Content Post Words on things I watched, read & heard II

[captain stone]

this is an interesting list. Keene to me is now a potential threat to Jacob at FB....IF he is tough enough, he'd be an upgrade because he is a better athlete and offers more of an offensive threat in passing game. But I think his TE days are over. It's too crowed there now,

I had hoped that Ben Mason could fill that role, but after he was inexplicably released from the PS he signed a futures contract with the team that drafted him.

White is someone who now has become an expensive luxury. Both Rham and Harris are good receivers in their own right, Not as good as White has been, but good enough to make White redundant. There is also JJ sitting in the wings. In a year where cap money will be at a premium, White becomes someone you'd love to bring back, BUT.....

No longer optimistic about JJ's prognosis here. I think Bill looks for an Upgrayyed.

Cowart has been an intriguing figure for me over the few years he's been here. Watching him at camp his rookie year be became a real binky of mine. He has a great first step. He was explosive. And he ran really well for such a big man. Well over the next few years those raw talents haven't translated into playing time. Now a lot of that has to do with injuries. Maybe year 4 is the. charm. Most likely not, but I's an incurable optimist....and he was a binky.

I think the loss of Anderson was bigger than most thought. He WAS the run stopping 3-4 DE that Wise and Guy couldn't be. Both of those guys would be better off playing in 4-3 sets. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if Bill doesn't trend back to more 4-3 sets next year if he doesn't get a solid NT in the draft or FA or if God or Davis don't develop into one.

I don't think either Anderson or Coward would've helped much this season, especially when our biggest problem vs the run was defending it up the middle.

Well Everyone wants to revamp the LB group, well one revamp method has been on IR all year. Jennings is the slow run stopper you HOPE will be an upgrade on Bently. But that is what he is. McMillan, McGrone, and Perkins are the guys you hope will show up and breathe life into a dying position group. I think High is smart enough to read the tea leaves and retire. Collins didn't have have any impact IMHO, and is very likely to be let go. Bentley I think did well enough to get a chance to compete for the slow run stopping ILB, but we only need one of those not the 3 we seemed to have on the field all year. I think KVN did more than enough to become that elder statesman in the room during this change.

Yeah I don't see any big changes to this group either, other than the depahtures of HT & Collins... Wonder if Bill tries to re-negotiate KVN's contract...

We REALLY missed Jones this year and it will be great to have him back. He will make a big difference. Bryant isn't the answer. Williams was a HUGE disappointment to me. I've seen games where he was very effective, but clearly he played like sh!t this year. I don't think he's too slow, but rather he's too slow THINKING. CB is my #2 draft priority. and JC is my #1 FA resigning job. My big hope is that Wade will develop into that big CB role that Williams failed at.

As for S, it will all depend on what DMsc decides to do. If he retires then I think Phillips will go back there and I'll be comfortable with that. I have NO idea about Bledsoe except he was a low draft pick and THEY like him.

Agreed about CB, though I wonder if Bill sees Wade as DMac's true replacement... He was a stout tackler at Ohio State but was exposed as an Outside CB... That screams Future Free Safety to me, and he has the size/speed combo for the position too... Phillips is a better fit here as a SS anyway.

My #1 priority this off season is to find the DL unicorn. I think we have one already, but you need more than one to succeed in this league. Now based on info that BGC has so kindly given us is that there IS one, and maybe 2 of those guys available. (Davis and the kid from UConn). If Davis is there at 21 I think Bill grabs him on the spot. However if he's gone (and he very much might be as the #1 interior DLman). I would be shocked if BB didn't just trade out of the first round, pick up an extra pick or two and get the UConn kid early in the 2nd round.

Yep, we need TWO New Wide-Bodies in the middle (PLUS a DE versed-enough in Both setting an edge And rushing a passer)... But it also wouldn't surprise me if Bill trades down to acquire more picks... Heck if Davis is already gone then I would probably WANT him to trade down anyway.

 

[ralmat55]

Anderson hardly was seeing the field when he was injured. They invested a whole lot of money last off-season in the front 7, and the results were arguably worse than 2020.

 

[captain stone]

Sh!ttsdirt now in the hunt for a new GM... Colbert to step down after the draft...

