People really need to stop bringing up Tom Brady's age as a factor when it comes to Bill Belichick and the Patriots' quarterback situation.
I mean, have you been paying attention?
Saturday's cut down to 53 players — to finish off the entire offseason, really — was just the latest example of how Belichick — rightly (up to this point) or wrongly — doesn't care about age anymore. It's obviously just a number. The Belichick that everyone grew up with — the ruthless, take-no-prisoners-when-it-comes-to-the-roster-and-cap Hoodie — is gone. In fact, he's been long gone for a while.
What we have now, in addition to Chill Bill at practices, is Velvet Bill when it comes to the players he surrounds himself with — he's looking for comfort all the way, baby. I wonder if he walks around One Patriot Place in off-hours in a velvet jumpsuit like George Costanza.
This has to be the biggest takeaway from this offseason and this cutdown: The oldest team to ever win a Super Bowl ... will be even older this season.
So much for all that excitement about two good-looking draft classes hitting this roster. At this point, it looks like only Sony Michel (who only got the job last year because veteran Jeremy Hill got hurt) and Isaiah Wynn (almost by default) will have major roles (until the inevitable injuries strike).
A lot of other teams — including some recent Super Bowl winners —would have let high-priced veterans go and force-fed bigger roles for rookies and second-year players like Damien Harris, N'Keal Harry, Chase Winovich, Byron Cowart, Ja'Whaun Bentley, J.C. Jackson, Joejuan Williams, Keion Crossen, Duke Dawson, Christian Sam and Andrew Beck.
But not Belichick with these Patriots. Might as well call them the Over The Hill Gang.
Of course, many things can happen (players could get put on IR to return) in the next week, and this is far from the Final 53, but the Patriots' regulars on offense, defense and special teams had an average age of 27.7 last season.
This season's regulars project to have an average of 28.7. And that's even before they possibly bring back players like Demaryius Thomas and Dwayne Allen (you know this is happening). And, really, if they add anyone ... at this point, do we really expect that player to be younger and displace a veteran?
Belichick has basically eschewed going younger in many places that he could have:
- Replace Rob Gronkowski with a rookie, like he and Aaron Hernandez were? Nah, sign Ben Watson — who's 10 years older — instead.
- Release Jason McCourty, 32, and go with J.C. Jackson, 24, or second-round pick Joejuan Williams, 22, even with the track records of young UDFAs like Malcolm Butler or high-pick rookie CBs (Devin McCourty)? Nope. Instead of doing that, Belichick traded away both Duke Dawson (a 2018 second-round pick) and Keion Crossen.
- How about bidding Rex Burkhead, who can't stay healthy and got one of the more ludicrous contract extensions in recent Patriots history, adieu and just going with rookie Damien Harris? They don't have enough people in the backfield already?
- Chase Winovich can't do what John Simon does for a lot less money? Really?
- Elandon Roberts, a former fifth-round pick given a chance to develop, couldn't have been displaced by 2018 fifth-round pick Christian Sam or Calvin Munson (both released)?
- What about just going with Obi Melifonwu (much cheaper) over Duron Harmon and opening up another roster spot for someone much younger and cheaper with special teams value?
- Did fourth-round pick Hjlate Froholdt really need to go on IR — instead of using another fourth-round pick in a trade for a veteran backup — or had they seen enough? Shaq Mason started as a fourth-round pick.
- And, of course, there are Stephen Gostkowski, Matthew Slater and Nate Ebner ... "one year early is better than one year later" apparently does not apply to special teams.
