3 needs, all filled, and the whining continues

[mgteich]

Hoping for the best. It does seem like other teams do much better at this draft thing. I guess it's more challenging without a QB. Maybe next year they get some impact talent? I'm fine riding with Brissett all season too.

Our impact talent was QB. Maye will start next year, completing the rebuild at QB, with a new #1 and #2.

Our WR corps was completely revamped, bringing in Osborn, Polk and Baker. The main thing missing is a high level #1. That could happen at any time, but next off-season makes more sense. We will add one or two WR's. We will do the complete overhaul in 2 seasons.

Our OL is in the midst of a 3 year rebuild. Sow and Andrews are keepers from last year. Hopefully, we added two more this year (3 if we re-up Okorafor. We'll complete the rebuild in the next draft. Impact talent is a matter of definition.

The BOTTOM LINE is that almost a complete rebuild of the Offense will be completed by next year, when we will acquire a top level WR and LT.

We will have signed talent that will greatly impact the team. I'm not sure that thre is more to do on Offense, other than sign a RB or two.
=========
We do need to focus on extending our top talent on Defense, and replacing the talent that leaves. That will be the major next step. I would hope that we sign a safety, at least for camp competition. I expect that next year that there will be of a draft focus on Defense, although we may still need a couple of OL's.
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BOTTOM LINE
IMO, we will have a 2 year rebuild. No, we are nowhere near being done. Major steps include a top WR and solidifying the OL.

 

[Real fan 02]

yes

It should. I like juju and I believe when healthy he can be a produc player. He just hasn't been able to stay healthy.

 

[Real fan 02]

Our impact talent was QB. Maye will start next year, completing the rebuild at QB, with a new #1 and #2.

Our WR corps was completely revamped, bringing in Osborn, Polk and Baker. The main thing missing is a high level #1. That could happen at any time, but next off-season makes more sense. We will add one or two WR's. We will do the complete overhaul in 2 seasons.

Our OL is in the midst of a 3 year rebuild. Sow and Andrews are keepers from last year. Hopefully, we added two more this year (3 if we re-up Okorafor. We'll complete the rebuild in the next draft. Impact talent is a matter of definition.

The BOTTOM LINE is that almost a complete rebuild of the Offense will be completed by next year, when we will acquire a top level WR and LT.

We will have signed talent that will greatly impact the team. I'm not sure that thre is more to do on Offense, other than sign a RB or two.
=========
We do need to focus on extending our top talent on Defense, and replacing the talent that leaves. That will be the major next step. I would hope that we sign a safety, at least for camp competition. I expect that next year that there will be of a draft focus on Defense, although we may still need a couple of OL's.
========
BOTTOM LINE
IMO, we will have a 2 year rebuild. No, we are nowhere near being done. Major steps include a top WR and solidifying the OL.

I'm on board! You said it spot on. The impact was the QB position. As wretched as the play was from it past 2 seasons it's going to be a great thing to watch maye. It's something about him... he has about his personality, that I feel will help him as his acclimate to the NFL. AVP and McAdoo who are great with QBs will develop maye the right way.

Barmore is in talks to be extended so that's huge for the defense. We re-uped Dugger, Jennings, uche. I'd like to see an extension done for my guy peppers as well. O line we have some moving parts ,but everything will be determined in camp.

So to your point 2024 is year 1 of the 2 year rebuild.

 

[Toofy]

I’m perfectly content with drafting Polk and Baker. There are always receiver gems hidden beyond the second round. One if not both of these guys could become very productive receivers.

If both suck we can revisit the choices but I think the idea to snag two talented players was a really good choice. I’m more underwhelmed by the OL choices but at least they targeted OT and are attempting to find improvements there.

I’m okay with how the draft has gone, maybe even pleased with it.

Agree. When you look at it collectively I am happy with the wide receiver picks . If both pan out we have a great core of young receivers for next 3 years in DD, Polk and Baker.

As for OT I am underwhelmed . We just seem to be taking chances on players who are borderline contributors and not elite . It's the third year in a row where we have spent quite a fortune on low ranked Olinemen and nothing gives me confidence that this will pan out.

