Curran: Patriots will be "extremely and uncharacteristically" aggressive in Free Agency

[jmt57]

I'm not buying this narrative I keep seeing repeated here that free agents don't want to sign with a team coming off a season with a losing record.

A look back at the history of NFL free agency does not show such a correlation. It wasn't true in the first year of free agency when Reggie White left the Eagles (who were coming off five straight 10-plus win seasons), to sign a huge contract with Green Bay (who had made it to the playoffs once in the previous 20 years - with a 5-3-1 record in the strike season).

Fast forward to 2020 free agency and most of the biggest contracts went to players signing with a non-playoff team:

• WR Amari Cooper (Dallas; 5 years, $100 mil)
• CB Byron Jones (Miami; 5 years, $82 mil)
• NT D.J. Reader (Bengals; 4 years, $53 mil)
• LB Joe Schobert (Jaguars; 5 years, $54 mil)
• OT Anthony Castonzo (Colts; 2 years, $33 mil)
• CB James Bradberry (NYG; 3 years, $45 mil)
• OT Jack Conklin (Browns; 3 years, $42 mil)
• LB Kyle Van Noy (Miami; 4 years, $51 mil)
• TE Austin Hooper (Browns; 4 years, $44 mil)
• CB Desmond Trufant (Lions; 2 years, $21 mil)
• LB Blake Martinez (Giants; 3 years, $30 mil)
• OT Bryan Bulaga (Chargers; 3 years, $30 mil)
• OL Connor McGovern (Jets; 3 years, $27 mil)
• RB Melvin Gordon (Broncos; 2 years, $16 mil)

Yes, occasionally a veteran near the end of his career will sign a contract based on an attempt to win a ring, like Junior Seau did with the Pats. But that is the exception and not the norm.

Teams with winning records typically don't have a lot of holes to fill, so they tend to be less active in free agency. Teams with losing records are usually in the opposite boat, resulting in their being more active in their pursuit.

Disregard the standard cliché "I came here to win" post-signing speech players give in their initial press conference. Players sign for the best contract, period.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

Here's what BB should do:

Free Agency:
-Sign Hunter Henry
-Sign Curtis Samuel
-Sign Corey Davis
-Sign Fitzmagic as a bridge QB

Draft:
-Mac Jones at #15
The rest of the draft should be defense

 

[Biffins]

Bill Belichick Reportedly Ready For Abnormally 'Aggressive' Offseason - NESN.com

With Brady kicking ass in TB - I expected nothing less.

Clearest indication that while this season might not be do or die for BB, next might be. And hence he needs to get a team going now and not waste another year.

 

[Wozzy]

What does one need to be abnormally aggressive in free agency?

Money and cap space... way to put yourself out there Curran.

I'm pretty sure that has nothing to do with what Brady is doing in Tampa.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Bill will have to do something he won't like doing and that's sell players to come to NE.

 

[Sam Bam Cunningham]

uncharacteristically aggressive for the Pats means 2 long snappers drafted on day 2 and trading up to get them.

 

[Brewskies]

Bill Belichick Reportedly Ready For Abnormally 'Aggressive' Offseason - NESN.com

With Brady kicking ass in TB - I expected nothing less.

Has nothing to do with Brady. Brady plays for another team.

 

[SVN]

Bill Belichick Reportedly Ready For Abnormally 'Aggressive' Offseason - NESN.com

With Brady kicking ass in TB - I expected nothing less.

So what is the source of this news ? BB said to some "i will be abnormally aggressive" to someone ? Weird news really. More like what might get clicks.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

I think a good comparison would be the 2003 off-season:

2003 Off-Season:


DRAFT:

- Drafted Ty Warren (1.13): Solid DT for several years.
- Drafted Eugene Wilson: Solid safety for several years.
- Drafted Bethel Johnson: Gave us some speed plays over several years including a crazy triple reverse vs. the Titans in the playoffs.
- Drafted Dan Kelcko: A fan favorite that never amounted to much.
- Drafted Asante Samuel: Pro-bowl CB.
- Drafted Dan Koppen: Long time center for Brady.
- Drafted Kliff Kingsbury: Put him on I/R without an injury and he ended up becoming a coach.
- Drafted Spencer Nead: Never did anything.
- Drafted Tully Banta Cain: Key defender for several years.
- Drafted Ethan Kelley: Never did anything.

FREE AGENCY:

Signed Rodney Harrison: Probably best safety in BB's tenure.
Signed Rosevelt Colvin: Key member of dynasty 1.0
Signed Ted Washington: Signed late...but saved us from a repeat of a 2002 Steve "Sieve" Martin leaky run D.

Key here was defense first. And McDaniels wasn't involved then.

.

