The Patriots aren't going to submerge the ship

Tom Brady left the Patriots back in March. Since then, a section if the Patriots have wanted the Patriots to make a slew of trades.

Since March, Fans have called for Trades of Edelman, James White, Marcus Cannon, David Andrews, Joe Thuney, Shaq Mason, Hightower, Devin McCourty, JC Jackson, Johnathan Jones, Patrick Chung, and Stephon Gilmore.

This is manly comprised of fans who want the team to tank for Trevor Lawrence. In the NFL, we have seen time after time that just because a guy is a star in college doesn't mean he will be a star in the NFL.

Humoring the people who want all these trades as part of the Tank for Trevor movement; who's going to protect Trevor if you get him? By trading away the entire defense, do you know how much extra pressure you're putting on Lawrence. 

There's no guarantee that the Patriots can replace all the talent that you're calling for the Patriots to give up for the quarterback. It's extremely reckless. While Belichick is Smart and a calculated risk taker, he is not gonna risk mortgaging both the present and the future on that kinda gamble. 

Belichick has the Patriots currently in the best position to get Trevor Lawrence if Stidham turns out to be a bust. Belichick at the same time is giving Stidham a chance to show he was the best quarterback in the 2019 draft class and that his 2018 season was a fluke. 

Yes, the Patriots are strapped for cash in 2020 but the Patriots have not been renegotiating contracts. They have players they can make contract moves with to free up cash. Plus, the Patriots are expecting camp battles; Especially on offense. 

None of us got to see what kinda difference there was with Stidham at practice last year.  We know Brady didn't want to work with the younger and inexperienced players. The offensive line is healthy and so is the defense.

Be patient and wait and stop asking Belichick to sink the titanic, just so the Patriots can get another first officer. The Patriots were once the laughing stock of the league and as we have seen with too many teams, they can easily fall back into obscurity.

The Patriots know what they're doing at quarterback for 2020

The free agent period came with Tom Brady finally admitting what many knew, that he would not be returning to the New England Patriots.

The Patriots signed Brian Hoyer, a veteran quarterback with experience in the Patriots system, with the opportunity to compete for the starting job.

The Patriots had high Profile veterans to choose from but did not bring in another quarterback via free agency.

The Patriots could've had Jordan Love but chose to trade out of the first. Tagovailoa and Herbert both went in the first round. Since the Patriots aren't fools to think they had a shot at Borrow, were one of those two on their list, we don't know. 

The Patriots said they would take a quarterback on day three. After Jacob Eason and James Morgan went off the board the Patriots didn't seem to have any interest in drafting remaining fat three quarterbacks.

After the draft, the Patriots still had options but chose to sign two undrafted rookies in Brian Lewerke and J'mar Smith.  While people are pushing for the Patriots to trade for Jacoby Brissett or to sign Newton and Kaepernick; it's not likely the Patriots will bring on any of the three.

So what is the Patriots plan at quarterback for 2020? The Patriots have two viable options at the moment.

The Patriots can start Stidham and have Hoyer mentor him. Let Stidham continue to learn as he plays and grows.

The other option is the Patriots will have Hoyer Start the season and see how he does, while Stidham studies and develops on the bench. If Hoyer Sucks, midway through the season, they can bring in Stidham to see what they got in him.

Which path the Patriots take is clear is unknown. So what's plan C for 2020? Sign one of the two undrafted rookie quarterbacks to the practice squad and call them up if need be. It's not Ideal, however neither is starting the 199th draft pick after your franchise quarterback goes down.

After this year, everything is a wait and see. If the Patriots quarterback play is well enough, the Patriots will continue to build and may address the situation with a mid to late round pick or stick with the guys they have on the 2020 roster.

If the Patriots suck at quarterback this season, the Patriots will either grab a high tier quarterback in the draft or sign a free agent in 2021. However, 2021 is a long time off and anything can happen.

Did the Patriots find a developmental starter or a career backup?

Daniel Jeremiah said he wouldn't be shocked if someone drafted Lewerke in the fourth or fifth but he had concerns.

