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A Preview of the Real 2017 Patriots

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After an entire offseason spent analyzing who the 2017 Patriots would be, we now have just a short window between actually finding out who made it through training camp and the official start of the campaign. This is why injuries are such a huge part of the game. No one could’ve predicted the early defining characteristic of the 2017 Patriots would be replacing an injured Julian Edelman but here we are.

So it’s a good time to take a quick breath and analyze this edition of the Patriots before the proverbial train leaves the station. You’ve read plenty of season previews by this point, but it’s really only the one that happens right now that truly matters.

Now we know who we’re taking to battle and what the strengths and weaknesses could potentially be. As always it’s important to remember that September really is just an extension of the preseason. The schemes, especially on defense, really start out slowly. Random guys will still get long looks in significant roles. The team will probably have a flat game where an inferior team on paper plays them tough. They’ll fight through it and ignore any noise.

This is September. Don’t overreact. Let things play out and let the coaching staff figure out exactly what they have and how to best use everyone. Then it’s pedal to the metal.

Let’s dive in.

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Patriots Positional Preview: Wide Receivers

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This year’s wide receiver corps is arguably the best the Patriots have had, at least since 2007’s fireworks. There might not be that single Hall of Fame talent like Randy Moss, but there’s more depth and diversity than even the record-setting 2007 offense.

Acquiring Brandin Cooks was the highlight move of the offseason on offense, but extending Julian Edelman and re-working Danny Amendola’s contract once again, ensured continuity with Tom Brady’s most reliable targets. With Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell entering their second years in New England, they should also make some significant strides. Both receivers accomplished the rare feat of instantly clicking with Brady and the offense, and should only improve with experience.

Free agent signee Andrew Hawkins might be the sixth man on the depth chart, but he can still play. He’s 31 but consistently produced in his stints with the Bengals and Browns. It might take an injury for Hawkins to sneak on the roster, but he’s great insurance at a position where there’s rock solid depth, including a trio of youngsters who all have some promise.

It’s difficult projecting how the snaps will play out this season with so many weapons at the position, but it will sure be fun to watch.

Let’s take a look at each receiver on the roster!

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Preview Sneak Peak: Patriots 2017 Offensive Overview

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July is here and that only means one thing — Patriots football returns this month!

It’s been a crazy month for your trusted blogger, as I moved home from California and am currently typing this blog post from a new and improved Ministry of PatsPropaganda that sits approximately five miles from the 50-yard-line of Gillette Stadium! Yes, it means that I’m hoping to expand the blog, with more podcasts, live videocasts, plenty of trips to training camp and just as much Patriots coverage as I can squeeze in. Plenty more to come on all that this week as I slip back into the blogging saddle.

In the meantime I’ll be posting some tidbits from my season preview book, which you can pick up here for just $5 (plus 15% off everything in the Prop Shop through July 4th with the code MUSKET), and it features 38 pages of everything you could possibly want to know about the 2017 Pats. There are preview blurbs on every player, recaps of everything that happened this offseason, a full game-by-game prediction (spoiler alert — three out of four, twice), and of course my expert Bill Belichick Hoodie analysis.

I just updated the book to feature all the late offseason moves made by the team, including the Edelman extension and David Harris signing.

To kick things off here’s the offensive overview. Much, much, so much more to come…

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Pats Posits: Draft Week is Here!

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Maybe it’s just me, but this draft season feels even more anticlimactic than last year’s. I guess that shouldn’t be that much of a surprise, since at least the Pats had a second-round pick last year and now they’re not scheduled to pick until the third round.

But of course if you know the Patriots, you know things could change quickly and there’s some intriguing assets they could decide to move. Before you know it the Pats could be picking somewhere in the first round.

The signs right now seem to be pointing toward the team hanging on to both Malcolm Butler and Jimmy Garoppolo. But again, this is peak disinformation time in the NFL. There are just as many false rumors started to influence the draft as there are real ones.

Let’s take a deep dive into some of the Pats issues as we countdown to Thursday night. It might be a bit less fun if the Pats don’t pick until the third round, but one thing that’s for sure is that a week from now they’ll have added a bunch of new talent, both drafted and undrafted, that will help the 2017 squad.

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Amendola Re-Structures Patriots Deal Again

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While it was a pretty good bet Danny Amendola wouldn’t be playing for his projected $7.8 million cap hit, there was some question if the Pats would just decide it was time to cut ties with the 31-year-old receiver. Instead the Pats did decide they wanted the clutch player back and will restructure his deal for the third straight year to make it happen.

The other reason for pause prior to this announcement was that suddenly the Pats have an embarrassment of riches at the wide out position. Brandin Cooks was brought in this offseason via trade, while both Malcolm Mitchell and Chris Hogan had very good seasons in 2016. Throw in vital component Julian Edelman and it’s easy to see how it could’ve made sense to move on from Amendola, especially when the diminutive receiver was kept on the bench for most of the 2016 season with his injuries being carefully managed.

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What Do To With Danny Amendola

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While Danny Amendola has made clutch play after clutch play for the Patriots in their past two runs to the Super Bowl, his time with New England might very well be up.

Currently, Amendola is due to make 6.5 million in 2017, and he ranks fourth out of all Patriots in terms of cap hit, counting 7.8 million against the cap. Trailing only Brady (14M), Nate Solder (11.2M), and Devin McCourty (10.9M), Amendola is scheduled to count more against the cap than fellow receivers Julian Edelman (5.8M) and Chris Hogan (3M), not to mention Rob Gronkowski (6.8M). Because of this, there is a 0% chance Amendola remains on the roster with his current contract, so the Patriots can choose to either restructure his contract or release him.

Amendola has restructured his contract the past two offseason’s, so it remains to be seen if he would be willing to take a pay cut for the third straight year. Following a first restructure in March of 2015 that took 2.3 million off his deal, Amendola made about 2.7 million for the 2015 season, and after another restructure in May of last year that cut his salary by 4.4 million, Amendola made just 1.5 million in 2016.

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Pats Should Prioritize Extensions for Edelman and Solder

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There’s been plenty of analysis about which free agents the Patriots should retain this offseason, but another major piece of the puzzle will be extending players to either balance out their cap hit and/or prevent them from hitting free agency next offseason. Two players that are prime for extensions are left tackle Nate Solder and Julian Edelman.

Solder bounced back from a biceps tear in 2015 to hold down Tom Brady‘s blindside for the Super Bowl run. He didn’t have his best game against Dwight Freeney in Houston, but that doesn’t take away from the stability that Solder brought this season.

Solder’s cap hit for 2017 is due to be over $11 million dollars, a number the Pats would love to get down. Solder’s had two contracts with the Patriots, his initial rookie deal and then a two-year extension he signed in 2015 that guaranteed him $20 million.

He’ll turn 29 this April, so Solder still has plenty of good football left in him. The Patriots have already agreed not to use the franchise tag on him in 2018, so now’s a good time to take a look at a deal that would make sense for both sides. With the rest of the starting offensive line locked up for at least the next two seasons (David Andrews is a RFA next offseason), another two year extension that spreads some of his cap hit out would make sense for Solder.

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