every post of yours is about Bill the failed GM. I'm fine with agreeing with that. I just don't see the guy in the 4th or later rounds in this last draft who would have helped us, which is what this is specifically about.

I know there are draft gurus on here who know a lot more than I do and can probably point to who we should have picked instead, but considering who else we picked in the third and fourth rounds, I don't know why everyone is zeroing in on this one pick. Maybe because it's so visible?

 

[Thelonious]

Right, look I get it. Every post of yours is about Bill the failed GM. I'm fine with agreeing with that. I just don't see the guy in the 4th or later rounds in this last draft who would have helped us, which is what this is specifically about.

I know there are draft gurus on here who know a lot more than I do and can probably point to who we should have picked instead, but considering who else we picked in the third and fourth rounds, I don't know why everyone is zeroing in on this one pick. Maybe because it's so visible?

Yep. I'm no draft guru either, and my criticism of the move is tentative and qualified to degree which I thought I made clear in my post. I have to question your assertion that there was no other player available at any other position whom we could have taken with the pick and who could well have "helped us" more than a PK. It seems to me more likely that there would have been such a player, particularly given the broad array of roster needs on this dismal team. But of course, both your point and my rejoinder are in the nature of speculation. On balance, I agree that there are certainly more important issues than this one, but as that was the topic of the post, that is what I responded to.

As for dwelling on Bill, I just think there is no way a team should embark upon a deep, multi-year rebuild - which is what we are facing - with a GM in place who has, I think, obviously badly failed in that job at least over three or four years. I think it darn near urgent that Bill immediately be shut out of roster decisions from this day forward. I repeat this point because of the importance I attach to it, not out of any impulse to annoy my fellow fans. I think discussion of this matter is actually more important, for example, than needless speculation here as to which of our incompetent QB's we ought to start or threads whining about how "cheap" the Krafts are, which is of course utter horseshit and far more offensive than yours truly's affinity for redundancy.

It's all good, in my mind, but then my social skills have never been all that fabulous, so I do read things wrong from time to time.

 

[50-yard-line]

Right, look I get it. Every post of yours is about Bill the failed GM. I'm fine with agreeing with that. I just don't see the guy in the 4th or later rounds in this last draft who would have helped us, which is what this is specifically about.

I know there are draft gurus on here who know a lot more than I do and can probably point to who we should have picked instead, but considering who else we picked in the third and fourth rounds, I don't know why everyone is zeroing in on this one pick. Maybe because it's so visible?

You’ll get an ugh from Capn Stone for this, but to his credit, he makes his calls beforehand and sticks to his guns, and honestly, he’s hit on some middle-late rounders pretty well.

As for Ryland, SSS. Small Sample Size. He’s 12-18, but at least 2, maybe 3 of those were on bad snaps.

A rookie kicker and holder and a bad snap is a problem. I don’t know what’s up with Cardona, but he has to be better.

Hell, that whole unit has been atrocious.

Ryland’s miss at the end of the game was concerning, though. Have to make those. The snap wasn’t perfect, but he should have hit that.

I think if you go around the league and look at 4-7th rounders, you’ll find that the Pats hit on good players there more than most others.

The problem is when they get too cute in the real talent side of the draft.

 

[mike_usagisan]

You’ll get an ugh from Capn Stone for this, but to his credit, he makes his calls beforehand and sticks to his guns, and honestly, he’s hit on some middle-late rounders pretty well.

As for Ryland, SSS. Small Sample Size. He’s 12-18, but at least 2, maybe 3 of those were on bad snaps.

A rookie kicker and holder and a bad snap is a problem. I don’t know what’s up with Cardona, but he has to be better.

Hell, that whole unit has been atrocious.

Ryland’s miss at the end of the game was concerning, though. Have to make those. The snap wasn’t perfect, but he should have hit that.

I think if you go around the league and look at 4-7th rounders, you’ll find that the Pats hit on good players there more than most others.

The problem is when they get too cute in the real talent side of the draft.

Yep, I don't mind Capt. Stone disagreeing. He knows a lot more about the draft than I do and I think he was right about the tackle that was available in the 4th. But it was clear that 31 other teams had passed on him for several rounds, so I don't think if we passed on Ryland that we would have picked him. That's the only pick I see as being a possible other option.

That's why I don't think the Ryland pick (in a vacuum) is worthy of all this angst.

 

[50-yard-line]

Yep, I don't mind Capt. Stone disagreeing. He knows a lot more about the draft than I do and I think he was right about the tackle that was available in the 4th. But it was clear that 31 other teams had passed on him for several rounds, so I don't think if we passed on Ryland that we would have picked him. That's the only pick I see as being a possible other option.

That's why I don't think the Ryland pick (in a vacuum) is worthy of all this angst.

The one that got me was Trey Smith. Capn was screaming for the guy before and during the draft. He’s a late-rounder who’s been great - and when I read about the scouting and draft profiles (after listening to Capn), I couldn’t believe he lasted that long.

 

[Thelonious]

There are certain positions in sports that fans have always complained about and always will. It's as American as apple pie. HCs and QBs are at the top of that list for football.

There's no way that I'll complain about the next guy if Bill leaves. Win or lose it'll be fun watching the games and hearing a coach do more than snort and grunt. You'll be able to find me where this young lady is heading. To a party...

I've been a fan through bad times before, so have you. There's an ebb and flow to these things. Unlike some here, I'm not afraid of honesty re the state of the team or the present competence of team management, HC and GM included. The notion that taking note of facts constitutes an abandonment of one's fandom is just plain horseshit.

While it is certainly true that there is a tradition of complaining about HC's, GM's, and QB's, there are times when such complaints are wholly justified by the facts on the ground. This is such a time. The utter failure of our GM is obvious. His recent decline as HC is a very reasonable concern for anyone who has actually been watching games rather than titivating their cheerleader get-up or contriving whiny posts advocating a pleasing dishonesty re the team.