“He’s a late-round player, he’s a seventh-round, free-agent type player for me. Although, I will say this, I’ve talked to some folks around the league, there’s some quarterback coaches that have fallen in love with this kid. I say that in terms of like fourth, fifth round. It would not shock me if he went a little bit higher than I think he would. He’s got nice velocity, I just had concern about his touch and decision making, I thought he held the ball a little bit too long. That was my concerns with him, but I would not be surprised if he ended up going a little bit higher than I have him.”

Since scouts have proven to be wrong too often to ignore, I'm a list multiple rankings if possible. So what do we know about the Patriots undrafted quarterback? 

In 2015 Brian Lewerke was a four star quarterback ranked 239 out of high school. That's 237 spots behind Jarrett Stidham of that year.

In 2016, Lewerke only played in 4 games and wasn't ranked prior to the season. Fractured his tibia in 2016.

In 2017 PFF had Lewerke ranked 46 entering the season. During the season, he was good enough to be put on the Hiesman watch list.

Lewerke Completed 59.7 of his passes for 2793 yards with 20 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He also rushed for 559 yards and 1 touchdown, averaging 4.5 yards a carry.

In 2018 he entered at 44 by PFF. 12th by Athlon sports, 20th by Fanside, 14th by slortsnaut, 11th by fan buzz; While NCAA.com ranked him the second best quarterback in the big 10.

Lewerke's stats took a hit. Only playing in 11 games, he completed 54.4% of his passes for 2047 with 8 touchdowns and 11 Interceptions. On the ground he picked up 184 yards and 2 touchdowns. Lewerke suffered a shoulder injury in 2018.

In 2019 PFF ranked Lewerke 76 in the nation but by October he had moved up to 44th. Athlon sports ranked Lewerke 37th, 61st by the sports gambling data base. 

Lewerke completed 59.6% of his passes for 3079 yards with 17 touchdowns and 13 Interceptions.

Entering the NFL draft Athlon sports ranked Lewerke the 18th best quarterback in the draft. Walter football had him ranked 19th, drafttek 16th, 11th by the athletic, 9th by Sporting news, 10th by CBS, 22nd PFN, and 15th by sports illustrated. All and all not great rankings for a guy who was on the Hiesman watch list for part of 2017.

Lewerke left college completing 57.7% of his passes for 8293 yards with 47 touchdowns and 32 interceptions. He also rushed for 1255 yards and 10 touchdowns.

While Lewerke dealt with injuries, he had some promising things about him. He is a two time team captain. Who set records at Michigan St. 

Patrick Conn of the draft wire wrote 

"Lewerke has the leadership aspect to his game that teams will love. He was a three-year starter after sitting his first two seasons in East Lansing. He finished his career voted captain twice. In the pocket, he shows good pocket awareness. Will climb the pocket or move laterally to find time to release the ball. Has good touch on his throws with adequate arm strength for a NFL quarterback.

Lewerke isn’t just a passer, as he can run the football. Can show some toughness on the runs. Can play in an offense that runs with zone reads and read options with the ability to attack with his legs and arms. As far as his platform, throws from good platform. Doesn’t see a drop in play from speeding up mechanics with pressure."

Sikkema of the draft Network wrote the following of  Lewerke,

"Truly a fearless passer. Lewerke can put adequate zip on passes and even get the ball down the field a decent ways, and isn’t afraid to do either when the situation calls for it. He also throws with touch better than any quarterback in the class. When his touch throws are on, few in the class can complete some of the timing passes (fade routes, back shoulder throws, over-the-top passes) Lewerke can. Is mobile enough to escape pressure and keep plays alive."

Alexander Haynes of Last word declared the Patriots 2020 undrafted free agent a career backup.

"A strong arm and his time as a starter in a pro-style system will make Lewerke a tempting free-agent option for coaches. Those who are bullish on him will cite the chaos in the Michigan State system, and the fact he has the base traits needed for a functional system to properly mentor him. He has been working with NFL Network analyst and former quarterbackSage Rosenfels this off-season, in hopes of refining mechanics. Working with a patient coach could push him to a nice career as a backup."

His NFL comparisons was Brian Hoyer, who is on a one year deal and probably wont be back. If Lewerke can find his way on to the practice squad in 2020, the Patriots may have their future backup for the next several seasons.

Is Tua really more talented than Stidham?

