Patriots Off-Season News

[Vermont Green]

Drake Maye is 21 (22 on Aug 30).  Joe Milton is 24 (25 in March).  That 2.5 years makes a big difference.  I was happy when the Pats took Milton in the 6th round (Pick 193, sound familiar).  I took some flack for my posts on that, but why not take a chance on him.  One preseason game, where Maye played what, 6 snaps, does not tell you anything about who is better.  But it does tell you who is more NFL ready right now.  I did not see the game (was driving and listened to much of it on the radio) but it seems that Milton looked good.  Awesome.  All you can say about Maye is that it is clear the coaching staff does not feel he is ready yet.  Milton is probably fighting for a roster spot with Zappe.  I would say this game was about that competition more than it was about Brissett vs. Maye.

I have been surprised to hear so much chatter about whether Maye should start day 1, start game x, or sit out the whole season, with no consideration at all to the reality of how ready Maye is.  Right now, it does not appear that Maye is ready, is fully prepared to be a starting NFL QB.  And I don't think he will be ready for the first game either.  And there is no way to know if he will be ready by game 4 or game 6 or whatever.  I think it is fair and smart to make sure he earns it, even regarding practice reps with the first team.  Play him when he shows he is ready, not based on an arbitrary timeline.  I don't believe that playing him before he is ready will get him ready any faster.  There is a baseline he needs to be at before you put him out there.  He is not at that baseline today, or so it appears.

Maye could be a bust, it happens to a lot of top QB picks.  I was not expecting Maye to be ready right away so this does not concern me at this point.  He may not play all season (as the starter) and even that will not concern me.  If by the start of next season, he is still not any better than Jacoby Brissett, then you start to worry some.  And if Milton gets to play along the way, and shows he is a legit NFL QB (like Garoppolo did), great.

[Goldstar88]

Drake Maye is 21 (22 on Aug 30).  Joe Milton is 24 (25 in March).  That 2.5 years makes a big difference.  I was happy when the Pats took Milton in the 6th round (Pick 193, sound familiar).  I took some flack for my posts on that, but why not take a chance on him.  One preseason game, where Maye played what, 6 snaps, does not tell you anything about who is better.  But it does tell you who is more NFL ready right now.  I did not see the game (was driving and listened to much of it on the radio) but it seems that Milton looked good.  Awesome.  All you can say about Maye is that it is clear the coaching staff does not feel he is ready yet.  Milton is probably fighting for a roster spot with Zappe.  I would say this game was about that competition more than it was about Brissett vs. Maye.

I have been surprised to hear so much chatter about whether Maye should start day 1, start game x, or sit out the whole season, with no consideration at all to the reality of how ready Maye is.  Right now, it does not appear that Maye is ready, is fully prepared to be a starting NFL QB.  And I don't think he will be ready for the first game either.  And there is no way to know if he will be ready by game 4 or game 6 or whatever.  I think it is fair and smart to make sure he earns it, even regarding practice reps with the first team.  Play him when he shows he is ready, not based on an arbitrary timeline.  I don't believe that playing him before he is ready will get him ready any faster.  There is a baseline he needs to be at before you put him out there.  He is not at that baseline today, or so it appears.

Maye could be a bust, it happens to a lot of top QB picks.  I was not expecting Maye to be ready right away so this does not concern me at this point.  He may not play all season (as the starter) and even that will not concern me.  If by the start of next season, he is still not any better than Jacoby Brissett, then you start to worry some.  And if Milton gets to play along the way, and shows he is a legit NFL QB (like Garoppolo did), great.

Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels are both starting, so fans are going to expect that Maye can compete for a starting role as well. Especially considering his competition on the Pats isn?t great. Hoping they let Drake play more than a few downs next game. Based on the reports out of training camp, it sounds like he could use the reps.

[Vermont Green]

Oh, and how about Kayshon Boutte?  I have always maintained that he has the potential to be better than a lot of people think.  He has maturity issues that he may or may not overcome.  But in college, there was film of him running away from DBs that ended up being first round picks.  He is an explosive athlete.  His raw 40 times do not seem to reflect the on field speed that I see from him.  Still a project at this point, but he should be ahead of Thronton (24), JuJu (27), and Reagor (25).  Boutte is 22, same as Baker (22), younger than Polk (23).  Still a project/prospect, but I am rooting for him.

Polk and Javon Baker both seem like great prospects as well.  Add in DeMario Douglas (who is 23) and this feels like a really good young receiver corps.  This Pats receiver room is great, still young, but great, in my mind.  If Boutte figures it out and sticks, we could have 4 very solid, versatile receivers age 23 or under.  If we have Bourne (29) and Osborn (27) as the veteran anchors, I say go young with the rest of the receivers.  Lots of possible combinations that would be hard to cover everyone, especially considering we have decent TEs and backs that can catch ball.  That is a lot for a defense to cover, no way to take out just one top receiver.

[Phantom255x]

I feel a lot better about our WRs overall than previous years, that's for sure.

Boutte can make some plays. He had some drops but he also had some nice catches and I think even on the drops it wasn't like he was wide open and had *bad* drops. It's stuff he can work on. I hope he makes it. Baker and Polk feel like real contributors. And then you have Douglas.

I would move on from JuJu and Thornton. Be done with those two for good and get a fresh start.

Douglas-Polk-Bourne-Osborn-Baker-Boutte with Henry-Hooper the TEs. 

[Donoghus]

Odunze/Polk was a fun combo to watch last year at Washington.  Polk can definitely play.  Just hope he doesn't flame out like some of the other high profile WR draft picks have had over the years.

