Cool Link Bedard’s magnum opus

[Vindicate]

Bedard: Dear Robert and Jonathan, here's a reality check on the state of the Patriots

To cut to the chase: you guys are on a long losing streak with the fanbase, and you are on the precipice of losing all the goodwill you built up for more than 20 years. The choices you make in the next month will determine whether this franchise ascends back to its rightful place as one of the...

www.bostonsportsjournal.com

Titled “Dear Robert and Jonathan, here’s a reality check”…

"ruined a good asset in Mac Jones"

Huh. Weird definition of a good asset lol but most of the stuff I agree with.

I will say, I don't know if jettisoning Belichick over Brady would've produced much else, right? This team was in hell by that point. I don't know if it could've flipped to a win-now situation just by keeping Brady (although we would've won more, for sure). I feel like leaving it at that would be reductionist. The team around Brady was **** on almost all levels except a defense that was soon to fold against good offenses in the next year.

The Bucs had almost every position on the offense already settled and strong.

Interesting to think about how different it would've been, if at all. Would it have been a slower flare out? Would we have developed a QB on Mac and maybe miss out on Maye? That's where the pondering gets sexy.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

The OC job with Pats is considered “not desrable” by top candidates. Can you get someone better than AVP to take the job reporting to Mayo. I am not so sure.

I agree. Noone is going to quit their existing job for a 1 year job working for Wolf and Mayo. That is why 10+ candidates turned them down in 2024.

By the way, after yesterday, I am beginning to think run stuffing DT is as much of a need as WR and OL

Need a DT, MLB, and FS. Three good players right down the middle.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Need a DT, MLB, and FS. Three good players right down the middle.

This right here. Print it and staple it to Wolf's desk.

 

[Zuma]

I agree. Noone is going to quit their existing job for a 1 year job working for Wolf and Mayo. That is why 10+ candidates turned them down in 2024.

Which is another reason I think AVP stays even if their is a change at HC.

 

[TommyD4207]

Nobody should be fired.

Not Mayo, AVP or Covington. Not Wolfe or Groh.

The Pats currently pick # 2. After the 2025 season heads can roll. Then you can truly judge the 2025 FA period and 2025/2024 drafts. Plus, the coaching improvement or decline.

I would stay the course.

You can't waste another year of drake maye going 3-14. Those people had the chance to build and lead a team collectively, and they failed spectacularly, blowing it on the most epic of scales. You don't give those same people the keys for another year - especially since they were a big part of the problem previously.

This was the "It's all Bill's fault" attempt at a rebuild.

 

[Ross12]

Which is another reason I think AVP stays even if their is a change at HC.

If I was Kraft and I was dead-set on keeping Mayo, I would do the below:

1. Keep AVP to provide continuity for Maye and see how AVP himself improves as a playcaller next year
2. Fire Covington
3. Bring in an experienced defensive coordinator. Probably easier to replace DC than OC
4. Spend bigly - Tee Higgins (WR), Jevon Holland (S), Nick Bolton (LB), Ronnie Stanley (LT), Josh Sweat (DE), Trey Smith (G)
5. Secure #2 or #1 overall, trade down with a team seeking a QB, then use assets to move up and get talent on both sides
6. Push Mayo to play for the win, not to play not to lose
7. If Mayo is more than 1 game below .500 by midseason after all this, fire his ass and immediately begin a new search


But if it were up to me I'd be blowing up the whole thing top-to-bottom.

 

[TheRainMaker]

3. Bring in an experienced defensive coordinator

This will be difficult for several reasons:

1. The only possible ways you’ll have a chance at an experienced DC is if his contract expires or he’s fired.

2. What experienced DC would want to work for Mayo who’s possibly going to get fired in 2025?

3. Is Mayo going to allow him to run his own defense? This should be a rhetorical question because Mayo can’t even run the defense himself.

This is more of a **** show than Bobby realizes.

 

[Grogan14]

This will be difficult for several reasons:

1. The only possible ways you’ll have a chance at an experienced DC is if his contract expired or he’s fired.

2. What experienced DC would want to work for Mayo who’s possibly going to get fired in 2025?

3. Is Mayo going to allow him to run his own defense? This should be a rhetorical question because Mayo can’t even run the defense himself.

This is more of a **** show than Bobby realizes.

New experienced DC would be even harder to find then IC since Mayo is a defensive coach. Would likely have to give it to someone as inexperienced as Covington.

All the coaches will look a whole lot better if the players are upgraded

 

[Love The Drake]

New experienced DC would be even harder to find then IC since Mayo is a defensive coach. Would likely have to give it to someone as inexperienced as Covington.

All the coaches will look a whole lot better if the players are upgraded

I’ll say it again let Josh McDaniels come in and pick his offensive crew but he’s required to keep AVP and McCartney.

 

[upstater1]

I don't disagree with your assessments, but letting Brady walk split the fanbase into warring factions like I've never seen before. Hard feelings carried over and aggravated by anger-porn radio.

It should have never happened from the Pats' point of view. From Brady's it worked...but, no, Kraft should not have let him walk.

One thing I always say to the part of the fanbase that is angry about Brady walking in 2020...

...remember, right after a Super Bowl victory, Brady showed up on the boat of the owner of our archrival (I still hate the Phins more than the Jets, old habits die hard) with the express intention of joining them as the starting QB after they deliberately threw the season.

