The inside story of the Patriots’ fall to rock bottom in the Bill Belichick era

[skinnydog]

People said the exact opposite when we got "stuck" with Jonnu Smith. They said we're saddled with that contract and the cap hits.

Just to be clear, the tackles who busted are making $80m. Algholor got $22m.

There's a huge difference between $80m and $22m.

With $80m, we could probably sign Pittman, who would be a million times better on the team than a turnstile tackle.

What are you talking about? Which tackles got 80 million? 80 million guaranteed? Jonnu Smith is having a nice year with Atlanta. 47 catches so far And 500+ yards. Maybe the problem here was coaching. Algholorwas a joke of a signing from the outset. he had a reputation as having horrible hands in Philly.

 

[*ChungFu*]

He wanted to win with old school formula, strong D and running game. He won't budge. Yet, we have posters here claiming that only Belichick can lead us to the promised land while completely ignoring his recent below average record. Poor dudes aren't coping well.

There is a decent chance that a strong D and good running game will win this year's SB.

 

[IcyPatriot]

All this drama iMO is very sad ... Bill being treated like a dirty dishrag.
Sure ... many mistakes ... Bill's coaching ego is disappointing and Kraft is no poster boy either ...
His scoreboard and schmenzer come before the way overdue new training room.

But I digress ... team needs a new direction ... Bill needs to be treated with dignity.
He's too old to lead the do over ... he will need to finish his career elsewhere.

Kraft and his media minions .... what an ******* ...getting out ahead of the story.
That he has sucked Goodell's **** all these years ... hungry and desperate for the HOF before he croaks.
Bill has made many mistakes these past few years ... Kraft now known to be complicit in Brady's leaving.

Shame on him and all of you treating him like **** ... perhaps when you look in a mirror ... that's what you see.
Sport is a game .... humans deserve dignity ... none of the NFL is life ... it's just a sport and business.

 

[NormZauchin]

As bad as it looks for Bill, does Kraft really have the cajones to fire or "mutually part ways" with Bill after all he did for the franchise? Does he want bill to go to the chargers or bills and win a Super Bowl with Herbert or Allen? Then he'd be the guy who let Brady and Belichick leave on his watch only to have success elsewhere, and potentially doom his hall of fame chances.

Brady had success elsewhere. Will Belichick, who will be 72 when the 2024 season starts, find similar success with another team? If there is an ounce of truth in the article with regard to his staff management, one has to wonder what kind of coaching staff he can assemble with a new club.

 

[venecol]

As bad as it looks for Bill, does Kraft really have the cajones to fire or "mutually part ways" with Bill after all he did for the franchise? Does he want bill to go to the chargers or bills and win a Super Bowl with Herbert or Allen? Then he'd be the guy who let Brady and Belichick leave on his watch only to have success elsewhere, and potentially doom his hall of fame chances.

Kraft is considered to be a shrewd businessman. NFL is a business. Emotions aren't part of business decisions. Bill isn't winning a SB with anyone, that's not a thing. He's 100% going into the HOF.

 

[venecol]

People said the exact opposite when we got "stuck" with Jonnu Smith. They said we're saddled with that contract and the cap hits.

Just to be clear, the tackles who busted are making $80m. Algholor got $22m.

There's a huge difference between $80m and $22m.

With $80m, we could probably sign Pittman, who would be a million times better on the team than a turnstile tackle.

What tackle is making $40M/yr. More nonsense from you.

 

[upstater1]

What are you talking about? Which tackles got 80 million? 80 million guaranteed? Jonnu Smith is having a nice year with Atlanta. 47 catches so far And 500+ yards. Maybe the problem here was coaching. Algholorwas a joke of a signing from the outset. he had a reputation as having horrible hands in Philly.

Algholor's rep with Philly when he was young changed by the time he went to LA and got 800 yards, but I agree he isn't very good.

The problem has always been Mac Jones. This is why guys do better without him.

