Lansdowne
Footballguy
I’d include Schooler, the best special teams ace in the NFL, in that group. How lucky we are to have him succeed Slater. But yeah after that every position can use some help.
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Indefinite New England Patriots Thread (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter captain_amazing
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Boston
Footballguy
Here is PFT's top 100 free agents as well as what the Pats have in cap space (it's a lot)...should be an entertaining free agent period this year!
www.nbcsports.com
www.nbcsportsboston.com
NFL Top 100 2025 free agents: Tee Higgins gets tagged; Sam Darnold does not
Chiefs OG Trey Smith, Eagles edge Josh Sweat and Bucs WR Chris Godwin round out the top five.
www.nbcsports.com
How latest report on 2025 NFL salary cap could help Patriots
The range for the 2025 NFL salary cap is now higher than expected, giving the Patriots more money to spend on free agents.
www.nbcsportsboston.com
Anarchy99
Footballguy
With a lull in football activity right now, I was bored and decided to reset the position groups as they stand now (assuming I have the latest maneuverings). Players are listed by their 2024 season PFF grades. As you'll see, the fact that a lot of backups and reserves have better scores than starters, which isn't exactly a good thing.
QB (out of 75):
Joe Milton (1st)
Drake Maye (40th)
Jacoby Brissett (56th) - FA
Not sure why PFF bothered to grade Milton. He only played in one game . . . most of the time, that doesn't lead to having played enough snaps to qualify. He played well in Week 18, which only really served to cost NE the top overall pick. I suppose there is some sort of market to trade him, but I would guess it would be a conditional pick. There's been talk of them getting a 3rd for him, but I am not sure that is realistic. If they do move Milton, that leaves only Maye. NE paid Brissett $8M last year. Spotrac has his market value at $3.1M. OverTheCap calculated his value at $4M. Not sure he wants to stay in NE, and I doubt the Pats would pay him what he wants.
Not sure why PFF was down on Drake. From all accounts, he had a very high percentage of catch-able throws, only there weren't great options to haul in the passes. Henry led the team in reciting yards at only 674. Maybe they found fault with some of his decisions and turnovers. I certainly thought he performed way better than 40th considering the lack of an OL and mediocre receiving threats.
RB (out of 47):
Antonio Gibson (27th)
Rhamondre Stevenson (31st)
JaMycal Hasty (NR) - FA
Terrell Jennings (NR)
Vrabel is old school and won't tolerate RS coughing up the ball. They clearly don't have Derrick Henry on the roster, and I'm not sure they will be able to find someone like him. Stevenson didn't have a great season (see what I posted earlier). Gibson had 37% of the touches compared to Rhamondre but 43% of the YFS. Stevenson only counts $5.5M against the cap this season, but after that he jumps up to $7.6M, $9.6M, and $11.6M. The Pats will likely draft someone since this is considered a deep RB class, Can't see RS sticking around this season unless he puts up much stronger numbers. For some reason, Gibson is getting bashed by the media and was considered a disappointment and a potential cap casualty ($4.5M cap number). I don't agree with any of that. IMO, he looked better than RS most of the time . . . and moving on from Gibson would leave ab even bigger whole in the already thin RB corps. The most notable FA RB so far are Aaron Jones, Najee Harris, Nick CHubb, and J.K. Dobbins. Jordan Mason is a RFA.
QB (out of 75):
Joe Milton (1st)
Drake Maye (40th)
Jacoby Brissett (56th) - FA
Not sure why PFF bothered to grade Milton. He only played in one game . . . most of the time, that doesn't lead to having played enough snaps to qualify. He played well in Week 18, which only really served to cost NE the top overall pick. I suppose there is some sort of market to trade him, but I would guess it would be a conditional pick. There's been talk of them getting a 3rd for him, but I am not sure that is realistic. If they do move Milton, that leaves only Maye. NE paid Brissett $8M last year. Spotrac has his market value at $3.1M. OverTheCap calculated his value at $4M. Not sure he wants to stay in NE, and I doubt the Pats would pay him what he wants.
Not sure why PFF was down on Drake. From all accounts, he had a very high percentage of catch-able throws, only there weren't great options to haul in the passes. Henry led the team in reciting yards at only 674. Maybe they found fault with some of his decisions and turnovers. I certainly thought he performed way better than 40th considering the lack of an OL and mediocre receiving threats.