Chris Simms ranked Stidham above Tua. When I look at the stats Tua was the better rusher and passer. However, stats don't tell the full story. So I took a deeper dive to see if I could figure out why.

As far as accuracy goes, Stidham's accuracy is comparable to Tagovailoa's. Stidham's loss of pass catchers and offensive linemen in 2018 hurt his completion percentage. However, Stidham's pass catchers were subpar to begin with at Auburn.

Over Stidham's college career, he played with lesser talent. Looking at the rosters, I must ask who Stidham played with at Auburn, because they really were misfits. Juedy and Irv Smith were big time weapons but those weren't the only weapons at Alabama. In that aspect, I give that to Chris Simms, Tua was aided by better pass catchers.

Another stat that bodes well for Chris Simms' statement is that in 2015, of quarterbacks who dropped back over 100 times, Stidham lead them with a 143 rating. Had Stidham of stayed at Baylor would his stats of been better, one must ask.

One thing that has been proven again and again, is the system a player plays in can make or break them. Stidham chose to play at Auburn when he returned to football. Granted after 2017 he was one of the best quarterbacks in college. He still made a bad choice for his development.

By choosing Auburn, Stidham chose his fate. When Stidham played with Cory Coleman, college star at Baylor; his stats reflected that. He chose to play with lesser talent at Auburn and he paid for it. 

In June of 2018, Chris Johnson and Eric Single of Sports illustrated ranked Stidham ahead of Tagovailoa. They ranked Tua at 84 and Stidham at 83 but why?

Tua will get "help from a trio of gifted sophomore wideouts (Jerry Jeudy, Devonta Smith, Henry Ruggs III)..." Stidham they ranked ahead because of "a sterling 17–4 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a win over Alabama to clinch the SEC West...." "and his consistency and aversion to mistakes edges him in front of his Crimson Tide counterpart."

Stidham without offensive line and receiving help in 2018 completed over 60% of his passes and threw on 5 touchdowns. Which is not bad for a guy with no offensive help. (Imagine what a Patriots quarterback would look like with no offensive line and no weapons.)

Ryan Hannable of WEEI wrote that Stidham was ranked one of the best quarterbacks in the country coming out of High School. He was a sought after prospect. In fact Stidham was a five star recruit.

"The high school class of 2015 had some outstanding quarterbacks — Kyler Murray, Kelly Bryant, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Jarrett Stidham just to name a few.

And according to ESPN’s 300 rankings, Stidham was the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the entire country, trailing only Murray. The Stephenville High School (Texas) star was ranked ahead of players who have proven themselves at the NFL level in Darnold and Jackson."

In 2018 ESPN ranked Jarrett Stidham the 10th best player in college football, Tua was ranked 11th. 

Heading into 2018, USA today also had Stidham a head of Tua. They listed Tua as "a pure talent" but said it Stidham's ability to put the ball where only his receivers could get it, was why he was ranked higher.

"Throws in college football, or any level of football, is a hard throw to defend if it’s placed perfectly and Jarrett can throw it perfectly.”

Basically going strictly off throwing the ball, Stidham was the more talented of the two men; according most analysts going into 2018.

Dennis Dodd of CBS in June of 2018 had Stidham as a top 10 college quarterback along with Jake Fromm, Ryan Finley, Will Grier, Drew Lock, Justin Herbert, and a few others. Tua wasn't one of them. Mind you, it was CBS who also projected Stidham would be the first quarterback off the Board in 2019; prior to the 2018 season.

While NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah had Tua as a top 3 talent in the 2020 NFL draft, he said this about Stidham, "this year I would say, if you just go off of talent, he’d be in the conversation as the fourth or fifth guy.”

I'll assume by talent he's basing it solely off the eye test and what the quarterbacks did with the talent around them, while ignoring the talent level around them. Don't get me wrong, Tua was my number two fit for the Patriots at quarterback in the draft. I have nothing against Tua.

However, I bring that up the Jeremiah because ESPN, Sports Illustrated, And USA Today all had Stidham as the more talented quarterback over Tua going into the 2018 season. CBS just had him as the better all around quarterback entering the 2018 season. So an NFL analyst ranking him just after Tua is something.

