What's better in the long run?

[mgteich]

Gonzo, White, and Maye were all BPA. Looks like a good strategy over the last two years.

interesting

How many here think that Polk and Wallace were the BPA where they were picked?

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

interesting

How many here think that Polk and Wallace were the BPA where they were picked?

Neither was a BPA. Both were drafted based on positional need. I don't think either one will be exceptional. Maybe starters and competent, but there were other "better athletes" with more upside at both draft positions.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

You have to get the arrow pointing upward. We already had the cellar dweller season, I don’t think having 2 in a row is good for the locker room. While I don’t think people will start mailing it in I wouldn’t test it.

 

[VrabelJr]

interesting

How many here think that Polk and Wallace were the BPA where they were picked?

Hopefully nobody because that would be an obvious sign of poor football acumen. As I've said many times on this board before: we were playing poker with our cards face up for the first three rounds and got taken to task for it in the 2nd and 3rd by having runs on WRs and OTs happen right before us.

 

[Lavictoire]

You play your best to win. The fans come first. They want you to play your best in a competitive game. I dont want to watch three hours of tanking. If we lack weapons I understand and will root for the team even harder as an underdog. Ok I get it, the NFL is socialist like our country has become…reward lack of effort and failure and punish hard work and success. So lets fail is the plan? Its not honest and the fans are robbed as well as the teams integrity. It depends on your values I guess.

 

[TommyD4207]

Top 5, and it's cope from anyone saying otherwise.

They need 3 offensive linemen, minimum, probably 4, and you need the best possible talent. Any pick that isn't an offensive lineman in the 2025 draft is a wasted pick, because I have zero confidence they'll get a professional-level player in free agency. They did not do that this offseason.

 

[TommyD4207]

With two good tackles they could have won this division this year. Bare minimum made the playoffs and been a tough out depending on if Maye was playing and how well.

Putting all that aside, I always want to see them win. Rooting to lose is for losers.

This is the best post in the thread. 2 starting-level tackles and they'd be a playoff team, even with Brissett at QB. Right now, they have one offensive lineman that can be considered 'good', a center who is a wiley vet, but is clearly cooked, and runs in cement, and two guards and a left tackle that would struggle to get playing time in a major college program.

That's the game. That's potentially why Maye isn't playing.

It's malpractice and inexcusable that they went with this group at offensive line, and thought 'eh, that's good, we'll coach em up'.

You have to have the barest minimum of skill to be coached up. 3 players on that line cannot pass block. Even a little bit. And Andrews is about half the time.

Obviously I root for them to win, and everyone does, for the most part, I'd imagine, but that's not what this thread is about. 'What's better in the long run?" A top 5 pick, clearly.

 

[Huckleberry1]

The only time in the Kraft era that I wanted them to lose was December of last season, as they needed the pick to get a franchise QB. Now developing a winning culture is more important than higher picks, and imo Mayo is on the right track in that regard. They are playing hard, and so far they have been tough to beat, which is really what I’m looking for this season. So whether they are in or out of the playoff hunt I will root for them to win as many games as they can.

 

[Spiral]

The offensive line is terrible, and is probably going to get worse, with more losses at OT. Drafting high and getting a stud OT is the best medicine

 

[PatsFan2]

The only time in the Kraft era that I wanted them to lose was December of last season, as they needed the pick to get a franchise QB. Now developing a winning culture is more important than higher picks, and imo Mayo is on the right track in that regard. They are playing hard, and so far they have been tough to beat, which is really what I’m looking for this season. So whether they are in or out of the playoff hunt I will root for them to win as many games as they can.

We'll there will be more of yesterday if Jacoby is our Starter the little engine that couldn't. He's not the guy to get us over the hump against a very good Team. We were lucky against the Bengals.

 

[Steve102]

Winning. If you have a top pick, you still gotta learn to win. But...

 

[Toofy]

First and foremost, I’ll always root for wins up until the last couple games in a completely lost season (like last year), at which point you may as well hope for some good positioning if you’re looking for that blue chip piece. They were fortunate that they were able to get a prospect like Maye at #3.