RB (out of 47):
Antonio Gibson (27th)
Rhamondre Stevenson (31st)
JaMycal Hasty (NR) - FA
Terrell Jennings (NR)
Vrabel is old school and won't tolerate RS coughing up the ball. They clearly don't have Derrick Henry on the roster, and I'm not sure they will be able to find someone like him. Stevenson didn't have a great season (see what I posted earlier). Gibson had 37% of the touches compared to Rhamondre but 43% of the YFS. Stevenson only counts $5.5M against the cap this season, but after that he jumps up to $7.6M, $9.6M, and $11.6M. The Pats will likely draft someone since this is considered a deep RB class, Can't see RS sticking around this season unless he puts up much stronger numbers. For some reason, Gibson is getting bashed by the media and was considered a disappointment and a potential cap casualty ($4.5M cap number). I don't agree with any of that. IMO, he looked better than RS most of the time . . . and moving on from Gibson would leave ab even bigger whole in the already thin RB corps. The most notable FA RB so far are Aaron Jones, Najee Harris, Nick CHubb, and J.K. Dobbins. Jordan Mason is a RFA.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
I don't see a way they could get Higgins. By all accounts, he's staying in CIN. I suppose he may not be able to work things out with CIN, and they opt to trade him. But then NE would have to give up picks and still pay him $30M+ a year. As for the second article, the cap going up hurts the Pats, not help them. It gives 31 other teams more money to spend. If the league awards an extra $5M over what was expected, that means there's another $155M available in free agency. NE would be better served if the opposite happened. If there were $150M+ fewer dollars out there, their mountain of cap space would have been worth more. It probably won't make much difference for the marquee players, but it might be the difference in signing a starter at another position or a good depth piece.Here is PFT's top 100 free agents as well as what the Pats have in cap space (it's a lot)...should be an entertaining free agent period this year!
NFL Top 100 2025 free agents: Tee Higgins gets tagged; Sam Darnold does not
Chiefs OG Trey Smith, Eagles edge Josh Sweat and Bucs WR Chris Godwin round out the top five.
How latest report on 2025 NFL salary cap could help Patriots
The range for the 2025 NFL salary cap is now higher than expected, giving the Patriots more money to spend on free agents.
Boston
Footballguy
Agree with all of this...I also thought Gibson did a good job...not sure what some were expecting but I thought he did what they brought him into do...it will be interesting to see what they add at RB...do they add a complimentary piece like a rookie with big-play ability or do they add someone that goes to the top of their depth chart...pretty intrigued by what they do at this position.
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Boston
Footballguy
I don't see a way they could get Higgins. By all accounts, he's staying in CIN. I suppose he may not be able to work things out with CIN, and they opt to trade him. But then NE would have to give up picks and still pay him $30M+ a year. As for the second article, the cap going up hurts the Pats, not help them. It gives 31 other teams more money to spend. If the league awards an extra $5M over what was expected, that means there's another $155M available in free agency. NE would be better served if the opposite happened. If there were $150M+ fewer dollars out there, their mountain of cap space would have been worth more. It probably won't make much difference for the marquee players, but it might be the difference in signing a starter at another position or a good depth piece.Here is PFT's top 100 free agents as well as what the Pats have in cap space (it's a lot)...should be an entertaining free agent period this year!
NFL Top 100 2025 free agents: Tee Higgins gets tagged; Sam Darnold does not
Chiefs OG Trey Smith, Eagles edge Josh Sweat and Bucs WR Chris Godwin round out the top five.
How latest report on 2025 NFL salary cap could help Patriots
The range for the 2025 NFL salary cap is now higher than expected, giving the Patriots more money to spend on free agents.
I don't want to give up picks and a monster contract for Higgins...they have far too many holes and while he would be a great addition he isn't Chase or Jefferson...as for the cap they are still in a position to outbid someone if they feel strongly about a player...I think the bigger concern is does a good player want to come here or are we still a year away from that.
Lansdowne
Footballguy
The only thing about PFF I find worth its salt are their weekly breakdowns where they chart every skill player’s snaps and route participation. Their grading system is nothing to take seriously, especially when you see something like Milton ranked 1st overall at QB and Maye ranked 40th.
