BB Admits 2020 Is Bridge Year

[Wozzy]

Bill Belichick to Sirius XM NFL Radio: "This is kind of the year that we've taken to, I would say, adjust our cap from the spending that we've had in accumulation of prior years. We just haven't been able to have the kind of depth on our roster that we've had in some other years."

www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-41102669-4

Accept it...

 

[DropKickFlutie]

25M in dead cap money (thanks Tom and AB and Kraft) and then 8 players had covid19 opt outs including Hightower, Chung, Cannon

.

 

[Zarozzor]

Should have went all out from the start and just went for Lawrence or Fields at that point

 

[lancerman]

Should have went all out from the start and just went for Lawrence or Fields at that point

We still should. The truth of the matter is even if we beat Buffalo tomorrow we are in a horrible spot for winning the division or making the playoffs. If we lose, a win vs the Jets hurts us

 

[sb1]

Should have went all out from the start and just went for Lawrence or Fields at that point

Bill wouldn’t have a job to see the “reward” if the team was that bad.

 

[amfootball]

25M in dead cap money (thanks Tom and AB and Kraft) and then 8 players had covid19 opt outs including Hightower, Chung, Cannon

.

The dead cap hits are on Bill/Kraft not the players.

 

[sb1]

We still should. The truth of the matter is even if we beat Buffalo tomorrow we are in a horrible spot for winning the division or making the playoffs. If we lose, a win vs the Jets hurts us

We control our destiny right now for the division.

 

[Wozzy]

The dead cap hits are the result of kicking the can down the road for multiple years along with the AB fiasco...

I don't think anyone is "at fault" they were trying to keep Tom, Gronk paid and field a competitive team... which they did and we all enjoyed the benefits of.

They had to hit the reset button and pay off the debt eventually.

 

[Doctor DDS]

The Pats could have played with the cap and been more competitive in 2020 but I doubt they would have been a serious contender anyways so I am fine with how they handled it. I would still like to see them scrap and claw for a playoff spot as I believe that is better for a turnaround next year than a free fall but they may not have enough talent to pull it off anyways. I personally think the team is better off going 9-7 and getting something like the 17th pick vs going 4-12 and getting the 5th pick. Showing fight and maintaining a winning culture means more than moving up a dozen spots in the draft in my view.

 

[RIpats88]

The dead cap hits are the result of kicking the can down the road for multiple years along with the AB fiasco...

I don't think anyone is "at fault" they were trying to keep Tom, Gronk paid and field a competitive team... which they did and we all enjoyed the benefits of.

They had to hit the reset button and pay off the debt eventually.

pretty much this. the Bucs will be in the same situation a couple years down the road. probably KC as well with the money they are throwing around. But it makes sense when you have a superbowl calibar team to try and get as many chips during that run as you can.

The patriots just need NFL calibar pass catchers and an NFL calibar QB and they should be competitive. whether that is Cam newton, Jimmy G or someone we have no idea of yet etc. I dont know.

 

[BelizePats]

The dead cap hits are on Bill/Kraft not the players.

The dead cap hits are the price of being successful in the NFL.

 

[farn]

The dead cap hits are the price of being successful in the NFL.

And - in comparison with the great majority of SB champs/contenders - BB has been masterful. Retooling instead of rebuilding.

Eventually, after 20 years, they look to rebuild. I’m on board with that.

 

[203Pat]

Weird considering Bill is the one who pays the players.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

And - in comparison with the great majority of SB champs/contenders - BB has been masterful. Retooling instead of rebuilding.

Eventually, after 20 years, they look to rebuild. I’m on board with that.

There are at least 5 other teams ahead of us in the tank for trevor sweepstakes (among those that need a QB). I count Jete, Jax, MInnesota, Atlanta, and Washington...

 

[Wozzy]

Say you take a vacation every year for two decades and you have the cash so it's no problem.

Then towards the tail end of those two decades your vacations have gotten more and more lavish and a little debt accumulated each year. The last vacation was the 20th anniversary with your wife, so maybe you blew the doors off that year.

The following year you decide instead of going out again to pay off all the debt you built up over the years, maybe you take your vacation pay but work anyway. That's 2020...

Next year you'll be debt free and going on vacation again. One year to regroup so you can resume your routine.

 

[NYCPATS4LIFE]

There are at least 5 other teams ahead of us in the tank for trevor sweepstakes (among those that need a QB). I count Jete, Jax, MInnesota, Atlanta, and Washington...

Atlanta is stuck with Matt Ryan for the next two years. I doubt they go after a QB but who knows. I wonder if BB would take a chance with some QB like haskins etc.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Atlanta is stuck with Matt Ryan for the next two years. I doubt they go after a QB but who knows. I wonder if BB would take a chance with some QB like haskins etc.

Matt Ryan can easily be a mentor for Fields, so the timing works out perfectly for Atlanta.

I can see Bill trading for Rodgers in 2022, if GB wants to move on from him and give the keys to Jordan Love. Right now the cap hit for GB would be an astronomical 35 million.

 

[borg]

Bill wouldn’t have a job to see the “reward” if the team was that bad.

Yeah, why would Bob want a coach who had a 19 year winning streak and developed a 6th round string bean into the GOAT to continue to run his team and scheme for perhaps the greatest pro QB prospect in a generation?

Maybe Kraft will scoop up Adam Gase in all the aftermath

 

[jah]

Matt Ryan can easily be a mentor for Fields, so the timing works out perfectly for Atlanta.

I can see Bill trading for Rodgers in 2022, if GB wants to move on from him and give the keys to Jordan Love. Right now the cap hit for GB would be an astronomical 35 million.

If Rodgers is still worth a damn by then, they're just going to give Love the Rosen treatment.

 

[luuked]

Bill Belichick to Sirius XM NFL Radio: "This is kind of the year that we've taken to, I would say, adjust our cap from the spending that we've had in accumulation of prior years. We just haven't been able to have the kind of depth on our roster that we've had in some other years."

www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-41102669-4

Accept it...

I thought that was pretty clear the moment we moved Harmon for cap space.

The issue is that for some people transitional/bridge year seems to mean "tanking" whereas BB is not interested in that in the slightest. And I can't blame him. Personally I am much more interested in seeing them competitive in most games and stay as long as possible in the playoff race than purposefully throwing away an entire season.

But then again for many the bottomline that brings them joy is not the game itself but just winning titles. So whatever floats anyone's boat. It just seems like if someone really wants a tank, that person might be cheering for the wrong organization as long as BB is running things.