Vicariously Patriots: March 2020

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Next Man Up Or Tank

At the beginning of the 2018 season, Thomas Edward Brady was the reigning NFL mvp and one of, if not the top quarterback in the league. Check out what was being said at the time about Jarret Stidham.

After both the 2018 and 2019 Seasons the media along with fans across the league were saying Brady was in decline. Patriots Nation was quick to come to Brady's defense. "He had no weapons". "Gronk was a shell of himself". "There were injuries". "Gronk retired". "He had no offensive line, no blocking". We defended, and still defend Tom Brady's play the last two seasons.

So what was said about our 4th round pick Jarrett Stidham after the 2018 college season?

"Victimized by Horrific offensive line and dysfunctional passing game"... Sound familiar? Yet what are we hearing from #Patsnation? "Bill didn't have a succession plan". "Bill needs to tank for Trevor". "Stidham is a bum".

If Stidham is a bum and none of what happened in Auburn during the 2018 season was to blame for his decline, then during 2017 and 2018 we watched Tom Brady slide down the edge of the cliff that Max Kellerman said he was going to fall off of. Maybe just maybe it was a little of both. We cannot say one player is a victim of circumstance and say others cannot be. We'll find out when the season kicks off but stop writing off Stidham before he has had a chance to prove himself. Oh, and one more thing...

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Junking In Free Agency

The New England Patriots don't have a lot of cap room and have a lot of holes. While Belichick will most likely fill them via the draft, Bill has options. Bill has a history of reviving careers of those who started to flutter, to extend careers of those at the end, and to take garbage and recycle it into treasure. So who is available for the signing?

If the Patriots wanted to carry five Backs in 2020, These three could make Rex Burkhead expendable. Foster and Prosise have decent hands and Abdullah could be used pretty much anywhere. Patriots Nation should remember Foster.

RB DJ Foster

RB Ameee Abdullah

RB CJ Prosise

The Patriots still could use one good receiver to add to the core. Carr, Matthews, and Coleman have history in New England but never got to show what they could bring. Hardy is a good back up slot.

WR David Funchess

WR Tavon Austin

WR Justin Hardy

WR Austin Carr

WR Jordan Matthews

WR Corey Coleman

The Patriots need a good blocking tight end and veteran experience at the position, if they're gonna draft young tight ends. Walford is a blocking tight end like former tight end Allen. O'Leary can kinda do it all. Thomas was converted from quarterback and can see the field differently as a route runner.

TE Logan Thomas

TE Clive Walford

TE Nick O'Leary

The Patriots need offensive line help if Bill truly had two bum mid round rookies sitting on injured reserve, while losing Karras. Robinson never really got used right. Waddle is a true swing tackle and capable starter.

T Greg Robinson

T LaAdrian Waddle

G Michael Schofield

The Patriots have a hole in their offensive line Sheard can play the edge, and did decent the last time he was on the Patriots. Poe and Martin could be used inside if the Patriots revert to a 4-3.

DE Noah Spence

DE Jabaal Sheard

DT Dontari Poe

DT Jarran Reed

EDGE Kareem Martin

Clay Matthew's is getting up there but could provide that Leadership that was lost with Van Noy. The loss of Collins and Roberts, the Patriots need some athletic and hard hitting linebackers. Bucannon should help in pass coverage situations. Plus we all know Bill loves former Bills, and Preston Brown could be the next Buffalo reject to make the roster.

LB Mychal Kendricks

LB Markus Golden

LB Clay Matthews

LB Alec Olgatree

LB Darron Lee

LB Reggie Ragland

LB Kamalei Correa

LB Stephone Anthony

LB Deone Bucannon

LB Mantin Te'o

LB Preston Brown

The Patriots safeties are getting old and experience always helps. Talib can still be very useful, and Cyrus deserves another stint in foxboro. Eric Reid could be an All pro for the Patriots and I've always wanted to see Prince on the Patriots.

