Patriots Off-Season News

[johnnygreen]

Some takes we hopefully have retired this offseason

Mac was some decent level talent that bill belichek ruined. The entire league views Mac as a medium to low level backup and he was traded for a 6th round pick. Even a guy like darnold got much more trade compensation after flaming out with the jets.

Bill was just a disaster that was cheap/terrible and Kraft let him do
Whatever he wanted. We clearly see this was not the case with bill gone.

Did you miss Mac’s entire rookie season? He was a decent prospect. Bill did ruin him. I think it’s fair to say that if the Pats traded him after his rookie year when he made the pro-bowl that NE nets a bit more than a 6th rounder.

Was Mac bad the last two season? Yes. Was he put in terrible situation by the coach/GM? Yes. No QB would have succeeded in that environment.

This is a very strange. He was literally just traded for a 6th round pick. Every gm in the league saw him, at 25, a few years older than Jayden Daniels’s a year and an half older than Bo nix. They all decided this guy was low end backup. He didn’t have physical tools, game footage or mental makeup that any team in the entire league viewed him as even a good backup .everyone in the league has proven they agree with bills assessment of him…. If bill did something terrible to him some team would at least take a flier on him coming in competing for a job like they did with a player like darnold in the past.heck even Josh Rosen got a higher pick when the cards dumped him….

I would argue that even getting a 6th round pick shows Mac still has value in the league. Even the Bears only got a 6th for Justin Fields, and there was speculation of him going for a 2nd or 3rd. The problem with both guys is everyone in the NFL knows the Patriots and Bears are replacing those guys in this draft. Jacksonville and Pittsburgh would have been stupid to offer anything more than a 6th for someone projected to be their backup. Worse case scenario, they wait for either of the QBs to just being cut.

[Vermont Green]

The debate with Mac seems to be whether he is a decent QB who was ruined by coaching and stuck in a bad situation, or is he just a bad QB.  I have gone full arc on this.  After his rookie season, I was hopeful, after last season, I am not.  Maybe he can figure it out, but I don't think it is likely and I don't think the rest of the NFL sees much value in him at this point.

As to Fields, I think he also had a difficult situation, better maybe than the Pats the last two seasons, but if better, not much better.  I don't think the OL was good and I don't think the coaching was good in CHI.  And yet he was able to perform at least at the minimum level you expect of a NFL QB.  16 TDs, 9 Int is much better than Mac at 10 TD and 12 int.  I didn't see him play much but going back to the last game vs. the Pats, he looked decent.

I guess no one wants a fringe starting QB these days, which is what I think Fields is at worst.  It turns out that most teams felt a 6th round pick was more value than a fringe starting QB on a rookie deal.  I admit, I am surprised.  Mac has been more like a fringe back up QB the last two seasons so I am less surprised by his value.

[Celtics2021]

Some takes we hopefully have retired this offseason

Mac was some decent level talent that bill belichek ruined. The entire league views Mac as a medium to low level backup and he was traded for a 6th round pick. Even a guy like darnold got much more trade compensation after flaming out with the jets.

Bill was just a disaster that was cheap/terrible and Kraft let him do
Whatever he wanted. We clearly see this was not the case with bill gone.

Did you miss Mac’s entire rookie season? He was a decent prospect. Bill did ruin him. I think it’s fair to say that if the Pats traded him after his rookie year when he made the pro-bowl that NE nets a bit more than a 6th rounder.

Was Mac bad the last two season? Yes. Was he put in terrible situation by the coach/GM? Yes. No QB would have succeeded in that environment.

This is a very strange. He was literally just traded for a 6th round pick. Every gm in the league saw him, at 25, a few years older than Jayden Daniels’s a year and an half older than Bo nix. They all decided this guy was low end backup. He didn’t have physical tools, game footage or mental makeup that any team in the entire league viewed him as even a good backup .everyone in the league has proven they agree with bills assessment of him…. If bill did something terrible to him some team would at least take a flier on him coming in competing for a job like they did with a player like darnold in the past.heck even Josh Rosen got a higher pick when the cards dumped him….

I would argue that even getting a 6th round pick shows Mac still has value in the league. Even the Bears only got a 6th for Justin Fields, and there was speculation of him going for a 2nd or 3rd. The problem with both guys is everyone in the NFL knows the Patriots and Bears are replacing those guys in this draft. Jacksonville and Pittsburgh would have been stupid to offer anything more than a 6th for someone projected to be their backup. Worse case scenario, they wait for either of the QBs to just being cut.

One also needs to look at the contracts.  Both are in the fourth year of their contract, meaning that a trading team is going to have to either pick up the 5th-year option (no chance) or likely see what happens after this season with regard to a new deal. That is going to lessen their trade value a bit.

[Roy H.]

