Picking up where we left off last week in the final rankings of Patriots players for 2022:
PATS USE ROLE PLAYERS IN STARRING ROLES
Other teams have studs/young prospects in their top 25 ... Patriots go mostly with veterans trying to recapture something.
Final Rank/Name/Position/Initial rank
25 Adrian Phillips S 7
Preseason: Love him. Does everything well.
Still love him, and he seems to do everything well but Phillips seemed to get a bit lost in the shuffle when it came to set position in this defense. It was like they didn't have a definite spot for him. He played 82 percent of snaps in 2021, and 62 percent this year. I was surprised it was that many because Phillips seemed more invisible than ever, and I don't think his performance deteriorated. Maybe there was an underlying injury issue that affected him.
24 Jabrill Peppers S 34
Preseason: Hard to believe the Patriots guaranteed over $1 million to a player coming off ACL surgery, but like Tavai he's a coach favorite from Joe Judge's time with the Giants. Patriots have yet to show where he fits.
Made most of his mark on special teams, but he was a force on defense as a hitter when he was allowed to do that. Unfortunately, it was few and far between. It's like they tried to make Phillips and Peppers add up to one good safety, and I don't think that was good for the team overall. Credit where credit is due: he looked better coming off ACL surgery than most do. Patriots got this one right. His role is still puzzling.
23 Ja'Whaun Bentley LB 23
Preseason: Has improved every season, but is it good enough? Does he have enough speed?
Decidedly average player ends up ... in the exact same spot. I like Bentley, and he's fine, but the Patriots need more impact from their Mike linebacker.
22 Jahlani Tavai LB 51
Preseason: Belichick, via Matt Patricia, thinks the former Lion is invaluable for his toughness and ability to play multiple spots. Can't find a faster guy to do that?
Time to be accountable. I thought Tavai didn't belong on this roster, and I was wrong — and I told him as much after the season. Now, that being said, that Tavai was the 22nd-best player on the Patriots should tell you all you need to know about their roster. Tavai would be great as a backup/fill-in at LB and on the edge. That they had to rely on him to play a lot shows the limit of this defense.
21 Hunter Henry TE 8
Preseason: He has to become a top 5 TE for this offense to produce.
He probably regressed to top 15 instead of top 10. Following up with Bourne at 26, this is another player done wrong by the Patriots' decisions on offense. He's a much better player than he was allowed to show. He should bounce back well under Bill O'Brien.
20 Trent Brown OT 11
Preseason: When he's focused and available, among the league's best. But a lot of questions.
Brown allowed 15 total QB pressures in 11 games in 2021. He allowed 31 this year. Brown was a -5.24 rating for me in '22, and a -1.89 for me a year ago (when four of the linemen were under 2 — this year 1 was under 3). I'm sorry, but that's not only decline on his part. That's partly the side switch, and the changes in the blocking scheme. He's not that bad, sorry.
GOOD PLAYERS, BUT NEED TO DO BETTER
19 Davon Godchaux DT 19
Preseason: Patriots couldn't stop the run with him last year, and now he has a contract extension. He better be unblockable.
He was much better this season (3.54 to 0.71) and the Patriots were better against the run, but he still disappears in big spots. He's too close to average for what he's being paid.
18 Nick Folk K 4
Preseason: Mr. Automatic inside 52.
Not so much anymore, especially after he was asked to kickoff as well, which surely affected his leg strength and stamina — another poor decision by the coaching staff/personnel. I think it's time to end the experiment of aging kickers.
17 Lawrence Guy DT 22
Preseason: Looks to be on the decline. Can he have one more great season in the sun and key the interior run defense?
He's definitely on the decline (went from a plus-39 to plus-22) but still a good, solid player. Just like in a lot of these spots, the Patriots need better if they're going to be a great defense.
16 Jack Jones CB 31
Preseason: Why do we feel it's just a matter of time before Jones becomes a starter and Jonathan Jones goes back to slot? Kid makes plays and gains confidence on a daily basis.
Jones was on his way to being a full-time starter before injuries and then a curious late-season suspension left his future a little bit in doubt. Let's hope this was a corrective measure for a young player and he'll learn from it. He has great skills and instincts — but he'll need to become more consistent to be a really good player, and that can come with experience.
