New England Patriots General Thread

[Leonardfan]

Pats cut Dan Vitale last week.

Mac Jones looked solid in OTAs. For whatever reason his "size" or lack thereof is becoming a question mark. Kyler Murray is sub 5'10" and the media makes every excuse in the book for him. Jones is also bigger than Tagiolova but again Jones is "undersized".

https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-ota-observations-first-impressions-190825064.html

 

[Extra Point]

Pats cut Dan Vitale last week.

Mac Jones looked solid in OTAs. For whatever reason his "size" or lack thereof is becoming a question mark. Kyler Murray is sub 5'10" and the media makes every excuse in the book for him. Jones is also bigger than Tagiolova but again Jones is "undersized".

https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-ota-observations-first-impressions-190825064.html

I predict that Mac Jones will quickly become the Patriots' starter and will remain so for 10 years.

 

[Don Wassall]

John Simon was waived by the Patriots a few weeks ago. Don't think it was posted previously as I wasn't aware of it until now.

Like Simon, Rex Burkhead remains an unsigned free agent. Considering he's coming off a major knee injury and his age it looks like his NFL career may be over. Sad because he was a lot of fun to watch and root for. Injuries are what prevented him from having a couple really big seasons in New England, including just last year.

 

[Leonardfan]

Burkhead signed by the Texans.

 

[Rocky B]

Burkhead signed by the Texans.

I’m not sure if that’s good or not....
At least he got signed by someone.

 

[white lightning]

The New England Patriots seem to send all of their older players away whether they are stars or not. They have very little loyalty. Guys like Brady, Welker, Edelman and many others. So it doesn't suprise me
at lall that they wouldn't resign Rex Burkhead. If they let possibly the greatest quarterback to ever live walk they will do it with anyone. Not very smart if you ask me.

 

[Warhawk_46]

The darkening of the Patriots continues... too bad as Mac Jones seems like he could be a very good player. Unfortunately he will be undone by the blacks on the roster who would prefer Newton.
And as of right now, there are not enough white men to keep things in check. New England will continue to unravel.

 

[Phall]

The big dividends from Gunner Olszewski making the fake Pro Bowl last year are that his roster spot is set in stone, he's now above the one-strike-you're-out rule of thumb for white players, he'll be spared some baseless offseason criticism/skepticism, and just maybe he'll even get a few packages with the offense. It's not like the Patriots have any other good receivers keeping him off the field (or any other white skill position players to choose from).

 

[Bucky]

Consensus amongst media is that Covid and lack of weapons were reasons for Scams decline. Treat him with kid gloves, can't just be that his body is breaking down and he's not what he once was!

 

[Don Wassall]

Consensus amongst media is that Covid and lack of weapons were reasons for Scams decline. Treat him with kid gloves, can't just be that his body is breaking down and he's not what he once was!

And right on cue:

The Athletic's Jeff Howe reports Cam Newton injured his right hand during the Patriots' Friday OTAs and did not return to practice.
Newton reportedly hit his throwing hand on another player's helmet during 11-on-11 drills. The Athletic's Jeff Howe said Newton "kept checking for swelling near the knuckle on the base of his right index finger" after suffering the injury. "He threw one pass during the next period then went to the trainers," Howe said. Mac Jones and Jarrett Stidham then rotated reps with the No. 1 offense. An extended absence for Newton could position Jones to compete for the Week 1 starting job as the Patriots head into training camp in July. The team's pass catchers figure to benefit from an offense quarterbacked by Jones.

 

[Leonardfan]

And right on cue:

The Athletic's Jeff Howe reports Cam Newton injured his right hand during the Patriots' Friday OTAs and did not return to practice.
Newton reportedly hit his throwing hand on another player's helmet during 11-on-11 drills. The Athletic's Jeff Howe said Newton "kept checking for swelling near the knuckle on the base of his right index finger" after suffering the injury. "He threw one pass during the next period then went to the trainers," Howe said. Mac Jones and Jarrett Stidham then rotated reps with the No. 1 offense. An extended absence for Newton could position Jones to compete for the Week 1 starting job as the Patriots head into training camp in July. The team's pass catchers figure to benefit from an offense quarterbacked by Jones.

Hopefully Jones can capitalize on the opportunity with more reps. Rooting hard for him. Scam is slowly falling apart, I was surprised the story of him trying to fix his mechanics this off-season did not become a big story.

