Patriots 2023 Offseason Thread

I like it. I think higher upside than Zappe. Was gonna propose it when he got released.

EDIT as everyone noted, the Patriots traded the pick CAR used for Matt Corral and got Zappe, Mapu, and now Matt Corral for the rights to draft Matt Corral. Good trade!

Truly a BB masterpiece (right up there with completely obfuscating the Jimmy G 2nd rounder over multiple drafts so the panting thirsty scribes couldn't dissect the yield.)

I don't mind the move, competition is a good thing and you can never have enough QBs. If you hated Zappe preseason numbers, you won't like Corrals, fumbles, interceptions, no TDs. Still he's basically a rookie after missing all of last year. Not a bad way to use the extra space on the practice squad.

I doubt Bert is lying or making stuff up just for clicks. That doesn't seem to be his style.

That absolutely does seem to be his style. He tends to be more slippery, "What I've heard ..." or "The feeling I'm getting is ..." and his facial expression is always such that it so much pains him to have to report these things he's hearing or surmising.

Never see a hard and fast named quote. While he trades on being a "Foxborough Insider." My arse.

He's a milquetoast with an axe to grind. Probably BB was mean to him once, like shank.

Plus, his indecent exposure citation is public record. It's a fact. And then he had his daddy come to town to try to change the local laws.


Creepy weasily guy is the impression I get.  

He said his knee was a "time bomb." The implication is he has a very bad knee. 

JuJu said he hurt his knee in the postseason, yet played in the Super Bowl. He recounted swelling from a 6-hour flight to Japan. He had a procedure to clean it up and stated he had missed zero practice time. 

On the one hand, any athletes whatever body part is a "time bomb," in the sense that if they break it they are out.

But Sneaky Bert here implies JuJu's knee is severely compromised. How he can know that without seeing his medicals, talking to his doctor, BB, the team doctor, or the player, is beyond me. So I will say, He doesn't know that. He's trading as "Insider Bert" and rightfully the player calls him out for it.

Meanwhile Tome E Curran, who I avoid, posted a quick pod with the guy who covers the Panthers so I listened for some Corral info.

Curran doesn't know how the NFL waiver protocol works (thought Corral "chose" the Patriots) and had to have the beat guy correct him. Embarrassing.

And when Dan Patrick needs some NE perspective that's the guy he'll call.

Ben Volin went on WEEI last year and impugned Mac Jones reputation based on a fake anonymous DM that he never vetted. He was so thirsty to be relevant and "in the know."

These guys are not our friends. They are peddlers. In some cases misinformation sells as well, or better, than information, so that's what they peddle. 

I avoid many of them, best I can. I don't learn anything about sport from them so who needs the aggravation? 

I don't mean to smear all of them Some are earnest. Mike Reiss, Evan Lazar come to mind. The Mass Live guys seem okay. Phil Perry straddles the line between media personality & beat reporter. 

More fun news:

I don't know, needing to get your knee worked on because you rode a plane for 6 hours doesn't sound great, especially when they have a game in Germany in November. It's great that he practiced, but could still be something he's managing or playing through a little discomfort. I don't recall him playing any snaps in the pre-season, but I don't generally like healthy players getting reps unless they're fighting for a position.

Only time will tell though, but I hope he can handle an 8 hour flight one way in 2 months time.

I'm not dismissing JuJu not missing a practice. That's a very positive sign. I just don't know if that's the silver bullet in saying his knee is perfectly fine. But, as long as Bert is the only one saying it then either he's going to look like a clown by season's end for saying it or he's going to get a lot of praise for being the only guy to point it out so publicly.

I’m more interested in knowing what plane you’re flying that the trip to Japan is 6 hours…

We live in an era where first is far far more important than accuracy. It's true in national mainstream news as well wether it's CNN or Fox, they cannot be depended upon for sharing any accuracies or truth. I'm confused why the last sentence is even a debateable point. Sports reporting merely reflects reporting at large hot takes/click bait truth be dammed.