PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

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If Tom Brady can pull this off and come anywhere close to that level of productivity, they aught to at the end of the season just slam dunk him into the Hall of Fame,” NFL Network analyst Brian Billick said Wednesday on “NFL Total Access.” “Forget five years after he retires. Just do it at the end of the season.

Billick: Instant enshrinement for Brady if Patriots thrive – NFL.com

I’ve been saying this even before Hernando went off the reservation. Now that he’s gone, it’s even more true.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/if-tom-brady-can-pull-this-off-and-come-anywhere/

I respect the way you handled the Hernandez situation, but now that things are more clearly defined, have you given any thought to how Hernandez’s roster spot and projected snaps will be filled? Will the pats seek to sign a tight end or receiver such as David Thomas to replace the lost production, or will they look to fill the void from within? Is there a chance the Pats will trade for a receiver during the course of the season, similar to last year’s Talib trade?

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Touched on some of the points earlier, but I think essentially the Patriots offense will be a bit more traditional, in that you have Gronk or Ballard as the Y tight end and then you mix and match around them, whether it’s 11 or 21 personnel. Maybe down the line you use some 12 with Gronk AND Ballard, but that’s probably more a goalline package.

You just don’t have the Hernandez “joker” player who can be moved around the formation for matchup issues. That’s what made them so hard to match up against last year. Maybe they use Vereen a bit in that role, motioning him out from the backfield in 21 personnel.

That said, there are options. There are plenty of new wide receivers and from that group you should see some interesting new weapons emerge. Whether it’s the outside presence of Dobson, a versatile receiver like Boyce, or even gadget plays involving Edelman. There are certainly new twists coming, but it will depend on who can do what and who earns Brady’s trust. So there’s an element of fluidity to it.

Ultimately I think the Pats were taking a throw it all at the wall approach at receiver and that has given them some insurance against the loss of Hernandez. But how it will all play out is for competition and injuries to determine.

So hard to project trades in the NFL, especially at a position like receiver that takes time to pick up. I’d think it more likely to see Deion Branch back than anything else if all of these receivers struggle. I’d actually be for a Branch return now to help them pick the system and Brady’s preferences now.

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If it is to be, it is up to me.

“It’s a quote my father used to always give me.” – Aaron Hernandez

https://www.patspropaganda.com/if-it-is-to-be-it-is-up-to-me-its-a-quote-my/

Adios Hernando – Thoughts on the End of the TE Party

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Now that Aaron Hernandez has been released by the Pats, I feel comfortable making some football-related commentary. As I said on the podcast this morning, someone had their life taken away from them, and that’s the saddest part of this whole situation.

I don’t know Hernandez’s involvement, or what will ultimately come to light, but his three years in New England are now over, cutting short what we all thought would be a TE party that lasted a long time.

I’ve always thought Gronkowski was the more valuable of the two, due to his ability to dominate in both blocking and receiving. Hernando was the icing on the cake, the matchup nightmare who forced teams to choose whether to play him as a tight end or a receiver. 

He was electric with the ball in space, and his cutback ability was second to none for a man of his size. He finishes his Patriots career with 38 of a possible 48 games played, with 175 catches for 1,956 yards and 18 touchdowns.

The Patriots offense will be forced to evolve even moreso than they were already being forced to. Just two weeks ago it was easy to imagine Jake Ballard filling in for Gronk, and Hernandez taking over as Brady’s safety valve, with the two tight end offense still being the primary focus. Now they’ll likely be forced to use more multiple receiver and running back formations (11 and 21 personnel), which means more opportunities for players like Donald Jones and LeGarrette Blount.

No one adapts to change better than the Patriots, and while it’s scary to imagine the offense missing all four receiving threats from last season to start 2013, there should be some excitement as Brady gets re-energized having a new set of weapons that no one has a blueprint to stop yet.

This is one of the most interesting developments of Brady’s career, and will give him a chance to prove once again he’s the greatest of all-time.

As for Hernandez, I hope that the punishment fits his involvement, and that eventually he’s able to learn from this and get his life back on track for the sake of his family.