It isn't.
If Watson joins the team you will get some ring-chasers joining too, and they will obviously be signing/trading other players so to suggest that if the Pats got Watson they wouldn't make any other moves is just wrong.
Also, you can add in the return from opt-out of LaCosse at TE
The wide receivers stink, the tight ends stink, they have no QB, the front seven is terrible. BB coached this team up to 7 wins. Put any other coach on this team and they win 4 games max. They aren’t that good.
Even if we take that as true..... Guess who our coach is next year? And they get back their best LB, a bunch of cap space etc.
No, because while I'm confident he could take an okay to above average team to a playoff appearance or even a playoff win, you need more than that to win a title. And I don't think they can put together a very talented, Super Bowl contending team in the short term. Now, the whole equation changes if they can get Watson because a top tier QB can transform an average team into a contender overnight, especially with Bill, but if they're not getting him I want a rebuild.
RB is one of like three positions on the team that is actually fine.
Here's the problem... If last year was a 4 win talent team...... How do you tank if your coach is worth 3-4 wins? Its why if you can add Watson you do,.... This team doesn't have a clear path to being REALLY bad. Also we all now know Bill isn't going to tank, if he was this was the year for it, opt-out gutted roster, cap hits for players not here, Covid etc. Also if you believe in your coach you try to get to the playoffs and see what happens.
Hey, one more upside to add to your COVID category is that he should be immune (at least to current strains)!
I think this angle of a potential Watson deal is being underplayed. As much as the Patriots didn’t pursue elite FAs during Brady’s tenure, they got a lot of players who wanted to come play with them purely because of Brady always giving them a chance to compete for a SB.
I think the bolded is pretty harsh, we don't really know what we have yet with the recently drafted TEs and while the DL is bad I think they've got a decent LB group with Hightower back in the mix.
Agreed. Judging the NE TE's on one year (with injuries) with no offseason as "stink[ing]" is harsh. I think it has been said on this board how TE is one of the hardest positions to come into and make an impact as a rookie- needing to learn all the blocking schemes plus the entire route tree. Add no offseason and limited practices, I'd be glad to take this redshirt year for Asi and Keene. Others views may vary...
The Pats have usually not historically relied on tons of top end talent away from the QB position, but the concern here isn't a lack of Pro Bowlers, it's a lack of anything resembling depth. PFF isn't gospel, but for some context, the Pats had only 15 players rank in the top half of all players at their position (8 offense, 7 defense). Of the 8 on offense that included 5 offensive linemen (one of whom in Thuney is not likely to be back next year) and 2 RBs (including Burkhead who lacks 2 functioning knees). On defense, of the 7, Wise and Guy are UFA, Jackson is an RFA, and Gilmore is coming off injury. There are holes all over the roster away from OL, the secondary (assuming Gilmore is back and the McCourty twins don't retire), and maybe RB (if you feel OK about Michel's knee and think Harris/Michel can do enough in the passing game to replace White's role). WR and TE are a dumpster fire. The front 7 has at best 3 guys you'd feel comfortable going into the year with as starters (Hightower, Wino, Uche). Oh, and they still don't have a QB.
Well yeah, but they also have the 4th most cap space in the league (and closer to 1st than 5th), even without trying to cut, restructure or extend.
They're projected to have about $44mn in cap room assuming 2021 comes in around $180mn. Based on their current picks, rookies will take up about $10 million, so that leaves $34mn. Even a lower end QB like a FItzpatrick probably costs in the $5-8 million range. Call it $6 million and that takes them down to $28 million. Re-sign Andrews to maintain OL continuity and they are down to low-20s pretty quick. Yes, the Pats have some cap space and there will definitely be some free agent values to be had, but we shouldn't be putting our hopes on free agency to rebuild multiple position groups.
We don't know what we have yet with the TEs, true, but it's also fair to say none of the TEs on the roster have done anything in the NFL and should be considered suspect until proven otherwise. And I liked both Asiasi and Keene coming out of school.
I don't think the numbers back this up. Cam's best games - Seattle, Houston, the first Jets game - were all contests where they fell behind and he had to throw a lot when the defenses knew he would throw.
If you're down to the low 20s, but you've adequately addressed QB and OL, set aside $14m for a WR1, which is your next biggest need, and with the other $8-10m you can get a couple of solid (not spectacular, but solid) vets to plug in at DL and LB. And I'm sure they can create more cap space by fiddling with existing contracts. So yes, with their cap space, they ought to be able to address QB, OL, DL, WR, and LB.
Great points about depth above. Pats teams have traditionally run deep on "middle class" players rather than top-heavy on stars and weak everywhere else.
LOL, yes, Kraft should definitely put the best coach in the history of the sport on notice because some messageboarders are upset he went with Cam over Jimmy G.
... and we don't even know if Jimmy G is available. There may not be much out there.
Bringing back Cam would not in any way preclude drafting a QB. Though the idea that "you can just move up for a QB" is so flawed it shouldn't be taken seriously....
This offseason is musical chairs for available starting quarterbacks. As it stands, the Colts, the WFT, the Jags (and we know where they're going) and the Patriots are "without" what you'd call a starter.
Certainly not but I guess it depends whether BB thinks a "modest improvement" at QB would be enough to turn them into contenders. If not, I can see a scenario where he doesn't think acquiring Jimmy G or Jameis Winston or whatever is worth it and the Pats are better off keeping their powder dry for future seasons while improving other positions like WR, TE, various defensive spots, etc.
Maybe?
The Bears are always on the list. The last time they didn't have question marks at QB, the Iran Contra hearings were on TV.
Which is why he doesn't want to blow capital unless he thinks he''s getting one.
Bridgewater wasn't great, but he was absolutely an improvement over what the Panthers got from Cam the prior two years (also over what the Pats got from Cam this year).
Was it? The stats don't really back up the idea that Bridgewater was any better than when Cam was there for 2018-19 (I'm not counting the 1.5 games in 2019-20).
And the overall offense was much better in Carolina in 2018 (14th in total scoring, 11th in points per drive) than in 2020 (24th in scoring, 20th in points per drive), and they won two more games in 2018. So I'm not seeing @Captaincoop 's point, either.
