Respect The Quarterback Play

What is an average quarterback? For many it's cracking the top 16. That's not an accurate assessment. Because it puts way too many quarterbacks as below average or bad. When looking at the scale, it should look like this.

13 to 20 are average range. Since there are 32 quarterbacks, 16 and 17 are the most averaged ranked quarterbacks in the NFL. This tier should have the most quarterbacks in it. These guys at the very least should be able to manage a game. While the group below them needs a supporting cast, this group is a little more capable.

From 21 to 26 are below average quarterbacks. These guys need a supporting cast and are the but can still manage a game. These are typically the bridge quarterbacks. Although teams would prefer to get their bridge from the a tier higher.

From 27 to 32, these are guys that are bad. Typically they are either in development or should be backups. There maybe the guy who has fallen victim to circumstances here but for the most part, if your quarterback is here, it's most likely time to start shopping for either a quarterback or a lot of supporting offensive talent.

From ranks 7 through 12, these are the above average to good quarterbacks. They are guys a team can win with that should be able to allow a team to win because of. They might not be able to do it every game but there should be about a 50% chance that they could be trusted to carry the team if needed.

From ranks 1 through 6, these are the good to elite quarterbacks. They can carry a team when need be. They elevate those around them. They are the field generals. And the no questions asked franchise quarterbacks. I listed this group last because it's the most talked about. 

We need to stop acting like those ranked 17 and on are all bad quarterbacks. It's unrealistic and it puts too much expectations on the players. Having a clear tier rank for average players allows for more accurate rankings of the good and the bad quarterbacks. People need to stop expecting every quarterback to be Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, or Lamar Jackson.

There Is No Consensus Path For The Patriots Going Forward

There are conflicting opinions on what the Patriots need to do with their coaching and front office staff. Depending on which camp you fall into, you may think this is going to take a couple of years for Bill to fix or you may think it's gonna take a couple of years for someone else to fix.

Bill Polian basically told Tom E. Curran that the Patriots should keep Bill Belichick and let him do his thing. He acknowledged Bill as still being a good coach. And says Bill finally realized that he needs to rebuild the offense. From what Polian is saying, I guess the question is, will the Krafts allow Bill to do the rebuild, if that is what Bill wants to finally do?

Nick Cattles says there is a mutiny in the Patriots locker room. Is Robert Kraft going to let Bill Belichick handle the locker room. Has Belichick lost the Patriots way? Cattles implies that Bill needs Robert Kraft to meddle and hold Belichick accountable, which is something in the first podcast that Bill Polian says would hinder the progress of the team.

Greg Bedard mentions that offensive line coach Klemm is not with the team and asks if it is a legit medical reason or if it is a more serious issue. Bedard again says not to expect a mid season firing of Belichick. Belichick the general manager got criticized again and they imply he needs to be stripped of the position.

Regardless of the opinion one has, there is another with a different opinion. At the moment, the only concensus is that the 2023 Patriots are a bad and dysfunctional team. And the goes from the ownership down. People can day what they thinks going to happen but nobody knows for certain. Even Robert Kraft. He could fire Bill Belichick and say the team is going to return to the post season and the team could have the following decade as bad it was from '65 to '75.

The Media Wants Belichick Out Of New England.

CBS did a podcast where they say Belichick could be fired after a loss in Germany. They call it a mistake on the Patriots if they do so. They also imply that the Patriots requiring a work ethic from their players is arrogant. That I disagree with. 

Vrabel is a former Patriots player but he is not a true Belichick tree coach. McDaniels peaked as an offensive coordinator. And Flores had too much meddling in Miami from the office. It's funny how people have stopped talking about Mayo.

As for Belichick, CBS mentions something I have mentioned several times. Taking the GM hat away from Bill. I would not completely shut Bill out of the picture. He knows defense. He knows how to build and run a defensive staff and unit. 

The problem is when it comes to the offensive side of the ball. I do think Belichick can select an offensive coordinator. And I don't have issue with the offensive system. Bill doesn't run the flashy high turnover risk offense the rest of the league runs but he doesn't know how to evaluate offensive personnel. 

Ivan Fears and Scar were two decent coaches. So far the replacements do not appear to know how to coach up the talent. Then there's Troy Brown. He may or may not have developed Meyers but Douglas was said to of been an early day two talent that was undersized. His play is not due to Brown. 

Bill O'Brien does not appear to be able to be the coordinator and the quarterbacks coach. Brining McDaniels back to coach up the quarterbacks could help. And the rest of the non defensive staff has not gotten it done either. And nobody outside the defense seems to know how to teach fundamentals. 

The Patriots didn't know how to use Dwayne Allen. They didn't know to use Jonnu Smith. They didn't know how to use Nelson Agholor or N'Keal Harry. And they don't seem to know how to use Tyquan Thorton, Boutte, or Ty Montgomery. Montgomery is supposed to be a third down pass catching back. And he hasn't been anything. 

Not only do they not know how to use them but at the moment they don't appear to fit in the system meaning they scouted wrong and signed players they shouldn't have. Nothing new, they brought in guys like Sanu and Smith-Schuster, while letting guys like Berrios and Meyers walk.

I think the Patriots can evaluate quarterbacks but do not know how to get the most out of them. Play calling with Newton and Mac are two examples.

Demote Bill to assistant GM and let him continue to do his magic with the defense but put a new GM in charge of the rest of the team.

One quick thought to keep in mind. Bill in 2022 seemed to wanna switch to a McVeigh & Shanahan system. In 2023 the Robert Kraft made Bill revert to the Brady system. And Bill had players on the roster for the system he wanted, that don't fit his current system. Robert Kraft also appears to like pocket quarterbacks and may of been the one behind drafting Mac Jones. 

Robert Kraft has made his presence known the past few seasons, when he typically stays in the shadows. Kraft has to be given blame for his role in the teams dysfunction and collapse. 

Patriots Issues Heading Towards November.

There are a couple of things going around Patriots Nation. From Mac Jones to Bill Belichick, the Patriots have their issues and people are teeing off on them. For the most part people are just wrong.

Listening to the Patriots Talk Podcast interview with the former GM, unless the Patriots believe they're going to be drafting first or second, they have to draft help for Mac. The team cannot afford to trade up Into the number two spot, not even from the number 3. 

I came Into the 2023 season saying Mac Jones was statistically, the same quarterback he was after the 2021 season. That was based on projected stats for the games he missed and the one he was benched for.

The Patriots need to see if they can figure out how to use Thorton this season and if he can get seperation and draw coverage down field.

Will Rogers looks like the best passer in the 2024 NFL Draft to me. The concern is that he is an Air Raid Quarterback, which Alex Barth brought up in the Patriots Beat Podcast. There have been several Quarterbacks to play at a decent level in the NFL, that came from an Air Raid system. 

Jared Golf took the Rams to the Superbowl. Geno Smith is the starting quarterback for the Seahawks. Nick Foles won a Superbowl. Jimmy Garoppolo lead the 49ers to the superbowl. Patrick Mahomes is a multiple time superbowl champion. The Air Raid has a stigmatizism around it but there have been a fair share of quarterbacks to to play in the NFL from those systems. Evan Lazar in a podcast a little further down praises the Air Raid offense.

I don't think the Patriots need to draft Mac Jones' replacement but they do need to get a quality backup quarterback and Rogers could be a guy that could develop into a starter.

So there's talk about the Patriots moving on from Belichick. Dumbest shit ever. Belichick as the head coach is not the issue. The problem is Belichick the general manager. Now if Bill doesn't want to give up general manager duties, them there's an issue with Belichick but until them, any talk about firing Belichick as the head coach  ends to stop. 

The Patriots need a new offensive coaching staff. Listening to Alex Barth and Evan Lazar, the Patriots not only cannot score in the first half this season but they are not able to run the offensive game plan. And they're committing mental errors. Troy Brown has been a coach that I have said needs to go for a few seasons now. He cannot coach seperation. The special teams coaches need to go also, Lazar talked about how bad they are.

Alex Barth mentioned Josh McDaniels to replace Bill O'Brien as the offensive coordinator. That maybe true but the Raiders are 3-3 and would have to fall apart. The Patriots offense seems to be worse than the 2022 Matt Patricia coached offense. Whether that's due to the roster Bill B. built, the staff Belichick built, or O'Brien's skill level, I don't know.

I wrote a blog yesterday talking about the Patriots problems. They only need two players on defense. They can address that via the draft or free agency. The Patriots need at least 7 offensive players to fix the current roster (Backup quarterback, receiving back, fullback, two different style receivers and two tackles). And that's before the current roster becomes free agent at the end of the season. 

