3 needs, all filled, and the whining continues

[Thelonious]

You don't know anything about him other than his public achievements. He's just word-salading his press concrescences.

Indeed he is.

 

[Wozzy]

So: media and writers: A or B, with us having missed on picks 2, 3 and 4

I'm with the media and writers

This is confusing sentence, not sure what you mean.

 

[rochrist]

at least he is fast at something, because he is not fast at running!

Do we have to list yet again the list of top shelf NFL WRs with slower or comparable 40 times?

 

[TheRainMaker]

Not sure why we continue to look for validation on who they picked on draft day. The real grades will come out when they step onto the field.

 

[mgteich]

Part of the reason for the complete collapse of Jones was a terrible OL that started the last two seasons so bad at pass protect that he took massive shots/hits early in the season and in games (or getting the offense in constant 2d and longs due to penalties), speeding up his clock and leading to a complete dissolution of whatever little ability he had to run an offense, process reads, and deliver the ball to his own team.

There's been little done to address that other than the Steelers' RT signing (a known quantity vs the drafted kid). Mafi is still a poor pass protector. Sow was better. LT is a volume solution and so is RT frankly unless they keep Onwenu there which just changes the problem set (is Strange healthy - and he's a slow starter and frankly inconsistent every year either through injuries or just in general).

BL: there's nothing to change the impact to the mental aspects of QB play that are critical to success and require confidence in the OL to be capitalized upon should the defense continue to play well for this team. And by the time that the OL is addressed, that defense is likely very different as well.

With regard to Okorafor, I agree that he is not a long-term starter, but he is indeed a known quantity, have played both tackle positions. I think that he started at LT for a couple of years. Okorafor may not even be our 2024 starter. He is a known quantity and could be our swing OT.

To me, it is obvious that we are better off at LT than when we finished the year with Lowe starting. Anderson is apparently healthy and we add Okorafor. Wallace will even compete for reps. And that doesn't include the possibility of Wheatley or Lowe making the roster.

LEFT TACKLE
So, we put a patch on the LT for 2024 with Okorafor, Anderson, Wallace, Wheatley, Lowe and even McDermott all possible roster players, with Steuber in his continuing position on the Practice Squad.

I think that this is a great job. We will certainly address LT again next off-season, looking for our 5-10 year starter.

 

[Real fan 02]

In the hunt for a first round exit, maybe.

The thing is, you don't know how things would have played out with a different offense. All the scores and down and distances in every game would change making it impossible to speculate how those games would have played out.

Ok. I'll say this Russell Wilson had 24-8 his numbers for 2023, had mac/Zapp had that production we win at least 9 games. It's not much of a speculation really it's just really saying adequate QB play would have garnered us much more wins.. the QB position was so bad it led to 4-13 and a mutual parting of ways...

 

[mgteich]

This is confusing sentence, not sure what you mean.

You believe that we could have done better with our 2nd through 4th picks. Did I misunderstand you?

If the media agreed, then their grades would likely have been lower.

 

[Wozzy]

Do we have to list yet again the list of top shelf NFL WRs with slower or comparable 40 times?

I have no problem with the two WR’s they drafted, they’re such similar athletes they could be brothers.

I also have an issue with Wolf saying prior to the draft the team needed an X receiver, that the team didn’t have one on the roster.. serious shot to Tyquan there. But then Wolf doesn’t draft a single X receiver… kind of like Mayo saying they were going to burn some cash them…. not so much.

Javon was taken where his talent dictated he be taken, in the 4th round. Polk was a massive overreach, it’s not the player it’s the draft position.

 

[Wozzy]

You believe that we could have done better with our 2nd through 4th picks. Did I misunderstand you?

If the media agreed, then their grades would likely have been lower.

Then the media are morons.

Like Borg pointed out a page back, that one site gave out ten A grades… give me a break.

 

[rochrist]

Regarding Maye and his horrendous footwork, I liken it to Scottie Scheffler’s footwork when he hits his driver though Scheffler doesn’t have a bevy of 300 pounders after him.
My question is why, after so many years of coaching, football camps, and all the exposure these big time college QBs have with throwing gurus and such…..why hasn’t he been able to fix it and why should we be confident this next wave of coaches will do any better?

Because he hasn't actually been playing that long.

 

[rochrist]

I have no problem with the two WR’s they drafted, they’re such similar athletes they could be brothers.