2022 - Chasen Hines, Andrew Steuber and Cole Strange
2023 - Antonio Mafi, Sidy Sow, Jake Andrews
2024 - Layden Robinson and Caeden Wallace

No point sticking on with the low picks and swinging them on olinemen. Better to probably package and trade up.

We just seem to be overarching for offensive linemen because we are not able to trade up for the ones we need.

We would need to draft defense next year, so not sure how many offense picks would be possible next year.

 

[BHPatriot]

I'm just happy to be free from the bizarre drafting strategy that plagued this organization for years. Even if Wolf is just mediocre, it is a huge step up. I'm cautiously optimistic for the first time in years. Of course, it mostly hinges on Maye.

 

[Thelonious]

This draft was far too risk-averse for a team this bad. Many, perhaps most, teams which have fallen as low as the Patriots have languish in mediocrity for years, typically as a result of focusing not on rebuilding to excellence but on avoiding being a bottom-of-the-barrel team. The present "leadership group" is a gaggle of happy-talking nice guy weaklings, castoffs who never really amounted to much in the management of other teams, and go-along-to-get-along nullities. It will likely take two or three wasted years for their mediocrity to become obvious enough to the Krafts that they might realize they need a group far more aggressive and far more competent.

The team will be somewhat better next year than it was last year. Congratulations. Enjoy.

 

[archstanton543]

The team will be somewhat better next year than it was last year. Congratulations. Enjoy.

This is the beginning of a long rebuild. All you want to see the next two years is incremental positive improvement. If there's going to be a leap, it's going to be in Year 3 when this year's draft class matures into the players they're going to be.

 

[PatsFan2]

I would've been ok with Paul at #34, who was already my next-favorite LT besides Suamataia.

Here are the two main roads that Yesterday should've travelled:

- Paul / Suamataia at 37, then either Polk himself or his teammate McMillan, or Roman Wilson, at 68;

- Adonai Mitchell at 37, then Yale Left Tackle Kieran Amagadjie at 68.

AD Mitchell is a body catcher cap I hate WR's who do that give me my hands catchers 24/7.

 

[Thelonious]

This is the beginning of a long rebuild. All you want to see the next two years is incremental positive improvement. If there's going to be a leap, it's going to be in Year 3 when this year's draft class matures into the players they're going to be.

I certainly agree this will be a multi-year rebuild and have said so all along, but it could also be a multi-year waste of time mired in mediocrity. The way to avoid the latter is to be more aggressive in accepting downside risk as necessary to emphasizing upside potential in draft selections. It is clear that that is not happening. The weak sauce approach this group will apparently embrace does ensures that we will fall no further. It equally ensures that we will not build toward excellence and that we may not significantly improve at all.

 

[PatsFan2]

This is the beginning of a long rebuild. All you want to see the next two years is incremental positive improvement. If there's going to be a leap, it's going to be in Year 3 when this year's draft class matures into the players they're going to be.

Won't be long if these guys pan out Maye - Polk and Baker. Maye the force be with us.

 

[Thelonious]

Won't be long if these guys pan out Maye - Polk and Baker. Maye the force be with us.

It is certainly the case that "it's going to be in Year 3 when this year's draft class matures into the players they're going to be." The question, of course, is what exactly will they turn out to be, and that results not from a generic cheery optimism but from the quality of the process - the degree of aggression, imaginativeness, boldness - brought to bear in their selection in the first place. If you play it safe and choose sure-thing mediocrities you get - sure enough - fully formed mediocrities three or so years later.

 

[BHPatriot]

It is certainly the case that "it's going to be in Year 3 when this year's draft class matures into the players they're going to be." The question, of course, is what exactly will they turn out to be, and that results not from a generic cheery optimism but from the quality of the process - the degree of aggression, imaginativeness, boldness - brought to bear in their selection in the first place. If you play it safe and choose sure-thing mediocrities you get - sure enough - fully formed mediocrities three or so years later.

Belichick gave you imagination and boldness, but not in a good way. Based on BB's draft day analysis of Drake Maye, he doesn't seem like a fan. If he was still the GM, and unless the Krafts put a gun to his head, he probably would have traded down or picked McCarthy. Either of those moves would have me less excited than I am today. These guys knew enough to do the obvious move, which is not necessarily a bad thing. We all know by now, it's mainly about the QB. KC is not winning Super Bowls because of their superior front office.

