Judon to the Falcons

[SkiptoMyLou]

Considering Judon was the face of the post Brady Pats getting rid of him seems a little "throw in the towel" ish to me.

Pats re-signed Bourne who is also coming off an injury and has had lesser production than Judon at his position. Similar age range.

You lose yet another locker room presence and on top of it there is more than plenty of room in cap space.

The evidence is mounting up and all of it say Kraft is cheap.

My low expectations for the upcoming season have been lowered yet again.

 

[ParanoidPatriot]

Sometimes It's darkest before the dawn.

 

[AkPatsFan]

Hate to see him go, he was one of my favorite players on the defense, I get why they did it but still don't agree with it. And I'm hearing even Atlanta won't give him a ltc.

 

[Hawg73]

A 3rd is more than I expected so in that regard this is a good deal swung by Wolf. However, a solid LOT (or even a ROT) would have been better.
Otoh, he was our best pass rusher and a great locker room guy. He will be missed whether Keion White or OXimines take a big jump or not.
This FO is definitely looking to the future. 2024 be damned. If they don't care about this team, why should I care about this team?
Whoever is playing QB for us this year will be pummeled. This move did nothing to address that and it should have. Better to have waited a little longer and
traded for a T - Philly, for example, will be releasing 1 or 2 good ones on August 27. That's what I would have done.

We could realistically be looking at the 1st overall pick in 2025. I expect it now.

Regarding the money: the Pats still have about $50M in cap. The OL is the weak link for the 3rd or 4th year in a row and little has been done to fix it. Inexcusable in my view.
Kraft just received a $400M check from the NFL. He could afford to sign Judon but Judon is obviously not in the plans drawn up by this FO. Gotta pay for that new lighthouse.

I don't see how anyone could view Kraft as anything other than cheap. He's being exposed now that the GOAT player and the GOAT coach are no longer there to cover for him.

The Pats signed 11 of their players from a 4 win team. I agree with signing the defensive players but why sign Henry and Bourne? Henry is the same age as Judon. Bourne is close to 30.
Neither of them is the difference maker that Judon is.
Judon would have been a better choice to sign than either of them, imo.

I'm not expecting anything yet, but remain hopeful that we are actually improved over the '23 shitshow. I think that is
theoretically possible.

Of course, your point about the lack of investment in the OL over time is spot on and that was the biggest reason we sucked hard
last year and were non-competitive. I fully expect we will end up signing one or two OTs during waivers and have been watching several
teams that have depth at the position. Detroit and Philly are only two of them that figure to have to cut some talent, but that hasn't happened
yet and here we are. Two more weeks or so.

Tonight will likely only highlight the situation that has been obvious to all of us to obvious to the football world, the entire country, the Real Housewives
of Dubai and possibly uncontacted tribes in the Amazon. There won't be a damn thing we can do about until we get some warm bodies in
here capable of pass blocking somebody, so after we get poleaxed tonight the next week or two should be Felger Heaven with the
distinct possibility that Roger relegates us to the UFL.

Not even Ryan Reynolds could save us now, but with the above additions, continued development of Drake Maye and the young receivers I see
there is still a chance that we won't suck as hard as everybody thinks. If we go with a pat hand then we are well and truly fucked and that two
different staffs are responsible for screwing the pooch.

 

[Patriots44]

is Philly even going to play their starters? Pats only (partial) hope is it's pat's 1's vs. Philly 2's and 3's
if Philly puts the #1 D unit on the field, send Zappe in as cannon-fodder until Philly go to their subs

 

[Mazz22]

Good value on this trade. We will not be contending the next 2 years anyways ...

 

[Roberto71]

With Belichick and Brady gone, we're seeing the truth now about Kraft. The Emperor has no clothes.....

 

[RoadGrader]

I'm not expecting anything yet, but remain hopeful that we are actually improved over the '23 shitshow. I think that is
theoretically possible.

Of course, your point about the lack of investment in the OL over time is spot on and that was the biggest reason we sucked hard
last year and were non-competitive. I fully expect we will end up signing one or two OTs during waivers and have been watching several
teams that have depth at the position. Detroit and Philly are only two of them that figure to have to cut some talent, but that hasn't happened
yet and here we are. Two more weeks or so.

