NFL Trade Deadline Discourse

[Gumby]

The sense I get is that the general feeling on the board is that Cowden walks on water while Wolf needs to walk the plank for past sins.

Just curious what people think about the dynamic when it comes to their roles in the trade process.

[Edit note: I kinda ignored the word "trade" in my response & spoke to player acquisition (draft-trade-waiver wire etc) in general.]

IMHO:

Wolf is the Data-gatherer & Financial-mgr. The organizer of scouts input who stacks into batches or tiers of quality by position. & guy who manages the back-end of the process of how to fit them in the cap & puts in the workout clauses etc.

Cowden is the Analyzer. the guy who takes the batches & racks in the stacks & says - "we want to go for this guy to fill this hole" or "this or that guy can fit - lets discuss."

Vrabel is the Driver: Provides those holes & attributes desired to fill those holes to Cowden & Wolf (who gives attribute focus to scouts). Breaks the deadlocks when Cowden throws up for grabs & he-Wolf disagree.

I think it actually is more "collaboration" and "team-work" than some on the board want to give credit for. I dont see Elliot going anywhere. Cowden actually more likely to leave due to poaching than I think Elliot due to being fired / power-played out by Cowden. I hope they can keep posting similar results to 2025. If so,.... another dynasty is born.

 

[Huckleberry1]

IMHO:

Wolf is the Data-gatherer & Financial-mgr. The organizer of scouts input who stacks into batches or tiers of quality by position. & guy who manages the back-end of the process of how to fit them in the cap & puts in the workout clauses etc.

Cowden is the Analyzer. the guy who takes the batches & racks in the stacks & says - "we want to go for this guy to fill this hole" or "this or that guy can fit - lets discuss."

Vrabel is the Driver: Provides those holes & attributes desired to fill those holes to Cowden & Wolf (who gives attribute focus to scouts). Breaks the deadlocks when Cowden throws up for grabs & he-Wolf disagree.

I think it actually is more "collaboration" and "team-work" than some on the board want to give credit for. I dont see Elliot going anywhere. Cowden actually more likely to leave due to poaching than I think Elliot due to being fired / power-played out by Cowden. I hope they can keep posting similar results to 2025. If so,.... another dynasty is born.

I think this is pretty accurate. The biggest challenge facing them going is going to be keeping this group together.

 

[TomPatriot]

IMHO:

Wolf is the Data-gatherer & Financial-mgr. The organizer of scouts input who stacks into batches or tiers of quality by position. & guy who manages the back-end of the process of how to fit them in the cap & puts in the workout clauses etc.

Cowden is the Analyzer. the guy who takes the batches & racks in the stacks & says - "we want to go for this guy to fill this hole" or "this or that guy can fit - lets discuss."

Vrabel is the Driver: Provides those holes & attributes desired to fill those holes to Cowden & Wolf (who gives attribute focus to scouts). Breaks the deadlocks when Cowden throws up for grabs & he-Wolf disagree.

I think it actually is more "collaboration" and "team-work" than some on the board want to give credit for. I dont see Elliot going anywhere. Cowden actually more likely to leave due to poaching than I think Elliot due to being fired / power-played out by Cowden. I hope they can keep posting similar results to 2025. If so,.... another dynasty is born.

Pretty fair analysis. Not sure how long Wolf will be around, though.

Cowden isn’t going anywhere in the near future and I think his role is bigger than we all think. The FO, coaching staff and players have done a remarkable job so far. Just compare it all to last year’s anarchy.

 

[Real fan 02]

[Edit note: I kinda ignored the word "trade" in my response & spoke to player acquisition (draft-trade-waiver wire etc) in general.]

IMHO:

Wolf is the Data-gatherer & Financial-mgr. The organizer of scouts input who stacks into batches or tiers of quality by position. & guy who manages the back-end of the process of how to fit them in the cap & puts in the workout clauses etc.

Cowden is the Analyzer. the guy who takes the batches & racks in the stacks & says - "we want to go for this guy to fill this hole" or "this or that guy can fit - lets discuss."

Vrabel is the Driver: Provides those holes & attributes desired to fill those holes to Cowden & Wolf (who gives attribute focus to scouts). Breaks the deadlocks when Cowden throws up for grabs & he-Wolf disagree.

I think it actually is more "collaboration" and "team-work" than some on the board want to give credit for. I dont see Elliot going anywhere. Cowden actually more likely to leave due to poaching than I think Elliot due to being fired / power-played out by Cowden. I hope they can keep posting similar results to 2025. If so,.... another dynasty is born.

 

[hornetfb85]

There was not a single trade yesterday that made me think…”I wish the Patriots did that”.
Added onto the fact that the Jets didn’t want to trade in the division, the Titans owner is a hag that won’t trade with Vrabel, and the Dolphins wanted a 1st for a #2 WR. The options were thin.

 

[patfanken]

Do we blame Cowden or Wolf for not landing some players?

You don't blame ANYONE. The Pats got very unlucky in the fact the top THREE teams who were trading players (Miami, Jets, and Titans) were never going to trade with the Patriots, because they were in the division, or owned by a vindictive mad woman. It's a shame, but it's a fact.

 

[Gumby]

From where is your screenshot?

Not that i give 0 validity to non-attributed sources; ..... but lets say: only .0001%

[Edit PS: I dont see anything in that screenshot that conflicts w/ my opinion. I maybe should have said " Vrabel: Driver & Decider"... its what I meant/implied.]

 

[PatsFan2]

This thread is becoming like that X that just won't go away...Shooo Fly.