But yes, McGlinchey is contracted for $87.5m, $52m guaranteed, cap hits backloaded; Jawaan Taylor is at $80m with $60m guaranteed.

 

[skinnydog]

Algholor's rep with Philly when he was young changed by the time he went to LA and got 800 yards, but I agree he isn't very good.

The problem has always been Mac Jones. This is why guys do better without him.

But yes, McGlinchey is contracted for $87.5m, $52m guaranteed, cap hits backloaded; Jawaan Taylor is at $80m with $60m guaranteed.

I would have had no problem with the McGlinchey contract. He’s been ok for the Broncos and 17,500 per year is kind of the going rate for a R tackle and less than the tag number the Pats might give to Onwenu who is more guard than tackle. And years 4 and 5 come with a minimal cap hit if he is cut after the 2025 season.

 

[venecol]

There is a decent chance that a strong D and good running game will win this year's SB.

Yes, if BAL wins. But that's because of Lamar (#14 passing/#20 rushing). Dude is a unicorn.

 

[*ChungFu*]

Yes, if BAL wins. But that's because of Lamar (#14 passing/#20 rushing). Dude is a unicorn.

Him and SF and Philly. Although realistically they all have decent passing games too.

 

[Boomer B]

All this drama iMO is very sad ... Bill being treated like a dirty dishrag.
Sure ... many mistakes ... Bill's coaching ego is disappointing and Kraft is no poster boy either ...
His scoreboard and schmenzer come before the way overdue new training room.

But I digress ... team needs a new direction ... Bill needs to be treated with dignity.
He's too old to lead the do over ... he will need to finish his career elsewhere.

Kraft and his media minions .... what an ******* ...getting out ahead of the story.
That he has sucked Goodell's **** all these years ... hungry and desperate for the HOF before he croaks.
Bill has made many mistakes these past few years ... Kraft now known to be complicit in Brady's leaving.

Shame on him and all of you treating him like **** ... perhaps when you look in a mirror ... that's what you see.
Sport is a game .... humans deserve dignity ... none of the NFL is life ... it's just a sport and business.

WTF? I don’t think most of us who want to move in a new direction are treating him like ****. I’d say the vast majority of us would like the team to celebrate what he accomplished here. And let’s not act like Bill is some little boy everyone is picking on. He’s used his sources in the media before to get his narrative out. It’s the business he is in.

 

[venecol]

But yes, McGlinchey is contracted for $87.5m, $52m guaranteed, cap hits backloaded; Jawaan Taylor is at $80m with $60m guaranteed.

You were comparing Agholor's 2-yr $22M contract in 2021 (depressed cap) w/ 4 and 5 year contracts in 2023 when the cap went way up. Disingenuous much?

'21 Agholor: $11M/yr
'23 Taylor: $20M/yr
'23 McGlinchey: $17.5M/yr

What do you think a team is going to offer Onwenu? Franchise tag for OL is projected at $21.7M.

 

[venecol]

Him and SF and Philly. Although realistically they all have decent passing games too.

SF is #2 in passing & #3 in rushing. PHI is #16 in passing w/ a not so good defense. I don't see them making it.

Only teams in top 10 in rushing, passing, TOT defense, & PTS defense: SF, BUF.

 

[upstater1]

I would have had no problem with the McGlinchey contract. He’s been ok for the Broncos and 17,500 per year is kind of the going rate for a R tackle and less than the tag number the Pats might give to Onwenu who is more guard than tackle. And years 4 and 5 come with a minimal cap hit if he is cut after the 2025 season.

Broncos fans thing he is beyond awful. He's a turnstyle.

 

[bosox2398]

Kraft is considered to be a shrewd businessman. NFL is a business. Emotions aren't part of business decisions. Bill isn't winning a SB with anyone, that's not a thing. He's 100% going into the HOF

It's the only thing I could think of that could give Kraft pause on making the decision.

