Every Little Thing May Not Be Alright

[upstater1]

I wonder if the Alonzo cheap shot that he took here has influenced him in any way?

Probably. I felt bad for him. Especially since he's been injured so many times. BUT--it is the Super Bowl. Not the time for self-preservation. I always appreciated this about Brady. Yes, he would duck out of big hits during the season. The guy missed 15 games his whole career. But in the Super Bowl, or even in big regular season games, he'd stand in there like Grogan.

 

[rogerthat]

Worst quarterback situation in the league, check. worst wide receiver situation in the league, check. worst tight end situation in the league, check. zero playmakers on offense check. zero playmakers on defense, check.

It is beyond the pale that people on this forum think The Patriots can simply flip a switch, get guys back who opted out, magically have a fantastic draft when they haven't had a good one in 10 years, and then all of a sudden LeapFrog two teams far far far ahead of them in Buffalo and Miami and then become Super bowl contenders next season.

there cannot be one team in the NFL that has gotten less out of their last three or four drafts than the New England Patriots. Bill the GM's best draft pick at the most consistent contributor in the last couple of drafts has been the punter. What does that say for his drafting prowess? Harry blows, Wynn is hurt a lot, Sony Michel had one good season and now sucks and is hurt all the time, Bentley is average at best, Winovich is really a jag, Duggar is average, The two tight ends are absolute waste of picks, probably more than half the offensive lineman he picked the last four or five years either retired, injured all the time or got cut.

The Patriots are in need of a total rebuild. This team is not going to be fixed next year. You're going to see their win total around 7 or 7.5 next season, And I think that number is inflated based on the coach's reputation.

Pessimist much?
Michel is a good football player- he doesn't blow. We have Harris coming back next year as well; that means running back is a plus position for us.
Yes, Harry is a flat out chump and I hope they cut him. But if Meyers continues to improve he could be a very solid #3 or even a #2.

While Winovich isn't going to turn into an all pro, I have hope he can turn into a 3rd down pass rushing specialist that can consistently get to the quarterback. Those guys are rare.

Dugger is NOT average; imo he's a budding star. If he learns how to cover people, watch out- the sky is the limit for him.
I also like Uche a lot.

IMO, pay Jc Jackson and let everybody else walk, including Hightower and Chung, and go young. Draft a quarterback and look to develop, and go buy a Jimmy G or someone of that ilk as a bridge. We could very well make the playoffs next year; def within 2 years.

 

[1960Pats]

Probably. I felt bad for him. Especially since he's been injured so many times. BUT--it is the Super Bowl. Not the time for self-preservation. I always appreciated this about Brady. Yes, he would duck out of big hits during the season. The guy missed 15 games his whole career. But in the Super Bowl, or even in big regular season games, he'd stand in there like Grogan.

That's one of the many things about Brady that's impressive. He'll stand there and take a hit to make the pass and he's doing it with 300 pounders bearing down on him. He's one tough SOB.

 

[sean10mm]

I think the thing people need to accept is that until you have a quality starter at QB (not elite, not future HOFer, just genuinely good) you're in football purgatory. And nobody has a surefire formula for finding an NFL starter at that position - even the best whiff on QB picks a large majority of the time. It's less that the Pats are DOOMED FOREVER and more that everything is by definition up in the air until you fill those shoes. Everything else is secondary.

Hell, Bill Walsh thought Giovanni Carmazzi was the next hero QB for the 49ers and we know how that turned out. Belihcick's 2nd best QB pick is on IR on the 49ers yet a-beepin'-gain.

 

[50-yard-line]

Worst quarterback situation in the league, check. worst wide receiver situation in the league, check. worst tight end situation in the league, check. zero playmakers on offense check. zero playmakers on defense, check.

It is beyond the pale that people on this forum think The Patriots can simply flip a switch, get guys back who opted out, magically have a fantastic draft when they haven't had a good one in 10 years, and then all of a sudden LeapFrog two teams far far far ahead of them in Buffalo and Miami and then become Super bowl contenders next season.

there cannot be one team in the NFL that has gotten less out of their last three or four drafts than the New England Patriots. Bill the GM's best draft pick at the most consistent contributor in the last couple of drafts has been the punter. What does that say for his drafting prowess? Harry blows, Wynn is hurt a lot, Sony Michel had one good season and now sucks and is hurt all the time, Bentley is average at best, Winovich is really a jag, Duggar is average, The two tight ends are absolute waste of picks, probably more than half the offensive lineman he picked the last four or five years either retired, injured all the time or got cut.

The Patriots are in need of a total rebuild. This team is not going to be fixed next year. You're going to see their win total around 7 or 7.5 next season, And I think that number is inflated based on the coach's reputation.