Belichick can evaluate defensive talent as a GM but he needs to lose say over the offensive side of the ball for now. Bill needs a co-gm, whether that's Matt Groh or someone else. Bill Belichick only has a few years left in the tank. Get a co-gm and start prepping for Bill's eventual retirement.

The Patriots Have Basically The Same Needs They Entered The 2023 Offseason With.

Coming into the 2023 offseason, the Patriots needed a few things. Outside corner, Free safety, Nose tackle, Fullback, Receiving back, Slot receiver, Speed X receiver, Backup tight end, Tackle, and both legs. The team acquired Damario Douglas, Mike Gesicki, Gonzalez, and both legs. 

The Patriots signed and drafted a few more players but nobody's worked out. If the team kept this roster to start the 2024 season, it would still need several of those positions plus a backup or developmental starting quarterback.

Defensively, if the Patriots can keep the unit intact, all they need is a run stopping nose guard / tackle and a free safety. It's the easiest unit to fix. And probably the one the staff is most qualified to fix.

On offense, I still have faith in Mac Jones but the quarterback room needs someone that can backup Mac and possibly start. A mid round guy. I like three quarterbacks, Will Rogers from Mississippi State, Shedeur Sanders from Colorado, and Grayson McCall from Coastal Carolina. 

The Patriots need a pass catching slot back. They refused to bring in Calvin Turner Jr from Hawaii. They need a fullback or H-Back but the Patriots don't seem to know how to use the H-Back as a fullback, not since Devlin and Johnson left.

Tyquan Thorton is a deep slot and I will die on that hill. They drafted Boutte and Douglas but they don't have a field stretching speedster at the X and Bourne is an inconsistent Z receiver. Acquiring a guy that can be a speedster at both the X and Z is a necessity. 

The Patriots also need offensive tackles. They drafted a bunch of Linemen in the 2023 draft but they really don't have a quality starting tackle. Trent Brown is not playing good enough in my opinion. 

The Patriots have some pieces they could move before the trade deadline but I would trade for pieces they need. They might not be able to make the playoffs in 2023 but they can get the ship sailing back in the right position.

Trade Uche and Mills for a positions of need. Offensively, Trade Elliot. Bourne and Henry are basically the only viable weapons the Patriots have on offense besides Douglas. And they need that chemistry. Stevenson isn't playing well enough that anybody outside of Vegas would want him. 

The Patriots could fix part of their problems in season. It's all depends on if they want to. I don't know what the mindset is inside one Patriots Place. And I won't pretend to. So all we can do is wait and see.

Twenty Quarterback Prospects To Keep On Your Current Patriots Big Board.

Whether one thinks the Patriots need to replace Mac Jones in 2024 or not, the Patriots need to add at least a backup quarterback to the room. Here are 20 quarterbacks the Patriots should be keeping an eye on in the 2023 NCAA season. With half a season to go, other names may emerge but these guys should currently be at the top of the list.

Will Rogers, Mississippi State, Sr

"Will Rogers is an accurate pocket-passer that thrives on timing. He delivers very catchable passes in the short-to-intermediate regions of the field. Rogers delivers the ball to his receiver with a quick release. There is some mobility to his game—he can extend plays with his legs. Similar to a point guard in basketball, Rogers runs the Mississippi State offense to the play-caller’s design. With impressive ball placement, he leads his receivers and provides opportunities to run after the catch. Extremely calm and poised in the pocket, he is rarely rattled. His game reminds me of New England Patriots QB Mac Jones." - Damien Parson

2023 midway stats: completed 61.4% of 171 passes for 1,275 yards with 10 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. -1.7 yard average on 23 carries. 

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, Jr

"Sanders sees the game like you would expect from the son of one of the game’s all-time greats. His passing ability is accentuated by sound decision-making, effective accuracy, and a confidence in the pocket. And yet Sanders, after making the jump from Jackson State to Colorado in 2023, feels like he’s still just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of." - Kyle Crabbs

2023 midway stats: completed 72.3% of 303 passes for 2,420 yards with 21 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. -0.3 yard average on 73 carries with 3 touchdowns. 

Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina, Sr

"Grayson McCall plays and leads with a gritty and tough mentality. He showcases enough zip in the short passing game. His frame and dual-threat ability can expand the offensive playbook. He’s capable of working off the read option, RPO, and power run game. Also, his mobility affords the opportunity to create second-reaction opportunities and off-script plays." - Damien Parson 

2023 midway stats: completed 64.8% of 196 passes for 1,675 yards with 8 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. 0.6 yard average on 45 carries with 1 touchdown.

Rogers and Sanders are currently expected to be day two selections, providing Sanders doesn't return to school. McCall is expected to be a day three pick. All three guys fit the Patriots mold as a passer. While they may not all have elite athleticism that fans look for. Honestly, I'll never get why fans and scouts would rather have JaMarcus Russell clones over players closer to someone like Chad Pennington but that's just me.

Yes, I am aware that I have the concensus number one pick outside of my top three. While he is a good quarterback, he needs to improve as a passer. I would welcome him into New England but he's not my top pick.

The other 17 quarterbacks to watch: 

Brady Cook, Missouri

Kurtis Rourke, Ohio

Jayden Daniels, LSU

Bo Nix, Oregon

Cameron Ward, Was St.

Cam Rising, Utah

Michael Penix Jr, Was

Michael Pratt, Tulane

Caleb Williams, USC

Drake Maye, NC

Spencer Rattler, South Carolina

J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

K.J. Jefferson, Arkansas

Kenyon Slovis. BYU

Jason Daniels, Kansas

Dillion Gabriel, Oklahoma

Jaxon Dart, Ole Miss

The Patriots Have Talent On Offense

Belichick, O'Brien and Mac Jones, I don't know who to blame but this thing that the team doesn't have any talent is fraudulent. They have talent, it's just not the Dolphins or Chief's roster build.

The Patriots have a good duo for first and second down in Stevenson and Elliot. The line could be better but Stevenson needs a lead blocker and Pharaoh Brown can be that. Elliot, doesn't need the lead blocker as much.

When Stevenson is on the field, Brown, Gesicki, Henry and Douglas should be on the field with him. And the team should be running play action when Stevenson is on the field. When Elliot is on the field, pull Brown and mix up using the other receivers.

One problem is, Montgomery is not James White and he's not Brandon's Boldon. The Patriots do not have a reliable slot-back for third down and Tyquan Thorton hasn't shown us that he can draw coverage down field the way Nelson Aguilar did in 2021. When the team had an experienced offensive coordinator. 

The Patriots should have four starting Linemen but they're not playing like it. The offensive line is last in the league in pass blocking. They should never of let Wynn go but they did and they don't have an answer for it, four weeks in. 

The core of this offense, the talent is once again, Elliot, Stevenson, Henry, Douglas and Gesicki. Those are the guys around Mac Jones. It's about putting the right package on the field around the quarterback and calling the right plays. 

And for Mac, he needs to trust his line and play smarter. Mac Jones's arm is as strong as Chad Pennington's arm. He's just been making uncharacteristic decisions.

Honestly, the problem at The moment is the trifecta of Belichick, O'Brien and Mac Jones. Not one of them individually but them collectively.

Three Areas That Hurt The Patriots

The Patriots have plenty of areas for improvement going into week two. They lost 25 to 20 because they gifted points to the eagles on multiple occasions.  While there were several players that had an impact and could get called out, here's ny three areas where I had issue.

Kendrick Bourne only caught 54% of his 11 targets. Although he caught 2 touchdowns, their were 5 passes that he didn't bring in. One he dropped and one he turned into an interception by not catching after getting his hands on it. Bourne's first half for most of it was not great. In fact, his day was inconsistent.

The offensive line was not up to par. They let their quarterback get pressured 27 times. They gave up 2 sacks, 4 quarterback hits and caused Mac Jones to scramble twice. The line only allowed Stevenson to rush for a 1.9 yard average on 12 carries.

And the the defensive line allowed 3.8 yards per carry. Almost every time the Eagles rushed up the middle it was a 3+ yard gain. The Patriots are still an open door in the middle of the line. They need a nose tackle or nose guard to clog the middle on the first two downs.

I don't know what the Patriots can do besides coach but they're gonna need improvement going forward or there's going to be a lot more close games like this.

Patriots Sign Jalen Reagor To The Practice Squad.

The Patriots signed Jalen Reagor to the practice squad. He was drafted in the first round by the Eagles in 2020. And has played for the Eagles and Vikings.

Reagor has only appeared in 45 games, being targeted 124 times, catching 72 of them for 799 yards and 4 scores. He's got 18 carries under his belt. He's also had a combined 73 returns over his career. Taking one punt to the house.