Think RB could be a sneaky need.
RB is supposedly deep this draft. Could see them taking a swing in the mid rounds. Not sure Stevenson will be a Vrabel "guy," but I'll guess we see.
Draft also appears deep on the defensive line. Would not surprise me to see them go D heavy in the draft while filling holes at OT in free agency.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
They base their grades on what each player should be doing on each play, and what the outcome of each play was based on expectations. Milton greatly exceeded expectations in the limited time he played. Their scoring is not based on total production. It's based on how well they played in the action they saw. You can agree or disagree, but they calculated that Milton's 2 TD and 0 turnovers was a better average performance than Maye's 10 INT and 9 fumbles. All of Milton's averages far exceeded Maye's. I just find fault with the fact that there were any number of players that played way more than Milton did that did not get a rating.
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Anarchy99
Footballguy
This topic has been covered multiple times across multiple seasons. Really good tackles rarely hit free agency, because they are worth their weight in gold. This year (like most others), the guys set to be UFAs are all already in their 30s. Like always, the few that make it to free agency will be overpaid and will end up being really bad contracts. NE needs OT help . . . but I would not rely on free agency to fix it. They will either have to hit on draft picks or trade for guys that would actually help.
Lansdowne
Footballguy
In other words, it grades for efficiency, regardless of the sample size. The problem is when sample size isn't factored in, you get rankings that are outrageous. I guess I'll never understand any grading system that punishes an All-Pro cornerback like Gonzalez as the 20th best at his position when he's very much top 5 in the league.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
The last part is an opinion. The PFF numbers show that Gonzalez was credited for 46 receptions allowed, giving up 497 yards, with 2 INT and 7 passes broken up . . . giving him a 70.5 QB rating when he was targeted. They consider everything . . . blitzing and pressure, tackling / missed tackles, effectiveness vs. the run, etc. He wasn't anywhere near the Top 5 in anything. He was ranked 17th in pass coverage but 139th against the run. While that may not matter to you, it all goes into the equation to rank players. Similarly, if you don't feel like PFF is using the right numbers or somehow is calculating things wrong, I'm not going to stop you from suggesting their grading system is suspect.
Alaric Jackson, 26 years old. Been protecting Stafford for a couple years. Allowed 2 sacks last year.
Patrick Mekari, Baltimore, only 27.
Cam Robinson, MN, 29. Getting up there.
Those three seem like solid targets.
I'd agree with you on the likes of R. Staley. Old usually banged up, but made it through all of this season. That said, if Baltimore is letting him go you have to wonder.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Jackson would be a good get. Spotrac has his value at 3/$48M. Mekari is a G who didn't grade out well this year. Not sure he's been much better than what they have currently. Spotrac has his market value at 3/$31M. Robinson graded out as a bottom tier starter at T . . . that would be better than what they have now but still not great. Spotrac's market value has him worth 3/$32M. NE is already on the hook for Onwenu and his $21M cap hit this year (and $25M the following year). OverTheCap rated his performance worthy of $8.2M. The next closest salary cap hit on the OL is for 33-year-old David Andrews at $6.7M. Everyone else on the roster is relatively cheap . . . and it showed. Maybe the Pats front office will turn over a new leaf and spend money on free agents, as well as pay out more to OL men. Neither one of those has been their M.O.
Not the year to be drafting OTs:
"The offensive line class has some quality and depth—but there’s no Joe Alt, and there may not be a franchise left tackle. In fact, when I asked what position you wouldn’t want to be looking for in this year’s class, safety (Georgia’s Malaki Starks and South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori are the guys to watch there) and left tackle were the two that McShay and Jeremiah came back to me with."
“I’d be pissed off if I’m a team like New England where I desperately need a tackle,” McShay says. “Where’s my Joe Alt? [LSU’s Will] Campbell’s a really good player, steady as can be. I think he’ll be a good tackle—I do, despite the arm length. It’s just not the prototype I’m looking for if I have a top-five pick and I got this franchise quarterback that I just unearthed last year and I really need to protect him.”
Asked if someone could evolve into a franchise left tackle in the class, Jeremiah responded, “I think Campbell’s that guy,” adding that it reminded him a bit of Rashawn Slater, who had less than ideal measurables for the position.
