Everyone Assumes But We Know Nothing About The Patriots Needs Or Draft Strategy.

When people talk about the Patriots's needs, they act as if the Patriots still play a base 3-4. If the Patriots are going to play that as a base scheme, they have a lot of holes on their defense then people realize. And fans should be concerned. 

For starters they need either a true nose tackle or a hybrid tackle that can play end. Either a Wilfork or a Barmore. They need an outside linebacker that can set the edge while being able to cover. They need a middle linebacker. A safety and a corner. That's five players minimum they need for a 3-4 scheme.

If the Patriots stay in a base Nickle they have less holes. The Patriots play a 3-3-5 or a 4-2-5 and have a defensive back assist in front seven duty, typically a safety. For this formation, the Patriots need a linebacker that can play both in and outside. They need a nose tackle, a safety. And at least one cornerback. They need at least four defensive players for this formation to work.

If the Patriots decide to play a three down dime and go with six defensive backs, the minimum number they need drops. In order to make this scheme work they need an athletic hybrid defensive tackle, a box safety with coverage ability, and at least one corner back.

After Peppers signed, he talked about the Patriots running three or more tight end sets. That's not a traditional 3-4 or 4-3 defense. And people need to remember the Patriots base scheme for the longest time has been nickle. On top of that, the team has guys returning from the injured reserve. The edge and linebacker positions must be re-evaluated.

The Patriots may very well believe they are only three players away on defense. Having nine draft picks that changes team building and draft strategy. It doesn't matter what outsiders think. We know they have needs on offense but it doesn't matter what we think. It doesn't matter what the media thinks either. The Patriots may believe they have the cushion to go after low risk high reward project players. We just don't know. And the only position that should be a certainty in this draft on defense is corner.

So relax, take a breathe and just wait to see what the team does. That's all we can do. Understand that the media has a job to do and getting fans worked up is part of it. Especially when there is nothing really going on in football at the moment until the draft on Thursday. The more anxious the media makes us, the more likely we will be to turn into the draft. And the more likely we will be to turn into them for insight. It's basic sports entertainment 101.

The Patriots Trade Back And Some People Are Confused.

The Patriots made a trade. Just hearing that should have fans chirping in a positive way. Instead people are confused. The Patriots traded one of their two 5th round picks for a 6th and a seventh but why? Some are acting like Belichick doesn't know that he's gonna have a harder time getting a top 100 pick that falls past the third round. This is Bill Belichick we're talking about. He's like the king of day three talent.

Every year Bill Belichick finds at least one UDFA to make the roster. From J.C. Jackson to Jakobi Meyers, from Malcolm Butler to David Andrews, Bill Belichick can spot UDFA talent. That's great right but we're talking about trading down in the draft on day three. He's missing our on valuable talent. Bill cannot find anyone good in those rounds, right? There's no way Bill can find anyone useful that late. I hear you but that's just not true. 

Here's a few names that Belichick got production from in the 6th and 7th rounds: 2020 Mike Onwenu 6th round, Ryan Izzo 6th round 2018, Elandon Roberts and Ted Karras 6th round 2018, Nate Ebner 6th round 2012, Julian Edelman 7th round 2009, Matt Cassel 7th round 2005, David Givens 7th round 2002, Tom Brady 6th round 2000, Patrick Pass 7th round 2000. 

Belichick has found production in the 6th or 7th round in one third of his Patriots drafts. That is exluding his history of signing UDFAs, one must think Belichick sees a guy that won't be affordable as a UDFA. Remeber at one point the draft went when Bill Belichick started coaching there were 17 rounds. Bill Belichick learned how to scout late round picks because it didn't drop to single digit rounds until 1993.

There are a few guys that are low risk High reward, Western Kentucky has at least two guys, Zappe and Sterns. And there are others with some positions being better loaded. There are special teamers that will not be available come the UDFA period and the team just lost Brandon Bolden. On top of that, this is a deep receiving back class, so getting a guy that can truly replace Bolden is huge. And don't forget they also lost King to Indianapolis. Keep an eye on receiving back and special teamer Calvin Turner Jr. 

Look trust Belichick. This is a good late round draft class. I fully get that people ignore that there's over two hundred draft picks and that they only focus on the top 100, even though this year's third round has 105 draft picks. Every year Bill finds a good player that people are like "who the hell is that." So trust in Bill as we always have. There's obviously a plan and a plan cannot come to fruition if it's never acted upon. Please, don't criticized this trade until after the draft. And I dare say until he finalizes the 53 man roster for week one.

The 2022 Draft Is Stacked With Special Team Talent.

Special teams are an important part of football. Coach Belichick often refers to the three parts of the game when most only refer to offense or defense. He also keeps players on the roster solely for their special teams abilities. Matthew Slater is listed as a wide receiver but his true role on the team is gunner, he barely sees the field as a receiver. In fact Slater was on the field less than 1 percent of offensive snaps in 2021 but is a team captain. So let's take a look at some of the special teams prospects.

Let's start with the leg. I've only focused on one leg in the draft, Matt Araiza. We're talking bout a guy who kicks 80 yard punts and 50 to 60 yard field goals. And from the reports I read, everything wrong with him is coachable. Araiza is quite possible a third round pick and I have read at least one article asking how early is too early to draft a punter.

Joe Cardona has already played longer than the average long snapper career. He's done well and it's hard to find guys who can play a long time at the position. There are six guys in the draft, all listed as safeties but are long snappers that are worth aquiring. Cal Adomitis, Damone Johnson, John Taylor, Keegan Markgraf, Jordan Silver, and Cameron Kane. I don't know if any of these guys are worth a draft pick but they these six guys should find an NFL roster in 2022.

Then there are two other guys I like for their contributions. One guy would replace Brandon Bolden on the Patriots and do a little returning when not helping the punt coverage team. That's Zonovan Knight. Knight can contribute on offense just like Bolden but it's his special teams abilities that would coveted. Knight is a utility player and with the loss of Bolden, he's the perfect replacement.

