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.

The Patriots Should Be Equal To The 2021 Patriots

What do I see with the New England Patriots heading into 2023? I'm not sure there's enough to write a full blog on. Since rookie mini camp is just about finished, I'll give it a go.

The Patriots from a coaching perspective should be ad good as they were in 2021. Troy Brown was a good player but he's yet to show he cam develop receivers. O'Brien and Klemm should return the play calling and offensive line to respectable play.

I don't expect much change on defense. If Gonzalez can come in and play like a number two, to start his career and Jack Jones can play like a number two, the Patriots should be set at corner. The Patriots have enough defensive backs to replace McCourty but will they is the question.

On offense the Patriots have three questions. Who replaces Damien Harris, Will Gesicki make any impact and can JuJu be as productive as Meyers. Looking at the Patriots offense, JuJu is the make or break for the team having the same success it had on offense in 2021 and I think he will be fine.

With Judge returning to special teams, the team should return to normal. Yeah, the team drafted some new legs but I think it was more fundamentals on that side of the ball than anything. Judge will correct that. Judge is a smart coach that needs to learn defense as he cannot run offense but being a special teams coordinator isn't a bad gig.

Overall, I expect the Patriots to be no better and no worse than the 2021 Patriots. Is that good enough to make the playoffs in 2023, I don't know. Belichick screwed up the team in 2022. And so who knows what the 2023 version is truly capable of.

The Patriots Could Move Bourne

Kendrick Bourne didn't have a good 2022 season and it was thought that he was in the dog house  to explain his lack of production. Bourne is in the final year of his contract and the Patriots have one too many receivers on the roster with 53 man potential.

In 2021 Bourne caught 55 of 70 passes and has caught 90 of 118 passes with 6 drops as a Patriot. In 2021 he also had 800 yards and 5 touchdowns. He's gonna catch the ball and he's good for 40 yards a game.

Both Patriots rookies need development. They cannot get proper development if they're placed on the injured reserve. Kayshon Boutte can do everything Bourne can do but right now, Bourne is set to take away practice snaps away from Boutte.

Bourne didn't play in all 17 games in 2022 and was down in playing time by 8% of offensive snaps. However, he showed he was capable of putting up the previous season production when given time.

Bourne is worth a 5th to a 6th round pick. I know fans aren't gonna like hearing that but people know the team wants to move him. And the team knows if they cut their rookies, they're most likely gone and not seeing the practice squad.

The ideal situation is to wait until August and to see how the rookies perform and if one is drastically not ready, they put him on the IR. If both rookies look decent, They move Bourne. However, windows in the NFL close quickly and the team may not have that luxury. So if Bourne gets moved before August, people know why.

Expect A Heavy Roster Battle Coming Behind Stevenson In New England.

The New England Patriots currently have six running backs on the roster. The Patriots like to keep three running backs on the roster, four if the guy has special teams value. Since none of the others have the versatility of Brandon Bolden, which of the five are going to make the roster behind Stevenson?

The media has been calling for the Patriots to sign one of the remaining high priced names on the market. I'm against the Idea but it's not impossible that the Patriots do so. Until they do, I'm not giving it merit.

My thoughts on J.J. Taylor and Ty Montgomery haven't changed. I still view both as practice squad guys. And the Patriots apparently don't think much of Montgomery as they list him as a receiver on their website.

In 2022, the Patriots drafted Kevin Harris, a power back and Pierre Strong Jr. At the time, many thought Harris was drafted to replace Damian Harris, while Strong was to replace White. While Stevenson got to show he's capable of being a three down back, the rookies didn't get to show much. 

The Patriots signed James Robinson this offseason. Many thought he was being brought in strictly to be a power back to replace Damian Harris. However, although he didn't get a lot of playing time in 2022, he did in the previous two seasons. 

His first two seasons, he caught 80 of 106 targets for 566 yards with 24 first downs and 3 touchdowns. In 2022, he caught 11 of 14 passes for 5 first downs and 2 touchdowns. 

