Patriot's players still open to Antonio Brown reunion.

deters · Dec 3, 2019

If we don't sign him then it's a waste of a year for Brady and this amazing defense. This is a 19-0 team if the offense is better.

RobertWeathers · Dec 3, 2019

TBR said:
Apparently some DT named Albert Huggins warrants a roster spot instead of someone like AB who can actually help the team.

Skinny on Huggins is he is a run stuffer. Quite frankly I would not be surprised if they keep him even when Cowart is back.

Team are going to run the ball more vs us. BUF, BAL, HOU and having more fatness on the line will only help.

TN patriot fan · Dec 3, 2019

luuked said:
Yeah and that was definitely the sentiment of people in December right after they lost to Pittsburgh last year and not "Brady is in decline", "Gronk is cooked", "the running game is inefficient", "the redzone offense is a disaster" and so on.

It just goes back to how people retroactively change how they think they felt about the team based on them winning a title 1.5 months later. But for whatever reason being back in the same position as last year the lesson is not learned and judgement is made again on the now and not where the team could be in 4-5 weeks.

Most probably because this year is different. Again. Like every time we go down this road. Right ?

I truly hope you're right. But some of us have been sounding the alarm for this offense all season; we were told for months, "We're undefeated!", then, "We're 10-1!" Now the narrative has changed to, "We played poorly in some games last year and still won the SB, so everything is hunky-dory."

Our offense never looked as anemic last year as it has for most of the season this year. It was obvious the whole season last year that Gronk had declined; but he was still enough of a threat to make opposing defenses devote a lot of attention to him, which in turn created frequent opportunities for Edelman. Defenses this year are laughing at the rest of our WR corps, which has drastically affected what Edelman is able to do, and we don't have any reliable options past him, and that's bad.

Again, I hope you're right. I think at this point it's irresponsible and execrable for Kraft to not re-sign AB, knowing the difference he could make. I get that Goodell might place him on the list; but I also think Goodell would open himself to a high degree of scrutiny with that decision, considering how he ruled on Tyreke Hill and the conspicuous inconsistencies in the story of the woman sueing AB. And if Goodell didn't place him on the list and he were able to play, it would instantly transform our offense and make us the favorite to win the SB, and we would likely win it.

Super Bowls aren't easy to win or even to get to, even for this team. It doesn't take an analytics guru to see what AB would do for this team's season right now; six is very special, but seven would separate Brady from Jordan, would separate the Pats from the Steelers, and just generally would be a lot more special, and it's just selfish and a complete disregard for the players and coaches of this team on the part of Kraft to not sign AB because his pride has been hurt by admittedly-idiotic social media posts by the latter.

luuked · Dec 3, 2019

TN patriot fan said:
I truly hope you're right. But some of us have been sounding the alarm for this offense all season; we were told for months, "We're undefeated!", then, "We're 10-1!" Now the narrative has changed to, "We played poorly in some games last year and still won the SB, so everything is hunky-dory."

Our offense never looked as anemic last year as it has for most of the season this year. It was obvious the whole season last year that Gronk had declined; but he was still enough of a threat to make opposing defenses devote a lot of attention to him, which in turn created frequent opportunities for Edelman. Defenses this year are laughing at the rest of our WR corps, which has drastically affected what Edelman is able to do, and we don't have any reliable options past him, and that's bad.

Again, I hope you're right. I think at this point it's irresponsible and execrable for Kraft to not re-sign AB, knowing the difference he could make. I get that Goodell might place him on the list; but I also think Goodell would open himself to a high degree of scrutiny with that decision, considering how he ruled on Tyreke Hill and the conspicuous inconsistencies in the story of the woman sueing AB. And if Goodell didn't place him on the list and he were able to play, it would instantly transform our offense and make us the favorite to win the SB, and we would likely win it.