The other name is Calvin Turner Jr from Hawaii. If James White returned kicks, you'd have Turner. Turner averaged over 22 yards a kickoff and over 7 yards a punt return. Turner is a former defensive player and can also help on the coverage teams. On top of that Turner is a receiving back that averaged 5.92 yards per carry and like 300 receiving yards a season on 20 catches. He's not a great passer but he's route running benefits from being a former quarterback. He's just a true football player. More versatile than Gunner. In fact he's Gunner's replacement if there was one. He's a receiving back but he can line up on offense the way Gunner was used, and play defensive back if needed.

Every year I typically include a few special teams players on my big board for the Patriots. And typically my fellow Patriots fans laugh because they have zero value for special teams. Many of the receivers I have on my big board often double as returners and the linebacker I have listed also have value on special teams. This year is no exception. Take a look at superbowl 53. If not for Ryan Allen and that punt team, the Patriots defense would've had a longer night and might not of only held the Rams to three points. The Patriots are in a rebuild and they have to address this part of their team. This year is stacked with special team talent.

Fans Sleeping On Meyers The Way They Slept On Edelman.

In 2021 the Patriots brought in four guys. Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Hunter Henry, and Jonnu Smith. Agholor was immediately projected to be receiver one and although I disagreed, Jonnu Smith was projected to be tight end one. By the end of the preseason there was a divide among fans over who was receiver one. Most thought it was Meyers but others were split between Bourne and Agholor. As for the tight ends, Henry was the clear number one (Duh).

In 2020 the Patriots pass catchers weren't that great. Although Meyers had improved the rest of the staff was abysmal. So they brought in Agholor in 2021. Agholor was coming off a season where he caught 48 of 82 targets for 896 yards and 8 touchdowns. The main gripe with Agholor was the Patriots seemed to have him running sprints and the Patriots didn't seem to trust Mac's arm to get Agholor the ball.

In 2021 Agholor caught 37 of 64 passes for 473 yards and 3 touchdowns but Meyers improved with another 40 targets. So they brought in Parker who's likely to play across from Agholor and to be used the same way. In 2021 Parker caught 40 of 73 passes for 515 yards and 2 touchdowns. Parker did miss 5 games but Agholor missed 2. Hunter Henry finally played a full year. He caught 50 of 75 passes for 603 yards and 9 touchdowns. 

While Parker and Agholor are stretching the outside, Agholor will be stretching the middle down the seam. This is going to open up the underneath stuff. Regardless if who the pass catchers are. 

Kendrick Bourne maybe a better athlete than Jakobi Meyers but he only had 70 targets compared to Meyers's 126. Meyers in his first year with Mac Jones, was his security blanket. I'm not knocking Bourne, he's a good player but there are those knocking Meyers. People saying Meyers on any other team is a number two or three. That's the arguement that was made about Julian Edelman and Jules stayed with the Patriots and was their number one receiver.

Bring that up to people who are against Meyers being the number one and they'll point out how Edelman had Gronkowski. Well in 2021 Meyers had Henry and Agholor. On top of that Meyers now has Parkers. In 2021 it was clear that Meyers was trusted over Bourne. That's not going to change unless the Patriots keep Meyers off the field. Possible but I don't see it happening. Mac Jones will spread the ball around and everyone will get their touches, however when Mac needs to be saved, odds are the ball is going to Meyers first, and Henry second.

The great thing about football is we can have difference of opinion because unlike politics, morals don't come into play. All we can do is wait and see. If Bourne has a better spot in the progression this season than Meyers, I won't be mad and I don't think many will be. However, as seen with Cam Newton in 2020 and Jonnu Smith in 2021, fans will be mad if Meyers has a better spot in the progression. They'll have excuses. We just have to accept things as they are, not how we think they should be. In football things don't always make sense and that's what makes the game exciting. As long as the Patriots are winning, who cares who has the better positioning.

The Patriots Have Players They Could Move During The Draft.

I have used different simulators but for some reason based off the draft board ranking, PFF is considered the best simulator. I have pointed out that I think it's just as flawed due to the trade system and that using different draft simulators may allow for the idea of reaches or people falling. However, people with in the media disagree, so I have been playing around looking to see what I could get for three individual Patriots players.

Now there is no guarantee that the Patriots will move on from any of these three guys prior to the completion of the 2022 season but I do believe that all three guys should net a sixth or seventh round pick if traded because teams know the Patriots are looking to dump the players. And with all three being in final years, teams could always wait until free agency 2023 to attempt to acquire them. Those players are Jarrett Stidham, N'keal Harry, and Jake Bailey.

Jarrett Stidham has been kept around. It would make sense for the Patriots to take a quarterback in 2022. Stidham knows the playbook and had beat Hoyer out at least once. Hoyer is a quarterback coach and should be evolved in game planning but if the Patriots really viewed Hoyer as the true backup, Stidham would be gone. So if the Patriots do not take a quarterback in this draft, watch for Stidham to get a two year contract extension.

N'Keal Harry knows his time is up. A trade request was made in 2021 but Harry is still with the team. Harry appears to block better than Asiasi and Keene. Although I believe that it's past the time for the Patriots to convert Harry, If The 2020 tight end duo does not show improvement, Harry may finally see the conversion fans have been asking for. I expect to see Harry in camp come August. Whether or not he makes the fifty three man roster is still TBD but he's someone to watch.

Jake Bailey, the all pro punter. The only way I see the Patriots moving on from him is if they acquire Matt Araiza. Being an all pro punter,, I think the Patriots may have a hard time finding a trade partner and will have to settle on a late round pick or the team will have to set Araiza if they draft him if they want a compensation pick.  Typically Bailey's salary would be too high but with the weakness of the Patriots defense, extending Bailey if they fail to acquire a punter makes sense. Special teams can make up for a lesser defense. 

Since PFF is being considered the simulator to use, I will show the last first round draft I did. I do expect the Patriots to trade down in to the first or early second and do think it's entirely possible that they make three trades down depending on how the board falls. I do think these three guys could be traded but again not for less than a sixth or seventh round pick.  I want to say the draft I am about to share in no way do I believe will happen but want to make a point that one simulator cannot or should not be relied on exclusively. 

I do think the saints would more likely be a trade candidate for Harry than the Ravens and the Steelers for Stidham with the passing of Haskins over the Saints. Bailey to the Rams makes sense as that's the only team I saw anything saying they need a punter. Again the draft simulator's trade system is broken so take the trades with a grain of salt.

