If this is Bill’s last season as HC, who do you want as a replacement?

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

An average QB without the injuries gets us 8-9 wins. Which is what I predicted.

Do we play Aaron Rodgers in your theoretical prediction? Or Zach Wilson? I see no way this team wins 8-9 games with a guy like Derek Carr but it’s all theoretical so not worth arguing about.

But the standard for average QB, let’s say 16th best starter in the league, is really not that high. Carr and Tannehill come to mind. People will say Prescott or Cousins until they start actually counting the ones who are better.

The fact is beyond the 10-12 solid starter QBs, it’s a giant **** show. The Patriots are in the majority, not the minority, with having a QB who sucks. They are dealing with it, and supporting said crap QB, much worse than most teams.

 

[203Pat]

Every other team that has had success with a young QB has followed the same formula.

Trevor Lawrence: They got him Christian Kirk and Calvin Ridley.
Tua: They got him Waddle and went out and traded for Tyreek Hill.
Jalen Hurts: They drafted DeVonta Smith and traded for AJ Brown.
Josh Allen: They went out and got him Stefon Diggs
Joe Burrow: They drafted Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins

Sure there is the Bears getting DJ Moore for Fields and Zach Wilson with Garrett Wilson and maybe the jury is still out on Fields but at least they tried. Bill is too stuck in his ways to invest in the receiver position and basically killed any slim chance Mac had at being a good quarterback.

 

[upstater1]

Do we play Aaron Rodgers in your theoretical prediction? Or Zach Wilson? I see no way this team wins 8-9 games with a guy like Derek Carr but it’s all theoretical so not worth arguing about.

But the standard for average QB, let’s say 16th best starter in the league, is really not that high. Carr and Tannehill come to mind. People will say Prescott or Cousins until they start actually counting the ones who are better.

The fact is beyond the 10-12 solid starter QBs, it’s a giant **** show. The Patriots are in the majority, not the minority, with having a QB who sucks. They are dealing with it, and supporting said crap QB, much worse than most teams.

I don't think much of Derek Carr at all. Probably a 5 with him. One of the most Mac Jonesy starters out there. Bad platform, bad throws, turnover machine.

Brian Hoyer gets us to 6.

Dak Prescott gets us to 9.

Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield get is to 7.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I don't think much of Derek Carr at all. Probably a 5 with him. One of the most Mac Jonesy starters out there. Bad platform, bad throws, turnover machine.

Brian Hoyer gets us to 6.

Dak Prescott gets us to 9.

Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield get is to 7.

I’m skeptical that Dak Prescott would win 9 games with this team (assuming average schedule.) But let’s just say for argument’s sake you’re right.

The Cowboys won 12 games in 2021 and 2022, and they look like a 12-ish win team again this season.

And here’s the kicker: they’re paying Prescott $40 million. Yes, $40M spent on the QB position whereas the Patriots don’t even need to worry about that. So the Patriots supporting cast with an additional $40M to spend, is still 3 games worse than the Cowboys, and again, I’m extremely skeptical they even win 9 with Prescott. Realistically I think it’s 7-8, and that’s 4-5 games worse than the Cowboys, despite a theoretical situation where Prescott plays for free. That goes to show how spectacularly terrible Bill has done on this “rebuild.”

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Wouldnt it be better if we have a bad year and get a top 3 pick and get a franchise QB this year. The last 4 years don't matter, even if we had TB we wouldn't have won any super bowls so isn't it better to reset with a good QB and build from there?

 

[XLIX]

Wouldnt it be better if we have a bad year and get a top 3 pick and get a franchise QB this year. The last 4 years don't matter, even if we had TB we wouldn't have won any super bowls so isn't it better to reset with a good QB and build from there?

I'd honestly rather do that than stumble our way to 5 or 6 wins and the #10 pick.

 

[Not-A-Chiefs-Fan]

Take whoever you like except Eric Bieniemy. Andy doesn't have many years left I'm afraid and Bieniemy is the only guy I want replacing him. Because Bieniemy sucks and will make the Chiefs fail. Take literally anyone except Eric Bieniemy. It's our best shot at getting the Chiefs to suck.