I went looking for to see what I could find out of college. Many said he could do alot but he was listed often as a Z or deep slot. His main problems where drops, route running, physicality, and consistency. Speed and versatility were the main things people talked about with him as his pros. Not much has changed.

His NFL comparisons were: Curtis Samuel, Stefon Diggs, Corey Coleman, Mecole Hardman, Randell Cobb, Percey Harvin, James Washington, D.J. Moore, and Tyreek Hill. I came across Samuel, Hardman, and Cobb a few times as comparisons. 

I saw him listed as an elite number two or low tier number one. He's the typical type of Patriots, with that being said. He brings skills that Tyquan Thorton was supposed to bring but if the Patriots can get consistency out of him, he also brings the skills that Kendrick Bourne has. And Bourne's in a contract year. Something to monitor for now.

Strong's Out, Wheatley's In, Patriots Make Trade.

In 2022 during the fourth round of the NFL draft, the Patriots selected Pierre Strong. Strong was expected to be a possible replacement for James White and possibly Damien Harris. Strong did see much time during his rookie year.

In 2022, Strong touched the ball as both a ball carrier and receiver, a total of 17 times for 142 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, Strong did not emerge as the back he was expected to be during the 2023 preseason and the Patriots traded him away for tackle Tyrone Wheatley.

Wheatley, who was buried on Cleveland's depth chart, is 6'6" 320 pounds. Wheatley went undrafted out of Stony Brook. Although he's viewed as a tackle, Stony Brook listed him as a tight end. It'm thinking subpar Mike Williams vibes.

According to The Football Database Wheatley played in 37 college games, starting 14 before entering the 2020 NFL draft. Wheatley turned 26 in February.

According to Oliver Thomas over at Forbes, "His 95.6 run-blocking grade qualified for second among tackles around the league in the preseason."

While Many list Wheatley as a developmental project, there's not much about his skill set. However, his dad played in the NFL and pretty much everyone has said that About the 26 year old. I guess that's all we need to know. 

Being acquired so late in the process, it's a pretty safe assumption that Wheatley makes the 53 man roster. I would also assume that the Patriots will be keeping Kevin Harris on the 53. In my roster projection, I have J.J. Taylor getting added once they place someone on injured reserve.

Patriots 53 Man Roster Projection

The Patriots 53 man roster cutdown is coming. August 29th the team must get down to a season regulation size roster. There's always the chance the Patriots could sign someone off of the waivers. But since I don't know who's getting cut from the other teams. I cannot put anyone not currently on the roster, on the initial 53 man roster. So here it is, my initial roster projection for 2023.

Quarterbacks 3

M. Jones

B. Zappe

M. Cunningham (released)

The Patriots will keep their slash. Cunningham has potential to be used like Kordell Stewart and Taysom Hill. Some think he will clear waivers, I don't think he will. However keeping him could make the Patriots thin at elsewhere. Do not expect him to jump Zappe this season.

Running Backs 3*

R. Stevenson

E. Elliot

P. Strong (traded for Tyrone Wheatley)

J. Taylor* > T. Montgomery (both released, let's see if I'm right about taylor)

I don't think the Patriots are going to risk cutting Strong yet. And I think they will want to develop him for one more season, while he sits behind Elliot. Kevin Harris needs the line to make holes and i don't think he's lived up to the powerback role he was drafted for. I have Taylor beating out Montgomery, providing he has a good game versus Tennessee and getting called up, once Bolden is placed on the injury reserve.

I was hoping Calvin Turner Jr would be on the roster but the Patriots haven't touched him. He's an upgrade over Montgomery.

Receivers 6

D. Parker

J. Smith-Schuster

K. Bourne

T. Thorton

D. Douglas

K. Boutte

I have the Patriots keeping 6 receivers. I think they need to play Thorton this season and I don't think the rookies will clear the waiver wire. While I think Bourne is on the trade block, he's with the team until they move him. Cunningham gives the team their seventh receiver.

Tight Ends 2

H. Henry

M. Gesicki

I don't think the other tight ends are at risk of being plucked. I expect that one of the practice squad tight ends may be activated for week one. Especially depending on how serious Henry's anf Gesicki's injuries are. I like Sokol and think he will end up on the roster at some point.

Offensive Linemen 10

T. Brown

C. Strange

D. Andrews

R. Reiff

M. Onwenu

C. McDermott (Put on Injured reserve, Patriots replaced by Vederian Love)

B. Murray (released, replaced by Wheatley)

J. Andrews

S. Sow

A. Mafi

(Patriots traded for Vederian Love)

I think Strange may go straight to the injured reserve to start the season. Which would allow the Patriots to call up someone from the practice squad, more than likely a tight end. The line is a liability, maybe Onwenu can fix it but I think the Patriots are in trouble. I think Vanterpool makes the practice squad, he got brought in too late in the process to compete for a roster spot.

Defensive Linemen 7

L. Guy

D. Ekuale

K. White

D. Wise

C. Barmore

D. Godchaux

C. Davis (released)

I have Davis making the roster because I think the Patriots are too light on the line. I thought Tavai would be better but he really hasn't shown much. I have a feeling Bill Murray will be doing double duty this season. The Patriots should've brought back Danny Shelton on a one year deal when they had the chance.

Linebackers 6

M. Mapu

M. Judon

Ja. Tavai

J. Uche

J. Bentley

A. Jennings 

The Patriots will use linebackers depending on the situation. Mapu I think will be a three down player. The others are going to depend on scheme. My question is who makes it to the practice squad of the guys cut.

Defensive Backs 12*

C. Gonzalez

M. Jones

Ja. Jones

Jo. Jones

K. Dugger

J. Peppers

A. Phillips

J. Mills

M. Bryant

B. Schooler

C. Davis

I. Bolden* IR

Jack Jones season is still pending. Bryant I think is going to float between safety and the nickel back. I think Mills is the starting free safety. Bolden I expect to make the 53, just to be placed on the injured reserve. He showed enough that I think he will get plucked if they release him and I think they will need him this season. I think speed could be elevated from the practice squad if Jack gets suspended or worse, locked up.

Special Teams 4

M. Slater

C. Ryland

J. Cardona

B. Baringer

Whether they trade or cut him, I don't think Folk is on the week one roster unless Ryland implodes between now and the time for the cutdown to 53. If he ends up on the roster by some chance, it will be at the expense of the offensive line. I wish Slater got used more on offense to help justify keeping him. At least Steve Tasker was a capable receiver. Slater is an alltime gunner but still.

If the Patriots make any claims from waivers during the cutdowns, it's got to be an offensive tackle and a nose tackle. Especially since they were unable to claim the nose tackle from Carolina due to a failed physical.

The Patriots Are Preparing The Future NFL Defense Today.

Whether it's a 3-2-6 dime or  a 5-0-6 dime, the future of the NFL is a Base dime defense. And the Patriots finally have allowed me to highlight what type of players are the prototypes for this defense.

The keystone or capstone to the foundation of this defense is a nose guard, a nose tackle. The last two the Patriots had of any value were Danny Shelton and 'Big' Vince Wilfork. Guys who could plug the middle on first and second downs and push the pocket back into the quarterback on third and passing downs. Lawrence Guy is not the guy the Patriots need and should stop forcing him into the position.

Then on the line, the Patriots need two defensive tackle / end hybrids. Most people remember Richard Seymour but if you don't, that's okay, the Patriots have Christian Barmore. He's strong enough to play defensive tackle and require double coverage but quick and fast enough to play defensive end and to hold his own.

While I don't like calling the position the edge, that's the only true name for this hybrid position. Guys like Willie McGinest, Rob Ninkovich have played the role but now Keion White. White was listed as being too small for an end and too big for an outside linebacker. In his small sample size, he has shown the ability to play end or outside linebacker.

Although I think safety can now play the role, if the Patriots need or want a true linebacker, Ja'Whaun Bentley is the mold. He has the speed, size and power needed to fill the middle linebacker role. Can be used to blitz or cover and can get all over the field.

For slot corner both Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones have the speed and quickness needed for the position. They can play outside or possibly at free safety but their skills in the slot make them Ideal. They can spy the quarterback and cover the slot or the running back.

For the number two outside corner, J.C. Jackson and Jack Jones have the ideal skills to be a ballhawk. They will be bottom end number ones but as a number two, their skills should make them almost elite or shutdown.

The number one outside corner, the Patriots have had a slew at the position. Stephen Gilmore and Christian Gonzalez are the mold for what you want. Intelligent, quick and fast. Capable of going one on one in man coverage against anyone.

The strong safety has to be a middle linebacker that can cover. Dugger and Mapu are the prototypes for the modern era. Guys that should be able to to blitz, tackle a running back or cover a tight end. Having two of these guys on the field at once allows the Patriots to rotate and disguise who is the safety and who is playing linebacker.