I also have an issue with Wolf saying prior to the draft the team needed an X receiver, that the team didn’t have one on the roster.. serious shot to Tyquan there. But then Wolf doesn’t draft a single X receiver… kind of like Mayo saying they were going to burn some cash them…. not so much.

Javon was taken where his talent dictated he be taken, in the 4th round. Polk was a massive overreach, it’s not the player it’s the draft position.

Most of the scouting reports seem to think Baker is or can be an X. Averaged 21.9 yards per catch. I believe that was best in FBS.

 

[Wozzy]

Most of the scouting reports seem to think Baker is or can be an X. Averaged 21.9 yards per catch. I believe that was best in FBS.

Pro football is another animal entirely, I think both could turn into solid receivers… especially if Maye becomes a stud.

Ultimately the team will have to play someone at that X position, Bourne, Osborn and both rookies will have to play and have some tools to succeed out there. There’s also an outside possibility Thornton puts it together in year three, but year three is where my patience ends.

 

[Real fan 02]

Part of the reason for the complete collapse of Jones was a terrible OL that started the last two seasons so bad at pass protect that he took massive shots/hits early in the season and in games (or getting the offense in constant 2d and longs due to penalties), speeding up his clock and leading to a complete dissolution of whatever little ability he had to run an offense, process reads, and deliver the ball to his own team.

There's been little done to address that other than the Steelers' RT signing (a known quantity vs the drafted kid). Mafi is still a poor pass protector. Sow was better. LT is a volume solution and so is RT frankly unless they keep Onwenu there which just changes the problem set (is Strange healthy - and he's a slow starter and frankly inconsistent every year either through injuries or just in general).

BL: there's nothing to change the impact to the mental aspects of QB play that are critical to success and require confidence in the OL to be capitalized upon should the defense continue to play well for this team. And by the time that the OL is addressed, that defense is likely very different as well.

I agree. There have been some additions obviously in FA and the draft but until we actually see the group take place hard to see what the O line actually looks like outside Andrews and ownenu.

It was a huge problem for Mac, on top of the other issues Mac had where it just ultimately affected him mentally where he felt he couldn't trust what he was seeing.

Defense is the constant here. Our defense gets constantly overlooked. A great group of guys whom all play well together and for each other.

We retained guys we identified as not only good patriots player but guys that are part of the culture. Henry, Bourne, Jennings, Dugger, ownenu, uche for example.

With Maye he physically can do things Mac couldn't. He can throw on the run, he can break the pocket if the play isn't there.. he can throw guys open. Now of course he Is absolutely going to need to be protected up front.

 

[moosekill]

They suck at drafting and recognizing talent... I don't think you see the actual problem.

Perhaps it is you who sucks at recognizing talent. Even BGC who does more work at this than any of the other posters here still only gets a fraction of the information that the teams get. This is a multi billion dollar industry, these teams invest huge amounts in these players and even they don't come up with consensus. Thinking you know way more than the people entrusted making these decisions is the height of idiocy.

 

[rochrist]

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.

I thought he was pretty fair on Maye. Had a lot of criticisms (mostly spot-on), also some effusive praise.

 

[rochrist]

If they thought Polk was so great why did they trade down from 34?

Because they knew he'd still be there and they were able to move up from 137 to 110 by doing it. Duh.

 

[rochrist]

A tough schedule again this year will mitigate that success.

It isn't tougher than last year's schedule.

 

[RxJock1120]

Why is it that everyone who disagrees with the Pats decisions is immediately labeled as whiner?
For example, I though that we did well filling the position we needed, but would have prefered Troy Franklin over Ja'Lynn Polk. Am I whinning, no just disagree with the player chosen.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

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.

I completely disagree with this take.

When you are lacking talent like we did you just not swing for the fences on every pick. That’s just stupid. You need to establish a base line. You need to pick safe player that you know that even if they don’t reach their max ceiling are still good players.

Maye was the swing for the fences. They added two safer pick at WR with guys that are football players they have strong hands with a great catch radius that will help compensate some of Maye inaccuracies.

Next year will be a good time to take risks and be aggressive. This year just wasn’t.

 

[rochrist]

Why is it that everyone who disagrees with the Pats decisions is immediately labeled as whiner?
For example, I though that we did well filling the position we needed, but would have prefered Troy Franklin over Ja'Lynn Polk. Am I whinning, no just disagree with the player chosen.

It's one thing to just say 'well, I think I disagree on that pick, I might have prefered X', it's another to scream 'This sux, these picks are OBVIOUSLY terrible, these guys are MORONS!!1!11!'

We get too much of the latter.