PATRIOTS NEWS Official 2024 Free Agency Thread - Ongoing

The trade down theories are wild.

If you trade any lower than 7, you're not getting Nabers, Harrison, Odunze or Alt.

Heck, I don't even want Alt since tackle is a waste of a premium pick.

Go back and look at the 2022 draft and all the tackles taken early, that should scare you: Ekwonu, Neal, Cross, all top 10 tackles, all of them middling at best so far.

Notables that went in the top 10 that year: Aidan Hutchinson, Sauce Gardner, Derek Stingley, Drake London, Garrett Wilson.

If we trade down and settle for Alt, I would be unhappy, but it' much better than taking someone other than the other 3 I mentioned.

Trade #3 to MIN for #11, #23, #108, 2025 1st

Trade a 4th or 5th to CHI for Fields just to take a flier.

Bring back our toxic ex (Trent Brown) on a 1 year deal and hope that new regime can play nice with him and he'll play well for his own good to secure one last bag.

Trade #68 and next year's third to KC for CB Snead and extend him. I just think he's a perfect fit for our defense so I want to splurge there and we have the cap space.

Sign Donovan People Jones and/or DJ Chark for some outside WR stability on a budget. I assume Thornton will continue to suck and Juju will be damaged good again so cut bait with them in camp. Just need some respectable players so it's not so bad that you lose sight of how others are playing because the circumstances are too bad.

Draft TE Bowers at #11 because I see him falling there and he could be special. At #23, ideally the board allows you to go with the best WR or OT and then the other at #34. Obviously don't pass up someone you think is a future all pro just for the sake of drafting someone at a need area that you don't love. But ideally you get players at those two positions.

Offense would be:

QB: Fields or Brissett (QB battle)
RB (early downs): Stevenson, Harris
RB (passing downs and change of pace): Gibson
TE: Henry, Bowers, Hooper
Outside WRs: Bourne, DPS and/or Chark, Rookie from #23 or #34
Slot: Dougles, other guys from above mixed in
OL (starters): Brown / Strange / Andrews / Onwenu / Rookie from #23 or #34
OL (depth): some combo of Okorafor, Sow, Jake Andrews, Mafi, Levett, Anderson, McDermott, Lowe or any other camp battle winners (maybe Okorofor starts if rookie isn't ready, maybe Sow at RG and Onwenu at RT, maybe Sow at college spot of LG over Strange if blocking scheme matches better, etc.)

Still a bad unit but I think it's complete enough that you can get an actual sense of development with guys. It's not so bad that everyone is a chicken running around with their heads chopped off.

upstater1 said:

The trade down theories are wild.

If you trade any lower than 7, you're not getting Nabers, Harrison, Odunze or Alt.

Heck, I don't even want Alt since tackle is a waste of a premium pick.

Go back and look at the 2022 draft and all the tackles taken early, that should scare you: Ekwonu, Neal, Cross, all top 10 tackles, all of them middling at best so far.

Notables that went in the top 10 that year: Aidan Hutchinson, Sauce Gardner, Derek Stingley, Drake London, Garrett Wilson.

If we trade down and settle for Alt, I would be unhappy, but it' much better than taking someone other than the other 3 I mentioned.

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The only scenario anyone seems on board with trading down is getting 3 1sts from MIN... #11/#23 this year and their first next year. You could stay any take one of the guys you mentioned, but if you take one of them, you still don't have a QB. So I'd prefer moving back and having the extra picks because if we aren't landing our QB this year we need one in the future and the extra picks put us in better position to do that, which is ultimately what our future comes down to.

DRAFT A QB AT 3!!!!!!!!!
Trade down next year.

Hugepatsfan said:

Trading down from #3 to take a developmental QB at #11 or #23 is utter garbage to me. Whether it's #3, #11 or #23, we're going to end up hitching our wagon to whoever that QB is. Realistically, they aren't going to be able to trade back and land any of Maye/Daniels/McCarthy. That's the buzz. If they truly and genuinely want Nix over any of those guys, then I guess maybe I get it. And I mean truly want them. Like not "Nix+extra picks > the other guys"... just flat out "Nix > the other guys". But even then, trading back to #11 is crazy risky because someone else could move up ahead of you. It wouldn't be crazy if DEN (#12), LV (#13) or NO (#14) drafted a QB at their slots which mean sit wouldn't be crazy if they moved up ahead of us.

Only way I want to trade back is if they evaluate that none of the first round QBs are special enough where you have to take them now. In that case, trade back and build the overall roster vs. just drafting a generic first round QB. If you think any of the options are special though, you have to stay and take them now vs. waiting and addressing in a different draft then fine, trade back. And moving back but still drafting a QB high and hitching the wagon to a QB that you don't like enough to stay at #3 seems dumb.

Stay #3 and take a QB or move back and don't take a QB in the 1st round are the only options I'm ok with. Everything else just feels like a wandering aimlessly without an actual direction. Again though, if they truly love Nix I can budge a little but I find that hard to believe.

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This is why the one scenario that intrigues me is one where we do a 3 way trade with Minnesota and the Chargers, where we get pick 5.

I don’t want to be in a position not to get one of those top four guys.

Pats aren't giving Brisett 8 million to sit on the bench for Fields. Fields is not good except in fantasy football. If he was good the Bears would be drafting MHJ #1. They would also be able to trade him for multiple firsts instead of maybe getting a 4th.

So they spent $50M in cap space resigning FAs and bringing in 6 FAs + the tag.

