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Great article from Mike Reiss detailing the timeline of the fall


Duggar and Onwenu are also likely gone this year. leaving holes on the OL/safety.

why Bill didn't lock them up?

poor drafts
when you do draft good players, let them leave
hiring DC/Special teams coaches for offense because they are cheap
hiring OC's because you are familiar with them
stocking roster full of average/below average talent because (we can coach them up!)

what part of the last 5-8 years gives anyone confidence in Bill?
I have no confidence left in Bill…especially now learning that he completely disregarded and disrespected the opinions and analysis of his own scouts who are out there day after day watching these specific players….i guess this stuff has been out there but first I’ve heard of it

That combined with what BB has done especially since Tom left….and what he has done prior to Tom as a Head Coach and it’s pretty apparent he is a great defensive mind but a pretty average Head Coach ….a change here is long overdue….cant get much worse either!!!:)
 
I have no confidence left in Bill…especially now learning that he completely disregarded and disrespected the opinions and analysis of his own scouts who are out there day after day watching these specific players….i guess this stuff has been out there but first I’ve heard of it

That combined with what BB has done especially since Tom left….and what he has done prior to Tom as a Head Coach and it’s pretty apparent he is a great defensive mind but a pretty average Head Coach ….a change here is long overdue….cant get much worse either!!!:)
Bill asked for the GM title when he agreed to come here. Along with that 25 million salary comes with the Critique. What I would like to see from him this off season as we can probably say he'll be here... would be extending our own guys. Onwenu, Dugger, peppers for example. Show going forward what he used to show to home grown players.
 
One commonly held misconception is that the Pats would have won the SB against the Eagles if only Bill had played Butler.
Butler was bad that year and it is far from a sure thing he would have been a difference maker.
Eagles offense was damn good

Respectfully disagree here... All Brady needed was the same Butler from 2 weeks ago vs Jacksonville; the defense as a whole would've also performed better without all of the sideline distraction too.
 
...who still would've helped us secure a first-round bye in the POs that season.
Agreed, I loved AB the player. He was phenomenal as a WR.. we absolutely go back to a superbowl with him.. I'll make a bold prediction patriots trade for DeVante adams
 
Bill asked for the GM title when he agreed to come here. Along with that 25 million salary comes with the Critique. What I would like to see from him this off season as we can probably say he'll be here... would be extending our own guys. Onwenu, Dugger, peppers for example. Show going forward what he used to show to home grown players.

If he loses both it's just another misfire. And he'll likely have to pay more than if he just extended them earlier.

At some point the roster building strategy has to move beyond acting like we are a senior citizen only living on social security income requiring everyone to take pay cuts to stay.

Yet Bill is still going to guys like Hopkins and telling them they need to take huge paycuts to come here and play with Mac Jones for a 3-10 team. Imagine the arrogance in that.

Guys like revis took paycuts to come here because we were competing for super bowls and had Brady as QB. Not because Bill was some genius.
 
If he loses both it's just another misfire. And he'll likely have to pay more than if he just extended them earlier.

At some point the roster building strategy has to move beyond acting like we are a senior citizen only living on social security income requiring everyone to take pay cuts to stay.

Yet Bill is still going to guys like Hopkins and telling them they need to take huge paycuts to come here and play with Mac Jones for a 3-10 team. Imagine the arrogance in that.

Guys like revis took paycuts to come here because we were competing for super bowls and had Brady as QB. Not because Bill was some genius.
Spot on! Curran said something of note. Mentioned that Kraft gives Bill a budget to work with, and it's up to Bill how he chooses to spend. Bill treats krafts money like his own.. judging from his old, sweaty no sleeve hoodies he probably shops at family dollar. He treats the roster like a hobby.. prioritize washed Up OL, non descript special teams. Part time players like Parker. As Curran said they are operating as if Brady is still here!!
 
Spot on! Curran said something of note. Mentioned that Kraft gives Bill a budget to work with, and it's up to Bill how he chooses to spend. Bill treats krafts money like his own.. judging from his old, sweaty no sleeve hoodies he probably shops at family dollar. He treats the roster like a hobby.. prioritize washed Up OL, non descript special teams. Part time players like Parker. As Curran said they are operating as if Brady is still here!!
I think the hoodie thing is just more open contempt for the league mandating that coaches have to wear team gear.
 
I think the hoodie thing is just more open contempt for the league mandating that coaches have to wear team gear.
Yes I know. I was just making light of how cheap he is. I'll never ever question Bills coaching ability. His GM abilities... now that's another thing
 
Duggar and Onwenu are also likely gone this year. leaving holes on the OL/safety.

why Bill didn't lock them up?
maybe because imprisonment is illegal?

seriously, if they insist on becoming free agents what can he do?
 
maybe because imprisonment is illegal?

seriously, if they insist on becoming free agents what can he do?
Question. Have we franchise tagged anyone since Joe thuney? I'm thinking maybe JC Jackson? Can't think of anyone else.
 