And lastly, free safety. Devon McCourty and Jalen Mills and possibly Miles Bryant are what you're looking for. Guys with traits to be an average number two corner but are better suited as a free safety due to their intelligence. 

Looking for and drafting or signing guys who are physical clones of the players listed who show the same type of skills, is the future of the NFL. Especially with the way the game is evolving. The Patriots are trying to run a big nickel but it's the dime they should be moving towards. With these type of players the Patriots could run a 3-0-8, a 3-1-7, a 3-2-6, 5-0-6 and in an situation setting, a 5-1-5 and be successful. It's all about the type of players and football intelligence.

The Patriots Looked Mediocre Hosting The Texans

The Patriots first preseason game is in the books. The Patriots fall 20 - 9 in a game that wasn't as close as the score suggests. 

The Patriots only had 78 rushing yards and averaged under 5 yards a completion. The only reason the Patriots even had so many rushing yards, was because the Texans surrendered them.

The Texans had time to pass and were more aggressive, picking up 11 first downs via the air, compared to the Patriots 2. The Texans also had the ball 5 minutes longer than the Pats. 

 The secondary was okay but the rest of the team was crap. The biggest issue to me was a lack of play in the trenches. The offensive line was horrible and the defensive line was slow and gave up to many runs they should've stuffed.

Zappe went 12 of 14 with another of check Downs. Cunningham went 3 of 4 but the Texans played him more conservatively.

The running backs did better for the Patriots in the second half but part of that was the defense started backing off.

As for the pass catchers, seperation still looks like it's gonna be an issue but the team is going to need to go quick game more if they cannot get better protection up front. 

I thought Barranger the Punter's placement could've been better. 

What I saw from the Patriots was the the players that played seemed slight below to a whole depth chart level below the Texans personnel. The Patriots looked like a mediocre team. The team will have to come out strong when Mac takes the field.

The Patriots Aren't Ready For The Preseason

After the first week of practice, I came away with an opinion that the defensive was good but was having it's stats inflated by the offense. And that although the offense and special teams appear better than last year, that they were a work in progress.

After the put the pads on for the first time, I said I wasn't really going to write again until something significant happened. And unfortunately as of Saturday August 5th, that hasn't happened yet.

There was a point this offense season where people were saying the offense was looking like the 2021 offense as far as knowledge. Now, they're saying it's almost there. Matt Patricia was pretty much the best or near best of the bottom 8 coordinators and at the moment, I do not know how much better the 2023 offense will be. 

The offensive line is a huge hole. I'll be shocked if Douglas is a huge weapon come week one. Henry and Parker have been okay but JuJu and Gesicki have to make a leap. Bourne and Thorton honestly haven't been that spectacular. And Boutte just started playing well. 

Rylandbhas a stringer leg but he isn't looking anymore reliable than Folk. But the Patriots have Barringer. And I haven't seen any good news about the return game.

Don't be surprised if the offensive line gets destroyed in the upcoming preseason game. I don't think the offense is where it should be. And the missing Linemen don't help.

The Difference Between The X,Y, And Z Receivers.

I had a conversation earlier with another member of the Patriots Nation Fandom. We were talking about the Patriots receivers not getting seperation and they said it was because the Patriots didn't invest in a number one X receiver. I disagreed and realized we had a different opinion of the X position.

When it comes to the X-receiver spot, I think of a guy that's a minimum of 6'2" and between 225-245 pounds. They should have long arms and a high vertical. I expect them to run a 40 time between 4.5 and 4.75. I expect them to have a slower three cone time. It's not a position of seperation but if everyone is covered, they should be able to catch the ball. Basically, a last resort unless one wants to throw the ball away.

The Z receiver I think of a 6' 200 pound guy with a more advanced route tree. They might not have the best jump ball skills but they'll run a 4.3 to a low 4.5. While having an average three cone score. These are the burners that will get seperation on go routes and deep crossers and slants but are better used in the intermediate passing game.

The typical slot should be 5'10" and 180 pounds. They should have a better long jump than vertical. Their 40 time should be between 4.4 and a 4.65. However, they should have a fast three cone time.  These are the guys that are going to get seperation in the short to intermediate range horizontally and in the middle of traffic. They are the ones known for being a death of a thousand paper cuts.

There are two other types of slots. The big slot should have the size and 40 speed of an X receiver. The deep slot should have the size and 40 speed of Z receiver. Both hybrids should have a slightly lower three cone than a normal slot but still better than the other two positions.

Move tight ends I think of as a big slot that is 6'4" 245 pounds with some blocking ability. The h-back tight end I think of a guy that runs a 4.7 40 time with an elite three cone time. And the third down back (slot back) should be a typical 5'10" slot receiver only they should weight an extra 20-25 pounds.

When I hear Patriots fans talk about a number one receiver, to me they describe a Z receiver or a deep slot. They're not describing an X receiver. At least not what I would consider one this millennium. Jerry Rice ran a 4.71 40 time. He was a number one but by 2003, if played correctly, he was a big slot. Corners are too fast these days for a 4.7 receiver to be a speedy number one at the X. 

Worst part is. I don't even think most fans that describe Rice when talking about the X receiver position, know who he is. Everything is Randy Moss. And guys with his speed and skills do not come along every Draft. Moss is a lottery jackpot. The needle in the haystack. We're lucky if one maybe two of him come a decade. But back to the X position, it's not a number one because it gets seperation, if it's a number one, it's because it's your best chance at a completion when everyone is covered. 

So Far Nothing Significant Has Happened And We're Six Practices In To Camp.

My takeaway from practice has been the defensive looks elite against this offense, which, like the special teams, is a work in progress. And the Patriots either need to sign a halfback that can play fullback or an h-back that they can use as a fullback, slot back, and halfback. The pads came off on Tuesday, but did the team make any improvements?

Quarterback play got worse as we went down the depth chart today. For the sixth practice, the line cannot protect the quarterbacks. The backup offensive linemen were a grade level below the defense.

Pass catchers cannot get seperation for the sixth consecutive practice, some of that is due to the protection giving way. Jalen Hurd retired. Douglas continues to look better than Thorton and Bourne. Defense continues to shine, especially the pass coverage. Ryland got work and wasn't spectacular from short distance.

I figured as much as far as we weren't going to see much of difference. I keep waiting for something worth talking about and there really has been nothing. Until the offense gives us something to talk about, this will be a lackluster camp to report on. I'll keep paying attention but I'm not gonna write again until something significant happens.

The Patriots Put Pads On But It Didn't Make The Needed Impact.

My takeaway from the first four days of practice is the defensive looks elite against this offense, which like the special teams, is a work in progress. Today being the first day in pads, would that change, that is the question.

Offense continues to look like it's designed for Mac. No quarterback competition still. It's Mac's job to lose.

Harris looked good and got extra reps. Coach Ross Douglas got some reps at running. Tavaii was used at fullback instead of tight ends and looked bad. Montgomery's backup Jalen Hurd had a good day but may have gotten injured at the end of camp.

Damaris Douglas continues to standout. Juju and Boutte had a good day. Bourne five practices in, finally has one catch. Sokol had a good day.

Strange got injured and online appears to be banged up deep, at least eight Linemen were out. Alternative league Linemen brought in for workouts. Murray and McDermott had a good day. Reiff with another bad day.

Defense dominanted today due to lack of depth on offense. Mapu looked good again. Bolden had another good day.

Barringer had a good day, no word on the kicker battle. Cunningham saw work as a gunner.

Overall summary:

My takeaway from camp hasn't changed from yesterday. And the Patriots either need to sign a halfback that can play fullback or an h-back that they can use as a fullback, slot back and halfback. 

Sunday's Patriots Practice Was More Of The Same.

So the Patriots returned after their first day off of practice. I wouldn't call it significant yet. And before I get into what was said today, let me remind everyone of what was said about the first three days of camp.

Here's my summary from last week:

Mac is the starter. Montgomery and Douglass appear to be all three quarterbacks favorite targets. Seperation is still an issue for the pass catchers. And the guys that are supposed to be good at catching the ball while covered (contested catch guys) are struggling to do so. The right tackle is inflating defensive stats and the secondary looks elite against this group of pass catchers. Special teams hasn't been the focus yet and the team needs to start hitting asap.

Okay, now on to camp for Sunday July 30th.

The offense looks as good as a McDaniels offense. The offense looks good when not practicing in the red zone. Pass catcher seperation was an issue again, along with pass blocking.

The quarterbacks looked better. Zappe finally looked like he was at least an nfl backup quarterback for the first time in camp.

Running backs were heavily checked down to against the pass rush. Harris and Hurd had a good day with Montgomery out.