 

[Ring 6]

[Edit note: I kinda ignored the word "trade" in my response & spoke to player acquisition (draft-trade-waiver wire etc) in general.]

IMHO:

Wolf is the Data-gatherer & Financial-mgr. The organizer of scouts input who stacks into batches or tiers of quality by position. & guy who manages the back-end of the process of how to fit them in the cap & puts in the workout clauses etc.

Cowden is the Analyzer. the guy who takes the batches & racks in the stacks & says - "we want to go for this guy to fill this hole" or "this or that guy can fit - lets discuss."

Vrabel is the Driver: Provides those holes & attributes desired to fill those holes to Cowden & Wolf (who gives attribute focus to scouts). Breaks the deadlocks when Cowden throws up for grabs & he-Wolf disagree.

I think it actually is more "collaboration" and "team-work" than some on the board want to give credit for. I dont see Elliot going anywhere. Cowden actually more likely to leave due to poaching than I think Elliot due to being fired / power-played out by Cowden. I hope they can keep posting similar results to 2025. If so,.... another dynasty is born.

What information are you basing this on?

 

[Real fan 02]

From where is your screenshot?

Not that i give 0 validity to non-attributed sources; ..... but lets say: only .0001%

[Edit PS: I dont see anything in that screenshot that conflicts w/ my opinion. I maybe should have said " Vrabel: Driver & Decider"... its what I meant/implied.]

Google. .. oh I 100% agree with your post. Was just putting that out there for those who may not know for sure... as it's not like the organization advertised the structure.

 

[Water Boy]

You don't blame ANYONE. The Pats got very unlucky in the fact the top THREE teams who were trading players (Miami, Jets, and Titans) were never going to trade with the Patriots, because they were in the division, or owned by a vindictive mad woman. It's a shame, but it's a fact.

Obviously we don't know what potential trades were on the table so it is all speculation, but it is speculation to assume there wasn't a single trade to be had that would have bolstered the depth on the roster either, especially given the cap room to add a mid tier player or two.

If the asking prices were just too high so be it. In Vrabes I trust. Just not blindly. (I'm not saying you have blind trust, btw).

 

[Bill Lee]

I think the Jets realize they have to have a franchise QB to ever win anything, so they will either package all the first rounders for the top pick in 27', or they will pick 4 first round quarterbacks and let them fight it out.

I just saw Rich Eisen insist the Jets don't need to draft a QB in '26. I'm not sure what his working theory is. I presume you use the '26 picks to fill a lot of holes then go for the gusto in '27? Yet it's easy to swing and miss on a QB pick. If anyone should know this, it's a Jete fan. Personally I think you keep picking QBs till you find a franchise QB, even if this means burning some picks on swings and misses, and the sooner you start the better.

 

[KCSVEN]

With Jets rebuilding and Dolphins likely with a new HC and rebuilding it's positive for 2026 to have 4 highly likely wins. Makes it a 2-team race for the division but also, if you lose the division, helps in the conference. Other divisions only have 1 weak team each so start with a 2-game advantage.
With a harder sked in 2026 good to have that advantage.

The away schedule is very tough next year. 2027 looks like a 16-1 year though!

 

[mayoclinic]

We had this discussion on the draftboard.

Manxman2601 favored Eisen's approach, targeting Julian Sayin in 2027.

But there's no guarantee Sayin comes out (he will be a RS sophomore in 2027) or that the Jete will be in position to get him.

My take: take the QB now, then when he fails you have a headscart on the next rebuild.

 

[Triumph]

I really don't want to think about the draft now.. we are 7-2 and provided a catastrophic meltdown we should be playing in January beyond the Miami regular season finale.

1 game at a time player?

Do your job.

 

[Real fan 02]

1 game at a time player?

Do your job.

Became nauseating talking draft in November last few years... I want to focus on the here and now.... everything is in front of them.. they have to continue to position themselves..

 

[Triumph]

The Jets probably win a title

BB would be pretty motivated to screw the Krafts which brings up a question.

Would McDaniels up and go to be the OC for BB? I say yes if he was asked.

 

[scott99]

Meyers was the worst trade of all of them to me. 4th and 6th for a meh dude for 8 games? Huh?

Meh dude ? He averages 74 catches a year. The main job of a receiver is to catch the ball. He would’ve been a great addition for the Pats, especially since system wise, he would’ve been plug and play. I would’ve gladly given up a 4th & 6th. Obviously the Pats didn’t agree.

That being said, you don’t make a trade just to make a trade. If you feel you need something and it works for you (what you give up), you should do it. There were rumors that the Pats were trying to land some players, it just didn’t happen.

 

[Gumby]

What information are you basing this on?

What part of the "O" in IMHO did you not understand?

I have no information or private evidence but my own common sense.

[edit: post1: "Land war in Asia"]

 

[Real fan 02]

Meh dude ? He averages 74 catches a year. The main job of a receiver is to catch the ball. He would’ve been a great addition for the Pats, especially since system wise, he would’ve been plug and play. I would’ve gladly given up a 4th & 6th. Obviously the Pats didn’t agree.

That being said, you don’t make a trade just to make a trade. If you feel you need something and it works for you (what you give up), you should do it. There were rumors that the Pats were trying to land some players, it just didn’t happen.

Agreed. With Boutte dealing with the hamstring. . The guy you'd want to see get involved and start making plays Is K. Williams.. Vrabel mentioned this yesterday about how he's going to have more opportunities now.. I believe that messaging right there.. is why he didn't go after Myers or bring in any other wr of note.