We are still the Patriots, and I will enjoy and look forward to a great future

[sb1]

With a good draft assuming a fairly high pick and good use of our cap space in 2021 it shouldnt be too long to turn it around.

 

[sb1]

some people actually believe that this team would be contending if brady and his 25-30M contract were here?

if they're not contending, then there is absolutely no reason to pay a QB that much

Just Bradyite wishful thinking.

Brady has no place on this team anymore. Wasn’t a contender last season with him, still not a contender without him and would not a contender either if he stayed here.

Though it would be nice to get QB play these days a few levels above complete incompetence and I’m sure he could have done at least that much.

 

[203Pat]

some people actually believe that this team would be contending if brady and his 25-30M contract were here?

if they're not contending, then there is absolutely no reason to pay a QB that much

I do not believe they would be 2-4 right now. Maybe they still lose to the Seahawks and Chiefs but I don’t think they no show against the Broncos and Niners like they did. Also I keep hearing about how they couldn't have paid Brady, who wouldn't we have been able to keep? McCourty and not franchise Thuney? I would take that trade off and have a much better chance of being 4-2 than 2-4.

 

[IllegalContact]

I do not believe they would be 2-4 right now. Maybe they still lose to the Seahawks and Chiefs but I don’t think they no show against the Broncos and Niners like they did. Also I keep hearing about how they couldn't have paid Brady, who wouldn't we have been able to keep? McCourty and not franchise Thuney? I would take that trade off and have a much better chance of being 4-2 than 2-4.

I disagree

 

[lancerman]

This team has two options at this point. Delude themselves into thinking they are a couple good off season pick ups away OR go full rebuild and do what the Niner’s and Cardinals did.

I personally think a fire sale and a high draft pick where we score a QB and some can’t miss players and and an off season free agency splash would be a much more efficient way of doing things than trying to repair a broke down car.

 

[203Pat]

I disagree

I can respect that. No real way to know either way. I just didn't want to see Brady go.

 

[The Brandon Five]

It feels weird that we are now discussing what games they might possibly win instead of which ones they might lose...

It was a good run.

 

[XLIX]

If the Patriots are fortunate and end up with someone like Hebert in the draft next year I think they can turn things around quickly. QB is so important that nothing else really matters until that problem is solved. They are in an enviable position $ wise compared to the rest of the league and if the cap drops like expected there should be a bunch of quality veterans available for cheap dollars. I think more than the draft the Pats need to hit on the group of "middle class" players and find their next batch of Ninkovich, Hogan, Van Noy type players to fill some holes. If they do there is no reason they are not serious contenders in a couple years.

Considering where the Patriots look like they will be drafting, there is a good chance the only QB off the board will be Lawrence. So they will have their pick of all the rest.

Having said that, I would be shocked if they take a QB in round 1. They will probably select that guy out of Kent State in round 4.

 

[FCB02062]

I'm curious as to how long a rope Krafty Bob will have with Belichick. I'm not suggesting he fire Coach Bill, but things show no sign of improvement. The team quit for for 3 1/2 quarters vs Denver and they pulled a complete no show in a pretty much must win game at home against a team that flew across the country. We have to be honest with ourselves. The "talent" is worse than last year and that team was 4-5 after starting 8-8. The quarterback quit on the team last year but his performance was much better than Newton this year. Newton or Stidham this team is headed for 6 wins, max and out of the playoffs.
Yes, they will have decent cap $ next year, but gone are the days of players taking less $ to play for Coach Bill and Brady. The shine is off that diamond, especially coming of what will be their worst season since 2000. I hope I'm wrong, and I would love it if by some minor miracle the Pats stand at 7-7 with signs of life going into MNF vs Buffalo and they're playing games that matter with a chance at the playoffs at 9-7 - but I wouldn't bet your $ on it. There are NO play makers on this team - on offense OR on defense. NONE. Gilmore, as I predicted, is average at best this season. There's nothing at linebacker, there's nothing at safety, there's nothing else at corner. Jones is a decent corner.
Years and years of piss poor drafting have left the cupboard bare. Sure, they have cap $ but fixing things through FA is a short term fix. This team needs good drafts, and they haven't had one since forever. Back to my original point, if the Pats have another bad year next season my $ is on Krafty Bob nudging Coach Bill to "retire" to save him the embarrassment of getting schittcanned. Next year if the Pats start off like garbage again Gillettee Stadium will be half empty in November/December. I'm old enough to remember sitting in the stands for the last home game in 99 vs Baltimore, stadium was 70% full max. We'll be back to those times in 2 years and we'll have tickets on stub hub for $20 if the drafts don't improve.