 

[wile]

"Mechanics?" and admit they were wrong, I'd get top dollar for my bridge I'm selling first.

 

[Extra Point]

Mac Jones looked solid in OTAs. For whatever reason his "size" or lack thereof is becoming a question mark. Kyler Murray is sub 5'10" and the media makes every excuse in the book for him. Jones is also bigger than Tagiolova but again Jones is "undersized".

https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-ota-observations-first-impressions-190825064.html

Calling white players small when they're not is another way the liberal media tries to tear down white players, I read an article in which WR Blake Proehl was described as "super small." Proehl is 6-1 and 189 pounds. He's not even remotely "super small."

I remain incredulous that when the anti-white racism in sports is so blatant the DWFs still can't see it and when you try to point it out to them they attack you any way they can.

 

[Leonardfan]

Another terrible Pats draft pick.

The Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan reports WR N'Keal Harry could be fighting for a roster spot this summer.
The former first-round draft pick could battle it out with unheralded second-year wideouts Isaiah Zuber and Kristian Wilkerson, per Callahan. Harry was at the center of trade rumors in March. How real those rumors were is the source of much speculation, as Harry has been disastrous as a pro, managing 45 receptions over this first two seasons in the NFL. Handpicked by head coach Bill Belichick over A.J. Brown and Deebo Samuel, Harry could start the 2021 season on another roster if the Patriots give up on him this summer.

 

[Bucky]

BB should stop drafting WRs early. He clearly sucks at drafting. He excels at picking up overachievers from the unwanted pile.

 

[Extra Point]

BB should stop drafting WRs early. He clearly sucks at drafting. He excels at picking up overachievers from the unwanted pile.

The thing is that guys like BB are often egomaniacal and unwilling to let anyone else make draft decisions.

 

[Booth]

Looks like Cam has also hurt his leg during otas. Stidham, Hoyer, and Jones will be taking reps.

 

[Phall]

I don't know anything more about Jarrett Stidham than what's appeared on the surface level of the internet. Maybe he's just a camp body after all, despite being a rumored incumbent starter in 2020 before the Cam Newton signing. Stidham doesn't have impressive stats in a very limited sample size after appearing in mop-up duty during blowout losses.

And yet... I still can't believe that Belichek wouldn't give him a couple starts at the end of last year's lost season. That is widely considered to be the pragmatic move with a young backup QB in the NFL, not just some situational convenience we notice on this forum.

Looking at the quarterback room, Stidham will obviously remain 3rd on the depth chart throughout the year, barring injuries. As a 4th round pick, he's on an inexpensive contract for two more seasons. Maybe NE is still his best situation, or the risks of moving on outweigh the potential reward. It's strange and disappointing to me that so many depth charts (at QB but also most other positions) are so "locked in" that it takes a lucky break to be able to ascend. Maybe Stidham didn't earn his shot within his window, and maybe he was just the wrong color in 2020. We'll never know!

 

[Leonardfan]

Stidham was a highly touted high school prospect- played well for a season at Baylor before jumping over to Auburn. Malzahn’s gimmicky offense. Stidham enjoyed success his first season under center but in 2018 the offense sputtered. Watch UCF this season and they will probably have a less prolific passing offense as Malzahn relied a lot more on running with RBs from the shotgun, sweep plays etc.

Stidham sat behind Brady in 2019 and last year the genius Patriots brain trust decided to delude themselves into believing Scam would be a suitable replacement for Brady and give them the best chance to win rather than own up to the fact poor drafting and team building decisions should of made it a rebuild year. Stidham has the best arm on the Patriots but like most White Qbs entering the league they are expected to learn a new offense unlike their black counterparts who enjoy a substantial part of their NFL offense to be taken directly from the simplistic schemes they ran in college.

Stidham may be used as trade fodder by the Pats if he performs well this offseason/preseason. He certainly has the physical ability, arm strength and athleticism. At this point I would keep him on the roster over Hoyer who over the course of his long career peaked as a starter with Cleveland in 2013.