DB James Bradberry

S Eric Reid

CB Aqub Talib

CB Prince Amukamara

CB Ronald Darby

CB Jason Verrett

CB Daryl Worley

CB PJ Williams

CB Cyrus Jones

CB Dontae Johnson

CB Brandon Williams

The Patriots don't have to offer good contracts to all these players. Many will be out of their price range. It's not that there isn't talent left in free agency, it's does Bill have the confidence and money to gamble.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Don't Write Off Stidham Yet

Jarrett Stidham the Patriots 4th round pick of the 2019 draft is being considered a bum. He is being written off. He has never had any real game time in a Patriots uniform except during the 2019 preseason where his pass catchers were dropping touchdowns. People forget that going into the 2018 draft Stidham was looked at as a first-round pick and possibly the sixth player off the board.

From 1979-1982 Joe Montana was 18-15 as a starter. He threw 52 TDs and 32 INTs over that span. Although he won a superbowl in 81, his stats don't scream elite during his first 4 years. Montana was the 82nd pick of the draft. He was considered the Goat of his era. Tom Brady was the 199th pick, and is now considered the Goat.

JaMarcus Russell, Tim Couch, David Carr, Sam Bradford, Jamis Winston, Jeff George, were all the first pick of their draft, thought to be the next elite quarterback. While Winston has a chance to turn things around, none of them have shown they were or are elite.

Everyone is now hyping Trevor Lawrence and saying the Patriots should tank to get him. The Colts did that to get Andrew Luck few years back, and he only played six years. It's not smart football, and it's very risky.

Rich Gannon, Joe Thiessman, Dak Prescott, like Jarrett Stidham were all drafted in the 4th round. Don't knock Stidham before he has had the opportunity to show his ability. He could be a nobody but he also could be a future Hall of Famer.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Patriots Resign Hoyer

The final days of August 2019, The Patriots had Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer, and Jarrett Stidham. Then the Patriots cut Brian Hoyer on the last day of the month. Regardless if it was because he lost the spot or the team needed to make room and was planning to resign him, he was cut.

Hoyer will be 35 in October, he is no rookie. The Patriots former back up spent 2019 on the colts behind Brissett. Hoyer is a very intelligent game manager. There are rumors that Hoyer turned down offers, just to play for the Patriots. Hoyer signed a one year - one million dollar contract with Incentives.

According to Ion Rapaport in March 22, Joe Litna agent of Hoyer said "They gave him what he asked for a chance to start and Hoyer would've turned down more lucrative offers." That doesn't mean Hoyer is being handed the starting job but it does mean that Stidham and Kessler will have to earn it.

As a starter Hoyer is 16-22. He has a career completion percentage of 59.1 . He's thrown for 10,274 with 53 touchdown and 32 Interceptions. Considering most of his back up time has been handing it off, that's not bad for 38 starts.

Hoyer is being brought in for two reasons. One, he is an experienced veteran that won't make a lot of mistakes. If Belichick wants to rely on his defense and have the offense do just enough to get bye, Hoyer is the perfect guy to bring in.

The second reason Hoyer was brought in was to mentor. Whether it's Stidham or a new rookie, Hoyer has been around enough systems and coaching staffs to learn a thing or two. His experience can help groom a quarterback to be the next starter of Patriots. Only being a one year, this is the safest bet. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if Hoyer ends up a quarterback coach and a future offensive coordinator for some team, someday.

Whatever Hoyer was brought in for, don't be surprised to see a different team in 2020. Stidham has to still be the odds on favorite to start in 2020. The Patriots don't have to worry about protecting a 43 year old quarterback anymore. This allows for more creativity in the offense, and It will be interesting to see how the competition turns out between Brady's three former backups.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1241828209714442240?s=19

Friday, March 20, 2020

Reevaluating The Patriots 2020 Team Needs

The Patriots have lost some key free agents. Most Notably Tom Brady and three of their top four linebackers. The Patriots got a depth piece for the defensive line, and special teamers who can play Safety and receiver. So what are the Patriots needs?

The Patriots have their entire starting offensive line returning. They also have depth pieces Cajuste and Froholdt returning from injury. With the loss of Karras and the possibility of Andrews starting on the pup, the team should draft a center.

While Izzo started to look like he was developing okay for being thrust into a large role, none of the three tight ends played well. Watson retired after being a shell of what his expectations were. It's doubtful the Patriots are going to sign a free agent, so the Patriots need to add two via the draft starting no later than round three.

