Breer: Vrabel says the Pats will approach the offseason getting younger, cheaper, & better options

[upstater1]

Watching the dreaded Patriots - Eagles Super Bowl.

The Eagles front 4 is every bit as fearsome as Seattle's.

Dante Scarnecchia countered w/ some quick plunges up the middle. The DLs of Philly kept penetrating as White & Dion Lewis blew by them.

Whatever happened to our 4 yards a carry offense?

There are things you can do when your OL is getting dominated.

Doink, Gostkowski just missed an easy FG. Oy vey.

EDIT: Next series, first play, the long pass to wide open Cooks who got hit with a vicious helmet to helmet. Should've been a penalty. In fact, Brady also took a helmet first spear to the chest. That was a penalty too (not a late hit, it was spearing head first).

Also, for all those critical about Drake Maye's expressions during the Seahawks game, have a look at Brady's reactions this game. Very very similar.

EDIT: did not realize that after Cooks went down at start of the 3rd qtr, we played the game with only 3 WRs: Amendola, Hogan and Edelman. WOW.

 

[Real fan 02]

I'm 100% in favor of continuity. But this is a player that screws up the game plan so I wouldn't want to spend $12m over 3 yrs for him

That's a very fair deal.. what's he makes now? 12M/3 years is a very lucrative deal for Hawkins..

 

[Ian]

Asking someone to honor their commitment is not harassment. He chose the bet he said multiple times he would honor his bet.

I agreed to the bet because he diminishes my enjoyment of the site.

There are tools in place that allow people to not see users who are diminishing their experience here. People often seem to want me or the mods to control who exists here, rather than take a step to make them not exist on their timeline.

For someone who is annoying in one thread, the mute allows for that and it doesn’t exceed that one thread and doesn’t require any further management by the user.

Beyond that is the ignore function. The ignore plus the Forum Mute essentially makes them non existent (all replies to that user are also hidden). Adding them to the Block function takes it one step further and eliminates their ability to see your posts.

I’ll be taking one final step this offseason to include one additional setting to the ignore list for “don’t show OPs by this user,” rather than the blanket on/off setting I added for people who are on a given user’s ignore list.

That way, if a person is on an ignore list, people can select to hide all OPs from that one person while showing OPs from other people in their ignore list, vs right now where it either shows/hides all of them. So I’ll close that final loophole in the coming days.

 

[ViperGTS]

@TommyD4207 @ViperGTS

2026 NFL Free Agent Rankings: Safeties

As the 2025–26 NFL season comes to a close, free agency is coming into focus, and teams are beginning to evaluate potential targets to address roster deficiencies. Here are the top safeties slated to hit free agency in 2026.

www.pff.com

Peppers is rated higher. Enough said.

 

[Rob0729]

 

[Real fan 02]

Saw this... the team needs to continue to build on Last season and going in the exact direction Vrabel said last week. They have established a wonderful culture and foundation... getting some quality FAs and beefing up the depth is paramount..

 

[Gumby]

I’ll probably regret saying this (immediately after I do), but…‘Bedard is right.‘

That said, it was kind of master of the obvious commentary.
…Returning the same team on O and expecting = or better results „would be a mistake.“. ….. Duh every team has at least 10 if not 30% turnover almost every year.

 

[TommyD4207]

That's a very fair deal.. what's he makes now? 12M/3 years is a very lucrative deal for Hawkins..

I'm fine with paying him 4, that's what an elite special teamer gets. 7 is the kind of thing that can clog up your cap in 2 years depending on how you structure the contract.

 

[Real fan 02]

I'm fine with paying him 4, that's what an elite special teamer gets. 7 is the kind of thing that can clog up your cap in 2 years depending on how you structure the contract.

Yeah.. I get a popsicle headache talking or thinking cap.. I leave that to Vrabel, Cowden, Highsmith and wolf... I just know we are better off staying the course and adding talent through the draft and FA..

 

[upstater1]

I’ll probably regret saying this (immediately after I do), but…‘Bedard is right.‘

That said, it was kind of master of the obvious commentary.
…Returning the same team on O and expecting = or better results „would be a mistake.“. ….. Duh every team has at least 10 if not 30% turnover almost every year.

Who are our old players? I'm confused by this.

We have 1 old starter. Moses.

We're not an old team.

I guess Landry can also be considered old.

None of the other guys are old.

 

[Joey007]

true for many posters.

