A successful offseason

[Kontradiction]

I am operating under the impression (hope) that we don't sell out for some bridge QB and develop a young guy. Unless it is Watson I would rather build through the draft.

What about Dak? He has better physical tools than Wentz and I’m not sure Dallas will want to franchise him at $48M for one year. Put him in the right system, with the right coaching, and he could flourish.

 

[Thelonious]

At the beginning of this season, I said that this was a lost year from the start and that we should use it to find out what we have - not much - and to lose enough games that we have a shot at a stud to fill one of our many needs. I said that Bill should be relieved of his GM duties becuase he has blatantly failed over multiple years to meet those responsibilities. The Krafts should long since have intervened in this matter and made the change happen.

I would say exactly the same of next year. Given the dismal state of the roster, there is no chance of this team making the playoffs. The only bright spot is that we now have no one whatsoever at QB rather than Cam. No one whatsoever is an upgrade over that dismal stumblebum Cam.

It'll be at least three years before this team is competitive, longer if the Krafts fail to toss Bill out of the draft room.

 

[203Pat]

What about Dak? He has better physical tools than Wentz and I’m not sure Dallas will want to franchise him at $48M for one year. Put him in the right system, with the right coaching, and he could flourish.

I like Dak more than most and if he were available I would not be opposed to bringing him in. He was able to play at a high level with a couple of dunces at head coach. I just can't see the Cowboys letting him flat out walk so we would need to trade a bunch of picks and still pay him.

 

[Thelonious]

What about Dak? He has better physical tools than Wentz and I’m not sure Dallas will want to franchise him at $48M for one year. Put him in the right system, with the right coaching, and he could flourish.

Right. An overpriced mediocrity recovering from an injury.

If this is the "Patriot Way," it is strangely transformed. Looks more like the Jets' Way.

 

[Kontradiction]

Right. An overpriced mediocrity recovering from an injury.

If this is the "Patriot Way," it is strangely transformed. Looks more like the Jets' Way.

He played in Dallas and was having a career year before the injury. He’d have a much better coaching situation here. He wouldn’t be my number one choice (that would be just rolling with a draft pick or picking up Jimmy G to hold down the fort, if he becomes available), but since the coach decided that the guy who won the Super Bowl last night just had to go, we’re up ****’s Creek without a paddle at the position.

 

[RIpats88]

I think people are thinking this will be just one down season. I am under the impression next year may be even worse as the real rebuild will be in process. I think it is 2-3 more years before we are a real contender again.

We went 7-9 with a tough schedule and a QB who couldn't throw. People acting like we were 1-15

 

[Thelonious]

He played in Dallas and was having a career year before the injury. He’d have a much better coaching situation here. He wouldn’t be my number one choice (that would be just rolling with a draft pick or picking up Jimmy G to hold down the fort, if he becomes available), but since the coach decided that the guy who won the Super Bowl last night just had to go, we’re up ****’s Creek without a paddle at the position.

Three issues, though:

1) He has always shown more "promise" than actual performance. He is reliably mediocre, nothing more.

2) His cost, both in terms of compensation to secure his services and re paying his preposterous salary, is way out of balance with his actual worth, and paying these costs will cripple the team re providing a supporting cast.

3) He is recovering from a very significant injury.

Taking him on is a p***poor idea.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Finding our future qb (even if we don’t see him on the field until later in the season or 2022). Anything else is gravy.

 

[holyredeemer]

A successful offseason for me would be staying in great cap shape and continuing the rebuild of the Defense while adding a few skill players that will be with the team for a while. I’d love for the team to find the QB of the future. That would be my first priority, but is that guy even out there for us to be able to get? I don’t know. I want to get bigger/stronger on DL, and absolutely faster at the LB position. Uche was a great start.

Guys that don’t have a long term future on the team, I would like to see dealt for some picks or cleared out for cap space. Guys like Sony, Harry, Cannon, I get the feeling Gillys time here is done. I’d be happy with a re-sign of Butler, Guy, and extend JC all at affordable contracts. I like all 3, but wouldn’t break the bank for all 3.

