2023 Pats: Offseason

BigJimEd

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Kenny F'ing Powers

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Meh. Honestly, I'd rather see the Jack/Jonathan/Marcus triplets on the field before Mills. With that being the case, cutting your 4th best option and saving $5M feels like a no-brainer to me.

Although, after the first injury takes place and Myles Bryant is getting significant reps, I'll probably light my own face on fire.
 

tims4wins

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Meh. Honestly, I'd rather see the Jack/Jonathan/Marcus triplets on the field before Mills. With that being the case, cutting your 4th best option and saving $5M feels like a no-brainer to me.

Although, after the first injury takes place and Myles Bryant is getting significant reps, I'll probably light my own face on fire.
$5M seems like a bargain for starting-level CB play, but I guess it all depends on Marcus and Jack. Jack had the off field stuff, and Marcus seems like a slot guy. I guess we'll see. I wouldn't have been surprised by this after the draft if they draft a CB early-ish. But doing it now caught me off guard.
 

SMU_Sox

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$5M seems like a bargain for starting-level CB play, but I guess it all depends on Marcus and Jack. Jack had the off field stuff, and Marcus seems like a slot guy. I guess we'll see. I wouldn't have been surprised by this after the draft if they draft a CB early-ish. But doing it now caught me off guard.
Full disclosure I haven’t done CBs yet but a good buddy of mine has and there are 5-6 guys who are fits over the first two rounds. It’s a good year for CBs.
 

Jungleland

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Ya, feels like an incomplete info move to me. It looks a little weird right now, I don’t think he was valueless when healthy, but I don’t hate the idea of replacing him at all.
 

Shelterdog

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The timing is a little odd. I assume they are comfortable enough with their various pickups that they're now committed to drafting a DB or two fairly high in the draft and won't have space for Mills.
 

ehaz

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Didn’t Mills have his best seasons in Philly as a starting safety? That’s what surprises me.
 

BaseballJones

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Mills' coverage stats his two years with the Pats:

2021: 65 targets, 37 catches, 56.9%, 406 yds, 6.2 yds/tgt, 7 td (ouch), 0 int, 111.4 rating
2022: 46 targets, 28 catches, 60.9%, 378 yds, 8.2 yds/tgt, 2 td, 2 int, 83.4 rating

So...not great. But he's versatile and is a better safety than corner. I'm surprised by this but they probably can either replace him fairly easily or re-sign him to a smaller deal.
 

Mooch

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Mills' coverage stats his two years with the Pats:

2021: 65 targets, 37 catches, 56.9%, 406 yds, 6.2 yds/tgt, 7 td (ouch), 0 int, 111.4 rating
2022: 46 targets, 28 catches, 60.9%, 378 yds, 8.2 yds/tgt, 2 td, 2 int, 83.4 rating

So...not great. But he's versatile and is a better safety than corner. I'm surprised by this but they probably can either replace him fairly easily or re-sign him to a smaller deal.
Can you really call a guy versatile when he’s below average at multiple positions?
 

Van Everyman

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I actually thought Mills looked much better last year than he did in his first season. It seemed like their pass defense took a step back when he went down.
 

E5 Yaz

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Take it for what it's worth, but Sirius XM NFL Radio was discussing the Cardinals and dropped in that Hopkins had had talks with the Patriots. Guessing they meant he'd been given permission to seek a trade, but they moved onto something else and didn't get back to it
 

Ferm Sheller

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ST was terrible last season. I'm all for getting guys who've proven (in BB's eyes) that they can play ST well in the NFL. Plus, that group has lost a couple of key players (including Bethel) and will be losing Slater after the season, most likely.
 

Cellar-Door

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New ST ace by the looks of it.
Undrafted FA out of FCS North Dakota St., made the Ravens roster, was active all season, played there 4 years then 1 year in DET.
Played a decent number of defensive snaps his last 2 years in BAL, but mostly just a core special teams guy.

We'll see if he gets any LB run, he's in the smaller, lighter category, like 6'1 225 or so, good speed not elite.
 

sezwho

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Take it for what it's worth, but Sirius XM NFL Radio was discussing the Cardinals and dropped in that Hopkins had had talks with the Patriots. Guessing they meant he'd been given permission to seek a trade, but they moved onto something else and didn't get back to it
Love media on media: Breer on T&R said he’s heard there’s no contact on Hopkins.
 

