Despite the rumors of internal turmoil, Bill Belichick the general manager is busy loading up the roster in free agency for Bill Belichick the head ball coach, all the while Bill Belichick the introvert is keeping mum about the aforementioned and unsubstantiated strife, channeling his inner 2014 Bill Belichick and moving past it all in preparation for the 2018 draft.
In other words, it's business as usual at 1 Patriots Place.
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| Jason McCourty (l) now has a chance to win a title with his twin brother |
The shadow of ESPN's Seth Wickersham looms large for many in the media and many more in the fan base, media members using Wickersham's assertion that there is perhaps unrepairable tension between Belichick, quarterback Tom Brady and franchise owner Bob Kraft over Kraft's reported interference with Belichick's personnel authority, suggesting that it isn't as absolute as one might think...
...conjuring images of Bill Parcells muttering about shopping for groceries, then throwing a fit and taking a different flight than the rest of the Patriots after Super Bowl 31, eventually landing in New York to coach the Jets.
But Belichick hasn't flinched. He's not outspoken like Parcells and he certainly isn't as charismatic as the Tuna, but like any coach on a professional level, he does have an ego and with such probably displays some aggression when someone invades his territory, like the Wickersham article suggests - claiming that Kraft trumped Belichick when it came to backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's future with the team.
As it turns out, Garoppolo was traded and the reports claim that Belichick was incensed at being overridden by Kraft, who by all accounts forced the trade with San Francisco for relative peanuts on the grand scale.
But, none of this is confirmed. Wickersham used what is known in the business as "Reporter's Privilege" to justify his statements, claiming that his sources were from the inner circle of the Patriots' hierarchy, but wished to remain anonymous - which means, of course, that Wickersham could have said that Jimmy Hoffa was named Director of Pro Scouting, per source, and we'd have no way to confirm or deny it.
Same with the evil stories surfacing about tight end Rob Gronkowski and Brady claiming that playing football for the Dark Master isn't fun any longer, per source, and the Boston media has taken to egging on the fan base as they surmise that the four players that the Patriots have lost in free agency - wide receiver Danny Amendola, running back Dion Lewis, left tackle Nate Solder and cornerback Malcolm Butler - left because of the culture of the locker room.
Puh-lease.
This was all about money - except for maybe Butler, even though his strange trip through 2017 began with being pissed off about money and ended crying on the sidelines because he was benched in the Super Bowl - but those are two things that he's not going to have to worry about in Tennessee, as he signed on with the Titans for $66 million, who still won't be participating in a Super Bowl anytime soon.
The Titans also paid Lewis many dollars, who deserves every penny but knew he wasn't going to get it from the cap-strapped Patriots - same with Amendola, whom Miami made an offer he couldn't refuse (and the Patriots couldn't match), and with Solder, who reaped the largest contact for a tackle in for the upcoming NFL season on what is deemed as a massive overpayment.
But instead of worrying about what the hated beat writers had to say, Belichick concentrated on squeezing every penny he could out of his cap in free agency, bringing in his usual assortment of role players on mid-level, cap-friendly deals that have recouped some of the production that has walked out the door, but ignored perhaps the biggest needs on the depth chart...
...leaving hybrid coverage linebackers and Brady's new heir-apparent for next month's draft, with this years edition of the selection process deep in both.
The depth chart as it currently stands:
Quarterbacks:
Tom Brady
Brian Hoyer
This is an area of great concern.
Brady proved last season that he still has magic, and as a result, the Patriots were pretty much forced to trade away heir-apparent Jimmy Garoppolo for second round draft capital in this year's draft, capital that may eventually be used to select another heir-apparent, just as Belichick did back in 2014 - and the question isn't whether they should use that pick on Tom Brady's successor, rather, the question is whether should have had to send Garoppolo packing at all.
For the better part of four seasons, Patriots' fans saw Garoppolo as the Prince waiting in the wings for the King to step aside, many referring to the handsome Eastern Illinois product as "Prince Ali" for his likeness to the features of the animated protagonist in the Disney film Aladdin. But with the trade deadline approaching and Garoppolo in a contract year and poised to bolt Foxborough for a starting gig elsewhere, the Patriots unloaded him to San Francisco for extraordinarily light compensation...
...forcing the Patriots to scramble in it's search to find another needle in the haystack- and there was surely nothing on the free agent market that came close to what they have in Brady, even in his 40's, nor in what they had in Garoppolo - so the next anointed one is going to have to be a college quarterback, requiring a leap of faith that didn't necessarily have to be.
In my research, there is one kid who fits the profile as a Brady successor and, just like with Garoppolo, he languished in the shadows of more highly-touted college signal callers through the start of the new league year, but is now starting to pop up on the radar of many experts.
Washington State's Luke Falk models his game after Brady, to the point that he watches film of The Greatest constantly, emulating his footwork and release all while standing tall in the pocket and making every read in the face of some ferocious Pac-12 pass rushers...
