FA market has changed

[Wozzy]

Expect what we usually have seen every year except 2021...

Watch as every other team goes wild in free agency while Patriots faithful wring their hands.

Patriots meanwhile prioritize their own free agents.

Patriots sign a bunch of low cost free agents who won't hurt their compensatory picks. Former UDFA's and late round picks who are available.

Patriots come to terms with more well known free agent or two but wait until after the date for compensatory picks to count to actually sign said vets.

After this date passes the Patriots pick through the bargain bin and fill out the remainder of their roster.

Negative Nancys whine that BB didn't do enough, wasn't aggressive enough and as usual it's irrelevant when it comes to actually winning.

 

[StrawHatPatriot]

Expect what we usually have seen every year except 2021...

Watch as every other team goes wild in free agency while Patriots faithful wring their hands.

Patriots meanwhile prioritize their own free agents.

Patriots sign a bunch of low cost free agents who won't hurt their compensatory picks. Former UDFA's and late round picks who are available.

Patriots come to terms with more well known free agent or two but wait until after the date for compensatory picks to count to actually sign said vets.

After this date passes the Patriots pick through the bargain bin and fill out the remainder of their roster.

Negative Nancys whine that BB didn't do enough, wasn't aggressive enough and as usual it's irrelevant when it comes to actually winning.

We'll see how that plays out this year.

 

[Wozzy]

We'll see how that plays out this year.

Extended a second-round tender to restricted free agent WR Jakobi Meyers, re-signed FS Devin McCourty to a one-year, $9 million contract, re-signed QB Brian Hoyer to a two-year, $4 million contract, re-signed G James Ferentz, re-signed Matthew Slater to a one-year... so far so good.

 

[Sfpat]

All of that first paragraph is reasonable, but my question would be why we signed a deep threat for a ton of money knowing the offense would play it safe.

I doubt if on March 15 last year they knew the offense was going to play it safe

 

[PatsFan2]

All of that first paragraph is reasonable, but my question would be why we signed a deep threat for a ton of money knowing the offense would play it safe.

Good point does Mac have an above average arm and not a gun like most? It remains to be seen but Brady didn't have a gun and improved his arm strength over the years I love Mac's work ethic.

 

[Sicilian]

All of that first paragraph is reasonable, but my question would be why we signed a deep threat for a ton of money knowing the offense would play it safe.

My best guess would be that they saw how he was used in Philly and thought he could be more than just a deep threat in the right system. I feel like his best plays were shorter ones this past year, catching a quick ten yard in and then breaking away with his speed. But it just didn't seem to work that way consistently. How much of that is on him, on Mac being a rookie, or on the coaching staff's offensive design is the question.

 

[50-yard-line]

I mean, so far Gallup just signed for $12.5M apy and Ertz for $10.5M apy. Ertz is on wrong side of 30 but very productive. Gallup is only 26. Both those guys are better than Agholor and Smith at same cost or cheaper a year later. I guess we'll see how it all pans out.

Gallup benefits from being next to Cooper (and Lamb) in an explosive offense. He had a 16+% drop rate in 2020. He's coming off an ACL, which was only just repaired in mid-February.

He signed a 5-years deal (with his current team, don't forget), but is it, really? How much will he play this year, having an ACL repaired in mid-February?

Hes a good receiver, I agree - take out this season for healing/rehab, and that number looks more like !5+, doesn't it?

 

[PScottman]

All of that first paragraph is reasonable, but my question would be why we signed a deep threat for a ton of money knowing the offense would play it safe.

How could they "know" the future outcomes - they dont "plan" for team aspects to fail (like the OL unable to pass block consistently especially against stunts/twists early in the year) nor plan to leave an entire third of the offensive field without options.

They build a team and an offense to run modified E-P which allows for targeting multiple levels of the field. They build the team expecting all of that team to perform their roles from OL to WR to QB...with those roles including protecting the QB long enough to throw some deep concepts WHILE also protecting the ball.

They do their best to anticipate issues - usually through depth signings vs star signings so that if the Ted Karras' of the team are called into action the difference isn't as massive as some other teams.

So the short answer is they likely felt Agholor offered them a capability the offense needed as designed - a deep third capability to add to the two TEs they brought in and the running game they had. No plan survives first contact with the enemy (nor our own implementation of it for that matter).

As Glen Ordway always used to say - you're making my point - they planned for a best case outcome in the pending season by signing Agholor.

Or do you really think the Patriots would actually decline to sign guys to purposely not be competitive?