Samuel wants out of San Fran because he wants to get paid. Murray wants to get paid early in Arizona also.

Receiver Deebo Samuel was drafted in the second round of 2019. He signed a rookie contract of just under five million dollars. Quarterback Kyler Murray was drafted first over all that same year. He signed a rookie contract of just under thirty-six million dollars. Neither man has completed their rookie deal and both men want new contracts.

It's not unusual for players to extend their contract during their final year after they played a few games. However, players are starting to ask for money before their final year if their rookie contract is up. On top of that players are asking for more and more money. And we are seeing twenty to twenty-five percent of a team's salary cap go to individual players. 

There are fifty three players on a roster, not including practice squad guys. The NFL Salary cap is two hundred eight million dollars. Sixteen out of the top twenty-one players are quarterbacks. The top twenty-one players make a minimum of twenty-five million dollars a season. With the top six guys making twenty to twenty-five percent of the salary cap.

Aaron Rodgers, the guy who was against the bottom tiered players in the league getting a raise in the last CBA, is making fifty million dollars a season after a contract negotiation. The money both Murray and Samuel are making is chunp change compared to the names on the list, however neither Murray or Samuel has accomplished anything.

Teams want to win but it's hard to sign good players when one player is making so much money. For some teams, they're paying two people up to half the team's salary cap. Meaning the team needs those two players to carry lesser players. If a player is eating all the salary cap, one cannot argue who's the team putting around them.

When players are demanding their payday before their rookie contract expires, it's bad for business. And it's bad for the sport. The NFL has to crack down on this and on the over priced salaries before the salary cap is tossed. There are baseball teams that without a salary cap, will never make the playoffs and in football, team's like Jacksonville will never reach the playoffs without a salary cap. It's time for the rules committee to act 

Drafting A Thumper And Running Three Or More Safety Sets Doesn't Fully Make Sense.

People are talking about the Patriots possibly playing with three or more safeties. However, people also think the Patriots are going to get a big 270 pound thumping linebacker. It doesn't quite make sense with how the team is built. If the Patriots want to run a 3-2-5 nickle maybe they can do it on early downs and keep the big body guy in the middle for first down. 

The Patriots running with three or more safeties in my opinion means the true linebackers are going to be jacks or edge rushers. Now I like Darrian Beavers and Leo Chanel. If the Patriots take a guy in the draft, they won't be larger than these two. If the Patriots take a larger linebacker, the front three must be able to stop the run. The Patriots do not have that talent on their roster. I do not think the Patriots have the personell to play a 3-3-5 nickle set properly.

Safeties that play middle linebacker are the direction the league is going. The 3-2-6 or 5-6, whatever variation of the three down dime they like. Two corners, a free Safety, and three hybrid safeties. With the front five being a nose tackle, two tackle end hybrids, and two jacks/edge rushers. That's the future or defense. 

Unless the Patriots are getting Jordan Davis and using him as a thumping linebacker instead of an interior  defensive linemen, it just doesn't make sense. 

If the Patriots wanted another big body guy, they're better off converting to a quarter defense. Either a 3-1-7 quarter with a nose tackle and two hybrid tackles that can play edge and an athletic thumper plus four or more safeties, or run a 4-0-7 quarter with four heavier tackle hybrids and running with five safeties.

I don't know, it's just a thought. If anyone can make it work, It's Bill Belichick.

The Patriots Don't Need A Number One Receiver In The Draft

How many times this offseason have we heard "the Patriots need a receiver" ? It didn't stop once the Patriots acquired DeVante Parker. Which is funny because majority of the people still saying the Patriots need a number one receiver are pretty strong with their opinion of Parker. DeVante Parker is supposedly a number one receiver. So why do the Patriots need another number one?

Nelson Agholor is supposed to a number two. Kendrick Bourne is supposed to be a number three according to many. And Meyers is either a number two or three, depending on who one asks. Then the Patriots have Henry who is a number two pass catcher. And Smith who is either better than Henry or less than Burkhead as a pass catcher, depending on who's asked.

On paper, the Patriots theoretically don't need a top tiered pass catcher from the draft. However, the game is not played on paper. With that, the team does not need to invest a top 100 pick on a wideout. However, if one becomes available where the Patriots are comfortable, probably in round three, than the Patriots should take one if they fall.

Taking a developmental round six or seven slot guy still makes sense. I know there are those who want a guy who can't seperate so that Mac Jones has to throw into coverage a.k.a. throw 50-50 balls. It's funny we as fans have bitched about receivers not getting open. We have bitched about N'keal Harry not getting open. At the same time, we will still call Harry a 50-50 guy and say he wasn't used right. Why do we do this? Because as fans, we cannot admit that 50-50 is just another way to say a guy who's covered.

The Patriots don't need another Antonio Brown, Josh Gordon, or Brandon LaFell. They need another Troy Brown, Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, or, Malcolm Mitchell. That doesn’t mean we will not welcome a guy who can't get seperation from this draft class. We all know if they get one, we will put Randy Moss expectations on him. It's just being real in saying the Patriots don't need a guy they have to force the ball to or to create special plays taking everyone else out of the play, just so one guy might pick up 3 to 5 yards through the air.

Running backs have plays just for them because a handoff only has one option typically. On passing plays there should be four options. There is no reason to design a play that takes all but one pass catcher out of the play. If the defense guesses right and takes the guy out of the play, all that's left is for the quarterback to scramble or throw it away. Thanks but no thanks. 

Lawrence Owens once said that a number one should be the team's third or fourth target. And I agree with that. I also like how Nelson Agholor drew coverage away from everyone else in 2021. He didn't get the same amount of targets as Meyers but defenses treated him like a number one. If Parker is a number one, the Patriots should have two guys putting up Agholor production in 2022. That means there should be two guys that have inflated seasons in 2022, and I think that's gonna be Meyers and Bourne. And fans will fail to realize it until one or both of Parker and Agholor are gone. 

Matt Groh Spoke To The Media And Said A Lot Without Saying Anything.

