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.