Let's do our best not to be Rex Ryan and the Jets

[goheels22002]

There's an awful lot of optimism around these parts this week, with good reason. Belichick strengthened every position group with his free agent signings, except quarterback.

But, I kept having flashbacks to all the threads mocking Rex Ryan and the Jets for winning the offseason every year and then underperforming except for 2010 when they beat the Patriots in the Divisional round and gave the Steelers a game in the AFCC.

I like what is shaping up to be a better Patriots team in 2021, especially on defense, but I'm not sure that the Bills are going to take a step backwards and there are other AFC teams who look to be more competitive who start out ahead of the 7-9 Patriots. Cleveland and Tennessee have made a few moves to shore up weaknesses or add depth. I don't know what Indianapolis and Miami are doing. Maybe their big moves will come in the draft. Neither of those teams has gotten better so far, and Miami looks like it's taking a step backward after re-tooling in 2020 with success.

 

[Wozzy]

There's an awful lot of optimism around these parts this week, with good reason. Belichick strengthened every position group with his free agent signings, except quarterback.

But, I kept having flashbacks to all the threads mocking Rex Ryan and the Jets for winning the offseason every year and then underperforming except for 2010 when they beat the Patriots in the Divisional round and gave the Steelers a game in the AFCC.

I like what is shaping up to be a better Patriots team in 2021, especially on defense, but I'm not sure that the Bills are going to take a step backwards and there are other AFC teams who look to be more competitive who start out ahead of the 7-9 Patriots. Cleveland and Tennessee have made a few moves to shore up weaknesses or add depth. I don't know what Indianapolis and Miami are doing. Maybe their big moves will come in the draft. Neither of those teams has gotten better so far, and Miami looks like it's taking a step backward after re-tooling in 2020 with success.

That 2009 draft was horrible for QB's and Matt Stafford was the only one worth a damn, he was the consensus #1.

Mark Sanchez was an overrated mistake, a total reach, and Rex a bumbling fool who didn't know offense from a hole in the wall. The only functional offense he had was when he first joined the Jests and inherited Pennington, it was all downhill from there.

 

[p8ryts]

There's an awful lot of optimism around these parts this week, with good reason. Belichick strengthened every position group with his free agent signings, except quarterback.

But, I kept having flashbacks to all the threads mocking Rex Ryan and the Jets for winning the offseason every year and then underperforming except for 2010 when they beat the Patriots in the Divisional round and gave the Steelers a game in the AFCC.

I like what is shaping up to be a better Patriots team in 2021, especially on defense, but I'm not sure that the Bills are going to take a step backwards and there are other AFC teams who look to be more competitive who start out ahead of the 7-9 Patriots. Cleveland and Tennessee have made a few moves to shore up weaknesses or add depth. I don't know what Indianapolis and Miami are doing. Maybe their big moves will come in the draft. Neither of those teams has gotten better so far, and Miami looks like it's taking a step backward after re-tooling in 2020 with success.

Having lived in the DC area for many years and witnessing the Redskins win every March, its a legitimate concern. However, I firmly believe this is Bill doing the opposite of everyone else (including himself) at the right moment in time, Once again playing chess while the rest are playing checkers. Bill got younger players, mid range, the Skins always got old, high profile guys. Not to worry, in Bill I Trust!

 

[Sicilian]

I get what you're saying, but I'm not seeing a lot of people going overboard with their predictions for the team at the moment. Sure, there's a few... exuberant posters who are touting a Super Bowl appearance in March, but most of the vet posters I've seen top out at 10 wins if Cam Newton is still the starter.

What's important is that the team has added talented competition to DL, LB, TE, and WR (the four positions we needed competition the most, outside of QB which it's own conversation), and maintained a relative level of talent at the positions that were already strengths of last year's team (OL, secondary). The one position that hasn't been addressed at all is RB, where we need a couple bodies to fight for that 3rd down role.

But again, no one should be booking tickets to California yet. But mostly I've seen people who believe this is a wild card team. Considering they may only have to win 3 more games this year to do that (maybe 4, but with a little luck 3), I don't think this falls into "OMG we're the JETS now!" territory yet.

 

[Bill Lee]

So the message is be wary of under-performing after Belichick made big splurge in free agency, because that's what happened with Rex Ryan and his various front office teams? Not sure that's a big concern of mine. I think most fans are being realistic and realize this team can't be elite till we have a better answer at QB.

