New England's 2020 Offense and Special Teams Prospects.

The New England Patriots have some issues to address on offense and special teams to secure both the 2020 season and the future. Players are getting older and the team will only have about $30 million at the start of the 2020 league year. Here is a list of Draft Prospects the team may consider. 

Tom Brady only has a few years left and the Patriots must decided if Stidham is the man. Regardless of what they decide, they should still bring in a quarterback for competition and camp. Out of my list of forty quarterbacks these are the players they should look at to develop behind Brady. Malcolm Perry is a weapon and should be brought in and converted. I am glad Joe Burrow is not gonna make it to the Patriots, he seems money hungry with a huge ego and that would be a cancer to the Patriots way.

Jalen Hurts Oklahoma, Tao Tagovailoa Alabama, Tyler Huntley Utah, Justin Herbert Oregon, Bryce Perkins Virginia, Cole McDonald Hawaii, Jake Luton Oregon St, Malcolm Perry Navy,  Shane Buechele SMU

The team should also be looking to move on from Rex Burkhead. Bringing in a young back to compete with Brandon Bolden and maybe replace both Bolden and Burkhead  would be huge. There are several worthy backs in the draft.

Tra Minter S. Alabama, Art Thompkins UConn, Jason Huntley NM ST, Dre Brown Illinois, Maurice Thomas Miami OH, Gerold Bright Utah ST, AJ Hines Duquesne, Tracy James Abilene Christian, Sewo Olonilua TCU

With both Devlin and Johnson returning from injury and Roberts possibly leaving the team should look to sign a fullback even if they cut him someone like

Nigh Spencer Auburn, Dayton Furuta Hawaii, Kelvin Smith North Tezas

The Patriots had struggles with Separation. Joe Judge could not develop Gunner Olszewski or Phillip Dorsett. Edelman is recovering from some major injuries, Sanu is a question mark and Slater is pondering retirement. The team must bring in one receiver, and should also look to bring in a special teamer. Free agency might be too costly and they may have to turn to the draft.

KJ Hamler Penn St, Denzel Mims Baylor, Quartney Davis Texas A&M, KJ Hill Ohio ST, Joe Reed Virginia, Tyrie Cleveland Florida, Omar Bayless Arkansas ST,  Devin Duvernay Texas, Gabriel Davis UFC, Isaiah Wright Temple, Darrell Mooney Tulane , Marquez Callaway Tennessee, Kendrick Rogers Texas A&M, Van Jefferson Florida, Keith Corbin Houston

Everyone knows by now Gronkowski took to long to decide to retire and with Austin Seferian-jenkins walking away, killed the Patriots. The tight ends were hurt all year and Nick Caleb could not get any production out of his tight ends. The Patriots should keep Izzo for one more year and move on from Lacosse. They will need to bring in two tight ends, and if they cannot get their guy in free agency, any of these guys will do.

Albert Okwuegbunam Missouri, Cheyenne O'Grady Arkansas, Jacob Breeland Oregon, Adam Trautman Dayton, Devin Asiasi UCLA, Matthew Wilkerson Edward Waters, Colby Parkinson Stanford, Harrison Bryant FAU, Giovanni Ricci W. Michigan, Ahmed Wagner Kentucky 

The Patriots dealt with Injuries. Wynn was out most of 2019, Andrews, Cajuste, and  Froholdt missed the season. The Pats are going lose Joe Thuney unless a miracle happens. Marcus Cannon might be on the block to save cap. Belichick should bring in a center in case Andrews isn't ready. The team should resign LaAdrian Waddle and look at these guys in the draft.

G - Netane Muti Fresno ST, C/G - Lloyd Cushenbury III LSU, T/G - Calvin Throckmorton Oregon, T/G - Hakeen Adeniji Kansas, C/G - Cesar Ruiz Michigan , G/C - Jonah Jackson Ohio ST, G/T - Brandon Bowen Ohio St, T- Yasir Durant Missouri , T - Mekhi Becton Louisville, G - Tommy Kraemer ND, G/C - Darryl Williams Mississippi , G - Kohl Levao Hawaii, T - Scott Frantz Kansas ST, T - Terence Steele Texas Tech, G/T - Alex Givens Ole Miss, C - Matt Hennessy Temple

Stephen Gostkowski might not return to form from this hip injury, and Nick Folk was in decline before coming to New England. The Patriots should bring in one of these legs as an contingency plan.

