PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

by

McCourty’s back with Patriots!

Devin McCourty didn’t even actually hit free agency thanks to the silly NFL legal tampering period. Now he’s locked with the Pats for another five years and getting $47.5 million dollars, $28.5 of which is guaranteed.

This is a good start to free agency, securing a homegrown captain just hitting the prime of his career. If they can keep Revis in the mix the Pats’ secondary will fully return from last season.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/mccourtys-back-with-patriots-devin-mccourty/

Sunday Non-Pats Posits

by

I’m going to try and work in a new weekly post each Sunday here that will feature some commentary about what went down around the rest of the NFL, especially with the Pats biggest rivals. These are always some of my favorite weekend reading, especially during the offseason, so here are mine.

LeSean McCoy Traded for Kiko Alonso – I was somewhat disappointed by this week’s big trade because I was curious to see how Rex used Alonso. As for having to see McCoy twice a season I’m not really all that concerned. The one time the Pats saw McCoy in the 2011 regular season he had just 31 yards on 10 carries, though he did have a 2-yard TD. There’s no question he’s a good weapon, but we’ve dealt with Jackson and Spiller for years and they were never a huge problem. Until the Bills get a QB I’m skeptical of them legitimately threatening the throne.

Speaking of which, the Bills also got Matt Cassell this week. Yawn. We saw him last year with Minnesota. Right or wrong, Brian Hoyer would’ve scared me a lot more. We’ve always known what Cassell can and can’t do. Sounds like he’ll just be mentoring EJ Manuel, who has performed well in spots vs. the Patriots the couple times he’s played us. Still, I think the Chiefs remain a good model on how to beat the Patriots – efficient QB, explosive running back, dominant front seven. Of course, that’s the formula, baking it into a “Beat the Pats” cake requires a 60-minute nearly mistake-free game while also catching the Pats on one of their off days.

Brandon Marshall is back in the AFC East and again, until the Jets find a quarterback who can at least be consistent, I’m not exactly sure how much we should be worried. Marshall had just 3 catches for 35 yards in 2014 vs. the Pats. So yeah, this is another point in why it’s so important to retain Revis.

Lot of rumors swirling that the Dolphins are the favorites to land Ndamukung Suh, which would obviously give make a very good front even better. Suh is just the kind of player that can cause the Pats problems, even moreso than their vaunted edge rusher Cameron Wake. If the Phins get Suh it will put even more emphasis for me on upgrading the guard spots, at least one of them. Clint Boling was a favorite of mine coming out and I think he’d make sense.

Some have asked me what happens if the Pats lose BOTH Revis and McCourty. I don’t really see that as an option. The corner market is already drying up. If the Pats don’t spend on them I don’t know where they spend and they HAVE to spend.

It will be a crazy week and I expect to be surprised by a Pats move at least once.

by

https://www.patspropaganda.com/2745/

Ideally, who would you want to see on the defense next season, not including rookies and ignoring the cap?

by

I mean I’d like it to return essentially intact, sans Wilfork of course, but with the boost of Easley and Mayo to the mix. Even if McCourty walks I don’t think it’s a disaster to move Harmon into the starting spot as long as Revis comes back. 

Add a nose tackle type, either in the draft of maybe someone like Dan Williams in free agency. Bring back Ayers or another mid-range free agent edge guy and you’re pretty much good to go outside of depth at LB.

The past years (since 2007) I’ve closely followed the Pats, the free agency and draft are like annual events of hopeful anticipation, mixed with dread and drama and of course the always quotable reaction: “WHAT THE F#% ARE THEY DOING!” (OR NOT DOING!). Yet, they always keep a team that would compete at the end. Should this year after winning the SB XLIX , be any different? Or much worse? Thank you.

by

It’s the same thing every year, I’m not sure why fans ride the same wave of misery and elation, guess they just enjoy it. As the Scott Pioli quote goes “we’re building a team, not collecting talent”. 2013 proved that. The Patriots under BB play as a team and thus, they’ve always been very good no matter how talented they were. Even when the defense was terrible (2010) they went 14-2. Granted, they were flawed and lost in the first round, but you get the idea.

What everyone should take solace in is that they HAVE to spend money this year. They can’t just let Revis/McCourty/Vereen walk and replace them with rookies. 

And you know you’ll be shocked at least once next week, for good or for bad. That’s the fun of the offseason with the Patriots. I just try to sit back and enjoy the ride, and analyze what they do. At this point, I think they know what they’re doing.

Hey Mike, is it crazy to think letting McCourty go isn’t that big of an issue? Seems crazy to overpay a glorified center fielder when you have Revis (hopefully) and Browner. I could see Logan Ryan or Harmon filling in fine at FS.

by

I really don’t want to beat the McCourty is overrated drum, because I do think he is very good. However I laid out a lot of stats in this piece here that might give anyone calling him a top-3 free safety some pause.

McCourty’s been at free safety since 2012, but it wasn’t until Revis/Browner showed up that the pass defense really took a big step forward.

I still very much want him back, but if someone wants to give him a monster deal I don’t think the Pats will, nor should, match.

Harmon would be the first in line on the depth chart to replace him and he’s shown some very good range playing free safety in many sub-packages this season –  just see the AFCCG GW INT.

And as I point out in the Revis piece I linked to above, if you’ve got him taking a whole side of the field, how much value do you really need to put on a free safety when he only has to cover ½ – 2/3s of the field?