Can the Patriots do what the Houston Texans did quickly under new leadership?

[Huckleberry1]

There's several issues. The Patriots have a severe talent issue and it often gets underestimated. They need a huge infusion of talent. The Texans did not have as far to go and were really just lacking a QB to tie it together.

Likewise, we are in a division with a team that has won double digit games and at least one playoff game each of the last 6 seasons with a top 3 QB in the league that has been in the MVP race the last two years. Even if everything goes well, there's a strong chance that we end up being more like the Chargers or Broncos who are fighting for a wildcard spot and playing on the road if we even make the playoffs because of a brick wall in the division. Meanwhile the AFC South is mediocre with no real standout QB's and it's easy to breakthrough.

The goal should be to build a team that is better than Buffalo and every other team in the league, that’s why the calls to overspend on players makes no sense. It’s a short term fix that leaves you short of the ultimate goal. Yes, it makes for a better team next season, but ultimately you are paying lesser player start money, which should reserved for actual stars, like Gonzalez.

 

[A Defiant Goose]

The goal should be to build a team that is better than Buffalo and every other team in the league, that’s why the calls to overspend on players makes no sense. It’s a short term fix that leaves you short of the ultimate goal. Yes, it makes for a better team next season, but ultimately you are paying lesser player start money, which should reserved for actual stars, like Gonzalez.

Well it's a short term fix while the long term fix (the draft) develops. Better to have a short and a long term than just a long term

 

[BennyBledsoe]

Until we fix the offensive line to some degree of competency, we don't know really WHAT we have in terms of explosive players. Hard for a WR to be explosive when he has no time to get open. Hard for a RB to be explosive when they're getting blown up in the backfield.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Well it's a short term fix while the long term fix (the draft) develops. Better to have a short and a long term than just a long term

I’m not suggesting they shouldn’t address needs, and some may come with shorter term fixes, like a veteran DT in free agency, but I don’t think they should give a#2 receiver superstar money long term, And now that Vrabel is coming in I think it’s less likely they will do that. I think we will see them focus on building from the inside out. Focus on both lines, add a linebacker or two, and then move on to WR and CB.

 

[condon84]

It's not just the Texans; the Commanders turned it around quick, the Bengals turned it around quick - there has been a shift in eras in the NFL, from coaching to QB's to other players, and I think it leaves a rapidly shifting playing field that makes quick ascents more likely. So, I think yes.

The Commanders turnaround should be the model for NFL franchises. They hired a competent GM (ironically Peters got his NFL start here in NE and was here for 6 years), let the GM hire his HC, and worked with Quinn to round out the coaching staff. Owners got out of the way, and let football guys make all the decisions. There weren't any social initiative box they had to checkoff, no lawyer with no football experience part of the process, just football guys making football decisions.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Until we fix the offensive line to some degree of competency, we don't know really WHAT we have in terms of explosive players. Hard for a WR to be explosive when he has no time to get open. Hard for a RB to be explosive when they're getting blown up in the backfield.

It’s pretty clear from Vrabel’s press conference that the lines will be the priority this offseason, which makes me really happy, because I was afraid they were going to listen to fan desperation and make WR the priority.

 

[archstanton543]

It’s pretty clear from Vrabel’s press conference that the lines will be the priority this offseason, which makes me really happy, because I was afraid they were going to listen to fan desperation and make WR the priority.

Make no mistake. Getting a true #1 WR is a priority. It's just that LT is more of a priority.

 

[n1997y]

Make no mistake. Getting a true #1 WR is a priority. It's just that LT is more of a priority.

All OL is a priority over WR.

 

[lancerman]

Until we fix the offensive line to some degree of competency, we don't know really WHAT we have in terms of explosive players. Hard for a WR to be explosive when he has no time to get open. Hard for a RB to be explosive when they're getting blown up in the backfield.

They independently have been awful for years. You don't need a line to be able to see that these guys can't separate. We have a bad line and Henry still gets production. Fixing the line isn't going to magically make these better receivers.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

I'm not as certain. It's not just the QB that feels the pressure. WRs can feel the pressure, too. Which, for young receivers, COULD result in them not doing the right things to get open. A lack of protection manifests itself in many ways.

 

[Ring 6]

They independently have been awful for years. You don't need a line to be able to see that these guys can't separate. We have a bad line and Henry still gets production. Fixing the line isn't going to magically make these better receivers.