 

[Leonardfan]

Another 1st round bust for Bill

Patriots WR N'Keal Harry has requested a trade.
The request came through a post from Harry's agent, who added that he wants to see the deal done before the start of training camp. Harry has been an unmitigated bust since being taken with the No. 32 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Injuries have played a role in his performance but Harry has also struggled when on the field. He posted 309 yards at a clip of 5.4 yards per target while playing in 14 games last year. Harry was an impressive prospect coming out of Arizona State but his career is already on the ropes after just two years. If a team does want to trade for Harry, they aren't likely to offer more than a Day 3 pick. Harry was already reported to be on the roster bubble this summer. A more pass-friendly offense may help Harry exceed expectations in his third season but he can be left off fantasy rosters until he finds a new home.

 

[Phall]

I request that he trades his first name to his last name in exchange for an extra apostrophe.

Bigger bust: him or Laquon Treadwell? I thought Harry was definitely a reach at the time, but at least he didn’t show up to the combine fat and out of shape. I’m sure they’ll both get a few more years on NFL rosters to help us settle this debate.

 

[Extra Point]

Another 1st round bust for Bill

Patriots WR N'Keal Harry has requested a trade.
The request came through a post from Harry's agent, who added that he wants to see the deal done before the start of training camp. Harry has been an unmitigated bust since being taken with the No. 32 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Injuries have played a role in his performance but Harry has also struggled when on the field. He posted 309 yards at a clip of 5.4 yards per target while playing in 14 games last year. Harry was an impressive prospect coming out of Arizona State but his career is already on the ropes after just two years. If a team does want to trade for Harry, they aren't likely to offer more than a Day 3 pick. Harry was already reported to be on the roster bubble this summer. A more pass-friendly offense may help Harry exceed expectations in his third season but he can be left off fantasy rosters until he finds a new home.

No reasonable GM would offer anything for this bust. On the other hand this is the NFL...

 

[Don Wassall]

This Boston writer tears into Harry pretty good. I remember watching some tape the year he was drafted in the first round and he just looked slow, even in his "highlights" he wasn't open, just able to outjump the defender in the end zone on occasion. So much White talent gets passed up every year, first by the colleges and then by the NFL, while bums like Harry get taken in the first round:

But throwing him the ball? That would have been a fine plan if the goal was to go three-and-out in the most annoying fashion possible. Harry couldn’t get open, couldn’t be counted on to be in the right spot, couldn’t be relied upon to make wise decisions when he did catch the ball, and had a hard time staying healthy.

Yeah, I’m writing about him in the past tense. The only reason to keep him on the team at this point is spite.

And yet the Patriots still started him 14 times in the 21 games he was healthy since being a first-round pick in 2019. He got his chances, more than his play merited, and his agent’s statement implying he was underused (“he has 86 targets”) and citing his college accomplishments (“unstoppable at the point of attack in college”) suggests some serious delusions about what he is as an NFL player. https://www.boston.com/sports/sports-q/2021/07/06/sports-q-have-the-patriots-underused-nkeal-harry/

 

[Extra Point]

This Boston writer tears into Harry pretty good. I remember watching some tape the year he was drafted in the first round and he just looked slow, even in his "highlights" he wasn't open, just able to outjump the defender in the end zone on occasion. So much White talent gets passed up every year, first by the colleges and then by the NFL, while bums like Harry get taken in the first round:

But throwing him the ball? That would have been a fine plan if the goal was to go three-and-out in the most annoying fashion possible. Harry couldn’t get open, couldn’t be counted on to be in the right spot, couldn’t be relied upon to make wise decisions when he did catch the ball, and had a hard time staying healthy.

Yeah, I’m writing about him in the past tense. The only reason to keep him on the team at this point is spite.

And yet the Patriots still started him 14 times in the 21 games he was healthy since being a first-round pick in 2019. He got his chances, more than his play merited, and his agent’s statement implying he was underused (“he has 86 targets”) and citing his college accomplishments (“unstoppable at the point of attack in college”) suggests some serious delusions about what he is as an NFL player. https://www.boston.com/sports/sports-q/2021/07/06/sports-q-have-the-patriots-underused-nkeal-harry/

This is another indictment against Bill Belichik as a coach. Why did he draft this bum? Why did he keep playing him?

 

[white lightning]

Coach Belichik sometimes overthinks in my opinion. Especially when it comes to the draft. He is clueless in building a team with drafting. He is better at doing it the free agency route. Stick with what your strength are. For
him it's clearly making trades but mostly coaching the x's and o's of football. He is playing 4d chess in that category.