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Monday Patriots Regroup

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Bill BelichickPlenty going on this Monday of the offseason, and I’m going to stick to ignoring Deflategate, but if you want to read about amicus briefs and other legal stuff I wish I never had to cover just read resident Deflategate go-to Michael Hurley’s two pieces here and here. In short, non-partisan lawyer writes letter to court saying NFL lied. NFL says they didn’t lie, they were just going off what Roger Goodell thought. Seriously, I can’t wait until this whole charade is over.

Another Deflategate bit is that Robert Kraft told reporters today that he had written a letter to Roger Goodell asking for the first-round pick back.  Didn’t sound like he had heard back and let’s be honest, with a little over a month until the draft, that ship has sailed. Unless the court upholds Judge Berman’s decision and scolds the NFL for their handling of it and there’s a public outcry that also comes from the rest of the NFL owners, there’s no one outside Patriots Nation that want the Pats to get that pick back, even if they should get it back.

Do you think any of the other 31 want to give New England that pick back? Especially after the offseason they’ve had and how, oh look, they’re now one of four teams with four picks in the first 100. This is more than enough ammo to make up for the missing first rounder, as much as you’d like the near-certainty that Bill Belichick would get a great player with it.

Kraft’s letter will calm some of the masses who are still angry at him for not fighting the NFL harder, but I can’t see it having any real chance of getting anywhere with the NFL who will do anything in their power to make us believe Deflategate actually was an entire cheating scheme masterminded by Tom Brady.

Free Agent Visits Continue

Now to football, what I really care about here. Couple visits were reported: Nick Fairley, a defensive tackle who spent last year with the Rams, and tight end Weslye Saunders.

On Fairley, it’s another former first-rounder the Pats are kicking the tires on. Fairley is under 300 pounds and has a bit more of an upfield guy but that’s perfect for the rotation the Pats got going. I do wonder how much he’s related to Dominique Easley‘s unreliability of his first two seasons, but Fairley is one of the best players still left on the market and would solidify and already solid defensive tackle rotation.

As for Saunders, it’s another tight end, what did you expect? Despite the acquisition of Martellus Bennett I’d still prefer to never see Michael William running a route again in my life, so this would add a solid third option who could specialize in blocking. He’s only caught 10 passes in four seasons.

 

Best of James White | Patriots Highlights – YouTube

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New highlight vid of James White just popped up, not a bad way to wake up on a Saturday morning. Very curious to see what White’s role is this year. He had some great moments after stepping up for Dion Lewis, but I can’t help but wonder what could’ve been had he and Brady been a little more in sync in the AFC Championship. He had just five catches on a whopping 16 targets.  The Pats kicked the tires on some other receiving backs this offseason but have yet to actually sign any of them. I took that as them wanting someone to at least pair with White, and once Lewis comes back fully who knows how much White will be involved.

 

 

Martellus Bennett and the Potential of the “Double Y”

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<a rel=Been processing the whirlwind of activity over the last couple of days and though I usually skew to the defensive side of the ball, Martellus Bennett‘s potential impact is what has been most interesting to me.

Bill Belichick’s preference for the two tight end sets has been well chronicled. Daniel Graham and Christian Fauria, Graham and Ben Watson, and Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are just a few of the more well-known combos that had success. Last year the Pats tried to add Scott Chandler with Gronk but they never found their stride.


Gronkowski and Hernandez had the most devastating run from 2010-2012. Combined with the Pats lightning-fast no-huddle, Gronk and Hernandez exploited defensive mistmatches all over the league and almost took the Pats all the way to the Lombardi Trophy.

But in all these cases it was a combination of a “Y” tight end, one who can play in-line and block, and an “F” tight end, one who is better in space and often a less-than-desired blocker.

Now, with the addition of another true “Y” tight end in Bennett, the Patriots have the potential to take the two tight end set to the next level. Both Gronkowski and Bennett are equally talented catching and running with the ball in their hands as they are lining up next to a tackle and blocking.

Hernandez caused plenty of problems receiving, but he was never a threat to motion in-line and set up a power run scheme. But now the Patriots will have that kind of flexibility. They can shift from a pro set with two tight ends in-line right into a spread offense and still be just as effective.

The possibilities are really unlimited. What personnel does a defense defend Gronkowski and Bennett with? Because whatever you choose to defend — the run with your base defense or the pass with you sub defense — the Pats will attack the opposite with equal devastation.

Put a defensive back on one of those tight ends and they’ll run the ball right at him. Stick a slower linebacker on him and they’ll wish you luck in coverage.

