The New Look 2023 Patriots®


From Curran:

What’s gonna happen at THE MEETING? When the Patriots were 6-4 back in November, nobody was even wondering.

But during the team’s 2-5 post-Thanksgiving slide, pockmarked by mind-blowing mistakes, offensive ineptitude and a sometimes-raging quarterback, the importance of that question grew.

After the season, when owner Robert Kraft sat for his annual post-season debriefing with Bill Belichick, would Belichick share a plan for 2023 to get Kraft’s team back where it was? Competent. Buttoned-up. Entertaining.

Or would Belichick resist the notion that 2022 was bad at all? And if he did, would that signal an unsolvable impasse which might end with Belichick and Kraft divorcing over irreconcilable differences?

THE MEETING, I am told, has happened. There is no impasse. The Patriots are on to 2023 with Belichick acknowledging 2022 wasn’t ideal and being amenable to changes.

Don’t expect a dog-and-pony show announcing firings or who’s coming in for an interview. Belichick isn’t going to put anyone’s head on a spike for the pleasure of the masses. But my understanding is offensive coaching reassignments are going to happen and several offensive coaches are under consideration for the Patriots' 2023 staff.

Belichick is just getting going on this. That’s one of the issues with having one person doing so many jobs. There’s a vested interest in the immediate success of the on-field product that can come at the expense of future planning.


Until Sunday at 4:15 p.m., the Patriots were a potential playoff team. And if they got in and the offense started to click? Well, maybe changes weren’t necessary after all. So, while Belichick played the role of Charlie Brown waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive in the form of productive offense, all future planning was on hold.

And now they get to it.

One important facet of the meeting: Did Belichick need persuading to change course on offense or did he go in knowing changes were necessary? My understanding is that no persuading on the part of Kraft was necessary.

And that's important in that the "meddling owner" trope stings Kraft. Both he and Jonathan Kraft have stressed publicly that they stay out of Belichick’s way. They’ve said on the record that Belichick has earned the latitude to run the football team as he sees fit.

Kraft made sure that was clear in 2019 and 2020 when Belichick was deciding to exit the Tom Brady era. And he made sure to do that after 2017 when the mistaken notion that he forced Belichick to trade Jimmy Garoppolo was reported and still lives on.

Who comes in to fix the offense? What’s the title? When does he start? Again, presume that Belichick will slow-play any and all announcements. He’s probably not giving anyone the satisfaction of knowing a change was made.

But unless there’s a change of heart, changes are coming.
 
That occurred quicker than I expected but the results as reported couldn't have gone any better from a Patriots and Pats fan's pov.
Now the fun can begin in earnest.
 
Resources allocated to OL. WR Core of Bourne, Meyers, Parker, Thornton TE Henry.
 
Resources allocated to OL. WR Core of Bourne, Meyers, Parker, Thornton TE Henry.

OL - mandatory. Wynn is gone. Trent Brown should be gone, but may survive based on who we can go out and find. Conor McDermott should be given a bonus for what he was able to do to give us a breather from the worst stretch of RT play I can remember for this team over a span of 3 guys, but he's not what you want as a starter. He showed excellent quickness to the 2nd level but
isn't dependable in pass pro. He is regularly tossed aside by NFL tough guys, but I expect we'll give him a chance to make the roster.

I've given up the ghost on Yodny Cajuste, which is a pity. He's a good run blocker, who can't pass block worth a damn. We'll finally get a look at the kid from Michigan, but it's clear that we need AT LEAST one talented LT that can not only play but remember what the fucking snap count is on a steady basis. This appeared to be a very poorly-coached unit who is in need of somebody that
understands that particular job and do it well.

The WR room is going to change in a major way as well.

Agholor is history because he won't cost us much to release and that will be addition by subtraction. He was awful.

Parker has had his moments, but seems to get hurt on routine hits. I believe his body has just given out on him and I'd like to
see him gone.

I've come to believe that Bourne is about half-nuts and probably drives the staff crazy. If there was a way to know who was running
the wrong routes, I think he'd lead this group by a wide margin. Talented athlete, but I think he might have a learning disability of some
sort. Too many flags, but if we could just reach him somehow he might be worth another shot.

I'm not on team Meyers. If he was affordable, then I'd definitely want to keep him, but given the astronomical contracts handed out to
anybody that can produce at WR last season then I don't expect we'll have that option.