JuJu had a good day. Bourne had another bad day. Damaris Douglas continues to look like a starter. Thorton finally had a good day. 

Gesicki had a good day. Sokol and Lumpkin are in a competition for TE three. Frisker got a lot of red zone work. 

The offensive line is still bad. Murray and McDermott still starting. Onwenu is still out and Reiff was with the second string.

Front seven dominanted the offensive line. Mapu moved back to linebacker and was solid. Tavaii is looking like a star.

Jack Jones finally got to start and had a good day. Mills made plays at free safety. And the secondary continues to shine, however the second unit was a little closer matched to the pass catchers without Jack Jones.

Berringer won the first punting competition.

Ryland is winning on kickoffs, kicker competition still too close to call but Ryland has the stronger leg. Bryant got more work as a returner.

Quick notes: former Patriot superbowl hero Sony Michel retired. And N'Keal Harry met with the Buffalo Bills. Harry could be an emergency signing if the Patriots get an injury.

Summary:

After four days of camp the sports media could basically say or write the following: "Patriots defense looks elite against their offense, which like their special teams, is still a work in progress." However, if that's all they wrote, nobody would tune in and they need clicks and views to make money.

What They Said About The First Week Of Patriots Camp.

After three days in camp, here are various take aways I got from various sources. Hopefully there is a pattern. I am not listing source names because people are bias against particular sources and I would rather people keep an open mind. If you pay attention to Patriots media, you should know basically what source said what. 

Source One:

A few injured players missing including Anderson, Onwenu, Davis all being out. Mitchell and Guy returned. All three days were soft red zone practice.

Quarterbacks looking poor the in red zone, with Mac looking the best of the three. The plays were looking scripted, the quarterbacks were holding on to the ball too long and throwing into coverage.

Stevenson had a good day on day one, was limited on day two and returned to full go on day three. Strong and Harris got extra reps the first two days but Strong appeared on day three to be the number two back. Montgomery is a receiver and was having a good camp the first two days before getting injured and was not present day three.

Thorton and Bourne have had zero production during the three days and appear to be slipping at the moment. Boutte was okay and Douglass has had a good camp and appears early to be rising up the depth chart. Parker and JuJu are the clear one and two.

Henry has had a good camp, Gesicki has been okay, Lumpkin and Sokol have made plays and Sokol appears to be climbing the depth chart as he's getting extra reps. Murray still starting and having a good camp. Reiff has been struggling and was demoted for McDermott on day three. The rookies are all third stringers and not getting used.

Mapu has been limited and Hall was limited on day three after getting injured on day two. Judon returned from the injury field and is disgruntled about his contract situation. White, Jennings, Tavaii, Uche, Munson, Wise, Barmore, and Wilson have all had a good couple of days in the front seven.

Bolden, Gonzalez, Miles, Peppers, Jon, Jack and Marcus Jones especially had a good couple of days but the secondary it self has shined. Jack Jones was demoted. Marcus and Jon Jones got extra reps. No change in kicker battle and limited action in the returner duty for both punts and kicks.

Source Two:

Red zone practice which gives the defensive the advantage. No contact, designed for offensive players to show their seperation skills. The offense was primarily 12 personnel. Offense was inconsistent and scripted. Drops, timing and communication were the biggest issues. Offense got better when they backed away from the goal line. 

There is no quarterback competition. Jones had looked good, Zappe has looked conservative and McSorely is a practice squad guy.

Montgomery was the star of camp before getting hurt and is a slot back. Stevenson was limited day two and it appeared to be to give Strong and Harris an extra look. Taylor looked better than both sophomores.

JuJu and Parker had a good couple of days. Douglas is working a lot with Mac. Douglas is climbing the depth chart and Thorton appears to be falling, him and Bourne are getting reps but not prodction. Boutte has had a bad camp and is not finishing plays. Henry's had a good camp and Gesicki's not being targeted.

Brown looks good. Murray has had a good camp and right tackle is a cause for concern. Reiff got demoted for McDermott, remember Reiff is a run blocker and needs contact.

Judon was a full go on Friday. Dugger, Bolden and Gonzalez have been good. Jack Jones has been dominant against the number twos. The secondary as a whole, has been dominant in the shorter area where the offense cannot separate.

Source Three:

Red zone and short yardage practices, which favors defense. Offensive timing is an issue. Limited number of running plays. Patriots been using almost exclusively 12 personnel. The offense looks better ran that last year already.

Mac has been practicing and taking shots, Zappe has been extremely conservative and dumping it off. There is no quarterback competition.

Stevenson was limited day two. Montgomery shined and got injured again. The other backs need to step up. Parker and JuJu are the starters. JuJu looks out of shape. Thorton and Bourne have had a bad camp so far. Mac is throwing to Henry and not Gesicki. Brown is back and looking good. Right tackle is looking like a cause for concern.

Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Bryant and Marcus Jones have been the starting corners. Jack Jones was demoted but is playing well. Safety was a rotation. Judon did a hold in, which led to White getting extra reps. Tavaii and Peppers had a good couple days.

Nothing much of anything significant at the moment to really make a story of.

Source Four:

Practice has been a walk through. Offense looks already better than last year.  Mac was acting like a leader and appears to be giving maximum effort. Mac was the clear starter, played decent thus far. Zappe was nothing special and not getting the same level of competition as Mac, which he should be dominating if he was on Mac's level or better.

Montgomery looked good is a receiver that lines up occasionally in the backfield and looked like the third down back. Strong looked good as a pass catcher out of the backfield. Strong and Harris looked good and got extra reps when Stevenson limited. 

Douglass was with the starters and looks like he's moving up the depth chart. Reiff started okay before struggling and Stueber has had a bad camp but remember there's no contact.

Gonzalez is corner one. Bryant started as the slot corner but the Patriots have been rotating the entire secondary outside of Gonzo. Dugger has been the star of the first three days. Mapu has looked good, both him and Gonzalez have been the best rookies. Berringer appears to have won the punting job, and although the rookie kicker has a stronger leg, it looks too close to call yet.

Source Five:

Patriots ran 12 personnel and practiced primarily in the red zone. Ordinary camp, except Judin is doing a hold in. Tight and soft red zone practice. No quarterback competition. Offensive timing and communication issues present. Offense was scripted and struggled to pass in the red zone.

Quarterback play was bad, partially due to pass catchers. The offensive play calling needs to be more intelligent. Mac struggled to throw on the move. Mac showed leadership and putting in extra effort. Mac was finally able to throw on the move on day three but struggled prior to that.

Montgomery is the third down back and looked good until getting hurt on day two and missing day three. Stevenson was limited day two.

JuJu and Parker had good days, Bourne and Thorton not so much. Henry has looked good. Gesicki has had an unproductive camp.

Murray is starting. Trent Brown looked good. Reiff was consistently beat and inflated defensive production. McDermott promoted to starting right tackle.

Guy and Judon are disgruntled over contracts and Judon did a two day hold in and then was limited day three. Tavaii, Dugger, Uche, Barmore and Marcus Jones all had good days. The defense overall was good. Jon Jones was promoted over Jack Jones. Gonzalez has proven to be corner one.

Kicking competition is too close to call

Patriots need some depth but seem to be worried about a locker room mutiny and team moral.

Source Six:

Contactless red zone practice to start camp. Davis, Onwenu, and Anderson kept the team from having perfect attendance. Practice was uneventful and about execution. Team ran extra conditioning drills. Exclusive red zone practice. Heavy 12 personnel offense in the red zone practice. Offense was scripted and is working on communication.

Quarterbacks were bad, Mac was the best of the bunch and the only one that looked like an NFL quarterback. Mac struggles to throw on the move. Too much change in mechanics from the backups. A lot of coverage sacks. The team is trying to spread the ball.

Receiver and third down back Ty Montgomery was the star of the offense, Jalen Hurd is his backup. Montgomery was looking good until he got hurt on day two. He missed day three.

Sokol, Lumpkin and Henry have had a good camp. Gesicki's been okay, he's not being targeted.

The top four receivers got a lot of time. Parker, JuJu, and Douglas had a good day. Douglas is moving up the depth chart and is the best separater. He is looking like an Edelman clone in development. Thorton, Bourne and Boutte have looked bad. Boutte cannot finish. Tyquan looks like his rookie development was wasted. Receivers are struggling to get seperation. Pass catchers are not winning jump balls and are dropping passes. 

Trent Brown has secured left tackle but right tackle is a liability. Bill Murray was starting and Reiff was benched for McDermott. Reiff is not a no contact pass blocker.

Defense dominanted all three days, with several players had good plays and looking good. Barmore was limited early. Judon was limited and Mapu wore a no contact jersey. Hall got injured on day two and was limited day three.