I’m fascinated to see how Bennett assimilates into New England, and there’s certainly some cause for concern just as there was with Corey Dillon, Chad Ochocinco, Albert Haynesworth and Hernandez. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t, and not always just for off-the-field issues. Sometimes, like in Ochocinco’s case, players just can’t pick up the playbook and/or earn Tom Brady‘s trust.

But the potential is certainly there for this to be a new incarnation of the two tight end set, this version being a “Double Y” one. This could also reduce the value of Danny Amendola as a slot receiver because of the versatility of this kind of offense. Why take Gronk or Bennett off the field?

There’s plenty to play out in the next five months, but for now the Patriots offense looks ready for a new and different twist that should give NFL defenses a ton of problems.

Will Danny Amendola Re-Structure Again?

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Could Danny Amendola be cut or traded?

PFT reported last night that Danny Amendola could be asked to restructure his contract for the second offseason in a row, and if he refuses he could be traded or cut. None of this is all that shocking. The fact is the Patriots overpaid for Amendola, thinking he’d be their Welker replacement, when they signed him in 2013 and have been forced to keep kicking the can down the road with his big pay days.

This year Amendola is due a $5 million base salary with a $6.8 million cap hit. If the Pats cut him they’ll have to take a $2.733 million cap hit.

Is this one year too early?

There are arguments on both sides of this issue. On one hand, Amendola has been a clutch slot receiver, coming through with numerous big catches in the last two seasons after a slow start in 2013 where he tore his groin in the first game of the season (but still fought through it to help the Pats win that game in Buffalo), but he’d miss the next four weeks. He’s missed only one game in the last two seasons, despite being banged up, especially last year when a knee issue really limited him late in the season.Danny Amendola Clutch Catch

If Amendola was being paid like a slot receiver/punt returner should be, there’d be little question whether or not the Pats would keep him. But he’s got the fifth-highest cap hit on the team and will be 31 in the fall. It’s reasonable to think he could start breaking down further in the next season or two, as the wear and tear is bound to catch up with him.

Also, 2015 made it clear that he’s not a viable backup for Julian Edelman in the starting lineup. He needs to remain as the slot receiver, with limited snaps and limited big hits. They played him 75 snaps against the Eagles on an already injured knee, he re-injured it two weeks later and had to managed for the rest of the season. What are the chances now that Amendola can put together an injury-free and highly productive season? The odds are falling with each passing year.

Still, Amendola is a warrior and the Pats would not have won Super Bowl 49 with his vital contributions. Not to mention so many clutch catches in clutch moments the last couple regular seasons. This is a tough one, because the Pats have just one other proven receiver on the team, but it’s seems entirely possible the Pats will decide to move on if Amendola won’t play ball on his contract again.

Patriots sign Shea McClellin

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What a day Wednesday was! Just when we thought we had the Martellus Bennett deal to digest for a bit, the Patriots sign Shea McClellin, a linebacker also from the Bears, to a reported three-year deal.

I can’t lie, I really like this signing because McClellin was one of my favorite players coming out of the 2012 draft. I had him 12th overall on my Patriots-only big board. McClellin started out as a defensive end but seemed to find his stride once he was moved to linebacker in 2014. What I loved about him was his athleticism, and now, joining Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins, McClellin should fit right in.

Experience Everywhere

He has experience doing just about everything the Pats could ask him to do — rushing the passer, playing in space, covering. You can easily see him atop the depth chart at middle linebacker in regular, or doing any number of things in a sub-package. This is essentially what they do with Collins and Hightower now and why McClellin’s athleticism and versatility make so much sense for New England.

In short, he’s the perfect kind of swiss army knife Belichick loves and best of all he fills a significant need at linebacker. It also makes me happy to see it being a three-year deal. You love to have guys like Chris Long and Bennett brought in, but on one-year deals you know you can’t get too attached.

That’s not the case with McClellin, who should see a significant role on defense and compliment Hightower and Collins really well. Jonathan Freeny now slides down the depth chart and can focus more on special teams. The lack of an impact third linebacker really killed the Pats last year and they should add another one in the draft as well. But for now, McClellin solidifies things at the top.

So yes, that makes four former first round picks in two days for the Pats (not that I’m holding much hope for getting anything out of Donald Brown but still…).

I’m liking how this 2016 team is shaping up.

Patriots Acquire Martellus Bennett in Trade

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Patriots acquire Martellus Bennett

Rob Gronkowski has a new tight end buddy.

It’s been an interesting two days in Patriots Nation. One day after trading Chandler Jones and signing Chris Long, the Patriots acquire Martellus Bennett and a sixth round pick in a trade with Chicago Bears for a fourth round pick.