Some takes we hopefully have retired this offseason

Mac was some decent level talent that bill belichek ruined. The entire league views Mac as a medium to low level backup and he was traded for a 6th round pick. Even a guy like darnold got much more trade compensation after flaming out with the jets.

Bill was just a disaster that was cheap/terrible and Kraft let him do
Whatever he wanted. We clearly see this was not the case with bill gone.

Did you miss Mac’s entire rookie season? He was a decent prospect. Bill did ruin him. I think it’s fair to say that if the Pats traded him after his rookie year when he made the pro-bowl that NE nets a bit more than a 6th rounder.

Was Mac bad the last two season? Yes. Was he put in terrible situation by the coach/GM? Yes. No QB would have succeeded in that environment.

This is a very strange. He was literally just traded for a 6th round pick. Every gm in the league saw him, at 25, a few years older than Jayden Daniels’s a year and an half older than Bo nix. They all decided this guy was low end backup. He didn’t have physical tools, game footage or mental makeup that any team in the entire league viewed him as even a good backup .everyone in the league has proven they agree with bills assessment of him…. If bill did something terrible to him some team would at least take a flier on him coming in competing for a job like they did with a player like darnold in the past.heck even Josh Rosen got a higher pick when the cards dumped him….

I would argue that even getting a 6th round pick shows Mac still has value in the league. Even the Bears only got a 6th for Justin Fields, and there was speculation of him going for a 2nd or 3rd. The problem with both guys is everyone in the NFL knows the Patriots and Bears are replacing those guys in this draft. Jacksonville and Pittsburgh would have been stupid to offer anything more than a 6th for someone projected to be their backup. Worse case scenario, they wait for either of the QBs to just being cut.

One also needs to look at the contracts.  Both are in the fourth year of their contract, meaning that a trading team is going to have to either pick up the 5th-year option (no chance) or likely see what happens after this season with regard to a new deal. That is going to lessen their trade value a bit.

It certainly lowered the trade value, although I think it's a bit silly.  Fields' cap hit is like $3 million this year.  That's pennies on the dollar compared to what most QBs make.  A guy like Minshew makes $13 million or so.  Sam Darnold is making $10 million.  Brissett gets $8 million.

That said, Fields' market was limited by Fields request to be traded to Pittsburgh, and only Pittsburgh. 

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, though, the Bears had at least four other teams inquiring about a potential trade for Fields, but his representation requested the team not send him to any of those teams and made it clear Fields preferred the Steelers.

[Vermont Green]

That said, Fields' market was limited by Fields request to be traded to Pittsburgh, and only Pittsburgh. 

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, though, the Bears had at least four other teams inquiring about a potential trade for Fields, but his representation requested the team not send him to any of those teams and made it clear Fields preferred the Steelers.

Why would he only want that?  Makes no sense.  But if that was his demand, it starts to make more sense why he ended up in PIT and not NE or anywhere else.

[Moranis]

Preferred Pittsburgh is no where near the same thing as I won't report to any other team.

As to why Pittsburgh, that seems obvious. They win and there is a clear path to starting.

[SparzWizard]

Hearing RG3 telling Caleb Williams to not get drafted by the Bears. After how they handled with the Justin Fields situation.

Looks like we may possibly get Caleb if he falls to 3, or Bears consider swapping picks with us?

[celticsclay]

Hearing RG3 telling Caleb Williams to not get drafted by the Bears. After how they handled with the Justin Fields situation.

Looks like we may possibly get Caleb if he falls to 3, or Bears consider swapping picks with us?

He should not go to a team, should make less money and go to a different dysfunctional franchise like the commanders because they traded their previous qb to the one team he asked to be traded to? Is RG3 like the Kendrick Perkins of nfl coverage?

[tazzmaniac]

Hearing RG3 telling Caleb Williams to not get drafted by the Bears. After how they handled with the Justin Fields situation.

Looks like we may possibly get Caleb if he falls to 3, or Bears consider swapping picks with us?

Makes no sense.  They traded Fields to clear the path for Williams.  Plus, they traded Fields to the team he wanted to go to.

[Moranis]

I mean the Bears didn't exactly create a winning environment for Fields, but the  Commanders haven't had one of those since Gibbs and who the heck knows what the Patriots are going to be post-Bill.  There is after all a reason those teams have the top 3 picks in the draft.

[Celtics2021]

Hearing RG3 telling Caleb Williams to not get drafted by the Bears. After how they handled with the Justin Fields situation.

Looks like we may possibly get Caleb if he falls to 3, or Bears consider swapping picks with us?

He should not go to a team, should make less money and go to a different dysfunctional franchise like the commanders because they traded their previous qb to the one team he asked to be traded to? Is RG3 like the Kendrick Perkins of nfl coverage?

Pretty much.  He does a bunch of college games also, and boy does he say some things…

[Roy H.]

I mean the Bears didn't exactly create a winning environment for Fields, but the  Commanders haven't had one of those since Gibbs and who the heck knows what the Patriots are going to be post-Bill.  There is after all a reason those teams have the top 3 picks in the draft.