 

[RIpats88]

I keep hearing BB's going to go on the offense to keep his job next year when he meets with RK after the season, not sure what that means but RK has to do what's best for the team.

yeah i read that too from reiss. Not sure what that exactly means. but also not sure if a 72 year old is going to change his methods. seems the last few years have just been decisions of pettiness rather than "whats best for the team"

but all of this is on Bill and him being stubborn. had he hired a real OC to replace McDaniels we wouldn't be here. had he decided to actually put resources into the offense and not low round draft picks we might not be here.... had he let O'brien pick his own staff we may not be here. instead he sulked and hamstrung his OC and gave the offense garbage talent and said "here you go" and then acts surprised when the results are what they are.

i'm not an analyst. but i could tell you that Patricia/judge weren't going to work out. and I could tell in March that the tackles/receiving talent was poor.

fans on this board questioned when bill drafted defense-defense-defense knowing our gaping holes on offense...

Also, if you told me when they hired O'brien he wouldn't let him pick his staff and make him work with patricia guys I would look differently on that move as well. he never could fully implement what he wants to do.

all these failures are fairly obvious things...

 

[RIpats88]

Bill the coach is still good, bill the GM in hiring coaches/filling out his offensive roster/drafting is bottom in the league.

one caveat to all this is it's not like Bill has much longer in this league. maybe 2 years at best. he wants to beat Shula's record and retire. had he be running a competent organization it would be nice to have him retire here and have a normal transition. but we know the coaching staff is getting worse, the player talent is getting worse.

so, what are we holding on to? its not like he's going to be our coach/GM even 3 years from now. keep him for 2 years to just go .500 or worse and prolong the suffering because of past accomplishments? the band aid needs to be ripped off at some point. and its coming soon whether we like it or not. and with the dysfunction in the coaching staff/front office since 2019 (and its all on Bill) I don't see how we can survive another 2 years.

unless Bill can somehow convince kraft he really will change this time. he will value offense, and wont sulk and hamstring his OC because hes sad the fat scientist is gone.

we wouldn't even be having this conversation today if Bill acted like a normal/rational GM in filling out his offensive coaching staff/roster and really did "whats best for the team".

ignoring adding talent to the offensive side of the ball, hamstringing your OC, hiring DC/special teams coordinators to be an OC are moves by a bad GM than a competent one.

 

[Triumph]

Kraft is considered to be a shrewd businessman. NFL is a business. Emotions aren't part of business decisions. Bill isn't winning a SB with anyone, that's not a thing. He's 100% going into the HOF.

Anybody that brings coupons to Orchid Day Spa can run my business.

 

[h0c2000]

Bill has become the guy he is trying to surpass. In just about every report I have read about both men, his decline repeats what happened to Shula. Shula, too, wanted to be unchallenged. He hired his kids. The defense got ignored (as Bill has ignored offense).

It's not nice to say, but they both got....old. Not in their ability to process the game, but in their desire to 'deal with' anything.

Unfortunately, Bill has become a lesser version of the person he didn't want to be. Marv Levy.

 

[Triumph]

All this drama iMO is very sad ... Bill being treated like a dirty dishrag.
Sure ... many mistakes ... Bill's coaching ego is disappointing and Kraft is no poster boy either ...
His scoreboard and schmenzer come before the way overdue new training room.

But I digress ... team needs a new direction ... Bill needs to be treated with dignity.
He's too old to lead the do over ... he will need to finish his career elsewhere.

Kraft and his media minions .... what an ******* ...getting out ahead of the story.
That he has sucked Goodell's **** all these years ... hungry and desperate for the HOF before he croaks.
Bill has made many mistakes these past few years ... Kraft now known to be complicit in Brady's leaving.

Shame on him and all of you treating him like **** ... perhaps when you look in a mirror ... that's what you see.
Sport is a game .... humans deserve dignity ... none of the NFL is life ... it's just a sport and business.

Jerry Jones lucked out after firing HOF Tom Landry on the golf course.

Kraft wont be so fortunate.