Patriots sign WR Jordan Matthews to a 1 Year Deal

[SHOWTIME15]

Maybe trying to get the Bears to bite on him in round 1 and leave LB/OT alone?

Courtland sutton is not getting drafted 8th overall....

 

[Off The Grid]

In this case, would BB the GM be killing BB the coach? Like, for real this time?

I've always enjoyed the multiple parallels that both Bill I ~ The Scum ~ and Bill II ~ The Magnificent ~ both crossed the Patriots/Jets Border under explosively controversial circumstances, and because both assumed full control over trades, were actually, retroactively, negotiating trade compensation for themselves.

 

[PatsFan2]

This makes me nervous. Let’s just not draft wide outs. We have too many needs for a guy that is unlikely to contribute right away if at all. I’d rather stick to vets

NFL Rumors: Patriots Meet With Another Top Wide Receiver Prospect

No worries BB's track record at Drafting WR's is just so horrible the thought could make the Blind see.

 

[PatsFan2]

They should Draft the Best Defensive players available:: if an OT is around with upside you Draft that guy.

 

[Sfpat]

This makes me nervous. Let’s just not draft wide outs. We have too many needs for a guy that is unlikely to contribute right away if at all. I’d rather stick to vets

NFL Rumors: Patriots Meet With Another Top Wide Receiver Prospect

Pat's publicly meeting with someone pre-draft almost guarantees that they won't draft them.

 

[supafly]

If the pats draft courtland sutton there’ll be an absolute log jam at receiver. Matthews or mitchell could get cut.

Injuries will often take care of this issue. We can project the top 5 WRs in the beginning of April, but that’s not always the case come August/Sept. There’s a chance that one of the top 5 gets hurt, starts the year on PUP, etc.

Also, Belichick is likely looking ahead a bit, too. Both Edelman and Hogan will be a year older in the spring, with Hogan hitting free agency. As a matter of fact, isn’t Edelman the only WR out of our competing 7 (including Britt and Dorsett) who is under contract for next season? If you ask me, there shouldn’t be a ton of surprise if he selects a WR in the top 95 picks. He could view it as a position that needs attention. Hell, he could even keep 6 under these circumstances. I wouldn’t bet on it, but it’s certainly an option.

Edit: Mitchell is under contract for 2019, too.

 

[mgteich]

I believe Dorsett and Mitchell are signed for 2019. Mccarran would be an ERFA so he isn't going anywhere.

However, your point is well taken. Presuming that we keep Hogan, then a youngster could be here as his 2019 replacement, although that would Mitchell if he is healthy (not something to count on).

IMHO, there will be extensions in camp for a couple of those who will make the team. That was discussed by mot of us (and Miguel) for Patterson the day he signed. There is every reason for us to want to extend Patterson, if he is making the team. There is no reason to absorb all that cap money this year.
=========
I remind you that the 4th and 5th WR's don't account for a total one reception a game. There is no reason for a 6th WR. The only reason we need a 4th is because of potential injury. After all we have many non-WR targets.

I would be very comfortable with Edelman, Hogan, Matthews or Mitchell, Patterson plus a rookie drafted in one of the first 3 rounds.

HOWEVER, if Patterson isn't considered a WR any more than Slater, then yes, we should have 5 WR's. IMHO, if that is the case, he won't make the 53.

Injuries will often take care of this issue. We can project the top 5 WRs in the beginning of April, but that’s not always the case come August/Sept. There’s a chance that one of the top 5 gets hurt, starts the year on PUP, etc.

Also, Belichick is likely looking ahead a bit, too. Both Edelman and Hogan will be a year older in the spring, with Hogan hitting free agency. As a matter of fact, isn’t Edelman the only WR out of our competing 7 (including Britt and Dorsett) who is under contract for next season? If you ask me, there shouldn’t be a ton of surprise if he selects a WR in the top 95 picks. He could view it as a position that needs attention. Hell, he could even keep 6 under these circumstances. I wouldn’t bet on it, but it’s certainly an option.

 

[supafly]

I believe Dorsett and Mitchell are signed for 2019. Mccarran would be an ERFA so he isn't going anywhere.

However, your point is well taken. Presuming that we keep Hogan, then a youngster could be here as his 2019 replacement, although that would Mitchell if he is healthy (not something to count on).