The Patriots lost both Gordon and AB. Even if the team resigns Dorsett, they need at least one more receiver. Byrd is a special teamer and thus. Getting someone who can play both flanker and X receiver from the draft is a must.

The Patriots had one of the Best linebacking cores but the team lost three. Hightower is a star, Bentley can hold his own but the Patriots still need to acquire three linebackers, unless they plan on running a Big Dime or Nickle base. With their Salary cap, it makes sense for them to get them via the draft. Malik Harrison and Justin Strnad are just two possibilities in the draft.

The Patriots are thin at Defensive line as well. Mainly the Interior of the line. Danny Shelton played like a the player he was drafted to be. There are not a lot of good players available. While cuts are still to come in free agency, the Patriots should move to get three hybrid linemen in the draft.

Tom Brady is gone. The Patriots have Kessler and Stidham are on the roster still and Belichick is reportedly high on both. With the current cap, the Patriots dont have money to really sign or trade for a veteran. The Patriots could go after Jalen Hurts, Tao Tagovailoa. Jordan Love, or Tyler Huntley. If the Patriots are good with the two quarterbacks they have, bringing in one to compete with both Stidham and Kessler for the starting and back up role would be beneficial.

Lastly the Patriots have Gostkowski returning from Injury. Gostkowski wasn't looking good before injury. Folk may be too expensive. The Patriots should consider spending a 7th round on Blankenship or Song.

The Patriots are retooling and there is no reason that if they make the right moves, that they cannot go deep in the playoffs. If the Patriots make bad acquisitions, then next year the team will be in full rebuild mode.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Patriots Nation is going to the Extreme Negative. What's the Extreme positive?

Patriots Nation has lost all hope. There are those that think the team needs to tank because the team will not be any good. That way the team can get Lawrence. However if you listen to them, the team won't need to tank, because even with the defense, the team will not win 3 games. It's retarded. So Let's be Homer's for a second and look at the best case since everyone is going worst case.

First, Let's start with Stidham. He was selected in the 4th round, and had a connection with Meyers last preseason. During his rookie year, he got to practice with the first string and compete against the boogiemen. Now let's say that NFL scouts were right in 2017-2018 for the 2018 draft, that Stidham was a first round talent, who sat behind Brady and learned from him.

Sony Michel returns to form after a year where he lost his blockers due to injury. Where he couldn't run to the left side of the line for half the year, and although he had run stolen from penalties, still rushed for near the same amount of yards as his rookie season, in more carries. Then Harris who was a steal in the 3rd round because people thought he was a top 64 pick, plays like a top 64 pick. That one two punch with Bolden, and either White or Burkhead.

Devlin returns from injury health and both Johnson and Devlin improve at fullback from competition.

Meyers and Stidham continue to have their connection. Edelman and sanu return healthy. Harry comes out playing like a first rounder, and all 4 due to the amount of time Stidham had in practice with the first string have a connection with him and use it to get open.

Izzo picks up with his development before the concussion and mentors the rookies the Patriots bring in. Stidham's mobility improves the play of Lacosse and Izzo, just like Wilson did with Hollister.

The Patriots have an entire starting line returning healthy. Froholdt and Cajuste play like the steals people thought they were. And the Patriots pick up a back up center who can hold his own if need be.

Stephen Gostkowski returns to form with a cleared head and chip on his shoulder after not only a year off but a camp battle.

Bailey continues to dominate as a punter.

The secondary stays at the top of their game. And Winovich and Hightower lead the new Front 7 to the same success it had in 2019.

If all this happens, which is a possibility that Patriots nation isn't talking about; the Patriots could find themselves back in the AFC championship game come January.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Today Is A New Day

Tom Brady is gone. He left behind not only huge shoes to fill but the most important starting quarterback job in the NFL. I had been saying for years, no need to panic until the Patriots failed to make the AFC championship game. Even after they lossed to the Titans, I had hope. They just had to fix their holes. But then the Hoodie lost his "Mr. Data". But Belichick can still save the ship, he just has to use this time at dry dock and repair the holes and man the battle stations.