Robinson is a three down back. With his skill set, neither Strong or Harris is a roster lock. Currently of the three, Strong projects as the safest cut to the practice squad. That could change come the end of August. So expect a heavy competition with five of the six backs being on the bubble.

Cam Newton Finds The Headlines Again.

I was a huge critic of Cam Newton coming to New England. I called out Newton's play while fans were screaming to sign him to a long term contract. And after he left, one of if not the last article I wrote about Cam Newton, I defended Newton's ability to be a backup quarterback in the NFL.

Since that article. Newton has continued to talk crap about the starting quarterbacks in the league and even gave a list of guys he would be willing to backup. Both limit his ability to get signed by an NFL team.

Cam recently spoke and said the following,“It’s been hinted. And I’m not changing. People have hinted to where they say like, ‘Cam, we want you to go back to the 2015 clean-cut Cam.’ But, that was a different me. The thing that is always mentioned is, ‘Cam, you’re scaring people with how you look.’”

When Newton played with the Patriots, he did take criticism for his style but that was not why he lost his job to Mac Jones and everyone knows it. Newton would end up back in Carolina in 2021 and couldn't beat out P.J. Walker.

In 2021, Newton played in 8 games, starting 5. He completed only 54.8% of his passes for 684 yards with 4 passing touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Newton did rush for 5 touchdowns but he fumbled 4 times. Adding Newton's rushing and passing stats together, he only averaged 114 a game over the 8 games.

According to player profiler, from a clean pocket, Cam only completed 60% of his passes. And his true completion percentage. Which is on him, was only 57.5%. And in his last year he was protected 79.4% of the time. So 4 out of every 5 passes, so he cannot blame the line.

Newton is an inaccurate quarterback that cannot except that his play hasn't been good enough. I don't front him for wanting to decline on some locations but his comments hurt his ability to get signed. Which doesn't help because his play hasn't been good in a long time. 

Newton is a scheme fit quarterback that New England tried to help become a pocket quarterback. His Mechanics were crap. Newton didn't understand some of the position when he came to New England. When it came out that Mac Jones was teaching him,  He denied it and in the same interview said it was the centers job to identify things, showing or telling what Mac was teaching him.

If he wants to play in the NFL, he needs to shut up, put his head down and find a quarterback school that can teach him how to be a pocket passer. He's not likely to get signed in 2023, so he should take the season to transform his mechanics and to learn the part of his game he's lacking. It's improbable that Newton will do that because he thinks currently his skills make him a starter. I'm not going to disrespect Newton but he's got to self reflect and help himself or his career is over.

Mapu Is A Linebacker And No Reason Currently Shown Why Sow Can't Play Tackle

Entering the 2023 draft some thought that the Patriots needed a tackle and an athletic linebacker. According to the team's draft, they drafted three interior offensive lineman and a linebacker. The team has expressed interest in turning one of those guards into a tackle. 

If you ask fans, the team is not allowed to try players at different positions and they drafted a safety, not a linebacker, even though it was linebacker announced during the draft.

Sow is 6'4", 323 pounds with a 33 inch arm length and 10 inch hands. Sow's measurements are all nearly identical or very close to Isaiah Wynn, Yodney Cajuste and Calvin Anderson. Let's be honest, if Wynn had never been hurt, he would be the team's starting left tackle. Sow's athleticism is except for the 40 time, a little worse than Calvin Anderson.

As for Marte Mapu, he would be one of the lightest linebackers in the NFL. And he wouldn't have to put on weight. Nicholas Morrow has played in 79 games, starting 46, including all 17 in 2022. He's only a hair faster than Mapu and his size is 6'0" 225 pounds but at one point was 216 pounds. Mapu is 6'3", 216 pounds. So there's no reason to assume he cannot play the position, unless he shows he's unable. And if they really want him to gain 10 pounds, feed him McDonald's for a week.

When it comes to both players, it's going to come down mainly to coaching. Klemm, Mayo and Steve Belichick are going to have to show they can develop players. I haven't seen them play, so I do not know how much work is needed. I would assume they nees season but they could be ready by week one. Then again, they might not be ready until 2025.