Johnathan Song TCU, Rodrigo Blankenship Georgia, Jake Koehnke Air Force, Sam Sloman Miami OH

Things To Come

Everyone has an opinion on what the Patriots should do around the beginning of 2020. The one thing very few people are talking about is, once the start of the new league year the Patriots will only have approximately 30 million dollars to work with. What that means is the Patriots have less money to play with the people think and we’ll have to do some decision making with the current roster before they can sign or draft anyone. With that being said let me give an opinion on what they will do.

For starters, the quarterback position will be answered. Tom Brady will be offered a contract that doesn’t kill the teams ability to be competitive in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Whether Brady accepts that offer is totally another story. The team must let Kessler, whom they can always resign during the preseason, walk. Belichick must decide Stidham’s future before the draft. If he's not the future, Bill must draft a quarterback. The team will take a quarterback at very least to compete with Stidham.

The Pats will make a decision on Rex Burkhead, and that decision will be to move on from him and open some cap room. They will shop him around and try to get any pick they can for him. Drafting a back to compete with an aging Bolden is a move that just makes too much sense on day three. This could be the spot where Bill finds his undrafted free agent. The team will evaluate Devlin’s health and cut johnson, unless Devlin is not healthy.

The Patriot must get a down field speed receiver. They will upgrade from Dorsett, and get at least a tier two. The team will also need to make a decision on Sanu, and Tom Brady factors in to this. If Brady stays, because he lobbied for Sanu, they will ask Sanu to take a pay cut. If Sanu refuses or If Brady does not resign, Sanu will find a new home in 2020. Sanu won’t take a pay cut and the Patriots will release him. The Patriots will bring in two new receivers and one of them will be from the draft. Troy Brown will be brought in to attempt to revive the teams core.

The Patriots will release Matt LaCosse and sign a veteran tight end, they will also draft a tight end, one of which must be a top tier talent. They will give Ryan Izzo one more year to prove himself. Brady and Izzo will show a connection in camp because the new guys will have to develop chemistry. That will provide Izzo a head start on his competition. Belichick will also reevaluate his position coach, who couldn't get anything out of his tight ends in 2019.

The team will move on from Marcus Cannon and resign LaAdrian Waddle. Belichick will draft a center to Be there incase Andrew’s isn’t ready to go. The team will also sign one more hybrid guard-tackle lineman. 

I will try to continue with the defense in the next few days.

How the Patriots could improve their offensive line in 2020

The Patriots lost David Andrews in 2019 with blood clots. Isaiah Wynn also was out half the year with turf toe. While Ted Karras did okay, Marshall Newhouse was a joke. If the Patriots are going to be successful in 2020 the offensive line must improve. Here's how they could do it.

The Patriots should resign LaAdrian Waddle. Before leaving for Buffalo, he proved to be a valuable depth piece and decent fill in starter for the Patriots at tackle. Signing him would allow for a battle with Cajuste & Cannon, while adding a depth piece who is an upgrade over Newhouse if they need him to come in and play. 

The Patriots should let Thuney walk and resign Karras. Have a battle between Karras and Froholdt for Thuney's vacent spot. Having Karras also allows the Patriots to have an emergency center.

Then resign Ferentz or draft a center to back up Andrews, if not both. There's no guarantee Andrew's is coming back and spending a day three pick on a center to compete with Ferentz for the back up role. Drafting a center who could start will be cheaper and it allows Belichick to find one who is versatile when it comes to other positions on the line. 

One thing is clear both Sony Michel and Tom Brady suffered from the 2019 offensive line. A video blogger I follow was calling for Bill to insure the depth at O-line, and basically said Belichick waiting would haunt the Patriots. He was right, and the Pats cannot afford to make that mistake two years in a row.

How the Patriots can increase cap room

So many of Patriots nation thought the Pats were going into free agency with a lot of cap room. Few of us realized how many valuable Patriots were going free agent. The team is sitting around a projected $43 Million and they have a lot of players to resign and draft picks to pay.  Here is a list of players the Patriots could cut or trade to increase the salary cap room.  Doing so would save the Patriots about $16,635,974 before adjusting for dead cap. 