 

[holyredeemer]

I understand the need to pump the brakes, but I don’t feel it’s warranted. It’s not as if there is this large consensus saying the team is SB bound. No one is saying the team is going to go undefeated. People are just really excited, as they should be.

 

[holyredeemer]

I get what you're saying, but I'm not seeing a lot of people going overboard with their predictions for the team at the moment. Sure, there's a few... exuberant posters who are touting a Super Bowl appearance in March, but most of the vet posters I've seen top out at 10 wins if Cam Newton is still the starter.

What's important is that the team has added talented competition to DL, LB, TE, and WR (the four positions we needed competition the most, outside of QB which it's own conversation), and maintained a relative level of talent at the positions that were already strengths of last year's team (OL, secondary). The one position that hasn't been addressed at all is RB, where we need a couple bodies to fight for that 3rd down role.

But again, no one should be booking tickets to California yet. But mostly I've seen people who believe this is a wild card team. Considering they may only have to win 3 more games this year to do that (maybe 4, but with a little luck 3), I don't think this falls into "OMG we're the JETS now!" territory yet.

Beat me to it! Ha!!

 

[Lansdowne]

Immediately thought of this when I read the subject line (NSFW language)

 

[Bill Lee]

Immediately thought of this when I read the subject line (NSFW language)

At least he admits the NYJ are just another slap- team...

 

[Joker]

Oh look...it's "Tough Guy Toe Saucker"......God made Ryan to give the rest of us a baseline

 

[Bill Lee]

Speaking of a NY team over-spending on big names...

 

[VectorPrime]

Belichick seriously messed up the draft for almost 5 years and had no choice but to go on a free agent spree because even if he magically turned his drafting around and hit on every pick going forward they wouldn’t really matter until a couple years from now.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I’m excited. Sorry about that.

 

[goheels22002]

Speaking of a NY team over-spending on big names...

That list is not really very impressive, from a spending point of view. Who really cares that the NYG have the 4th highest paid punter, the 2nd highest paid kicker and the 9th highest paid running back? Those are not budget busting positions.

 

[Bill Lee]

Belichick seriously messed up the draft for almost 5 years and had no choice but to go on a free agent spree because even if he magically turned his drafting around and hit on every pick going forward they wouldn’t really matter until a couple years from now.

The stats show he was seriously average over the last five years once you factor in draft position.

The problem is we're used to seriously good.

He's taking advantage of having good cap space when the other teams don't so there's a lot of up and coming players that he can sign that normally would not be making it to the market.

Basically he's building the team via the best method available to him.

Previous draft misses are sunk costs, it makes no sense to fixate on them.

 

[Sicilian]

That list is not really very impressive, from a spending point of view. Who really cares that the NYG have the 4th highest paid punter, the 2nd highest paid kicker and the 9th highest paid running back? Those are not budget busting positions.

Also, these things come in cycles. On average, if you've signed a big name guy this year, he's probably the X highest paid at his position, because the salaries just keep going up every non-pandemic year. In 2 years, those Giants' salaries will look pretty pedestrian.

 

[Bill Lee]

That list is not really very impressive, from a spending point of view. Who really cares that the NYG have the 4th highest paid punter, the 2nd highest paid kicker and the 9th highest paid running back? Those are not budget busting positions.

I suppose, but overall I'd rather have our current players, coaches and front office than the NYG.

 

[JMC00]

Belichick seriously messed up the draft for almost 5 years

nope

 

[goheels22002]

Belichick seriously messed up the draft for almost 5 years and had no choice but to go on a free agent spree because even if he magically turned his drafting around and hit on every pick going forward they wouldn’t really matter until a couple years from now.

The reason he's spending in free agency is because he got Brady, Antonio Brown and Stephen Gostkowski's money off the dead money list. When you know you're going into free agency with around $65 million in cap room, you know you can target particular players.

What I like is what @p8ryts posted above. Belichick is resigning his own players, recent Patriots, and good veterans in their mid- to late-20s that fit with the guys under contract. Between the return of opt-outs, especially Hightower and Danny Vitale, and the return of Trent Brown, Van Noye, Bolden, and Wise, the Patriots have a more veteran team that knows the playbook and the approach to practice and game prep.

I don't know all signees that well, but I don't see any knuckleheads like Antonio Brown who create distractions that this team doesn't need.

 

[Triumph]

20 - 0

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