So take Chris Simms' evaluation with a grain salt but also look at the situations, talent levels, and coaching staffs around both players during their college careers. Ask yourself, did Tua really out play Stidham or was Stidham set up to fail by his own choices and was Tua a product of Alabama?

The best thing Stidham did by choosing Auburn, was selecting a school of a player that Belichick had already been scouting since High school; in receiver Will Hastings. That decision got him selected by Belichick and a year to learn from Tom Brady. 

Clutch Points reported NFL Players catch Corona as NFL is preparing to Open.

On Monday june 8th, the NFL released rules for players to return to work and to team facilities. The NFL broke players down into two groups and even explained how facilities would be cleaned.

On June 13th, 21 states reported spikes in new cases according to the Washington Post. Who listed a few of them.

"Alabama, Oregon and South Carolina are among the states with the biggest increases. Alabama saw a 92 percent change in its seven-day average, while Oregon’s seven-day average was up 83.8 percent and South Carolina’s was up 60.3 percent. Hospitalizations have risen as well. For example, Arkansas has seen a 120.7 percent increase in hospitalizations, from 92 cases to 203, since Memorial Day."

Early June 15th, NBC’s Erin McLaughlin reported "Growing concern as 14 states see 25% spike in coronavirus cases amid reopening."

Shortly after NBC's report, the New York Times reported "Arizona, Texas and Florida are reporting their highest case numbers yet. As of Saturday, coronavirus cases were climbing in 22 states amid reopenings."

Obviously, this is concern for everyone but for the NFL, this could delay or even end the season before it starts. States like Pennsylvania, Washington, North Carolina and Michigan whom host NFL teams were also listed.

According two Shane Mickle of Clutch Points, at least two clubs have had players test positive for the virus as of the morning of June 15th.

Shane reported "Several Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans players have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.

None of the players are believed to have been in the teams’ facilities, but as the NFL tries to get ready for a full season, players testing positive is concerning."

According to Ian Rapoport the NFL had already planned for this and is taking action.

"A month ago, NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said: 'We fully expect that we will have positive cases that arise. … Our challenge is to identify them as quickly as possible and prevent spread to any other participants.' The teams appear to have done that." 

NFL Players just want to get back on the field. With Millions of dollars at stake, many are willing to put themselves and others at risk.

Allen Robinson of the Chicago Bears was reported to of said “I’m not too concerned. I think that if we’re going to be put back in the facility, I think measures are going to be taken.”

The NFL is a billion dollar business and while Roger Goodell has been doing everything to protect the shield from possible lawsuits, he has been animate about the NFL opening on time. As long as players like Robinson don't care, the league may issue waivers and even bring in scabs willing to play.

Stay tuned as this story is sure to continue. 

The Patriots should be better without Tom Brady

Tom Brady has started 283 Patriots games since stealing Drew Bledsoe's job in 2001. That's irrelevant now as The Patriots will have a new full time starter in 2020.

There are many inside the organization that believe the Patriots offensive will improve without Brady. Stidham is mobile and can avoid the rush a little better to extend plays. None of the Patriots quarterbacks will have an issue being a run first team.

While Brady's intelligence is far superior to the guys on the roster, it's his head that makes his replacement better. Anyone who follows the Patriots knows this but Listen to Chris Fauria on the subject 

“This offense is not going to be able to move forward with Brady as the quarterback, not because he sucks. Those throwaways were important. It’s because he wasn’t willing to adapt. There’s the difference. He wasn’t willing to let N’Keal Harry grow.”

It's not just Harry, It's Meyers, Gunner, Hastings, Keene, Izzo, Asiasi and ect. Brady doesn't want to play with rookies. He doesn't want to work with young receivers. Brady wants the team to sacrifice money else where to make the team 100% relying on his arm, and to be stocked with high priced veterans. 

Look around the Sports world from Max Kellerman to Mike Reiss, to Doug Kyed to Joe Smoe and you'll see majority of Patriots writers will agree on that.

If you look at 2019 Brady forced the ball to Edelman and Sanu. He complained about having to work with the younger guys. How many of the guys did he hinder the development of? How many guys did Brady kill the analytics of.