People have questions about the Patriots offseason approach this year and what to expect in the draft. Media members had the chance to ask Matt Groh, the director of players personnel for the Patriots on April 15th some of these questions in hopes of getting clarity.

Matt Groh said teams cannot rely on the draft get quality receivers. This was in reference to their offseason approach to acquiring a receiver. His response seemed like something that would be true for every position. However, receiver was an important need this season.

Groh admitted to relying on experience from other staff members including Matt Patricia and Elliot Wolf. The Patriots sent Wolf to scout record breaking prospects Jerreth Sterns and Bailey Zappe. Groh is still young and learning the ins and outs. Groh admits he's still learning his job. And how much he values the rest of the staff.

Matt Patricia who Groh mentioned, was the reason the Patriots traded for DeVante Parker. Groh said "Patricia was all in and on the trade early " Matt Patricia was a former head coach and just like there are still players that want to play for the Patriots. There were players who wanted to play for Patricia prior to losing the lions job.

As far as college scouting, Groh said they "do their best scouting with college teams that they're friendly with the staff of." Obviously he acknowledged they have an 'In' at Alabama but he implied that if the staff has connections at other schools, they would have an advantage in those locations also. Everyone knows about the Belichick Saben connection but has anyone really looked into any other possible connections between the Patriots and colleges?

Groh admitted that the college game was changing but also implied that at least when it comes to linebacker, that if college isn't producing the type of player they want, then they have to manufacture that player if need be. Talking about the bigger linebackers. Do not be surprised if they sign or draft a bigger athletic defensive linemen and convert them to linebacker 

Groh also said "guys have to fit schematically." That's should rule out the thought of BPA (best player available) for the most part. The Patriots are going to look for guys who fit what they do before looking at how good they are overall. This is basically how it seems they have always worked things but it had to be made clear, it was still the Patriots way.

When Groh talked about speed, he mentioned about how guys were used and how people define positions. Like a safety and a linebacker. "Guys can be put all over the place and that's a way to increase the speed of a defense."

With Groh's other comments about linebacker, expect the Patriots to possibly draft outside the box at the position. Keep an eye on Jordan Davis from Georgia, the defensive talked has linebacker speed and athletism and would be the type of player Ghor was referring to.

When asked about offensive line Groh stressed the importance of acquiring guys that can play multiple positions. Groh was mainly talking about the draft but it goes to show that guys who are not versatility with their position are going to have a harder time becoming a Patriots player.

After hearing Groh talk about linebacker and offensive line, it's clear that one trick ponys are not what the Patriots want. Even if the Patriots take a receiver, expect them to either be a returner, move tight end capable, or just a true receiver and not limited to just one role or package. It looks like Groh has a strong desire to acquire hybrid players. Typically prototype players may become a thing of the past under Groh.

Groh acknowledged that the team was going to build around Mac Jones's contract but also implied that quarterbacks were getting overpaid. Expect the Patriots to do their best to keep Mac Jones's contract as low as possible for as long as possible. Other teams are struggling because they're paying their quarterback around 25% of the team's salary cap.

The Patriots have a plan for this free agency, that's clear. The question which we won't know, is how well are they doing and executing their plan. People may not be happy with their approach but it's a calculated approach. That approach might not be the approach fans want but it may just be the approach the team needs. 

The Patriots Employ Three Percent Of Players, That Doesn't Mean The Other Ninty Seven Percent Want To Play For The Patriots.

The offseason before the Eagles won the superbowl, former Patriots Blount and Long left the Patriots to play for the Eagles. An Eagle's  lineman then came out and said nobody wants to play for the Patriots. He had to get that from somewhere, where does anyone think he got that from? The former Patriots on his team when he made the comments.

Cole Beasley chose the Buffalo Bills over the Patriots because Tom Brady was too old. Former Patriots's linebacker Marsh said he didn't want to play for the Patriots because he didn't have fun. OBJ chose the Rams over the Patriots in 2021, saying it would've been different if Brady was still with them. Tom Brady chose to go to Tampa and lastly, Rob Gronkowski retired and then unretired to go play in Tampa. Five players we know who chose to play elsewhere instead of in New England.

Then there are players like Kendrick Bourne and Jabrill Peppers who wanted to play for the Patriots. Everytime one of the near 1700 players in the NFL signs with the Patriots, Patriots nation starts talking, joking about how nobody wants to play for the Patriots. At most the Patriots can have on their roster is 90 players but they have to lower it to 53 men. They never have more than 3.15% of the players on under contract.

Granted some players salaries cost to much to be able to sign with the team but I really do have to say that just because there are some players who come out after signing and say that they wanted to play for the Patriots, that we're to believe there isn't an anti Patriots base among the players union? There are a lot of players who think the Patriots are too strick, or too dirty to want to play for them. New England has a bad reputation over the Belichick era.

However that doesn't mean I think nobody wants to play for the Patriots. Also players want to get paid, we know that. A player is going to not only sign with the highest bidder normally but with whom's offering. NFL salaries a better then most careers. We are almost never going to hear a player who just signed a contract with a team say, "I didn't want to sign here, I didn't want to play here." And the reason why we're not likely to hear that is because it's a quick way to never see the field or to get cut. 

When players came out in support of Cam Newton or Jarrett Stidham in 2020, what was said by the fanbase? "Well, what else were they going to say?" It's no different when a player says they wanted to play for the Patriots after they signed. There will always be speculation on if comments are legit. And with how often contracts are manipulated to sign players, there will always be speculation that any player that signs elsewhere didn't want to play for the Patriots.

We need to accept that there are players that don't want to play for the Patriots and that's okay. The only time we need as a fanbase to throw it back in people's faces is when there are people in our faces saying nobody wants to play for our team. Otherwise all we're doing is giving ourselves and the team a bad name.

Our fanbase has such a bad reputation and it's warranted enough that we cannot stand ourselves, no wonder other fans can't. And the team doesn't need us doing anymore damage to it's reputation. So rise above the haters instead of lowering yourself because when you lower yourself, you lower all of us.

So What If He Is A Game Managing System Quarterback.

Mac Jones was considered to be the most NFL ready quarterback in the draft. His "ceiling" was said to be low because he was NFL developed at Alabama. Of course respected people in the football world called Mac Jones the best passer in the 2021 draft. I'm talking about a Charlie Weiss and June Jones but the rest of the sports world seems to think Mac will be or is a middle of the pack quarterback.