Sure, and the money to sign Hunter Henry, Godwin or Robinson, draft Kyle Pitts ror Devonte Smith in round 1 - see how quick that changes?

And JC Jackson and Gilmore are both playmakers. They need a lot of help on the front 7, but some of the young'uns will improve a lot (Uche, Jennings, Hall, Winovich, Cowart, Dugger...

Get a decent QB - that's the big ?

 

[FCB02062]

Ted Johnson was talking about this year's team on 98.5 tonight. They discussed how they compared the last 3 drafts for Buffalo and the Patriots. It's laughable how few contributors from the last 3 are on the Pats and Buffalo is chock full of players from those drafts. I've been singing from the mountaintops that if there is ANY chance the Patriots get back to a contending team - and they are MILES away now - they absolutely need to nail the 2021 draft and hope Duggar, Uche, Jennings, Asiasi OR Keene, and join Onwenu in being a real CONTRIBUTOR. I'm not talking about playing 25% of the snaps 1 week, 65% the next week, then 30% the following week. Coach Bill needs to ****ing draft guys that MAKE him play them. Enough with the draft picks who play 2x more special teams snaps. Wonderful - they had a great special teams unit in 2020 - what did it get them? Remember Coach Bill's special teams from last year? He believed in them more than he believed in his offense as he frequently went for blocked punts with no returner instead of trusting his offense to make an 80 yard td drive.
The 2019 draft could be the one the cripples this team, ESPECIALLY if Bill the GM blows another draft in 2021. 2019 brought us Harry - bust, JoeJuan Williams - bust, Winovich - jag at best but won't be on the team after his rookie contract, Harris - not totally sold on him. definiitely has shown flashes of potential, but he's only played 12 of a possible 32 games in his career. Stidham, Cowart, a punter....you see where this is going. You had NINE picks in the first FIVE rounds in 2019 and Bill the GM drafted drafted maybe ONE player worth re-signing after his rookie contract - Harris, but we know how the NFL eats up running backs so odds are Harris will be elsewhere in 3 or 4 years.
I'll go back even further - look at the 2017, 2018, 2019 drafts - these players should be making impacts on this Team NOW, but there is garbage soup from those drafts. You need to go back to 2015 to find the last time Bill the GM drafted an SKILL POSITION IMPACT PLAYER - Trey Flowers, and I know some might not call DE a skill position, but I will here. 2015 was there last mildly successful draft with Flowers, Richards (he was a reach at second round, but stuck around for 5 years and made some contributions - should've been better for a 2d rounder, but not an abject failure like JoeJuan), Malcolm Brown was decent, Shaq Mason is good, and Cardona has been your long snapper for 6 years in the 5th round.
Contrast the bags of crap from the last 4 or 5 drafts with the early 2000s - 2001 (seymour, light), 2002 (branch, graham, Jarvis green, givens) 2003 (ty warren, eugene wilson, assante samuel, dan klecko, koppen, banta-cain). That's TWELVE CONTRIBUTORS over 3 drafts. If Bill can hit on this 2021 and 2022 there is hope, epspecially if Duggar and Harris keep developing and Onwenu keeps it up. There's 3 potential contributors from 2020. Get 3 more guys who can play this coming draft and we could be in business...

 

[stcjones]

Okay, let's see if we can discuss the possibility that things may not be alright.

My initial reaction to the future of the team, in spite of the loss of Tom Brady which was a crushing blow that I'm still trying to get used to, was a positive one. But after seeing Bill's infatuation with Cam Newton and the possibility that he may still be here next year, I'm starting to have some doubts.

There's also the realization that this team has a lot more holes to fill than I originally thought. I was trying to give Harry some leeway, but he looks lost and confused out there. That isn't a good sign after all the time he's been here.

Then we have the large amount of players who could walk. If the Pats stay with their lowball approach we could end up losing quite a few good players that would create even more holes to fill.

We have a major rebuild coming and several seasons of non playoff outcomes most likely. Great to be fan of the greatest franchise in NFL history by far.....but now it will be ugly for awhile!

