Can the Pats get good again in a hurry? Just a thought. (Paging Mr Toys for trade opinion.)

[UrbanCowboy]

I totally get the logic from our point of view. Taking on $46 million and getting draft picks is making more sense every day. It looks like slim pickin's getting slimmer in free agency. We just gotta hope that cleveland continues to do cleveland-like things.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

BTW, a few points on the math:

1. The simple rule: all future money goes to the new team, all money already paid stays with the old team. The Patriot would be responsible for the remaining salary, but the remaining signing bonus would stay with Cleveland.

Also, equally importantly: teams cannot process pre-6/1 trades as post-6/1 trades; that only exists for cuts.

So if they trade him before 6/1, they actually lose $8M in cap space this year. If they trade him after 6/1, they save $46M off this year's cap, and about $20M off next year's cap (and then he's off their books, so they get ~$26M combined over 2027 and 2028). Of course, they keep that current cap hit through 6/1.

 

[Sciz]

The Browns just restructured Watson’s contract, which ends any remote possibility of this happening.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

The Browns just restructured Watson’s contract, which ends any remote possibility of this happening.

I'm gonna go ahead and guess that they looked into it, and found no one remotely interested, either

 

[n1997y]

Theoretically you could trade Watson + #2 overall + their 1st next year in exchange for a 7th round pick, then immediately cut Watson once you acquire him. You’re effectively eating salary on Cleveland’s behalf in exchange for high picks. I don’t think it would happen but it’s possible.

I totally get the logic from our point of view. Taking on $46 million and getting draft picks is making more sense every day. It looks like slim pickin's getting slimmer in free agency. We just gotta hope that cleveland continues to do cleveland-like things.

The Browns just restructured Watson’s contract, which ends any remote possibility of this happening.

Found this in the ESPN story about his restructuring:

Watson, 29, has two years remaining on the five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract he signed in March 2022 and is owed $46 million in each of the next two seasons.

So trading for him and then cutting him would mean paying him $92 million for the fully guaranteed contract.

Not sure if it counts against cap in the contract year for which it’s paid, or if it somehow accelerates, but either way that’s a lot to swallow.

 

[Patsgofor4]

WTAF? Sounds like a recipe to turn the Pats into the Browns.

Also what does wasting cap space bailing out Cleveland by eating their mistake for them have to do with getting good again?

To answer the question, yes I think the Pats can get good again quickly, by wisely using cap space. The proposed **** sandwich er I mean eating Watson’s contract is not that.

Here’s a possible quick improvement, in order of priority:
- draft Hunter with the #4 pick
- sign Ronnie Stanley to fix LT
- sign Milton Williams to improve DL
- sign Josh Sweat to improve edge
- sign one decent FA WR at a reasonable price for depth
- draft BPA with rest of picks

That improves the trenches on both sides of the ball, and improves WR.



If there’s money enough left after doing the above, this might be worthwhile. Or maybe throw in Myles Garret instead of the pick next year. But only if it leaves enough cap unspent to carry forward into next year as well.

This is basically Patriots taking a big hit to benefit Cleveland, so there are two requirements: good benefit to Patriots, and no harm to them. Harming the Patriots negates any benefit.

Give me jevon holland over sweat. Sweat is never going be an elite edge, but Holland, when healthy is a top 5 FS and just turned 25 earlier this week. Seems like a lot of Pats fans are forgetting the impact that elite free safety can make on a defense.

 

[Salsalife]

Back to back 4-13 team. Bottom of the AFC east. I guess for me the first goal is not the Superbowl. First goal, fix the flaws that hurt us every game, how? Score more points than the other team. Ok. Qb needs time in the pocket to process and move the offense. Fix that first. Then try to slow down the other teams offense. That's it for 2025 season for Vrabel to accomplish.

 

[Wozzy]

Yes, they could have gotten good fast last year but dropped the ball.

A bad record isn’t a result of talent alone.

 

[borg]

Let's say the Browns traded Watson to the Pats

Just a thought.

 

[Iceman]

Have very little hope for this franchise in the near future. With the increase in the salary cap, teams can sign their own resulting in very few big time talented free agents being available and, even if they were, do not see the incentive for them signing here. I know we tend to overrate our own and not diminishing his rookie year, but Maye was pretty good but certainly not great and not enough of a draw (aka daniels), imo, to lure any big time talent here. Couple that with high taxes, undesirable location and poor results in the recently conducted player's poll then I just do not see the attraction for any pending free agents that would be available. Very similar to last year.

Truly thought last year's draft was vital for us going forward and, with the exception of Maye and maybe Milton, we failed miserably. They were supposed to be building blocks going forward with high picks in each round as is the case this year and, for our sake, we better hope we don't screw it up again this year to extend this rebuild ever longer. Cupboard is practically bear with needs everywhere with only so many avenues to turn too, hope everyone is prepared for the long haul.

 

[Salsalife]

Have very little hope for this franchise in the near future. With the increase in the salary cap, teams can sign their own resulting in very few big time talented free agents being available and, even if they were, do not see the incentive for them signing here. I know we tend to overrate our own and not diminishing his rookie year, but Maye was pretty good but certainly not great and not enough of a draw (aka daniels), imo, to lure any big time talent here. Couple that with high taxes, undesirable location and poor results in the recently conducted player's poll then I just do not see the attraction for any pending free agents that would be available. Very similar to last year.

