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

[Wozzy]

But he did have an injury. And his sample size is only 4 games, which is never indicative of future success. A lot of people are acting like he's going to come back and we just have a defacto All Pro defensive back.

If he’s healthy… yes, highly likely.

The defensive front has to be good and creates pressure. The offense has to at least be middling.

Stephon Gilmore looked very ordinary in Buffalo, it’s a team game ultimately. Gonzo just has to stay healthy and continue working hard at his craft.

 

[Wozzy]

And who is judon's replacement Wozzy?? Uche sucks without Judon - Wise sucks without Judon. I think our CBs including Gonzo are going blow also without him. We are playing some of the Best WR's in the league in 24 without a pass rush get your popcorn ready.

Jennings is just as good at edge defense as Judon. He has to make a jump as a pass rusher and so does Keion White. Uche needs to get and stay healthy.

Part of a good pass rush is also dependent on our offense being able to score and put opponents in situations where our D can pin their ears back and pass rush.

 

[Ring 6]

It's a rebuild not a tank.

A rebuild would mean that you gradually upgrade the team. They didn’t upgrade at all and left 50,000,000 unspent.

 

[Ring 6]

No tanking. They will struggle despite putting in a good faith effort.

Not tanking on the field, but tanking by making the product on the field so poor that it can’t win.

 

[JohnJH]

If the winds are favorable (the decision makers make the right moves and good player health, etc.), this is a 3 to 4 year rebuild (with this being Year1). So long as Maye stays healthy, continues to improve and hopefully becomes the QB that we hope he can be (Elite), then it's just a matter of building the offense around him (OL/OL Talent, Running Game/RB Talent, Passing Game/Receiving Talent, and the same regarding the defense), and mix in competent coaching/game planning, and this team will rebound to contender status. It usually doesn't happen overnight. As with life in general, there will be a lot of "Ifs" that need to happen. By virtue of lack of talent on the OL and elsewhere, this team will end up drafting in the Top 5 (if not Top 3, or 1st Overall). And, if the talent ends up being there 2 seasons from now, but Mayo and/or the rest of the coaching staff aren't cutting it, having the talent in place will lure a solid HC candidate who can use the talent acquired to take the team to where we want it to be.

 

[TomPatriot]

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

 

[TheRainMaker]

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

So Bob is eager to get back to the playoffs, yet gives an inexperienced HC a long leash? That I doubt. Owners change their minds if nothing improves.

 

[Triumph]

How is this different from Andy's project 2027 thread?

And for the record....I am thinking playoffs, baby! LFG!!

More people have bought in to the Project 2027 concept and they have started their own movement in honor of its founder..

 

[TheRainMaker]

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

Look around the league at bad franchises and you’ll find the answer. This Franchise is dysfunctional.

You’re new here, but posters thought this roster and coaching staff were good last season and I had to give them a rude awakening it was among the worst in the NFL. I got the usual resistance from this board. Yet here we are. It’s really not that difficult to see if you watch other NFL teams.

 

[TomPatriot]

And who is judon's replacement Wozzy?? Uche sucks without Judon - Wise sucks without Judon. I think our CBs including Gonzo are going blow also without him. We are playing some of the Best WR's in the league in 24 without a pass rush get your popcorn ready.

I loved watching Judon play, but at 32 I wouldn’t have extended him. A likely top 75-80 overall pick is pretty decent comp.

I guess Keion White is his replacement.

 

[Vindicate]

I really don't see why people fuss so hard about the unspent money, I'm failing to understand on WHO that could've been spent that would've actually been worth it. There was no single player that'd evolve the offense to a competitive level, the pickings were slim for the positions of most need, I just truly do not get it.

 

[203Pat]

For some reason people are thinking this is year five of the rebuild. It isn't. This is year one and they're pretty much playing by the textbook. Identify the guys on the roster you want to keep, supplement a few spots on the roster through free agency, including a veteran bridge QB, draft a rookie QB high, get what you can for anyone who won't be part of the long term future of the team.

