Patriots Rumor Patriots potentially trading for Aiyuk (Update - Patriots Out of the Running)

[Ring 6]

I would bet the Patriots get to a Super Bowl before the Steelers do, they don't have a QB, we do. This year, yeah Steelers should be better, unless we start Maye every game from day 1 then maybe not.

They have a qb who win a sb we gave a qb who us 18-30

What is the % of first round picks QB that win SBs? M
Did any do it while not caring enough about their roster to leave 43 mill of cap room unspent?

We are probably further away from winning a SB in terms of the roster and coaching staff that we have than almost if not every team in the NFL.

 

[Ring 6]

You are though. You want them to spend because they have money. That is foolish.

Yes, look at the Titans. They have been spending the last few years and they are at best the third best team in their division. They are spending money to be mediocre. I don't see a lot their spending doing anything to make them a serious contender. And they don't even know if they have a QB.

Why do I think they will spend money next year? Because they were were willing to pay Aiyuk top of the market value this year. They were also willing to pay Ridley. So if they think there is a good player is available at a position of need, they will spend on him.

And they are building through the draft. They drafted what hopes to be their franchise QB for the next 20 years. That is trying to get better. They tried to trade up to get a receiver, but they drafted two of them. Both could be solid picks. If all three hit and Baker lives up to his training camp hype, this team could have a potent offense for the next decade once Maye comes into his own.

But if you think the Pats are not trying get better, you are kidding yourself. They just aren't trying the way you want them to try to get better.

I want them to do what every other team fits and spend to the cap, or close to it, to put the best team on the field they can.

The titans have been better than us most years recently.
You clearly didn’t look at who they signed with less money than we have available.
LJaruis Sneed no good? Ridley? Awuzie?Pollard? Cushenberry? Boyd? Adams?
Everyone is better than players we will be putting in the field.
We win 4 games and chose not to improve.

Building through the draft? What kind of plan is that? Everyone gets draft picks. Doing nothing else sets you behind the competition. But hey we have a wr drafted in the 4th round that you like surely he will be more important than what you could get with 43 mill.


Aside from using the draft picks they were assigned, please list the evidence of how they have proven to you they are trying to get better.

Please list all of the positions where we brought upgrades. Upgrades that would transform a 4 win team. Upgrade consistent with the $100,000,000 it resources they had.

It’s one thing to be a homer when we are winning championships and saying who cares we won, but you are now a homer who defends not trying to win.

 

[Ring 6]

We should and we just offered insane money to Aiyuk who didn't take it. We shouldn't however just spend money on poor investments just because we have it.

So you think the football team is better with bad players and 43 mill in krafts pocket than to use the salary cap for players. You aren’t going to like how this story ends.

 

[Ring 6]

I suggested none of that, LOL.

You surely did. You said he should sit in the bench because if he plays maybe bad things could happen and that would ruin him.

 

[gobesmug]

Reid has no rings without Chris Jones at DT, he has no rings without Steve Spags coaching his D.

Reid coached against us in a Super Bowl two decades ago when Mahomes was in preschool. He didn't become "good" when Mahomes arrived, don't be silly.

QB is the most important position because only one starts, the offensive line unit is just as important as QB... you need both. You need defense and all the other players as well.

We had Brady and went a decade without winning a Super Bowl. He passed for 505 yards, 3 TD's and lost to a team with Nick Foles.

QB's aren't magic, they're a part of team... not apart from team.

You are right, Reid was a good coach before Mahomes. After Mahomes he has entered the GOAT discussion

 

[Ian]

Im saying Aiyuk isn’t picking Pittsburgh or Washington because of their qb or roster.

We still disagree that it had nothing to do with dollars. You list other factors, but money is at least equal or higher. Kraft giving excuses doesn’t convince me.

It didn't, the money - by all accounts was close or even a little higher. He didn't want to come here.

Reiss said it best yesterday:

"I think the one thing, and maybe you have mentioned it, there are times where players just don't want to come here. And usually, it's about the money. I think Eliot Wolf even said, 'Usually it's about the money.' But there are a few cases where it's not. And I think that's just important to mention. Some players just don't want to... If they're from a different area or it's... To our point, the Patriots have to offer that much more, and sometimes that's still not enough."

