Idle Thoughts - the "I didn't see THAT one coming" edition

[Bill Lee]

think you lost count. Jones is in his 5th year, playing on a 5th-year option deal for $7.79 million. Not exactly top dollar, but more than Chris Long + Jabaal Sheard put together.

Yes, I did lose my count, thanks for the correction.

BTW- I thought AZ already gave him a LT extension, and THAT's why I said he's getting top dollar.

I did google for his contract status and found no evidence of an extension, but of course I may have mis-googled...

 

[pazrul72]

I can understand your concern, UK, but the timing isn't quite right for Jimmy to stay. IIRC Tom's current contract ends after the 2018 season, and I'm convinced that for the next 2 or 3 years, Tom Brady is STILL going to be the best QB that the Pats can put out there. So that's the problem for JG staying. That and I think they like Brissett as that possible transition guy and he's going to be under the Pats control for the next 4 years.

Now the Pats COULD wait another year and keep JG and trade him after next season, like they did with Castle, but THAT is a far more risky move given teams only have to wait a month and he'll be a FA and they have to give up nothing. Plus even if they do manage to trade him, the compensation wouldn't be as high, since the Pats would have less leverage due to the time constraints.

No, UK, dealing him after this season would be ideal (assuming his play remains consistent). The Pats wouldn't be squeezed by low ball offers, and historically QB starved teams vastly overpay for potential QB talent. You just have to look at what the Vikings paid for their new QB. Right now, I would foresee something like a first and 4th in 2017 draft and a 2nd in the 2018.

Imagine the consternation at 354 Park Ave, when Roger has to hand the Lombardi over to Tom Brady in February, and then watch the Pats get a top 5 pick at the end of April. Now THAT would be a dream come true for us all.

Agree with all of this but one other KEY point is Brady, if cut or traded, has 23 MILLION in dead money. End of story, debate, discussion he is on this team for the next 2 years. Sorry Grop I would have loved to see what you could grow into over the next 10 years and I will follow your career with some interest but it won't be as a patriot.

 

[long distance]

Over/under on how many weeks before the rest of the league starts copying Belichick's kickoff strategy of short, high, returnable kicks rather than just giving them the ball on the 25? I give it 3-5, as usual Belichick is so far ahead of the curve that he's essentially charting the course for everyone else.

Well he did sort of announce it on the rule change comment back then.
Nobody took him seriously.
He built big part of new team around it.
Nobody took him seriously.
He showed it in preseason.
Nobody ... well, its just hard to understand the ignorance towards the Master

 

[long distance]

Doesn't this just epitomise BB

Martellus Bennett disappoints fantasy owners but chips in for Pats as blocker

 

[SlowGettingUp]

Interesting that Jordan Richards only played one snap on defense, although 13 snaps on special teams. Wonder if he is on the bubble when players return from suspension/PUP list given the current slight overload at DB/safety?

Pretty remarkable the number (7) of essentially special-teams-only players, although of course they also act as back-ups:

Mingo, Ebner, King, Slater, Bolden, J. Jones, Richards

(Ignoring kicker, punter, long-snapper)

Wonder how that compares with other teams?

 

[Dragda]

Over/under on how many weeks before the rest of the league starts copying Belichick's kickoff strategy of short, high, returnable kicks rather than just giving them the ball on the 25? I give it 3-5, as usual Belichick is so far ahead of the curve that he's essentially charting the course for everyone else.

Instead of watching the Olympics, I watched a lot of preseason football replays on NFLN. Lots of teams were doing this in preseason. The Pats did it some, but not as much. Now that the regular season is here the reverse is true. Teams are kicking touchbacks most often.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

I think that very few teams regularly invest 5th/6th/7th round picks on special-teams-only guys, and probably NONE to the extent that the Pats do. It is a third of the game and giving it one-tenth of the resources makes no sense. It still angers some, even here, during the draft though!

 

[The Gr8est]

Still over the moon after a great start to the season well beyond my expectations. Just wanted to mention a few observations to add in.

1. Great play by McCourty to catch Johnson on the long run. He was two steps behind what is apparently the fastest RB in the league when Johnson got past the last DB and he made it up while running along the sidelines and had a shot at the ball when he made the tackle. Could have been a huge play. I now understand why BB said "you're the fastest guy out there" during one of the mic'ed up sessions in TC. He was blazing.

