Offseason player acquisition thread

[upstater1]

Jake Majors (6'3-315) Texas, and Jared Wilson (6'3-310) Georgia, are two true Centers (from major programs) who will probably be there in the 3rd and 4th Rounds. It's criminal that we've essentially been just relying on David Andrews for several seasons now, with no solid Center behind him. I recall that during the first 4 SB's we had at least two solid Centers on the team.

Jake Andrews was hurt last year, Im pretty sure he's considered the back-up center. He played very little his rookie year, but when he did play, he actually looked good. Very very small sample though

 

[Real fan 02]

Having a deep team is just as important as having a star-studded team. There is no evidence that having stars is the way to win in the NFL, since plenty of teams with depth have won a lot of games. The old Patriots, current Chiefs and Bills won with depth. KC is not a star studded team. Neither are the Bills.

One philosophy puts value in not having any weak spots across the field while the other believes you need force multipliers at key positions.

The philosophy works when you have a constant at the most important position in football like we did for so long. The league has changed.. the only reason the formula works in Buffalo is solely due to the QB position. I'm not against having value after we gather the talent. Talent wins in the 2025 NFL. All the teams that made the playoffs this season had something we didn't have. TALENT!

 

[upstater1]

The philosophy works when you have a constant at the most important position in football like we did for so long. The league has changed.. the only reason the formula works in Buffalo is solely due to the QB position. I'm not against having value after we gather the talent. Talent wins in the 2025 NFL. All the teams that made the playoffs this season had something we didn't have. TALENT!

If you have the QB... then maybe you just need solid players at every position. Look at the Bills again last night. Who are the Pro Bowlers? Dion Dawkins? The guy can barely move.

I've played football (not above HS) but never coached it. On the other hand, I played and coached Rugby in college, and I've coached soccer. Our entire focus in both of these sports is to find the weak links on the other team and to exploit this mercilessly. In Rugby, if we find one of your backs can't tackle, we'll just feed the backs nearest to his position over and over and over. In soccer, we'll just tilt the field and overload.

This is Belichick's idea too. If we don't have a weakness, we just need to play as a team to maximize space and force the opponent into mistakes. Then on offense, we'll exploit their weaknesses (hard to do with a super talented defense that the Ravens have, BUT their linebackers are indeed the weakness, they had a bad game last night).

 

[Huckleberry1]

Agreed but you have to pay that established player which eliminates another FA we could have signed.

You are guaranteed to lose a FA signing, you are not guaranteed to make a bad draft pick.

I think I was wrong about Brown’s availability. When I heard he was reading a book during a play off game I assumed he was sending a message to the franchise that he was done there. Turns out the book was “ Inner Excellence,” by Jim Murphy, which is a book about maximizing potential. Brown uses it frequently to stay focused and keep his head on straight. So it apparently was t a FU.

Browns cap hit next year is only 17.5, which is lowball for a true #1 receiver, and about half of what they would pay for Higgins, who is nowhere near as good a player. I get your point about not wanting to give away high picks, but in this case I would do it. But then I would trade the #4 pick down to the 8-10 range for a 2nd round, pick Tyler Warren, and then package the. 2nd and Atlanta’s 3rd to move back up for Josh Conerly, OT Oregon. This would address WR with a low cost #1, TE for years to come giving Maye his high end TE, and address LT for the future. Brown may be a little bit of a pipe dream, but the other two moves are totally doable.

 

[jdlboot14]

Why does everyone want Higgins and/or Godwin?
Higgins is not a WR1. He serves a purpose, but is not what this Pats team needs primarily - which is speed/quickness/separation.
He's a big possession receiver. He does not get separation, and has average speed. He's basically Gesicki at WR.
Godwin was great. But is too old, and ALWAYS injured. Higgins is always hurt too.

We've got to find high ceiling 3-5 yr vets looking for a prove-it season before a massive $ deal, like...
J. Jennings, D. London, J. Palmer.
Or swing for the fence for G. Wilson or AJ Brown

 

[Froob]

Yeah, you are right on that count. Perry thinking the Pats could pry Tom away seems a bit of a head scratcher. Granted Green Bay has a high value low cost guy in Travis Glover pushing him on the depth chart but Tom is only $3M against the cap for a Packers team that has enough space. Tom is going to make bank after next season so his comp pick value will most likely be a 3rd rounder, certainly no lower than a 4th.

Not only is it hard to see Green Bay parting with him, it's not at all realistic to think they'd do it before the 2025 trade deadline. And that's just from the Packers side of the equation. From a Pats standpoint how would we all feel about giving up our high 3rd for one year of an affordable RT we'd then have to back up the money truck to keep? Just doesn't seem like a likely trade target

Nobody trades quality OL barring rare situations like Trent Williams

 

[JohnJH]

Jake Andrews was hurt last year, Im pretty sure he's considered the back-up center. He played very little his rookie year, but when he did play, he actually looked good. Very very small sample though

That's why I would add an insurance policy of drafting a solid Center Prospect. It's too important a position to mess around with (especially on the OL).