Super Bowls aren't easy to win or even to get to, even for this team. It doesn't take an analytics guru to see what AB would do for this team's season right now; six is very special, but seven would separate Brady from Jordan, would separate the Pats from the Steelers, and just generally would be a lot more special, and it's just selfish and a complete disregard for the players and coaches of this team on the part of Kraft to not sign AB because his pride has been hurt by admittedly-idiotic social media posts by the latter.

I don't know if I am right and it really is not about being correct or wrong at all. All I am saying is that the coaching staff has a history of way more often than not getting the team to a place to succeed and I don't see the point in pronouncing the season be over with more than a month until the playoffs start.

I am not saying don't criticize the team or whatever because I am ripping them myself. But lets keep the big proclamations in our pants until the season is indeed over. There is no race to be first to say it. This doesn't make anyone clever or insightful, it makes them the equivalent of Max Kellerman.

Antdawg · Dec 3, 2019

TN patriot fan said:
I think at this point it's irresponsible and execrable for Kraft to not re-sign AB, knowing the difference he could make. I get that Goodell might place him on the list; but I also think Goodell would open himself to a high degree of scrutiny with that decision, considering how he ruled on Tyreke Hill and the conspicuous inconsistencies in the story of the woman sueing AB.

Irresponsible? I love how some of you are arm-chair QB'ing the situation. You're going off information only privy to fans and the fact that Goodell has already fired a warning shot to any team who re-signs AB about the exempt list. Don't you think another team would have signed him by now on the cheap if it was this simple? You guys are getting worked up about fantasies. Do you really think Kraft gives two sh*ts about AB embarrassing the team again? He doesn't. The Pats released AB in hopes of hanging onto some of his contract money. No team has signed him since because Goodell has basically already told everybody he's heading for the exempt list as soon as he returns. Anybody could have re-signed him by now. They have not for a reason. Why would the Pats be any different?

Bobby T · Dec 3, 2019

Antdawg said:
Irresponsible? I love how some of you are arm-chair QB'ing the situation. You're going off information only privy to fans and the fact that Goodell has already fired a warning shot to any team who re-signs AB about the exempt list. Don't you think another team would have signed him by now on the cheap if it was this simple? You guys are getting worked up about fantasies. Do you really think Kraft gives two sh*ts about AB embarrassing the team again? He doesn't. The Pats released AB in hopes of hanging onto some of his contract money. No team has signed him since because Goodell has basically already told everybody he's heading for the exempt list as soon as he returns. Anybody could have re-signed him by now. They have not for a reason. Why would the Pats be any different?

Serious question. At what point does that move to the realm of collusion. If the Patriots released said player because Roger let it be known he was headed to the list in what week 3? And here we are in week 14 where no one will sign him because of what roger might do but hasn’t clarified but has hinted at. This is in effect a 10 game suspension and counting.... for what? A civil case at best? That length of suspension already exceeds most players who kicked, punched and beat woman and children. I’m surprised the NFLPA would go for that. AB’s agent sure shouldn’t.

That said Kraft should have kept him on the roster and called Rogers bluff.... his suspension would have been over now and he’d be ours for this and next year. This was an unmitigated disaster unless you look at it from a Kraft sometimes puts the league ahead of his own team angle.... see Brady, Deflategate, Draft Pick.

He owns this mess all by himself. Let him take responsibility for it all by himself.

luuked · Dec 3, 2019

Bobby T said:
Serious question. At what point does that move to the realm of collusion.

The problem with all of that is the gigantic assumption that there was some kind of "tip-off" in the first place.

The simple and reasonable explanation for all of this has always been "the texts" or rather the fact it became known through a media article that he sent those texts.

Now y'all can continue to argue away if those texts constituted enough reason or not to release him but I don't see any reason to construct a big conspiracy around the situation.

Bobby T · Dec 3, 2019

luuked said:
The problem with all of that is the gigantic assumption that there was some kind of "tip-off" in the first place.

The simple and reasonable explanation for all of this has always been "the texts" or rather the fact it became known through a media article that he sent those texts.