"The offensive line class has some quality and depth—but there’s no Joe Alt, and there may not be a franchise left tackle. In fact, when I asked what position you wouldn’t want to be looking for in this year’s class, safety (Georgia’s Malaki Starks and South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori are the guys to watch there) and left tackle were the two that McShay and Jeremiah came back to me with."
“I’d be pissed off if I’m a team like New England where I desperately need a tackle,” McShay says. “Where’s my Joe Alt? [LSU’s Will] Campbell’s a really good player, steady as can be. I think he’ll be a good tackle—I do, despite the arm length. It’s just not the prototype I’m looking for if I have a top-five pick and I got this franchise quarterback that I just unearthed last year and I really need to protect him.”
Asked if someone could evolve into a franchise left tackle in the class, Jeremiah responded, “I think Campbell’s that guy,” adding that it reminded him a bit of Rashawn Slater, who had less than ideal measurables for the position.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Thus, the beauty of being able to draft, develop, and keep linemen. In recent years, NE hasn't done any of those well.
Boston
Footballguy
Just a general observation…the more you look FA and the draft the more there are not obvious layups for the Pats…as for the draft it would be great if there was a Joe Alt at T or Jamar Chase at WR staring at them at #4 but that’s not the case this off-season…if Carter is not there and they don’t trade back (which could easily happen…especially if a QB is on the board) I feel like they will address the trenches and go with either Campbell or Mason Graham…if McMillan really impresses with his testing he could sneak in there but right now I feel like those two make the most sense based on the talent of this draft and listening to Vrabel.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Part of the problem (at least from the places I have seen) is that it's predominantly considered a weak draft. Apparently, a number of teams barely have 10 players rated as first round talents. It sounds like a lot of the guys that will go in the first couple rounds are mostly projects that could turn into something, but not a lot of clear-cut guys that are going to hit the ground running and start right away and be highly productive. That's made twice as bad for NE, as it's not supposed to be a great or deep draft for OL and WR. Last I heard, McMillian's stock was falling . . . rumored to now be a middle of the first-round pick. Not really sure why, but I say that in a few places.
I also don't see a lot of top-notch free agents this year, and with the number of teams with $$$ available and the cap going up, I see a bunch of guys getting overpaid and signed too long on the horizon (that's across the league). Given that in the past however many years they haven't drafted well or made a lot of solid FA signings, call me "concerned" that the NE brass could easily muck things up again. Can't tell anything right now . . . all we have to go on is the same lousy roster they had when the season ended (less a few cuts).
Anarchy99
Footballguy
What do you consider a "semi-decent pick"?
Godchaux will be 31 in November. He had 0 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, and only 1 hit on a QB this past season. PFF had him ranked 152nd in pass rush, 135th in run defense, and 138th overall for interior defenders (out of 219 that qualified). If teams have 2 starting interior plays and 2 backups at those positions, that would add up to 128 players . . . meaning that Godchaux essentially performed as a 3rd stringer last year (even though he played a combined 720 snaps). According to OverTheCap, he had the 33rd largest contract based on AAV for an interior defender (with a $9.6M cap charge) . . . yet their valuation for his performance was only $3.5M.
If they move on from him, NE will have to take on a $10.7M salary cap charge. His 2025 salary of $4M is fully guaranteed. His base salary is $6.5M in 2026. He is also due $50K for each game he is active and has another $2M in playing time and performance incentives. His best ability has been his availability . . . he's played in every game in his 4 years with NE.
I think that puts him in 6th round pick territory. If teams get the sense he will be a cap casualty, maybe a 7th (or even nothing and they just wait until he's cut)). He may have been a run stopper and clogged the middle when he was younger for MIA, but I don' think he's the same guy at this point. Besides always suiting up, his other top attribute is he's just big.Theoretically, couldn't a team just find another 330 pound lineman to play on the interior?
Boston
Footballguy
Something like him and a 6th for a 5th which is probably wishful thinking since he is an average player who is not getting any younger.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
I get that this is the slow time of year and people are trying to get clicks. Here is a hypothetical trade proposal I saw in an article today. Would this make any sense?