Because the Bears made a brilliant trade?  They're a rebuilding work in progress, but they didn't earn that #1 pick the traditional way.

Despite RG3's moronic take, the Bears are a pretty good landing spot for a rookie QB.  They've got two top-20 receivers, solid RBs, and a solid offensive coordinator.  Yes, they were 9th worst, but they were respectable late in the season, and 9th worst is better than absolute worst, which is where Williams would go most seasons.

[Moranis]

I mean the Bears didn't exactly create a winning environment for Fields, but the  Commanders haven't had one of those since Gibbs and who the heck knows what the Patriots are going to be post-Bill.  There is after all a reason those teams have the top 3 picks in the draft.

Because the Bears made a brilliant trade?  They're a rebuilding work in progress, but they didn't earn that #1 pick the traditional way.

Despite RG3's moronic take, the Bears are a pretty good landing spot for a rookie QB.  They've got two top-20 receivers, solid RBs, and a solid offensive coordinator.  Yes, they were 9th worst, but they were respectable late in the season, and 9th worst is better than absolute worst, which is where Williams would go most seasons.

That is true, but the reason they have the pick is they were awful last year and were the year before that as well.  They were in the playoffs at 8-8 not that long ago though that was a different staff.  This one, hasn't been good.

I do think it is funny that RG3 would rep the Commanders when in his draft, they also drafted Cousins and then would never pay Cousins market value even using franchise tag twice.

[green_bballers13]

I mean the Bears didn't exactly create a winning environment for Fields, but the  Commanders haven't had one of those since Gibbs and who the heck knows what the Patriots are going to be post-Bill.  There is after all a reason those teams have the top 3 picks in the draft.

Because the Bears made a brilliant trade?  They're a rebuilding work in progress, but they didn't earn that #1 pick the traditional way.

Despite RG3's moronic take, the Bears are a pretty good landing spot for a rookie QB.  They've got two top-20 receivers, solid RBs, and a solid offensive coordinator.  Yes, they were 9th worst, but they were respectable late in the season, and 9th worst is better than absolute worst, which is where Williams would go most seasons.

That is true, but the reason they have the pick is they were awful last year and were the year before that as well.  They were in the playoffs at 8-8 not that long ago though that was a different staff.  This one, hasn't been good.

I do think it is funny that RG3 would rep the Commanders when in his draft, they also drafted Cousins and then would never pay Cousins market value even using franchise tag twice.

The Bears have had a tough time for almost 40 years. I think Bears fans were nervous with Rex Grossman going against Peyton for a Super Bowl, which is almost like the Patriots going against the Bears in 86.

That being said, the Bears showed life by going 5-3 at the end of the year, making the Fields/Caleb decision even more interesting. The Bears are drafting Caleb and setting him up with decent weapons on Day 1. I think they should trade out of 9 and continue to dominate the first round of drafts for years.

[Neurotic Guy]

I mean the Bears didn't exactly create a winning environment for Fields, but the  Commanders haven't had one of those since Gibbs and who the heck knows what the Patriots are going to be post-Bill.  There is after all a reason those teams have the top 3 picks in the draft.

Because the Bears made a brilliant trade?  They're a rebuilding work in progress, but they didn't earn that #1 pick the traditional way.

Despite RG3's moronic take, the Bears are a pretty good landing spot for a rookie QB.  They've got two top-20 receivers, solid RBs, and a solid offensive coordinator.  Yes, they were 9th worst, but they were respectable late in the season, and 9th worst is better than absolute worst, which is where Williams would go most seasons.

That is true, but the reason they have the pick is they were awful last year and were the year before that as well.  They were in the playoffs at 8-8 not that long ago though that was a different staff.  This one, hasn't been good.

I do think it is funny that RG3 would rep the Commanders when in his draft, they also drafted Cousins and then would never pay Cousins market value even using franchise tag twice.

The Bears have had a tough time for almost 40 years. I think Bears fans were nervous with Rex Grossman going against Peyton for a Super Bowl, which is almost like the Patriots going against the Bears in 86.

That being said, the Bears showed life by going 5-3 at the end of the year, making the Fields/Caleb decision even more interesting. The Bears are drafting Caleb and setting him up with decent weapons on Day 1. I think they should trade out of 9 and continue to dominate the first round of drafts for years.

Hey - the ‘86 Super Bowl was great… for a few minutes.

I will say, at the time, there was nothing like the run to that Super Bowl. The end of the regular season through the playoffs was some of the most fun ever as a fan. No internet, no cell phones (texting), no social media - yet, every day during that run was a blast. Newspaper, talk radio (one station), and a constant buzz at work and among friends. My future wife stuck with me through that which i look back at in wonder.  She was not, is not, a sports fan - but thankfully very tolerant.