Tonight will likely only highlight the situation that has been obvious to all of us to obvious to the football world, the entire country, the Real Housewives
of Dubai and possibly uncontacted tribes in the Amazon. There won't be a damn thing we can do about until we get some warm bodies in
here capable of pass blocking somebody, so after we get poleaxed tonight the next week or two should be Felger Heaven with the
distinct possibility that Roger relegates us to the UFL.

Not even Ryan Reynolds could save us now, but with the above additions, continued development of Drake Maye and the young receivers I see
there is still a chance that we won't suck as hard as everybody thinks. If we go with a pat hand then we are well and truly fucked and that two
different staffs are responsible for screwing the pooch.

+1 for the Real Housewives of Dubai and the uncontacted tribes in the Amazon
+2 for the Ryan Reynolds reference
+3 for the distinct possibility that Roger relegates us to the UFL

your Team Takes are developing really well just 1/3 thru this NE pre-season, Hawgie

avoid any penalty-incurring clumsy Hip-Drop Takedown takes and I can't wait for your Regular 2024 Season comments

 

[Hawg73]

+1 for the Real Housewives of Dubai and the uncontacted tribes in the Amazon
+2 for the Ryan Reynolds reference
+3 for the distinct possibility that Roger relegates us to the UFL

your Team Takes are developing really well just 1/3 thru this NE pre-season, Hawgie

avoid any penalty-incurring clumsy Hip-Drop Takedown takes and I can't wait for your Regular 2024 Season comments

Thanks, RG, but nobody around here can style a paragraph or two quite like you. You're FUN to read.

Far as my team takes, experience has taught me to hold my horses a little before trying to make a snap judgement.

For instance, trying to suss out the winners and losers on the OL last week was impossible with only the barest impressions
coming through. An individual success or failure doesn't tell the tale. It's like watching a drunken bachelorette party
drunkenly cram into a revolving door while you try to figure out which ones are smokeshows while they are all flipping
out. You wait for them to simmer down a little and stagger across the lobby before things start to stand out.

So to speak.

 

[PumpDee]

With Belichick and Brady gone, we're seeing the truth now about Kraft. The Emperor has no clothes.....

Are we sure this wasn't a Wolf decision?

 

[Hawg73]

Maybe I should point out that nobody really knows what Judon wanted for a contract.

It might have been an easily absorbable bump up or a delusional amount that would have screwed us for years, so I'm
going to just root for the next guy up.

I don't want to blame the current staff until they've had time to show what they can do. Say, another 3 weeks and if
things don't improve I'll vent like a typical masshole angry at the world.

 

[zeke mowatt]

Yeah, there's one other player in the history of the franchise that has 32 sacks in 38 games. His number's retired and is in the hall of fame.

I can see why you wouldn't miss him.

Judon never made a play when it really counted. Great first half of season then crickets. Too much drama. Good luck and all but seriously, beat it.

 

[chevss454]

Are we sure this wasn't a Wolf decision?

I suppose this is where I should point out that Wolf is in a sort of prove-it year. His job as something less than a true GM is tenuous and that was Kraft's intention.

Do you suppose that finding himself in that position with $50M in cap space available that Wolf wouldn't be motivated to sign any and every player upgrade he can, money be damned?
And yet, he still has that $50M in his back pocket.

Therein lies your answer.

(Belichick himself has said many times that he ran every trade and every signing and cut past Kraft before making any move. You can bet Wolf does the same.)

 

[PumpDee]

I suppose this is where I should point out that Wolf is in a sort of prove-it year. His job as something less than a true GM is tenuous and that was Kraft's intention.

Do you suppose that finding himself in that position with $50M in cap space available that Wolf wouldn't be motivated to sign any and every player upgrade he can, money be damned?
And yet, he still has that $50M in his back pocket.

Therein lies your answer.

(Belichick himself has said many times that he ran every trade and every signing and cut past Kraft before making any move. You can bet Wolf does the same.)

I agree with all of this, but I think people want to believe that Wolf went to Kraft and said, "We've got the money, let's re-sign him." and Kraft said, "No, it's my money and you can't spend it!". None of us were in the room. Maybe Wolf acknowledged that re-signing Judon after a season ending injury at 32 to a multiyear, lucrative contract just didn't make sense for a team in the Pats' position.