Year one is basically the tear down and the development year for the young guys. Year two will be getting aggressive to surround the young QB with talent. Year three will be the make or break year for the coach and/or quarterback.

 

[borg]

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

Hire neophyte coaches
Entrust a 'run first' OC to develop the team's future QB starter
Ignore OL
Sign JAGcoby Brissett to be QB1
Financially reward the core of a 4 win team
Jettison talent
Whiff on FA WRs

 

[Triumph]

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

Solid lineup Bridge year and all.

 

[Triumph]

Hire neophyte coaches
Entrust a 'run first' OC to develop the team's future QB starter
Ignore OL
Sign JAGcoby Brissett to be QB1
Financially reward the core of a 4 win team
Jettison talent
Whiff on FA WRs

 

[Real fan 02]

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

Owenu, peppers and dugger are premium NFL players wouldn't call them average at the least. The media talking heads if you allow them to occupy your time will lead you to believe the sky's falling.

The message is clear. They drafted Drake to be developed correctly and using this season to establish the new regime, allowing mayo to go through a season as a HC, learn from mistakes ect. Judon and the organization came to a stalemate. It was going to end up coming to this. Operating without an official agent should be a learning experience for Judon. All he has to do is ask Godchaux. I'm going to root for them each game as I always have win or lose.. this year is all about going forward.. looking completive.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

So Bob is eager to get back to the playoffs, yet gives an inexperienced HC a long leash? That I doubt. Owners change their minds if nothing improves.

I don't think the coaching staff/FO will be judged on the record this year, maybe even next. If Kraft just mindlessly wanted to go back to the playoffs they wouldn't have $50M cap space left. I think the key for them is selling Kraft that the team is progressing.

I think what gets them fired quick would be if they go 4-13 again or something like that, but no one is developing. Like on the OL, if it ends up being Okorafor/Sow/Andrews/Leverett/Onwenu and Wallace/Robinson/Strange all look lost and it feels like a jumbled mess going forward. And at WR if none of the young guys really play well and it's Bourne/Osborn dominating the snap counts and leaving us feeling like we're still close to starting over at WR next year. And of course if Maye plays poorly if they throw him out there and looks lost and/or earns bad practice reviews. So on and so forth.

Heck, even if a bunch of the vets play well like I mentioned where Brissett has one of those random good bridge QB years, Bourne/Osborn play solid at WR, and 1 year vet signings Okorafor/Leverett stabilize the OL and they squeak out 7 wins, I think Kraft grades that more negatively than if they go 4-13 with a lot of young player progress.

 

[mgteich]

I really don't see why people fuss so hard about the unspent money, I'm failing to understand on WHO that could've been spent that would've actually been worth it. There was no single player that'd evolve the offense to a competitive level, the pickings were slim for the positions of most need, I just truly do not get it.

We have lots of money because the league decided to have a huge increase in the 2024 cap, allowing lots more top and medium vets to be re-signed.

 

[KCSVEN]

Pretty obvious it is a rebuild. Also, obvious they don't care what the record is in 2024, which is different than actively trying to have the worst record in 2024. You don't go to great lengths for Calvin Ridley and then Aiyuk if you are trying to lose as many game as possible. So tanking is probably the wrong word though I've used it. They are solely focused on where they will be in 2025, if it helps them in 2024 also then great, but they are not doing anything that will affect what they can do in 2025 to help 2024.

The only thing giving an inkling of an actual tank is the handling of Drake Maye, the sooner they play him the sooner they win some games. Are they just afraid of injury or is that a tank?
Maybe, because anyone that thinks he needs time before he starts game is 100% wrong.

 

[borg]

The message is clear. They drafted Drake to be developed correctly

By AVP

and using this season to establish the new regime, allowing mayo to go through a season as a HC, learn from mistakes ect. J

An on-the-job training program for HC Jerod?
His celebrity summer internship at Optum wasn't enough?

Captain Bligh made a few mistakes as HC of the Bounty..........and his crew was very reasonable when racking up a string of losses.