Patriots 2024 Season

[keevsnick]

Some names I'm seeing thrown around for the #4 pick if the Pats stand pat.

- Will Campbell OT, LSU
- Kelvin Banks OT, Texas
- Tetairoa McMillan WR, Arizona
- Travis Hunter CB/WR, Colorado

Yep, either a WR or OT. Get Maye some help.

[Neurotic Guy]

Some names I'm seeing thrown around for the #4 pick if the Pats stand pat.

- Will Campbell OT, LSU
- Kelvin Banks OT, Texas
- Tetairoa McMillan WR, Arizona
- Travis Hunter CB/WR, Colorado

I suppose my dream scenario would be that Hunter is available (I doubt it) and that we get a good offer to trade down.  That would alleviate some of my frustration of not getting the top pick. Still can?t believe it.

[Vermont Green]

So i'm not outraged that Mayo was fired, there wasn't a lot of an affirmative case to keep him imo.

That said, I'm not sure why so many people seem to expect that the Patriots were going to be better this year. They were 4-13 in 2023 with Bill as the head coach, a man widely regarded as the GOAT of coaches. Maybe you could say he'd slipped, but I don't think he was a BAD coach. Its not like the Patriots made a bunch of huge roster moves, the team was very similar to the previous year except they started the season with Jacoby "can't throw the ball more than 10 yards" Brisset as the starting QB and traded Mathew Judon before the seaosn started. Talent wise, they were still pretty barren.

So maybe Mayo didn't add a ton of value, he also wasn't the problem imo. They just don't have a lot of talent. Hire whoever you want, if they don't get at least two o-lineman, a #1 receiver and some play makers on defense then they will struggle next year.

Yeah, I made this argument a while back.  Did anyone really think that Mayo was going to be a better coach in his first season than Belichick was in his last season?  Of course not.  Pick whoever you think is the best coach right now, and how many wins do you think that coach would have gotten out of this roster?

I think what was lacking was progress or development.  The team looked as bad in week 16 as it did in preseason.  I think Mayo got a tough situation, but that comes with the territory sometimes.  He didn't give you any reason to believe he could be a good coach in the NFL.  Yes, Jimmy Johnson was 1-15 his first year in Dallas but he had college track record to back him up.

We'll see how Vrabel (or whoever) does.  His situation will be better.  The roster should be better and all he has to do is show he can coach better than Mayo, he won't be compared to Belichick.  I don't think they need to add all that much and the offenses should be fine.  We get Strange back at center,   Robinson looks like he can be a decent guard.  I still think there is hope that Wallace can be a decent RT.  Onwenu is good.  Just draft a good young LT and I think things will be a lot better.

I am more worried about the defense.  The defense was good last season but terrible this season.  I don't understand what happened.  Which season is a more accurate representation of the actual state of the defense?  The players were not all that much different.

[Goldstar88]

Kraft met with the media and basically said Wolf + Highsmith are staying here. And that probably also means the scouts, Matt Groh, etc. are staying too. Not a fan of that at all.

We've had a lot of bad drafts during the Belichick years too but these people were also involved too. Groh in particular raved and took credit for the Thornton and Polk picks in recent years (lol)

Did you miss the part where Kraft mentioned the team changed the way they grade the draft.

I swear Kraft watched a different team than I did. Mayo's only issue wasn't lack of experience, but the severe lack of talent. Was Kraft sleeping when Elliot Wolf said the offensive line would be good?

Right. Bill Belichick won 4 games last season. Mayo won 4 games this year. People are expecting a new coach to come in and have success with a team so lacking in talent with an owner unwilling to spend? 

[SparzWizard]

Pats have put in a request to interview Ben Johnson.

Good to hear. Do an actual coaching search this time around. Even if Vrabel is the guy, at least go through the full process.

Ben Johnson confirmed that he'll be meeting with New England and Chicago for an interview according to Tom Pelissero from NFL Network.

Looks like Roy might be ecstatic about this too 

[Phantom255x]

Pats have put in a request to interview Ben Johnson.

Good to hear. Do an actual coaching search this time around. Even if Vrabel is the guy, at least go through the full process.

Ben Johnson confirmed that he'll be meeting with New England and Chicago for an interview according to Tom Pelissero from NFL Network.

Looks like Roy might be ecstatic about this too 

Sorry Roy, but Ben Johnson PLEASE come to New England...

[Roy H.]

Pats have put in a request to interview Ben Johnson.

Good to hear. Do an actual coaching search this time around. Even if Vrabel is the guy, at least go through the full process.

Ben Johnson confirmed that he'll be meeting with New England and Chicago for an interview according to Tom Pelissero from NFL Network.

Looks like Roy might be ecstatic about this too 

Sorry Roy, but Ben Johnson PLEASE come to New England...

Hopefully he likes offensive weapons and prefers Caleb Williams.

[BitterJim]

So i'm not outraged that Mayo was fired, there wasn't a lot of an affirmative case to keep him imo.

