Malik Magic? Cunningham Gets QB Reps at New England Patriots Practice While Mac Jones Watches - Pats Tracker

[mister clyde]

Very much doubt Cunningham would start, supposedly he has not practiced at QB in several weeks. However, the fact that he is now practicing at QB, and as the second man up, shows maybe he gets some chances on Sunday and if it looks OK he could get more action that eventually leads to a start.

Wonder if Kraft finally gave Bill the OK to pull the plug on Mac. If Bill suddenly starts getting wins with Zappe and Cunningham I think that might vindicate Bill.

If Bill suddenly starts getting wins with Zappe, then why the hell wasn't he getting them with Zappe previously?

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Try a new approach on offense with Malik. Might as well experiment , it honestly cant get worse than what the offense has provided outside of the buffalo and philly games

I would have disagreed 6 weeks ago, but now it is obvious Mac is broken, and Zappe stares down his receivers. Neither appears to be able to change. Let's try Malik even though he looked REALLY ROUGH in preseason.

 

[PancakeBlockPaul]

It would be very amusing to see Malik start and win out the rest of the season.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

If Bill suddenly starts getting wins with Zappe, then why the hell wasn't he getting them with Zappe previously?

I don't think we have to worry about too many wins with Zappe. He can't read a defense, stares down his receiver, and throws into triple or quadruple coverage. The Giants were waiting on and jumping his throws. We will not win many games like that.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

It would be very amusing to see Malik start and win out the rest of the season.

We will win a lot if we can score 24 points. I doubt Malik can do that unfortunately.

 

[borg]

Their talisman QB has been benched 4 times.
Their 3 backup QBs have each been cut by the team at least once this season.

Common Denominator:
Undeniably the worst QB room in the NFL......assembled by Bill Belichick

Note: When assessing Belichicks recent QB failures, just a reminder, please don't exclude QB sneak specialist Cam Newton and Brian "Loser of 17 straight games" Hoyer when cataloguing Bill's last half decade.
Toss in Stids for schitz & giggles
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's review ......

Mac Jones

Bailey Zappe, Malik Cunningham, Will Grier

Brian Hoyer

Cam Newton

 

[PancakeBlockPaul]

Let's review ......

Cam Newton

I wonder what NannaCam is doing these days? Wasn't he saying he won't play for less than 25M or something recently? I can't google him because my eyes can't take any more bleeding from seeing his outfits.

 

[Love The Drake]

Very much doubt Cunningham would start, supposedly he has not practiced at QB in several weeks. However, the fact that he is now practicing at QB, and as the second man up, shows maybe he gets some chances on Sunday and if it looks OK he could get more action that eventually leads to a start.

Wonder if Kraft finally gave Bill the OK to pull the plug on Mac. If Bill suddenly starts getting wins with Zappe and Cunningham I think that might vindicate Bill.

And screw our draft

 

[lancerman]

It would be very amusing to see Malik start and win out the rest of the season.

I might set myself on fire if that happens.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

I might set myself on fire if that happens.

I don't think you should worry about that.

 

[Tunescribe]

Why are some of you so sure RK's making BB start Mac? Goes against everything that has happened over the last 20 years.

Exactly. This conspiratorial theory that Kraft suddenly is meddling on a game-to-game basis in who plays and who doesn't is media contrivance. The Felgers and Adam Joneses spin this nonsense then fan the flames when it gains traction with their lemming listeners. So RKK likes Jones and had high hopes for him, as did a lot of people. That does not mean he meddled.

Mac was a first-round pick. They needed to determine what they had in him and he failed the test, no thanks to how BB helped him prepare for it. The same thing happened with McMilfson in New Jersey, who arguably was put in much better position than Mac and STILL flunked.

Perhaps these serve as cautionary tales for those rooting for the Patriots to lose out and draft a rookie quarterback "savior." There's something to be said for building an offense first THEN plugging in the QB, but that's not a popular notion with the ADD Madden crowd. San Francisco says hello.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Exactly. This conspiratorial theory that Kraft suddenly is meddling on a game-to-game basis in who plays and who doesn't is media contrivance. The Felgers and Adam Joneses spin this nonsense then fan the flames when it gains traction with their lemming listeners. So RKK likes Jones and had high hopes for him, as did a lot of people. That does not mean he meddled.