Corners: Jason Mccourty and D. Ross.

Defensive linemen: D. Wise and B. Cowart.

Backer: D. Rivers

Running Back: R. Burkhead 

Safety: M. Gant

Offensive Lineman: K. Cunningham

Tight End: M. Lacosse

Wide out: G. Olszewski

Quarterback: C. Kessler

The Patriots should also work to ask wide out Sanu to take a $2 Million dollar pay cut.

This won't solve all the salary issues going into 2020 but it will make them manageable. The Patriots are going to lose key free agents and fan favorites. That is inevitable and we as fans must prepare for it, instead of freaking out like we do every year. We must also prepare ourselves that we could see Brady try to break the team to get paid and be allowed to walk. 

Like with Gronk when Belichick signed Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Ben Watson to answer and fill the hole for Gronk, Bill will sign someone to replace Brady but will they stick around and will they contribute.

life after McDaniels

Life after McDaniels 

January 12, 2020

The New England Patriots are at risk of losing Josh McDaniels. The Patriots have a tough decision in front of them, as they will have a few options.

The first option is the simplest but could also hurt the team. As Bill Belichick could assume the offensive coordinator duties. Head coaches do this all the time but few Have as much control on the other side of the ball as Belichick does. 

Another option is they could lure Brady back by making him in charge of offensive play calling and game planning. Brady has always wanted to prove he is better than Manning, This would give Brady some power on the team, and make him almost as responsible for the team's fate as Belichick. 

Promoting from with Donte scarnecchia, Nick Caley, Ivan Fears, Cole Popovich, Mike Lombardi, Camern Bricillo, or long shot Brian Belichick, is a possibility. Promoting from within is a Belichick thing and a part of the Patriots Way but who's ready for those duties?

The Patriots could look at the recent firings on black monday. Jay Gruden, Jason Garrett, Chad O'Shea, Pat Shumer from the NFL trash heap. O'Shea has familiarity with the Patriots system and players. Garret put together some decent offenses from 2008-2010 for the cowboys as OC and is probably the best candidate in the NFL without a job.

Finally, The Patriots could look to the college ranks for an offensive coordinator. Many NFL teams are running college schemes. Bringing in  a coordinator who can pick up the current playbook and evolve it would be beneficial in the future of the Patriots. A college coach could bring in systems like the triple option, two tight end Ace formation, Run and shoot or help perfect the Patriots Air Raid - Spread formations. 

If McDaniels does come back, the Patriots could and should send him to scout college spring ball to reinspire him as he is unimaginative lately.

Don't freak out at the uncertainty of who's going to be calling playsbin 2020, instead relish the possibilities the Patriots could bring to forwishen.

The Patriots must tread carefully this offseason.

The Patriots run the risk of destroying the team both in 2020 and for the future. The Patriots only have around $40 million in cap space and must continue to bring in youth and veterans.

The Patriots must give Brady a contract that keeps him but also doesn't break the bank. The Patriots are gonna have to give a little with Brady via offering a contract length and possibly giving him say over game planning and signings.

Like with Brady the Patriots need to be firm with their other free agents. Van Noy, Collins, McCourty and Thuney have been key players for the Patriots but if the Pats give them top dollar, the mirage the future and the 2020 season. 

Expect to lose several of these big name fan favorites. Bill must also free up some cap room. He can do that via trades, cuts, and restructuring and extensions. 

Belichick can survive with new coaches but when It comes to the roster, this year is like heart surgery. We have seen teams over pay and destroy their franchise. Remember Dan Sndyer's first Redskins team? We have been fortunate enough to live in the Belichick era. Trust Bill and trust his system. 

Worrying about this offseason will give people anxiety, high blood pressure, and heart problems. Tune away from the talking heads and maybe watch some hockey or basketball until the draft. There's no use getting worked up over things out of our control.

Patriots are in complete rebuilding stage of their coaches

The Patriots lost Bill O'Brien in 2014 but replaced him with Josh McDaniels. The Patriots lost Matt Patricia in 2018 to the Detriot Lions. In 2019 they lost Brian Flores, Chad O'Shea and Jerry Schuplinski.  Going into 2020 so far the Patriots have lost Joe Judge. Nick Cesario and Josh McDaniels leaving are still possibilities.