Running Backs:
James White
Rex Burkhead - re-signed
Jeremy Hill - acquired via free agency from Cincinnati
Mike Gillislee
Brandon Bolden
James Develin
When Jeremy Hill was acquired in free agency, the Patriots suddenly possessed the kind of bigger back that they've had in every championship season.
Look back at the five trophies residing in Foxborough, and you will see the names of Antowain Smith, Corey Dillon and LeGarrette Blount etched in them, where if you look back at the teams that lost Super Bowls in the Belichick era, you will find the names Laurence Maroney, BenJarvis Green-Ellis and Dion Lewis as lead backs.
Lewis was a different runner, however, and earned his bones powering through the middle of the line, then juking the socks off of defensive backs on the second level, even though he is one of the smallest players in the NFL - so his dynamism cannot necessarily be replaced. New England will have to opt for the three-headed monster of Hill, Burkhead and White - certainly more conventional than what they had with Lewis, but with the potential to be even more productive.
All three are relatively young, but Hill is looking at a contract year, so it is time for New England to spend some draft capital to bring in a back who can develop behind him...just in case.
Wide Receivers:
Brandin Cooks
Julian Edelman
Chris Hogan
Malcolm Mitchell
Phillip Dorsett
Kenny Britt - re-signed
Cordarrelle Patterson - acquired via trade with Oakland
Matthew Slater
Cody Hollister
Riley McCarron
Many are admonishing Belichick for allowing Danny Amendola to bolt for Miami, but it couldn't be helped - not when Miami offered the soon-to-be 32-year-old receiver $8.5 million in guarantees - and while Amendola was an integral part of two championship teams, it's not like the Patriots don't have depth at the position.
In fact, they may be as deep at receiver as any team in the NFL.
That said, top target Edelman is coming off of major injury at age 31, burner Cooks is in his contract year, as is combination receiver Hogan, meaning that Mitchell should become a point of focus for Brady during the coming season. Patterson is the latest Raider receiver to become a Patriot and most smart people believe that he is was brought in to take over kick and, possibly, punt returns - but don't sleep on his ability to stretch the field...
...nor his running back-like moves once in the open field. As one person has put it, Patterson is a running back in a receiver's body, and has the ability to line up in the backfield and tote the rock.
Seeing that most of the pass catchers on this chart are either on the wrong side of thirty, approaching such, or are entering their first contract year, I can see them spending draft capital on a pass catcher in the upcoming draft.
Tight Ends:
Rob Gronkowski
Dwayne Allen
Jacob Hollister
Will Tye
Will he, or won't he? Rob Gronkowski has hinted at retirement ever since the Super Bowl loss, and has demonstrated his resolve with a series of childish and cryptic posts on social media platforms that may mean something, or nothing at all. Regardless, the best tight end in the NFL is under contract for the next two seasons and would be giving up what amounts to being the highest paid tight end in all of football if he retires.
The reports of football not being fun in PatriotLand seem to be tied to these reports, and will persist until Gronkowski clarifies, but for now we're going to assume that the monstrous man-child will be on the roster in 2018.
Allen's cap hit is $5 million and is probably destined for the waiver wire, while Will Tye could be more effective that Allen and may have an inside track to a roster spot - but in reality, the success of this group is tied to Gronkowski.
Offensive Linemen:
Tony Garcia
Joe Thuney
David Andrews
Shaquille Mason
Marcus Cannon
Cole Croston
Matt Tobin - acquired via free agency from Seattle
James Ferentz
Andrew Jelks
Ted Karras
Jason King
As for the line in concert, Pro Football Focus ranked them the third most effective line in the NFL last season - fair at protecting the quarterback, but tops in yards before contact in the running game, meaning that they pushed their mirrors almost into the second level before they had a chance to make contact with the running back - but there are questions.
The biggest of which is the left tackle position left barren by the defection of Nate Solder to the Giants. Of course, who could blame Solder given the ridiculously large amount of money they threw at him. The thought is that Belichick would go fishing for a mid-level veteran to give heir-apparent Garcia more time to recover from a scary bout of blood clots in his lungs...
...those mid-level veterans may include LaAdrian Waddle and/or Cam Fleming whose contracts with the Patriots just expired, plus the Dark Master signed ex-Eagle and ex-Seahawk Matt Tobin as liability insurance.
Good thing then that the medical staff has cleared Garcia to play, meaning that left tackle is no longer a priority in the draft, and that Tobin may not make final cuts.
Defensive Linemen:
Malcom Brown
Danny Shelton - acquired via trade with Cleveland
Trey Flowers
Deatrich Wise, Jr.
Lawrence Guy
Adrian Clayborn - acquired via free agency from Atlanta
Vincent Valentine
Adam Butler
Derek Rivers
Eric Lee
Geneo Grissom
The defensive line is an impossible mixture of young veterans, a couple of whom learned under fire as rookies last season and showed the pressure wasn't too much for them.
Wise, Butler and Lee, all 23 years old, looked like veterans at the end of the season, which is a credit to the coaching staff as injuries not only the line, but also to the linebacking corps laid a lot of responsibility at their feet, and they had to learn the scheme on the fly - particularly Lee, whom Belichick poached off of Buffalo's practice squad and didn't have the benefit of going through training camp with the Patriots.