Brian Flores saved Brady from himself because if Flores didn't say no to that, Patriots fans would have turned on Tom.

 

[Ross12]

This will be difficult for several reasons:

1. The only possible ways you’ll have a chance at an experienced DC is if his contract expires or he’s fired.

2. What experienced DC would want to work for Mayo who’s possibly going to get fired in 2025?

3. Is Mayo going to allow him to run his own defense? This should be a rhetorical question because Mayo can’t even run the defense himself.

This is more of a **** show than Bobby realizes.

My assumption is that it would be an experienced DC who would come in and run his own defense, and Mayo would step aside as the "CEO Coach". As you said, he can't run his own defense so it doesn't really matter. I am guessing that finding an older experienced DC would be easier than an innovative young OC to work under Mayo, but I could definitely be wrong. As I said, none of the above is my preference.

 

[Triumph]

You can't waste another year of drake maye going 3-14. Those people had the chance to build and lead a team collectively, and they failed spectacularly, blowing it on the most epic of scales. You don't give those same people the keys for another year - especially since they were a big part of the problem previously.

This was the "It's all Bill's fault" attempt at a rebuild.

If they fire coaches after not doing enough through FA or the draft then this will be a clown show.

Changing schemes and terminology like socks.

 

[Triumph]

New experienced DC would be even harder to find then IC since Mayo is a defensive coach. Would likely have to give it to someone as inexperienced as Covington.

All the coaches will look a whole lot better if the players are upgraded

Injuries shouldn't matter, but when you've changed HC it does.

Barmore out really hurt and even more so after trading Judon away. The 31st ranked offense effects the defense.

 

[Zuma]

1. Keep AVP to provide continuity for Maye and see how AVP himself improves as a playcaller next year

Agree

2. Fire Covington

Agree

3. Bring in an experienced defensive coordinator. Probably easier to replace DC than OC

Agree

4. Spend bigly - Tee Higgins (WR), Jevon Holland (S), Nick Bolton (LB), Ronnie Stanley (LT), Josh Sweat (DE), Trey Smith (G)

Agree

5. Secure #2 or #1 overall, trade down with a team seeking a QB, then use assets to move up and get talent on both sides

Agree

6. Push Mayo to play for the win, not to play not to lose
7. If Mayo is more than 1 game below .500 by midseason after all this, fire his ass and immediately begin a new search

I still think Mayo and Covington should be canned right after game 17. Wolf and AVP stay for one more year for Eval.

 

[Zuma]

The 31st ranked offense effects the defense.

Yeah but if the defense can’t get off the field then time of possession effects the offense too.

 

[Ray Ray 717]

If Bob Kraft fired Belichick as his son advised him to after 2017, he wouldn't have won the 2018 Super Bowl.

If Kraft fired Belichick and kept Brady in 2019, Brady wouldn't have won his 7th Super Bowl on the same rapidly aging Patriots team we saw in 2019. Brady's late career would have finished with a whimper.

Belichick (who was not yet 70) would have gone to another team and Bedard would be writing this same letter in reverse.

I hope you don’t actually believe this drivel.
Brady took a loser Franchise with a 5-11 record the year before and beat Drew Brees, Aaron Rogers, and Patrick Mahomes to win a super bowl at age 43.

What’s belichick’s record without Brady as his QB?

 

[upstater1]

I hope you don’t actually believe this drivel.
Brady took a loser Franchise with a 5-11 record the year before and beat Drew Brees, Aaron Rogers, and Patrick Mahomes to win a super bowl at age 43.

What’s belichick’s record without Brady as his QB?

First, your facts are wrong.

Second, I love Tom Brady.

This is something I have over the Belichick haters. I love our guys.

As for the rest of it, the defense gave up 3 points in the 2018 Super Bowl. You think they bring in another coach and that happens? Seriously? Which head coach shuts the 11th top offense in NFL history down to 3 points?

 

[upstater1]

My assumption is that it would be an experienced DC who would come in and run his own defense, and Mayo would step aside as the "CEO Coach". As you said, he can't run his own defense so it doesn't really matter. I am guessing that finding an older experienced DC would be easier than an innovative young OC to work under Mayo, but I could definitely be wrong. As I said, none of the above is my preference.

Finding an experienced DC to take over the defense means you have no reason now for keeping Mayo. That DC is not going to do things Mayo's way. So what's Mayo's job in all this?

 

[Tunescribe]

Finding an experienced DC to take over the defense means you have no reason now for keeping Mayo. That DC is not going to do things Mayo's way. So what's Mayo's job in all this?

Mayo is the proverbial emperor with no clothes. He is a self-styled "hands-off" coaching CEO with no expertise on either side of the ball.

 

[BUSTAMOVE]

I agree with what he is saying
At least now it has been said
I want Mayo and Covington gone. AVP only as a QB coach
My only concern is who is out there as a GM that has the cache to feel excited about
A GM that would bring in his Coach connections that we could also feel excited about
I can’t think of any from the NFL.
Maybe College?
Vrabel, McDaniels does not do it for me.
Brady from Buffalo. No thanks
Ben Johnson is intriguing. But why would he want to come here with such a huge rebuild ahead of him outside of Maye and watching this current regime only given one year then booted even if they deserve it.
Unless he is paired with a GM he trusts.