 

[State]

As for OT I am underwhelmed

It may still work out this season, but LT is a major red flag with this team. Lots of bodies to work out there. But will one emerge?

Calvin Anderson could become one of the key cogs. Then again he may collapse, dead, on the field from his mysterious ailment that allegedly almost killed him.

My LT1 of the draft was not Alt but the Penn State kid. So Caedan Wallace would have been a LT at 99% of college programs. So there’s that, too.

We must have better coaching with OL. Last year was a drama city crapshow where a player had to take over because one coach quit and one is incompetent.

 

[Toofy]

It may still work out this season, but LT is a major red flag with this team. Lots of bodies to work out there. But will one emerge?

Calvin Anderson could become one of the key cogs. Then again he may collapse, dead, on the field from his mysterious ailment that allegedly almost killed him.

My LT1 of the draft was not Alt but the Penn State kid. So Caedan Wallace would have been a LT at 99% of college programs. So there’s that, too.

We must have better coaching with OL. Last year was a drama city crapshow where a player had to take over because one coach quit and one is incompetent.

Who was the coach ferentz ?

 

[ivanvamp]

Folks wanted our future QB, a WR and an OT. We did all three while making our 5th a 4th. For me, I couldn't have expected more, although my personal preference was a CB at 37 instead of a WR.
================================
The QB is who we wanted and who the staff wanted. They will be given plenty of time to develop him. He is our QB for 2024-2026. We will evaluate him and make a decision whether to pick up his 5th year option, as we did with Jones, and the either extend or him or try again in the 2027 draft. The Jones choice at 15 didn't work out. The major failure was the poor coaching. With better coaching, we likely would still have drafted a QB this year, and Jones would have the bridge instead of Brissette. We took our turn at the golden ring. Only one of the QB's worked out.

The WR was one of a dozen WR's rated as having 2nd round value. The staff knows him well and will make sure that he doesn't fail. His ceiling is obviously TBD. But he is very unlikely to be a Shuster, a Parker or a Thornton.

The OT is a disappointment in that many of us wanted us to get a Guyton or Mims. We were OK with using 68 to move up to get one of the two, or perhaps even Morgan. Apparently, Wolf tried, but it takes two, so we settled for getting a WR and a developmental OT. He could be a future starter at almost any one of the line positions, or he could be a top backup, or he could be dud who doesn't work out after 2-3 years of trying. However, I am fine with waiting after the top 8 were gone. We took an OT rated lower than others. However, we also have higher rated WR than if we had drafted an OT in the 2nd and a WR in the 3rd.

BOTTOM LINE
Wolf did what he needed to do. And he has a chance at two more solid picks early in the 4th (instead of one).

Yep.

Pats needed a QB: Drafted Maye. CHECK
Pats needed OL help: Drafted a good OT and good OG. Neither is all-world, but they're both good. CHECK
Pats needed a WR or two: Drafted Polk (who is excellent) and Baker (who many believe can be a true WR1). CHECK

In addition, they added a backup QB with potential in Milton, a good cover CB who will most likely be a solid FS, and then a FB/TE hybrid who is dangerous with the ball and can block.

Obviously it's not a PERFECT draft. I'd have preferred a different tackle, but oh well. The guys they got are good. I can envision Maye throwing to Polk and Baker for years putting up big numbers with these guys.

Overall, I'm a big, big fan of this draft. Of course, we haven't seen any of them play in the NFL so who knows. But at this point in time, I'm very happy with what the Pats did.

 

[50-yard-line]

This "slow Polk" stuff is just absurd. The list of guys in his speed class (.05 before or after) is long and tremendous.

I think Mitchell is more physically talented, sure, but Mitchell is a potential problem and a young, rebuilding team needs to avoid that stuff.

I watched Washington all year and I'm pleased with the Polk pick, especially after reading the beat guys who saw him and know about his visits.

On the OT...we'll see.

