Free Agency 2017

[Draft Crazy]

I would kick the tires on Clady on a 1 year deal. He is a respectable LT when healthy. Problem is he can't play a full 16 game schedule let alone into the playoffs.

I am with you on Clady. I know some may laugh, but he actually played really pretty decent this year and healthy. He is better then what we haven and would allow us to draft a LT for the future while have someone with experience.. Non exciting, but it does make sense to me. Only reason why he was released because of his contract. I'd sign him to a one year deal.

 

[CEH]

The Burkhead to Patriots move just seems like another sneaky Patriots deal to me. He was very good in Cincy in the limited amount of time he got behind Hill and Bernard.

NE wanted him so much that they paid him more money then any RB on the roster since 2010.

Didn't ppl laugh at NE when they traded a 2nd for some guy named Wes Welker?

I think if Denver and Elway had Manning for his entire career, Elway too would be killing it and making the AFCC game every other year.

 

[Mingo]

I am with you on Clady. I know some may laugh, but he actually played really pretty decent this year and healthy. He is better then what we haven and would allow us to draft a LT for the future while have someone with experience.. Non exciting, but it does make sense to me. Only reason why he was released because of his contract. I'd sign him to a one year deal.

Also agree with this maneuver. He is a better risk than Romo.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Didn't ppl laugh at NE when they traded a 2nd for some guy named Wes Welker?

I think if Denver and Elway had Manning for his entire career, Elway too would be killing it and making the AFCC game every other year.

I am not sure people laughed or not, but they shouldn't have if they ever watched Wes Welker play. But I am guessing you're right. A 2nd rounder for a 3rd WR who was mostly a return man at that time.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Doom and Clady reuinted. lol

 

[SpiritOf77]

Doom and Clady reuinted. lol

yes, and hopefully on the Calgary Stampeders

 

[Draft Crazy]

I think they are a bit better then that. Doom is still playing at a pretty high level. He was amoung tops the past two years in QB pressure.

 

[58crash]

Lucas Lucas ..............................................................................!

 

[Draft Crazy]

Dont'a Hightower re-signs with Patriots. Patriots having a fantastic off-season.

 

[cdumler7]

Dont'a Hightower re-signs with Patriots. Patriots having a fantastic off-season.

I guess I'm not using the word fantastic right now

TE position
Lost Bennett gained Dwayne Allen in a trade. Allen hasn't been the same since his injury and to me is a downgrade from Bennett.

CB position
Lost Logan Ryan and maybe trading away Butler. Gained Gilmore. If we are just doing a Ryan vs. Gilmore then yes I would say upgrade but if Butler leaves they could have a huge downgrade at the CB position.

RB position
Blount most likely gone and Rex Burkhead brought in. While I like Burkhead he is more of a 3rd down RB which they already have 2 capable guys for that position. They are missing that between the tackles runner right now.

Kony Ealy--Bronco fans have this warped view that he is some great player. Yes he had a great Super Bowl against us. Plenty of DL players had a great game against the Broncos in 2015. Beyond that though he hasn't been much for the Panthers. So while I do think he can help the DL have to remember they also let Sheard walk. I would rather have Sheard than Kony Ealy at this time.

Cooks is a nice addition to that offense. Offers an over the top guy for them. So will give them credit for this one but at this time that did cost them a 1st round pick.

Lawrence Guy is another underrated pick up. So while I think they have done fine this offseason I"m not sure it has been as dominant as some have made it out to be.

 

[cdumler7]

Something else to keep in mind right now is that they have given away their 1st and 2nd round pick to make some of these moves. So it has cost them a decent chunk to get some of these players.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Im sticking to my opinion that it has been fantastic.

Dwayne Allen will be much better in NE and they got him cheap. I always thought Bennett was a bit overrated. He is in a good situation in NE and still is in GB, but they can replace him.

the CB position is surely better. Butler probably ends up staying and just waiting til his Free agency year to hit it back. Team him with one of the best CB's in the game in Gilmore and that is pretty darn good.

Logan Ryan has good ball skills but nowhere near the cover guy Gilmore is.

Cooks in the NE offense for the last pick in round 1 where the Patriots historically do not draft well. Big win!

Kony Ealy will be great in the NE scheme.

Blount isn't a loss to me. He fumbles way too much. He is not needed in NE. Burkhead is an upgrade, plus combine James White as a rec and if Dion Lewis stays healthy... They may add a RB in a deep RB draft as well.

Fantastic job mixing good players into their scheme. Frankly, it makes me sick. I like you am tired of the Patriots, but I wanna keep it real and give credit where it is due.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Something else to keep in mind right now is that they have given away their 1st and 2nd round pick to make some of these moves. So it has cost them a decent chunk to get some of these players.

Yeah but they are really set up to WIN NOW... Brady isn't getting any younger. It makes a lot of sense to me to do the moves they did. Let's be honest Belichick doesn't care about re-building this team. He is going all in the next few years with Brady there. They will go out together.

