BB knew this was a non playoff year from the start

[Sam Bam Cunningham]

He knew they needed to throw away a year in return for financial flexibility moving forward. After the opt outs he knew for sure.
If you consider all of the bizarre non moves on the roster for this year, there is no other conclusion other than...he knew no matter what they could not compete for a championship this year.
The "bill" finally came due for all of the salary deferrals and dead cap space. The price was sacrificing this year as a non competitive year.


1. No veteran TE's
2. Weak WR group
3. Cam was a "hail Mary" and I doubt he expected this would be a home run
4. No space occupying DT and no attempt to get one
5. No meaningful trades at deadline
6. No helpful waiver wire pick ups during the year

The bill has been paid now and once again BB can go shopping.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

He knew they needed to throw away a year in return for financial flexibility moving forward. After the opt outs he knew for sure.
If you consider all of the bizarre non moves on the roster for this year, there is no other conclusion other than...he knew no matter what they could not compete for a championship this year.
The "bill" finally came due for all of the salary deferrals and dead cap space. The price was sacrificing this year as a non competitive year.


1. No veteran TE's
2. Weak WR group
3. Cam was a "hail Mary" and I doubt he expected this would be a home run
4. No space occupying DT and no attempt to get one
5. No meaningful trades at deadline

May have also thought the season wouldn’t be completed.

 

[Boomer B]

This has been years in the making, not one season.

Covid and cap didn’t have anything to do with our drafting the last 6 seasons.

 

[jdlboot14]

He knew they needed to throw away a year in return for financial flexibility moving forward. After the opt outs he knew for sure.
If you consider all of the bizarre non moves on the roster for this year, there is no other conclusion other than...he knew no matter what they could not compete for a championship this year.
The "bill" finally came due for all of the salary deferrals and dead cap space. The price was sacrificing this year as a non competitive year.


1. No veteran TE's
2. Weak WR group
3. Cam was a "hail Mary" and I doubt he expected this would be a home run
4. No space occupying DT and no attempt to get one
5. No meaningful trades at deadline
6. No helpful waiver wire pick ups during the year

The bill has been paid now and once again BB can go shopping.

Fully agree! Which is another reason why he didn't want to wreck a young inexperienced QB and potentially lose the weakened team halfway through the season. Cam is a huge personality and an energizing captain. I think it's a semi-miracle how we won some of those games - BAL and AZ in particular. BB is a mastermind. But now is the time to look ahead. We do have some talent on O, and need to see what they can do balls out.

 

[amfootball]

This has been years in the making, not one season.

Covid and cap didn’t have anything to do with our drafting the last 6 seasons.

Yep. Years of awful drafting and no QB. That is why we are here.

 

[sb1]

He knew they needed to throw away a year in return for financial flexibility moving forward. After the opt outs he knew for sure.
If you consider all of the bizarre non moves on the roster for this year, there is no other conclusion other than...he knew no matter what they could not compete for a championship this year.
The "bill" finally came due for all of the salary deferrals and dead cap space. The price was sacrificing this year as a non competitive year.


1. No veteran TE's
2. Weak WR group
3. Cam was a "hail Mary" and I doubt he expected this would be a home run
4. No space occupying DT and no attempt to get one
5. No meaningful trades at deadline
6. No helpful waiver wire pick ups during the year

The bill has been paid now and once again BB can go shopping.

Hope so. We have lots of needs.

 

[denverpatsfan]

I think deep down we all knew it would be a rebuilding year.

 

[Ring 6]

He knew they needed to throw away a year in return for financial flexibility moving forward. After the opt outs he knew for sure.
If you consider all of the bizarre non moves on the roster for this year, there is no other conclusion other than...he knew no matter what they could not compete for a championship this year.
The "bill" finally came due for all of the salary deferrals and dead cap space. The price was sacrificing this year as a non competitive year.


1. No veteran TE's
2. Weak WR group
3. Cam was a "hail Mary" and I doubt he expected this would be a home run
4. No space occupying DT and no attempt to get one
5. No meaningful trades at deadline
6. No helpful waiver wire pick ups during the year

The bill has been paid now and once again BB can go shopping.

