The Official 2023 New England Patriots Thread

[HuskyHawk]

Hmm. Interesting turn of events...

I don't want him. Of all the options he's the guy I don't want. More smash mouth football. He's the poor man's version of Bill. I liked him as a player, but if you are moving on then you need to move on.

The team has a huge amount of cap space, a fantastic defensive foundation and a few pieces on offense if they re-sign Onwenu & Bourne and Andrews doesn't retire.

 

[Husky25]

I don't want him. Of all the options he's the guy I don't want. More smash mouth football. He's the poor man's version of Bill. I liked him as a player, but if you are moving on then you need to move on.

The team has a huge amount of cap space, a fantastic defensive foundation and a few pieces on offense if they re-sign Onwenu & Bourne and Andrews doesn't retire.

That's valid.

 

[Husky25]

I don't want him. Of all the options he's the guy I don't want. More smash mouth football. He's the poor man's version of Bill. I liked him as a player, but if you are moving on then you need to move on.

The team has a huge amount of cap space, a fantastic defensive foundation and a few pieces on offense if they re-sign Onwenu & Bourne and Andrews doesn't retire.

I'd take Vrabel coaching the Commanders.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I'd take Vrabel coaching the Commanders.

I'm coming around on Vrabel under one circumstance. One point I think most pundits and fans are missing is that owners don't hire coaches, owners hire GMs who hire coaches. So if Bill is gone, step one is the GM. The hottest GM name has Patriots ties, Adam Peters with the 49ers. He was in NE when Vrabel was and it's believed they could be a package deal wherever Petes goes. That package could work for me. Need a really good OC too, nothing like what the Titans run.

 

[Husky25]

I'm coming around on Vrabel under one circumstance. One point I think most pundits and fans are missing is that owners don't hire coaches, owners hire GMs who hire coaches. So if Bill is gone, step one is the GM. The hottest GM name has Patriots ties, Adam Peters with the 49ers. He was in NE when Vrabel was and it's believed they could be a package deal wherever Petes goes. That package could work for me. Need a really good OC too, nothing like what the Titans run.

Adam Peters is also Josh Harris's first choice for GM.

Also, I believe Kraft did hire Belichick as GM and Head Coach in 2000. The distinction with a slight difference is that he often had a player personnel guy (Grier, Piolli, Casserio) against whom to bounce ideas. He also stumbled into the greatest quarterback to ever put on pads who also happened to be down to Earth (so to speak), team-first, and financially secure outside of football. Not saying that Belichick didn't see potential, but he is not clairvoyant. From splitting time with Drew Henson, no one could have predicted that Brady would end up doing what he did or being what he was on the field.

What I like about Vrabel is that he's been coached by Belichick, but is not from the Belichick coaching tree, all who seem to act like him but do not have the other characteristics to succeed like him. Wiese didn't. Mangini didn't. Not McDaniels or Patricia, and certainly Judge. Only Romeo Crennel and Bill O'Brien had any level of mild success out from under the Belichick umbrella.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Adam Peters is also Josh Harris's first choice for GM.

Also, I believe Kraft did hire Belichick as GM and Head Coach in 2000. The distinction with a slight difference is that he often had a player personnel guy (Grier, Piolli, Casserio) against whom to bounce ideas. He also stumbled into the greatest quarterback to ever put on pads who also happened to be down to Earth (so to speak), team-first, and financially secure outside of football. Not saying that Belichick didn't see potential, but he is not clairvoyant. From splitting time with Drew Henson, no one could have predicted that Brady would end up doing what he did or being what he was on the field.

What I like about Vrabel is that he's been coached by Belichick, but is not from the Belichick coaching tree, all who seem to act like him but do not have the other characteristics to succeed like him. Wiese didn't. Mangini didn't. Not McDaniels or Patricia, and certainly Judge. Only Romeo Crennel and Bill O'Brien had any level of mild success out from under the Belichick umbrella.

That is true, but nobody is making Mike Vrabel Coach-GM like Bill. So the GM decision has to come either before or contemporaneous with the coach decision. I agree that Bill's troubles may stem from the lack of a Pioli/Casserio level guy working with him. There has been huge brain drain in the front office. He also won't embrace analytics, which is a problem.

The latest rumors are that he's clearing out his office. No idea if true. Also, Rappaport is reporting that a big reason why the Titans fired Vrabel is the way he was so glowing about the Patriots at his Patriots HOF induction.

 

[Husky25]

That is true, but nobody is making Mike Vrabel Coach-GM like Bill. So the GM decision has to come either before or contemporaneous with the coach decision. I agree that Bill's troubles may stem from the lack of a Pioli/Casserio level guy working with him. There has been huge brain drain in the front office. He also won't embrace analytics, which is a problem.

The latest rumors are that he's clearing out his office. No idea if true. Also, Rappaport is reporting that a big reason why the Titans fired Vrabel is the way he was so glowing about the Patriots at his Patriots HOF induction.

That's Boston-College-firing-Jagodzinski level petty. On the other hand if the owner thinks his heart is not all in, then I guess it makes sense.

 

[Waquoit]

The Pats hiring Vrabel over Jerrod Mayo is a non-starter, imo.

