Why has Bill the GM been so poor the past decade?

[Hyped]

I never had less than an A in math.

Gronk retired because Bill threatened to send him to Cleveland rather than pay him. That was about money and not being coached too hard, which is really a dumb statement to make about Gronk. He won a SB the next time he played in the NYFL of course.

Brady left because Bill wanted him to play for half of what top QBs were making and at one year at a time. Brady wanted to finish his career here but Bill had to show the world that he and his century old buddy system was the key. That plus Bill and Bob didn't want to pay Brady. Brady also won a SB the next year he played.

Right, just as I said. Thuney left for money and is now a key to KCs OL. He also won a SB the next season he played. See a trend there?

And I mentioned Gilmore but I had him on Miami and not Dallas. Let's hope that he doesn't get another ring or some of you will be running through rings trying to defend more of the indefensible. Bill's penchant for dropping talent led to a severe decline in talent on the Pats, and our 3-10 record proves that my math is correct again.

It was Detroit, not Cleveland. And Gronk threatened to retire....he didn't retire because of that. He hung em' up after a tough year culminating in a SB win. Then he came back and the Pats did a quick deal with the Bucs (IIRC, we were in a cap pinch anyway and Gronk didn't want to play for us in 2020).

Brady was always paid!!! If you look at his lifetime earnings...up there with other QB's. He was paid differently...massive upfront money with void years on the back end. And Kraft did him a solid by promising no franchise tag in 2020. We then ate that dead money in 2020.

Thuney, LOL....he won a SB? So? Not exactly a surprising trend there...going to a loaded team and winning a SB. That worked out for other guys as well.

 

[goheels22002]

What some fans here don't want to see is how many of those drafted players were dropped. It started with Seymour but lately the number of quality players who were dumped without being adequately replaced is staggering. It's why some fans are thinking that the Pats may be tanking. It looks like it.

What's interesting is that the problems are entirely on offense. The defense is sound and has adjusted to the faster tempo of the game and the need for more speed. The coaching staff on defense has been consistent and younger the past three years. The offense hasn't adjusted and has had three coordinators in three years. And when they had a player like Jacobi Meyers they let him go after his third year just when he was becoming a dependable veteran.

I'm not sure they are tanking as much as the front office has made poor decisions on offense and churn in the coaching staff wasted young QBs. Today's Globe article on the Texans and the sound decisions they've made with former Patriots personnel staff was quite telling.

Anyway, next year they draft in the top five in every round and have a bunch of cap money to keep some veterans and pay others. They've been through re-builds before and can weather this one as well.

I saw your never got less than an A in math comment. Was that before or after they invented the decimal point?

 

[Easywolf32]

Let's win with Zapppeeeee wooohoooo lol, as far as I see it, it's Drake Maye or bust. Forget that entitled punk who nail polishes his nails.

 

[patsfaninpa]

Bill made a comment a few years back. Maybe 3-4 years. Questioning what he looks for. He said that if he didn’t think he’d enjoy coaching you, he’s not going to draft you. I’ve been around too long to deal with that. May explain part of his issues evaluating wr’s and missing out on some good players with iffy attitude issues. He drafted the good soldier. Like Harry and Thornton.

 

[captain stone]

Has anyone actually done a league comparison of every teams draft picks thru the years, aside from each teams bitter complaints of hindsight drafting and shoulda, woulda, coulda complaints that don't ignore team needs and are not based on fantasy football?

No it’s much easier to complain and pretend to be an expert

Funny, I haven't seen either of your names in the Draft forum over the years...

 

[VrabelJr]

Funny, I haven't seen either of your names in the Draft forum over the years...

I have a family now and don't have time for it anymore, nor do I enjoy the short term nature of it, but used to hang out there until 2013 I'm guessing.

 

[1960Pats]

Funny, I haven't seen either of your names in the Draft forum over the years...

I don't go there either. I was intending to at one point a while back but didn't. I don't follow college at all.

All the talk about tanking for the draft (no offense btw captain tank) has me thinking about how many top players at each position were drafted behind others at their position and how to measure that.

I was watching a game last week and the RB was way up the list or career TDs, but he was undrafted. That got me to wondering how many total RBs were drafted that year because they were all picked ahead of that guy.

 

[Patstopia]

So how does this answer my question? Correct it doesn't. But thanks for your input!

 

[Redman443]

I can’t say he hasn’t tried to build a good roster. There have been massive busts across the board. The Cole strange pick was not ideal, im not saying strange can’t be a good player but he wasn’t worth picking at that spot. Of course they pick nkeal harry over DK Metcalf and deebo Samuel. At the time Harry seemed like a solid pick but he just ended up being a massive bust. Mac jones seemed like a solid pick but he’s regressed every year he’s been in the league and now he is Nathan peterman level bad. We picked Sony michel in 2018 right before Lamar Jackson and Michel was a solid but not great running back for us and now he’s out of the league. There have been just poor scouting and drafting of good players

 

[varjao]

Bad drafting

 

[40yrpatsfan]

I can’t say he hasn’t tried to build a good roster. There have been massive busts across the board. The Cole strange pick was not ideal, im not saying strange can’t be a good player but he wasn’t worth picking at that spot. Of course they pick nkeal harry over DK Metcalf and deebo Samuel. At the time Harry seemed like a solid pick but he just ended up being a massive bust. Mac jones seemed like a solid pick but he’s regressed every year he’s been in the league and now he is Nathan peterman level bad. We picked Sony michel in 2018 right before Lamar Jackson and Michel was a solid but not great running back for us and now he’s out of the league. There have been just poor scouting and drafting of good players

Sony was a pretty good pick at 31. Strange at 29 was a very good pick, a very good player. We had no choice but to pick Mac at 15. Gonzo and Dugger were excellent picks. N'Keal was a disaster at 32, but every pundit had him with a 1st round grade (still a bad pick with several all-pro's picked later).