The only way you can truly shift a player is to either pay significantly more than his peers (ie: pay him Justin Jefferson money), and/or guarantee most or all of his contract. Felger might have complained about that yesterday, but it doesn't change the fact that you can't do that for a long-term deal of that magnitude due to the precedent it also sets both around the league and within your own locker room.

 

[Real fan 02]

While it’s already been answered, just wanted to echo that Shanahan did vouch for Lynch for the 49ers to hire him and that’s the only reason why he’s the GM. So at the end of the day, Shanahan calls the shots.

Yes. It's an odd set up that a coach would have so much power. But I did read that shanny runs the 53 and Lynch runs the 90.. same with Mayo he runs the 53 and Wolf has final say on the roster.

I find it very odd that a coach would have so much say over a GM... just weird in today's NFL.

 

[sb1]

Reid has no rings without Chris Jones at DT, he has no rings without Steve Spags coaching his D.

Reid coached against us in a Super Bowl two decades ago when Mahomes was in preschool. He didn't become "good" when Mahomes arrived, don't be silly.

QB is the most important position because only one starts, the offensive line unit is just as important as QB... you need both. You need defense and all the other players as well.

We had Brady and went a decade without winning a Super Bowl. He passed for 505 yards, 3 TD's and lost to a team with Nick Foles.

QB's aren't magic, they're a part of team... not apart from team.

Except if you're Mac Jones then you can be on a great team that wins Super Bowls and take them to a 4 win season all by himself. Forget the "team" thing... in that case it's obviously it's all his fault.

Or something.

 

[lancerman]

So you think the football team is better with bad players and 43 mill in krafts pocket than to use the salary cap for players. You aren’t going to like how this story ends.

Do you think the team is better with $0 dollars in Kraft's pocket and a few years with cap tied to mediocre players who we just got just because?

You are skipping a step in your logic that we actually need to pay for quality players, not just throw bad money around just because it lightens Kraft's wallet. If 30 million got Aiyuk, we'd be having a different discussion. Having that 43 million gave us a shot to make a play that we otherwise wouldn't. Unfortunately the player wants to be somewhere else. Can't help that.

Who do you want them to spend that 43 million on?

 

[Ian]

I want them to do what every other team fits and spend to the cap, or close to it, to put the best team on the field they can.

The titans have been better than us most years recently.
You clearly didn’t look at who they signed with less money than we have available.
LJaruis Sneed no good? Ridley? Awuzie?Pollard? Cushenberry? Boyd? Adams?
Everyone is better than players we will be putting in the field.
We win 4 games and chose not to improve.

Building through the draft? What kind of plan is that? Everyone gets draft picks. Doing nothing else sets you behind the competition. But hey we have a wr drafted in the 4th round that you like surely he will be more important than what you could get with 43 mill.


Aside from using the draft picks they were assigned, please list the evidence of how they have proven to you they are trying to get better.

Please list all of the positions where we brought upgrades. Upgrades that would transform a 4 win team. Upgrade consistent with the $100,000,000 it resources they had.

It’s one thing to be a homer when we are winning championships and saying who cares we won, but you are now a homer who defends not trying to win.

I don't understand why you're so adamant when it comes to the fact sometimes good players don't want to go to bad teams, regardless of the $$...? Would you go work for a company that wasn't the best environment even if they offered you more or close to what you could make at a company with better growth opportunities [ie: postseason incentives]? It's not that strange of a concept.

 

[lancerman]

You are right, Reid was a good coach before Mahomes. After Mahomes he has entered the GOAT discussion

Reid made the playoffs 13 times without Mahomes. Had 12 double digit win seasons without Mahomes. Had 11 playoff wins without Mahomes. Made 4 AFFCG's and a Super Bowl without Mahomes. Reid was a top end coach who was respected across the league and always considered one of the best coaches in the NFL before Mahomes got there. Mahomes was what got him over the hump so he would start winning the big game.