Second, I also agree with the thought process that it provides a better pitch to free agents. We saw some FAs overlook this team, even when the money was good, because they want to get paid and also win games. You have to really blow them away to get them to come play on a loser team and even then, they might not. If you can show your trajectory of improvement over time, that you just barely missed the playoffs, and that your new QB looked good in the games he played and is on track for an even better 2025 - that will snag the attention of free agents, and we know they will want to spend big next year.

Having said all of that, who’s to say they can’t BE a playoff team? If they go to 2-0 today, then have the Jets on a short week on Thursday who have their own issues… 3-0 is possibly on the table, and then a Tua-less Miami in week 5 could have them at 4-1? Houston the next week will be tough, but then the schedule lightens up after that.

tee higgins should have us as first option . so better to get the wins and miss the playoff by an inch.

would be pleasantly surprised if we make playoffs with maye after brissett exits the 5th game due to injury and maye takes over for rest of season.

 

[TommyD4207]

tee higgins should have us as first option . so better to get the wins and miss the playoff by an inch.

would be pleasantly surprised if we make playoffs with maye after brissett exits the 5th game due to injury and maye takes over for rest of season.

What cope is this nonsense?

They wouldn't spend the money to get a quality upgrade on any player in the offseason, including wide receiver, and now suddenly Tee '28 million a year expected' Higgins will be coming here? As opposed to any other team with a functional passing game? Why would we be the first choice?

 

[Toofy]

What cope is this nonsense?

They wouldn't spend the money to get a quality upgrade on any player in the offseason, including wide receiver, and now suddenly Tee '28 million a year expected' Higgins will be coming here? As opposed to any other team with a functional passing game? Why would we be the first choice?

i am saying i would want us to play so well this year, so that tee higgins considers us as his 1st option.

 

[TommyD4207]

i am saying i would want us to play so well this year, so that tee higgins considers us as his 1st option.

The Patriots could win the Super Bowl by 50 points and not be his first option.

 

[Toofy]

The Patriots could win the Super Bowl by 50 points and not be his first option.

we will see that. we have the most cap space and ability to pay. and if we are a winning franchise what prevents him fro signing with us. i dont get your logic.

 

[TommyD4207]

we will see that. we have the most cap space and ability to pay. and if we are a winning franchise what prevents him fro signing with us. i dont get your logic.

We had by far the most cap space this year, and brought in absolutely nobody. That's my logic.

The excuses from the Patriots own front office was that players they supposedly targeted didn't want to come here.

That's my logic. Bob Kraft doesn't sign a Tee Higgins in free agency. The most expensive player they ever brought in was (rightfully) Stephon Gilmore, and they tried, through the media, to get him out of town as soon as the big bonuses started to kick in. Dude was DPOY one year, and should have been the year before.

 

[Toofy]

We had by far the most cap space this year, and brought in absolutely nobody. That's my logic.

The excuses from the Patriots own front office was that players they supposedly targeted didn't want to come here.

That's my logic. Bob Kraft doesn't sign a Tee Higgins in free agency. The most expensive player they ever brought in was (rightfully) Stephon Gilmore, and they tried, through the media, to get him out of town as soon as the big bonuses started to kick in. Dude was DPOY one year, and should have been the year before.

i think the fact that we have a losing record and taxachussets is probably pulling us down. but if maye ascends like stroud, which wide receiver FA wouldnt want to come here if the financials are attractive.

 

[Dec54]

Josh Allen plays reckless football with his body, If he keeps playing the way he has his entire career, odds are he is eventually going to suffer a longer-term injury.

With that said, If Josh Allen misses any number of games this year, I think the Pats CAN actually make the playoffs.

Thats wishful thinking.

 

[Huckleberry1]

We'll there will be more of yesterday if Jacoby is our Starter the little engine that couldn't. He's not the guy to get us over the hump against a very good Team. We were lucky against the Bengals.

They weren’t lucky against the Bengals, they played hard and the defense held when it had to.