 

[RIpats88]

Do we play Aaron Rodgers in your theoretical prediction? Or Zach Wilson? I see no way this team wins 8-9 games with a guy like Derek Carr but it’s all theoretical so not worth arguing about.

But the standard for average QB, let’s say 16th best starter in the league, is really not that high. Carr and Tannehill come to mind. People will say Prescott or Cousins until they start actually counting the ones who are better.

The fact is beyond the 10-12 solid starter QBs, it’s a giant **** show. The Patriots are in the majority, not the minority, with having a QB who sucks. They are dealing with it, and supporting said crap QB, much worse than most teams.

and behind the QB is probably one of the worst rosters constructed in the NFL. Carr, Tannehill have much better supporting casts than we have behind their QB.

how some posters pretending this roster is good enough is beyond me. Maybe its because if people admit the roster is really that bad it means the rebuild isn't just a "pop in a new QB and win!" and really is a multiple year rebuild.

 

[catent]

Going all in for Bill meant trading #2 for Sanu ...

Brady was closely involved with the decision to acquire Sanu. This was reported during/following the 2019 season.

And I suppose we all forgot about the AB situation.

It wasn't for a lack of trying.

 

[catent]

You are missing the point here. Bill said we were in cap hell. Literally we mortgaged the future in 2018/2019. If that was the case, then how on earth did we franchise Thuney, extend McCourty, kick Gilmore more money, sign Cam, etc? There was absolutely nothing that changed about our business process from 2019 to 2020. Bill was running the team the same he had always been except for lying to all of us when the 2020 season went south, saying he had to go ALL in to win 6 SBs which was and still is a LIE. All he and Kraft ever did for 20 years was talk about cap economics and how the Patriots do business different from everyone else ...

The cap situation heading into 2020 was not good; they needed to shed a lot of money to get under the cap. That's a matter of fact. Could Brady have fit within that? If they really wanted to, yeah. Retaining him absolutely would've affected the roster in other ways. Should they have retained Brady? Yeah, absolutely 100%. That doesn't mean they weren't up against the wall re: the cap, though.

It's pretty bold to claim someone else is lying as you simultaneously make claims that you're not informed about and aren't true.

 

[catent]

It's very telling that a certain handful of formerly regular posters - who disappeared post Brady - now return as the team is in dire straits. They are not actually fans of the team at this point (in the sense they are not rooting for the team to win).

Their engagement here is inversely correlated with the team's success. They become more engaged and involved as the team struggles more because their brain lights up like a Christmas tree at any opportunity to go after Belichick; it's personal to them. They want to see the team fail under Belichick because it validates their personal vendetta.

I guess that's their prerogative. I get it, the end with Brady was awful. He should've always retired a Patriot. But it's tiresome to read and toxic to the forum. I don't know ...

 

[upstater1]

I’m skeptical that Dak Prescott would win 9 games with this team (assuming average schedule.) But let’s just say for argument’s sake you’re right.

The Cowboys won 12 games in 2021 and 2022, and they look like a 12-ish win team again this season.

And here’s the kicker: they’re paying Prescott $40 million. Yes, $40M spent on the QB position whereas the Patriots don’t even need to worry about that. So the Patriots supporting cast with an additional $40M to spend, is still 3 games worse than the Cowboys, and again, I’m extremely skeptical they even win 9 with Prescott. Realistically I think it’s 7-8, and that’s 4-5 games worse than the Cowboys, despite a theoretical situation where Prescott plays for free. That goes to show how spectacularly terrible Bill has done on this “rebuild.”

I think we need more players. We need a top WR. We need an RT. I say we get to 12 games with a decent QB and the additions. I never expected them to compete for a Super Bowl this year even with Mac trending into the decent QB territory. If you look back on all my posts the previous 2 years, I was a Mac backer. I blamed Patriica. I have really soured on Mac this year, and I'm unlike Ian/Mike Reiss who see good things out of him in what I consider very bad games for a QB. I thought he was beyond awful against the Phins.