 

[Sciz]

So what is the source of this news ? BB said to some "i will be abnormally aggressive" to someone ? Weird news really. More like what might get clicks.

Bedard has been saying this since the beginning of the month, and his sources definitely appear to be more internal. For example, his Easterby piece is remarkable to look at after what has happened in Houston, and that sourcing clearly came from inside the building. I always thought of Curran as more of a player/agent reporter, so I'm not sure exactly where he'd be getting it from.

 

[yukon cornelius]

Mac Jones MIGHT develop into teddy bridgewater, kirk cousins or jared goff

he's going to develop, possibly, into a QB that can keep your offense moving - but he's not one that's going to elevate the offense that is around him

guy played with the best offense in college ball - receivers always open, 3rd string Bama running backs end up with strong NFL careers.....his pocket was set most of the time........his team was clearly better than those that he played; that won't be the case in the NFL, and all of his flaws will start to make his strengths look 'meh'

i don't dislike him.....but he is NOT the 15 pick......if he's what your aspiring to get at QB, then save that pick for true #15 talent and pick up a veteran who can manage the game right away

 

[Steve102]

I think Bill's idea of abnormally aggressive and some of this fan base's idea might be two different things.

 

[yukon cornelius]

and i rather agree with what he's saying here.......they'll look to a veteran mid-tier guy free agency (i still have a sneaky feeling about Jacoby) and let the draft play out......if QB4 falls into their lap, maybe......but they're really hoping for that QB5 or 6 to fall into the 2nd, or someone even later......this is a mid-heavy QB draft, really everyone outside Lawrence is a hope......

 

[d312]

Here's what BB should do:

Free Agency:
-Sign Hunter Henry
-Sign Curtis Samuel
-Sign Corey Davis
-Sign Fitzmagic as a bridge QB

Draft:
-Mac Jones at #15
The rest of the draft should be defense

A scenario I could live with. Pats have a number of options. Just have to decide which you can live with.

 

[pazrul72]

It had nothing to do with Brady!

He responded to your assertion that Bill used 2020 to prepare 2021 and he said that if it was the case he should have let thuney walk which would probably give us a 3rd comp pick this year !

And we could have use those 15M on positions that were a bigger need like WR or TE

You dont understand comp picks. With 60 million in cap space the Patriots are going to be signing enough players to not get any comp picks this year, yes even for Thuney. Its all about losing more then you gained which they have done for a decade now. This is the first year in a long while the Pats will be buyers not sellers so from that perspective it didnt matter what he did with Thuney. I think he was trying to keep just enough pieces that if everything went right they could be a playoff team. Obviously everything didnt go right and here we are.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

You dont understand comp picks. With 60 million in cap space the Patriots are going to be signing enough players to not get any comp picks this year, yes even for Thuney. Its all about losing more then you gained which they have done for a decade now. This is the first year in a long while the Pats will be buyers not sellers so from that perspective it didnt matter what he did with Thuney. I think he was trying to keep just enough pieces that if everything went right they could be a playoff team. Obviously everything didnt go right and here we are.

There is a misunderstanding here because I never said that we would get a 3rd comp pick I was just paraphrasing what skinnydog has said in response to a post from robertweathers

 

[rogerthat]

Here's what BB should do:

Free Agency:
-Sign Hunter Henry
-Sign Curtis Samuel
-Sign Corey Davis
-Sign Fitzmagic as a bridge QB

Draft:
-Mac Jones at #15
The rest of the draft should be defense

Will Mac Jones be there at 15? I like your plan but it only works if Jones is still there; we might have to trade up to get him.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

Will Mac Jones be there at 15? I like your plan but it only works if Jones is still there; we might have to trade up to get him.

Isn't a amazing that a month ago, people were saying that taking Jones was a 2nd rounder and at #15 was reaching for him? I would be all for trading up for him. I think he fits our offense the best.

 

[IllegalContact]

They could have started Stidham which was looking like Bill’s plan until end of June when the Cam opportunity presented itself and either they would have won a bunch of games and finish in the same position we are now or would have lost a bunch of games, Bill would transitioned to Hoyer and we would have picked high in the draft.

In my mind, nobody would have said we are tanking, we would have said that Stidham and Hoyer really stinks and Bill would have justified it like he did: « we sold out and we didn’t have any money to pay a QB » and nobody would have said anything

so tanking without saying you're tanking.....gotcha

 

[203Pat]

Lol @ anyone who thinks what Brady is doing has no affect on Bill. I don't know how Bill became this egoless infallible figure. I mean how many soured relationships and feuds has he had through the years? Parcells, Mangini, the Jets, Alex Guerrero, Welker to name a few. I am not saying there was or wasn't a good reason for these feuds but to say that there is no ego involved on Bill's end is just foolish.