Truly thought last year's draft was vital for us going forward and, with the exception of Maye and maybe Milton, we failed miserably. They were supposed to be building blocks going forward with high picks in each round as is the case this year and, for our sake, we better hope we don't screw it up again this year to extend this rebuild ever longer. Cupboard is practically bear with needs everywhere with only so many avenues to turn too, hope everyone is prepared for the long haul.

Glad you are experiencing the Red pill.. welcome.

 

[Joey007]

Anyone in todays NFL can. Anyone who tells you it takes 3-4 years to get good is stuck in the 1980’s.

 

[TheRainMaker]

The Commanders showed if other teams implode, you can have a one year turnaround. They are not a good team and will revert back to their normal selves assuming the 49ers, Cowboys and Lions bounce back. It’s also a matter of time that the Packers break out.

If the Pats address the OL, get some competent WR’s and players on defense, they can compete. The entire NFL are crap. The Jets will be in last place this season, while the Dolphins and Bills are trending downward.

 

[Ring 6]

There's no reasonable way to look at this team and think they will fix all or even "most" of the problems in one season. You could replace all our offensive lineman and all of our WR's with league average and it would be an across the board improvement. That's not even saying "playmakers" it's saying average. Defensively we don't know if Barmore comes back, so you could almost say that about our entire defensive front. I'm also no longer convinced players like Stevenson are longterm solutions anymore at RB. Even kicker is a question.

There's just too much.

The question shifts to what does "get good again" mean to you? Could we do enough to win 2-3 more games and be middle of the pack and be on the outside looking in of the playoffs instead of firmly out? Sure. Could we be a nine win team that falls ass backwards into a one and done appearance? I guess. Are we going to be anywhere near winning the division and having any real shot at doing something that matters? That's at least 2-3 years.

Also this Watson situation just isn't real. You are basically telling Maye that we are punting on this year and Cleveland can't sell to their fanbase that they are punting longterm on the draft and potentially getting an impact player or QB to fix the shortterm Watson mistake.

It’s not a matter of whether they can, it’s a matter of how likely.
With 125 mill in cap and a full draft they will make dozens of personnel decisions. (Hundreds if you count the yesses and nos)
If they do a great job with those decisions they can absolutely win the SB.
If they do an average job this team will be on the bubble for the playoffs.
They have the ability to turn over more than half of the starting positions and even a greater % of depth.

 

[DW Toys]

So the good news is: the Patriots have a quarterback and they also have the most cap space in the league.

The bad news is that, apart from the quarterback and one cornerback, the rest of the roster is questionable to downright bad. The coaching last season was terrible, it's true, so it's possible that some of the players will come good again, but I can't think that any of them except Gonzalez will want last season on their highlight reels.

And the further bad news is that the cap is ballooning, so a lot of teams have a lot of cap space. That means that, if a team is letting a player hit free agency, then most likely they have a good reason not to re-sign him: they can see that he is finished; he isn't amenable to coaching or whatever. If teams really want a player (Higgins, Tee) they will find a way.

But ...

There are some teams that are really up against the cap. The most obvious are the Saints and the Browns. The Saints have a weird history of pushing money into the future. Maybe they have a way of making that work indefinitely. But the Browns are in a terrible situation for one reason: Deshaun Watson.

What it would take for the Browns to finally get rid of Deshaun Watson

Immediately signing Deshaun Watson to one of the most significant contracts in NFL history always seemed like it would be a massive mistake for the Browns. Today, there's no doubt about it. Watson has reportedly ruptured his Achilles agai

ftw.usatoday.com

Basically, the Browns are screwed unless they can find another team to trade Watson to. But Watson is the trifecta: he played terribly last season; he's got long-term injuries; and he's a toxic human being. So what would it take to find a trade partner?

(1) Another team with a huge amount of cap space

(2) A huge incentive

Let's say the Browns traded Watson to the Pats (designating it as post-June 1 to try to limit the expense). What would the Pats want in return?

(1) First round picks. Not just this year but next.

(2) Maybe Myles Garrett.

(3) A left tackle. Is Dawaan Jones any good?

OK, that looks like a lot, but the Browns are the ones who are desperate, not the Patriots. And maybe they could sweeten things a little bit by sending them Joe Milton. Whether he is going to be a starting NFL quarterback or not, he's definitely better than anything the Browns have on their roster at present.

Just a thought.

Good afternoon Cousins. Glad to add my 2 cents.
Breakfast was a cheese and veggie omelet wirh some diced sausage and mash potatoes fried. Then some salsa on the side. Ad my pomegranate/cranberry juice and a cup of coffee.

As far as a DK trade with the Hawks, there is a great possibility (35%). The obvious move like I had stated a few weeks ago was to swap first rounders so we wind up with #18. BUT....it's going to take more than that. Heard DK wants the Texans. He doesn't have a say here.

The apple of my eye is Charles Cross. He has become a very good LT and broke out in 2024. He generated his best PFF grades to date, setting new high watermarks as both a run (77.9) and pass (81.3) blocker. He has one more year ofcheap contract until 2026 at $5,345mm. Obviously is you get him in the building you need to extend him.

So my proposal here will bring two needs that are still young.

Ah...the cost? I believe the Hawks would still swap picks but the Pats would have to throw two starters (or potential):

The Hawks need a QB to develop. Joe Milton might be as good as any in this class and the other might be WR Ja'Lynn Polk, the former Washington Husky who would be a fan favorite and needs a fresh start. This saves the Hawks two roster "gets".


There you have it. DK, Cross and the #18 pick for Pats pick #4, Joe Milton and Polk. Would ya? Polk could works out or nyet!

Two trades that need to happen are Cupp and Hendrickson. They should be making plane arrangements.

DW Toys