Middle of the pack quarterback is funny because many are comparing Mac to Tom Brady. Now I get the early similarities but some are comparing Mac to the 44 year old goat. And nobody refers to Brady as middle of the pack. However, there are some who refer to Brady as a system quarterback or game manager. Those are terms people use as a negative to describe Mac Jones. 

Now as for the system quarterback comments. Referring to Mac, let's look at two guys who were also referred to as system quarterbacks.

Joe Montana was referred to as a system quarterback throughout his career playing in a west coast offense. He had a record of 117-47  regular season win loss record. He also went 16-7 in the playoffs and won 4 superbowls.

Tom Brady has been referred to as a system quarterback playing in an E.P. offense. Brady has a regular season record of 243-73, with a playoff record of 35-12. Brady has been in 10 superbowls, winning 7.

Okay maybe looking at the goat and the former goat isn't fair. Mac Jones is also referred to as a game manager. There are two quarterbacks that comes to mind when I think of game managers. That's Chad Pennington and Alex Smith 

Pennington never won a superbowl but he did have a regular season record of 44-37 and a playoff record of 2-4. Pennington only played in 1 full season over his 11 years, missing 55 games as a starter and yet is still a name known around the sports world.

Alex Smith also never won a superbowl but came close as a backup the year he lost his job to Kaepernick. Smith had a regular season record of 99-67-1, with a playoff record of 2-5. 

Now there is one other label that Mac Jones has been called. That's a dunk and dunk quarterback. Something all the other guys were called. What people really are saying when they use the term dink and dunk is safe and conservative. They don't put the ball at risk and try to avoid throwing into coverage. Which means less 50-50 balls, something fans who use the term as a negative hate because they like quarterbacks who force the ball into tight windows and triple coverage.

Alex Smith completed 66.7% of his passes, throwing an interception 3.2% of his career regular passes.

Chad Pennington completed 66% of his passes, throwing an interception on 2.6% of his career regular passes.

Joe Montana completed 63.2% of his passes, throwing an interception on 2.6% of his career regular passes.

Tom Brady has completed 64.2% of his regular season passes so far over his career, throwing an interception only on 1.8% of his passes.

Mac Jones in his rookie year went 10-7 while going on to lose his only playoff game. He completed 67.6% of his passes with only 2.5% of his passes being intercepted. That puts Mac Jones in some pretty good company for categories people try to place him in to make him not appear so good.

And as far as the low ceiling goes. Quarterbacks with low ceilings have at the least won 7 superbowls and appeared in 10. We know that much because Tom Brady's scouting report was worse than Mac Jones's. So there isn't really anything being said about Mac Jones that's all that bad. I get Brady is a rarity but he's still part of that low ceiling group. And with that If Mac Jones is a game managing system quarterback with a low ceiling, he's in a place where he'll have one of the best careers he could possibly have as long as Bill Belichick is his coach. And he doesn't even need to win a ring.

It's Never Been Easier For The Patriots To Switch To A Variation Of The Three Down Dime.

Jabrill Peppers spoke to the media and some of the media made a big deal about him mentioning three safety looks. The Patriots like to run the big nickle and there's nothing saying that they have to run with three corners in the nickle. However, let's say the media is right and a change is coming. I've said that the 5-6 which is a variation of the 3-2-6 with five linemen, is the future of football. So what do the Patriots need to operate it?

Obviously the Patriots need to get themselves a premium outside corner in this draft. The Patriots had injuries last season but without Gilmore, the hole in the Patriots secondary was largely visible and now they no longer have Jackson. Belichick knows how to find corners, so I'm not too worried about this position. Unlike in 2021, expect a corner udfa to make the 53 man roster.

Linebacker has been on my board for the Patriots but they're set at linebacker if they wanna run a three down dime of some form. Safety however becomes of need. Devon McCourty is to be considered year to year at this point. So the Patriots need not only make sure they have his replacement on the roster but another linebacker strong safety hybrid as well.

With Perkins, McGrone, and the rest of the guys coming off of Injury, I believe the Patriots have enough edge guys to cover the 'Jack' position on both sides of the line. Which leaves interior defensive line. I get they drafted one last year but they don't have the rest of what they need behind him.

The Patriots have Barmore. He's a hybrid end tackle. He requires double teams. The Patriots need to acquire another hybrid from the Barmore mold. He doesn't have to be as elite. The Patriots also need to acquire a true nose guard. They need a Vince Wolfork, a Danny Shelton. A big guy who isn't as athletic as Barmore but pushes the pocket and stops the run.  If the Patriots can acquire one of each interior guy, they'd have six to seven blockers accounted for, leaving whomever the Patriots want to send at the quarterback pretty much free to go get at him.

This is all hypothetical. There's no guarantee that this is the direction the Patriots want to go in but if they want to, it's very doable with this draft class. With the way teams are building their offenses, this would give the Patriots a huge advantage in being able to stop teams like Baltimore, Buffalo, and K.C. but teams like Tennessee would be an issue. 

The biggest mistake the NFL could do is let Jordan Davis fall to the Patriots at pick 21. In the defense I discussed, he's more valuable than any first round corner prospect. He's the ultimate combination of Barmore and Wilfork and requires triple teams. Some teams had to triple team Barmore last season. So if they got their hands on Davis, Godchaux or Guy could be all they need in the middle of that line. And the Patriots would have a top front seven unit.

It's fun to think about but honestly and I'd love to be right, however I do not believe Belichick is ready to abandon the nickle formation for the dime. He values having that thumper linebacker on the field for teams that run. Bill could find a way to get a thumper on the field in the dime but at the expense of speed at the edge which is why he won't.

Last season Bill showed how even in the modern NFL, an offense built right doesn't need to throw the ball every game to win. And with that Bill will always be worried about the running game, even if the league is predominantly setup for big passing attacks. And that's why I do not believe Belichick is willing to go to the dime. He's old school and knows the importance of a good run defense and being old school, Bill believes he needs linebackers to stop the run.

Spring Practice Shows Hawaii Is In Rebuild Mode.