Judge is looking to build his staff and is reportedly looking to raid the Patriots staff, and is Interested in Bret Bielema the Patriots defensive line coach and former Arkansas head coach. As Joe Judge builds his team it is reasonable to believe he may go after a few more of the Patriots coaching staff. 

When Josh McDaniels was going to leave for the colts Judge and several other Patriots were going to go with him. If McDaniels leaves who will jump ship? The Patriots had hired Greg Schiano to be their DC in 2019 but he quit. With all the Patriots free agents Belichick will be stretched thin trying to rebuild his coaching staff.

The Patriots Have Too Many Running Backs.

Going into the 2020 offseason the Patriots have $43 million in cap space which sounds like a lot until you factor in the team has big names to sign. The Patriots are gonna need to free up some money and The Patriots have too many backs in the stable.

Sony Michel first round draft pick is coming off two back to back 900 yard seasons and is safe. Michel is not working out in the Passing game as hoped but has become a do everything back for the Pats.

James White is another do everything player for the Patriots. The superbowl hero vs Atlanta, White runs and catches, He was Brady's number two pass catcher in 2019 and is to Pats nation what Kevin Faulk once was. White is safe. As he is Brady's security blanket.

Brandon  Bolden  was brought back in 2019 to help with the special teams. Bolden can block, catch, return, and run. He is a jackknife. He's not elite in any area but as a package he is valuable.

Rex Burkhead worked out with the Punt returning unit but that duty has been locked up. Burkhead is a shifty back who can be a power back at times. He has great hands and can line up in the slot. The problem with Burkhead is he cannot stay healthy which makes him a liability.

Damien Harris was a 3rd round pick who was red shirted his rookie year. Harris can catch but it is unknown how well he will produce in the NFL as a pass catcher. He is a north and south runner who can be used as a work horse power back to give Michel breathers. A Harris-Michel 1,2 punch could be a nasty running game. Harris has the potential to make both Bolden and Burkhead expendable but that depends on how much time he spend with the special teams and receivers coach.

James Devlin is coming off a neck injury and nobody knows if he'll be at full strength in 2020. The Patriots running game suffered all year due to his loss.

Johnson took a minute to develop but started looking good before he got injured and Could turn it into a competition for the fullback position.

Roberts came in and was a valuable fullback going down the stretch. No reason to think the Patriots won't find a way to use him in packages if they resign him. His versatile make him a dangerous weapon and he showed he can also be used in the passing game. 

The Patriots have too many horses and someone has to go. Don't be surprised to see Burkhead, Bolden, and Johnson released with the plans of bringing some of them back for less in 2020. This is a problem many teams would love to have and just one more issue on Belichick's plate.

Ranking the NCAA QBs after the 2019 season, Pre decloration.

I have little Idea at the moment who is making themselves eligible for the 2020 NFL draft. I did a top 25 non offensive line , offense ranking on who I thought would be good fits in New England. After the season I compiled a list of Quarterbacks and took the few remaining from my pre 2019 season list and compiled and ranked 40 quarterbacks who I think will be good. Since I am a Patriots fan I rated where I thought Jarrett Stidham would be. Stidham on my list coming out of college would be 21.5 out of 40. Perry from Navy is too talented to leave off this list, and earned it more for his legs, than Arm.

Some of My Criteria is 2 years of starting or a previous year with near 200 attempts. Quarterbacks had to have a decent competition percentage in 2019, with exception to like 3 players who were added after the list was compiled because they were on my pre 2019 top 25. Remember stats don't tell everything, so my list might not be statistically the way others rank their boards. I like to think my ranking is more analytical. There are people on the list that are or will be considered busts. For me Joe Burrow had a good 2019 but looks like a future bust.

