For nearly 25 years covering the National Football League, I’ve been fortunate to develop some excellent relationships with people across the league, from front-office types, to coaches, to scouts. As that network has grown, one of my favorite exercises is to check in with these folks during the offseason to gauge their reactions to what the Patriots have or haven’t done.
As I had nowhere to put these conversations over the last four months, aside from the occasional tweet, I’m excited to share some of their insights with our BSJ membership this weekend. You have no idea how much I’ve missed this. This has been a great and fun first week. Let’s keep it rolling!
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Let’s begin with the team’s primary free agency acquisition: JuJu Smith-Schuster.
AFC West Scout: “We did some work on him heading into free agency. The knee worried us a bit, and it’s obviously cost him some significant time in recent years. The one thing is, when he’s right, he's a nice complementary piece. Physical, tough, a natural catcher of the football. He did a nice job integrating himself into KC’s offense last year, and there were a couple of games where he reminded me of a young JuJu, the one who looked like he might be next in line as a Pittsburgh great.”
AFC North Scout: “Loved him in Pittsburgh. Pretty clear Ben [Roethlisberger] did too. 2018 JuJu was the best JuJu, but 2020 showed some of his growth, even if the numbers weren’t as explosive. He improved as a route runner and his toughness was/is undeniable. I’m certain the Bills (Belichick and O’Brien) will have a plan for him, but based on their roster makeup, sure seems like he’ll be doing most of his work from the slot. That’s gonna expose him to more contact, but when you look at the rest of their group, who else fits there? [Mike] Gesicki, I guess, but that’s more as a vertical threat.”
Assistant GM in the AFC: “I wouldn’t have moved on from Jakobi Meyers. He’s not nearly as limited an athlete as the perception is, and he’s a dawg. He and [Hunter] Henry were the two guys Mac Jones trusted last year. Why would you remove one from the equation? Especially considering the money he got versus what they gave JuJu? I think Meyers will be a plus for the Raiders. JuJu? Good player as well. Just don’t think they changed the overall composition of that receiver room. They’ll really need Tyquan [Thornton] to pop. That could give it the juice I think they’re lacking.”
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Another question I had during the course of the spring and summer was the offensive line and the lack of a higher-end addition. Instead, the Pats bargain-basement shopped, signing Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson. Anderson remains on the non-football list, while Reiff has scuffled as a pass blocker earlier in the camp (albeit with no pads on).
NFC North Assistant on Reiff: “He thinks the game well. You can see that live and on tape. But he’s an older guy. Sometimes the lower half doesn’t want to listen to what his brain’s telling it. I think he can be a depth piece, maybe more if the Pats are utilizing the quick passing game.”
Assistant GM in the AFC on Reiff: “His best days are behind him, but I could see a scenario in which, if they spot him, the Patriots can get some quality snaps with him at right tackle. Would I prefer a more long-term answer? Sure, but there wasn’t exactly a plethora of good players at that position floating around. Between Reiff and Anderson and that other kid (McDermott), they can piece it together. It won’t be a strength, but it doesn’t have to be a revolving door to hell.”
AFC West Scout on Anderson: “Anderson is solid. You could do a lot worse. I’ve always liked the work the new offensive line coach [Adrian Klemm] did at Oregon. I trust with O’Brien calling the shots and Klemm coaching the lineup, they’ll be a much better unit than they were last year.”
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The Patriots’ biggest move this offseason was putting Bill O’Brien in charge of the offense. How’d that play across the league?
Assistant GM in the AFC: “Billy immediately raises their floor. Last year, they were one of the worst run offenses we came across. I know you’ve detailed this, but they didn’t have answers if our defense threw something at them they didn’t expect. And we could keep going back to that and still they weren't able to adjust. Billy won’t allow that. They got better, regardless of how you feel about their QBs or their skill position players.”
Assistant Coach in the AFC South: “There were plenty of times last year when the Patriots offense wasn’t competitive. O’Brien will not allow that. He’s too smart, with too much experience, to let that unit bottom out like he did last year. I still have questions about the future of their QB [Mac], but I truly believe O’Brien will at least bring him up to a middle-of-the-pack guy, and that could be enough to get them a win or two more than last year.”
Former Patriot player: “They had a defensive guy coaching offense. What did they expect it was going to look like? I like Mac’s chances with Bill coaching him. I like all those guys' chances: Bourne, Henry, ‘Mondre. OB will maximize what they got.”
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Last one, for now. The Pats tabbed Christian Gonzalez in the first round, trading back and still managing to pull that off.
Assistant GM in the AFC: “This is a top-5 talent. Period. Yes, I heard the questions about his toughness and competitiveness, but passing on that guy was foolish. He’s just too athletically gifted. With a little coaching, and Belichick’s ability to do great work with players at that position, I think he’ll be a Rookie of the Year candidate, if not one of the favorites. I love the skills.”
College Scouting Director in the NFC: “Is Gonzalez a flawless prospect? No. Do those guys exist? No. We can always find some warts. His lack of high-end play in some of Oregon’s biggest games wasn’t ideal, but the talent is undeniable. They’ll push him hard in New England. I think you’ll know pretty quickly if he can be what his talent says he should be. I like the chances that he’ll get there.”