IMHO, there will be extensions in camp for a couple of those who will make the team. That was discussed by mot of us (and Miguel) for Patterson the day he signed. There is every reason for us to want to extend Patterson, if he is making the team. There is no reason to absorb all that cap money this year.
=========
I remind you that the 4th and 5th WR's don't account for a total one reception a game. There is no reason for a 6th WR. The only reason we need a 4th is because of potential injury. After all we have many non-WR targets.

I don’t believe that Dorsett’s 5th year option was picked up, yet. They’ll have to make that determination in the next few weeks, but do you honestly see them keeping him at a likely 9m dollar price tag? I surely don’t. Either they’d reach another deal or he’d walk. In my opinion, they’re not picking up that option.

Forgot about Mitchell, if he even makes the team. He’s got a bit of the injury bug, and has since college, right? Or am I thinking of someone else? I didn’t include McCarron, for the same reason that I wouldn’t include Bam Childress. Someone on the PS has not shown me enough in one year to be considered a reasonable option—at least at this time. Perhaps that changes with a strong showing this summer, or another year on the PS. Until then, he’s not much more than the usual flavor of the month.

Although the idea of keeping 6 has an obvious low likelihood, it shouldn’t be ruled out as an option altogether, at least under these rare circumstances where only Edelman (and Mitchell) are under contract for 2019. Of course, we’d be including a guy like Patterson and someone would be injured and on the PUP list, so it wouldn’t be a “true” 6.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Re Sutton: If there was ever a WR to come out that would be BB’s first round 1 WR it may be him.

@reamer showed me this months ago in the draft forum:

From farm to NFL's table: Hard work paying off for SMU's Courtland Sutton

Elite character, historic 3 cone & he plays like what I’d imagine the ideal outside WR to be in the Pats system (awesome YAC & on screens. Think potential to be a more physical Demaryius Thomas).

I know we don’t need a WR now but with the market going crazy getting a useful 30-40% snap player in 2018 & a WR1 2019-2022 on a rookie deal may be the way to go.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Injuries will often take care of this issue. We can project the top 5 WRs in the beginning of April, but that’s not always the case come August/Sept. There’s a chance that one of the top 5 gets hurt, starts the year on PUP, etc.

Also, Belichick is likely looking ahead a bit, too. Both Edelman and Hogan will be a year older in the spring, with Hogan hitting free agency. As a matter of fact, isn’t Edelman the only WR out of our competing 7 (including Britt and Dorsett) who is under contract for next season? If you ask me, there shouldn’t be a ton of surprise if he selects a WR in the top 95 picks. He could view it as a position that needs attention. Hell, he could even keep 6 under these circumstances. I wouldn’t bet on it, but it’s certainly an option.

Edit: Mitchell is under contract for 2019, too.

Yes, but injuries are hard to predict. How many receivers will Bill carry, including slater? Edelman, Hogan, matthews, Slater, Mitchell, Patterson, Britt, Dorsett, Draft pick - I would say at least three of these have to go from among Britt, Dorsett, Mitchell and Mathews.

 

[supafly]

Yes, but injuries are had to predict. How many receivers will Bill carry, including slater? Edelman, Hogan, matthews, Slater, Mitchell, Patterson, Britt, Dorsett, Draft pick - I would say at least three of these have to go from among Britt, Dorsett, Mitchell and Mathews.

Yep. Lots of competition, but I still think there’s going to be some uncertainty in terms of the future. Whether that leads to a draft pick or not is anyone’s guess, but I wouldn’t be surprised, myself.

I agree that we could see either two or three WRs cut from your list.

 

[patfanken]

No worries BB's track record at Drafting WR's is just so horrible the thought could make the Blind see.

Yet somehow they annually have a top 5 passing offense. How do you account for that, plus Bill's "horrible track record of drafting WR's. I keep wondering when it's going to hit you that the drafting of WR's (good or bad) just doesn't matter.

 

[mgteich]

I didn't consider Dorsett's 5th year option as I should have. And no, I wouldn't count someone on the PUP list.

Note that I didn't object to your suggestion of drafting a WR in the first 3 wounds, something I'm not sure there is much support for here.

on McCarron. We have the same view. I mention him because so many others do so, and ask when he is "overlooked". ditto for other Practice Squad players, other than those who were paid full salary in 2017.

