2019 New England Patriots

[Thrashen]

With black OT’s (Trent Brown and LaAdrian Waddle) leaving the team via free agency, the Pats are suddenly down to just two sumos (Cannon and Wynn) and three white OT’s (Matthews, Croston, and Skipper). The 3 black starters on the OL (Mason, Cannon, Wynn) are the only non-white lineman on the team. Nice improvement compared to the previous two seasons!

Still no news regarding Jordy Nelson possibly signing with the team, no any updates on their other white WR FA’s (Hogan and Hollister). I’ve also read that Berrios is in line to play the slot and Edelman might be getting a better contract. Who knows...they could very well draft the likes of David Sills or Hunter Renfrow? When looking at the contract details of their newest black WR’s (Harris and Ellington), they could just be camp bodies that are eventually cut. Very low guaranteed money.

DE John Simon and TE, Matt LaCosse, were great signings.

No news on Gronk returning next year, but at least they should have Izzo, Hollister, and LaCosse instead of their typical all-black TE corps (along with Gronk).

The trade for BLM activist, anthem-kneeler, and all-around bad person, Michael Bennett, was their worst more thus far.

 

[Thrashen]

Now that the Pats missed out on Humphries, Beasley, Amendola, and Hogan (they also declined to offer practice squad WR, Cody Hollister, a new contract), the team is left with only two white WR's on the roster. Before their annual all-black draft class is selected in two weeks time, here is the racial breakdown of the current squad:

QB - Brady, Etling, Hoyer

RB/FB - Burkhead, Develin

WR - Edelman, Berrios

TE - Hollister, Izzo, LaCosse

OL - Andrews, Croston, Elderkamp, Ferentz, Karras, Matthews, Schwenke, Skipper, Thuney

DL - Simon

LB - Munson

DB - Ebner

P/K/LS - Allen, Gostkowski, Cardona

There's still plenty to root for on the squad. Offensively, I'm particularly excited about Braxton Berrios and Matt LaCosse and in the receiving game as well as the fact that there are finally some white OT's (Ryker Matthews, Cole Croston, Dan Skipper) on the roster. Defensively, John Simon could be a starter and Calvin Munson could at least make the team as a backup.

Nearly every "mock draft" has the Pats selecting any/all of the available white receivers (Isabella, Sills, Renfrow). It would be great to see Sills replace Hogan as the left flanker. The team did meet with Sills a few days back:

https://985thesportshub.com/2019/03...virginia-receivers-david-sills-gary-jennings/

Anyway, best of luck to Chris Hogan in Carolina!

 

[Booth]

The Pats signed Demaryius Thomas for 6 million dollars for one year.

 

[Bucky]

Tom Brady entering his 19th season!!

It'd be great to see Berrios in the Slot! Make the absence of Hogan worthwhile.

For once it would be nice to see The Pats select one of our many prospects at Edge/DL this year. Be cool to see them get a guy Like Zach Allen in 1stRd and one of our many Edge prospects in later RDs like Maxx Crosby or Sutton Smith.

 

[link]

I have heard next to nothing on Andy Isabella as a draft prospect surely the pats have an eye on him

 

[Extra Point]

I have heard next to nothing on Andy Isabella as a draft prospect surely the pats have an eye on him

Isabella is being projected to go anywhere from the 2nd to the 4th round. He deserves to go in the first. Any team getting him after that is getting a steal!

 

[Thrashen]

The Pats plan to sign OT, Jared Veldheer, to a 1-year, $6.5 million deal. Great signing!

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...undup-patriots-plan-to-sign-ot-jared-veldheer

If the team can make a trade for a quality white TE (Ryan Griffin, Kyle Rudolph, etc), they should be a very palatable team in 2019.

 

[Shadowlight]

Do the Patriots win any of their last three Super Bowls without WR Julian Edelman.? I say no.

Apparently the Patriots understand that score and just extended Julian's contract through 2021. That is three more seasons with this stud.

One of the greatest clutch players of all time.

 

[Bucky]

TE Ben Watson suspended 4 games for Drug violation. Good news for the White TEs in New England.

 

[white is right]

TE Ben Watson suspended 4 games for Drug violation. Good news for the White TEs in New England.[/QU
I will give him this his dog ate my homework excuse is different than most....https://www.rotoworld.com/football/nfl/player/10215/ben-watson

 

[Bucky]

Lol. "I thought I was retired so it be okay to take steroids".