I like most fans want Stidham to succeed. Not because we like him but because we want Belichick to once again prove the NFL is stupid devaluing a quarterback, one they once thought was gold. Because we want to show that Brady can still teach a quarterback how to be great, and add to his legacy of starters in his shadow. Plus, we don't want to see the end of the Patriots dominance, we don't want to see them lose. Patsnation, we're on to 2020. We're on to war. Today Is A New Day, LFG!

Goodbye Tom

The Superbowl between the Patriots and the Bears, I don't remember a lot of. I was like 5. The Patriots played bad, I remember Grogan getting sacked, the team playing bad. The Bears running up the score and a lot of people seemed to have a lot of Bears gear for non bears fans.

I thought football on TV was boring. Always the same teams. Houston, Buffalo, Miami, NYG, Detriot, SF, and later the Cowboys. My father was a Niners & Oilers fan. I lived in western New York, I didn't see much of the Patriots unless they were playing Buffalo. In 1990 while everyone was jumping on the Bills, I thought The Patriots had a cool helmet. They sucked but were red white & Blue, and I found them, Along with 5 other teams. Football cards taught me some of the players.

Thankfully, tecmo superbowl in 1991 made me like football. While I always wanted the raiders or 49ers due to game design. But I had to play with The Patriots more than once due to house rules. The team had no offense but the defense saved me more than once. The team still was barely on tv.

By 1993, I had narrowed it down to two teams. The Patriots with their cool new blue jerseys, crappy silver helmet and side view of Patriot Pat. I liked Drew and was excited The former Giants Coach was taking over. The other team I liked was the Bears. The monsters of the Midway. Led by Jim Harbaugh and followed by Steve Walsh.

In 1994 Bledsoe threw for 70 Passss and I thought that was amazing. He was going to be better than Marino. The Bears choose Kramer over Walsh by the end of the 94 season and they were no longer the Monsters of the Midway. I was down to one team. Although I was hoping for a superbowl rematch.

Years go bye and Bledsoe get Hurt and loses his job to some nobody who is just having a hot flash. AFC championship comes and Bledsoe comes in and throws a TD. Yes, Bledsoe is back and will do what he should've done vs Greenbay. That young punk comes out in the second half, then goes on to lead a great drive in the superbowl victory.

Since then, life gets stressful and it's Tom Brady on sunday to the rescue. I forgave him for stealing Bledsoe's job. Any time the Patriots had the Ball with a minute left, hell 40 seconds, I thought Brady was gonna get the Win. Tom was that freaking good. They say over the Past two years Tom was in decline. Only at not making depth talent stars.

Brady is now a Buccaneer. There is enough breadcrumbs left in 2019 that I cannot be mad at Belichick or the Patriots. See my article "Now under center, the next man up" for details. I respect the GOAT. He can win another Conference championship but I cannot wish him another superbowl. I have now seen the end of three Era's in New England. While I wanted Hurts to be the Heir, I now hope this is the Stidham Era. Good Luck Tom and thank you. Thank you for the memories, and thank you for making my adult life that much easier.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Did Lightning Strike Twice

Did the Patriots strike lightning twice with the 133rd pick of the 2019 NFL draft? Stidham went in the fourth round but if he had not returned for the 2018 college season, would he of been a first round quarterback? Stidham also got the advantage of not only learning from Tom Brady but getting to practice with the first string offense. But going back to 2018, what did the analysts have to say?

“I think Stidham, when he was at Baylor and then Auburn, it showed that he could — at one point, I thought he could be a first- or second-round pick, so he’s got talent,” Kiper said. “I don’t think he gets out of the third round. It wouldn’t shock me if he went mid-to-late second, so he’s going to be up there.”

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/auburn-football/jarrett-stidham-mel-kiper-nfl-draft-2019/

CBS Sports had Stidham being the sixth overall pick of 2018. Sixth, that's huge. https://www.theplainsman.com/article/2018/05/stidham-projected-as-early-draft-pick-in-early-mock-draft

"In 2017, Stidham looked like a lock to be a first-round quarterback."