The grade from me is, as always, INCOMPLETE...but off the cuff, C+. I get tired of hearing the "no takers" crap when other teams are moving all over the board. Even if they wanted the guys they got at 37 and 68, there were blue chip D guys to snag in the second. They've got a thick roster of young potentials now and you can't keep them all. Trade up.

I do admit, however, that I really like the Baker, Milton, and Bell picks, and I hope AVP uses Bell as a FB.

 

[Thelonious]

Belichick gave you imagination and boldness, but not in a good way. Based on BB's draft day analysis of Drake Maye, he doesn't seem like a fan. If he was still the GM, and unless the Krafts put a gun to his head, he probably would have traded down or picked McCarthy. Either of those moves would have me less excited than I am today. These guys knew enough to do the obvious move, which is not necessarily a bad thing. We all know by now, it's mainly about the QB. KC is not winning Super Bowls because of their superior front office.

The idea that who is running the team does not matter is of course ridiculous. KC is winning largely, as you imply, because they have Mahomes.They have Mahomes because they acted in a bold, imaginative, aggressive manner to get him - and all the other excellent players they acquired as his teammates. Can you really claim we have the same sort of leadership? I see no evidence of that in connection with the draft or otherwise. What is the empirical basis of your optimism?

As for Belichick. I cared no more about his difficult and displeasing manner than I care about Mayo's sweetie-pie ******** nor the pleasing manner of others now in leadership, which is to say, not at all. At least Belichick kept his yap shut when he had nothing to say. I advocated for Bill's firing not because of his displeasing manner but because of his abysmal work in recent years, mostly as GM. We did not need someone nicer; we needed someone better. Do we have that now? I see no evidence to this point that we do.

I have no beef with the Maye experiment, by the way, chalky though it was, though I might have preferred Daniels. My concern relates largely to subsequent picks, in which leadership showed no imagination or boldness whatsoever.

 

[RobertWeathers]

The idea that who is running the team does not matter is of course ridiculous. KC is winning largely, as you imply, because they have Mahomes.They have Mahomes because they acted in a bold, imaginative, aggressive manner to get him - and all the other excellent players they acquired as his teammates. Can you really claim we have the same sort of leadership? I see no evidence of that in connection with the draft or otherwise. What is the empirical basis of your optimism?

As for Belichick. I cared no more about his difficult and displeasing manner than I care about Mayo's sweetie-pie ******** nor the pleasing manner of others now in leadership, which is to say, not at all. I advocated for Bill's firing not because of his displeasing manner but because of his abysmal work in recent years, mostly as GM. We did not need someone nicer; we needed someone better. Do we have that now? I see no evidence to this point that we do.

Agree but you also don't see evidence we have NOT upgraded over BB's personnel decisions/organization.

Quite frankly there is nowhere to go but up after a 4-13 season and with the exception of a handful of players mediocre talent permeates throughout the roster.

 

[Sect140]

Whining about the draft or stating it was a success is crazy when the draft ended yesterday. This thread should be put on hold until the conclusion of the 2025 season then we can talk about if the draft was a success or a failure. LOL!

 

[BHPatriot]

The idea that who is running the team does not matter is of course ridiculous. KC is winning largely, as you imply, because they have Mahomes.They have Mahomes because they acted in a bold, imaginative, aggressive manner to get him - and all the other excellent players they acquired as his teammates. Can you really claim we have the same sort of leadership? I see no evidence of that in connection with the draft or otherwise. What is the empirical basis of your optimism?

As for Belichick. I cared no more about his difficult and displeasing manner than I care about Mayo's sweetie-pie ******** nor the pleasing manner of others now in leadership, which is to say, not at all. I advocated for Bill's firing not because of his displeasing manner but because of his abysmal work in recent years, mostly as GM. We did not need someone nicer; we needed someone better. Do we have that now? I see no evidence to this point that we do.

I did not say the front office was irrelevant. Also, I pointed out why I prefer Wolf over Belichick by outlining what I think Belichick would have done with the number three pick. Not because I think Wolf is nicer.

I believe there were 28 trades during the draft so each team made an average of 1.75 trades. Patriots made 1 trade. And the smart move was not trading out of the number three pick.