Coach Chang has spring ball practice under way. Things are still not set in stone and it sounds like a chaotic mess on the islands. However it's to be expected when a team goes through a coaching change. Hawaii is no different from Boston College or Texas in that aspect.

Espn Honolulu's Hawaii Football Now said, "The defense looks good..." "The offense looks sloppy..." There's a transition going from Todd Graham's offense to Chang's modified run and shoot. It's kinda like a team going from the Jets and trying to learn the Patriots offense. 

Hawaii still has no starting quarterback. Supposedly there’s a quarterback competition but from reports, nobody is showing they want the job. They have a game on the 16th and hopefully they'll have someone showing the leadership and ability to take the helm of the offenses. Otherwise coach Chang is going to need to lay into his passers.

Coaches are reportedly taking Hawaii culture classes to avoid the errors and problems created or exposed by the Todd Graham era. This is the university or at least coach Chang taking accountability for what happened under the previous coaching regime. If a coach doesn't try to assimilate and instead has a colonizing attitude, they won't be accepted. Chang and the university knows that.

Hawaii Football Now talked about the program not just being about the Hawaii but all the Polynesian islands in the pacific and how they need to do a better job of including everyone. Polynesians have some good athletes and It's easier for those players to get to Hawaii. The university needs to do a better job at getting quality athletes from all the pacific islands and even Asia itself. 

Hawaii is still recruiting players do both be surprised if they have names on the roster that weren't added until June or July. Hawaii will be getting a 3 star pass rusher from Oregon over the summer. The thing with Hawaii is they need to remember there's more athletes outside the pacific ocean and to not focus soley on islanders or they can set themselves up for failure.

The thing with this season is to understand it's a building process. A bowl game in coach Chang's first year is not to be expected at the moment. We don't know how things are going to look for fall kickoff but for now keep expectations to a minimum. And keep the faith in the program. Coach Chang's vision may not start to take shape until the 2024 season. To steal a line from the Patriots, "In Chang we trust!" #Braddahood

There Over 1,000 Draft Prospects, Stop Getting Mad At People Who Look Outside The Top 100.

Prior to the 2020 nfl draft, the Patriots typically drafted between picks 29 and 32 most years. So I have been focusing on bottom end top 100 guys and day three guys for over a decade. Because I don't spend my time soley focused on big school guys or the top 100, people think I don't know anything about the draft and then are surprised when the Patriots draft a guy like Kyle Dugger. 

I am a Hawaii Rainbow Warrior fan. Sometimes I see more than there is but I'm also a New England Patriots Fan. So although I can be a homer just like the rest of Patriots nation, I also get to see what good talent looks like and can compare to what I see coming from Hawaii to the pro game. And the Patriots also, have a linebacker from the university of Hawaii on their roster. And have had players from Hawaii in the past.

The Patriots have the following draft picks in the up coming nfl draft.

Round 1 | Pick 21

Round 2 | Pick 54

Round 3 | Pick 85

Round 4 | Pick 126

Round 5 | Pick 158 (from MIA)

Round 5 | Pick 175

Round 6 | Pick 200 (from TB)

Round 6 | Pick 209

That's five picks outside of the top 100. Do anyone really think that many top 100 prospects are going to fall that far? How about falling to UDFAs? And where does Belichick do his most damage? Rounds 3-5 and in the UDFA period. The people who focus solely on the top 100 are the same fans that focus on big names in free agency and then scream fire Belichick because he doesn't spend three years of salary on one name.

They're also the people who get mad when Alex Barth and Evan Lazar do a mock draft and the draft Simulator has every big name fans want, go in the first 20 picks. Other teams aren't that bad at drafting just because they cannot figure out how to stay at the top of the mountain. Good players are going to go early. There are 105 picks in the first three rounds and 85% to 87% of the top 100 players will be gone after pick 105. Does anyone think the remaining 13 to 15 picks are going to slide to pick 158? I don't think so. So please get off my back for looking at day three prospects.

Understand there are more guys of value then who played at Michigan, Alabama, LSU, or Notre Dame. And remember college scouts get it wrong just as often as NFL scouts do. You don't have to care about the draft after round three but no one can deny that prospects 101 to 320 go largely unknown to most fans by choice and lack of media coverage. Emory Hunt Jr. scouted 1000 draft prospects for this draft. 1000! I bet many didn't know there were that many eligible players for this draft.

Parker Will Not Be Extremely Productive With The Patriots. Expect Agholor's 2021 Nunbers At Best.

The Patriots traded for DeVante Parker and every and their grandaddy is talking about how Parker is their number one. However, if anyonr has listened to Evan Lazar over on Patriots Press Pass, then the breaks maybe getting pumped. And quickly I might add.

Lazar today said that Parker wasn't a burner and doesn't get seperation. I'll leave a link so that y'all can hear his exact word. Lazar also said that Parker is a guy who's going to be covered and the quarterback will have to throw into coverage for him to be successful.

Early this off season, I compared Parker to two of the Patriots receivers. Jakobi Meyers hands with N'keal Harry's legs. Meaning he can catch the ball but he's never open. He's always gonna have a guy on him, exactly what Lazar has just said today in so many words. Production wise I said Bourne was the best case scenario and Agholor was the worst, Agholor is the best case scenario and Harry is the worst.

The Patriots offense is about avoiding those throws when possible. Mac Jones is a quarterback who doesn't like throwing into coverage because he values ball security. There were comparisons to Fitzpatrick and either Barth or Lazar called Fitzpatrick a "Yolo" quarterback. Meaning Fitzpatrick is aggressive and doesn't care if 11 guys are on a receiver. If that's where Fitzpatrick wants to throw the ball, he's going to go there. 

Mac Jones is not that type of quarterback. If what Lazar said is true, Parker will not have a great deal of productivity in New England. In fact his production maybe closer to Agholor than what people orginally expected. The difference is Agholor was getting double covered due to speed. Parker will be covered because the opposing team has a decent coverage corner. 

In 2019 and in 2020 fans bitched that the Patriots receivers couldn't get seperation. Fans bitched that Harry wasn't being used right because he was a contested catch guy that wasn't getting 50-50 throws. They bitched because Cam was an aggressive passer and wasn't being allowed to make those aggressive downfield throws into double and triple coverage that they became accustomed to with him. That's never been Belichick's Patriots offense. And we all know that.