2. JONATHAN Jones (James is a basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers) looked electric on special teams. Made Slater look ordinary on a couple of punt coverages. That's really saying something. Belichick called his kickoff coverage the most crucial play of the game. This was yet another insight into how much he values special teams and how he sees them - critical yardage that you have an opportunity to gain that often has a major impact on the outcome. And in this case, it turned out to be just that way, if the kick was 10 yards further forward, we lose.

3. Thought Sheard played a great game, very disruptive. Saw Valentine a few times, and he made a great play on Johnson on his big run, other than blowing the tackle of course.

4. Thought the coverage downfield was pretty darn good given that the front seven stopped getting much push towards the end and/or were playing contain. Feeling very confident in the secondary at this point.

5. Jules really brought the intensity and veteran presence we needed on the offense today, helped other guys really step up. Blount had two absolutely great runs that were critical. James White has become Shane Vereen in pretty much every regard, great and reliable set of hands who gets the yards that are there and sometimes even a bit more. We needed those guys and they delivered.

6. Jimmy G - not bad for his first start, not bad at all.

Was too intoxicated to post a reply at 3 AM last night, but feeling great this morning. Love this team.

For a guy who "was a reach in the 3rd round", Vincent Valentine has been very visible since early in TC.

I don't think Ron Brace got anywhere near the same amount of playing times as Valentine at the same point in their Pats careers.

Valentine even got the Pats 1st sack of the 2016 season.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Interesting that Jordan Richards only played one snap on defense, although 13 snaps on special teams. Wonder if he is on the bubble when players return from suspension/PUP list given the current slight overload at DB/safety?

Pretty remarkable the number (7) of essentially special-teams-only players, although of course they also act as back-ups:

Mingo, Ebner, King, Slater, Bolden, J. Jones, Richards

(Ignoring kicker, punter, long-snapper)

Wonder how that compares with other teams?

 

[AtomicDawg]

And then we come to the WR's. Well we STILL don't have one of those "true #1 WR's" everyone seems to be dying for, but I really like what we do have. Remember if you don't have a "true #1" the defense can't concentrate their coverage. I like the mix we have in Hogan, Edeleman, Amendola, and Mitchell and they all showed up to make some very clutch catches over the course of the game.....especially Amendola in the 4th quarter. And Mitchell did nothing to make us stop thinking we "finally" drafted a receiver we can count on.

This aspect really resonates with me. It was pretty obvious from last night, but a note about where these guys were:
Hogan lined up primarily in the slot in multiple WR sets, and Mitchell primarily lined up outside. We know Amendola and Edleman's capabilities and route tendencies, but the other two we are still learning. Last night showed that all 4 of the Pats WRs can line up ANYWHERE and play ANY position at WR. And, like any place on this roster, no one is limited to their own niche/role/positioning. At full strength I'll be interested in seeing the lineups that McD has. And BTW his gameplan was brilliant for the most part, I agree.

One more thing I noticed: Arizona didn't really move their D around much. Peterson was covering White, Minter on Hogan, and Williams covering Derby on one play. It just seemed like they tried things that just were scheme based and not matchup based. The Pats were able to take advantage. If Gronk was there I'm sure the playbook would have been chockfull of stuff, seeing as though TEs were primarily used as blockers.

 

[patsfan13]

I see your point, V, but that would put us directly in a Brett Farve situation. You'd have to tell Tom that the 2017 season is going to be his last as a Patriot, and either trade him or simply let him go.

And then there is the Jacoby Brissett factor. Here's a kid who had the best preseason, I ever saw from a rookie QB. He has even more physical tools that JG, and you have 4 full years to iron out any of the kinks he has in his game (footwork, arm mechanics, release time, and most importantly, decision making). If the Pats think Jacoby has the same potential as JG to being "an NFL QB", why not collect the ransom now, and make the inevitable Tom Brady decision 3 years later than you have to now, when it will be infinitely easier.

Exactly, Brissett might be the future. Brady's extension ends in 2019 as will Brissett's rookie contract. Brady will be 42 then that could be the crossover point. I saw a lot of what you have in Brissett, he has Mallet's arm, Jimmy G's feet and seems to have pretty good smarts and leadership skills. the intangable stuff.

I would guess he is working with scout team and doing different things each to simulate out opponents. Fans are blind to the progress he is making (or not) and how quick he is mentally. We can besure that the coaches are paying VERY close attention to these things,

If we assume that Jimmy G get better over the next 3 games his trade value will be very high. If Brissett looks as if he will be as good or better than Jimmy, Jimmy gets traded, if not he stays and then they look at whether or to what degree Brady declines. and make a decision there.

BB is cold blooded in making football decisions, BUT he is dealing with the best QB to ever play the game, that affects the caculation.