According to Ray Rauth of Clutch Points News, Tom Brady was seeing ghosts in 2019. What I saw was Tom Brady throwing behind his pass catchers. Brady putting the ball to low or out of reach too many times. I called Brady out once in 2019 and got chewed out by the same people saying to hold Brady accountable.

Like Ray, I agree Brady has been in slow decline over the past two seasons. The quarterbacks on the Patriots roster are not as good as 2019 Brady but what about 2020 Brady? Even with his weapons on Tampa, there's no guarantee at how well he'll play.

There's also no guarantee how bad the Patriots quarterbacks will play. The most unpopular thing I have said is that I believe if Hoyer starts, he is a good enough game manager to do the same thing in New England that Trent Dilfer did in Baltimore. Manage his way to a Lombardi. 

That's not to knock Stidham. The Patriots wanted to sit Stidham and if he does sit, he will be the starter in 2021. I am not going to talk about Stidham's college career but he already sat an practiced a year behind Brady with the first string offense.

That is why the Patriots are better with Tom Brady. It's a hard pill to swallow. It's a cold reality. It's 2020 and we're still waiting for permission to move on to the preseason.

Williams looking to break through in Year 2

Paul Perillo of Patriots.com shared some thoughts from the Patriots 2019 second round draft pick Joejuan Williams.

Williams views the Patriots secondary as family and his time on the bench as a learning experience and chance to improve. 

The former second round draft pick isn't ready to quit and is hoping to play in the NFL for a while. Williams knows the importance of versatility and knowing everyone's role on the defense. He says that will make everyone a better player.

Williams acknowledged that he didn't play much in 2019 and that it was an educational experience sitting and watching his team mates but Williams sees that as an advantage.

"It also gave me a chance to look up to the guys in front of me, watching them and following them was very helpful..." "Football-wise I've been getting in the playbook more and learning more than just corner. I've had more time to study and getting everything in.." said Williams 

Perillo goes on explaining Williams' thoughts on the situation this offseason, which is not normal by any sense of the word.

"As for the offseason work, Williams misses the on-field reps and the interaction with coaches and teammates that comes with it. He explained that for some players the learning process requires more than just film study, but given the circumstances there isn't much more that can be done."

That's a very good point. Players can only learn so much from studying film. They need to play and be critiqued. That's still something that may not happen this year, as there's no guarantee that football players will be allowed to play.

Williams is not the only one taking advantage of the current situation. Sony Michel also went under the knife and had his foot cleaned up; to ease some pain he was having. Sony should be ready for week one.

The Butler did it in the hotel?

Superbowl 52, the Patriots benched Malcolm Butler. The defense was exposed and Tim Brady fumbled the ball during clutch time. Still the lingering question remains. Why was Butler Benched?

Ian Rapoport tried to find out why he was benched, and here's what he tweeted. "My understanding is the benching of #Patriots CB Malcolm Butler happened because of a perfect storm of issues: Sickness, a rough week of practice, and a minor rule violation believed to be related to curfew. A complicated matter."

Almost every article I have read on the subject has said there was an undisclosed curfew violation of some kind.

Former Patriot defensive back Brandon Browner spoke after the superbowl. Saying it was drugs and curfew violation.

Browner explained "For weed? For curfew? Man, do y’all history. Patriots [are] a team that gives guys second chances. He not the first to get caught with weed. Curfew also meant we are not allowed to have guest especially women.”

Several players on the Patriots superbowl 52 secondary have come out and challenged Belichick, saying that it was disciplinary and have said that if it wasn't, benching Butler mad "zero sense".

Malcolm Butler has denied missing curfew. However, the violation may not have been missing curfew but activities after curfew.

Ride the wave media who occasionally talks with professional athletes, released this statement. Ride the wave, who on June 11, had a shout out and video message from Jonas Gray, former Patriots running back. So there maybe something to this.

This statement lays out some very different violations.

Now having a women in his room after curfew is not the same as the earlier assumptions that his curfew violations were because of him being out late. This statement also never says Butler was accused of smoking. Just that there was a lot of smoke coming from his room.

Let's take Bill Belichick at face value that benching Butler wasn't a punishment. Let's also assume the incident was true about what he said to Steven Belichick and for putting his hands on him.