 

[PatsDeb]

I admire your enthusiasm. I have been a Pats fan for as long as I can remember. I am realizing that a funny thing happened on the way to greatness, and that is, that I have somehow become more of a Tom Brady fan than a Patriots fan. As I said in a post earlier on this forum, it feels like my boyfriend broke up with me and now I have to watch him on social media with his hot new girlfriend, moving on with life, while I sit here wallowing in my sorrows. Pathetic, I know. I'll return to the fold someday, but this season is hard to watch (I know I would still be having trouble even if the Pats were doing well).

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I feel like this team needs a major overhaul, similar to one Belichick went through when he came in 2000. Get rid of all the old guys and bring in some youth and speed. I said this before season, but this team is about 3 years away from being a top contender again.

 

[Boomer B]

If bill knew more than anybody what a franchise qb meant to winning he wouldn't of disenfranchised and pushed out the greatest of all time.

Bill is great but he has a smug attitude about him that thinks he can win with anyone.

Wrong.

A little simplistic. I’m not happy Bill wanted to move on from Brady but it’s probably a lot more likely it was due to age then Bill not wanting a franchise QB.

 

[scott99]

“Destroyed the dynasty”

I mean. I don’t even know where to start. Dynasties are short. The greatest ones are 2/3 SBs and are then gone forever.

I think posters minimize the incredible skill, luck, and health it takes to win just one SB. This team went 3/4 and 3/5. Amazing.

I’ll give you an example of destroying dynasties. The Roman Empire got complacent, underestimated their opponents, didn’t field their best generals & strategic leaders, and fell by the wayside.

I know I’m spoiled by almost 20 years of greatness, but Belichick indeed “destroyed the dynasty.” Continuity could have happened if Belichick had drafted wisely, or even decently.

Ignoring desperately needed explosive weapons at the WR & TE position have made the offense old, barren, predictable and incredibly easy to stop. If they had drafted EXPLOSIVE receivers in 2018-19 & 20, let’s say 5 receivers total through those 3 drafts, most likely in rounds 1-3, AT LEAST 2 of those receivers probably make it as far as key contributors possibly even are stars.

Same goes for the TE position. 2018-19 was insanely good drafts for the TE position deep drafts. Draft 2 TEs total in rounds 1-3, and odds are, one of them, possibly both, are key contributors to the offense by now, possibly a star.

That’s what killed the dynasty. To the point that this is now a bad team. At least in 2005-2010, Belichick still had Brady to keep his team competitive and have winning seasons after poor drafting. 2010-13 Belichick drafted : McCourty, Gronkowski, Solder, Cannon, Chandler Jones, Hightower, Collins, Ryan, Harmon. That and smart FA signings, led to Dynasty 2, or the continuation of the dynasty, whatever you want to call it.

Despite some bad defenses, the team still got to the SB in 2007 & 2011 due to some shrewd trades (Moss & Welker). But what caused those 2 losses ? The defense wasn’t good enough to hold on despite Brady giving them leads late in the 4th. Belichick rebuilt that defense by drafting good defensive players and adding key FAs.

Why can’t and won’t he do it for the offense. He obviously knows he doesn’t have the weapons. He finally has two young talented rookie TEs, why won’t he utilize them like he did with Gronk & Hernandez as rookies in 2010 ? They have yet to play in a game together. I think he traded UP to get both of them.

Belichick’s talent management and assessment in the draft are the main reasons for the team being bad. Just like they were a key reason (+Brady) for the team being great for 19 years. He’s responsible for both.

 

[festy1986]

A little simplistic. I’m not happy Bill wanted to move on from Brady but it’s probably a lot more likely it was due to age then Bill not wanting a franchise QB.

