Are Patriots Tanking or is this a “Bridge Year”?

[Grogan14]

I think they are tanking.
Patriots version of “the process” used by sixers

Evidence:

1. Signing Jacoby Brissett
2. Not addressing OL adequately in draft or free agency
3. Trading Judon
4. Drafting Maye who they know will take years to develop
5. Resigning their own average free agents to multiyear contracts
6. Hiring the most inexperienced head coach and DC in the league

I agree with the strategy. They desperately need infusion of blue chip talent over several years and top 5 picks is surest way to do this.

The attempt to sign Ridley or Aiyuk would not have moved the neeedle

Failure to prioritize OL rebuild is surest sign of tank

 

[Triumph]

This is a 3 year rebuild.

Why is that so difficult to grasp?

 

[archstanton543]

It's a rebuild not a tank.

 

[XLIX]

The term "bridge year" is rather vague.... it is tough to answer if this is a "bridge year" when I doubt we have a consensus regarding what the term itself means....

IMHO, this is not a bridge year because the plan is that we have out QB of the future on the team. If he's good, he'll play. If he sucks, he won't.

 

[PatsFan2]

I think they are tanking.
Patriots version of “the process” used by sixers

Evidence:

1. Signing Jacoby Brissett
2. Not addressing OL adequately in draft or free agency
3. Trading Judon
4. Drafting Maye who they know will take years to develop
5. Resigning their own average free agents to multiyear contracts
6. Hiring the most inexperienced head coach and DC in the league

I agree with the strategy. They desperately need infusion of blue chip talent over several years and top 5 picks is surest way to do this.

The attempt to sign Ridley or Aiyuk would not have moved the neeedle

Failure to prioritize OL rebuild is surest sign of tank

I'll take #1 Tank please.

 

[h0c2000]

Bridge decade is more like it.

 

[PWRxWLF]

Why would they be throwing around big trades and contract offers for WR's around the league if they were trying to tank? It's not that they are trying to tank, it's just that they don't really know what they are doing and are learning on the fly. Think of the FO like you think of Drake Maye. A project that will hopefully blossom quicker rather than later and lead this team back to greatness. If I see more too many/not enough guys on the field situations tonight though, I'm gonna have some questions.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Mayo and Wolf are providing the blueprint on how to get fired within two years.

 

[Spiral]

Their OL is probably the worst in the league. Their QB roster is probably bottom five. There is no WR1. They have maybe three above average NFL starters on their roster (Onwenu, Gonzales, Barmore). I think it's betwen Carolina and the Patriots for the worst team in the league. I wouldn't call it tanking--they're just a really bad team.

 

[PatsFan2]

They're so many good talented young Teams in the league we're so far from them on all levels. Even on Madden we're going to suck Patriots will always be an available Team no one is fighting over us.

 

[PatsFan2]

Their OL is probably the worst in the league. Their QB roster is probably bottom five. There is no WR1. They have maybe three above average NFL starters on their roster (Onwenu, Gonzales, Barmore). I think it's betwen Carolina and the Patriots for the worst team in the league. I wouldn't call it tanking--they're just a really bad team.

We haven't seen Year Two Bryce Young yet so let's reserve judgement. We are definitely the 32nd Ranked Team in the League with this recent move our Defense with Judon was not bad. Now the 32nd Ranked Offense coupled with the 32nd Ranked Defense all makings for the #1 Overall in 25. Wolf and Myo ain't taking any chances this time around I laugh but it hurts.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Its a rebuild. You can only fill so many needs without making unwise investments and digging your hole even deeper.

This year they prioritized qb and wr, while securing all their key younger pieces for the next 3-4 years. If the hit on qb and wr, thats great. If they hit there and 1 of the drafted OL , even better. Next year hopefully they can prioritize ot, edge, with cb too ideally.

Looks like they had a couple guys they were ok with spending on but they couldn’t land them. So they moved on and didn’t panic spend on a consolation. If anything i like the patience, its not going to happen overnight

 

[borg]

This is a 3 year rebuild.

Why is that so difficult to grasp?

Currently, this is the preseason of year 5 of the rebuild.

 

[Steve102]

Mayo and Wolf are providing the blueprint on how to get fired within two years.

I doubt it. These guys are going to get a long leash.

 

[XLIX]

IMHO....

The bad news for Wolf/Mayo is I think they indeed have 2 years to show improvement. The good news for Wolf/Mayo is the team they inherited was so bad that showing improvement should not be the hardest thing in the world. If they can manage 8 or 9 wins in 2025, that's a major improvement.

Compare that to Pete Carroll, who inherited a conference champion. The only way he could show "improvement" was to win it all. Instead the team went steadily downhill.

 

[Dec54]

Mayo and Wolf are providing the blueprint on how to get fired within two years.

Explain what this "blue print" is. Must have been hurridly put together considering we are not even out of pre season yet.

 

[Dec54]

We haven't seen Year Two Bryce Young yet so let's reserve judgement. We are definitely the 32nd Ranked Team in the League with this recent move our Defense with Judon was not bad. Now the 32nd Ranked Offense coupled with the 32nd Ranked Defense all makings for the #1 Overall in 25. Wolf and Myo ain't taking any chances this time around I laugh but it hurts.

My god you a happy bunch. Here's me thinking English soccer fans are a misserable lot, not so sure now.

 

[sb1]

our Defense with Judon was not bad.

Wasn't that good either.

 

[Thelonious]

It's a rebuild not a tank.

Exactly. And in a rebuild, you pay less attention to wins that to what is best for the team in a longer time frame than "the next game." You draft, develop, evaluate; then draft, develop and evaluate again. You gain picks: you don't waste them on some "knight in shining armor" WR who will be on the downside when you actually ARE competitive.

To me, that is the essence of it: you make every decision in the context of a longer time frame than "one game" - or even one season - "at a time." That's not "tanking" in my book: it's just smart.

 

[PatsFan2]

Wasn't that good either.

This one Fielded by Wolf and Mayo is going to be very wanting.