A question on my mind virtually every day [Would BB draft Maye]

[sb1]

Belichick supposedly loved Mayfield when he was drafted. Mayfield wasn't originally supposed to go #1 overall and many people believed he would have fallen to the Patriots' draft range or close enough for the Patriots to trade up. So it makes sense he would go after Mayfield. But I don't know if Mayfield would have the resurgence he is having now.

And I forgot the 49ers lost to Tampa.

Was it Mayfield that had the bad draft report from the Patriots or was that Manziel I forget...

 

[Rob0729]

Was it Mayfield that had the bad draft report from the Patriots or was that Manziel I forget...

I don't think he had a bad report. I think was more that people didn't see him as worthy of being the #1 pick or even a high first round pick.

 

[TommyD4207]

Was it Mayfield that had the bad draft report from the Patriots or was that Manziel I forget...

Manziel.

I really think Belichick would have Godfather offered Mayfield in that offseason when he was negotiating with the Bucs, I think that would have been his play, and traded out of the #3 pick, mostly because I don't think dealing with another rookie was something he wanted to do at that point.

Would it have worked? Who knows?

 

[RobertWeathers]

He would never have screwed up Maye because he never would have taken him.

Thats one way to look at it.

 

[RobertWeathers]

He seemed more intrigued by McCarthy anyway, tbh. I think that would've been the pick.

Great lol

 

[Wozzy]

Correct, Bill was the best from 2001 to 2018. He clearly regressed after that and needed to retire and should have retired.

In 2019 they went 12-4, Brady got injured and the offense shrank. Still pretty good. In 2021 they won 10 games and made the playoffs with a backup QB.

He should have hired better but also didn’t have the backing of ownership the last few years. Nobody does it alone, but nobody can do it fighting the people at the top.

Andy Reid and Mahomes couldn’t win a ring without Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. It’s a team sport, this is true for all 32 teams, their coaches and QB’s.

 

[The Gr8est]

Don’t want to make a new thread for it, so this may be the best place for this.

When Vrabel visited the Pats as Titans HC for the HOF ceremony, is it possible that he was aware of BB’s dysfunction and saw that there would be a change in HC soon?

He would have connections that we don’t and knew about BB’s decline, and saw the Pats HC as his dream job then?

Wasn’t he also on thin ice with the Titans at that time?

 

[Bill Lee]

When Vrabel visited the Pats as Titans HC for the HOF ceremony, is it possible that he was aware of BB’s dysfunction and saw that there would be a change in HC soon?

He would have connections that we don’t and knew about BB’s decline, and saw the Pats HC as his dream job then?

Wasn’t he also on thin ice with the Titans at that time?

HOF ceremony was Oct 21, 2023. I think the 'thin ice' started in '22 when Vrabel said he'd never trade Brown as long as he was HC, then in the '22 draft GM Jon Robinson traded away Brown, then the Titans started 7-3 but ended up 7-10, then in '23 Vrabel went 6-11 and was fired. Robinson was fired in the middle of the '22 season two days after Brown and the Eagles beat the Titans 35-10.

So yes, he was on thin ice, but also I think it's fair to say every HC and GM in the Amy Adams Strunk era is on thin ice. She's shown to be someone who shoots first and asks questions later.

 

[upstater1]

Manziel.

I really think Belichick would have Godfather offered Mayfield in that offseason when he was negotiating with the Bucs, I think that would have been his play, and traded out of the #3 pick, mostly because I don't think dealing with another rookie was something he wanted to do at that point.

Would it have worked? Who knows?

Mayfield went to the Bucs the prior year.

We're getting our years wrong here.

It was AFTER Mac's second year that Mayfield became available and went to the Bucs. Not after Mac's 3rd year and Belichick's last year.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Mayfield went to the Bucs the prior year.

We're getting our years wrong here.

It was AFTER Mac's second year that Mayfield became available and went to the Bucs. Not after Mac's 3rd year and Belichick's last year.

The way I remember it was that Mayfield signed a 1 year deal with Tampa Bay, played well, then re-signed with them right before 2024 free agency began.

 

[upstater1]

The way I remember it was that Mayfield signed a 1 year deal with Tampa Bay, played well, then re-signed with them right before 2024 free agency began.

Right, but the Callahan story came out before the 3rd year. In other words, any interest in Mayfield would've come in the 2023 offseason, not the 2024 offseason.

 

[TommyD4207]

Mayfield went to the Bucs the prior year.

We're getting our years wrong here.

It was AFTER Mac's second year that Mayfield became available and went to the Bucs. Not after Mac's 3rd year and Belichick's last year.

He did, but he was a free agent after that year.
The Bucs got him early in the offseason, but I think there are ways a Godfather offer could have gotten to Mayfield before he inked the contract.

 

[upstater1]

He did, but he was a free agent after that year.
The Bucs got him early in the offseason, but I think there are ways a Godfather offer could have gotten to Mayfield before he inked the contract.

Understood, but I thought we were referring to the fact that Belichick actually planned to sign Mayfield in 2023. He learned a few games in that Mayo was taking over.

 

[TommyD4207]

Understood, but I thought we were referring to the fact that Belichick actually planned to sign Mayfield in 2023. He learned a few games in that Mayo was taking over.

Right, I thought it was 'What if Belichick got one more year'. I think 2024, he Godfathers for Mayfield and trades pick 3.
Which, I mean, I would have been all for at the time.