 

[RIpats88]

The draft is only a small part of a GMs toolbox to build a team. We're talking about seven or eight kids added to a starting point of a 90-man roster. These kids, except for maybe a top pick are depth players, particularly when you are pick in the last few slots in every round.

Tell me about his trades and free agent veterans since 2013.

Was our 2nd dynasty built through free agency? Or was it through the draft? I think you know the answer.

The only way to cheaply bring in elite talent is through the draft.

 

[BelizePats]

How would Kraft explain this to the fan base? He can't. It's five full years of no playoff victory. Three losing years. Defensive coordinators becoming offensive coaches to a young QB. Bad special teams play. Horrible receiver acquisitions. Drafts are being talked about in a negative manner all throughout the league

The biggest sin of all was watching your greatest player ever walk out the door and immediately play at an elite level. Which included: A SB win, near conference title game appearance, MVP type year etc. All the while doing it with one of the worst franchises in NFL history.

Everyone get so hung up on Bill's receiver whiffs but the problem, post Brady, runs much deeper than this.
There is also BB's inability to draft/restock the TE position. And his failure to draft a 3rd down back, to replace White.
In the last five years, nothing from the draft for either of these postions.
It's no wonder the offense is so putrid.

 

[patsfaninpa]

Everyone get so hung up on Bill's receiver whiffs but the problem, post Brady, runs much deeper than this.
There is also BB's inability to draft/restock the TE position. And his failure to draft a 3rd down back, to replace White.
In the last five years, nothing from the draft for either of these postions.
It's no wonder the offense is so putrid.

I was thinking about something similar the other day. He’s done well restocking the defense. Judon, Peppers, Duggar, Barmore, Tavai, Godcheaux the last few years. Hope Gonzalez and White devwlopyand we will be pretty good. Good vets like Bentley and Wise too.

Offensively, ugh.

 

[203Pat]

Sony was a pretty good pick at 31. Strange at 29 was a very good pick, a very good player. We had no choice but to pick Mac at 15. Gonzo and Dugger were excellent picks. N'Keal was a disaster at 32, but every pundit had him with a 1st round grade (still a bad pick with several all-pro's picked later).

Sony was average. He had knee issues all the way from back in high school and he never offered much in the passing game. He ran well down the stretch in 2018 but behind that offensive line and TE group most backs would have.

Strange has not been close to "very good". He has been in and out of the lineup due to injury and poor performance. He may end up being serviceable but taking a serviceable guard in the first round is a flat out bad pick.

 

[goheels22002]

Was our 2nd dynasty built through free agency? Or was it through the draft? I think you know the answer.

The only way to cheaply bring in elite talent is through the draft.

Darrelle Revis, Danny Amendola, and LeGarrette Blount say "Hi!"

 

[40yrpatsfan]

Sony was average. He had knee issues all the way from back in high school and he never offered much in the passing game. He ran well down the stretch in 2018 but behind that offensive line and TE group most backs would have.

Strange has not been close to "very good". He has been in and out of the lineup due to injury and poor performance. He may end up being serviceable but taking a serviceable guard in the first round is a flat out bad pick.

He's way more than serviceable, he's one of the most athletic guards in the league. His injury problems the first half of this season were very frustrating for sure, but he's a plug & play starter for many more years here, though he'll be in demand in 2 years as a FA. I'm not sure what more you expect from a #29 pick.

 

[PatsFan2]

He's way more than serviceable, he's one of the most athletic guards in the league. His injury problems the first half of this season were very frustrating for sure, but he's a plug & play starter for many more years here, though he'll be in demand in 2 years as a FA. I'm not sure what more you expect from a #29 pick.

Isn't the 29th pick a First Rounder??

 

[203Pat]

He's way more than serviceable, he's one of the most athletic guards in the league. His injury problems the first half of this season were very frustrating for sure, but he's a plug & play starter for many more years here, though he'll be in demand in 2 years as a FA. I'm not sure what more you expect from a #29 pick.

Stange has been serviceable and he has been bad. I also expect more out of what of a guy who theoretically should've been one of the best one or two players at his position. It isn't like we took the 5th best receiver late in round one. We took a position that doesn't really need a premium pick as we have always gotten by there with mid to late rounders at guard outside of Mankins.

This notion that all the good players just dry up by the end of the first round is a ridiculous Bill fanboy argument for why he has drafted so poorly the last decade. Christian Watson, Breece Hall, Jalen Pitre, Boye Mafe, Jaquan Brisker. All good players drafted in the same ballpark as Strange and all would have made a much bigger impact than an up and down guard.

 

[203Pat]

Darrelle Revis, Danny Amendola, and LeGarrette Blount say "Hi!"

Lol Amendola and Blount were good players for us but were far from "elite" and Revis was here for a year.