I don’t believe that Dorsett’s 5th year option was picked up, yet. They’ll have to make that determination in the next few weeks, but do you honestly see them keeping him at a likely 9m dollar price tag? I surely don’t. Either they’d reach another deal or he’d walk. In my opinion, they’re not picking up that option.

Forgot about Mitchell, if he even makes the team. He’s got a bit of the injury bug, and has since college, right? Or am I thinking of someone else? I didn’t include McCarron, for the same reason that I wouldn’t include Bam Childress. Someone on the PS has not shown me enough in one year to be considered a reasonable option—at least at this time. Perhaps that changes with a strong showing this summer, or another year on the PS. Until then, he’s not much more than the usual flavor of the month.

Although the idea of keeping 6 has an obvious low likelihood, it shouldn’t be ruled out as an option altogether, at least under these rare circumstances where only Edelman (and Mitchell) are under contract for 2019. Of course, we’d be including a guy like Patterson and someone would be injured and on the PUP list, so it wouldn’t be a “true” 6.

 

[supafly]

I didn't consider Dorsett's 5th year option as I should have. And no, I wouldn't count someone on the PUP list.

Note that I didn't object to your suggestion of drafting a WR in the first 3 wounds, something I'm not sure there is much support for here.

on McCarron. We have the same view. I mention him because so many others do so, and ask when he is "overlooked". ditto for other Practice Squad players, other than those who were paid full salary in 2017.

The idea of not counting someone on the PUP list is my fault, as it was an extension of my original thought regarding the difference that April vs. September can make. I didn’t clarify as well as I could have.

I would agree that the odds of keeping 6 true WRs is very low, however I think that could also be dependent on whether Patterson is included and whether or not a WR is drafted in the first few/several rounds. Things are tight, already, so it’s much more likely that the new WR would push (another) one off of the Patterson/Matthews/Dorsett/Britt/Mitchell list.

 

[rochrist]

Whether he has a better chance if sticking than Britt is debatable but his play in the Sb would hurt those chances not help them. There are thousands of people that can go out in the field and have someone cover them or attempt to block and most of them probably could catch 1 pass.
Being ahead of Britt was a function of being there all year rather than a couple of weeks.
Really both could easily be cut, and as of today I think they would go with Edelman hogan Matthews Mitchell and Patterson and I think something drastic would have to happen to change that.

And yet, for some reason, every report has the coaches really liking Dorsett. Plus, I wouldn't count on anything from Mitchell. Those knees are like bags of gravel at this point.

 

[PatsFan2]

Yet somehow they annually have a top 5 passing offense. How do you account for that, plus Bill's "horrible track record of drafting WR's. I keep wondering when it's going to hit you that the drafting of WR's (good or bad) just doesn't matter.

We are talking about Drafting a WR here one potentially in the First. Put those bifocals on ...you totally miss the point.

 

[Ring 6]

And yet, for some reason, every report has the coaches really liking Dorsett. Plus, I wouldn't count on anything from Mitchell. Those knees are like bags of gravel at this point.

Put your analysis where you like.
You choose reports saying they like him I choose not producing on the field and having tons of players brought in to compete for his job.

I don’t have medical reports on Mitchell so I can’t say I know what shape his knees are in. I can only hope your wild guess is wrong. But if we rely on reports all the reports said he was ready to go at the end of last season.

 

[maineman209]

Yes, but injuries are hard to predict. How many receivers will Bill carry, including slater? Edelman, Hogan, matthews, Slater, Mitchell, Patterson, Britt, Dorsett, Draft pick - I would say at least three of these have to go from among Britt, Dorsett, Mitchell and Mathews.

I accept that it's an extremely unpopular opinion in these parts, but I'm sticking to my guns that Hogan is NOT a "lock" to make the 53 --- yet.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Yet somehow they annually have a top 5 passing offense. How do you account for that, plus Bill's "horrible track record of drafting WR's. I keep wondering when it's going to hit you that the drafting of WR's (good or bad) just doesn't matter.

For the past 18years, Brady has made the offense better than it is. However, with Brady nearing the end, Bill is going to have to think about building a team sans Brady. The quality of the receivers he’s going to pick in the draft is going to matter now.

 

[mgteich]

I accept that it's an extremely unpopular opinion in these parts, but I'm sticking to my guns that Hogan is NOT a "lock" to make the 53 --- yet.

IMHO, the only reason that Hogan isn't a lock is that he could be traded if all works out with enough other players.