The Patriots like intelligence and ball security at the quarterback position. Which is why they pass on gunslingers. It's why Tyrod Taylor as much as people hate him for not throwing 50 downfield interceptions a season, would do better with his safe dink and dunk style of mobile quarterback then what the Patriots got from Cam Newton. It's why the Patriots went with a Mac Jones over Justin Fields. 

If the Patriots wanted Fields they could've traded up a few spots. And I They didn't. They value accuracy and ball security too much. With all that, there are going to be a lot of fans disappointed with Parker. The lack of O.C. may get the blame but anyone who pays attention to how the Patriots do things, now knows to expect a less productive season from Parker if they didn't already. 

Have hope for production but keep expectations low. You maybe consider a hater but it's better to live in reality, then to set yourself up for disappointment. Contested catch guys that cannot get seperation, will not have a lot of success in New England. 

Here's the link to the Patriots press pass podcast. https://youtu.be/3Vh9WEt2jwo

Kraft's Message To Belichick Without Saying It Concerning The Draft, "Do Your Job!"

Kraft has talked about the 4 drafts prior to the 2021 draft as being bad. The Patriots had 33 draft picks from 2017-2020. That had 10 okay to good players and 1 elite player over that span. Not including UDFA's because those aren't draft picks, those are free agents. That's just under 1/3 that they hit on in total but of elite level talent known as the first 3 rounds they had 4 players who were okay to good out of 15. Maybe 5 but your definition of good to okay is stretching it a bit. That's about 1/4 of their elite picks they got value from. 

There are some that say as long as they hit, it doesn't matter. That's not how owners and the media see things. One has to be kidding themselves before a pick is selected to say that a prospect projected in the first three rounds has the same talent and value as one from the last 3 rounds.

That is why round 4 is the project round. And why not getting over 1/3 of your first three round draft picks right is considered a failure. 2/5 or 40% is what success is. In the first three rounds. If you're not close, a general manager better be up near 60% on the remaining four rounds, again UDFAs don't count.

Over the past four seasons prior to the 2021 draft, the Patriots have not hit. Whether it's poor scouting or poor coaching in terms of development, again it doesn't matter but it must be corrected. And they may have in 2021 but the jury is still out.

Now I did a blog last year after Kraft's comments. I had the Patriots finding value in 15 of their 37 first three round draft picks going back to 2011. With the 2021 draft class being unproven. That does add up to 40% but of those 15 players, I ask how many were elite? How many carried the team? That's the talent pool they came from. They had 5 elite players come in the first 3 rounds going back to 2011 and 10 good to serviceable guys. 

Good to serviceable is what free agency is for. And nobody criticizes Bill's ability to find good to servicable in free agency, just the cost he has to pay to get them because free agents are almost always overpaid. And don't tell me there are less than 20 elite players in every draft. I'd wager it's around 40-50 because we know teams mis-scout players and they fall and sometimes don't even get drafted.

The Patriots just re-signed one of them. He may not be elite anymore but he was for two to maybe three seasons and I'm talking about former UDFA Malcolm Butler. And the Patriots just lost another UDFA in J.C. Jackson. Both free agents the Patriots hit on, even if they were rookie free agents.

So Kraft was right. The Patriots have only had 1 good draft out of the last 5. And need to follow-up on their drafting success if they want to stay competitive. They may only win 1 or 2 superbowls in the long term if lucky but being a playoff team gives them odds to win it every year. Cannot say that for teams who play to the win now approach.

Dream teams don't have a huge success rate in the NFL. It's bad for business and it's bad for the game to build that way. Kraft knows it. Belichick knows it. That's all that matters. The Draft is coming up and to Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft gave you a very simple and clear message concerning it. "Do Your Job!" It's a motto Everyone in New England is held to and by giving the message to Belichick, Kraft is doing his.

Danny Gray SMU Wiseout Scouting Report.

Danny Gray receiver for SMU, standing 6'1" and weighting 180 pounds. He played in 35 college games making 151 Catches for 2537 with 27 touchdowns. He had 7 carries for 70 yards with 2 touchdowns. He had 24 kickoff returns for a 21.6 yard average. He also returned 18 punts for a 6.7 yards average. 

Danny has limited route tree with good release and he appears to have burner speed. His hands are either great or bad. Let's go of the ball during contact. Needs development in separation but still does a good job.

Yards after catch is his middle name. And Gray seems to knows where the ball is and comes down with it unless it's contested. Has a large radius with little problems with low balls. Knows how to return punts and kicks and adds value to the special teams.

He primarily played primarily on the right. He's projects as a slot or Z receiver but some scouts have complaints that ge doesn't have an X frame. He's not physical enough and needs development with his blocking among other things.

He's projected as an early to mid round day three development prospects. He might be able to challenge for the number 4 spot in a roster early but won't be much more impact fullbacks than that in year one.

Charleston Rambo Miami Scouting Report

Charleston Rambo wideout from Miami standing 6'1" with a 185 pound frame. Rambo played in 40 games where he made 155 catches for 2352 yards and a whopping 16 touchdowns. He also had 13 kickoff returns for a 25.1 yard average, adding value to his draft stock.

The good thing off the bat is he showed needed improvement during his final season. Rambo runs routes the way one wants a slot receiver to run them but don't let thay fool you, he also has a few deep routes on his tree. He has great change of direction speed, which should show up in his three cone.

He's had a history of drops prior to this season and is a risk to deflect passes into interceptions. He also has a bad habit if catching the ball with his body.

He is good against the zone in getting both separation and release. And he can get separation downfield. He's showed the ability to get yards after the catch but again his hands hurt his ability.

He knows how to navagate traffic and find windows for thr quarterback to throw to. Rambo makes up for his deficiencies with his intelligence by reading defenses and understanding what the defense is going to do.

He can lineup in the X but the slot and Z are where Miami preferred to use him. Mainly on the right side of the field. He also has the speed to make teams play off a little.

One of the biggest knocks on him is he doesn't have the X receiver build. That seems to be the main complaint of every receiver I am liking from this class. Unless a team is looking exclusively for an X, size is not an issue.