1) J. Hurts OLK
2) J. Burrow LSU
3) T. Tagovailoa ALA
4) T. Huntley Utah
5) J. Herbert Oregon
6) C. Brewer Baylor
7) I. Book ND
8) S. Ehlinger TEX
9) B. Perkins VIR
10) B. White MEM
11) C. McDonald HAW
12) B. Purdy ISU
13) Z. Thomas APP
14) J. Luton ORST
15) M. Perry Navy
16) C. Garbers CAL
17) C. Robertson FAU
18) S. Buechele SMU
19) J. Fromm UGA
20) M. Fine UNT
21) D. Ellington GAST
22) J. Love SJSU
23) K. Bryant MIZ
24) J. Eason WAS
25) J. Smith LAT
26) K.J. Costello Stan
27) C. Evan's ULM
28) P. Ramsey IND
29) T. Storey WKU
30) N. Stanley IOWA
31) K. Mond TA&M
32) S. Montez COLO
33) K. Tate ARIZ
34) J. Abraham S.MISS
35) J. Blackmon FSU
36) F. Franks FLO
37) R. Agnew SDSU
38) J. Love USU
39) K. Pickett Pitt
40) J. Adkins MNSU

The good thing about my list is for every player that stays in college or doesn't go to the NFL, Everyone else moves up by one on my board. Feel free to let me know who's staying in college in the comments.

Phillip Dorsett is a Danny Amendola - Chris Hogan Hybrid.

People want 36 year old Danny Amendola back in New England. Amendola in 2019 caught 62 for 678 yards and 1 TD. 

Phillip Dorsett missed the game vs Dallas, Versus KC he had 2 targets, one a PI not called and was not thrown to weeks 14 & 15. Dorsett in 12 games caught 29 balls for 397 yards and 5 touchdowns. 

If he didn't get hurt vs Philly, and was used vs KC, Mia, & Cin it's reasonable to expect he catches 10 balls for 150 yards and minimum 1 Touchdown. Which would've gave him 39 catches 547 yards and 6 TDs. Dorsett has issues getting separation but stat wise is putting up the same numbers with fewer catches if you go by his average this season. Dorsett also scored 5 touchdowns in 2019 to Amendola's 1. Also, how much of Dorsett's separation issue is play calling?

Dorsett will also will bring in a cheaper price tag. Phillip Dorsett came alive in the playoffs in 2018-2019 season. With the bye one must believe he would've been game planned to do the same during the 2019-2020 season. 

Don't forget Amendola had two bad years in 2014 & 2016 for the Pats, catching under 300 yards and looking like a bust. This was Dorsett's breakout year. If resigned,  no reason to think he won't get minimum 500 plus yards and 6 touch downs in 2020.

People will say that Amendola was good for third and short but Dorsett isn't being used that way. Look at the routes they give him. It's harder to hit him on a quick pass like dola if he's running 8-15 yard routes instead of 3-5 yard drag, flat and out routes. Dorsett should be catching bubble screens on third and short, not running deep slants and posts. Play calling has hurt Dorsett in this offense.

Brady's Pass Catchers

Tom Brady threw for 4000 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2019. And from watching Tom Brady play, yes I do believe he slipped a little bit at age 42. However, not in the way many are saying. Tom Brady is not falling off a cliff.

If you look at the tier pass catching talent Tom has had, it's no wonder why the offense looks so bleak.

Tier 1:

Antonio Brown (Played like a 2)

Tier 2: Josh Gordon (played like a 3), Julian Edelman, Muhammad Sonu ( Played like a 4), N'Keal Harry (Played like a rookie), D. Thomas

Tier 3: Phillip Dorsett, James White

Tier 4: Jakobi Meyers, Rex Burkhead

Tier 5:  Sony Michel, Damien Harris, Brandon Bolden, Elandon Roberts, Jacob Johnson, James Devlin, Matt Lacosse, Ben Watson, Ryan Izzo, Gunner O., Matthew Slater and anyone I forgot. 

Add to this The offensive line injury, lack of running game, and the predictable and conservative play call of Josh McDaniels. Brady had to Check out way to much.  

There's a saying, "The best offense is a good defense". The Patriots Defense had to put way too many points on the board in 2019. The good news is the Patriots have money to play with in 2019, and better draft stock due to an early playoff exit. The Worry is reports are saying Brady is no longer willing to take a pay cut. 

I do think the league has caught up to Josh McDaniels, I also think he has peaked in his career. So what do the Patriots do, Let an OC go or stick with someone the everyone knows what's coming?

Dynasty Not Over

All over the internet people in Patriots Nation are saying the Dynasty is over. The fairytale is dead. It's bad enough we have to hear it from talking heads and haters, but from the family? Come on.

The Patriots are a machine. By failing to reach the Championship game, the check engine lights just came on. The Patriots won the division so there's no need to panic because we missed our second superbowl in six years. 