Tavaii looks like a better overall player. Dugger looks like an all pro. Jack Jones looked good against the number twos but isn't starting. Gonzalez had a good day and is CB one.

Gonzalez, Bryant, Marcus and Jon Jones were the starters at corner. The Patriots are rotating corner two, the slot, and free safety. The secondary has looked one step ahead of the pass catchers so far.

Coaches divided up the special teams players. No change in kicker competition. And nothing to report in the punt game.

Overall:

Mac is the starter. Montgomery and Douglass appear to be all three quarterbacks favorite targets. Seperation is still an issue for the pass catchers. And the guys that are supposed to be good at catching the ball while covered (contested catch guys) are struggling to do so. The right tackle is inflating defensive stats and the secondary looks elite against this group of pass catchers. Special teams hasn't been the focus yet and the team needs to start hitting asap.

Three Summaries Of Patriots Camp After Day 2.

The offense wasn't so great on day one of camp and most of the media agrees that this is just OTAs until the pads come on. The general consensus is the offense looks like an NFL offense again and is still being installed. Right Tackle, Running Back behind Stevenson, and Free Safety seem to be the questions that the media is concerned with at the moment. Here's three summaries coming out of Patriots camp.

Summary one:

Nothing special with how camp is being ran so far. Focus has been all red zone. Offense is looking poor, lots to clean up. No quarterback competition. Quarterbacks making poor decisions and playing inconsistently. Quarterbacks need to play within their abilities, as they're struggling to go outside them. Offense ran the same play repeatedly. JuJu is being heavily targeted and should be ranked between 30 to 40 in receivers.

Reiff is inflating the defensive production. Montgomery dealing with injuries already. Injuries are the reason for meeting with Cook. Patriots are trying to avoid a mutiny with contracts. Guy's still having contact issues, although he reported. Uche's having a good camp. Kicking competition is too close at the moment.

Summary two:

The offense is practicing the basics in the red zone which is why they're getting beat. O'Brien's not being flashy. Offensive strategy has been about improving execution. O'Brien is running RPOs and play actions. A lot of scripted plays. The Patriots we're also throwing into coverage. To be successful, they need to play in more space.

Patriots are catering offense more to Mac, letting him use his abilities. Mac continues to show he needs a more intelligence based offense. Mac showed he's not a mobile passer. 

JuJu and Parker are the only qualified red zone receivers. Pass catchers still not getting seperation. Douglas looks like a candidate to make the 53 and is moving up the depth chart. Thorton is useless in the red zone. Douglas has been the quick seperation guy.

Strong is getting the number two back reps. Montgomery should be the third down back. Hurd is most likely Montgomery's backup. Trent Brown looks ready. Right tackle is a position to watch and has a lot of questions.

Gonzalez is working against Parker and JuJu and holding his own for the most part. Tavai looked good and is showing signs of improvement. Jack Jones demoted. Lots of Patriots with contract concerns. No one pulling ahead on kicker battle.

Summary three:

Stevenson is injured and  J.J. Taylor has been the better of three between Strong, Harris, and Taylor. However, Strong is getting more reps. Offensive timing is not there. Zappe has been playing extreme conservative, to explain his production and the quarterbacks have been holding on to the ball too long. Juju's out of shape but him and Parker been making plays. And Lumpkin and Sokol have each had their moments the first two days.

Offensive's poor play is due to lack of contact but looks better than last season. Trent Brown is back and Reiff is not playing well without contact. Right tackle is a liability at the moment. Bill Murray is getting a high volume of reps. Secondary is rotating personnel outside of Gonzalez. The safeties are getting a heavy work load. Tavai is looking good. Judon is disgruntled over contract. Limited number of players returning kickoffs, for a team with so many special teamers capable of doing the job.

Overall, I'd say the offense isn't trying to look good. Mac is trying to be a more aggressive mobile passer. The tight ends, Parker and JuJu are the red zone offense. And the third down back at the moment isn't a true running back. Thorton's rookie year looks like it was wasted and the only classic "Edelman type" slot appears to be Douglas. The team has no answers behind Stevenson and probably should've brought Wynn back. Defensively, by demoting Jack Jones, they've added a second question to answer, when all they needed to figure out was free safety. 

Sources:

Tom Curran, Phil Perry, Alex Barth, Greg Bedard, Evan Lazar, CLNS, NESN, NBC Boston, and the BSJ.

The Patriots Had More Incentives Than Tennessee, It Wasn't A Bad Contract.

Reggie Wayne, Ochocinco, Eric Decker, Antonio Brown and I'll even mention Mohamed Sanu are five big name receivers the Patriots brought that burned them. So I don't fault Bill Belichick for not over paying DeAndre Hopkins. The Patriots didn't go cheap with their offer though.

According to Albert Breer, The Patriots basically offered Hopkins the same contract as the Titans in 2023.

Breer said, "My understanding is, the max of (the Patriots') offer was $15 million for this year -- so they matched what the Titans did for this year -- but a much higher percentage of it was in incentives."

Hopkins is a guy that had some serious leg injuries in 2021, missed some time in 2022. Is 31 and doesn't like to practice. So the Patriots offered him a more incentives filled contract. It makes sense for them to cover themselves.

People just wanna rip on Belichick because he's won six superbowls as a head coach. There are Patriots fans that even say it's boring with him on the sideline because he's been there so long. It's just people look for someone to hate. Leave Bill alone.

Should a team sign an elite pass catcher before knowing what they have at quarterback or not?

The sports media did it again. So we have people like Alex Barth implying that it doesn't matter how bad the passer is if a team has an elite pass catcher. And the on the Rich Eisen show, people are criticizing D-Hop for going to the Titans because Tannehill is their passer.

A good receiver can hide the flaws of and inflate the career of a bad quarterback, leaving them to get exposed if the pass catcher is not on the field. "Well that's why you always have a good pass catcher on the team." Whether it's due to injury, financial issues, or just not available in the draft or market, it's not always possible to have a star pass catcher.

Further more it leads to a false sense of confidence and a team being complacent because they cannot get a proper evaluation of their passer. No need to shop for a quarterback if you have an average top 16 passer but good surrounding talent can make a passer look better than that. And can leave a team in a boat load of trouble.

Before his injury, Tannehill was showing that he was a middle of the pact average NFL passer. Why would Hopkins wanna go there? The answer is because if Hopkins is as good as he thinks he is, Tannehill who according to several including Eisen, "had nobody," that much better.

If it's true that Tannehill "had nobody" and was still on pace for 18 touchdowns, 9 interceptions and 3,700 yards and 3+ rushing TDs. Imagine how much better Tannehill could be with a top 10 pass catcher. He'll, Imagine how much fresher at the end of the year King Derrick Henry could be with a top 10 pass catcher.

The media needs to stop making the arguement that good receivers show their value by elevating average quarterbacks and then bitch when an elite pass catcher chooses an average passer. Either one believes a good passer can turn an average quarterback into a contender or they don't.

Now I laid out the case for Hopkins to choose Tannehill. I also on twitter laid out the case for why I don't believe should sign an elite pass catcher until they're sure on their passer. If you think one can win in Tennessee having Cam Newton, Nathan Peterman, Russel Wilson, or 2015 Tim Tebow over Tannehill, if they put them with D-Hop, I think you'd be crazy.

An average passer is still needed. There were questions about how good a passer 2015 Tebow was and there are questions to how good a passer Wilson is now. Teaming with Hopkins isn't going to help with that evaluation and assuming they're guaranteed to be average because they have Hopkins is a fallacy.

Teams and free agents when signing need to be certain of what they have before making decisions around a player or themselves if it's a free agent. I believe Hopkins did that. Now can he elevate an average quarterback in the way theory says he should be able to?

There's No Longer A Real Reason To Criticize Mac Jones

Mac Jones has a weak arm. That was the complaint about Mac Jones entering the 2021 NFL draft. Basically he was accused of not being able to throw hard or over 40 yards. And Mac heard people.

Mac Jones began working with Tom House immediately. Tom House worked with many famous pitchers and quarterbacks to teach them to gain arm strength. Mac Jones forced the ball deep to appease both Matt Patricia and fans in 2022 and paid for it.

Recently a video came out of Mac Jones throwing the ball 70 yards indoors. Mac isn't going to be making that throw often in the NFL. However, throwing it 20 yards less, he should now be able to put a lot more zip on the ball.

Here's the clip of Mac throwing 70 yards. No more talk about his arms from fans or the media. https://youtube.com/shorts/p7ejmIHab8o?feature=share3

People have looked for every reason to bash Mac Jones since coming to New England. It has become clear that the only thing that matters to his critics is, how good of a running back is he. They honestly don't care if he's a good passer, so they made up the excuse of his arm strength because they're still bitching about him.