Now y'all can continue to argue away if those texts constituted enough reason or not to release him but I don't see any reason to construct a big conspiracy around the situation.

I forgot to mention that. Even if there was no tip off wouldn’t the sustained no response potentially mean the same thing anyway?

it’s basically “you can take a chance and sign him if you want. We reserve the right to suspend him for an undetermined length of time We'll let you know after the fact even though we completed our investigation weeks ago”

Seems kind of unfair to the player... even if he is unlikable. I get the we can’t comment because he’s not on a roster but that is exactly what seems to be keeping him off one. Maybe the CBA allows for this. Probably wasn’t intended by the players to do so. I’d like to see someone challenge it.

Was Kareem Hunt a similar circumstance or was the punishment defined/complete before his signing? I don’t remember.

Hyped · Dec 3, 2019

Here's my FINAL STANCE AND COMMENT ON AB:

1.) If AB pays off his accuser to drop all charges (including all the people he stiffed)....and the NFL then drops their investigation in turn.

2.) If AB promises to stay completely off social media for ONLY 8-9 weeks...hell have someone shut down his accounts, change passwords, and toss away his phone.

3.) IF AB makes up with Kraft.

4.) THEN SIGN THE BEAST!!!

TN patriot fan · Dec 3, 2019

Hyped said:
Here's my FINAL STANCE AND COMMENT ON AB:

1.) If AB pays off his accuser to drop all charges (including all the people he stiffed)....and the NFL then drops their investigation in turn.

2.) If AB promises to stay completely off social media for ONLY 8-9 weeks...hell have someone shut down his accounts, change passwords, and toss away his phone.

3.) IF AB makes up with Kraft.

4.) THEN SIGN THE BEAST!!!

This is a tenable plan. Someone get this to AB post haste, and strap him into a chair and make him agree to it.

Bobby T · Dec 3, 2019

Hyped said:
2.) If AB promises to stay completely off social media for ONLY 8-9 weeks...hell have someone shut down his accounts, change passwords, and toss away his phone.

Hahaha..... I don’t think this part is even remotely possible for him even for 20 million. He needs all his tweets to go to a ghost account where they can be deleted / scrubbed as needed by a team rep.

Kdo5 · Dec 3, 2019

Hyped said:
4.) THEN SIGN THE BEAST!!!

From your mouth to Kraft’s ears.

Antdawg · Dec 3, 2019

luuked said:
The problem with all of that is the gigantic assumption that there was some kind of "tip-off" in the first place.

The simple and reasonable explanation for all of this has always been "the texts" or rather the fact it became known through a media article that he sent those texts.

Now y'all can continue to argue away if those texts constituted enough reason or not to release him but I don't see any reason to construct a big conspiracy around the situation.

I think a tip off is plausible given that just a couple days later, Goodell told the world that any team who signs him risks him going on the exempt list. And no team has talked to him since. There would at least have been some negotiations with another team if there wasn't at least a good chance of him going on the exempt list. Why would a team agree to pay him while he sits on that list? Again, why would you expect the Pats to play it any differently? And we're not even addressing all the drama AB would bring just by being AB.

Betterthanmost · Dec 3, 2019

I just felt a disturbance in the Patriots force field. I wonder what has happened.

Kdo5 · Dec 3, 2019

vuudu said:
I just felt a disturbance in the Patriots force field. I wonder what has happened.

WAIT is he BACK???

StairwayToSe7en · Dec 3, 2019

vuudu said:
I just felt a disturbance in the Patriots force field. I wonder what has happened.

TN patriot fan · Dec 3, 2019

Hyped said:
Here's my FINAL STANCE AND COMMENT ON AB:

1.) If AB pays off his accuser to drop all charges (including all the people he stiffed)....and the NFL then drops their investigation in turn.

2.) If AB promises to stay completely off social media for ONLY 8-9 weeks...hell have someone shut down his accounts, change passwords, and toss away his phone.