Rotoworld thinks his suspension will help Austin Sefarian Jenkins. Doubt it, that clown is a bust through n through. Still betting on his "upside" though.

 

[Sean89]

Jenkins cut.

 

[Thrashen]

Ben Watson suspended, Seferian-Jenkins released...great news for Matt LaCosse, Ryan Izzo, Andrew Beck, and the team eventually trading for Kyle Rudolph.

 

[Don Wassall]

If LaCosse doesn't work out I'd like to see New England address the TE position other than trading for Rudolph, as the Vikings are the relatively White friendliest team in the league and drafted a black tight end in the second round this year. Rudolph is still only 29 and could have a half dozen more productive years if he can work out his contract differences with Minnesota. The Vikings drafted a black TE fairly high a few years ago that the usual suspects raved about who turned out to be a complete dud.

LaCosse is a Midwest kid who's an excellent athlete with very good speed. No good obvious reason he can't succeed in the Patriots' system.

 

[Freethinker]

Mike Reiss is usually a pretty reliable source so I’m pretty encouraged by this report. In fact I would be disappointed if Berrios was not the number 3 or 4 receiver this year.

ESPN's Mike Reiss believes sophomore WR Braxton Berrios was "one of the most improved players" during the Patriots' offseason program.
A sixth-round pick last year, Berrios spent all of his rookie season on injured reserve after struggling with his health in training camp, but he is back to 100 percent and apparently showing well. There are a lot of questions behind Julian Edelman and N'Keal Harry on the depth chart, so it would not be shocking if Berrios carved out a role.

SOURCE: ESPN
Jun 9, 2019, 9:18 AM ET

 

[Don Wassall]

Mike Reiss is usually a pretty reliable source so I’m pretty encouraged by this report. In fact I would be disappointed if Berrios was not the number 3 or 4 receiver this year.

I've noticed an uptick in positive articles on Berrios. He should have a pretty clear path to playing time if his talent shows through, and, yet again when it comes to so many White receivers, he stays healthy. Like Hunter Renfrow, there's an outside chance he could get a significant number of receptions as a rookie. Even though he's not technically a rookie this is for all intents and purposes his rookie season but he's also had a year to learn the playbook and the "Patriot way."

 

[Sean89]

Michael Roberts for a late future pick. Can't see him making the 53. Bust

 

[Don Wassall]

I was surprised when the Patriots got rid of Jacob Hollister, who is currently getting rave reviews in Seattle. That's the opposite of the way it usually goes, with New England being the team that picks up and develops talented castoffs, though Seattle is perhaps the worst organization in the league when it comes to offseason puffery of players.

I think LaCosse can be a more than adequate starter if the Patriots turn to him. It also wouldn't be surprising if Gronk unretires and plays this season. He took in the Bruins-Blues Game 7 last night, he may miss the action the closer it gets to the season if his health is good.

 

[Sean89]

Yeah, I thought Jacob would have been the starter this year. Has all the athletic tools to succeed, hopefully it has substance. Would be nice to see Cody get in the shake up with the Titans, won't hold my breath on that one. Honestly, with the Pats this year I'll take good years from Chase and Braxton.

 

[Don Wassall]

Yeah, I thought Jacob would have been the starter this year. Has all the athletic tools to succeed, hopefully it has substance. Would be nice to see Cody get in the shake up with the Titans, won't hold my breath on that one. Honestly, with the Pats this year I'll take good years from Chase and Braxton.

That would be nice indeed, hopefully too the tight end position will remain in the hands of an overachiever.

 

[Don Wassall]

Things are always in flux with the Patriots. For a while I was reading articles predicting Rex Burkhead would be cut after the drafting of Damien Harris. Now it turns out Sonny Michel, their first round draft pick last year, is once again having knee problems and missed OTC and who knows how much longer he will be hobbled. I looked at Harris's highlights and find him to be a pedestrian runner, nothing special about him but he went to Alabama, yada yada. If Rex can stay healthy his 2019 season can be anything from waived and out of the league to being New England's most used back.

 

[Leonardfan]

Michael Roberts for a late future pick. Can't see him making the 53. Bust

Didn't pass the physical so the trade didn't go through!

 

[Thrashen]

Nice to see the Pats add another white TE...

https://www.boston.com/sports/new-england-patriots/2019/08/13/eric-saubert-patriots-tight-ends

Saubert’s last name means to “cleanse/clean” in German.