It basically sounds like most fans and members of the media want to eliminate passing although and just revert to running and laterals. That maybe fun for a week or two but that's not football. And that's why I am not in agreement with the typical fan. Just like when they wanted to sign Cam Newton after two weeks and I didn't.

Sometimes one just can't with fans and the media. And this is one of those periods where it's almost best to cut everyone off. And to enjoy the team by one's self.

I'm Not Mad At Samuel For Reminding Belichick Who's Under Center.

Going back to Danny Etling in 2018, both fans and media alike have been saying "stop comparing people to Tom Brady." Some of them recanted and even during the week 17 season of the 2020, we're calling Cam Newton "better than Tom" because he could run but for the most part, it has been said repeatedly. "Stop comparing people to Brady."

The Patriots drafted Mac Jones in 2021. June Jones and Charlie Weiss called him the best passer in the 2021 draft. There were comparisons to Kurt Cousins, Chad Pennington, Matt Ryan, Joe Montana, and Tom Brady. While most said the last two were too high, people agreed upon the other three.

Mac went on to win the starting job as a rookie, make the playoffs, and pro bowl. His sophomore season, he had a rookie and I do mean rookie offensive coordinator and Mac got injured but he was still on pace to be the top 10 quarterback in statistics if he hadn't. Some criticized his ability to throw a catchable pass but player profiler said he threw the 80% of the time.

So people in 2023 are questioning Mac's ability to be a starter in 2023. Some calling him a bum. A former Patriots player came to his defense and tweeted on twitter June 6th.

"Let’s go Mac! He can actually do good if Bill stop doing stupid shit thinking he got Tom." Asante Samuel

Samuel accused Bill of treating Mac Jones like Tom Brady and everyone lost it. Fans are on social media like, "How dare you tell anyone not to compare the Patriots starting quarterback to Tom Brady, especially Bill Belichick." That's a summary of what's being said.

Unless Bill Belichick truly thinks Mac Jones is on Tom Brady's level, why would anyone get upset at a former player that knows Belichick, reminding Bill that his quarterback isn't on Brady's level? Seems kinda hypocritical but that's our fan base. We're a bunch of entitled hypocrites because we appeared in 9 superbowls since the start of the millennium.

Now, if Bill does think that, which is possible. Then Mac is playing below his level or Bill made an error. And while I respect Belichick, he has made scouting evolution mistakes in the past. Mac is statistically a better regular season quarterback than Brady was after the 02 season but he's nowhere near as clutch.

If Samuel didn't cost the Patriots a ring in many a fan's eyes, I don't think he would be getting any criticism for his comments. From listening to the people talk, they're just upset that he costed the Patriots a ring. And Samuel speaking out gives them an opportunity to attack him. 

Now Samuel made some comments about another corner in the league. That's another subject that has nothing to do with the Patriots, even if Revis is the one going at Samuel over his comments. Revis is a Jet, even if he helped the Patriots win a ring.

The Patriots Made Mistakes According To Fans And Media, While These Two Groups Themselves Are Both Normally Heavily Error Prone.

Fans and media often make bad general managers that are quick to criticize general managers poor decisions but never take accountability for their own bad takes. Here are some of the latest critiques going around about Bill Belichick the GM of the Patriots.

The Patriots should've drafted Lamar Jackson and should've made sure Brady never left. Cannot call it a mistake to let Tom Brady who retired after the 2022 season walk in 2019 and call it a mistake not to draft Lamar Jackson in 2018. If Brady had stayed. Lamar wouldn't of even played on his fifth year option. And Lamar would've been a waste of a first round draft pick.

People criticized the Patriots for not taking Deebo Sanders or A.J. Brown, players who many projected to be slot receivers. The Patriots in 2019 needed an X receiver and even had Demaryius Thomas. It was known that Arizona wanted Harry. The receiver that they could've considered was Metcalf of the Seahawks, but he had red flags. The Patriots would end up signing A.B. and trading for Sanu and surprisingly both were shit with Tom Brady in New England and A.B. was a mental and P.R. nightmare.

People criticized the Patriots for not trading up in 2020 for Tee Higgins. In 2020, it was believed that the Patriots needed tight ends on offense. The Patriots drafted two. Instead of getting an X receiver because the team had just invested previously on the X with N'Keal Harry. Fans would be just in criticizing the tight ends selected or the Patriots inability to know how to use the H-Back tight end position. As we saw in 2 seasons with Jonnu Smith, they don't know how to use that tight end position. The team was right at the time however for not trading up for Higgins while having so many needs.

Then people criticize the Patriots for not taking Metchie. In 2022, the Patriots had a slot, a Z, and an X receiver in Meyers, Bourne, and Agholor. They would later end up trading for Devante Parker. John Metchie was a slot receiver with acl problems and ran a 4.48. The team needed speed. And drafted Tyquan Thorton who ran a 4.28. Thorton has 22 catches over his career. Metchie hasn't recorded a stat. While I think Thorton is a deep slot being misused and fans could bitch that he's a deep slot, not an outside guy, he was a better selection then John Metchie.

The Patriots have been criticized for years for not signing or trading for Dez Bryant, Julio Jones and OBJ. Three guys who didn't do shit since the Patriots fan base started demanding their acquisition by Belichick. And when we look at OBJ, he choose the Rams and Ravens over the Patriots and admitted at one point that he chose the Rams because the Patriots didn't have Brady. 

The Point is, we as fans and even those in the media have the luxury of not having concerquences for our decisions or statements. People aren't coming at us asking how our decision turned out. Nobody asked Patriots fans about wanting Dez when his ankle broke in New Orleans. Nobody asked Patriots fans about Julio Jones when got injured for the titans,  Nobody asked fans when OBJ chose the Rams over the Pats, and nobody said a word to fans about John Metchie not recording a stat. That's a luxury we need to recognize, we have no accountability.

Patriots Record Prediction Before The Preseason.

Heading into the  2023 season, a lot of people have the Patriots with nine losses or more. I believe weeks two, three, four, six, thirteen, and eighteen are coin flip games. I have to go with my gut. The Patriots have the potential to finish anywhere from six to a fourteen win team.

Week 1: Loss vs Phi. It's a running quarterback in week one. The Patriots won't be ready for Hurts until Week five.

Week 2: Win vs Mia. It's Miami in the north. The Patriots should be improved enough to win at home.

Week 3: Win at NYJ. Rodgers is the wildcard but I do not believe the Jets have improved enough on paper.

Week 4: Win at Dal. I think the Dak era is coming to an end in Dallas. The Cowboys will find a way to lose this game.

Week 5: Win vs NO. Another team I don't think improved enough.

Week 6: Win at LV. JMD is on the hotseat. And might be rolling out Hoyer to start the season.

Week 7: Loss vs Buf. If the Patriots are going to upset the Bills this is the game but don't hold your breath.

Week 8: Loss at Mia. It's Miami in Miami. Unless Tua goes down. The Patriots aren't winning in Miami but being that it's in Miami, that still might not be enough.

Week 9: Win vs Was. Howell is not besting Bill Belichick in 2023.

Week 10: Win vs Ind. I expect the rookie to be starting by now but regardless, they don't have the quarterback to beat the Patriots in 2023.

Week 11 bye

Week 12: Win at NYG. The Giants over paid Jones and it's going to bite them, especially if Barkley sits out.

Week 13: Win vs LAC. December in New England, I think this favors the Patriots, who should have improved cornerback play thanks to Gonzalez.

Week 14: Win at Pit. I don't think the Steelers have the quarterbacks to beat the Patriots. I have no faith in Pickett.

Week 15: Loss at KC. I think the media is going to make this game personal for Belichick but I don't think the Patriots can hang on long enough to win.

Week 16: Win at Den. Sean Peyton is not going to be enough to save Denver. I expect Stidham to be seeing playing time by then.

Week 17: Loss at Buf. Unless Buffalo has the one seed locked, this is an L for the Patriots.

Week 18: Win vs NYJ. Again, Rodgers is a wildcard but the Patriots are at home. If this game is a win and in for both teams, like it think it might be. I expect Belichick to treat it like a playoff game. And I think it will be too much pressure for the Jets.

By my count, I have the Patriots now going 12-5. If I'm correct, I'm up a Win from the last time I did this. The only thing signing Hopkins will do is secure the coin flip games I have them winning. Maybe I'm disrespecting some of the quarterbacks the Patriots will face but if I am, let them prove it.