3.) IF AB makes up with Kraft.

4.) THEN SIGN THE BEAST!!!

The one thing I would add to this plan that might make it more viable would be to have AB, as a sort of penance for his social media comments toward Kraft, offer to take less money. Not league-minimum less; just maybe ten or twenty percent less, his pound of flesh to atone for his verbal flamethrower. He'd still be getting a lot more than he's making right now, along with a chance to win his first SB.

The only hang-up at that point would be Goodell, and assuming that person had agreed to 1) above, we're golden.

Ring 6 · Dec 3, 2019

TN patriot fan said:
I truly hope you're right. But some of us have been sounding the alarm for this offense all season; we were told for months, "We're undefeated!", then, "We're 10-1!" Now the narrative has changed to, "We played poorly in some games last year and still won the SB, so everything is hunky-dory."

Our offense never looked as anemic last year as it has for most of the season this year. It was obvious the whole season last year that Gronk had declined; but he was still enough of a threat to make opposing defenses devote a lot of attention to him, which in turn created frequent opportunities for Edelman. Defenses this year are laughing at the rest of our WR corps, which has drastically affected what Edelman is able to do, and we don't have any reliable options past him, and that's bad.

Again, I hope you're right. I think at this point it's irresponsible and execrable for Kraft to not re-sign AB, knowing the difference he could make. I get that Goodell might place him on the list; but I also think Goodell would open himself to a high degree of scrutiny with that decision, considering how he ruled on Tyreke Hill and the conspicuous inconsistencies in the story of the woman sueing AB. And if Goodell didn't place him on the list and he were able to play, it would instantly transform our offense and make us the favorite to win the SB, and we would likely win it.

Super Bowls aren't easy to win or even to get to, even for this team. It doesn't take an analytics guru to see what AB would do for this team's season right now; six is very special, but seven would separate Brady from Jordan, would separate the Pats from the Steelers, and just generally would be a lot more special, and it's just selfish and a complete disregard for the players and coaches of this team on the part of Kraft to not sign AB because his pride has been hurt by admittedly-idiotic social media posts by the latter.

If AB were signed he would immediately be put on the exempt list and if you think goodell will rush the process for the sake of the patriots and the guy who is accused of a bunch of things the league is afraid to be viewed as confining don’t hold your breath.
Ab won’t play this year even if he is signed today

Oswlek · Dec 3, 2019

TN patriot fan said:
Our offense never looked as anemic last year as it has for most of the season this year.

It did during the Jax, Detroit, TN and Pitt games.

To your point, those were a sampling and this appears to be a more consistent problem. At the same time, NE was not nearly the dominant running team in the regular season that they became in the playoffs. It was just something they were pretty good at which, partly due to necessity and partly due to opportunity, they adopted as a primary approach. Thankfully they were terrific at once they started focusing all their efforts on it.

I think that's what the team is still looking for. That "pretty good" skill that can be massaged into excellence by January. If I'm right, this helps explain the scattershot offensive approach we've been seeing lately.

All that said, I don't think anyone was ignorant to the offensive issues. No one appeared to question your recognition, just your patience.

TN patriot fan · Dec 3, 2019

Oswlek said:
It did during the Jax, Detroit, TN and Pitt games.

To your point, those were a sampling and this appears to be a more consistent problem. At the same time, NE was not nearly the dominant running team in the regular season that they became in the playoffs. It was just something they were pretty good at which, partly due to necessity and partly due to opportunity, they adopted as a primary approach. Thankfully they were terrific at once they started focusing all their efforts on it.

I think that's what the team is still looking for. That "pretty good" skill that can be massaged into excellence by January. If I'm right, this helps explain the scattershot offensive approach we've been seeing lately.

All that said, no one was ignorant to the offensive issues. No one questioned your recognition, just your patience.

Here's to hoping they figure out what that pretty good skill is sooner rather than later.

Patriot's players still open to Antonio Brown reunion.

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