The “non-moves” are because of cap space.
1) he signed a veteran te who opted out and drafted 2
2) he signed a FA WR who starts and another who opted out, the most expensive he could afford
3) there was no other alternative. We had about $500 of cap space left after paying him the vet minimum
4) we signed exactly that player but he is on IR
5) trades are extremely rare.
6) huh?
Of course he was up against it with cap issues and he couldn’t keep his own free agents or sign new ones. But he doesn’t start the season thinking he knows the outcome of games. He tries to win with what he has. You are implying he gave up which is total bs.

 

[jah]

I don't think this was an intentional 1 year tank but it was inevitable after the past half decade and Bill has publicly acknowledged that.

 

[Turkamu]

3) what was the point of that hail mary?

If he instead just went with stidham and maybe another young developing QB, you either see that he is good enough to be your QB of the future or you are in position to draft one. Having Cam play just made you good enough to be out of the top 10 draft spots.

Which imo makes this a completely wasted season, no success and no evaluation either.

 

[sb1]

3) what was the point of that hail mary?

If he instead just went with stidham and maybe another young developing QB, you either see that he is good enough to be your QB of the future or you are in position to draft one. Having Cam play just made you good enough to be out of the top 10 draft spots.

Which imo makes this a completely wasted season, no success and no evaluation either.

Stid fans hanging on to the dream. lol

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Yep. Years of awful drafting and no QB. That is why we are here.

had to take a shot at Belichick, didn’t you?

 

[203Pat]

Lol Bill can truly do no wrong. Mismanage the cap to the point where he cant make any moves to improve the team. Push out a still very good QB (whether directly or indirectly) with absolutely zero backup plan in place. Disregard the TE position, swing and miss at the receiver position, sticking with bad players out there too long this year.

Bill's overall body of work makes him the best to ever do it but he has been exalted to this infallible status by some around here and it is just embarrassing.

 

[Sciz]

4) we signed exactly that player but he is on IR

And then signed another one...who is also on IR.

 

[Jim Beankie]

I don't think this was an intentional 1 year tank but it was inevitable after the past half decade and Bill has publicly acknowledged that.

One of the times I had any thought of intentional tanking was the horrible onside kick decision during the Bills game. We had just tied the game and then gave the Bills ~ 90% chance of getting the ball in NE territory relatively late in the game. I had just gotten excited about Meyers' first catch in the end zone (with one of Cam's best throws of the year for the 2pt conversion) and pretty sure I did a real facepalm with some foul language.

 

[Jimke]

The Patriots could use some help in drafting players. Too many #2 picks wasted on
mediocre defensive backs (better luck with undrafted DBs), no recent success in
evaluating wide receivers who can fit the system, and drafting offensive tackles who
have slipped in the draft due to being injured at draft time (Garcia, Cajuste).

 

[lancerman]

Yes this absolutely the correct take. They cleared cap and positioned themselves to rebuild this and next off season.

 

[Ring 6]

The Patriots could use some help in drafting players. Too many #2 picks wasted on
mediocre defensive backs (better luck with undrafted DBs), no recent success in
evaluating wide receivers who can fit the system, and drafting offensive tackles who
have slipped in the draft due to being injured at draft time (Garcia, Cajuste).

The draft is a crapshoot. I don’t see an issue with spending a lot of resources on db when you end up with the best secondary in the league.
I still cannot fathom how people cite “evaluation” at a position the organization has consistently not used high picks on.
Yes there late round picks have not worked out great, just like every other teams.
For every gamble on a Garcia or cajuste there is a gronk.
In the last 7 years they have won 80 regular season games 12 playoff games 4 afc championships and 3 SBs.
Obviously they know what they are doing.

 

[Turkamu]

The draft is a crapshoot. I don’t see an issue with spending a lot of resources on db when you end up with the best secondary in the league.

Except that, besides Dugger, non of the recent draft picks are part of that secondary.

 

[Ring 6]

Except that, besides Dugger, non of the recent draft picks are part of that secondary.

Jackson, Jones. Does it matter? The goal
is to field the best team and win, not argue about your draft choices.