Like I said the patriots are a machine. Now it's time for Belichick to take the machine apart, look for the bad and worn out parts and order replacements so he can have it put back together come September. 

Someone on instagram said "Bill lost to Miami on purpose." I didn't believe it. Then the Patriots lose to Tennessee and I catch Master at Work's video on youtube, where he says "The Patriots offense wasn't built to win a ring." I respect his opinion and it got me thinking.

The Patriots offense was horrible this season, especially the first eight games when they were undefeated. I thought of what the Instagram viewer said. I then thought about the fact that during the 2019 offseason, people were saying the 2020 draft is going to be quarterback friendly.

Now I'm not saying Belichick is going to draft a quarterback in the first round, but he is going to have a couple of third round picks.  if Bill Belichick decides trade up the number 23 pick going to net him a better draft pick then a 31st or 32nd draft pick.

There's no reason to think Bill couldn't get a top 10 pick or trade down with one of the playoff finalists and end up with a late first and late second. Honestly, finishing where the Patriots did, if it was planned, expect the Patriots to move into the top 10 for a player. Bill is a football guru. Hopefully, He doesn't move on from Brady.

Remember the Patriots have key players on injury reserve. Don't write them off yet. The team has some free agents to resign and a bit of money to play with to sign new players. This off season, we will find out who's in it for money and who wants to win a ring. In Bill We Trust.

Patriots Offseason Moves

First, let me start by saying I am just a fan and not a professional analyst. Take this with a grain of salt, after the Patriots playoff loss.

Looking at The Patriots Tom Brady must be resigned. He is one of many free agents the Patriots must lock up. The fact he has never been money hungry should hold well for the Pats. 

Jason Stidham, nobody truly knows what we have in the young rookie who will be going into his second season. The Patriots must draft a quarterback to either compete with him or to replace Brady. Brady is on a short clock and the team must be smart at quarterback.

The Patriots carried five running backs in 2019. The team must eliminate one. I believe it's time to move on from Burkhead, I also believe the Patriots lost their window to trade him. Bolden can do it all and The Patriots should look into bringing on a back who can be an improvement  and compete with him.

Dorsett has shown what he has. He is nothing more than a number three at best. Matthew slater is getting old and only plays special teams. Gunner didn't show anything special. It's time to Bring in AJ. Green and then someone who can catch and replace both Gunner and slater on special teams. 

The Patriots need an experienced pass catcher who can block at tight end. Journeyman Eric Ebron could fill that role. The team then needs to draft someone to replace Lacosse unless Gronk decides to return. I wouldn't count on that. Ryan Izzo hopefully can build on his 2019 season.

The Patriots must resign Joe Thuney and then resign Ted Karras. The team should look at resigning Waddle. Cajuste and froholdt will be back from injured reserve.

Adam Butler and Danny Sheldon need to be resigned and the Patriots need to sign Arik Armstead. 

Patriots need to resign linebackers Collins, Roberts, and Van Noy. The linebacking core is solid. The team then needs to replace Calhoun and Wise. 

The Patriots must resign D-mac, Ebner, and Bethel. The Patriots could bolster their secondary even more by signing Clinton-Dix, and resigning Aqib Talib. 

The Patriots need to resign Folk or Draft a kicker to compete with Gostkowski. In case he doesn't come back healthy.

If McDaniels stays, he needs to be the Offensive coordinator only. Bring in someone like Jason Garrett for a year to further help Lombardi get prepared for the position by 2021. The Tight ends have seen a decline the past three or four years. Replace Nick Calcy. Make Judge Joe special teams only. Bring in Troy Brown or Chad O'Shea to coach the receivers. Promote Steve Belichick to defensive coordinator and bring in an assistant DB coaches, and an assistant for Bielema. 

The Patriots were one and done in the playoffs. This is a sign that they need to get to work. They dynasty isn't over but won't stick around if they continue to be passive. The Patriots need to get hungry. Change needs to come, regardless if it's popular at the moment. Bill has created a way, a system in New England. It's time we returned to the Belichick way. No more boogieman talk. No more media conversations. Just Bill saying very little and a closed locker room. Back to the corporate mentality of this isn't a game it's business. Have fun by winning rings.