 

[Calhoun44]

Anderson hardly was seeing the field when he was injured. They invested a whole lot of money last off-season in the front 7, and the results were arguably worse than 2020.

I don't disagree with your post but considering your screenname I'm having trouble fully appreciating your take relating to the defensive line.
He was a bit of a disappointment for a #1 overall pick.

 

[Kasmir]

Cowart has been an intriguing figure for me over the few years he's been here. Watching him at camp his rookie year be became a real binky of mine. He has a great first step. He was explosive. And he ran really well for such a big man. Well over the next few years those raw talents haven't translated into playing time. Now a lot of that has to do with injuries. Maybe year 4 is the. charm. Most likely not, but I's an incurable optimist....and he was a binky.

According to both Rivals and ESPN, Cowart was the #1 overall recruit at any position coming out of high school in 2015. But he's never been able to live up to his potential anywhere.

The top 100 recruits in the class of 2015

National Signing Day 2015 is right around corner, and budding young football players across the country are set to finalize their college destinations. As the

www.si.com

 

[WhatJustHappened]

Some good players on that draft list(Harris!), Josh Rosen sure fell down though...

 

[ralmat55]

I don't disagree with your post but considering your screenname I'm having trouble fully appreciating your take relating to the defensive line.
He was a bit of a disappointment for a #1 overall pick.

I was misused by those hack DCs I had. They made Stevie B. Look like his Dad by comparison. Plus, I never could stay healthy. I was as brittle as Aaron Dobson and Ras I Dowling.

 

[DaBruinz]

Belichick will bring in 3-5 WR's. The question is how much resources is he willing to use.

Probably one late draft pick and a bunch of UDFAs.. Just to upset @captain stone

 

[DaBruinz]

Williams was a HUGE disappointment to me. I've seen games where he was very effective, but clearly he played like sh!t this year.

Ken - I love your posting but how do you get that Williams "played like sh!t" this year?

Williams had one bad game and that was the one against Buffalo in the play-offs.
Otherwise, he was the 3rd best CB they had behind Jackson and Mills.

The receivers he was covering were targeted 18 times and had 10 receptions. That's a 55.6% completion rating. He allowed 1TD during the regular season. He also had 5 PDs, though 3 of them came in the Jets game, I believe.

I think much of the time during the games after the bye week, he was a victim of circumstance more than anything. Especially if it's true about the issues the Defensive Coaches were having.. Focus on the 7 games where BB was the one calling the shots.. With the exception of the TEN game, those were the games where Williams played his best games of the year. I don't think it's a coincidence that his play fell off when BB wasn't the one calling the shots on the Defense.

As for S, it will all depend on what DMsc decides to do. If he retires then I think Phillips will go back there and I'll be comfortable with that. I have NO idea about Bledsoe except he was a low draft pick and THEY like him.

DMac wants to play. It's in the Pats best interest that he modifies his contract and sticks around for another year so that they don't take the full 6.45M cap hit of his void years. A vet Min deal with $1.5M signing bonus and some NLTBEs that could push it up to $5M in total would be well worth it...

I think that CB and S depth are both needs. They need a slot corner as well as someone who can play on the outside. Wade MIGHT be able to do that, but he's still a wild card. They need someone besides Bledsoe for safety. Bryant's best games came with BB at the helm of the defense. I think that he might be a decent back-up safety, but he's not capable of lining up against someone like Isaiah McKenzie as we saw in the last two games against Buffalo.

UDFA Corners should be HIGH on the Pats priority list with them not having any 7th round picks.

 

[50-yard-line]

I was misused by those hack DCs I had. They made Stevie B. Look like his Dad by comparison. Plus, I never could stay healthy. I was as brittle as Aaron Dobson and Ras I Dowling.

Wait wait wait, are you really Kenneth Sims?

 

[captain stone]

I was misused by those hack DCs I had. They made Stevie B. Look like his Dad by comparison. Plus, I never could stay healthy. I was as brittle as Aaron Dobson and Ras I Dowling.

But you were always ready for Game Day!

 

[50-yard-line]

But you were always ready for Game Day!

