Patriots 2022 Offseason Thread

www.espn.com/nfl/insider/insider/story/_/id/33087396/nfl-exec-predictions-2022-quarterback-shuffling-trades-coach-changes-future-teams-aaron-rodgers-russell-wilson

Jeremy Fowler ($) rumblings from executives on 2022. One of note:

I'd do a 2023 2nd converting to a 1st, if there's a decent chance he's recharged.  He's due $11M as a 5th year option and then needs a new contract too though. He'd slot into Agholor's space in 2023 but they'd be a combined $26M cap hit in 2022. Can only save $5m of $15m cap by cutting Agholor, can save $10m by trading him (somehow). I'd mostly feel better with Ridley at full freight than a rookie at pick 21 given the league wide crapshoot for WRs.

Mac was better with Agholor on the field than not (can't find the split I saw before Saturday's game) but certainly didn't translate to touches for Nelson.

Brady always had weapons here, at least from 2007 onward. You can argue once Gronk quit they didn’t have enough, but we can’t say the Patriots didn’t give Brady weapons. In fact, he always had 2-3 ELITE pass catchers at their positions.

Moss/Welker w/ Faulk as a RB

Transitioned to

Welker/Gronk/Hernandez

Transitioned to

Gronk/Edelman supported by backs like Vareen and White

They failed to add another guy soon enough and then Gronk quit and Edelmans knees gave out.

But make no mistake those were Elite pass catchers in their roles. They just didn’t have the traditional guy other than Moss, but that was part of their genius, they exploited the salary restrictions of the slot, TE and pass catching back as well as the matchups for those guys.


So all that being said, I’m finally on board with UMASS that they need to get Mac a REAL weapon.

However, I agree with JMEI that this defense needs an overhaul and needs a lot of focus.

Kiper mock is up ($) www.espn.com/nfl/insider/draft2022/insider/story/_/id/33093803/nfl-mock-draft-2022-mel-kiper-predictions-all-32-first-round-picks-teams-aidan-hutchinson-malik-willis-nakobe-dean

Of interest to me, where did WR go?

10. NY Jets, Drake London, WR, USC
13. Cleveland, Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
19. Philly, Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State (If Philly takes a WR for the 3rd year in a row...)
21. Patriots, Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama (YESSS PLEASE, but even with ACL doubt he falls this far)
26. Miami, Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State (If Miami takes a WR again...)

And again, thank the heavens we aren't looking for a QB this year; the FA/Trade market might be more ripe but the draft is tough. I like Pickett and Corral but wouldn't bet my next 3 years on them being effective starters. Mel has Willis at 11 (WFT), Pickett at 18 (NO), Corral at 20 (PITT) and Howell at 28 (Det). Seems like he's just matching up clear needs with guys available.

I’d love Metchie there.

Yeah he just added that because he was being called out, go read his earlier posts. He's talking about his number being lower because of future contracts, they don't matter unless they are in the top 51 and that's not going to be the case. He has Jake Bailey at $4 million, that's just crazy. He's counting signing Meyers at $4 million. He makes some very good points, yet he's making moves and transactions not just looking at cap space.

Isn't Bell a slow possession WR?

Pretty much, but he does that well. I feel like Metchie was a product of opportunity more than talent; SOMEONE had to catch all those balls in Billy O's O. But hence me aiming higher than either of them.

I wait for the athletic testing on a bunch of guys at WR, guys like Dotson not so much. Yet Metchie was a hot pick to be in the first this year after last year. As the third WR for Bama with Mac Jones at QB he had 55 catches 916 yards 6 TDs and a 16.7 average per catch. Add in his scouting reports talk about great speed at all three levels, the kind of speed that doesn't get caught from behind and that he's a very good route runner, I'm highly intrigued if you can get him in the second round.

I stay away from possession receivers that lack speed, yet I'll admit I know very little about Bell right now.

This team needs weapons that scare teams and open up the field. The fact Mac Jones played two years with Metchie is huge in my book and the fact Mac was able to make him look a lot better. With Mac Jones he looked like a big play weapon, this year his numbers look like a possession WR.

Late round sleeper Kevin Austin Jr from Notre Dame. Only one year of production on a red shirt senior isn't good. Yet he's that big WR with great athletic ability and speed. He's currently no where, Walter football doesn't even have him ranked. Yet he's going to blow up the combine like Claypool. If he's there in the 4th and 5th rounds you need to gamble on guys like him. Yeah he's risky, yet his upside is rather big. I've seen 7th round grades on him, might be the most underrated WR in this class.

But it's a projection. He's clearly stating that. He's doing all the work that CAN be done prior to the new league yr. The only one that is also likely but CANT be done without other transactions being made (a deal or tag for JC).

Meanwhile, the ONLY way Spotracs can be true is if NE reworks DMacs deal in such a way that, purely by coincidence, gives him the exact cap hit of his current deal of it were NOT automatically voiding.

So yes, he's giving us what the cap space will likely be at the start of the new league year given:

1. What we KNOW to be true.
2. What is VERY likely (tender for RFAs)
3. No "illegal" moves (tagging JC without the space to do so).

Feels like that is a more useful # than 1 that uses a cap hit like that for DMac when, even if it was reworked would likely not result in that number.

FWIW, until the league posted the official carryover, Spotrac was using a number that also had 0 chance of happening.

Id love to see this team add more speed, they need to on both sides of the ball. One free agent to watch is Isaiah McKenzie. He’s a free agent and torched the Patriots this year. He won’t get a big contract so he’s a legit target here. He’s also a kick and punt returner. Move on from Gunner and sign him, opens a roster spot for a real WR that does what Gunner does and then you can carry a rookie to develop as well.

But you're complaining about him "making a transaction" by including the tenders (a one-sided decision that require 0 negotiation) but are for using a number that requires a two-way, negotiated restructuring of a deal? And will still likely not be at that number. That's a tad inconcistent.

On Jackson, you CAN'T include him. It's illegal bc they wouldn't have the space to do it without a bunch of moves that are not predictable right now.

Listen, use what you want to use. I feel confident that Miguel's is a better projection for where things stand as of now coupled with very reasonable and likely assumptions (and are "if nothing else happens") that are also currently legal (again, if he included a tagged JC, they'd be over the cap which is illegal). When other moves are made (he has 2 podcasts up where he discussed options but I haven't listened yet) he'll update. If those moves put NE in a position to add a tag for JC, I'm sure he'll do so.