15 Devin McCourty S 14
Preseason: Can he impact the game anymore, or is he just keeping the trains on schedule?
The question we posed is still a legitimate question — it seems the days of McCourty really impacting the game are over, but is that good enough to continue to play? The feeling here is that he's still a good player — if Duron Harmon can be serviceable as a starter with the Raiders, then McCourty damn sure can be here. Who is the alternative? Bledsoe? Bryant? McCourty is still a good player, he can still play.
14 Jonathan Jones CB 13
Preseason: Going from slot to boundary at his size is a huge projection and risk for this defense.
For about half the season, Jones more than held his own. But when the team faced good offenses and No. 1 receivers, he was exposed with 6.5 TDs allowed. He's really a No. 2 and/or slot CB. If the Patriots are to be a better defense, they need better at No. 1 CB.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
WITH A NEW YEAR, NEED TO TAKE A BIG LEAP
13 Mac Jones QB 12
Preseason: If we were more confident in his support staff, he'd be way up this list. Player with toughest row to hoe.
Well, we knocked this one out of the park. If the Patriots are going to be serious contenders in the AFC East, their QB needs to at least be a top 5 player. Bill O'Brien here will automatically boost him into the top 10, but he'll need to be better.
12 Kyle Dugger S 10
Preseason: Skills are unquestioned. Will he become a more well-rounded player? Right now kind of a one-trick pony going ahead.
Added a few more big plays this season, but he still gives up (31 minus plays) as many as he makes (32 plus plays). So much talent, but in so many ways similar to Jamie Collins, who at least had the benefit of being a young player for most of his Patriots career. Dugger is going to be 27. At that age, most players are who they are.
11 Deatrich Wise DE 21
Preseason: Knows how to play and is effective, but would like to see more consistent impact.
Well, he definitely was more consistent as the Patriots started to put him more at end instead of inside at 3-4 DE. Josh Uche had as many QB pressures in half the snaps.
10 Marcus Jones CB 42
Preseason: Waiting for him to really pop in punt returns or on defense. Seems to be thinking a lot. Needs to cut it loose. Something is there.
He stopped thinking and just made plays in the second half of the season as he really popped as a punt returner, but he was more impressive in the secondary. Patriots could have something special there as a slot corner.
9 Christian Barmore DT 2
Preseason: Seems poised for a huge year. Needs to dominate every game.
Injuries really limited him, but he again got off to a slow start to the season. That needs to change. He's way too gifted to have middling games. Another guy, that if the Patriots are going to be a really good defense, that he needs to become a dominating every-down player. Potential is there.
8 Josh Uche DE 37
Preseason: Has to prove he is more than just a run-around-the-edge guy. To this point, he hasn't.
Greatly improved his all-around rush game, especially with a powerful bull rush. Now the big question is, can he be an every-down player, and will the Patriots let him be one? Anybody can come off the bench and rush the passer in long distance situations. Good players are out there regardless of score and down and distance.
7 DeVante Parker WR 17
Preseason: Can he be more than just a possession receiver?
Showed flashes of that, and seemed to develop a rapport with Jones as the season went along. Should be better in his second season — if he stays healthy. Liked what he brought this year.
6 Damien Harris RB 6
Preseason: Contract year. Will the line allow him to flourish as a two-way back?
Injuries largely held him back because he was good whenever he was out there. Was better on a per-play basis than Stevenson.
NEED TO BECOME BLUE CHIPPERS
5 Rhamondre Stevenson RB 5
Preseason: So much talent. Will depend on the blocking.
Really didn't get much help with the blocking, and the talent is unchanged. Just needs less of a workload.
4 Mike Onwenu OG 18
Preseason: One of these years, he's going to make PFF look right for making him out as the best offensive lineman in the league.
As opposed to other years, PFF finally got it right by rating Onwenu highly, but let's not go overboard. He still allowed 17.5 total QB pressures and 13 stuffed runs (second on the team to Cole Strange's 27), so there's room for growth. A really good season, however. Don't think he's on Shaq Mason's prime level quite yet. Maybe next season if they leave him in one place.
HAVE THEY HIT THEIR CEILING?
3 Jakobi Meyers WR 15
Preseason: He needs to be automatic, and he just might be.
Pretty close to automatic, and he's a much better route runner than he thought he would be — it's how he gains separation. Not sure he's worth $12 million AAV, but someone might pay that.