Cooks and Ealy give them a much better chance to continue to win then 2 rookies.

 

[cdumler7]

Im sticking to my opinion that it has been fantastic.

Dwayne Allen will be much better in NE and they got him cheap. I always thought Bennett was a bit overrated. He is in a good situation in NE and still is in GB, but they can replace him.

the CB position is surely better. Butler probably ends up staying and just waiting til his Free agency year to hit it back. Team him with one of the best CB's in the game in Gilmore and that is pretty darn good.

Logan Ryan has good ball skills but nowhere near the cover guy Gilmore is.

Cooks in the NE offense for the last pick in round 1 where the Patriots historically do not draft well. Big win!

Kony Ealy will be great in the NE scheme.

Blount isn't a loss to me. He fumbles way too much. He is not needed in NE. Burkhead is an upgrade, plus combine James White as a rec and if Dion Lewis stays healthy... They may add a RB in a deep RB draft as well.

Fantastic job mixing good players into their scheme. Frankly, it makes me sick. I like you am tired of the Patriots, but I wanna keep it real and give credit where it is due.

I'm trying not to be a homer on all of this. Where I think they have done well is getting good value in trades. Trading their 2nd to move back what 8 spots and get Ealy is good value. Trading a 4th for Allen and a 6th round pick is again good value. Cooks yes is good value for the last pick in the 1st round.

I do have some questions though about some of these moves. Such as I know you say Allen will be much better in NE's system. Not like the Colts didn't feature the TE position. Allen when he was healthy was dominant with Luck at the helm. He hasn't been healthy though and his production has fallen off. So Allen healthy yes I think would be phenominal with the Patriots and would be hardly any drop off from Bennett. He isn't that player at least from what I have seen for a while.

Gilmore is a nice upgrade over Ryan and if paired with Butler yes will make one of the top-3 CB tandems in the NFL. Butler doesn't seem to keen on staying though from what I have read and heard. So it could be Gilmore and some unknown and well Belichick hasn't always done great with drafting CB's in his career.

Blount to me is a loss. Burkhead doesn't replace the in between the tackles running. They don't exactly have that consistent guy up the middle. They have a lot of the get to the edge or make plays in open space type guys. They can still find an in between the tackles guy in the draft though so I'm sure they have a plan for that.

And I guess how is Ealy going to be better in NE's scheme? I mean not like the Panthers have done a terrible job showcasing DE talent over the past 5-7 years. They have had some stars at the position. Yet Ealy has never developed into that player. Now don't get me wrong I don't think he is terrible I just don't think he is great and will never be a great player. Throw in they lost Sheard. I would say he is a better player than Ealy at this time. Again not a great player but just better than Ealy.

 

[Draft Crazy]

I think we have a way different opinion of Burkhead in the Patriots offense, but we will see.

Blount has to go. He fumbles way too much. He has cost a few games. Patriots finally grew tired of it. I would expect them go get a bigget RB in the mid rounds... Brandon Bolden is more of a special teams guy. I don't see Blount as a loss. I see it as a blessing that New England has moved on from him, he is a turnover machine. Great RB near the GL, but easily replaceable. I see Burkhead as one of those guys that when the season is over he's going to be a great piece to the puzzle and make Belicheat look like a genius in the move once again.

Ealy is going to be a better player in NE because he has a much better secondary around him then he had in Carolina... I know it's always the pass rush makes the CB flow, but the CB's make the pass rush flow too. It works both ways. I don't think Ealy is a star, but I do think you will see him be a much more consistent player then he was in Carolina.

Cooks with Brady freaks me out with Edelman on the other side combined with Hogan. Amendola has to go right?

 

[cdumler7]

Yeah can't see how they keep Amendola. His role would be way too diminished at that point to justify his contract.

Again I do think the Patriots have made good moves just not phenomenal moves. Maybe just some different views on the play level of certain players and what they bring to the Patriots.

 

[Draft Crazy]

I think for the position the Patriots are already in they really benefitted this year. I don't think any team has made unbelievable moves over another team to say someone really upped their stock this coming year, but I do feel a great team has improved their team quite a bit already...

Plus don't forget they re-signed Hightower who was a big FA for them. They aren't always accustom to re-signing their big free agents.

I am sorta surprised they gave Gilmore a big contract. He is well worth it, but just not the Patriot way.

 

[CEH]

I agree with DC. Pats are killing it no doubt. They come up with the most creative ways to manipulate the draft and players.

 

[Mingo]

Enjoyed the DC - CD discussion above - thanks.

Just a reminder - the Patriots do better when no one expects them to and the have a chip on their shoulder - we shall see.

 

[randymon]

I see good points on both the arguments pro and con regarding Pats moves. Problem for me anyway is I've told myself too many times their moves will come back and bite them and I've been wrong every time. If we go March Madness and the % tile on probability that these moves are " genius " for Belichek and Pats, it will prob be 98 % ....