Ferm Sheller

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Board's contract looks like it's on par with the last one that Brandon King signed with the Pats. He's the same size as King. Maybe he's the new King (who actually left after 2021).

EDIT: Eh, maybe it's a little richer than King's was (but a few years have passed since King last signed, too). Depends on what's meant by "maximum value".
 

Justthetippett

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New ST ace by the looks of it.
Undrafted FA out of FCS North Dakota St., made the Ravens roster, was active all season, played there 4 years then 1 year in DET.
Played a decent number of defensive snaps his last 2 years in BAL, but mostly just a core special teams guy.

We'll see if he gets any LB run, he's in the smaller, lighter category, like 6'1 225 or so, good speed not elite.
Death, taxes, and BB opening the check book for ST players. But after the ST mess from last year, they do need help.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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I get that the ST was lousy last year, but wasn’t that largely because the team was awful at punting and kicking off? Not that these aren’t good moves but hopefully they upgrade at P and K too.
 

BigSoxFan

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Evan needs to relax, dude is way too bothered over fans saying dumb stuff on Twitter.
It’s why I like Reiss so much. He posts without the “I’m so much smarter than you” smarminess that you see from a lot of beat guys.
 

Cellar-Door

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It’s why I like Reiss so much. He posts without the “I’m so much smarter than you” smarminess that you see from a lot of beat guys.
Meh, I like Lazar because he is decent at actually breaking things down, Reiss is basically a stenographer. Also, mocking idiots is what Twitter is for.
 

rodderick

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Meh, I like Lazar because he is decent at actually breaking things down, Reiss is basically a stenographer. Also, mocking idiots is what Twitter is for.
Lazar is a way more interesting read than Reiss (and most people on the beat), he's just been way too exasperated both on Twitter and on Patriots Unfiltered over fans being antsy and complaining about inaction. Welcome to sports man, you've been doing this for a while now, it's dumb but it comes with the territory.
 

BigSoxFan

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Meh, I like Lazar because he is decent at actually breaking things down, Reiss is basically a stenographer. Also, mocking idiots is what Twitter is for.
I like him. I think Twitter mocking is exhausting and boring but to each his own.
 

Shelterdog

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Meh, I like Lazar because he is decent at actually breaking things down, Reiss is basically a stenographer. Also, mocking idiots is what Twitter is for.
I’m convinced that Reiss is very very far from a stenographer and I think he’s the only reporter Bill speaks to much off the record. You look at those Sunday thoughts over the year and I think you’d see that a lot of Reiss’s speculation ends up being right-I think he’s just too much of a pro to say “I heard x” or “people in the building say y” even though he hears more of that speculation than anyone.

Lazar is slightly pompous but honestly A lot of Pats fans and the Boston media deserving being laughed at.Especially everyone who said any variant of what are the patriots doing they need a big move now on day 2 of free agency
 

Cellar-Door

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I’m convinced that Reiss is very very far from a stenographer and I think he’s the only reporter Bill speaks to much off the record. You look at those Sunday thoughts over the year and I think you’d see that a lot of Reiss’s speculation ends up being right-I think he’s just too much of a pro to say “I heard x” or “people in the building say y” even though he hears more of that speculation than anyone.

Lazar is slightly pompous but honestly A lot of Pats fans and the Boston media deserving being laughed at.Especially everyone who said any variant of what are the patriots doing they need a big move now on day 2 of free agency
Yeah, to be clear I mean that Reiss just writes things he is told and it's usefull because he has sources, Lazar is interesting because he actually tries to have his own opinion on things, analyze why things work or don't, etc. Like Lazar even if I don't always agree with him is breaking down tape, Reiss isn't really an analyst he just reports.

I get people's thoughts of "just ignore the idiots", but I actually think there is value there, because you want to discourage idiocy in the fanbase, you want them to (as his follow on tweets discussed) understand the cap implications of "up to $X, doesn't mean... $X less to spend" and you want people to think critically about the process. Letting the idiots churn the same dumb stuff without ridicule is how you get the cesspool of talk radio where everyone is absurdly stupid, none of them know the very basics of the sport they are covering or watching and nobody cares.
 

