After Day One (11:59 PM)

[Grogan14]

THe Pats were not going to fix this team through FA and or the draft this year.
BB knows damn well the Pats will not compete for a SB this year. So makes sense to go easy on the UFA's especially after last year.
Kraft and BB know the Pats are in for a sustained period of mediocrity, Scheming does NOT make up for a lack of talent.

 

[Ring 6]

Agree. How about the 3Rd round TE from two years ago (forgot his name)? Much more athletic than Johnson who was also a TE in college. Would be a huge upgrade in athleticism.

Keene?
Finding a Fb to block is probably the easiest and cheapest position to fill. If Smith gets his act together and we are able to run 2 TE as a base scheme, the FB is needed even less, and we have had success using other position players there too (Seymour, roberts, OLmen) when we didn’t have one on tff he roster.

 

[PatsWSB47]

Team is gonna blow next year.

Too early to make that prediction. Moves can be made and players can be drafted......but so far we aren't better. So Far

 

[Ring 6]

THe Pats were not going to fix this team through FA and or the draft this year.
BB knows damn well the Pats will not compete for a SB this year. So makes sense to go easy on the UFA's especially after last year.
Kraft and BB know the Pats are in for a sustained period of mediocrity, Scheming does NOT make up for a lack of talent.

This is not the way belichick thinks.
He will build the best team he can and coach it with a SB championship in mind.
Last year he turned over half the roster and started a rookie QB and had them in the # 1 seed in December. A bad finish just tells him what to fix, it doesn’t resign him to a sustained period of mediocrity. Jesus. Were you even alive in 2000-2001? Or 2002-2003?

 

[Ring 6]

Too early to make that prediction. Moves can be made and players can be drafted......but so far we aren't better. So Far

This team didn’t blow when it had the 50th best qb in the league bouncing passes, had numerous started opt out and went through an off season with about a dollar fifty in cap space. It is miles better now than it was then.

 

[Hyped]

He could sign here. I doubt there will be much market.

Several teams have released their full backs....per the transaction wire over the last week or so...I think some will give Johnson a call or two...

But yeah...a full back isn't expensive anyway...relatively...

 

[mgteich]

You left out Hightower and Johnson

and Bolden and White and Davis and Hall and King an Fumagalli and Redmond
---------------------
I didn't claim to include all free agents. But, yes, those two probably should be included. I will fix the OP.

 

[Ring 6]

and Bolden and White and Davis and Hall and King an Fumagalli and Redmond
---------------------
I didn't claim to include all free agents. But, yes, those two probably should be included. I will fix the OP.

I wonder if they think Taylor can be the next 3rd down back. I’d guess no since Bolden got the job last year.
I’m very interested to see the tweaks made to the offense this year with Belichick personally taking a bigger role.

 

[Fubby]

When you have the chance to sign 4 players with ages of 36, 36, 34 and 32, you just have to do it!

 

[Ring 6]

When you have the chance to sign 4 players with ages of 36, 36, 34 and 32, you just have to do it!

Why wouldn’t you do it?
One is your starting FS
One is your best ST player
One is your backup QB who is well schooled in the system and was apparently very helpful to the rookie franchise QB
One is a borderline 53 player who will come to camp and try to make the team.
How is that negative?

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

Why wouldn’t you do it?
One is your starting FS
One is your best ST player
One is your backup QB who is well schooled in the system and was apparently very helpful to the rookie franchise QB
One is a borderline 53 player who will come to camp and try to make the team.
How is that negative?

I'm sure it's the same complaint as most years when the Pats don't make a big splash. People pretend re-signing players to cheap contracts means Belichick is prioritizing them over top free agents, instead of facing the reality that it's easy to sign those players and has nothing to do with the top free agents.

It would be like walking past something cheap on your kid's Christmas wish list in the store and refusing to buy it because you haven't found their PS5 yet.

 

[mgteich]

I wonder if they think Taylor can be the next 3rd down back. I’d guess no since Bolden got the job last year.
I’m very interested to see the tweaks made to the offense this year with Belichick personally taking a bigger role.

I expect that Taylor will get an opportunity to get more reps.

However, RB's are relatively inexpensive. I expect to sign a FA 3rd down RB or at very least draft one in the 4th round.

I expect Bolden to be re-signed to a minimum contract, with a veteran discount off the cap.

 

[Fubby]

Why wouldn’t you do it?
One is your starting FS
One is your best ST player
One is your backup QB who is well schooled in the system and was apparently very helpful to the rookie franchise QB
One is a borderline 53 player who will come to camp and try to make the team.
How is that negative?

Cause I’m really hoping to see a lot less of this

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Keene?
Finding a Fb to block is probably the easiest and cheapest position to fill. If Smith gets his act together and we are able to run 2 TE as a base scheme, the FB is needed even less, and we have had success using other position players there too (Seymour, roberts, OLmen) when we didn’t have one on tff he roster.

Yes. Keene. If I remember correctly he is a complete meathead. I like him at FB because he was a serviceable TE catching and running at VT. If we add the running and catching ability to the FB role, plus additional athleticism, it could be an exciting position. Remember Kevin Turner, the FB back in the 90s? Keene, 4.7 sec 40, 7.07 3 cone, 6' 4", 250 lbs before bulking up. Great athleticism.

 

[Ring 6]

Cause I’m really hoping to see a lot less of this

Don’t worry, it rarely happens that you sell out 11 defenders to stop
a play at the Los because the situation dictates the risk.

 

[Ring 6]

Yes. Keene. If I remember correctly he is a complete meathead. I like him at FB because he was a serviceable TE catching and running at VT. If we add the running and catching ability to the FB role, plus additional athleticism, it could be an exciting position. Remember Kevin Turner, the FB back in the 90s? Keene, 4.7 sec 40, 7.07 3 cone, 6' 4", 250 lbs before bulking up. Great athleticism.

I don’t know. Receiving FB is kind of useless these days. Using a 2nd TE or 3rd WR is more effective. Fb is just a battering ram on running plays. Blocking is 95% of the job.

 

[Ring 6]

I expect that Taylor will get an opportunity to get more reps.

However, RB's are relatively inexpensive. I expect to sign a FA 3rd down RB or at very least draft one in the 4th round.

I expect Bolden to be re-signed to a minimum contract, with a veteran discount off the cap.

I always felt Taylor could be a good fit for a Woodhead like role.
Stevenson showed some receiving skills last year. I wonder if he may get used in that role. Woodheads average season here was 83 rushes 31 catches.
He wasn’t just a 3rd down back, he was also the no huddle back.
When they spread the field out of no huddle he had a lot of success running inside against a light front. I’d like to see more of that.

 

[Ring 6]

I'm sure it's the same complaint as most years when the Pats don't make a big splash. People pretend re-signing players to cheap contracts means Belichick is prioritizing them over top free agents, instead of facing the reality that it's easy to sign those players and has nothing to do with the top free agents.

It would be like walking past something cheap on your kid's Christmas wish list in the store and refusing to buy it because you haven't found their PS5 yet.

Those deals were likely done weeks ago and they had to wait until the league year started to execute them.

 

[Joker]

Jonnu Smith has rocks for hands. Either they make him catch 10,000 passes from the juggs and Hoyer this preseason...or cut bait.Asiasi and Keene better pop or they'll be gone too..

 

[mgteich]

I always felt Taylor could be a good fit for a Woodhead like role.
.

I agree.

But, let me more blunt. I am not sure that Taylor has the skills to belong on the 53 man roster.

Of course, I'm fine with him competing in camp, and even making the roster if that is the judgment of the team.