His NFL comparisons are John Hightower, Marquez Valdes-Scantling. And he projects to be a mid day three developmental Z receiver prospect that might get taken to be a taller slot.

Kevin Faulk, One Of The Unsung Heroes Of The Patriots Dynasty And 2000s Teams

There was a time when Kevin Faulk was a household name for the Patriots. Now people remember the name buy forgot who he was. He was the change of pace back running for 3607 yards. He was a receiving back catching 3701 yards on 431 catches. He was a special teams player and a returner who averaged 9.3 yards a punt and 22.6 yards a kickoff.

If the Patriots needed to give the main back a rest for a play or two or if they needed a spot filled, they turned to Faulk. Faulk was never that big either, 210 pounds was about the largest he ever got but he had the fight of some of the more larger backs.

While Faulk was used wherever Belichick needed him, the Patriots have only had the following fullbacks over the course of the Belichick era: Tony Carter 98-00, Jeff Paulk 00, Marc Edwards 01-02, Larry Centers 03, Fred McCrary 03,  Patrick Pass 00-06, Kyle Eckel 07, Heath Evans 05-08, James Devlin 12-19, Joey Losefa 15, and Jakob Johnson 19-21. The Patriots have also utilized the H-back tight end role. 

Notice who's name wasn't part of the group. Kevin Faulk wasn't a fullback. In fact he was no more a fullback then Brandon Bolden who has played that role on a down or two for the Patriots. Wanna know who Faulk was? He was the guy the Patriots turned to when they needed a play. At least 338 times we heard "Faulk with the first down," and at least 33 times we also heard "Touchdown Kevin Faulk."

For the change of pace, receiving back and third down back role since 2000, the Patriots employed  J.R. Redmond 00, Kevin Faulk 00-09, Woodhead 10-12, Bolden 12-15, Vereen 13-14, Dion Lewis 15-16, James White 16-21, Rex Burkhead 17-20. The have only been few change of pace backs: Redmond, Faulk, Woodhead, Vereen, White, Lewis, Burkhead, Bolden. And maybe J.J. Taylor can be included in this list.

NBC Boston wrote, "As runners, Faulk and White are almost identically . . . average. Faulk, though, was given more opportunity in that role (third down back). He was a second-round pick in 1999 and had the lead-back gig during Bill Belichick's first season in New England in 2000. Though his job morphed into that of a third-down specialist, he finished his 13-year career with 864 attempts for 3,607 yards (a 4.17 yards-per-carry average) and 16 touchdowns. In 161 regular-season games, he averaged 5.36 carries per game.

Harris Danao of Bleacher Report wrote, "Never has a third-down running back ever been more important to a team then Kevin Faulk.  Faulk was known never to talk, celebrate or act out.  He has been behind many running backs in his career (Corey Dillion, Antwoin Smith and Laurence Maroney) and never has a public complaint been issued."

Then there is what Bill Belichick has said about Faulk. Bill said, "Well, I mean that’s a pretty high bar. You’re talking about Kevin Faulk. We have guys like James White or [Shane] Vereen going back that had similar roles and had production. Kevin’s pretty special. As I said this summer, I think many impressive things about Kevin, amongst them would be that I thought he played his best football in the biggest games, the most critical situations, the most critical plays. The times when we need him the most is when he came through with some of his best plays."

Belichick would continue, "Instead of sometimes trying to make a role different, instead of embracing the role that your team wants you to have and needs you to have, some players want a role that they want to have and then sometimes that’s a little bit of a conflict. I think Kevin was a great example of coming in here he started off as a returner and was a great runner, but kind of worked his way into more of a third-down sub back but he always had good run skills and he had a lot of good runs for us. He was great in the passing game, he was great in the return game when we needed him, he was a great leader."

Lastly there's one more place people are going to turn to, so here's what Wikipedia says about Faulk. "Dubbed the Patriots' "Swiss Army knife" because of his multitude of tools and versatility, he played a wide variety of roles on the team. Besides his primary position as running back, he also played some as a wide receiver, special teams as a gunner and a return specialist. He was rarely the team's feature back, but was adept at catching the ball, blocking, and running as needed. In 2016, he was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.[8]"

You know who else has been called a Swiss Army knife? The under appreciated Brandon Boldon, In fact, I would say Bolden is a lesser version of Faulk. Since thus article is about Faulk I'll keep this short but here is what Ryan Spagnoli wrote about  Bolden January 10, 2022: "The “big brother” of the Patriots’ running back room looks to continue to be a Swiss army knife for the Patriots offense."

Faulk was many things and played many roles but with how much time has passed and with how much the players have accomplished since then, it was only fitting to honor the guy when people show they forgot what he meant to the franchise.

Siting:

https://www.patspulpit.com/2017/3/2/14787040/17-years-new-england-patriots-analyzing-running-backs-bill-belichick-blount-white-lewis-faulk-dillon

https://www.boston.com/sports/new-england-patriots/2016/09/17/bill-belichick-explains-why-kevin-faulk-was-such-a-special-player/

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/patriots/great-patriots-debates-kevin-faulk-vs-james-white

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/580859-new-england-patriots-kevin-faulks-legecy-and-future

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Faulk

David Bell Purdue Scouting Report

David Bell receiver Purdue. Stands 6'2" and weights 205 pounds. Played in only 29 games but still made 232 catches for 2946 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Purdue plays football? And I thought all they did was chicken. Well it looks like they can produce an NFL quality Z receiver.

Bell is a good route runner who knows tricks to improve his trade and can run any receiver route. However, NFL refs aren't gonna let him get away with his hand usage.

Bell went to the Mr. Miyagi school of catching footballs, snatching the balls from the air like he was catching flies. His large wingspan helps him make circus catches.

He relies of tricks and moves to get open and he has just enough speed for defenders to back off a little at the line. However he struggles against good man defenders.

Expect him to come off the field on running plays. Bell does better at out playing the defender downfield and picking up yards than he does at turning short passes into big plays.

He projects as a day 2 prospect and his reported NFL comparisons Rashod Bateman and Joshua Palmer. His combine is going to be important because it could price him out of the Patriots draft range.