 

[upstater1]

That's why I would add an insurance policy of drafting a solid Center Prospect. It's too important a position to mess around with (especially on the OL).

One problem with this is that next year might be the better year to think backup center for a variety of reasons.

We have 4 guys who can play the position right now.

David Andrews, Cole Strange, Jake Andrews and Ben Brown.

Chances are, a 7th round draftee is not going to be better than Ben Brown.

David is on his way out, we'd like to see how Cole Strange handles it if he's the starter, we need to know that Jake is back from his injury.

4 guys, you can argue this one position is the deepest position on the team.

I'd like to see Onwenu and Robinson become entrenched at the guard positions.

 

[maust]

Nobody trades quality OL barring rare situations like Trent Williams

Yep and there are several reasons for it with the compensatory pick formula being one of the chief among them. Perry does nothing to define how the Pats might induce GB to trade Tom or what might be required to get it done. In this case it would seem a deliberate sin vs an error of omission. He settled on a guy that would inarguably be a 'good get' but fails to illustrate the how/why of making it happen on both sides. That's Bedard/Volin type **** and tbh if either one of them proposed it I'd have ignored it. I do think most of us expect better from Perry. I know I do

 

[JohnJH]

One problem with this is that next year might be the better year to think backup center for a variety of reasons.

We have 4 guys who can play the position right now.

David Andrews, Cole Strange, Jake Andrews and Ben Brown.

Chances are, a 7th round draftee is not going to be better than Ben Brown.

David is on his way out, we'd like to see how Cole Strange handles it if he's the starter, we need to know that Jake is back from his injury.

4 guys, you can argue this one position is the deepest position on the team.

I'd like to see Onwenu and Robinson become entrenched at the guard positions.

That's why I'd spend a 4th Round Pick on one of the two top Centers. And yes, Onwenu and Robinson being solid or better players as starting OG's would make rebuilding the OL much easier.

 

[stelfans]

Gotta build through the trenches. Draft Carter or Graham, unless Campbell measures really well.
Any combination of Alaric Jackson, Teven Jenkins and Dalman sounds good to me.

 

[captain stone]

Nobody trades quality OL barring rare situations like Trent Williams

Yep; Laremy Tunsil is the only other I recall...

Trading for a starting-caliber LT seems unrealistic to me. You are more likely to acquire one as either a UFA or - even more likely - as a high-round draft pick. If we do sign somebody like Cam Robinson before the draft, especially if the term is Multi-year, then our draft priorities would naturally change, though I would still draft a LT of the Future who could help as a #3/4 OT while he becomes acclimated, unless of course we're all ok with VD Low and/or DT Jacobs as those fellows... Wyatt Milum might be available at 37, or Earnest Greene at 77...

 

[PancakeBlockPaul]

Don’t think he’s a FA but the C from the Iggles Cam Jurgen would be great…

 

[captain stone]

Don’t think he’s a FA but the C from the Iggles Cam Jurgen would be great…

Better than Strange69 at Center that’s for dam sure.

 

[Water Boy]

David is on his way out, we'd like to see how Cole Strange handles it if he's the starter, we need to know that Jake is back from his injury.

4 guys, you can argue this one position is the deepest position on the team.

I'd love to see Strange inherit that role and resurrect his career. I assume we have a fifth year option on him.

 

[mgteich]

That's why I would add an insurance policy of drafting a solid Center Prospect. It's too important a position to mess around with (especially on the OL).

Just so I understand, because center is so important it is not enough to have Strange, Andrews, Andrews, Brown plus whichever minor free agent we add. It is necessary to draft a center, even he isn't the BPA.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

I'd love to see Strange inherit that role and resurrect his career. I assume we have a fifth year option on him.

We have to exercise the 5th year option this offseason, by around May 1. It’s going to cost over $17m and is fully guaranteed. There is no way the Pats will exercise the option on Strange at that cost given his injury history and position flux.

 

[PatsFan2]

How about signing this guys in FA WR Dyami Brown Washington Commanders. He seems to be making a name for himself in the Playoffs: have close to 200 yds in two playoffs games.

Dyami Brown - Washington Commanders Wide Receiver - ESPN

View the profile of Washington Commanders Wide Receiver Dyami Brown on ESPN. Get the latest news, live stats and game highlights.

www.espn.com

 

[captain stone]

Just so I understand, because center is so important it is not enough to have Strange, Andrews, Andrews, Brown plus whichever minor free agent we add. It is necessary to draft a center, even he isn't the BPA.

Yeah I'm not even considering drafting a C/G until Day 3 at the very earliest. We need Tackles, specifically Left Tackles, and we need to draft those early & often unless we go absolutely bananas at the position during free agency beforehand...

 

[captain stone]

We have to exercise the 5th year option this offseason, by around May 1. It’s going to cost over $17m and is fully guaranteed. There is no way the Pats will exercise the option on Strange at that cost given his injury history and position flux.

Yep, the dude's playing for his NFL life next TC... If he is and remains healthy, then he should be no worse than a #4-5 G/C in a group more likely than not to include Onemenu, Siddy the Sow, Laydown Robinson, Andrews & Andrews etc... Should've included Mike Jordan too.