Belichick would not be lying about it being a punishment at that point because it was a personal vendetta to bench his player. Butler insulted and assaulted his son. He messed with Belichick's family. Grown man or not, you don't put your hands on another man's kids. Especially if they have power over your livelihood.

As of 5:51pm eastern daylight time, I have messaged Eric Rowe for a statement on this but have not heard back from him. If I hear from Rowe, I will update this story.

It's the wrong moment for the Patriots to sign Kaepernick

There is currently a call by fans for the NFL to make right with Kaepernick. Fans not only want him signed to a contract but want that contract to be with the Patriots. In 2017 that made sense, however in 2020 it does not.

In 2016 Kaepernick completed 59.2% of his passes for 2241 yards, with 16 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He also rushed for 468 yards and 2 touchdowns. So when the Patriots needed a backup for Brady after trading Jimmy G. it made sense for Belichick to bring him in. 

Kaepernick could've sat behind Brady and learned the playbook, learned the system. Instead the Patriots did what was best for the franchise. They brought in a player who knew the playbook and system. What happened next was, Hoyer prepared the Patriots defense to win superbowl 53.

Flash forward to 2020. Tom Brady is gone. The Patriots have Hoyer, a veteran who knows the playbook and system. Then there is the Patriots 2019 4th round draft pick Jarrett Stidham, who has spent a year learning the playbook and system while sitting behind Brady. Plus two undrafted rookies who don't know the playbook or system very well.

Kaepernick while having NFL experience, hasn't played in a while; so there is a chance of rust. Add to that he would be farther behind in the Patriots system than the two undrafted rookies. The guy could not compete for a starting spot this season and would take up valuable cap room. 

Next season, maybe they sign him although the 2020 season would be his fourth season out of the league. Let Hoyer and Stidham battle out for the job in 2020. Hoyer is only with the Patriots to mentor and develop Stidham.

Regardless of who wins the Job this season, Stidham will be the man next season. It's doubtful Hoyer will return next season and the Patriots may want a veteran backup. Kaepernick could then have a chance of signing with the Patriots.

For now Kaepernick is best to try and get on with someone who runs a system set for a mobile quarterback. If I had to choose the best fit currently for Kaepernick, I would say Jacksonville is best suited for the one hit wonder.

Fans need remember one thing, even if a club signs him;  Colin Kaepernick will still have to earn his spot on that roster. Protesting doesn't mean anything, ability to play ball does. Kaepernick may have to beat out another player for the job.

Tedy Bruschi has short and sweet advice for Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham

Over his 35 game college career Jarret Stidham threw 13 interceptions. Stidham played in 3 games in 2019, going 2 of 4 with an Interception.

Stidham is expected to be the starter in 2020, although he will have to once again beat out Brian Hoyer. 

Stidham will have to be a game manager and play smart. He will have to rely on The defense, special teams and run game to get the job done as he gains experience in the league.

Another thing that benefits Stidham is having a returning starting offensive line. Last year with Andrew's and Wynn out, Brady was under pressure all the time and Sony would be tackled before he could do anything. That won't be a problem in 2020.

Tedy Bruschi spoke with Dan Roche recently about the Patriots and had a couple of things to say.

For starters, he had advice for Stidham. “Just take care of the football." That's all any player on the Patriots who gets their hands on the ball is really expected to do. 

The former Patriots linebacker continued,

“Stidham is going to be fine, He’s got a great mentality. I think it’s something where having a little experience of being with Tom is going to help him and realize, ‘It’s not Tom Brady I’m following, it’s just a buddy of mine and now I’ve got to come in and do the job.’ I think he has the right mentality to do that.”

One of the things to remember is the Patriots wanted to sit Stidham for a second year behind Brady. Don't be surprised if Hoyer starts the season.

“The shift with Tom being gone now is trying to make this a defense-dominated team. They’ll tell you what they feel by what they do, So drafting those great young linebackers (Josh Uche in the second round and Anfernee Jennings in the third round), I was excited to see that.”

Add in Kyle Dugger at safety and the Patriots should have the same success on defense as in 2019. As long as The Patriots quarterbacks can manage a game and the team has someone who can put the ball between the uprights, the Patriots should win the AFC East.