Blog retract

So on Wednesday I had heard someone say the Patriots signed D-hop to a 3 year contract. And also saw an article that confirmed it. It appears I got duped and the contract that was mentioned, was actually the Parker extension. I had to retract my D-hop article. My apologies to the readers.

Mac Jones Is Being Disrespected Still By Patriots Fans

When the Patriots drafted Mac Jones, a lot of fans were upset that they did trade up for Justin Fields. In fact it seems most Patriots fans would have the Patriots scouting running backs to see if they can throw the ball 50 yards, regardless of accuracy and be drafting or signing a running back to play quarterback over keeping Mac Jones.

It makes sense why some of the fanbase wants the team to re-sign Cam. The fanbase has shown it wants a running back that throws hail marys or bombs everytime when asked to pass. Hell, knowing Patriots Nation, there were probably fans that wanted the team to draft DJ Turner from Michigan to play quarterback. Let's look at what the Patriots had in 2022.

In 2022 defensive coach Matt Patricia became the Patriots defacto offensive coordinator. And special teams coach Joe Judge became the quarterbacks coach. Both are former head coaches but offensive wasn't their specialty. 

Patricia was pretty much the best of the bottom quarter of offensive coordinators having the team 26th in both total yards and offensive scoring. For a rookie offensive coordinator on any level, that's not bad. It's also not great because he was more predictable than Josh McDaniels.

The combination of Judge and Patricia led to the Patriots quarterbacks getting sacked an average of 7 times a game. That was 19th in the league. The Patriots quarterbacks finished 6th in completion percentage and 18th in QBR. 

For two guys that didn't have the experience for their position on the staff in 2022, they actually did better than given credit. Even if it was below standard for the Patriots. And I don't think anyone honest will argue that.

Mac Jones missed 3 games, which were 3 of the teams easier games, so Mac's stats would've gotten inflated. Mac also got pulled in one. Mac averaged 214 yards per game and 1 touchdown pass a game. While Mac didn't finish so well, he was on pace for over 3,600 yards and over 17 touchdowns. He was also on pace for 13 Interceptions.

Bailey Zappe threw for 781 yards, 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Hoyer also threw 6 passes before getting hurt for 37 yards. The Patriots would've gotten better stats from Mac but no less than what the Patriots put up. 

That would've put Mac at over 3800 yards with 19 touchdowns and 14 Interceptions. Mac three for 3,800 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions his pro bowl rookie year. If Mac had played the entire season, he would've finished a top 10 quarterback in yards and a top 15 quarterback in touchdowns.

Now Mac Jones did have one of the lower tier protection rates, being ranked 23rd for protection. Player profiler said Mac Jones was the 16th best quarterback in true completion percentage and and the 11th best at catchable pass rate. Mac was also ranked the 11th best at completing the pass under pressure.

That's all good but they also said Mac was the 18th best quarterback in clean pocket completion percentage and the 22nd best in clean pocket passer accuracy. And while Mac was ranked 11th best on completion percentage against man coverage, against zone coverage, which modern starters normally excel, Mac was ranked 24th.

If I were to say how to beat Mac Jones, I would say it would be to use zone blitz packages. So are there things that Mac needs to improve on, yes. But I don't see Mac being anymore or any less than he was in 2021, entering his third season.

And as for Bill Belichick, he needs to accept that his quarterback doesn't have the experience of Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde, Drew Bledsoe, Tom Brady, or Cam Newton, his former starters and take his share of the blame for Mac Jones's lack of progression.

I think McDaniels is an average offensive coordinator because he isn't aggressive enough. And the inexperienced Matty P. was a below average coordinator. What Mac Jones has shown us in two seasons, with these two coordinators is, that he is a top 16 quarterback that can crack the top 10 in categories.

So here's my question: Do people want the Patriots to get rid of Mac Jones and suck until they can get an elite, top 10 quarterback, or are people okay with the Patriots sticking with a quarterback that has shown that he is average to above average?

And before one answers consider this, you put tools around an average quarterback, you make them above average, you do the same to an above average quarterback and you make them good. The Patriots don't have a Gronk or Hernandez, they don't have a Moss, and the jury is still out on JuJu, if they have a Welker or Edelman. And don't mention Bourne, I think he's an overrated number 3 or a bottom end number 2 at best.

I think right now for the Patriots, the evolution is do they extend and pay Mac like a bottom end top 10 quarterback or do they treat him like a bottom end top 20 quarterback. The difference is whether Mac is fighting for or guaranteed a roster spot after 2027.

Bailey Zappe Is Getting More Play Time So Far This Offseason

In 2021 the Patriots gave Mac Jones more snaps than starter Cam Newton. Cam missed a preseason game and Mac won the job. People are saying there's no similarities between this OTA session and the one from 2021. They're wrong.

After the second media day of OTAs, Mac Jones had thrown 24 passes. Zappe threw 27 passes. Mac went 31 of 37 during the three OTAs. Zappe went 33 of 44 passes. Zappe also threw two interceptions. 

Zappe is getting more attempts. He's taking more snaps in front of the media. Stats don't tell everything but like I said after day two of media OTAs, there's nothing saying there isn't a competition going on.

Again, I like Mac but we gotta wait until the preseason before we can really say there's no competition. We just haven't seen enough to say there's not one going on. It's like when some of the media didn't want to cover Newton vs Stidham, or the things showing Brady was prepping to leave the Pats. If the media doesn't want us to talk about something, they'll try to squash it.

You know it's funny, the media tells us fans that we haven't seen enough of Mac to say whether he is or isn't the guy but some of them think they've seen enough after the first OTA to call whether or not a quarterback competition is happening. Many are the same people who screamed for Cam to get a long term contract after playing two weeks with the Pats. And we all saw how Newton was by years end as a passer.

If Stidham vs Newton And Newton vs Jones Taught Us Anything, It's You Can't Call The Competition Yet.

In 2021 people called the quarterback competition for Mac Jones because Cam was getting time with the starters. Even though Cam was getting time with the starters, Mac was getting more snaps and we saw how that went.

After the first day the media was allowed at OTAs, Majority seemed to call the competition for Mac Jones. I struggled to find anyone who had passing stats for day two but I did, thank you Mark Daniels.

While I don't have the number of plays each ran, Zappe has thrown the ball more. Mac has been almost perfect but this is a no contact period and even in would be sack situations, the quarterbacks are still allowed to throw the ball. 

What I will say after watching the 2020 and 2021 competition is don't call it until the preseason unless Zappe without injury starts to get a significant drop in snaps. Zappe could still win it in the preseason, like Mac did in '21 or Mac could win it by default due to something happening with Zappe, like Cam did in '20.

I am a big Mac Jones fan and want him to be the long term starter. And again, I get current stats make Mac look like the starter but Bill Belichick has made it part of Patriots Nation to know that stats don't tell the full story. We need more Information before we can call Mac the starter and not a single member of the Patriots media has given that to us.

Again, shout out to Mark Daniels over at Masslive. Make sure if you're reading this to check out his coverage of the Patriots.

New England Should Avoid Hopkins Unless They're Sure On What They Have In Their Current Quarterback Room.

The Arizona Cardinals cut DeAndre Hopkins, one of the best wide receivers in football. The Patriots were a rumored trade destination and now the question becomes should they pursue him. The answer is not a clear answer.

The only thing about Hopkins that is a deterrent, is his asking price. Hopkins only played in 9 games in 2022 due to suspension but put up good stats. He caught 64 of 96 passes for over 700 yards but only had 3 touchdown receptions.

So besides money, the next big issue is the Patriots quarterback situation. Bailey Zappe is not a top 32 quarterback and there's questions still on if Mac Jones is a top 32 quarterback.

If the Patriots think Mac is capable of being a long term starter, pursue Hopkins. If they're unsure, Hopkins would give a false read. And they need to pass on him or they'll be looking for a new quarterback in like three seasons when Hopkins is gone.

Fans don't like it but we don't know if Mac Jones is on the ceiling trajectory of Trent Edwards, Kirk Cousins, or Chad Pennington. Sure he's accurate but is he at least a sustainable middle of the pack guy or was last season a true picture of what they have in their former first round draft pick. Although, his stats suggest he would've matched his 2021 stats if he didn't get injured.

Plus if the team thinks Mac Jones is not the long term solution, Hopkins will worsen the draft value making it harder for the team to acquire a decent starting caliber quarterback in the draft. Those guys rarely make it to pick 15. With Hopkins, the team could be drafting around pick 20. Would people rather win a few more games this season or get their quarterback next season?

So, like I said, the answer in if the Patriots should pursue Hopkins is not as crystal clear as some people would think. The Patriots are going to do Patriots things and if they do sign Hopkins. I'm not going to complain now but in a few years when he wants more money and leaves, if Mac struggles, I will say I told you so.