Yea. its his age. OH NO HIS AGE. THE TERROR!!!!!!

Brady is no Boomer and still playing with the best of them.

The only thing simplistic is Bills excuses as to why he thought the 3 bums on our team were viable replacements. They arent even as good as the "****" version of Brady we had last year.

 

[Boomer B]

Yea. its his age. OH NO HIS AGE. THE TERROR!!!!!!

Brady is no Boomer and still playing with the best of them.

The only thing simplistic is Bills excuses as to why he thought the 3 bums on our team were viable replacements. They arent even as good as the "****" version of Brady we had last year.

I’m not disagreeing about Brady. I thought he should have retired a Patriot.

 

[borg]

Problem is, and people have reported this, the Pats have a very small draft board and they are very rigid, they won’t stray from that board. So when you are talking about “right players”, well from 2013 on, he’s missing out on those “right players”, sometimes by bypassing them when they are there for the taking. Totally destroyed the dynasty and has put us 5 years behind.

Let's start a petition to force BB to expand his draft board and include good players

 

[Thelonious]

The first team Belicheck needs to work on is the team which supports him as GM. I do not presume to know where the problem lies personnelwise, but the blatant fact is that we have seen in our GM increasing lapses in judgment, resulting in multiple trash draftings and trades, particularly of course re outside receivers.

It seems to me Bob Kraft has a role here. In important respects, his employee, Bill Belicheck - as GM - is not doing the job. Kraft should do what he would do with any other employee: tell Bill either to make the changes necessary to get the job done, to delegate - genuinely - those responsibilities, or to be deprived of them. If Bill cops a snit and leaves, so be it. This has gone on long enough.

 

[upstater1]

The first team Belicheck needs to work on is the team which supports him as GM. I do not presume to know where the problem lies personnelwise, but the blatant fact is that we have seen in our GM increasing lapses in judgment, resulting in multiple trash draftings and trades, particularly of course re outside receivers.

It seems to me Bob Kraft has a role here. In important respects, his employee, Bill Belicheck - as GM - is not doing the job. Kraft should do what he would do with any other employee: tell Bill either to make the changes necessary to get the job done, to delegate - genuinely - those responsibilities, or to be deprived of them. If Bill cops a snit and leaves, so be it. This has gone on long enough.

All I know is that on draft day 18 months ago, we had a slew of articles about why Harry was a great 1st round ick, that Harry had great ability to wrestle balls away like an Anquan Boldin, and that the Patriots had done a great job selecting him. The fact that he is nowhere near as good as an athletic big bodied burner like Metcalf is evident in retrospect but at the time, there were a slew of articles that painted Metcalf as a straight line burner with little lateral quickness, and also a guy with possibly bad hands.

Anyone who tells you there was better than a 50/50 chance of getting either of these calls correct is lying.

 

[NYCPATS4LIFE]

If we lose to buffalo they should position themselves to try and get a top 10 pick. See what you got the rest of the way with stidham. If he fails see if you can get the 3rd best QB in this draft in trey lance.

 

[Thelonious]

All I know is that on draft day 18 months ago, we had a slew of articles about why Harry was a great 1st round ick, that Harry had great ability to wrestle balls away like an Anquan Boldin, and that the Patriots had done a great job selecting him. The fact that he is nowhere near as good as an athletic big bodied burner like Metcalf is evident in retrospect but at the time, there were a slew of articles that painted Metcalf as a straight line burner with little lateral quickness, and also a guy with possibly bad hands.

Anyone who tells you there was better than a 50/50 chance of getting either of these calls correct is lying.

Yeah well, your memory is faulty to the point of delusion. My recollection is that most observers were surprised that the Pats chose Harry, who is slow, lazy and clueless. Those who doubted the wisdom of the choice have seen their reservations amply validated. The Pats have, particularly in recent years and particularly re wide receivers, sucked at drafting and at trades. What we need now are not deluded fanboys spewing skewed recollections but hard honesty and effective action. At this point, it seems Bill cannot provide either, as an honest empirical evaluation of his "accomplishments" in this regard will reveal to any honest observer. If your adulation of Bill requires you to express faith in his perfection in all things, I can't help you. You need to toughen up a little and master the art of honesty.