Not having that 2nd pick and the Commanders tanking down the stretch is gonna be aggravating in hindsight.

I would’ve been all over dangling that 2 pick in front of Washington for the 3rd pick + both of their 2nd rounders.

That's about 67 players signed + 8 draftees = 75

Leaves about 15 players to fill the 90.

Really wouldn't want Fields.. I'd prefer TiTans Malik Willis or get Cowboys to let go of Trey Lance and have a go at them two lets be honest both haven't really had a shot yet and are 3 years in.. Fields I feel we know who he is. Could we get either for a 5th

venecol said:

That's about 67 players signed + 8 draftees = 75

Leaves about 15 players to fill the 90.

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Likely at least 8-10 undrafted free agents as well. Leaves about 5 ish spots.

Man I really really don’t like what Drake Maye brings to the table.

You do have to wonder if that Patriots will sit tight until post draft for late FA additions. Usually some vets will wait until summer to sign with teams, plus some random cuts/trades still will happen during that time as well.

Drunken Cicerone said:

Man I really really don’t like what Drake Maye brings to the table.

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Did you like what Josh Allen brought to the table before he was drafted?

Happy to bet on a prospect with a big arm with good size and mobility.

hornetfb85 said:

DRAFT A QB AT 3!!!!!!!!!
Trade down next year.

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If you're saying draft "a" QB, that's a red flag for me. You shouldn't take "a" QB at #3 IMO. You have to really like one in particular.

PowerRunRevival said:

Did you like what Josh Allen brought to the table before he was drafted?

Happy to bet on a prospect with a big arm with good size and mobility.

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McCarthy has a bigger arm than Maye,
McCarthy had Allen like numbers at the combine with his velocity.
And he has a quicker release.
Plus McCarthy played and won against top competition.
I like Maye, but I think Mccarthys skills are more NFL ready.

Maye we have to teach him to release the ball quicker, read a blitz in a pro style offense.
His footwork isn’t where Mccarthy’s is.
And they aren’t much different in size.
Plus McCarthy throws better on the run.

I’m trusting AVP and Macadoo not to sink this franchise.

Drunken Cicerone said:

Man I really really don’t like what Drake Maye brings to the table.

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Drake Maye is a S-T-U-D. They should do whatever they can to get him.
Since 2022 Maye has 5,176 yards and 52 touchdowns when targeting receivers past the sticks. That's a 96.7 PFF passing grade.
Since 2022 that ranks, oh, #1 of ALL NCAA QB's since 2022.
96.8 rating on throws over 20 yards was #3 in the country in 2023, with no wide receivers.
The advanced stats are phenomenal.
He's being discounted due to 2023 when he had a new OC who was not any good, did not have any wide receivers. Average O Line and had a poor defense to support the offense. He basically put-up good stats with the equivalent of the Patriots offense from 2023 around him, with a worse OC and a worse defense.
If he's not a top 5 NFL QB in 2026 I'd be shocked.
I think no way Washington passes on him, Adam Peters seems too smart.

Bourne Again Christian said:

McCarthy has a bigger arm than Maye,
McCarthy had Allen like numbers at the combine with his velocity.
And he has a quicker release.
Plus McCarthy played and won against top competition.
I like Maye, but I think Mccarthys skills are more NFL ready.

Maye we have to teach him to release the ball quicker, read a blitz in a pro style offense.
His footwork isn’t where Mccarthy’s is.
And they aren’t much different in size.
Plus McCarthy throws better on the run.

I’m trusting AVP and Macadoo not to sink this franchise.

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I don’t agree that McCarthy has a better arm than Maye.

You can’t really use JJ winning against higher completion without mentioning he had much better teammates, better coaching and was asked to do much less.

McCarthy is more nfl ready if he comes to a team that is as run heavy as Michigan. In college Maye was required to do everything, in college McCarthy’s offensive line and running backs took control of the game for him.

I’ve heard reporters I trust explain Drake’s problems with the blitz as the coach calling plays without any hot routes built in (which I can empathize with based on the Matt Patricia OC year).

In the end it’s all projection and we will see who is right in the future.

All this talk of trading for Justin Fields is going to look comical 2 years from now when he’s playing in the Arena league or CFL. Justin Fields is not a bad QB. He’s TERRIBLE.

Nobody in the league is wants him. That is clear from this past week. He can’t process. He’s inaccurate. He’s not an NFL QB.

KCSVEN said:

Drake Maye is a S-T-U-D. They should do whatever they can to get him.
Since 2022 Maye has 5,176 yards and 52 touchdowns when targeting receivers past the sticks. That's a 96.7 PFF passing grade.
Since 2022 that ranks, oh, #1 of ALL NCAA QB's since 2022.
96.8 rating on throws over 20 yards was #3 in the country in 2023, with no wide receivers.
The advanced stats are phenomenal.
He's being discounted due to 2023 when he had a new OC who was not any good, did not have any wide receivers. Average O Line and had a poor defense to support the offense. He basically put-up good stats with the equivalent of the Patriots offense from 2023 around him, with a worse OC and a worse defense.
If he's not a top 5 NFL QB in 2026 I'd be shocked.
I think no way Washington passes on him, Adam Peters seems too smart.

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Yeah he had some great games against powerhouse teams like Appalachian State and Florida A&M and got progressively worse as the season wore one (2022). When I hear things about him having the size and arm strength of the prototype NFL QB I’m not floored. Maybe he’s the next John Elway, no idea just doesn’t jump off the pages for me