Hey Cap'n, 5th year option period opened on the 10th. They have until May 2 to exercise it on N'keal Harry. Are you on pins and needles?

And they'll have to franchise Bentley in a few weeks. THink he's worth the tag?

 

[patfanken]

Ken - I love your posting but how do you get that Williams "played like sh!t" this year?

Williams had one bad game and that was the one against Buffalo in the play-offs.
Otherwise, he was the 3rd best CB they had behind Jackson and Mills.

The receivers he was covering were targeted 18 times and had 10 receptions. That's a 55.6% completion rating. He allowed 1TD during the regular season. He also had 5 PDs, though 3 of them came in the Jets game, I believe.

I think much of the time during the games after the bye week, he was a victim of circumstance more than anything. Especially if it's true about the issues the Defensive Coaches were having.. Focus on the 7 games where BB was the one calling the shots.. With the exception of the TEN game, those were the games where Williams played his best games of the year. I don't think it's a coincidence that his play fell off when BB wasn't the one calling the shots on the Defense.

Well this makes me happy. So your saying there's hooe for JJ. Maybe I was making too much about the Bills game and Solak's comment on the radio. about a play that day.

Well that makes me happier. So you're saying there's a chance. I'm not seeing a chance of getting a top CB at 21, so if JJ can find a way to get better and be in the mix, it will make like a lot easier

 

[p8ryts]

HT being the second best LB available is more credit to his past than to his latest performance, he clearly lost a step (and he was slow already)
Bentley is a pure run stopping LB, a slow one, but at least he makes the tackles when he doesn't take himself out of the play by hitting the wrong lane.

And they are not so good (but I don't think many would have said they are good anyway this year, though Bentley had more impact and seemed improved at the things he was asked to do) but the DL has its issues with the LoS as well, they were consistantly moved back or the LBs were left against OL which break through the DL taking the LBs out of play.

If the interior would have been great against the run, I'd assume the opponents would run more on the outside because the Pats struggle to set the edge as well...

Bentley is the best linebacker at making tackles 5-8 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. For a supposed thumper, I only see one or two thumps a year.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

Bentley is the best linebacker at making tackles 5-8 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. For a supposed thumper, I only see one or two thumps a year.

Elandon Roberts is a FA again and Flores is out in Miami. Pats could always bring him back for that role….

 

[p8ryts]

Elandon Roberts is a FA again and Flores is out in Miami. Pats could always bring him back for that role….

prefer him over Bentley

 

[DaBruinz]

Well that makes me happier. So you're saying there's a chance. I'm not seeing a chance of getting a top CB at 21, so if JJ can find a way to get better and be in the mix, it will make like a lot easier

I don't see the Pats looking at CB unless they've traded Jackson for a mid-high 1st rounder.

For a back-up to Jones, I expect to see a 4th/5th round pick.. They also need a reserve center in that area as well.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

I don't see the Pats looking at CB unless they've traded Jackson for a mid-high 1st rounder.

For a back-up to Jones, I expect to see a 4th/5th round pick.. They also need a reserve center in that area as well.

I don’t see the Pats tagging / trading JC given how tight they are against the cap. I don’t see them tagging him period, for the same reason. I think it’s a long term deal, or he walks. And I think him walking is a very realistic possibility we should be preparing for. Just my opinion though. I don’t think Bill thinks JC is elite enough to tie all that cap space up when they have so many other needs.

 

[DaBruinz]

I don’t see the Pats tagging / trading JC given how tight they are against the cap. I don’t see them tagging him period, for the same reason. I think it’s a long term deal, or he walks. And I think him walking is a very realistic possibility we should be preparing for. Just my opinion though. I don’t think Bill thinks JC is elite enough to tie all that cap space up when they have so many other needs.

You should really look at Miguel's information because they aren't as tight against the cap as you think. Miguel mentioned they could easily free up more than enough to TAG Jackson and put RFA tenders on Meyers, Johnson and Olszewski.

17.8M isn't "all that cap space" when you consider that the top 3 salaries are over 19M.