Judon was my favorite Patriot the last 2 years. If they re-signed him, his jersey was going on my Christmas list. I'm just saying that the idea that Wolf wanted to do an extension and Kraft went cheap and vetoed the idea is speculation with no actual proof.

And no, I'm not on Kraft's side. I'm as pissed at him for the way he handled Bill as anyone.

 

[chevss454]

You could be right but Wolf did sign Hunter Henry who is 32, the same age as Judon, and Bourne who is 30. I'd rather have Judon than either of them.
Henry seems to get dinged up easily and we have 7 other "Bournes" already.
Plus, talented pass rushers are harder to find.

 

[chevss454]

Our nine 2025 draft picks currently

1st (own)
2nd (own)
3rd (own)
3rd (via ATL)
4th (own)
5th (own)
7th (own)
7th (via LAC)
7th (via TEN)

ATL's 3rd for Judon.
Our 6th went to LAC and we got JC Jackson and their 7th in return.
Trading Nick Folk to Tenn gave us their 7th.

 

[Flagg the Wanderer]

You could be right but Wolf did sign Hunter Henry who is 32, the same age as Judon, and Bourne who is 30. I'd rather have Judon than either of them.
Henry seems to get dinged up easily and we have 7 other "Bournes" already.
Plus, talented pass rushers are harder to find.

At even money, sure. But it wouldn't be even money, and you wouldn't get a 3 for Henry or Bourne.

I like (but don't love) all three players. But maybe that 3 is (or offsets the loss of) the ammo you need to pull the trigger on a trade for a LT that is at least viable before the cutdown date. Because guess what? Free agents aren't coming to NE for the same money as elsewhere. If I had to guess I'd estimate that we'd have to pay something like 5-10% more for a given FA on the open market vs other team X. More vs LA, KC, MIA, maybe some destinations are close to even, but none come to mind. We used to have Belichick, Brady, mystique, new stadium/facility, and Ring Opportunity on our side, with cash money and weather/location working against us. Now we still have cash money and weather working against us, but have lost all five positives.

 

[chevss454]

At even money, sure. But it wouldn't be even money, and you wouldn't get a 3 for Henry or Bourne.

I like (but don't love) all three players. But maybe that 3 is (or offsets the loss of) the ammo you need to pull the trigger on a trade for a LT that is at least viable before the cutdown date. Because guess what? Free agents aren't coming to NE for the same money as elsewhere. If I had to guess I'd estimate that we'd have to pay something like 5-10% more for a given FA on the open market vs other team X. More vs LA, KC, MIA, maybe some destinations are close to even, but none come to mind. We used to have Belichick, Brady, mystique, new stadium/facility, and Ring Opportunity on our side, with cash money and weather/location working against us. Now we still have cash money and weather working against us, but have lost all five positives.

I'd still take Judon. Money isn't an issue with $50M in cap space. Judon is a difference maker. Henry and Bourne are jags.

We'll be drafting anywhere from 1st to 3rd and we have 9 picks already so we don't need the draft capital, imo.

Paying 10% more doesn't even cover MA state taxes. Teams in states with no income tax have a huge advantage.
The rest of what you said is dead on accurate.

 

[Grogan]

Cheap ass Bob Kraft is not gonna pay.

Why? Do you not understand that Kraft opened the wallet to pay every single young player on the team? They are building the future, not to mention they already bumped Judon’s salary last offseason and he wanted them to do it again coming off a season he missed 10 games? No, this was a smart move that takes into account what they are trying to build.

 

[chevss454]

Why? Do you not understand that Kraft opened the wallet to pay every single young player on the team? They are building the future, not to mention they already bumped Judon’s salary last offseason and he wanted them to do it again coming off a season he missed 10 games? No, this was a smart move that takes into account what they are trying to build.

Great. The team won 4 games last year. Let's keep that shit going!!!
Judon was scheduled to make $6M this year. That's less than 1/2 what other players with his skill are earning. 38 sacks in 32 games.
I like the youth movement and I like signing our good young core players but I question signing jags Hunter Henry and Bourne and then drawing the line at star Judon.