NE trades picks #4 and #144 to NO for Chris Olave and picks #9 and #129. Basically, they would get Olave while dropping 5 spots in the first and moving from an early 5th round pick up to a mid-4th round pick.
Olave is due $3.3M this year and has his fifth-year option available at around $17M for 2026. It's believed his market value beyond that would be 4 years at $112M. Would folks be on board in trading for Olave to drop down 5 spots and have him for essentially 6/$132M (if they could get him to sign an extension)? Of course, I have seen nothing to indicate that NOS would be willing to trade Olave or would have any interest in moving up in the draft.
NE trades picks #4 and #144 to NO for Chris Olave and picks #9 and #129. Basically, they would get Olave while dropping 5 spots in the first and moving from an early 5th round pick up to a mid-4th round pick.
Olave is due $3.3M this year and has his fifth-year option available at around $17M for 2026. It's believed his market value beyond that would be 4 years at $112M. Would folks be on board in trading for Olave to drop down 5 spots and have him for essentially 6/$132M (if they could get him to sign an extension)? Of course, I have seen nothing to indicate that NOS would be willing to trade Olave or would have any interest in moving up in the draft.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Also, the Titans have given soon to be 29-year-old LB Harold Landry permission to seek a trade. Given the Vrabel connection, people are connecting the dots and suggesting NE would be at the top of the list. Since he reworked his deal before to give the Titans more cap flexibility, his salaries got pushed to the end of his contract. Meaning he's due $17.5M in salary this year and next. Is he someone NE should go after? He missed a season with a torn ACL and hasn't been quite the same in the two seasons after that.
Boston
Footballguy
As long as you are comfortable with Olave’s health I really like that deal a lot…a real lot…you get a very good WR who is a known commodity and will only be 25 in June while still being able to add another quality piece at #9…at #9 you could grab someone like Banks or Warren or even Jeanty if you think he is special…that would be a major boost to this offense…besides getting great value the reason I like this deal so much is due to this draft class…the Pats will get a good player at #4 but as stated earlier you aren’t passing on a “no-brainer” compared to some other years…as an added extra you would also now have two #3’s and two #4’s which would give you a ton of flexibility…sign me up for this one!
Boston
Footballguy
This is exactly the type of player/situation they should be targeting…you fill a major need (pass rush) and because you have so much cap space you have no worries there…I’m not giving up too much as far as draft assets but he would be a very nice addition.
Titans beat writer was saying yesterday he'd likely be cut unless they can find someone to trade for him.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
I would like Landry a lot more if it did not involve trading assets and having to pay him $17.5M a season.
Boston
Footballguy
That is the concern…the kid can play but if he is one more concussion from being done it’s not worth the risk…that being said from a big picture (taking away the names) I love the framework of the deal…makes a ton of sense.
Boston
Footballguy
I wouldn’t give up anything of substance but if it only takes something like a 6th or 7th and it guarantees you get him I have zero issues doing that.
Lansdowne
Footballguy
I sort of like it since Chris Olave is a proven commodity at WR, and he's still young. But I think there's a decent chance one of Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter will be there and I'd rather have either one over Olave. If both were off the board I'd be more okay with dropping to 9.
Edit - 9 players I wouldn't mind the Pats getting:
Travis Hunter
Abdul Carter
Mason Graham
Tetairoa McMillan
Will Campbell
Mykel Williams
Tyler Warren
Ashton Jeanty
Jalon Walker
And that's considering most but not all of those guys, along with Ward, Sanders, and Will Johnson, will be off the board by then.
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Boston
Footballguy
Rumor Has it Teams are Looking to Make Joe Milton Their Franchise QB and the Patriots Might Be Open for Business
Boston Globe. Getty Images.It looks like some good might have come out of that Week 18 win over Buffalo after all. It cost the Patriots a fortune in draft capital and potential return on a trade. But...
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Chad Graff reporting that NE would not pursue Tee Higgins if he were to become available. Speculation from other beat guys suggests that means Higgins, through back channels, has indicated he isn't that interested in playing for the Pats. No sources were cited, so who knows where that came from and how accurate it is.
I find this so hard to believe. Feels like pre draft / FA smoke.Rumor Has it Teams are Looking to Make Joe Milton Their Franchise QB and the Patriots Might Be Open for Business
Boston Globe. Getty Images.It looks like some good might have come out of that Week 18 win over Buffalo after all. It cost the Patriots a fortune in draft capital and potential return on a trade. But...www.barstoolsports.com
Starting to feel like this will be another offseason where we punt (or miss) on getting a true #1.