 

[Husky25]

This tracks with Josh Harris's public comments of not chasing after "retreads."

 

[Husky25]

 

[HuskyHawk]

Currann is such an idiot. Always throwing out clickbait. GM will have a say in HC hire. Rooney rule requires interviews, HC is not decided.

 

[HuskyHawk]

My impression on why Bill is gone. Kraft is old, he has to set the team up for the future. Adam Peters is the #1 GM name out there, and he worked for Bill in the front office for six years. Young, smart GM with ties to the Patriots. Hard to pass that up. Would he come if Bill was HC/Co-GM? No. Commanders also want him. So to get Peters, and set the Pats up for years to come, you have to part with Bill. The fact that you now have Vrabel and/or Mayo as HC options and that Peters would likely support Vrabel (he was in NE when Mike was) is a plus. People focus on Bill the coach, but what was critical is replacing Bill the GM.

GM: Adam Peters
HC: Mike Vrabel
DC: Jerod Mayo
OC: Bill O'Brien or new guy

 

[Waquoit]

Currann is such an idiot.

Didn't he have BB fired weeks ago? And didn't you call him a POS?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Didn't he have BB fired weeks ago? And didn't you call him a POS?

He was wrong then. He posted click-bait then and it turned out that the decision was to move on, but it was not made after the game in Germany as he said. Kraft today talked about how they tried to see if a new GM with Bill coaching would work.

Obviously, the coaching decision isn't made yet. Is Mayo a strong candidate? Of course. Curran might ultimately guess right, but the decision isn't made. Not only that, reporting that is made can lead to fines and penalties to the team because they have to comply with the Rooney rule. The crew at NBA Sports Boston is the worst.

 

[navery12]

He was wrong then. He posted click-bait then and it turned out that the decision was to move on, but it was not made after the game in Germany as he said. Kraft today talked about how they tried to see if a new GM with Bill coaching would work.

Obviously, the coaching decision isn't made yet. Is Mayo a strong candidate? Of course. Curran might ultimately guess right, but the decision isn't made. Not only that, reporting that is made can lead to fines and penalties to the team because they have to comply with the Rooney rule. The crew at NBA Sports Boston is the worst.

Or it was made and he reported it

 

[HuskyHawk]

Or it was made and he reported it

Hello, Rooney rule? Did Kraft just piss away the #3 pick in the draft?

 

[navery12]

Hello, Rooney rule? Did Kraft just piss away the #3 pick in the draft?

No

 

[Husky25]

Not only that, reporting that is made can lead to fines and penalties to the team because they have to comply with the Rooney rule. The crew at NBA Sports Boston is the worst.

Mayo is black and an internal candidate. I'm pretty sure Kraft didn't circumvent the Rooney Rule.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Mayo is black and an internal candidate. I'm pretty sure Kraft didn't circumvent the Rooney Rule.

Even if he's black and internal, the Rooney Rule requires interview of external candidates. Seems they avoided it with this contract move. Because otherwise it would still apply. Do not like this move at all. He may be fine, but doing it before the GM hire is stupid.

The Rooney Rule | NFL Football Operations

operations.nfl.com

 

[Waquoit]

Keep trying Hawk, one of these days you'll be right about something.

 

[superjohn]

Assistant who was given a promise, he's only been a linebackers coach, no coaching search, hiring him without a GM, not moving on from what hasn't been working. This has very little chance of working out IMO.

 

[Deepster]

Assistant who was given a promise, he's only been a linebackers coach, no coaching search, hiring him without a GM, not moving on from what hasn't been working. This has very little chance of working out IMO.

I have found it entertaining how matter of fact Pats nation thinks it’ll be getting back to a Super Bowl. They have forgotten what it’s like to stink.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Keep trying Hawk, one of these days you'll be right about something.

I was wrong about Curran, because Mayo was named HC last year when they reworked his contract to retain him. It's the same situation Belichick had with the Jets under Parcells. So no Rooney Rule. I'm right that it would have applied otherwise, doesn't matter that Mayo is black.

Really disappointed that the Krafts would be this stupid. Mayo was seen as a very bright potential HC, but putting that clause in was an overaction. It's even more stupid when your HC is the GM, because now they'd made the GM search (more important than HC) more difficult.

Saw a report attributed to Mike Reiss that the contract clause caused a lot of the dysfunction last year, as it was not clear to the staff who was in charge. Really dumb.

 

[Husky25]

Peters is out as possible Pats GM.



Looks like the Commanders are targeting Ben Johnson (OC for Lions) for next HC of the WFT.

 

[Husky25]

I have found it entertaining how matter of fact Pats nation thinks it’ll be getting back to a Super Bowl. They have forgotten what it’s like to stink.

Seems like something Ed Cooley would say after $2 Beer Night.

Kraft yesterday said that the stated goal was to get back to the playoffs and win a playoff game. Make the Tournament. Anything can happen after that.

Brady and Belichick certainly spoiled Pats fans, but so what? One could say that about any dynasty. Larry Bird spoiled Celtics Fans. Calhoun and Geno spoiled UConn fans. Torre Spoiled Yankees Fans. Gibbs spoiled Washington fans. Most every franchise fortunes ebb and flow. Enjoy it, be entertained, or else occupy your down-time with something else.