 

[stcjones]

Ted Johnson was talking about this year's team on 98.5 tonight. They discussed how they compared the last 3 drafts for Buffalo and the Patriots. It's laughable how few contributors from the last 3 are on the Pats and Buffalo is chock full of players from those drafts. I've been singing from the mountaintops that if there is ANY chance the Patriots get back to a contending team - and they are MILES away now - they absolutely need to nail the 2021 draft and hope Duggar, Uche, Jennings, Asiasi OR Keene, and join Onwenu in being a real CONTRIBUTOR. I'm not talking about playing 25% of the snaps 1 week, 65% the next week, then 30% the following week. Coach Bill needs to ****ing draft guys that MAKE him play them. Enough with the draft picks who play 2x more special teams snaps. Wonderful - they had a great special teams unit in 2020 - what did it get them? Remember Coach Bill's special teams from last year? He believed in them more than he believed in his offense as he frequently went for blocked punts with no returner instead of trusting his offense to make an 80 yard td drive.
The 2019 draft could be the one the cripples this team, ESPECIALLY if Bill the GM blows another draft in 2021. 2019 brought us Harry - bust, JoeJuan Williams - bust, Winovich - jag at best but won't be on the team after his rookie contract, Harris - not totally sold on him. definiitely has shown flashes of potential, but he's only played 12 of a possible 32 games in his career. Stidham, Cowart, a punter....you see where this is going. You had NINE picks in the first FIVE rounds in 2019 and Bill the GM drafted drafted maybe ONE player worth re-signing after his rookie contract - Harris, but we know how the NFL eats up running backs so odds are Harris will be elsewhere in 3 or 4 years.
I'll go back even further - look at the 2017, 2018, 2019 drafts - these players should be making impacts on this Team NOW, but there is garbage soup from those drafts. You need to go back to 2015 to find the last time Bill the GM drafted an SKILL POSITION IMPACT PLAYER - Trey Flowers, and I know some might not call DE a skill position, but I will here. 2015 was there last mildly successful draft with Flowers, Richards (he was a reach at second round, but stuck around for 5 years and made some contributions - should've been better for a 2d rounder, but not an abject failure like JoeJuan), Malcolm Brown was decent, Shaq Mason is good, and Cardona has been your long snapper for 6 years in the 5th round.
Contrast the bags of crap from the last 4 or 5 drafts with the early 2000s - 2001 (seymour, light), 2002 (branch, graham, Jarvis green, givens) 2003 (ty warren, eugene wilson, assante samuel, dan klecko, koppen, banta-cain). That's TWELVE CONTRIBUTORS over 3 drafts. If Bill can hit on this 2021 and 2022 there is hope, epspecially if Duggar and Harris keep developing and Onwenu keeps it up. There's 3 potential contributors from 2020. Get 3 more guys who can play this coming draft and we could be in business...

BB’s crap drafting ability has definitely hurt this team.. Brady always hid the pimples but now they are popping like geysers!!!! We need a new GM and scout team to “help” (basically puck players) with draft going forward if BB is going to continue here.

 

[stcjones]

Yes, agreed. Of course, there are many QBs who can't play. But there are many teams throughout this league who are getting decent QB play without requiring an All-Pro like Brady.

I'm talking about the Tannehills and Derek Carrs. Heck, I think BB could win with Tedy Bridgewater.

Bridgewater has been pretty average entire career....last year was better. We don’t need him in NE

 

[stcjones]

GO PATS!!!!

 

[1960Pats]

We have a major rebuild coming and several seasons of non playoff outcomes most likely. Great to be fan of the greatest franchise in NFL history by far.....but now it will be ugly for awhile!

I think it's possible to have a quick turn around but not with a woeful QB.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

The sputum from the hacks at One Patriot Place would beg to differ:

Sheesh, and I thought I was pissed about the uniforms...

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Yes, agreed. Of course, there are many QBs who can't play. But there are many teams throughout this league who are getting decent QB play without requiring an All-Pro like Brady.

I'm talking about the Tannehills and Derek Carrs. Heck, I think BB could win with Tedy Bridgewater.

It's been a quarterback driven league since WWII, prior to which college football and RB's were king.

I totally agree, especially that Belichick can win with anyone. Hostetler, Castle, etc. But we'd like to have the advantage at that position. Lombardi came into a mess in Green Bay BUT he inherited Starr. Fairbanks found Grogan in the fifth round. We had Gannon but Steinberg or whoever didn't want him at QB. Flutie dropped in our laps and that's the biggest personnel blunder in team history, as Berry hated him and then Kiam let Doug take his wins, packed home games, playoff berths and rushing and passing records to Canada.

So maybe if Bill doesn't draft Tom, Brady's bagging groceries or gets a shot in Europe and gets a chance. Hard to believe a guy that driven wouldn't make it. For those concerned that we're not too good right now, I'd remember that the Rams were horrible when they picked up Warner, and like Favre and Brady he got his shot when the starter got hurt.

So you can't predict where the guy will come from or when he'll show up, but you can be alert, do your due diligence, and be ready for when he does. That sounds like Belichick to me, and we've still got him.