 

[brdmaverick]

I'll withhold my opinion on this draft inquiry because I've already proven my draft logic to be suspect......

1.) Yes, I'll admit that in 2024 I wanted the Pats to take Marvin Harrison over Drake Maye*

2.) And yes, last year I was disappointed with Campbell as a pick. I bought into the 'short arms' thing and was convinced that any offensive lineman taken in the top five should not have a 'ya but' tagged to him. I was MAD we missed the opportunity to get Travis Hunter.

I was deeply wrong on both accounts.

* I should explain my rationale on the first one. I was hoping to replicate a Jamar Chase / Joe Burrow retrun in back to back years. I figured getting Marvin the first year was a sure bet at acquiring a 'can't miss stud' while then we would still be bad and get our QB in the next draft.

Happy to be wrong, though.

 

[upstater1]

Right, I thought it was 'What if Belichick got one more year'. I think 2024, he Godfathers for Mayfield and trades pick 3.
Which, I mean, I would have been all for at the time.

I understand he was getting very old and Drake was only 21 at the time, so you may be right.

My only reservation is that:

#1: A franchise can NEVER pass on a potential franchise QB when they need one. It's not allowed anywhere, and Belichick is too smart not to realize that.

#2. Despite people saying Belichick had a penchant for trading 1st rounders, he never did that when he had a pick in the top 3rd of the draft. He never traded back. Instead, he understood that this was the Blue-Chip portion of the draft, so he never traded those picks. It was only in the bottom 3rd when you see a lot of 2nd round grades masquerading as 1st round guys that he regularly traded back.

 

[VrabelJr]

I like how people think one of the best QB developing coaches of all time would absolutely, positively mess up Drake Maye just because he "messed up" Mac Jones (lol). Should we also start a thread about how Boutte might not flourish if Brady were still QB because he allegedly doesn't trust young WRs? Move on people.

Anyway, using that thread ignore functionality!

 

[sb1]

I understand he was getting very old and Drake was only 21 at the time, so you may be right.

My only reservation is that:

#1: A franchise can NEVER pass on a potential franchise QB when they need one. It's not allowed anywhere, and Belichick is too smart not to realize that.

That is true and it's likely BB would believe JJ McCarthy or Bo Nix has a much better chance of being a franchise QB than Maye does and that's one reason why he would draft one of them.

#2. Despite people saying Belichick had a penchant for trading 1st rounders, he never did that when he had a pick in the top 3rd of the draft. He never traded back. Instead, he understood that this was the Blue-Chip portion of the draft, so he never traded those picks. It was only in the bottom 3rd when you see a lot of 2nd round grades masquerading as 1st round guys that he regularly traded back.

BB only had two picks in the top third of the draft that I recall - Seymour (6) and Mayo (10). Warren was 13 and I thought that was a trade down then a trade back up. Mayo was a trade up. I agree with the last part that he often traded down when he had picks in the latter part of round 1.

 

[Rob0729]

I understand he was getting very old and Drake was only 21 at the time, so you may be right.

My only reservation is that:

#1: A franchise can NEVER pass on a potential franchise QB when they need one. It's not allowed anywhere, and Belichick is too smart not to realize that.

#2. Despite people saying Belichick had a penchant for trading 1st rounders, he never did that when he had a pick in the top 3rd of the draft. He never traded back. Instead, he understood that this was the Blue-Chip portion of the draft, so he never traded those picks. It was only in the bottom 3rd when you see a lot of 2nd round grades masquerading as 1st round guys that he regularly traded back.

The thing is the Pats could have traded down to #6 and with that being a QB heavy draft, the blue chip players at other positions dropped down beyond the top 5 and even top 10.

And we are talking trading the #3 overall for three first rounders and more. This wasn't just trading down for an extra second day pick. Three first rounders can be transformational for a team. Paired with a second rounder or two and you can create another dynasty if drafted correctly.

Besides, when has Belichick drafted in the top 3 in his career? He never did with the Patriots. Not sure if he did with the Browns. Seymour was the highest pick at #6 with the Patriots. He has only had two top ten draft picks with the Patriots (Mayo was taken 10th overall).

I was for the Pats trading the pick if they weren't 100% sold on Maye. I am not a college fan or a draftnick and only can go by others' evaluation so I was agnostic on whether Maye was the right pick or not just that the Pats needed to be completely sure he was the right pick to take him and not trade for a draft bounty.

 

[upstater1]

The thing is the Pats could have traded down to #6 and with that being a QB heavy draft, the blue chip players at other positions dropped down beyond the top 5 and even top 10.

And we are talking trading the #3 overall for three first rounders and more. This wasn't just trading down for an extra second day pick. Three first rounders can be transformational for a team. Paired with a second rounder or two and you can create another dynasty if drafted correctly.

Besides, when has Belichick drafted in the top 3 in his career? He never did with the Patriots. Not sure if he did with the Browns. Seymour was the highest pick at #6 with the Patriots. He has only had two top ten draft picks with the Patriots (Mayo was taken 10th overall).

I was for the Pats trading the pick if they weren't 100% sold on Maye. I am not a college fan or a draftnick and only can go by others' evaluation so I was agnostic on whether Maye was the right pick or not just that the Pats needed to be completely sure he was the right pick to take him and not trade for a draft bounty.

Well, I said Top 3rd. Not top 10.

I was thinking of Ty Warren. He went 13. But that's not top 3rd, so you're right it's only 2.