Belichick’s refusal to pay most players under contract a new deal before they hit free agency was a flaw of his from day one. He could have locked up Duggar and Owenu two years ago for cheaper extensions and even if he over paid at the time their extensions would be well below market value now because of the cap expansion are driving up salaries every year.
What terms would they have signed for?

how do you know?

seriously, it‘s 2023 now.
Two years ago it was 2021.
Dugger and Onwenu were drafted in the 2020 draft.
How many rookies are extended in their first season?
What kind of extension does it take to get that deal done?

stop embarrassing yourself.
 
This is something that is very understated sometimes. If you know you want to keep someone, you are way better off locking them a year or two early. It's before they have than opportunity to be part of a bidding war, you can have it factored into future gm decisions, and it's always going to look better in time as the cap increases.

It's just sort of another thing that shows me Bill as a GM was great once, but the league has been adjusting to how to work the salary cap and they eventually found a better way than the Patriots and we didn't adapt
Agreed that Belichick doesn’t extend players as often as would be ideal.

OTOH agents know that if they get their players to free agency and a bidding war it puts more money in both pockets, player and agent. So why is it assumed that it’s Bill not making the offer that stop the deals from getting done?

Overall, around the league how common is it for top performing rookies to be extended? My sense is it’s not as common as a lot of posters assume. Does anyone have hard data on that?
 
I do truly appreciate B.B.'s significant contributions to the success of The Patriot's since he became HC/GM (obviously made possible by having The G.O.A.T. fall into your lap). Even so, for all the rightly deserved accolades, must come the rightly deserved failures. B.B.'s Kryptonite has been his inability to evaluate and draft talent (especially in the last dozen years, if not longer). I know that The Draft is sometimes a "Crap Shoot", but drafting and developing talent has been downright horrible the last several years especially. Additionally, I don't doubt his ability to coach (especially defense), but he has not adapted to the way the game has evolved, nor can construct a roster to compete in the current way that other teams are playing and building their rosters. He's also sending a bad message to other players on the team by letting the Jakobi Meyer's of the team go. That Meyer's was the best WR that we had, reinforces how poorly he's addressed such skill positions (not to mention a horrible OL). The Patriots can get back to being one of the NFL's elite teams again, but, best case scenario (and everything and every move would have to be near flawless), will take at least 3 seasons to accomplish, but it can be done. Ultimately, what happens next is up to RK. Hopefully, he (and possibly Jonathan), can make the wise and proper decisions in all respects, to make it happen. I do truly appreciate B.B. beyond words, but the time has come for the Team to move on. Hopefully, in the right direction. P.S. I've been an avid fan of The Pat's since the 1970's. I would drive to bars that had the home games on satellite to watch them (because the games were Blacked-Out in the Boston Area), when they were horrible. I can't complain with 6 SB's (in 9 appearances), since 2001. And it wasn't just all Belichick or all Tom, it was both together (although TB covered up a multitude of drafting and lack of talent sins).
 
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One commonly held misconception is that the Pats would have won the SB against the Eagles if only Bill had played Butler.
Butler was bad that year and it is far from a sure thing he would have been a difference maker.
Eagles offense was damn good
Nothing else was working, so why not give Butler a shot for one series? One stop would have done it.
 
What terms would they have signed for?

how do you know?

seriously, it‘s 2023 now.
Two years ago it was 2021.
Dugger and Onwenu were drafted in the 2020 draft.
How many rookies are extended in their first season?
What kind of extension does it take to get that deal done?

stop embarrassing yourself.

Ok a year ago or this preseason. The fact is it is Belichick’s MO to not sign most of his players to extensions until they hit free agency.

And whatever they sign for in March of 2024 is going to be a lot more than what they could have signed for in March of 2023. That is a fact. The Patriots have lost all their leverage when they are about to hit free agency or hitting free agency.
 
Spot on! Curran said something of note. Mentioned that Kraft gives Bill a budget to work with, and it's up to Bill how he chooses to spend. Bill treats krafts money like his own.. judging from his old, sweaty no sleeve hoodies he probably shops at family dollar. He treats the roster like a hobby.. prioritize washed Up OL, non descript special teams. Part time players like Parker. As Curran said they are operating as if Brady is still here!!
Yeah, he's managing the cap the way he did for 20 years with TB but without TB here it doesn't work. He needs to get a bit more creative if he stays.
 
maybe because imprisonment is illegal?

seriously, if they insist on becoming free agents what can he do?

He never made them an offer that's the problem. It's not like he went to them and they rejected an offer. Or are we supposed to not trust the beat media guys?

This is Bills MO. He did it with McCourty, Hightower as well. Only difference is those were Superbowl teams. This is a 3-10 team. If he doesn't offer them the most...they are gone.

When is the last time Bill has given a good player a 2nd contract? Just so you know Stevenson is probably gone too when his contract is up.
 


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