After seeing him in Hard Knocks with the Dallas Cowboys as a rookie, I always got the impression Bennett was somewhat of a space cadet and that always scared me away from tying him to the Patriots. But it seems like he’s matured a bit and the fact that he’s got just one year left on his deal should be huge motivation for him to (not) keep it weird.

If Bennett has a big year he should cash in next offseason, when he’s still just 30 years old.

Belichick Loves Him Some 12 Personnel

This is another attempt to position a tower of power opposite Rob Gronkowski as the Pats did last year with Scott Chandler to mixed-at-best results. Bennett had 53 catches and three touchdowns in 11 games last season, and those total are almost certain to go up. With Gronkowski pulling coverage, especially in the red zone, the Pats should be deadly inside the 20.

In 2014, Bennett had 90 catches and six touchdowns. The numbers are promising if he can assimilate into the Patriots locker room, one known to not take kindly to guys who aren’t on the same page as everyone else. Nothing wrong with personality, but the focus must be on football first and foremost.

This is the kind of move you never really see coming, in part because it was a trade, but also because the Pats already have the best tight end in the game. It’s telling that the team felt the need to actively pursue a second tight end who is a proven playmaker. Last year’s team, without the emergence of Chandler, were unable to run the two tight end offense with any consistency. Brady never developed a trust in Chandler and he was all but eliminated from the gameplan in the AFC Championship, playing just five snaps.

As a result, they relied more on three wide receiver sets, featuring more of Danny Amendola than a big tight end. This made the offense less physically demanding to play against, and now it would appear they’ve once again committed to re-establishing the personnel package that they had before Aaron Hernandez went on a killing spree.

The Pats also signed running back Donald Brown today in a move that I hope makes him nothing more than a seat filler for a promising rookie draft pick. Brown has had two quiet years in San Diego after busting in Indianapolis as a first-round pick. This is classic Patriots, fill every hole on the roster before the draft so you don’t have to make any rash moves to fill holes.

Patriots Free Agency Analysis: Value Strikes Again

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No one values value more than Bill Belichick and that’s just what has been on display once again in Patriots free agency this year. In years past, I took a look at just how Belichick maximizes value, turning single draft picks into multiple players and future draft picks.

The 28th overall pick in the 2007 draft was turned into Randy Moss, Jerod Mayo, Shawn Crable, Ryan Mallet and then this year’s 7th rounder from Houston that they got for Mallet. That’s right, nine years later the value of that one pick is still paying dividends.

The 23rd overall pick in 2009 was turned into Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Darius Butler and Brandon Tate. Gronk and Edelman are the core of the Patriots offensive weaponry, while Butler and Tate have gone on to have solid pro careers even though not in New England.

This is what Belichick understands, that the draft is a crapshoot and even when you get good players they often get injured. The only way to consistently build a good football team that can overcome the under-performance and injuries that plague all professional football teams is to have quality depth and always work to strengthen that depth.

This philosophy was on display once again yesterday when the Patriots effectively flipped Chandler Jones for a 2nd round pick, and a once-promising guard in Jonathan Cooper, while also adding defensive end Chris Long at less than half what Jones was scheduled to make. Jones was a talented player who would’ve made an impact for the Patriots in 2016, but the long-term health and overall depth of the franchise is once again what the Patriots gained by making these kind of trades and acquisitions.

Long has had two years of injuries, but had never missed a game prior to 2014. It’s very possible that Long will rejuvenate his career if he can stay healthy in New England, and could easily be a more impactful pass rusher than Jones would’ve been. At the very least, Long will likely get his first taste of the playoffs and by that time he should be playing with his hair on fire. That’s the kind of play that helps you win championships.

As for Cooper, the Patriots loved him coming out of college but never had a shot at him as he went 7th overall in 2013. This is what makes the Patriots even more impressive, they rarely get a chance at the best talent in the draft. Instead they have to wait until they either fall out of favor or have their careers derailed by injuries. That’s when they pounce. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

Screen Shot 2016-03-15 at 12.50.50 PMThere’s no denying Cooper has talent and if he can find a way to rekindle that, the Patriots will have improved a vital part of their offensive line. If anyone can get to Cooper, it’s Dante Scarnecchia.

But perhaps most important is the second round pick. The Patriots now have both the 60th and 61st picks in the draft, and by the draft value chart that’s enough to package and get them all the way into the top of the second round, if not the late first round. That kind of flexibility is invaluable and opens up a number of doors that were closed to them without it.

Once again, it’s all about value, and with 11 draft picks the Patriots have the ammo to do as they please during draft day, maximizing each and every pick not only for this year but for the years to come.