Yes Mahomes changed his trajectory from top end in the current era to a guy pushing for all time status. But we probably shouldn't pretend that he already wasn't starting on 3rd base before Mahomes got there.

 

[lancerman]

It didn't, the money - by all accounts was close or even a little higher. He didn't want to come here.

Reiss said it best yesterday:

"I think the one thing, and maybe you have mentioned it, there are times where players just don't want to come here. And usually, it's about the money. I think Eliot Wolf even said, 'Usually it's about the money.' But there are a few cases where it's not. And I think that's just important to mention. Some players just don't want to... If they're from a different area or it's... To our point, the Patriots have to offer that much more, and sometimes that's still not enough."

The only way you can truly shift a player is to either pay significantly more than his peers (ie: pay him Justin Jefferson money), and/or guarantee most or all of his contract. Felger might have complained about that yesterday, but it doesn't change the fact that you can't do that for a long-term deal of that magnitude due to the precedent it also sets both around the league and within your own locker room.

Yeah this feels like he either wants the 49'ers to pony up or he really wants Pittsburgh for some unknown personal reasons and is hoping they get in the ballpark so he can feel good about making the jump.

 

[Rob0729]

I want them to do what every other team fits and spend to the cap, or close to it, to put the best team on the field they can.

The titans have been better than us most years recently.
You clearly didn’t look at who they signed with less money than we have available.
LJaruis Sneed no good? Ridley? Awuzie?Pollard? Cushenberry? Boyd? Adams?
Everyone is better than players we will be putting in the field.
We win 4 games and chose not to improve.

Building through the draft? What kind of plan is that? Everyone gets draft picks. Doing nothing else sets you behind the competition. But hey we have a wr drafted in the 4th round that you like surely he will be more important than what you could get with 43 mill.


Aside from using the draft picks they were assigned, please list the evidence of how they have proven to you they are trying to get better.

Please list all of the positions where we brought upgrades. Upgrades that would transform a 4 win team. Upgrade consistent with the $100,000,000 it resources they had.

It’s one thing to be a homer when we are winning championships and saying who cares we won, but you are now a homer who defends not trying to win.

Every other team is not doing that.

The Titans have been better than the Pats in recent years, but they have been downright average at best. I don't want the Patriots to be an 8-9 win team year in and year out. I would rather be a 3-4 team for several years and come back to be a contender.

And I never said they didn't sign anyone who wasn't good. I said they didn't sign anyone who is going to make them more than the third place team in the AFC South which gives them an outside chance at best of being the second or third wild card team. I don't see them better than either the Jags or Texans and probably aren't better than the Colts depending on Richardson.

And they used the draft to address their biggest needs. They needed a QB and they got either the second or third best QB available. They needed WRs, they tried to trade up into the first. But they ended up drafting two WRs.

And this year was always going to be a wash. They drafted a QB who needs to sit. He needs to be developed. I would rather go 3-4 wins this year. Get a potential HOF LT and then try to be competitive next year. The alternative is trying to win 7-8 wins and then be in a position to potentially draft the third or fourth best LT in the draft and hope he can be a day one starter and be in the Pro Bowl some day.

And it isn't being a homer. It is knowing this team is in a rebuild year and if we want to be a perirenal Super Bowl contender, there is no quick fix and it will take time to build this team up. I am willing to sacrifice a couple of years (last year and this year) to achieve that goal. If I was a homer, I would be saying this team was good enough to go to the playoffs. I am not. In fact, even if they make real strides this year, they still might only be a 4-6 win team.

 

[203Pat]

I want them to do what every other team fits and spend to the cap, or close to it, to put the best team on the field they can.

The titans have been better than us most years recently.
You clearly didn’t look at who they signed with less money than we have available.
LJaruis Sneed no good? Ridley? Awuzie?Pollard? Cushenberry? Boyd? Adams?
Everyone is better than players we will be putting in the field.
We win 4 games and chose not to improve.