That said, I'm not sure why so many people seem to expect that the Patriots were going to be better this year. They were 4-13 in 2023 with Bill as the head coach, a man widely regarded as the GOAT of coaches. Maybe you could say he'd slipped, but I don't think he was a BAD coach. Its not like the Patriots made a bunch of huge roster moves, the team was very similar to the previous year except they started the season with Jacoby "can't throw the ball more than 10 yards" Brisset as the starting QB and traded Mathew Judon before the seaosn started. Talent wise, they were still pretty barren.

So maybe Mayo didn't add a ton of value, he also wasn't the problem imo. They just don't have a lot of talent. Hire whoever you want, if they don't get at least two o-lineman, a #1 receiver and some play makers on defense then they will struggle next year.

Yeah, I made this argument a while back.  Did anyone really think that Mayo was going to be a better coach in his first season than Belichick was in his last season?  Of course not.  Pick whoever you think is the best coach right now, and how many wins do you think that coach would have gotten out of this roster?

I think what was lacking was progress or development.  The team looked as bad in week 16 as it did in preseason.  I think Mayo got a tough situation, but that comes with the territory sometimes.  He didn't give you any reason to believe he could be a good coach in the NFL.  Yes, Jimmy Johnson was 1-15 his first year in Dallas but he had college track record to back him up.

We'll see how Vrabel (or whoever) does.  His situation will be better.  The roster should be better and all he has to do is show he can coach better than Mayo, he won't be compared to Belichick.  I don't think they need to add all that much and the offenses should be fine.  We get Strange back at center,   Robinson looks like he can be a decent guard.  I still think there is hope that Wallace can be a decent RT.  Onwenu is good.  Just draft a good young LT and I think things will be a lot better.

I am more worried about the defense.  The defense was good last season but terrible this season.  I don't understand what happened.  Which season is a more accurate representation of the actual state of the defense?  The players were not all that much different.

Any coach we hire will be compared to Belichick, like Mac Jones was to Brady. One year of someone people didn't put their hopes and dreams into didn't help when it was Cam Newton, and it won't help with Mayo either. It'll take at least 3 or 4 years with one coach for someone to supplant Bill as the go-to benchmark (and no matter how good of a coach we get he'll still be brought up whenever someone wants to discredit the coach)

[BitterJim]

Some names I'm seeing thrown around for the #4 pick if the Pats stand pat.

- Will Campbell OT, LSU
- Kelvin Banks OT, Texas
- Tetairoa McMillan WR, Arizona
- Travis Hunter CB/WR, Colorado

I wouldn't hate McMillan, but get me Carter or Graham. We need guys in the trenches and none of the OL guys are worth #4

[Goldstar88]

 

When asked if fan reaction played into his decision to relieve Mayo of his coaching duties, Kraft replied, I?m the biggest fan.

I understand, said Kraft. And since the day we bought this team, and I realized what a privilege it was, and how lucky we were as a family, that this is the only business we?re involved in where I see ourselves - we don?t own this team, it?s owned by the fans of this region. And we?re custodians of a very special asset of the community. And that?s why - that helps me try to make decisions that, if it was just personal, would be different.

[Donoghus]

New England Patriots

@Patriots
?
2m
We have completed interviews with Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton for our head coach position.

[SparzWizard]

I followed the Brady Bucs and Leftwich was an abomination with his play callings. After Bruce Arians left, Leftwich took control of the offense. They went from 2nd ranked in points to rank 25th and this was with Brady's offense. Brady kept that Bucs offense alive in his season finale.

Hard pass.

[chicagoceltic]

New England Patriots

@Patriots
?
2m
We have completed interviews with Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton for our head coach position.

Are these legit interviews or just to satisfy the Rooney Rule? Seems to me that Vrabel and Ben Johnson are the most desired candidates.

[Donoghus]

New England Patriots

@Patriots
?
2m
We have completed interviews with Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton for our head coach position.

Are these legit interviews or just to satisfy the Rooney Rule? Seems to me that Vrabel and Ben Johnson are the most desired candidates.

Sadly, I think you answered your own question.

[Vermont Green]

New England Patriots

@Patriots
?
2m
We have completed interviews with Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton for our head coach position.

Are these legit interviews or just to satisfy the Rooney Rule? Seems to me that Vrabel and Ben Johnson are the most desired candidates.

Sadly, I think you answered your own question.

It seems to me that the Rooney Rule, however well-intentioned, is not an effective way to improve minority representation.  This seems very obviously to be them just getting the two minority interviews out of the way so they can move to the candidates that they are actually interested in.

NE did give a head coaching job to a minority.  They should be credited for that.  They hired Mayo because they thought he would be a good coach.  I don't believe skin color was a factor.  Nor do I think his ethnicity was a factor in him getting fired.  It seems like since they actually hired a minority head coach, that they should be exempt from the Rooney Rule for some period of time.