Spelunker

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Pushing back on dumb takes is always useful. It may be building sandcastles in the surf, but once more into that breach we go.
 

Jinhocho

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I’m convinced that Reiss is very very far from a stenographer and I think he’s the only reporter Bill speaks to much off the record. You look at those Sunday thoughts over the year and I think you’d see that a lot of Reiss’s speculation ends up being right-I think he’s just too much of a pro to say “I heard x” or “people in the building say y” even though he hears more of that speculation than anyone.

Lazar is slightly pompous but honestly A lot of Pats fans and the Boston media deserving being laughed at.Especially everyone who said any variant of what are the patriots doing they need a big move now on day 2 of free agency
Wasn't reiss one of a couple younger reporters that bb trained in watching film like a coach?
 

lexrageorge

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Yeah, to be clear I mean that Reiss just writes things he is told and it's usefull because he has sources, Lazar is interesting because he actually tries to have his own opinion on things, analyze why things work or don't, etc. Like Lazar even if I don't always agree with him is breaking down tape, Reiss isn't really an analyst he just reports.

I get people's thoughts of "just ignore the idiots", but I actually think there is value there, because you want to discourage idiocy in the fanbase, you want them to (as his follow on tweets discussed) understand the cap implications of "up to $X, doesn't mean... $X less to spend" and you want people to think critically about the process. Letting the idiots churn the same dumb stuff without ridicule is how you get the cesspool of talk radio where everyone is absurdly stupid, none of them know the very basics of the sport they are covering or watching and nobody cares.
Reiss is very good at breaking down plays and his training camp takes are normally spot on. He objectively writes far more than what "he is told".
 

rodderick

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Yeah, to be clear I mean that Reiss just writes things he is told and it's usefull because he has sources, Lazar is interesting because he actually tries to have his own opinion on things, analyze why things work or don't, etc. Like Lazar even if I don't always agree with him is breaking down tape, Reiss isn't really an analyst he just reports.

I get people's thoughts of "just ignore the idiots", but I actually think there is value there, because you want to discourage idiocy in the fanbase, you want them to (as his follow on tweets discussed) understand the cap implications of "up to $X, doesn't mean... $X less to spend" and you want people to think critically about the process. Letting the idiots churn the same dumb stuff without ridicule is how you get the cesspool of talk radio where everyone is absurdly stupid, none of them know the very basics of the sport they are covering or watching and nobody cares.
Lazar is 100% on the cap is crap crowd, he never pushes back on the idea the team should spend, he's just very annoyed by the whole "I want them to make moves now!!!!" crowd. He thinks they should make moves, he believes moves are needed, he just wants to wait until after the draft to judge their off-season. It's perfectly reasonable, I just think he gets overly condescending with fan anxiety (that exists in every fanbase in every sport when you're not at the top).
 
Apr 24, 2019
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Lazar is 100% on the cap is crap crowd, he never pushes back on the idea the team should spend, he's just very annoyed by the whole "I want them to make moves now!!!!" crowd. He thinks they should make moves, he believes moves are needed, he just wants to wait until after the draft to judge their off-season. It's perfectly reasonable, I just think he gets overly condescending with fan anxiety (that exists in every fanbase in every sport when you're not at the top).
I agree with all of this until the last. He has every reason to be condescending toward those fans. His position is entirely rational. Moronic fans flipping out on Day One (or two or three or Day Negative One) that the patriots haven’t done anything are objectively ridiculous. If writers who are steady and mature about this can shame the nitswits away from being impatient children, I say go for it.

As Evan has said, the Patriots may end up not doing enough, or doing the wrong things, they may deserve the criticism as the off-season unfolds and weeks go by. But not yet.
Edit typos
 

JM3

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So far...

QB Hoyer out
RB DHarris out, JRob in
WR Meyers/Agholor out, JuJu in
TE Jonnu out, Gesicki in
OT Wynn/Cannon out, Reiff/Anderson in
DB DMac/Mills/JoeJuan out, NONE in
P Bailey/Parlady out, NONE in
ST Board in

So...not far from a complete team which is incrementally improved from last year.