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2823983-jarrett-stidham-nfl-draft-2019-scouting-report-for-new-england-patriots-pick

"As we’ve reached Draft Day, it’s time to take a look at maybe the best possibility for Auburn to get a first-round pick. Now, he’s not projected there, but somebody could decide they need a quarterback, and the guy with all the arm talent in the world may just fall into someone’s lap." Brian Spurlock https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/4/25/18515799/jarrett-stidham-draft-profile

“He went from being in that first-round discussion — and all that stuff is so early — but he had that potential. And he still has that potential,” Russell Brown, a national scout for cover1.net

https://heavy.com/sports/2019/01/jarrett-stidham-nfl-draft-projection-stock-update-auburn/

"I stamped Stidham as a potential first-round pick entering the season, but the strong-armed passer suffered through an error-prone 2018 campaign." Tony Pauline

https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/pauline-noah-fant-makes-his-case-to-be-the-first-tight-end-drafted

In 2017 Stidham completed 66.5% of his 370 passes. He threw for 3158 yards averaging 8.8 yards per completion. He threw for 18 touchdowns and 6 Interceptions with a 151 rating. Stidham looked like a star.

So what happened in 2018 that made Jarrett Stidham appear to regress? The Answer is Auburn decided to run an offense set more for the likes of Lamar Jackson or Kyle Murray. While Stidham has some mobility, he is not Doug Flutie. Stidham did what was asked of him and got the advantage of learning a new style offense.

In 2018 he completed 60.7 of his 369 passes. He threw for 2794 yards but only 7.6 per reception. Throwing for another 18 Touchdowns with 5 interceptions and a rating of 137.7, a slight decline from 2017. Stidham had 72 runs for 1 yard, which is bad because he had averaged 1.5 yards per carry and 4 touchdowns the previous year.

When asked about Stidham's 2018 regression, a scout for a NFC team said this: "That was a really dysfunctional offense this year. The offensive line was bad, the receivers couldn't get open and the coaching was a big problem, I thought. He didn't play well, but he didn't get much help either." https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jarrett-stidham?id=32195354-4912-9837-7193-9c8d8376b821

As members of Patriots Nation, we know the benefits Stidham had of sitting behind and studying Tom Brady. We know the benefits he had of practicing with the first string. We also know he developed chemistry with Meyers. What we don't know is did he develop chemistry with the first string. We don't know if his 2018 college season was his fault, and we don't know if a first round quarterback was selected with the 133rd pick of the 2019 NFL draft. Tom Brady is gone, are we sure we want to write off Stidham as the heir to the throne?

Now Under Center, The Next Man Up

Since I became a Patriots fan. There have been several player departures that have upset the our nation. After the 1990 Season Steve Grogan Retired. Feburary 2000, the Patriots release Ben Coates. Patriots Trade Bledsoe 2002 to Buffalo. Patriots Cut Milloy 2003 who joins Bledsoe. Patriots trade Moss 2010. Patriots let Welker go 2013. Patriots Let Butler Go 2018. Gronkowski retires early in 2019. Now the Patriots Lose Brady 2020. I could've gone on with this list.

None of us know anything that was going on in the organization, the locker, the practice field or in the minds of Belichick, Kraft, or The players. The players and staff know some of it, but not everything. Even Edelman, Tom Brady's best friend thought Tom was coming home for 2020. Was Tom saying called it or F*** that, at the game after Edelman said he was "coming back"? We don't know.

Tom was clearly unhappy in 2019. He made it known. Tom was hit more than in recent memory. He had to watch Stidham practice with the first string. Stidham received praise for how good he looked. Did Tom think they played better in practice for Stidham, than on Sunday for him? We don't know. Did Belichick truly not negotiate with Brady? Did Brady just decide he wasn't going to resign with the Pats? Again, we dont know or at least we didn't know until Tuesday morning. This is the Patriots, we only know what they want us to know.

ESPN's Field Yates Tweeted "Brady turned down extension" in the summer of 2019, rumored to be a non guaranteed- 2 year $50 Million deal. Tom Curren of NBC is also reporting that "Brady was going to walk out of camp" late last summer. Brady got his raise with a no tag claus. Brady also sold his home and stepped down from The Best Buddies charity during the 2019 season.

