Patriots 2021 Offseason Thread

And for sending Mac Jones 3rd to the 49ers...

I don't know when the 49ers trade/release Jimmy G, but if it's before the draft there's no way they are taking Lance at 3. Fields would be so good for them, and should be ready earlier. I'm getting tired of the hate. This resembles the picking apart of Watson that led him to drop to 12. I get if the 49ers like Lance more, but people need to stop saying Fields is a one-read/4th rounder/product of Ryan Day. It's nonsense.

Since the price of admission into the top eight or so is now so high, what's NE's best bet? If Jones slips past the likely buyers, then there's a decent chance he falls to NE. NE may still want to trade up a couple spots to block Tampa Bay.
While I'd love to get excited about drafting our "QB of the future" - maybe it's Stidham all along. COVID didn't give either Newton or Stidham the optimal ramp-up time last year. I'm somewhat optimistic that this new year and new weapons will bring out the best in both of them. And there's always the likelihood NE drafts a QB in rounds 2, 3 or 4.
My sense is that Bill goes heavy on defense. Corner, Linebacker, Safety, D-Line.

Micah parsons, Micah Parsons,Micah Parsons...that is the pick.

Parsons issues after looking them up, accused of starting a riot in highschool, tweeting after visiting Ohio State and got into a fight with another player.

I'd have to know more about the starting a riot thing, yet the tweeting and the fight is crap a ton of players do.

It's that time of year, where people try and destroy people life's just because they can.

If he's truly a bad guy, okay I'm fine passing on him. Yet let's make sure that's actually true. I've seen nothing about character issues till this crap just popped up.

The player is the perfect finishing piece to this D and a long-term Hightower replacement.

There are also things about locker room bullying which is more the part I worry about. You want a guy who can be a team leader in that spot on the defense. Otherwise, I agree. Have you watched film on Collins?

No I've just focused on the QBs, like last year with TE's. That alone is a massive undertaking unless you just watch highlights and that won't tell the full story. Watch highlights, watch advanced film breakdown then watch a couple of the players big games every play is 1-2 hours per prospect. I also find given my time constraints that just focusing on one group leads to a better evaluation, than jumping around to multiple positions.

I see the Collins fit, yet Parons seems better. Biggest thing being Parons can take on blocks and still make plays, that's listed as a negative for Collins. Historically that's a trait Bill really values in his LBs.

The dream reunion is over. Danny Shelton to the Giants.

Probably not.

Couldn't remember if it was UMass who wanted it so I went with the generic dream.

Makes him untradable at this point. Could be suspended for a length of time. Can things get any worse for Houston.?

2020 draft- Not what I would have done, yet outside Keene and that kicker they took players ranked where they were projected and in areas we needed. Taking Keene was just a head scratcher in the third. He just didn't show anything like that on tape and to make matters much worse they traded up while giving up a bunch to get him. I still consider this a good solid draft, just with two mistakes.

2019- I wasn't a fan of Harry's I don't target big guys that aren't fast and certainly not in the first round. I wasn't even considering him. Williams was taken around his projection, yet trading up for a guy who happens to play the position with the greatest depth on the team didn't look too smart. Yet currently looks to be the #3 CB so maybe he finally breaks out. I loved the rest of the draft, a lot of value picks. Even with Froholdt gone and Cajuste yet to play those were solid picks value wise. Harry is the real issue on what otherwise is a very solid if not really good draft.

The issues are really 2018 and 2017. 2017 you only have Wise and that's just horrible, yet they also traded a bunch of picks for players.

2018- If Wynn can stay healthy that would go a long way. Michel helped you win a superbowl, yet value wise isn't close to great for a first round pick. Dawson bombs and if I remember right we traded up for him, yet picked where he was ranked. The rest of the draft is basically Bentley so that's not good.

Yet let's not forget about undrafted free agents.

2017- Adam Butler

2018- JC Jackson

2019- Meyers and Gunner

2020- Myles Bryant and JJ Taylor

The drafting hasn't been great, yet it hasn't been close to horrible either. Last year was just as much about dead money, opt outs and replacing a legend QB than bad drafts. Hopefully they can focus on best available players and have a HR draft. They have the picks and the roster to do almost anything. Yet finding a franchise QB is never easy and we're asking Bill to do it for the third time without a top ten pick.

I've been asking that very question, what do you do if you can't get an elite QB and what if they don't love Trask the way I do.

My QB rankings based on Patriots taking them, not overall.

1/2- Lawrence and Wilson that you have no chance at.
3. Fields- his processing speed and issues with pressure and with creative defenses gives me pause, the rest doesn't. Yet he's not as pro-ready as some think or needs a good landing spot that plays up his strengths.
4. Jones- He just fits the Patriots style, yet his value is getting kinda crazy
5. Lance- Massive upside, yet he'd have a long way to go in our system. Kinda of QB you gamble on, yet not top 5 for me, more like top 15. He’s just raw like we've never seen
6. Trask- He fits what we do and I believe he still has upside.
7. Mills- A smart upside guy, who has the Brady like ability to dart passes. Huge risks, offense wasn't NFL caliber, has a long way to go. Yet has big arm talent, accurate and gets the ball out quickly.
8. Newman- I like the physical package. Good arm, good athlete, can do some scrambling. Only one year of big production and looked lost when his top WR went down.
9. Mond- I might be ranking him crazy low, I just can't get over the bad tape. You aren't running our offense with him, you'd have to tailor it to him. Newman and Mund were the two least accurate guys I watched, Newman just did more when he had his guys. Another big part of this is that I see Mond going high, like 2nd round and that's too high for me. He's kinda like Lance, not that I don't like him, just not where he's projected to go.

If Fields slides I'm crazy interested. Trask is still the best value to fit in my book. Yet Mills would be my next target after him. I want to love Mond, I just can't get over his bad throws.