Pro Football Focus has named the Patriots' defensive line as one of the most improved units in the league after the first week of free agency, primarily due to the deal that Belichick dialed up to bring Shelton to Foxborough, stating, "He pairs with fellow 2105 first-rounder Malcom Brown to form one of the best run stopping duos in the league."
Clayborn is coming off a career year with 55 total pressures, and the hope is that he will take some of the pressure off of Flowers, who is poised to explode as an elite edge defender. With Clayborn and Flowers manning the edges, it leaves the aforementioned Wise and Lee to carve out situational roles, as well as last season's top draft selection Rivers, who has yet to play an NFL down.
Lost in this mix is Lawrence Guy, who quietly had a superb year as a disruptive penetrator, finishing just behind Timmy Jernigan in run-stop percentage for tops in the league, even better that Shelton's grade with the Browns.
It would be a major surprise to see Belichick use any top draft capital on the defensive line in the draft.
Linebackers:
Dont'a Hightower
Kyle Van Noy
Elandon Roberts
Nicholas Grigsby
Trevor Reilly
Harvey Langi
There is a strong InterMountain West connection on the linebacking corps, with Van Noy and Langi on the roster via schools in Utah, but only Van Noy was able to make any sort of an impact last season as injury and bad luck plagued the other Langi, as it took a toll on captain Hightower as well.
As noted, this unit and the limiting injuries they incurred was the bitch-kitty for the defense. With a healthy Hightower and Langi, the Patriots can field a very good linebacking crew, yet they still lack a force on the wings to set the edge, and they have absolutely no one that can cover backs coming out into the flat in the pass pattern.
That needs to be rectified if they want the defense to get any better, because problems on the second level have a way of impacting the entire unit.
The Super Bowl was a microcosm of what ailed the Patriots all last season, as the Philadelphia Eagles running backs accounted for over half of Nick Foles passing yardage, as New England's lack of coverage options for the flats allowed Foles to get rid of the football quickly, yet keep the clock running for ridiculously long scoring drives - and over two-thirds of the Eagles' rushing yardage came from outside the tackle box.
If the Patriots would have had anyone to cover backs in the flat and/or set the edge in the running game, they would be defending champions today. Don't be surprised to see at least two linebackers taken in the draft, particularly and edge-setting entity but most of all a hybrid OLB/SS cover 'backer such as BYU's Fred Warner who could potentially be groomed to take over for Patrick Chung as the Big Nickel box safety...
Cornerbacks:
Stephon Gilmore
Jason McCourty - acquired via trade with Cleveland
Eric Rowe
Jonathan Jones
Cyrus Jones
Ryan Lewis
Jomal Wiltz
Many blame this unit for the Patriots' woes in the Super Bowl, yet the secondary as a whole didn't play anywhere near as badly as the media and fans are making it out to be.
Gilmore and Rowe played well after some initial struggles, but with Malcolm Butler benched, the Patriots went with reserve corners and safeties to try and contain the Philadelphia Eagles' high wire act, and the result was predictable.
Butler is now gone, for good or ill, and Belichick brought in the twin brother of safety Devin McCourty to bring some size and consistency to the cornerback corps that typically will field just two corners in their base Big Nickel to handle outside the numbers and have brought in demure speedster Jonathan Jones into the fray in the Giant dime.
McCourty has the size (6' 1", 195lbs) and speed to burn (4.34) to hang with just about any teams' number two receiver and can even play safety in a pinch. But the McCourty twins are on the wrong side of thirty, so look for Belichick to target a developmental corner on the second or third day of the draft - but don't be surprised if he reaches for one in the first round.
Safeties:
Duron Harmon
Devin McCourty
Patrick Chung - Signed extension
David Jones
Demarius Travis
Brandon King - re-signed
Nate Ebner - re-signed
Jordan Richards
The best trio of safeties are staying together for another couple of seasons, which means that the base Big Nickel alignment is alive and well in Foxborough.
After that, however, all bets are off. Both McCourty and Chung are over thirty, so time is getting short to come up with a replacement for both. In Chung's case, the aforementioned Fred Warner would be a good selection to develop on the job, but it must be remembered that New England have two very versatile youngsters on the practice squad in Jones and Travis.
Travis is a prototypical box safety who is also an outstanding special teams player, while Jones is a tall, speedy specimen who could conceivably take over the free safety spot with some coaching. That said, the key to the Big Nickel defense is Harmon, who has excellent size, track sprinter's speed and fluid hips that make him one of the best sideline-to-sideline centerfielders in the game...
Of course, many of the Patriots' players have part-time occupations on special teams, joining kicker Stephen Gostkowski, punter Ryan Allen and long snapper Joe Cardona to form one of the best specialist units in the NFL - with names like Slater, King, and Bolden serving as core-four special teamers.
New England isn't that far from fielding a team that may actually be better overall than the teams that has been to seven consecutive AFC Championships, and a solid draft should put them over the top.
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