Pandemic affecting BB strategy?

[Hyped]

IMO, the pandemic didn't affect the Pats' draft strategy....but it affected our FA strategy. I think we don't want to commit a lot of money towards the 2021 season when the 2020 season might be seeing lost revenue from no fans in the stands....no concession stand purchases...no parking passes...etc...etc.. all of which affect the salary cap for 2021 by reducing the overall gross football revenue.

 

[n6249c]

I wonder if the NFL may make a special exception and increase the practice squad limited for this upcoming season?

Pats/Chiefs from the 2018 regular season is currently on NFLN right now and it's so odd seeing the stadium full of people.

Interesting question. Wouldn’t it take a CBA change? Although I’d expect the NFLPA to agree pretty quickly. Might turn out to be a permanent change. Seems like a good idea with the added wearand tear coming up.

 

[NormZauchin]

If Bill really thought that the 2020 season might be cancelled, it would have made sense to trade a goodly number of our picks into the 2021 draft. The usual formula results in moving up one round.

 

[HailHydra]

Of course it was. Why do you think he put Nike in charge of drafting? Animals cannot transmit or be infected with the virus.

Tigers

 

[DropKickFlutie]

If Bill really thought that the 2020 season might be cancelled, it would have made sense to trade a goodly number of our picks into the 2021 draft. The usual formula results in moving up one round.

Or the flip side, get a class of rookies now and they develop over 1.5 years ?

.

 

[XLIX]

Interesting question. Wouldn’t it take a CBA change? Although I’d expect the NFLPA to agree pretty quickly. Might turn out to be a permanent change. Seems like a good idea with the added wearand tear coming up.

IIRC, the new CBA allows for PS sizes to expand by 2 this year and an additional 2 next year. They may add to those numbers, but we are getting 4 additional players by 2021 even before the pandemic.

I also believe they are loosening restrictions on who can actually be on the PS for 2021. Maybe they can implement that early...

 

[NormZauchin]

Or the flip side, get a class of rookies now and they develop over 1.5 years ?

.

Only if they can practice together. If the season is cancelled, I can't see club facilities being open.

 

[Addictive]

Only if they can practice together. If the season is cancelled, I can't see club facilities being open.

But drafting in 2021 will be more of a crap shoot if there is no college football. At least there was tape for the 2020 class.
If there is no season I wonder how they do the 2021 nfl draft? By lottery, a snake draft?

 

[zimmy]

It certainly might be complicating matters in getting a long term extension agreed for Thuney

 

[mosi's man]

I have a slightly different take. I think the pandemic may have impacted the draft regarding need. Without OTAs it will be difficult to evaluate your draft class and get rookies up to speed. The Pats had a range of needs and obviously still had to make their selections. So they take players at positions of relative scarcity in the draft (TE, interior line) and relative simplicity in their roles and forego wide outs in a year of historic depth at that position. Perhaps Bill realized that it will be harder to get wide outs ready in their complicated offense and harder to get players at these less common positions once teams start releasing veterans. Furthermore, you can limit the role of a safety more readily than you can of a wide out.

This was a historic year for receivers. So, with about 25 of these guys drafted and with less time to evaluate/indoctrinate them, teams will be in a bind. Do I cut my higher priced veteran or keep my young wideout? If they cut the veteran, Bill gets a shot at an experienced player who might be "serviceable" more rapidly in a year where there will be less time for offenses to train together. This might help stabilize an offense if, say, you have a second year quarterback who will be leading the team....

 

[DarrylS]

This was an extremely ordinary Belichick draft.

Trading back? Duh.

An out of left field pick on defense based on freak raw ability? Check, that's just Collins 2.0.

Double-dipping at a position of need in the same draft? We've seen that a bunch of times.

Drafting kicker high-ish out of a "so what?" school? Gostowski was a 4th rounder out of Memphis.

Ignoring seemingly obvious needs? Yeah we've been to that dance before.

All the way to 9 Superbowls in 20 years... FYI that means 9 AFC championships for a guy who does not know how to draft...

I will dance that dance every time..

 

[captain stone]

All the way to 9 Superbowls in 20 years... FYI that means 9 AFC championships for a guy who does not know how to draft...

I will dance that dance every time..

That was Then...This is Now.

 

[pheenix11]

Of course it did. Belichick is the ultimate strategist. He takes absolutely everything into consideration.

 

[NormZauchin]

But drafting in 2021 will be more of a crap shoot if there is no college football. At least there was tape for the 2020 class.
If there is no season I wonder how they do the 2021 nfl draft? By lottery, a snake draft?

I like the idea of the 2021 draft being a crapshoot if there is no 2020 college season. As I've said before, Belichick, Ernie Adams, and others in the Patriots organization seem to be more adept than other NFL front offices at navigating novel situations. I would not be surprised if Bill already has scouts revisiting their work on underclassman from the 2019 season. If there is neither a pro nor a college season, the 2021 draft order will probably be either this past week's order or some modification of it using weighting, where the Bengals would be given perhaps an 80 percent chance of keeping the number one position. Under these circumstances, I think the probability of the Pats landing an outstanding talent goes up.

 

[n6249c]

That’s a slightly different take but along the lines of what I was thinking.

It’s a little different because I hadn’t been thinking about the Pats difficulty in integrating WRs as much as the same issue for other teams. But now that you mention it I’m like duh of course it cuts both ways, and they both reinforce the rationale for the draft approach we saw Bill take.

Also you make a good point about the impact of lack of OTAs on cut decisions. It’s probably going to mean some mistakes will be made by other teams somewhere, and BB has shown a consistent ability to find treasure when he dumpster dives after cuts by other teams.

One other thing to remember, similar point but not pandemic related, teams drafting WRs are going to be cutting veterans to make room for their new rookies. Bill will happily pick up those experienced receivers where he knows what he’s getting better than the uncertainty of a draft pick.

I have a slightly different take. I think the pandemic may have impacted the draft regarding need. Without OTAs it will be difficult to evaluate your draft class and get rookies up to speed. The Pats had a range of needs and obviously still had to make their selections. So they take players at positions of relative scarcity in the draft (TE, interior line) and relative simplicity in their roles and forego wide outs in a year of historic depth at that position. Perhaps Bill realized that it will be harder to get wide outs ready in their complicated offense and harder to get players at these less common positions once teams start releasing veterans. Furthermore, you can limit the role of a safety more readily than you can of a wide out.

This was a historic year for receivers. So, with about 25 of these guys drafted and with less time to evaluate/indoctrinate them, teams will be in a bind. Do I cut my higher priced veteran or keep my young wideout? If they cut the veteran, Bill gets a shot at an experienced player who might be "serviceable" more rapidly in a year where there will be less time for offenses to train together. This might help stabilize an offense if, say, you have a second year quarterback who will be leading the team....