Also, safety Nate Ebner was taken off the PUP list, which is good because I was beginning to think he’d miss the first 6 weeks of action. It would be great to see 3 white defenders (Ebner, Winovich, and Simon) make the roster this year. LB Calvin Munson played great with the Giants a few years back, but he seems destined to be cut.

 

[Thrashen]

With WR Josh "Short-Coke-In-A-Flash" Gordon reinstated, experts believe that he will make Maurice Harris or Phillip Dorsett expendable and that Berrios will still make the team due to his return abilities. If so, it means that the Pats could open the season with twenty (20) whites on the roster...

QB - Brady, Hoyer, Stidham
RB - Burkhead, Develin
TE - Izzo, Lacosse
WR - Edelman, Berrios
OL - Thuney, Andrews, Karras, Skipper, Frodholdt
DL - Simon, Winovich
S - Ebner
P/K/LS - Bailey, Gostkowski, Cardona

Of course, this depends on who sticks around at TE. Right now, it seems like the white players (LaCosse, Saubert, Izzo, and Beck) have the inside track. There have been rumors that Burkhead could be traded, but given that Michel and Harris aren't very good pass-catchers, I doubt that McDaniels would want to part with a versatile player like Rex. Nate Ebner could be cut in favor of Melifonwu, but he always seems to make the team if healthy. Personally, I don't think Berrios has been very good this pre-season (or last year) and I could see him getting cut. It would be sad to see NE with only one white WR left on the roster, but in their defense, they offered Adam Humphries more money than the Titans and he turned them down to play with the immortal one, Marcus Mariota. They also tried to reunite with Danny Amendola after he was cut by Miami this off-season, but were too cheap to pay him $4.5 million...instead opting to sign the washed-up Demaryious Thomas for $3 million.

In other news, it's been really cool to see rookie DE, Chase Winovich, having so much success in the pre-season. Perhaps NE will finally have a white defender capable of making "electrifying" plays in the Belichick era? Rob Ninkovich, Mike Vrabel, Ted Johnson, Steve Gregory, and Tedy Bruschi very solid starters through the year, but never stars. Chase seems to play with an edge/attitude, which will serve him well in a league where whites are only permitted to be humble boy scouts types. I really hope he becomes a defensive megastar like JJ Watt or Clay Matthews in the future...

 

[Shadowlight]

Thanks Thrashen.

Thrashen being our resident Patriots beat reporter and probably the best one out there I feel churlish bringing this up but out of the defenders you mentioned above I would categorize Mike Vrabel as a star. Primarily playing as a LB inside and outside he recorded 9.5 sacks in 2003 and 12.5 in 2007. Putting aside the cutesy stuff like his receiving touchdowns I consider Vrabel one of the all time great Pats. Athletic and rangy he was a difference maker. I respected the smart and truly solid Ninkovich quite a bit but Vrabel was a better player in my estimation.

I have a rule of thumb some coaches would differ from. I don't want my kick returners and punt returners to be full time starters whether it be RB, WR or DB. Sometimes it is necessary to have one person perform both duties like Ryan Switzer of the Steelers or Alex Erickson of the Bengals. It cuts down on injuries to starters and has the added benefit of possibly allowing more white players to play.

Which is why I think it is prudent to keep Braxton Berrios on the roster. Too many coaches don't respect the impact of having solid return men on the roster. Too often you see teams field a black "speedster" as a return man and more times than not it spells disaster. Either they misjudge the flight of the ball half the time, make stupid decisions as to whether to catch it or not and of course try too often to make the big splash play which ends up in losing yardage. And there are the muffed punts.

I like specialty returners like UDFA Michael Walker who is with the Jags fighting for a roster spot. Having a seasoned smart return man saves teams a heap of trouble. You want a return man who is going to put his team in the best field position given the circumstances. You don't want some loose canon idiot who will mangle things.

Berrios obviously understands the nuances of returning kicks so it is only natural they should keep him for that even if they aren't sold on his WR skills.

But I worry about the short leash for players like Berrios. We all remember poor Riley McCarron who muffed an insignificant punt in a win no less and was executed on the spot. In fact I think Riley is a free agent now. He is being totally ignored by every team even though he fits the description of a solid and speedy return man.

The occasional muff is going to happen. If it becomes the norm then obviously that is a problem. The key is you want a smart return man who won't cause his team harm first and foremost. Sadly the NFL in general too often opts for sloppy return men who haven't a clue.

As predicted by many here including myself Chase Winovich was one of the biggest steals of the draft. Anyone that watched Michigan could see his talent.