Building through the draft? What kind of plan is that? Everyone gets draft picks. Doing nothing else sets you behind the competition. But hey we have a wr drafted in the 4th round that you like surely he will be more important than what you could get with 43 mill.


Aside from using the draft picks they were assigned, please list the evidence of how they have proven to you they are trying to get better.

Please list all of the positions where we brought upgrades. Upgrades that would transform a 4 win team. Upgrade consistent with the $100,000,000 it resources they had.

It’s one thing to be a homer when we are winning championships and saying who cares we won, but you are now a homer who defends not trying to win.

I am going to guess you stopped being a homer right around January 11th?

 

[Ring 6]

Do you think the team is better with $0 dollars in Kraft's pocket and a few years with cap tied to mediocre players who we just got just because?

You are skipping a step in your logic that we actually need to pay for quality players, not just throw bad money around just because it lightens Kraft's wallet. If 30 million got Aiyuk, we'd be having a different discussion. Having that 43 million gave us a shot to make a play that we otherwise wouldn't. Unfortunately the player wants to be somewhere else. Can't help that.

Who do you want them to spend that 43 million on?

Why would you make the choice only mediocre players? There were dozens of free agents available. We are a 4 win team and no one can tell me what position we went out and improved with what we spent. Surely all of the more talented teams that went out and spend big money on players something they were all mediocre.
If you have 4 win talent there are a lot of players who can improve you.

What did we guarantee Aiyuk? Are yiu telling me the strategy of the patriots was to be the team that spends the least so if a trade possibility comes up they can spend it? It was reported to be an extension so the first year wouldn’t have been anywhere near 43 million. More like 15.

I’ve posted a list of over 70 free agents or traded players who would upgrade our team. No one has posted any list of ones we actually signed that did.


I will stick with my belief that a team trying to win uses all of the cap space they have to bring in the best players they can rather than big the story that a 4 win team has such a hard time finding players that could help it and become the first team in the history of the league that players didn’t want their money.

Remember when we are getting trounced in Sundays that Bob Kraft chose not to build 20% if his roster because it’s too expensive to do that.

 

[Ring 6]

I don't understand why you're so adamant when it comes to the fact sometimes good players don't want to go to bad teams, regardless of the $$...? Would you go work for a company that wasn't the best environment even if they offered you more or close to what you could make at a company with better growth opportunities [ie: postseason incentives]? It's not that strange of a concept.

Tennessee is not a good team. They are in. I way a better option than the patriots. Yet many free agents wanted to go there.
If no one wants to play here why did so many of our owns guys resign?

But the bottom line is if what you say is true, and the patriots are the pariah of the NFL and no one wants to play here, why is that acceptable, what’s being done about it, how would it change, and why do all other bad teams always attract and sign free agents?

It’s like we made up a story that doesn’t compute and refuse to back off from it.

 

[Ian]

Tennessee is not a good team. They are in. I way a better option than the patriots. Yet many free agents wanted to go there.

You’re aware of Ridley’s statements about Hopkins, aren’t you? And his wife’s preferences to stay south near family, which were echoed by reports out of Jacksonville at the time?

 

[Grogan14]

Games the Pats should win will be losses and the opposite is bound to occur as well.

A lot needs to go the Pats way for 8 wins to happen.

Wins this year are not important.
Improvement as season goes on, toughness and lack of quit is what we should reasonably hope for

8 wins by itself is no prize.

 

[Ian]

But the bottom line is if what you say is true, and the patriots are the pariah of the NFL and no one wants to play here, why is that acceptable, what’s being done about it, how would it change, and why do all other bad teams always attract and sign free agents?

A successful season of growth and proof that Maye can play and Mayo can be a good head coach with a chance to get them back into contention will change that. Until that happens, they’re in a strange unenviable spot right now. Unfortunately.

 

[Boston Boxer]

Yeah this feels like he either wants the 49'ers to pony up or he really wants Pittsburgh for some unknown personal reasons and is hoping they get in the ballpark so he can feel good about making the jump.

everyone wants to play for Tomlin for some reason but the Steelers have been average and not close to contending for quite some time. I don't understand the draw to Pitt