2 David Andrews C 9
Preseason: Patriots appear to have taken many of his calls away in this new system. That would be a huge mistake.
It was a huge mistake — for the rest of the line, especially the tackles. Patriots were often at a disadvantage when it came to blocking. Andrews was damn good this season with only 9.5 QB pressures and 3.5 stuffed runs. Not sure if he can get much better.
STILL ... THE LONE BLUE CHIPPER
1 Matthew Judon DE 1
Preseason: If he plays an entire season all-out, he could be the next NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The Patriots used to have 4-5 guys in this area. He needs more support.
He was closer to the DPOY conversation this year with 62 QB pressures and 8.5 stuffed runs. He was much more consistent although he still lacks impact against the Bills of the NFL world. He needs more of a supporting cast. How much more help he receives next season could tell the tale of how much the Patriots rebound in 2023.
________________________
As you can see in this exercise, the Patriots used to have 10-12 players who bordered on being blue-chip players (elite, top 5 at position), or at least near there (purple chips - top 10ish).
Of players expected back next season, these are players who need to be in that area for the Patriots to be real contenders:
Judon
Onwenu
Stevenson
Parker
Uche (needs to be an every-down role)
Barmore
Marcus Jones (slot)
Dugger
Mac Jones
Jack Jones
Henry
An optimist and cynic will view that list differently. I bolded my best bets.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
NICKEL PACKAGE
1. Good story by Karen Guregian and Andrew Callahan of the Herald and dysfunction by the Patriots. Certainly some new information in there, some fantastic quotes, and it advanced the story.
Just speaking for myself, considering I've been dumping on Matt Patricia and Joe Judge — with good reason — since May with some of their dubious choices and how they left the offensive players out to dry, I did not want to write the story of the 2022 Patriots offense unless I could speak on Bill Belichick's part in it — which I think is the crux of the story. This was his decision, and from what I've been told, he was intimately involved, especially as the season went along. Where was he? What was he doing? What was his part in this? This was that bad and he ... just let it happen? To me, those are the essential questions. Maybe we'll never get those answers, Belichick is often protected, even by those he has wronged in this case.
2. Encouraged that, according to Albert Breer, the Patriots are interviewing Bills assistant OL coach Ryan Wendell for their OL opening this week. Was always impressed how a guy that was too small and too slow made his way into the league and then the starting lineup for the 2014 Super Bowl winners. A 2015 captain, Wendell forged his way under Dante Scarnecchia and was always a damn smart player. Not sure what kind of coach he is — he's been with the Bills since 2019 — but at least the Patriots are allowing Bill O'Brien to peruse the aisle. Wendell's playing time came while O'Brien served as OC. Adrian Klemm also expected to get another interview. Would like to see Mike Devlin, O'Brien's line coach in Houston who is now an assistant with the Ravens, get in front of Belichick. If anyone should know the value of working with people you trust, it should be Belichick.
3. At least Matt Groh has a sense of humor and was smiling when he was asked about working with a new offensive coordinator at the Shrine Bowl: "We’re just trying to go out there and beat the East team right now, so we’ve got a long way to go before that happens."
That's pretty funny.
4. Those of you pining for a Julian Edelman comeback, what we all knew to be true was put to bed this week when he spoke on the Pardon My Take podcast.
“I’m done, boys,” Edelman said. “You can’t be two years out of the game coming in at 37 with knee braces and taped ankles thinking you’re going to go out here and compete against these young bucks.”
5. This is why I don't bet money on my picks unless it centers on teams that I know (Patriots, Raiders) ... 6-4 straight up, 2-8 vs. spread.
Eagles (-2.5) over the 49ers: I know Tom Brady, and you sir, Brock Purdy, are no Tom Brady. This has to come to an end. No rookie QB has ever gone to a Super Bowl. That streak will stay intact. The Eagles are the exact team that can exploit the Niners on both sides of the ball (getting pressure on Purdy, pushing the ball down field). Eagles 27, 49ers 23.
Bengals (+2) over the Chiefs: This game is impossible to pick. Yes, I picked the Bengals to win it all before the playoffs but got scared after the line injuries. But I think the Chiefs are full of crap about the extent of Mahomes' injury ... and they are very mortal when he is limited. That will doom them. Bengals 23, Chiefs 20.