Mac was a first-round pick. They needed to determine what they had in him and he failed the test, no thanks to how BB helped him prepare for it. The same thing happened with McMilfson in New Jersey, who arguably was put in much better position than Mac and STILL flunked.

Perhaps these serve as cautionary tales for those rooting for the Patriots to lose out and draft a rookie quarterback "savior." There's something to be said for building an offense first THEN plugging in the QB, but that's not a popular notion with the ADD Madden crowd.

That all assumes BB could not tell Mac sucked after two training camps and two full seasons. The same guy that carried 4 QBs after one training camp because he knew Brady was good. You are not answering the question how BB spotted Brady as good after one training camp but couldn't spot Mac as sucking after two training camps and two seasons. That makes no sense.

It does make sense if BB knew Mac sucked and was forced to play Mac by the owner. If BB thought Mac might be OK in 2023, then he really blew it. Tough to imagine.

 

[Tunescribe]

That all assumes BB could not tell Mac sucked after two training camps and two full seasons. The same guy that carried 4 QBs after one training camp because he knew Brady was good. You are not answering the question how BB spotted Brady as good after one training camp but couldn't spot Mac as sucking after two training camps and two seasons. That makes no sense.

It does make sense if BB knew Mac sucked and was forced to play Mac by the owner. If BB thought Mac might be OK in 2023, then he really blew it. Tough to imagine.

No. Brady's promise didn't become apparent 'til his second training camp, he threw only three passes his rookie year. Conversely, Mac looked good his rookie season then faltered under Patricia/Judge. BB brought in BOB hoping Mac could pick up where he left off in 2021. It didn't work out because BB the GM botched the offensive roster which became further hampered by injury, while Mac ultimately proved he couldn't be a difference maker.

Again, Mac was a first-round pick -- a significant investment whose franchise value had to be determined. None of this suggests meddling by Kraft, an avowed hands-off owner who has publicly endorsed BB's autonomy re. football operations on many occasions.

 

[SEA_Pat]

Corky's got his patented back foot floater totally down at this point, no need for more reps. Chargers DBs doing a drill similar to bridesmaids leaping for the bouquet in preparation.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

No. Brady's promise didn't become apparent 'til his second training camp, he threw only three passes his rookie year. Conversely, Mac looked good his rookie season then faltered under Patricia/Judge. BB brought in BOB hoping Mac could pick up where he left off in 2021. It didn't work out because BB the GM botched the offensive roster which became further hampered by injury, while Mac ultimately proved he couldn't be a difference maker.

Again, Mac was a first-round pick -- a significant investment whose franchise value had to be determined. None of this suggests meddling by Kraft, an avowed hands-off owner who has publicly endorsed BB's autonomy re. football operations on many occasions.

Yes. BB kept 4 QBs so he could keep Brady on the roster after Brady's first training camp. Keeping 4 QBs is unusual. BB kept Brady after 1 training camp because he thought Brady might be great. This is all well known- there are lots of Internet articles about it. Just Google it. I don't think you understand.

Robert Kraft has repeatedly said that Brady would visit him to negotiate Brady's contracts. Kraft has always had a hand in the QB contracts and decisions. Kraft is not hands off when it comes to the QB. Kraft might not have demanded keeping Mac, but he has always been involved in QB decisions including Brady's contract negotiations. Again you can Google Kraft and QB to read about Kraft's involvement. Guessing that Kraft wanted to keep Mac over BB's decision is a reasonable guess.

Pretty straightforward stuff.

 

[Clonamery]

Yes. BB kept 4 QBs so he could keep Brady on the roster after Brady's first training camp. Keeping 4 QBs is unusual. BB kept Brady after 1 training camp because he thought Brady might be great. This is all well known- there are lots of Internet articles about it. Just Google it. I don't think you understand.