The very next week I came on here and said I really liked how Mac played against the Jets. He stood in there, wasn't afraid, though he was harried, and yet he completed the crucial plays when it mattered. The stats say he was much better against the Phins. My eyes say he was much, much better against the Jets. Mac will give you one good game every 10 tries. And that's why I see us as only a handful players away from competing with the top teams.

The money for QBs is immaterial at this point since even the less than mediocre guys are making $25m.

 

[amfootball]

The cap situation heading into 2020 was not good; they needed to shed a lot of money to get under the cap. That's a matter of fact. Could Brady have fit within that? If they really wanted to, yeah. Retaining him absolutely would've affected the roster in other ways. Should they have retained Brady? Yeah, absolutely 100%. That doesn't mean they weren't up against the wall re: the cap, though.

It's pretty bold to claim someone else is lying as you simultaneously make claims that you're not informed about and aren't true.

If they extended Brady then the cap situation is not bad at all in 2020.

 

[Ivan]

I wanted to take Pickens
Instead of Thornton, I would like to submit my candidacy for GM!

I would have picked Dunlap instead of Cunningham.

Metcalf instead of N’Keal

And I would have traded for Mccafferty and drafted Purdy!!

And I would have NEVER let Brady out the door!

Also I have no kids, so I won’t hire incompetent children.

And you would have picked Giovanni Carmazzi over Tom Brady. Don’t know why you left that off?

 

[upstater1]

If they extended Brady then the cap situation is not bad at all in 2020.

Brady only counted for $12m in dead money in 2020. So extending him would've done what for us? We wiped out $55m in total that year.

Brady wanted 2 years at $25m guaranteed. OK, so 2 year contract, $25m a year, $12m in dead money. You do the math and figure out how all of that means a better cap situation. Dummy years into the future. OK, how many?

Do you honestly believe it didn't get out from Flores to Belichick that Brady showed up on Ross's boat before the 2019 season?

If I'm Flores I'm broadcasting that everywhere (on the downlow of course) in order to mess with the Patriots.

 

[amfootball]

Brady only counted for $12m in dead money in 2020. So extending him would've done what for us? We wiped out $55m in total that year.

Brady wanted 2 years at $25m guaranteed. OK, so 2 year contract, $25m a year, $12m in dead money. You do the math and figure out how all of that means a better cap situation. Dummy years into the future. OK, how many?

Do you honestly believe it didn't get out from Flores to Belichick that Brady showed up on Ross's boat before the 2019 season?

If I'm Flores I'm broadcasting that everywhere (on the downlow of course) in order to mess with the Patriots.

Brady wanted a real contract in 2019 after delivering the sixth ring. I have no idea how the particulars would have worked out but he would have played ball with Bill like he had for 20 years to ensure the team was in good cap shape and he got the extension to finish his career a Patriot.

 

[203Pat]

Brady wanted a real contract in 2019 after delivering the sixth ring. I have no idea how the particulars would have worked out but he would have played ball with Bill like he had for 20 years to ensure the team was in good cap shape and he got the extension to finish his career a Patriot.

Brady wanted to be here and Bill didn't really want him to be here anymore or at best only wanted Brady on his own terms. It certainly blew up in his face and all his "sold out to win" nonsense was just that, nonsense.

 

[upstater1]

Brady wanted a real contract in 2019 after delivering the sixth ring. I have no idea how the particulars would have worked out but he would have played ball with Bill like he had for 20 years to ensure the team was in good cap shape and he got the extension to finish his career a Patriot.

So you can't do the math

 

[203Pat]

So you can't do the math

So Bill figured out how to fit Brady under the salary cap for 20 years but all of a sudden just couldn't find any way to do it in 2020?

 

[rkarp1]

by memory, the team was paying DMC, Thuney and Brady dead money $40m + against the cap.
they could have extended Brady and Thuney, and cut DMC, lowering that $40 to $25m ish
if, only if, they drafted any other WR than Harry, the team would have been in the mix for the SB.