My coworker brought something up in the we hours of tuesday morning. "Belichick had until 359pm Tuesday, to reach out to Brady. Brady went to Kraft Monday night & said he wasn't coming back. Belichick had made some moves & Brady could've been on the moves for Tuesday. Why didn't Brady wait until 4pm, did he Want to go?" I couldn't answer but I didn't know about the reports of Brady turning down a contract extension or wanting to walk out.

Also, Brady supposedly didn't know where he was going but knew he wasn't resigning with the Pats Monday night? Don't buy that. On top of that, Matt Miller write an article saying Brady got his revenge on Bill Belichick for wanting to move on in 2017 from the legend. Miller released that article Thursday night or Friday morning, after Brady made it official with Tampa.

While everyone is trashing Belichick, there is reasonable doubt. There is enough to speculate that this may have been premeditated on the part of Brady. Like Ray over at DPN Sports Talk on sportscastr says "Where there's smoke, there's fire" , and there's plenty of smoke coming from Tom Brady. There is no way Tom Brady is innocent in this not resigning thing. There were Patriots' fans who doubted Tom's innocence during deflate gate who now think he's a saint over this, He's not.

Remember Belichick got Tom Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski, Shane Vereen, Kevin Faulk, James white, Reggje Wayne, Julian Edelman, Malcolm Mitchell, Kelen Winslow Jr, Marty Bennett, ASJ, Ben Watson twice, Eric Decker, Josh Gordon, AB, DT, Rex Burkhead, Chris Hogan, Philip Dorsett, Brandon Cooks. He also made bids on players who got resigned by their teams or chose to play elsewhere because of Brady's age. Take Cole Beasley and Adam Humphries for two examples. So it wasn't like Belichick didn't get him weapons.

As Patriot nation, all we can do is support the next man up. We have had a hell of a run. The Brady era is over. Could we get lucky and have a Montana-Young, Farve-Rodgers, or even Bledsoe-Brady transition, where even if the team is not winning rings they're in the playoffs almost yearly? Just because the Patriots are starting a new era doesn't mean their dominance is over.

Https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1236792014081011713?s=19

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/patriots/why-did-tom-brady-walk-away-patriots-bill-belichick-after-20-years

Friday, March 13, 2020

My 140 man Patriots 2020 NFL Draft Big Board

The Patriots have a lot of needs and even more uncertainty as the off season grows near. Tom Brady is gone, McCourty and Slater resigned. Gostkowski was cut.The Patriots been signing special teamers but all three phases of the game are at risk. There is plenty of depth but the team needs starters. The Patriots could go after big names or the players considered the the top athletes in this draft or coronavirus willing, they could go after the best fits in the draft based on team needs.

I have heard people wanting top tier talent. People also want legacy players such as Jacob Eason or Thaddeus Moss. While Tony Eason and Randy Moss had their moment in the sun, are their kids on the same level? One thing is for certain, Bill Belichick is going to do him. That means nobody knows anything until it happens and then even that's not a guarantee.

The Patriots have no tight end core. Hightower is the only star linebacker. The defensive backfield is old. The middle of the defensive line is open. The offensive line needs depth to compete with Cajuste and Froholdt. The Patriots need a deep ball receiver, and nobody is kicking threes.

With that said, Here is my Patriots big board for the best fits in the 2020 draft and the draft network link. Yes, I finally ranked all 140 players. There are a lot of names people are going to be looking for, that you won't find. There were maybe 5 players not available on the site, That I wanted to add. If you want to know who they are, go back and read my earlier two blogs where I talked about 2020 offensive, defensive, and special team Prospects.

I started with Draft Network's ranking and then moved guys down if they were higher than the guy a head of them on my list. There were some last minute additions and thus they're much lower than on normal lists.Grade my board and give me some feedback, please.

To Start, here are where I ranked the Top position players on the Board:

1) Ross Blacklock IDL from TCU

2) KJ Hamler WR from Penn St

4) Malik Harrison LB from Ohio St

6) Jalen Hurts QB from OKU

8) Darrell Taylor Edge from Tennessee

9) Natane Muti IOL from Fresno St

18) Julian Blackmon S from Utah

21) Lamar Jackson CB from Nebraska

22) Albert okwuegbunam TE from Missouri

44) Calvin Throckmorton OT from Oregon

103) Jonathan Song K from TCU