Robert Kraft has repeatedly said that Brady would visit him to negotiate Brady's contracts. Kraft has always had a hand in the QB contracts and decisions. Kraft is not hands off when it comes to the QB. Kraft might not have demanded keeping Mac, but he has always been involved in QB decisions including Brady's contract negotiations. Again you can Google Kraft and QB to read about Kraft's involvement. Guessing that Kraft wanted to keep Mac over BB's decision is a reasonable guess.

Pretty straightforward stuff.

Yeah, you could look at it as a marketing insertion by the ultimate head of the Marketing Dept. QB Jerseys, etc. are usually the big seller, face of the franchise stuff and that crap. There's some innate validity to what you say based on how Kraft has run that segment of his business.

 

[Thelonious]

In a lost season, there are two reasons to give Malik some sort of shot: 1) A season like this is a time to give your underling players game reps both to help them to develop and to get a more full evaluation of them, 2) The team owes the fan at least SOME entertainment. Watching Malik promises likely to be more entertaining than watching Mac and Zappy pretend to play the position, boringly and badly. No matter which option you play, you are effectively tanking, so that concern is moot.

 

[Thelonious]

Why are some of you so sure RK's making BB start Mac? Goes against everything that has happened over the last 20 years.

When your team is in this sort of terminal funk, all kind of nonsense gets proposed and discussed. The various sorts of recent gossip about the Krafts in my mind is all nonsense. People act as if the Krafts are dumb or clueless or something. They're not. They see exactly what we see. They are biding their time and making plans. I expect the changes, likely immediately after the season, to be swift and comprehensive, as they must be..

 

[50-yard-line]

I seriously doubt that Kraft exerts control over who plays and who doesn't.

 

[Tunescribe]

Yes. BB kept 4 QBs so he could keep Brady on the roster after Brady's first training camp. Keeping 4 QBs is unusual. BB kept Brady after 1 training camp because he thought Brady might be great. This is all well known- there are lots of Internet articles about it. Just Google it. I don't think you understand.

Robert Kraft has repeatedly said that Brady would visit him to negotiate Brady's contracts. Kraft has always had a hand in the QB contracts and decisions. Kraft is not hands off when it comes to the QB. Kraft might not have demanded keeping Mac, but he has always been involved in QB decisions including Brady's contract negotiations. Again you can Google Kraft and QB to read about Kraft's involvement. Guessing that Kraft wanted to keep Mac over BB's decision is a reasonable guess.

Pretty straightforward stuff.

Disclaimer: I am not "channeling Andy trying to be right."

Claiming it's "a reasonable guess" then in the next sentence calling it "pretty straightforward stuff" doesn't wash. At least you offer that Kraft might not have demanded keeping Mac, which contradicts the crux of your argument. There simply is no direct or even anecdotal evidence anywhere of Kraft meddling in BB's on-field football decisions. An owner participating in contract talks for the team's highest-paid player is not telling the coach who to play or when to play him.

I'm not sure where BB's handling of rookie Brady relates to evaluating Mac. I pointed out in my prior post they're apples and oranges, the "orange" being Mac's comparatively high-stakes first-round pick investment. The point all along has been assessing Mac's prospective franchise value. Again: he showed promise in 2021 and faltered during last year's coaching detour. Hiring BOB was aimed, at least in part, toward seeing if Mac could pick up where he left off his rookie season and grow from there.

This is a good look at the dynamics involved between Kraft and BB:

What happens if Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick aren't aligned in vision for Patriots' future?

Kraft is weeks away from having a pivotal conversation regarding the future of his franchise.

theathletic.com

From the article: "Kraft is an involved and present owner, but he doesn’t meddle. He learned that lesson with head coaches Bill Parcells and Pete Carroll in the 1990s, and deferring all power to Belichick has yielded unparalleled success and an unrivaled dynasty during an era when year-over-year dominance goes against the league’s business model."

Yeah, you could look at it as a marketing insertion by the ultimate head of the Marketing Dept. QB Jerseys, etc. are usually the big seller, face of the franchise stuff and that crap. There's some innate validity to what you say based on how Kraft has run that segment of his business.

Money from things like pro shop QB jersey sales, etc. goes into the NFL revenue sharing pool, individual teams don't profit directly.