Offseason player acquisition thread

[DaBruinz]

I want them in on every good OT.

Alaric Jackson and Teven Jenkins would solidify the left side of the line for years to come.


Center is going to be an interesting watch between free agency and the draft. Heck, free agency is going to be interesting just to see what the Pats do with Alex Austin, Ben Brown, and Christian Elliss.

 

[DaBruinz]

After Gonzo's comment confirming what we all knew the MOMENT Mayo had his first press conference - that every standard of excellence was egregiously being lowered - maybe our roster is not so worthless, but was useless under Mayo's disastrous regime.

ergo: guys like Dugger, Peppers, Jennings, Elliss, Ximines, and even Takitaki - could be resuscitated to have good impact in a new D system. But Wise, Ekuale, Tavai, Godchaux need to be upgraded.

Dugger played all year injured. Ximenes spent the entire year on the IR, essentially. This idea that they are junk that are having their careers resuscitated with a new "D" is just bunk on your part.

Peppers may be on his way out as it is. I'm not 100%, but I think that he was one of the people that Judon was referring to when he said that players were free-lancing in 2023.

Jennings may or may not be able to play OLB in a 4-3 system. We'll see.

Wise and Ekuale are UFA. So they're going to be replaced.

Not sure what you're going to upgrade Godchaux with. Especially since the team is committed to him for at least another year, contract wise. Mayo/Covington put too much pressure on Godchaux to carry the D-line after the loss of Barmore and then Bentley.

Tavai is actually an above average LB. He's never going to be an All-Pro, but he's a guy who goes out and does what's asked of him and does it better than expected. The problem is that he's not a guy who can call the plays. In fact, when Bentley went out and Mayo cut McMillan, the Pats had NO LB with experience calling in the plays on defense. Which is part of why the defense was so horrible.

It's going to be interesting to see how Bentley fits into the system. Is he a MLB, which I don't feel he's got the side-line to sideline ability to do, or an SLB. It will also be interesting to see whether or not he can call the plays. If he's not the MLB, then the Pats need to bring in a Zach Baun to be the man running the defense on the field as well as drafting a MLB to develop.

The defense was missing an "On the field" leader. Someone at MLB or FS who can call out the adjustments.. The Pats had that in D-Mac and Bentley. Dugger is not that. Neither is Peppers. I like Peppers, but he's not Rodney Harrison.

 

[DaBruinz]

sweat was on my want list for a while, im fearing he may be very difficult to obtain now.

Who else is worth big bucks at edge? I was also interested in reddick his value might be lower after a down season among the jets dysfunction. But his production prior to this year is impressive. Mack and Lawrence are on alot of the lists but really getting up there in age

The Pats can outbid anyone for Sweat's services. Vrable, having been a guy like Sweat, can sell what his goal is for the Defense and how Sweat can by the lynch-pin of that going forward. A line with Sweat, White, Godchaux, Barmore, Pharms, and Roy is a very good start. You add a draft pick or two from the Top 3 rounds and that line should be dominant even if Barmore doesn't return. Especially if you add a complimentary piece like Bobby Brown. If they add Jeffery Simmons, then that line could be a dominant force the way the line of Wilfork, Warren and Seymour was for the Pats.

You add that sort of dominant line to a Secondary featuring Gonzalez and Dugger, you've got the blocks for a good run..


Vrabel needs to make signing someone like Sweat or Baun the KEY for the Defense and Signing someone like Stanely or Jackson the key for the Offense. If he does that, then it should get the ball rolling for other players to join.

If not Sweat, getting Jeffery Simmons or another key cog via trade would go a long way to bringing the team back into prominence.

 

[DaBruinz]

Because he quit the Steelers midseason and then quit for us midseason... as a backup player. His heart is clearly not in it.

He didn't quit on the Steelers. The Steelers benched him to give their "Golden Boy" Broderick Jones playing time that he hadn't earned. Then, when Jones played like garbage, they tried to go back to Okorafor. He went out and played, but he'd lost confidence in them and they in him. Which is why they released him.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

The Pats can outbid anyone for Sweat's services. Vrable, having been a guy like Sweat, can sell what his goal is for the Defense and how Sweat can by the lynch-pin of that going forward. A line with Sweat, White, Godchaux, Barmore, Pharms, and Roy is a very good start. You add a draft pick or two from the Top 3 rounds and that line should be dominant even if Barmore doesn't return. Especially if you add a complimentary piece like Bobby Brown. If they add Jeffery Simmons, then that line could be a dominant force the way the line of Wilfork, Warren and Seymour was for the Pats.

You add that sort of dominant line to a Secondary featuring Gonzalez and Dugger, you've got the blocks for a good run..


Vrabel needs to make signing someone like Sweat or Baun the KEY for the Defense and Signing someone like Stanely or Jackson the key for the Offense. If he does that, then it should get the ball rolling for other players to join.

If not Sweat, getting Jeffery Simmons or another key cog via trade would go a long way to bringing the team back into prominence.

I hope so. Actually Wouldn’t mind multiple additions at edge so white can move inside. This offseason seems to line up well for upgrading dl/edge/mlb. Especially DL you can probably pluck one pretty much any of the top rounds. So on one side it looks good for our plan to strengthen the trenches.