Honestly watch football games, 90% of passes completed are schemes open. There are very few plays where a receiver all on his own just beats his man flat out with no route combo, pick, etc.
If you have the QB 90% of the pass offense is going to work if you run a good scheme. Elite players make elite plays but you don’t need elite players to make routine plays. But if you have an OC who can’t game plan against an opponent effectively, can’t effectively play call, can’t set up play C with okay A and B then you do become more limited by individual effort.

 

[Ring 6]

I'm not as certain. It's not just the QB that feels the pressure. WRs can feel the pressure, too. Which, for young receivers, COULD result in them not doing the right things to get open. A lack of protection manifests itself in many ways.

Nothing we abysmally lacked this year was a coordinated response to a blitz. There was no adjustment to a high route, no plan, just run the play and hope we pick it up.
We were the dumbest offense I’ve ever seen this year.

 

[lancerman]

Honestly watch football games, 90% of passes completed are schemes open. There are very few plays where a receiver all on his own just beats his man flat out with no route combo, pick, etc.
If you have the QB 90% of the pass offense is going to work if you run a good scheme. Elite players make elite plays but you don’t need elite players to make routine plays. But if you have an OC who can’t game plan against an opponent effectively, can’t effectively play call, can’t set up play C with okay A and B then you do become more limited by individual effort.

You still need talent capable of making the schemes work. A lot of scheming players open is based on exploiting mismatches and gaps and coverage that can allow a receiver to peel off. Andy Reid's probably the best in the league at scheming people open but so much of that is knowing his players capabilities and building around it, it's why their offense took a nosedive now that Hill is gone and Kelce is in decline. It opens up less for other players and more guys can pick up Kelce now when he tries to peel off a route.

It's not as simple as just having creative enough plays to get anyone open.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

The Patriots have to improve they way they handle FAs and their own player contracts. And they need to vastly improve their drafting. This may mean that they have to stop the Krafts from meddling--surely their unprofessional and pathetic offseason last year is not the work of pros, but rather ownership.

If the Patriots don't improve this offseason behavior, Vrable is as doomed as Mayo was.

 

[Dec54]

The Patriots have to improve they way they handle FAs and their own player contracts. And they need to vastly improve their drafting. This may mean that they have to stop the Krafts from meddling--surely their unprofessional and pathetic offseason last year is not the work of pros, but rather ownership.

If the Patriots don't improve this offseason behavior, Vrable is as doomed as Mayo was.

Have they been naughty then?

 

[Flash]

I think a big turnaround will not be easy. As many have stated here, we need to build through the trenches.

Let's say we stay at #4 and draft Abdul Carter, and assuming that Keion White can take a leap and Christian Barmore fully recovers, we still have the OL that needs to be rebuilt. Maybe we sign one of the top premium OTs in FA, but the rest of the OL is still full of question marks. Maybe Layden Robinson is our long-term answer at LG. Maybe Caedan Wallace plays better after going back to RT. There is a lot of uncertainty.

Similarly, lots of "maybes" at WR. I don't think the Bengals let Tee Higgins go, then we would have to settle with Chris Godwin, coming off a season-ending injury. Then it's a lot of old vets like Cooper, Diggs, Hopkins, etc.

Ultimately, it depends on how well Wolf drafts this year, and 2025's draft class just happens to be stronger at RB and CB, not what we need.

 

[PP2]

Drafting as well hurt badly ...This team just can't pick a stud WR if Jesus himself came down from the heavens and told Kraft who to draft - this must end if this team is going to improve quickly - can't rely on 30 year old veteran WRs to do everything.

You know Kraft is Jewish right?

 

[Clonamery]

You know Kraft is Jewish right?

Oy vey.

 

[Clonamery]

The Patriots have to improve they way they handle FAs and their own player contracts. And they need to vastly improve their drafting. This may mean that they have to stop the Krafts from meddling--surely their unprofessional and pathetic offseason last year is not the work of pros, but rather ownership.

If the Patriots don't improve this offseason behavior, Vrable is as doomed as Mayo was.

If you're Abel,
it's not Vrable
if you're in pain
don't be a Cain
as it's Vrabel
if you're able.

 

[Real fan 02]

Make no mistake. Getting a true #1 WR is a priority. It's just that LT is more of a priority.

Agreed. Wich trade is how we the the WR.