Thornton turned out to be pretty green, but at some point next season he will figure out what the stripes on a field are for and become
somebody that can demand respect. He didn't get there this year, but who can really say how much of that was due to the fact that
nobody seemed to know what was expected of them in our Offense. He figures to be much better this coming season. I'm not worried
about 2022 anymore.

One thing that would really help us there is if Mighty Mouse Jones had a twin brother. It's a damn shame that he can't play every snap
because he put the fear of God into Defenses with only a handful of actual touches. It's almost too bad that he has proven so useful
at so many things, because he would be huge asset for Mac and the Offense. He was our rookie of the year. Hands down.

Based on 20 minutes looking at the FA list it appears that we will need to draft a kid that can really play. There isn't a lot of top-tier
proven talent to use our cash surplus on
 
Can someone explain how the the 2nd most valuable NFL franchise is 31st in spending for almost the last decade? Is it the lack of guaranteed money in contracts and cutting/trading players? Do I need to be mad at Kraft now?
 
Can someone explain how the the 2nd most valuable NFL franchise is 31st in spending for almost the last decade? Is it the lack of guaranteed money in contracts and cutting/trading players? Do I need to be mad at Kraft now?
Yes. It is the guaranteed money. That is why IMO Kraft whined like a baby 2 years ago (2020 offseason) when he did actually spend some real cash and said he spent as much as when he bought the team. What you have to understand is it was a privilege to play in NE for 20 years IMO because of Brady and the chance at a ring every year. So players signed with less guaranteed money to come here. Kraft could get away with being cheap. Now it is Bill IMO talking about the cash because he knows he has to sign some legit talent and will need the cash up front to do so.
 
Can someone explain how the the 2nd most valuable NFL franchise is 31st in spending for almost the last decade? Is it the lack of guaranteed money in contracts and cutting/trading players? Do I need to be mad at Kraft now?

Maybe. We all wondered last off season when our cap so tight why BB didn't restructure some players to make cap space. Looks like now we know.
 
Maybe. We all wondered last off season when our cap so tight why BB didn't restructure some players to make cap space. Looks like now we know.
Kraft was being cheap frugal?
 
How do folks feel about Hopkins? I think he has lost a step and would not want to spend on him. Better to sign someone younger if available or even trade for an elite receiver if the op arises.
He's better than anyone we have now, and relatively affordable for 2 years. Even if he's lost two steps (I don't think he has), he's still 5 steps faster than Meyers.
 
Can someone explain how the the 2nd most valuable NFL franchise is 31st in spending for almost the last decade? Is it the lack of guaranteed money in contracts and cutting/trading players? Do I need to be mad at Kraft now?

Sure. Because Bill Belichick is a crotchety, old bag who told Kraft he would save him tons of cash and still win Super Bowls by bullshitting the players into taking less
for the life-changing experience of being a Patriot and coached by him.

You asked for an explanation but you never say it had to be truthful, so I gave you the sort of shit Felger says all the time.
 
He's better than anyone we have now, and relatively affordable for 2 years. Even if he's lost two steps (I don't think he has), he's still 5 steps faster than Meyers.

His Mom, who lives with him, wouldn't love the climate here. It's one thing to be blind and another to be cold half the year.

Your right about the steps though. At least 5.
 
He's better than anyone we have now, and relatively affordable for 2 years. Even if he's lost two steps (I don't think he has), he's still 5 steps faster than Meyers.

Hopkins' success was never built on speed but he's plenty fast enough. From the beginning he understood how to read a defense but he's way beyond that. He elevates any route he runs bc he understands how to shake the guy guarding him. I've always admired the way he is able to fake a defender into going one way or getting his defender off balance at the very last second as he gains an extra yard or 2 of separation to make they play. Defenders can't mirror receivers like Hopkins for an entire route. Think of a basketball game - 1 on 1 - because that's the beauty of his game. Some players know how to create space. Tiny Archibald could get by anyone. Kobe, Jordan. They had an innate ability to deceive a defender and win space to operate. Bird had it in spades. Maravich. These players weren't the fastest in the game but they understood the nuances of a subtle move. That is Hopkins. He was always great and he's still got it. To him, it's art.

Look how easy he makes this catch with a defender right on him with a last second move.
Then notice his confident body language after the catch that sends the defender a message. Yeah.


View: https://twitter.com/TheoAshNFL/status/1613026853798948869


More examples.


View: https://twitter.com/mikekadlick/status/1612949625358401536


Moss was smart and had the speed for a long game. Hopkins is smart and has the moves for an intermediate game. Different but still game changing.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top