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Or 4th in the division seeing how you don’t even have a real QB right now.Yeah, they aren't super bowl contenders next year. Could possibly be a wild card team.
Or 4th in the division seeing how you don’t even have a real QB right now.Yeah, they aren't super bowl contenders next year. Could possibly be a wild card team.
What is the point of even saying that before the draft and FA? Does UConn suck next year because we have no players? Jets fans seem to care more about the Patriots than the Jets.Or 4th in the division seeing how you don’t even have a real QB right now.
Right now you have a complete unknown for a coaching staff and no qb in a very deep and tough division. You’re coming off a horrific 4 win season.What is the point of even saying that before the draft and FA? Does UConn suck next year because we have no players? Jets fans seem to care more about the Patriots than the Jets.
I am very comfortable with the defense. Could use a FS and another DT. The OL needs two new tackles in a year with no good OT on the FA market. The draft can fill one spot, but trade may need to fill the other. TE roster is completely empty but there are options in FA and the draft. WR has one good player, two marginal ones. QB room probably turns over completely with a rookie and a veteran. RB needs depth behind Mondre, but FA RB class is very deep.
Good news is the best positions in this draft are OT, WR and some consider it good for QB as well. About average for TE excluding Bowers.
My preference:
1. Trade back from #3 to about 6-8. Take Bowers or one of the top two TE. Get a 2025 1st and 2023 2nd.
2. Use the two 2nd rounders on: a QB (Penix, Nix, Rattler) and a OT if you took Bowers or a WR if you took an OT.
3. Use 3rd on a WR or TE depending on needs, or a S/CB/Edge/DT based on value
Free agency to bring back TE Brown and sign a decent vet. FA to add a FS. Trade to add a OT. FA to add RB. Draft RB late for depth. Try to trade for an under-utilized WR like they did with Welker and even Bourne.
Okay.It'll be interesting how the Bills and Dolphins address their cap and age issues. Both are $50+ Million over the cap and in the top seven of oldest average age.
And it manifested with a 4-13 2023 record.Okay.
Right now here is where the skills sit in the division.
QB is 4th of the 4 teams
RB1 is 4th
WR 1 is 4th
WR2 is 3/4th
TE (assuming it’s Henry) is 3rd
No drafted rookie is going to offer a first year impact to change any of those.
Stephenson is better than anybody Buffalo has at RB. There's an argument he's better than Mostert too. Mostert hadn't shown much until last year and I think mostly exploited defenses designed to stop the passing game. Hall is best in the division.Okay.
Right now here is where the skills sit in the division.
QB is 4th of the 4 teams
RB1 is 4th
WR 1 is 4th
WR2 is 3/4th
TE (assuming it’s Henry) is 3rd
No drafted rookie is going to offer a first year impact to change any of those.
Cook and Mostert are both better than Stephenson. You know Mostert had 18 touchdowns this year, right?Stephenson is better than anybody Buffalo has at RB. There's an argument he's better than Mostert too. Mostert hadn't shown much until last year and I think mostly exploited defenses designed to stop the passing game. Hall is best in the division.
QB? Who are you counting? Rodgers? He didn't play. Both the Jets and Pats will have a new QB this year, so we don't know how that will shake out.
I don't know what to expect from Rodgers. He's 40 years old and coming off a significant leg injury.Cook and Mostert are both better than Stephenson. You know Mostert had 18 touchdowns this year, right?
Yes. Rodgers is better than anyone you’ll have at QB all season long. Name a possible QB that will have a better season?
Mostert had his first 1000 yard season this year. He’s been in the league for ages. He mostly sucked in SF. He just benefited from everyone focused on stopping the pass game. He's not that good. Archane is probably better. Wouldn’t surprise me if they cut Mostert for the cap savings.Cook and Mostert are both better than Stephenson. You know Mostert had 18 touchdowns this year, right?
Yes. Rodgers is better than anyone you’ll have at QB all season long. Name a possible QB that will have a better season?
Cap is projected to go up over $25 mill next year, that wipes out half the deficit. Cap goes up significantly every year, it's a waste of energy to hope other teams get worse based on cap situations. Teams prepare based on these increases.It'll be interesting how the Bills and Dolphins address their cap and age issues. Both are $50+ Million over the cap and in the top seven of oldest average age.
Cap is projected to go up over $25 mill next year, that wipes out half the deficit. Cap goes up significantly every year, it's a waste of energy to hope other teams get worse based on cap situations. Teams prepare based on these increases.
The dolphins are in the bottom half of the league in age of roster and the Pats have the worst roster in the league and it is one of the oldest.
@Husky25 covered the cap. It does matter. Miami has some problems. I expect them to cut Mostert and cut or trade others. And that is before extending Tua which they will need to do this year. Buffalo has issues but at least Allen is already factored in. One of my considerations with Miami is that they were a mirage anyway. Great offense, beat all the bad teams, lost every game but one against winning teams. That team is about to get worse. Buffalo is a different story. They've shown some staying power in cutting expensive veterans and bringing in new guys. The vastly overpaid Knox though, and his dead cap hit is terrible. It's 19M in 25-26 and he's probably already not the starter anymore. Von Miller's deal is also pretty bad for a guy who is 34 and has lost more than a step.Cap is projected to go up over $25 mill next year, that wipes out half the deficit. Cap goes up significantly every year, it's a waste of energy to hope other teams get worse based on cap situations. Teams prepare based on these increases.