The MASSIVE problem with your thinking is that Jackson IS a top 5 CB in the league. The stats prove it. The Patriots don't have anyone on the roster who could take over as the #1 CB. Their depth at CB is wanting. Williams made some strides this season, but hasn't shown he can take over on a regular basis on the outside. Wade is an UNKNOWN. The Patriots don't have a ton of draft capital this year, currently only having 6 picks and with no Comp picks heading their way. They have too many OTHER holes that need to be addressed. And that money isn't going to do it.

They need to replace Bentley, HT and Collins. Preferably Van Noy as well. They need to replace Davis and Anderson as well. They have a hole at either RT or LG to fix depending on what they do with Michel Onwenu.

Now, you're probably thinking that I just made your case. Well, that's not correct. Because when you look at what's available in Free Agency at those positions, there aren't a lot of upgrades (if any) there that can be gotten on the cheap. Hell, the drop off is pretty large from Jackson to other CBs who are available for the price they'd be available for.

All that being said, I've believed that they would get a long term deal done. I've stated a few times that I felt anywhere from 4/$65M - 5/90M would get it done. Especially if they gave him guarantees in the 66% of the contract range.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

You should really look at Miguel's information because they aren't as tight against the cap as you think. Miguel mentioned they could easily free up more than enough to TAG Jackson and put RFA tenders on Meyers, Johnson and Olszewski.

17.8M isn't "all that cap space" when you consider that the top 3 salaries are over 19M.

The MASSIVE problem with your thinking is that Jackson IS a top 5 CB in the league. The stats prove it. The Patriots don't have anyone on the roster who could take over as the #1 CB. Their depth at CB is wanting. Williams made some strides this season, but hasn't shown he can take over on a regular basis on the outside. Wade is an UNKNOWN. The Patriots don't have a ton of draft capital this year, currently only having 6 picks and with no Comp picks heading their way. They have too many OTHER holes that need to be addressed. And that money isn't going to do it.

They need to replace Bentley, HT and Collins. Preferably Van Noy as well. They need to replace Davis and Anderson as well. They have a hole at either RT or LG to fix depending on what they do with Michel Onwenu.

Now, you're probably thinking that I just made your case. Well, that's not correct. Because when you look at what's available in Free Agency at those positions, there aren't a lot of upgrades (if any) there that can be gotten on the cheap. Hell, the drop off is pretty large from Jackson to other CBs who are available for the price they'd be available for.

All that being said, I've believed that they would get a long term deal done. I've stated a few times that I felt anywhere from 4/$65M - 5/90M would get it done. Especially if they gave him guarantees in the 66% of the contract range.

I appreciate the thoughtful response. And I don’t necessarily disagree with all, or even any, of your points. From my perspective, here is my concern:

- lots of restructuring of contracts can be done, but are there any players you’d be willing to risk potential excess future dead money over if they don’t work out? I think Mills is the one guy I’d do it with in a heartbeat, he was everything they expected and then some. Judon? We have ri be really certain that his fall off as both a pass rusher and run defender was circumstance related and not him coming back down to earth.
Agholor? Not sure if he performed well enough to warrant that future risk. Henry? Possibly, I suppose.

- the other thing is these restructuring will take away from the 2023 cap (which is plentiful now), and I’d wonder if they would rather use the 2023 cap on newer in-their-prime players at that time after one more offseason of reloading through the draft?

- JC certainly played like a top tier QB for much of the year. But they also stopped playing man coverage as much toward the end, and JC had his worst game against Buffalo. Maybe the lack of man coverage was the lack of any capable CBs once Jones was out and Mills went on COVID. Plus the Dugger injury impacting the entire secondary. If that’s the case, then great. I just wonder if Bill didn’t fully trust JC, and if his Buffalo game only validated that lack of trust?

- As you note, they do have a lot of holes. Maybe Bill thinks someone is undervalued and improperly utilized now in FA. Big thing is I think Bill wants to ensure he doesn’t have any holes on the roster, rather than maximizing the top tier talent at certain positions. Meaning, he’d like JC, but given the choice he’d rather sign 2 cheap CBs and a cheap LB than just JC, to ensure teams don’t salivate and target players like Ross, Bryant, and Williams when they’re out there.

Just my opinion though. As I said, your argument is very sound. It all comes down to Bill’s view of Jackson’s abilities versus other alternatives. I hope you’re right.