If the rumors are true, it's trenches all over and then bring in the D. Slayton's of the world.
Boston
Footballguy
I find this so hard to believe. Feels like pre draft / FA smoke.Rumor Has it Teams are Looking to Make Joe Milton Their Franchise QB and the Patriots Might Be Open for Business
Boston Globe. Getty Images.It looks like some good might have come out of that Week 18 win over Buffalo after all. It cost the Patriots a fortune in draft capital and potential return on a trade. But...
I can definitely see teams interested in him…what they are willing to give up is another story.
Lansdowne
Footballguy
Fair chance that it’s true, but also could be a smokescreen to reduce any leverage the Bengals are trying to conjure up in negotiations with other teams. Pats basically saying we’re not playing along with your manufactured bidding war. I don’t think he comes here, but just giving my theory to why the Pats would let that out there when there is otherwise no upside to showing their hand. If it’s harder for the Bengals to find a trade partner, it’s more likely they back out of tagging him. There has to be enough of a market for them to be comfortable with it, which is why they’re screaming as loud as they can about their intentions to measure interest. It’s all a chess game.
As for Higgins’ interest, maybe not in a vacuum, no. But money talks and if the Pats outbid everyone else substantially it’d be hard for him to say no.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
One thing that is said to hurt the Pats is the Mass taxes players need to pay. My rough math for a player making $30M would work out to half of that earned in Massachusetts ($15M) with an annual tax bill of $5 million (a third) just in state taxes. The point being, NE would have to overpay just about anyone to make up the difference in taxes. I suppose we shouldn't feel badly for someone making tens of millions of dollars, but that all adds up, especially if a player got a huge signing bonus.
As for what Graff reported, the roster path being floated in NE will be taking this off-season to build from the inside out and focusing on both their lines. That may be easier said than done, but that seems to be the message the current regime has floated. That would fit with the narrative that they would be out on Higgins.
The other thing I saw that I LOL'd at was Phil Perry, who tried to make a case that Higgins has an injury history, he's played with Burrow and Chase that inflated his stats, no one thinks as him as a WR1, and maybe there won't be much of a market for him. He said, who knows, maybe he'll struggle to get $20M a year, and NE could be his only real suitor. Curran shot that down in a heartbeat, saying that the WR market goes up every year and a lot of teams have plenty of cap space.
Lansdowne
Footballguy
That’s a gut punch, I was really hoping the Pats would sign him. The cap spike is not doing the cap-rich teams any favors.
Boston
Footballguy
If he is un-restricted he will get paid a boatload...guys of that that level (regardless of just how good someone thinks he is) don't get to free agency too often...if you want him you will have to pay a top-of-the-market deal.
Boston
Footballguy
Pats got all this $ and the #4 draft pick and it appears nothing is going to be easy this offseason (at least with regard to their biggest needs)...we are gonna find out real quickly how creative the Vrabel regime can be...looking forward to see what they do.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
I've been researching how the guys in the organization have done in terms of their past WR draft selections. I will probably post about that later. However, I found this a bit interesting.
Since 1970, there have been 6 times where a team drafted 2 WR in the same draft that both guys went on to have 5,000+ career receiving yards.
1974 PIT - John Stallworth (8,723) & Lynn Swann (5,462)
1983 MIA - Mark Clayton (8,974) & Anthony Carter (7,733) (Carter never played for the Dolphins)
1988 SDC - Anthony Miller (9,149) & Quinn Early (6,448)
2001 CIN - Chad Johnson (11,059) & TJ Houshmandzadeh (7,237)
2010 PIT - Antonio Brown (12,291) & Emmanuel Sanders (9,245)
2010 DEN - Demaryius Thomas (9,963) & Eric Decker (5,816)
Of course, 4 of those 6 situations involved playing with a HOF QB (Bradshaw, Marino, Peyton, and will include Big Ben here).