I want to come out of the draft with 10 guys, + a few key UDFA signings, and some future picks acquired through trades. As far as Free Agency is concerned, re-sign a few key players of our own and bring in some guys that aren’t high/low ceiling types, but really solid football players. No big contracts to injury prone guys.

like everyone else though, I would be smitten with a QB acquired through the draft that by end of season is a Herbert type of guy. They guy that makes you say, we got em, now let’s be aggressive and build around him!

 

[sb1]

I think people are thinking this will be just one down season. I am under the impression next year may be even worse as the real rebuild will be in process. I think it is 2-3 more years before we are a real contender again.

Could be. If the Pats do what the Chargers did and go with a good young QB prospect and stick to him there will be growing pains for sure.

As long as there's a plan and they stick to it it's ok if they take another one on the chin next year.

 

[Ring 6]

Don't worry. I have been told $60 million will fix all the holes overnight.

It’s AT LEAST 60,000 million and yes it can.

 

[BTTA]

I'm looking at 2020 with the same lens I did in 2000.

Purge the roster of players who don't want to be here (check).
Clean up the cap (check).
Draft well (2020 is looking like a decent one).
Improve the overall talent base (TBD).
Make the playoffs the following year (TBD)

I like this. 20 year cycles, with a SB win every third year or so. With that assumption, I'm all in, and happy to have another crap year next year with a developing team that has underestimated young talent.

 

[203Pat]

Could be. If the Pats do what the Chargers did and go with a good young QB prospect and stick to him there will be growing pains for sure.

As long as there's a plan and they stick to it it's ok if they take another one on the chin next year.

If we have a guy for the future and suck next year I am fine with it. If we repeat this season then I will be wondering if Bill still has it.

 

[BTTA]

This postseason and season will still be heavily shaped by the pandemic:

• reduced salaries
• reduced player willingness to move their families (this Spring, kids will start to get lives back and there's a lot of healing to be done through socialization)
• training regimens and camps (there will be regional differences)
• who gets the vaccine when (there will be disparities between the teams, and inside the teams)
• policies around crowds (League, state, local)
• and the race to outrun the mutations with mass vaccinations (the longer it takes to vaccinate the global population, the more mutations we get, which threaten the effectiveness of the vaccines).

Unlike last year, there is time to think this through and do scenario planning. The Pats have an advantage organizationally. There are a handful of teams that will do this well (e.g. the Seahawks managed to avoid a single player infection), and a whole bunch who will not (because of poor management and/or location in states with high degree of deniers).

I like the Pats chances to leap forward with the rebuild a bit faster than they would have otherwise.

 

[Kontradiction]

Three issues, though:

1) He has always shown more "promise" than actual performance. He is reliably mediocre, nothing more.

2) His cost, both in terms of compensation to secure his services and re paying his preposterous salary, is way out of balance with his actual worth, and paying these costs will cripple the team re providing a supporting cast.

3) He is recovering from a very significant injury.

Taking him on is a p***poor idea.

3 might make 2 a non-issue.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I like this. 20 year cycles, with a SB win every third year or so. With that assumption, I'm all in, and happy to have another crap year next year with a developing team that has underestimated young talent.

I don't know if it's 20 year, 10 year, or 5 year cycle but it's the process any good front-office implements to build a consistent winner.

There is no doubt Bill has a ****ton of work to do. He doesn't have a franchise QB and the roster is dearth of players who can play at a championship level.

If he can add a competent, productive albeit unspectacular QB and a few productive starters on both sides of the ball it is perfectly reasonable to expect this team to play Wild Card Weekend next year.

 

[jah]

I have no concrete hopes and dreams for the offseason. I'll consider it a success if the majority of the moves make me think "nice, that was a good move".

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Dak has been pretty clear that, financially, he is looking to set the bar for QB pay. I don't see how we sign up for that.

 

[Steve102]

Dak has been pretty clear that, financially, he is looking to set the bar for QB pay. I don't see how we sign up for that.

Maybe he just needs to go to lunch at the Ground Round with Bill. He'll change his tune.

 

[yukon cornelius]

hopefully dak realizes the bar needs to be reset, and reset much lower than where it's been........

not sure why he thinks he's the one to set the bar, though......and it's pretty clear that if that is his goal, he'll never lead a team to a ring.......