The dolphins are in the bottom half of the league in age of roster and the Pats have the worst roster in the league and it is one of the oldest.
@Husky25 covered the cap. It does matter. Miami has some problems. I expect them to cut Mostert and cut or trade others. And that is before extending Tua which they will need to do this year. Buffalo has issues but at least Allen is already factored in. One of my considerations with Miami is that they were a mirage anyway. Great offense, beat all the bad teams, lost every game but one against winning teams. That team is about to get worse. Buffalo is a different story. They've shown some staying power in cutting expensive veterans and bringing in new guys. The vastly overpaid Knox though, and his dead cap hit is terrible. It's 19M in 25-26 and he's probably already not the starter anymore. Von Miller's deal is also pretty bad for a guy who is 34 and has lost more than a step.
As for Age, the numbers are from week 1, by the end of the season Miami was older than New England. The difference from oldest to youngest still isn't significant. The Patriots just cut Adrian Phillips and Lawrence Guy. Trent Brown is gone. They'll have one of the younger teams in the league this year.
@Husky25 covered the cap. It does matter. Miami has some problems. I expect them to cut Mostert and cut or trade others. And that is before extending Tua which they will need to do this year. Buffalo has issues but at least Allen is already factored in. One of my considerations with Miami is that they were a mirage anyway. Great offense, beat all the bad teams, lost every game but one against winning teams. That team is about to get worse. Buffalo is a different story. They've shown some staying power in cutting expensive veterans and bringing in new guys. The vastly overpaid Knox though, and his dead cap hit is terrible. It's 19M in 25-26 and he's probably already not the starter anymore. Von Miller's deal is also pretty bad for a guy who is 34 and has lost more than a step.
As for Age, the numbers are from week 1, by the end of the season Miami was older than New England. The difference from oldest to youngest still isn't significant. The Patriots just cut Adrian Phillips and Lawrence Guy. Trent Brown is gone. They'll have one of the younger teams in the league this year.
Since the end of the year, New England lost most of its older players. What is your point? Guy, Phillips, Brownall gone. Slater and Ferentz just retired. Their age right now is very low and will probably get lower.Over the cap projected cap is $240 mill not the projected $250 mill
At the end of the season Miamis average age was still less than NEs.
The rest is conjecture
Yes teams make cap decisions but you trying to convince yourself that the Pats are good position bc of the Bills and Dolphins caps is laughable.Since the end of the year, New England lost most of its older players. What is your point? Guy, Phillips, Brownall gone. Slater and Ferentz just retired. Their age right now is very low and will probably get lower.
Everything we talk about here is conjecture. What I said about the cap hit of guys comes from Spotrac, go look it up. Knox and Miller have horrible contracts. Mostert has a low dead cap number and isn't as good as Archane, so yes, I am projecting that he is a possible cap casualty. But maybe not. His cap hit is only 3.3.
Fans can believe the absolute nonsense that the cap isn't real and you can kick the can down the road indefinitely. It's not true. Every year lots of very talented players hit the market as cap casualties because teams have to replace better players with cheaper ones. Hard decisions have to be made.
The Patriots are rebuilding. I'm not expecting much this year. Better, yes. Miami was wildly overrated last year. They are about to get worse as they have to pay Tua and they already in trouble with the cap because they thought they had a SuperBowl team and made a bunch of dumb moves.Yes teams make cap decisions but you trying to convince yourself that the Pats are good position bc of the Bills and Dolphins caps is laughable.
And you need to spend the money wisely on the right free agents (something you haven't done well in a long time) and draft the right players (another thing you haven't done really well).The Patriots are in good position because they are $70 million under the projected cap, and high draft picks.
And as I said, cap has been updated and Dolphins current number is a deficit of $29 mill, about half of what Pats fans were banking on.The 2024 Cap is indeed projected to go up about $25 mil next year, but that does not wipe out half of either the Bills' or the Dolphins' deficit. Both Spotrac and Overthecap have them both around $51 million over next year's projected cap. It's not a matter of hoping other teams get worse based on the Cap. Each team has to deal with the cap implications when their time comes.
Whatever one feels about the Patriots roster, they are probably in one of the better positions to start the 2024 league year (Behind Washington - 6 picks inside the 1st 103/>$80 Million cap room/no Daniel Snyder - and Chicago - 2 top 10 1st rounders/>$70 Million.). They have the 3rd pick in each round, and the 4th most projected cap room. They have the ability to make cuts and restructure contracts for more cap room, without losing much comparative "talent" that earned them a 4-13 record. Then signing (hopefully) quality free agents. My concern with the Patriots is the lack of experience up and down the coaching staff, particularly play calling on both sides of the ball.
No doubt that teams prepare signings based on future cap increases, which is probably why Schoen felt comfortable setting the market with a mediocre (at best) QB, before restructuring the deal to free up $6M mere days before a game was played. Without that space, the Giants probably wouldn't have been able to sign a 280 lb. real estate agent to play Left Guard. I've given Schoen credit for initially structuring the Jones contract the way he did, but with the benefit of hindsight, it seems more emotional now than at first glance.
And the cost of every free agent just went up. Teams with cap space just got even more. Once the Pats cut JC Jackson they will have nearly $100m.And as I said, cap has been updated and Dolphins current number is a deficit of $29 mill, about half of what Pats fans were banking on.
So who's the starting QB week 1?Still hoping New England trades back. I don't think there's anybody to take at #3 unless McCarthy wows everyone. Stupid to draft a WR at #3 given the depth in this class. Get more picks, fill more holes.