Ol seems a bit dicey. At ot it doesn’t look good if jackson/stanley don’t hit fa but i guess you could overspend on a very short term deal for a stopgap on each end. The top ot prospects aren’t particularly strong either, at #38 there could be options that are not that far away from the first tier so that might be my move if someone slips. Og im not so sure in fa, trey smith would cost a fortune and then you either hafta move onwenu to rt or move trey to lg. im not sure thats an efficient move. Teven jenkins has injury history, and if a team like the bears with their disastrous ol let him hit fa thats not a good sign. Plus we have multiple interior ol that still have potential as well as the possible return of andrews, i might give that area one more year with a lower round flier added into the mix before investing anything heavy . other than jackson/stanley or a couple short term deals at ot i wouldn’t force a whole lot here as much as i do want us to emphasize OL , gotta make sure you get the right guys first and foremost.

 

[PatsFan2]

We are exactly a Month away from FA25.

 

[TommyD4207]

Tavai is actually an above average LB.

 

[Zuma]

 

[Zuma]

 

[mgteich]

ERFA's have no choice, wo look for them to signed, one by one, ever for camp competition for the Practice Squad.

ERFA's
Pharms - signed
Austin
Jackson - signed
Jacobs
Brown

 

[JohnJH]

The Pats can outbid anyone for Sweat's services. Vrable, having been a guy like Sweat, can sell what his goal is for the Defense and how Sweat can by the lynch-pin of that going forward. A line with Sweat, White, Godchaux, Barmore, Pharms, and Roy is a very good start. You add a draft pick or two from the Top 3 rounds and that line should be dominant even if Barmore doesn't return. Especially if you add a complimentary piece like Bobby Brown. If they add Jeffery Simmons, then that line could be a dominant force the way the line of Wilfork, Warren and Seymour was for the Pats.

You add that sort of dominant line to a Secondary featuring Gonzalez and Dugger, you've got the blocks for a good run..


Vrabel needs to make signing someone like Sweat or Baun the KEY for the Defense and Signing someone like Stanely or Jackson the key for the Offense. If he does that, then it should get the ball rolling for other players to join.

If not Sweat, getting Jeffery Simmons or another key cog via trade would go a long way to bringing the team back into prominence.

Would you take Quay Walker from Green Bay (who aren't keen on paying his 5th Year Option because of other needs they have) for a Mid-Round Pick this year and possibly next. He's 6'4 and 241 and has sideline to sideline ability. I saw an article that suggested that the Patriots could obtain him for such a deal. He fits that mold of a fast and athletic LB that Vrabel is into (and he's also young). If so, was just curious what you thought.

 

[mgteich]

deebo and hopkins seem like a possible 2 acquisitions

 

[p8ryts]

deebo and hopkins seem like a possible 2 acquisitions

Both great players at one point but we don't need old, halt and lame players.

 

[slash83]

 

[PatsFan2]

https://athlonsports.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/predicted-to-sign-multi-time-1500-yard-wr-with-vrabel-ties

Former Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who played with Mike Vrabel, could be an option. He'd be a No. 3, and there are even questions about that at this stage of his career, but this is still a former 1,500-yard guy.

Really hope that's a joke... Our Offense needs youth and Speed: not a washed up WR.

 

[PatsFan2]

@Huckleberry1 get off the ledge Bro we need you... to hell with it just jump.

 

[PatsFan2]

ERFA's have no choice, wo look for them to signed, one by one, ever for camp competition for the Practice Squad.

ERFA's
Pharms - signed
Austin
Jackson - signed
Jacobs
Brown

Why??

 

[Hugepatsfan]

https://athlonsports.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/predicted-to-sign-multi-time-1500-yard-wr-with-vrabel-ties

Former Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who played with Mike Vrabel, could be an option. He'd be a No. 3, and there are even questions about that at this stage of his career, but this is still a former 1,500-yard guy.

Really hope that's a joke... Our Offense needs youth and Speed: not a washed up WR.

They need a lot of things. They're not going to be able to turn the least talented roster into the NFL into a juggernaut with perfect fitting pieces everywhere. They have the cap space and draft capital to really solidify some positions, but it's inevitable that some positions will be inadequately addressed. Hopkins at WR would fall into that bucket of an "inadequate" solution, but that's bound to happen at some positions.

Fans can't overreact when a subpar solution gets mentioned. If they fill all of the holes on the roster with Hopkins-caliber options then yeah, time to revolt. But we have to accept that they're going to need to settle at some positions.

 

[JohnJH]

They need a lot of things. They're not going to be able to turn the least talented roster into the NFL into a juggernaut with perfect fitting pieces everywhere. They have the cap space and draft capital to really solidify some positions, but it's inevitable that some positions will be inadequately addressed. Hopkins at WR would fall into that bucket of an "inadequate" solution, but that's bound to happen at some positions.

Fans can't overreact when a subpar solution gets mentioned. If they fill all of the holes on the roster with Hopkins-caliber options then yeah, time to revolt. But we have to accept that they're going to need to settle at some positions.

Yep. Address needed positions with either young long term answers at some positions, and players that can immediately improve a position but that are just here for 2 or so years until you replace them in the draft next year, etc. And, they MUST Draft extremely well this season and beyond to really build the next Patriots true SB Team. And, addressing the OL and DL are essential, combined with a few solid skill position players (both through FA and the draft).

 

[Huckleberry1]

If Schefter is right that the Rams will eat salary and take a 4th for Kupp I would go for that.