[Vermont Green]

Odunze/Polk was a fun combo to watch last year at Washington.  Polk can definitely play.  Just hope he doesn't flame out like some of the other high profile WR draft picks have had over the years.

I think the difference with this group is the depth.  In past years, we had Harry or we had Thornton.  With this group, we have 4 young receivers, and the book is not entirely closed on Thornton just yet.  Polk may flame out but if the other 3 stick, that is still a great outcome.  Chances are that all 4 will not reach their potential and become contributors.  But I like the approach of trying to build the receivers as a group.  I would rather have 3 or 4 receivers that are above average but not necessarily elite than having one that is elite and the rest average or below.  And one of these young players may turn out to be elite enough.

It is a net sum game with salary caps.  If you pay one receiver $30M, that means you have to pay the other 5 less.  And then teams can focus on that one elite receiver.  That can open things up for the other receivers but the better teams these days seem to do it with multiple weapons, a couple of good receivers, a good TE, and back that can catch the ball.  If you have that with a decent line and a good QB, you are right there with the better teams like KC and SF.

[A Future of Stevens]

JuJu was reportedly released. He has been cooked since he got here. Wish him well, but I am glad they aren't just holding him on the roster. I have more faith in the rest of the WR stable having a better shot at contributing than him.

[Goldstar88]

JuJu was reportedly released. He has been cooked since he got here. Wish him well, but I am glad they aren't just holding him on the roster. I have more faith in the rest of the WR stable having a better shot at contributing than him.

Maybe Wolf can swing a trade and bring Myers back! 

[Neurotic Guy]

JuJu was reportedly released. He has been cooked since he got here. Wish him well, but I am glad they aren't just holding him on the roster. I have more faith in the rest of the WR stable having a better shot at contributing than him.

Maybe Wolf can swing a trade and bring Myers back! 

Meyers is currently the most frustrating one that got away. I used to cringe whenever I heard Joe Johnson?s name (there have been others).  Like Liam and Bane.  Losing Jakobi was just dumb and unnecessary.

[Phantom255x]

JuJu was reportedly released. He has been cooked since he got here. Wish him well, but I am glad they aren't just holding him on the roster. I have more faith in the rest of the WR stable having a better shot at contributing than him.

Maybe Wolf can swing a trade and bring Myers back! 

Meyers is currently the most frustrating one that got away. I used to cringe whenever I heard Joe Johnson?s name (there have been others).  Like Liam and Bane.  Losing Jakobi was just dumb and unnecessary.

It's partially why I'm glad Belichick is not here anymore. More so for his GM work than coaching. Although I think his coaching slipped too (including hiring Patricia/Judge), his GM decisions and transactions were just brutally bad the last few years. I'm not gonna get into a whole "Brady vs. Belichick" discussion but outside of a brief stretch in 2021, Belichick has just looked toast since Brady left. His drafting also wasn't good either. Putrid roster.

I think Belichick can still coach in the league btw but he should not be a GM anymore wherever he goes, and I think he'll have to accept that fate to get another gig somewhere else.

[Goldstar88]

JuJu was reportedly released. He has been cooked since he got here. Wish him well, but I am glad they aren't just holding him on the roster. I have more faith in the rest of the WR stable having a better shot at contributing than him.

Maybe Wolf can swing a trade and bring Myers back! 

Meyers is currently the most frustrating one that got away. I used to cringe whenever I heard Joe Johnson?s name (there have been others).  Like Liam and Bane.  Losing Jakobi was just dumb and unnecessary.

Bill was just doing what was best for the team.

[Roy H.]

The New England Patriots are trading four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

Per the report, the Falcons are sending a third-round draft pick to New England in return. Judon has been on the trade block amid a contract stalemate. He drew interest from multiple teams, according to media reports. Wednesday's trade resolves the situation in New England as the Falcons add a significant upgrade to their pass rush.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

The New England Patriots are trading four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

Per the report, the Falcons are sending a third-round draft pick to New England in return. Judon has been on the trade block amid a contract stalemate. He drew interest from multiple teams, according to media reports. Wednesday's trade resolves the situation in New England as the Falcons add a significant upgrade to their pass rush.

Great, they lose their best pass rusher and get zilch in immediate return.

[Vermont Green]

The New England Patriots are trading four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

Per the report, the Falcons are sending a third-round draft pick to New England in return. Judon has been on the trade block amid a contract stalemate. He drew interest from multiple teams, according to media reports. Wednesday's trade resolves the situation in New England as the Falcons add a significant upgrade to their pass rush.

Great, they lose their best pass rusher and get zilch in immediate return.

Their best pass rusher if healthy and motivated.  We shall she. It seems that the market for him was not very good.  I am surprised but I do not doubt they shopped hard. I have my doubts that he will hold up so I am not upset with trade.

[Goldstar88]

The New England Patriots are trading four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

Per the report, the Falcons are sending a third-round draft pick to New England in return. Judon has been on the trade block amid a contract stalemate. He drew interest from multiple teams, according to media reports. Wednesday's trade resolves the situation in New England as the Falcons add a significant upgrade to their pass rush.

Great, they lose their best pass rusher and get zilch in immediate return.

Their best pass rusher if healthy and motivated.  We shall she. It seems that the market for him was not very good.  I am surprised but I do not doubt they shopped hard. I have my doubts that he will hold up so I am not upset with trade.

I mean, he?s turning 32 and coming off an injury. I think a 3rd rounder is a decent return.