Others agree with Vrabel that we are fine at ILB with Spillane and Ellis as starters and Gibbens as the backup. (and yes, Tavai as the #4)

Elliss still feels better suited for a backup role. Just too inconsistent for me, we can do better.

 

[Joey007]

Who are our old players? I'm confused by this.

We have 1 old starter. Moses.

We're not an old team.

I guess Landry can also be considered old.

None of the other guys are old.

On offense: Diggs, Moses, Henry, Hooper, Hollins all will be 32+ next year. Bradbury will also be turning 31. That’s about 5-6 significant contributors.

You do have to admit that’s a lot of age. I’m not of the belief of getting rid of everyone above 30. But I do believe it would be smart to upgrade with some younger talent wherever it’s feasible.

You don’t want over reliance on tons of older guys. That fall off hits fast.

 

[ViperGTS]

Who are our old players? I'm confused by this.

We have 1 old starter. Moses.

We're not an old team.

I guess Landry can also be considered old.

None of the other guys are old.

Henry, Hooper, Diggs, Landry. I'm sure I am missing some.

 

[mgteich]

I’ll throw a little bit of heresy in the room.

I think Spillane might or even should be gone. .

not heresy, but rather typical patsfans analysis

1. Spillane isn't an all-pro.

2. Conclusion: cut him.
================
But I'll be more clear. I believe that when healthy, our run defense is one of the best in the NFL.

And, sure, we should always be looking for upgrades [for Muma, Mapu and Gregory, NOT for Spillane].
=======
ON SECOND THOUGHT
Yes, it is indeed heresy to believe that Spillane should be cut.

 

[TommyD4207]

not heresy, but rather typical patsfans analysis

1. Spillane isn't an all-pro.

2. Conclusion: cut him.
================
But I'll be more clear. I believe that when healthy, our run defense is one of the best in the NFL.

And, sure, we should always be looking for upgrades [for Muma, Mapu and Gregory, NOT for Spillane].
=======
ON SECOND THOUGHT
Yes, it is indeed heresy to believe that Spillane should be cut.

I'm kinda with you.
I don't want to cut Spillane. But neither should he be your best linebacker.

 

[mgteich]

.
Hawkins at 8 ….AMONG FAs… doesn’t even necessarily put him in top 30 of ALL (under contract/ FA/draft prospects) S.

your point?

We need one or TWO free agent safeties and Hawkins is #8 among the free agents. How many teams are competing for the top ten free agent safeties?

I would be happy to see Hawkins extended before free agency. Call him backup and STer if you wish. We always need a couple of those. In 2025, we had Hawkins and Pettus.

And, sure, we should be looking for a better starter for 2026.

If we can't find an upgrade in free agency, then we will draft a prospect, perhaps another Woodson.

None of this leads me to the conclusion that we should pass on Hawkins.

 

[mgteich]

I'm fine with paying him 4, that's what an elite special teamer gets. 7 is the kind of thing that can clog up your cap in 2 years depending on how you structure the contract.

If the difference between $4M and $7M will dog up your contract for years, you need a new team in charge of the cap.

 

[TommyD4207]

If the difference between $4M and $7M will dog up your contract for years, you need a new team in charge of the cap.

Not this year. In a couple of years, when you're looking to add that last piece. It's the kind of contract that will be perennially looking to cut. We've seen this before.

 

[mgteich]

I'm kinda with you.
I don't want to cut Spillane. But neither should he be your best linebacker.

Sure, we may be able to spend $12M-$15M AAV to sign a better ILB than Spillane.

This would indeed improve our ILB's and run defense. We would have good backups in Elliss, Gibbens and Tavai.
=====================
MY STRONG preference is to spend the cap money and more on TWO EDGE rushers. Even three may be needed if Landry's injury is too severe.

CHAISSON, LANDRY
JENNINGS. PONDER, SWINSON
==========
CONCLUSION
For me, there are three needs on Defense: EDGE #1, EDGE #2 and EDGE #3. (I'm fine with Jennings as EDGE #4.

 

[Huckleberry1]

On offense: Diggs, Moses, Henry, Hooper, Hollins all will be 32+ next year. Bradbury will also be turning 31. That’s about 5-6 significant contributors.

You do have to admit that’s a lot of age. I’m not of the belief of getting rid of everyone above 30. But I do believe it would be smart to upgrade with some younger talent wherever it’s feasible.

You don’t want over reliance on tons of older guys. That fall off hits fast.

What makes it tough is the leadership those players provided, but they do need to be finding replacements for these guys. I think reworking deals while drafting future replacements for them would be the best solution.