Sure, I'll take a flyer on Zeke.
I still think the offensive line is the bigger issue. Also Mac Jones isn't that good. ESPN just ranked the Patriots QB position at 28/32 teams. Yikes.
All of my optimistic friends are telling me that Bill O'Brien is going to pull a rabbit out of a hat.
I think that's harsh from ESPN. I think Mac is middle of the road as a QB, anywhere in the 10-20 range. Zappe is a decent backup.
I don't think it's so much pulling "a rabbit out of a hat", but more just bringing in genuine coaching on offence. Jones is a good distributor, just not an athlete. I have him around 15-18 in QB rankings personally.
I think if you actually started to list QB's for this year, you'd find Mac is in the 20's. 28 seems a bit low, but there is an argument Mac is the worst QB in the AFC depending on what you think of the AFC South rookies (i.e. Stroud and Richardson). Even if you think he is better than those 2, the only other QB you could easily argue he is better than is Pickett. There are more bad QB's in the NFC, so I think he is in the 25 range.
I think the decline we're seeing in guys like Stafford, Carr, Wilson & Tannehill is pretty legit, and will continue.
1. Mahomes
2. Burrow
3. Allen
4. Herbert
5. Rodgers
6. Hurts
7. Lawrence
8. Jackson
9. Cousins
10. Prescott
11. Geno Smith
12. Watson (huge ? here)
13. Goff
14. Daniel Jones
15. Tua
16. Fields
17. Mac Jones
I could see an argument for Stafford and Carr maybe, but not for Wilson nor Tannehill.
Wilson now has Payton and the Titans just added Hopkins. They should both be better than Mac, this year. Stafford, Carr, Jimmy G are better as well, again for this year. Murray is hurt, but expected to play this year and is better. You have the 3 top rookies, good chance one has a really good rookie year, but I'm fine with calling Mac over them. I honestly have no idea if Mac is better than Baker Mayfield at this point and I know the Steelers really love Pickett and the Packers seemingly like Love a lot, so who knows with them. Purdy had a pretty awesome end to last year, but who knows if it is sustainable, especially with the injury.
Do I think 28th is harsh, yes, but I also don't think it is totally out of question either. And yes circumstances weren't great last year, but Mac was bad and certainly didn't make the situation better. He pouted as he was regressing.
You're giving all the benefit of the doubt to those others whilst giving none to Mac
You are free to think Mac is better than Murray, Wilson, Tannehill, Stafford, Carr, and Jimmy G, I do not and I think I'm probably in the bigger contingency on that one. those 6 guys, pushes Mac into the 20's on your list. Everyone else who knows, could Mac be better than them, sure, could he be worse sure. As I said, 28 is harsh, I think he isn't that low, but I don't think it is crazy either. There is a reason a guy with Mac's resume fell to mid-1st round. Mac doesn't have a great arm and can't stretch the field. He has had a poor attitude and generally has acted like a front runner. He is accurate and doesn't make a ton of mistakes to the positive, but both of those things were worse in year 2, which is not a good sign. Generally QB's do not get worse and then rebound and come back better in year 3 than they were in year 1. Mac could buck that or it might actually just be a sign of things to come. And I think the Patriots receiving core is worse this year. They basically swapped JuJu in for Meyers and Agolohor. I'd rather have Meyers, though Gesicki for Smith looks like an upgrade at TE (at least production wise). The OL is still bad though I do like the Zeke signing today. He solidifies a pretty solid backfield even with losing Harris. O'Brien is obviously an improvement over the jumbled mess that was last year, but the Pats offensive talent is still among the worst in the league. There is only so much O'Brien is going to be able to do. They are going to have to run the ball a lot, which is why I think Zeke will do well there as I think he can still be effective in a run heavy attack.