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I don't think, for better or worse, that we can write the final story on any of the longer-term deals from last year. But Agholor, unlike the TEs, was written to be only a temporary curse, if that's what he is in the end.

Now that said, I don't think it would be crazy to expect a big uptick in the Mac attack's capabilities. Reg. season, 164 yards, 0 TDs in 2 games vs. Buffalo. 232 and 2 in the playoff game. You think he's going to watch that film a time or two? LOL How about the Miami film?

Mac watching film or doing anything else isn't automatically equal to Mac improving, it's just necessary, not sufficient. Of course, there's always the sophomore slump direction too. Gni gni gni. Even Brady did that, if you count his first year as a redshirt year behind Drew.

We'll get an idea what BB et al. think a card at a time. We know that Big Shot CB isn't where we're willing to spend... if anywhere (we made our big splash last year... not saying we won't do anything this year, but wouldn't guess more than a contract or two is likely in the big name department)

 

[Jim Beankie]

I doubt if on March 15 last year they knew the offense was going to play it safe

I see where you were going there as they'd just re-signed Cam a few days prior. Plus the draft was a month and a half away, so they had no idea which dude they were going to pick. Wow what a difference a year makes. Spent a lot of time then really trying to talk myself (and others) into thinking that Cam was adequate.

 

[NormZauchin]

All of that first paragraph is reasonable, but my question would be why we signed a deep threat for a ton of money knowing the offense would play it safe.

The same reason we drafted, in the first round, a jump ball wide receiver when we don't run that type of offense.

 

[PatsFan2]

The same reason we drafted, in the first round, a jump ball wide receiver when we don't run that type of offense.

Jump ball receiver?? I have never seen Harry jump for a ball.

 

[Drunken Cicerone]

Offensively I’d try to bring back Cordarrelle, because he should be cheap despite his production last season. Maybe aim for Lazard or Watkins, and if nobody will take Newton bring him back in for short yardage or goal line work if you don’t fully trust Mac.

You get big bodies, gadget players and open the playbook. Spend the money on defense. I think that offense is certainly capable of being a clock killing 2004 Patriots style offense.

 

[Toofy]

With the emergence of Brock purdy, Mike White , Zappe, Geno smith, Jared Goff and regression of Stafford, garopollo, Russell Wilson, Murray will the QB market be reset into three tiers - elite ( mahomes, Burrow,Allen and Herbert ) , other veterans and rookie QB's.

If I don't have a mahomes or Allen then there is no point in giving a 20+ million contract to a QB who needs solid offensive line and playmakers . So it might make more sense to keep investing the dollars in other prime positions in tackles and wide receivers .

I think you can win Superbowl with rock solid supporting cast and a game manager .

We might not have the Brady years back but at least will remain competitive with a rookie QB. no point paying QBs like Wilson, Murray , garopollo anything north of 15 million. Save those dollars up and just get two stud wide receivers and two offensive tackles .

And probably don't overspend on middle tier wide receivers as well . Either spend 5 - 8 million on wr or 18 million plus . No point getting cutesy with contracts like agholor.

 

[archstanton543]

Thread of old, rise from your grave!

 

[Toofy]

Thread of old, rise from your grave!

Wanted to see what everyone's thoughts are with QB contracts. You sign the wrong contract and you are a dumpster truck for 4 seasons ... Cardinals , broncos , Vikings of past . Better to build a solid team with a rookie QB or middling veteran unless you strike gold and land a mahomes.

I am thinking neither zappe or Mac Jones are the franchise QB , so just roll on with them and build a solid supporting cast. At any point where it looks they can elevate play of others then sign the decent contracts .

Signing players of Mac or garopollo caliber to 20 million + dollar deals seem useless unless you have an elite offense and defense like 49ers or rams of the past .

 

[captain stone]

The only other one we bought in on was Agholor, and 11/per is nothing for a WR2. Guys with his history are going to score 13-16 this year. Also, as others point out, the Pats were keeping Jones in check last year, and being the deep threat probably didn't help much with Agholor's production. The hate he gets here is silly.

No it isn't.

I think those are below market rates. Bourne got what David Givens got. 15 years ago. As for Agholor, he's well below some of the contracts signed so far.

And for good reason: Dude sucks. And he's STILL over-paid.

 

[Family]

I think you can win Superbowl with rock solid supporting cast and a game manager .

In the last ten there's been Joe Flacco, Nick Foles, a seriously limited Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford/Russell Wilson.

 

[PatsFan2]

Thornton must really suck.

 

[PatsFan2]

Go Deep Thornton dam it.