Looking at the Patriots - 2021

Sony ran really well last year??????

I mean I know in text it’s hard to be sarcastic, but it can be done. That’s sarcasm right?
 
Sony ran really well last year??????

I mean I know in text it’s hard to be sarcastic, but it can be done. That’s sarcasm right?

Sony averaged more YPC and, oddly, more yards after contact than Harris did last year.

Harris is the #1, but Sony did run well when active.


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Must really be hoping N'Keal or the 7th rounder pans out.
I'm just going with other team's UDFA cuts and regular roster cuts and whatnot. Also, the Pats have like, at least 4 TE's that can lineup and do some damage. Hunter Henry could actually lineup as a slot WR for a few designated plays, Asiasi too. Smith and Keene could be either way players. It's possible that this is what BB plans on doing? At first, I was pissed...but, after I thought more on the subject, it would be pretty creative.

Mismatch hell for the opposition, mismatch heaven for the Pats?
 
PFF ranks the most improved DLs/Front 7s for 2021. Yep, Pats are #1.

1. New England Patriots

The front seven was a focus for the Patriots in a busy free agency period. Not only did they retain Lawrence Guy and Deatrich Wise Jr., but they also brought in outside talent.

In the case of the Miami Dolphins’ release of Kyle Van Noy, it isn’t exactly “outside” talent. Van Noy spent three-plus years with the Patriots from 2016 to 2019 before signing a multi-year deal with the Dolphins prior to the 2020 season. The best season of his career came in 2019 with New England when he earned an 84.2 PFF grade in his first year as a full-time edge defender.

Matthew Judon was the centerpiece of the Patriots' defensive free agent additions, though. Judon was productive in Baltimore’s attacking defense, recording at least 35 pressures in four consecutive seasons. His grading profile hasn’t quite matched his production — largely due to a high number of unblocked and cleanup opportunities as a pass rusher — but it should be a relatively smooth transition for him from Baltimore to New England.

New England followed up that free agency period by spending two of its first three draft picks on a penetrating interior defender and another option to compete for snaps on the edge.

Christian Barmore at Pick 38 represents tremendous value for the Patriots, even after the trade-up. He was ranked over 40 spots higher than any other interior defender on PFF’s Big Board (12th overall). You don’t have to look any further than his performance in the College Football Playoff against Notre Dame and Ohio State to see what he’s capable of. Barmore recorded 12 pressures and turned in an 87.2 PFF grade across those two games.

Ronnie Perkins was another great value in our eyes at Pick 96. He’ll likely have to begin his career as a designated pass rusher until he adds more strength to his game, but he can contribute in that pass-rush specialist role. He has legit speed off the edge, which helped him earn a 90.4 pass-rushing grade with Oklahoma in 2020. The Patriots have quickly built a deep group on the edge, allowing them to rotate through multiple options next season.

 
A little insight as to why the Pats didn't take WR in the draft.


You try to get good player onto your team, and figure it out from there.

“I would say I’ve never gone into a draft saying, like, ‘Well, we got to draft somebody or other at this position or this group of positions or whatever.’ It’s sometimes those players are there and sometimes they’re not,” Belichick said. “Sometimes they’re there and you can really use them and sometimes they’re there and maybe you don’t feel that it’s as necessary, but then when you get good players on your team inevitably you use them.”
 
A little insight as to why the Pats didn't take WR in the draft.


You try to get good player onto your team, and figure it out from there.

“I would say I’ve never gone into a draft saying, like, ‘Well, we got to draft somebody or other at this position or this group of positions or whatever.’ It’s sometimes those players are there and sometimes they’re not,” Belichick said. “Sometimes they’re there and you can really use them and sometimes they’re there and maybe you don’t feel that it’s as necessary, but then when you get good players on your team inevitably you use them.”
Does anyone else get a popup that says "this connection is not private"? I'll get it when I try to access pats pulpit.
 
Does anyone else get a popup that says "this connection is not private"? I'll get it when I try to access pats pulpit.
ine comes up on https, but here is the article:

When the New England Patriots invested a seventh-round draft pick in Julian Edelman they did so despite him not having a clear position. Edelman was a dual-threat quarterback at Kent State, but he was undersized to play the position at the next level.

Teams worked him out at multiple positions during the pre-draft process — from running back, to defensive back, to returnman. In New England, he eventually became a standout wide receiver and cornerstone of three Super Bowl-winning teams. He also became the perfect example of the team’s beautifully simplistic draft strategy.

You try to get good player onto your team, and figure it out from there.

Patriots head coach/general manager Bill Belichick spoke about just this issue during the 2021 NFL Draft. After selecting a pair of front seven defenders on Day 2 he was asked whether or not bolstering the position group was one of the team’s goals entering the draft. Belichick responded with a 400-word explainer why thinking in categories such as “goals” or “needs” does not really work in reality.

“We can’t control what’s going to be on the board. “There’s 31 other teams picking, so we just try to take advantage of our opportunities in the draft to improve our team however we can. So that’s the way I’ve always approached it. It really can’t work any other way. I don’t feel comfortable going to the draft saying, ‘Well, we’re going to take one guy at this position and take another guy at that position,’” he said.

“It doesn’t go that way. Then I just don’t think you’re getting the value for the picks that you have.”

Belichick went on to explain that while drafting would be an inexact science, the decision making process remains the same nonetheless with both a long- and a short-term perspective having to be kept in mind. On top of it all, the value of each pick also needs to work out relative to the position and player.

“I would say I’ve never gone into a draft saying, like, ‘Well, we got to draft somebody or other at this position or this group of positions or whatever.’ It’s sometimes those players are there and sometimes they’re not,” Belichick said. “Sometimes they’re there and you can really use them and sometimes they’re there and maybe you don’t feel that it’s as necessary, but then when you get good players on your team inevitably you use them.”

One of the Patriots’ Day 2 selections raised questions in this area. Oklahoma edge defender Ronnie Perkins was a highly-rated player on most draft boards — and apparently New England’s as well — that fell all the way to the 96th overall position before he was picked up.

The Patriots did get some good value given that they were able to stay put and still come away with Perkins. However, they also added him to a position group that already saw some major investments during the offseason up until this point: New England signed fellow edge linebackers Matthew Judon and Kyle Van Noy in free agency, after already having invested Day 2 draft choices in Chase Winovich and Josh Uche during the previous two drafts.

Perkins was still added because he too falls into the same “good player” category Belichick mentioned. He is not alone in it either.

“I’ve heard that before, ‘Why did you draft James White and he’s inactive all year?’ Why did you draft Damien Harris and he was inactive all year?’” Belichick asked. “And then later on the next year and in the course of their careers those guys have, those are examples of guys that became very valuable.

“I think you try to acquire good football players and we’ll figure out how to use them.”

New England added its fair share of good-looking players over the last three days. While some such as quarterback Mac Jones address obvious needs, others will get the “figuring it out” treatment. At the end of the day, though, they are all in the same boat: if they perform well in whichever role they are given, the Patriots can feel good about the selection.
 
Does anyone else get a popup that says "this connection is not private"? I'll get it when I try to access pats pulpit.

I use Firefox...also, AdBlocker Plus blocks 11 ads and Privacy Badger blocks 20 spies. I don't get that msg and it may be bc of that.
 
Scared me. I thought you guys were talking about ads on here for a moment.
 
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