The point of this was that the Broncos team was coached by Josh McDaniels, and I'm guessing he likely had some say in what guys were drafted for his offense. DT and ED didn't light the world on fire as rookies and JMD was jettisoned in short order. But a few years later, Thomas and Decker combined for 2700/25 (albeit with Pyeton as their QB). (The only other WR drafted while Josh was a HC was Tre Tucker in LVR, and he hasn't done all that much for the Raiders yet.) Maybe this regime will give more deference to who McDaniels may want at receiver?
Since 1970, there have been 6 times where a team drafted 2 WR in the same draft that both guys went on to have 5,000+ career receiving yards.
1974 PIT - John Stallworth (8,723) & Lynn Swann (5,462)
1983 MIA - Mark Clayton (8,974) & Anthony Carter (7,733) (Carter never played for the Dolphins)
1988 SDC - Anthony Miller (9,149) & Quinn Early (6,448)
2001 CIN - Chad Johnson (11,059) & TJ Houshmandzadeh (7,237)
2010 PIT - Antonio Brown (12,291) & Emmanuel Sanders (9,245)
2010 DEN - Demaryius Thomas (9,963) & Eric Decker (5,816)
Of course, 4 of those 6 situations involved playing with a HOF QB (Bradshaw, Marino, Peyton, and will include Big Ben here).
The point of this was that the Broncos team was coached by Josh McDaniels, and I'm guessing he likely had some say in what guys were drafted for his offense. DT and ED didn't light the world on fire as rookies and JMD was jettisoned in short order. But a few years later, Thomas and Decker combined for 2700/25 (albeit with Pyeton as their QB). (The only other WR drafted while Josh was a HC was Tre Tucker in LVR, and he hasn't done all that much for the Raiders yet.) Maybe this regime will give more deference to who McDaniels may want at receiver?
mjb03003
Footballguy
Mass state income tax is 5% with an additional 4% income surcharge or “millionaires tax.” So 9% goes to the state of MA. On a $30 million salary that’s $2.7 million, not $5.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
My bad. I was confusing state and federal. The overall point is still true . . . teams playing where there is state income tax are at a disadvantage. California teams have it even worse.
I mentioned him earlier.
I think Landry NWI and an ILB or two are very likely to be Patriots.
Vrabel had an issue w Landry only using a speed move despite learning other moves and doing them well in practice. Once things clicked, he became a Vrabel favorite. He has been a high snap guy and his sacks haven't been at key moments so some viewed him as more opportunistic than the numbers suggest.
Vrabel mentioned Landry recently when talking about a prospect. In his head, he's got a plan to develop OLBs. He was rather ineffective with OLBs in TEN but he sure speaks like it was different.
150?170? LB transactions during his time in TEN so expect a lot of messing with his old position type stuff. Same guy cut then added and it's just ugh. At some point he'll want the cerebral types that are fifth sixth on the Titans depth chart that were his guys.
A few Pats reporters have written of NWI recently. There was a little buzz from the combine. Like I said earlier- great effort former UDFA that's got everything but elite skills. If so- he'll be a barometer for Vrabel with those young WRs. It helps to have a guy like that around.
Borgonzi seems to answer NWI questions with generic replies making me guess he doesn't want him but Callahan does.
I'm waiting on the Pats reporters to write of Cleveland free agents or players that can be had. Vrabel is especially close with Schwartz and any of Schwartz' favorites are probably Vrabel's too. I could easily imagine a few on the 90.
Vrabel is an exceptional teacher of hand placement. He spent a good amount of time with Cleveland TEs last summer. Not sure if anything there but just saying it wasn't only defense. He's real big on defenders smacking hands away and offensive players legally locking on. You'll see. It's a thing with him. He'll probably do it at pro days and be all about it during rookie camp. By summer it'll be "there he is showing them that again"
Reggie Roberson will probably be on the 90. I have no earthly idea why he didn't make the Titans after dominating two camps and looking like an absolute steal. Forever will bother me. He had like 20 TDs in each camp. College stud, got injured, few years gone. He has a woah smooth catch n turn then burst move and will fight for it on the sideline if he has to. He got picked up by a couple teams, did nothing, went to UFL and made a heady punt return play and that's about it. Very much nothing but I'm still stuck on well why did he have so many TDs and catches in camp then! Anywho...that he's not in the UFL probably means Vrabel is gonna give him another try on the 90. His dad (yep) always is the first to share news about him.