So I got an interesting email the other day from a loyal listener to the podcast, who signed his email Fran The Former Fan. I think that's of the Patriots, but it could also be me considering the tone of the email.
I'm not going to republish the entire thing, but I think Fran is representative of a lot of Patriots fans and some BSJ members right now, both in his attitude toward the team for their slow offseason, and to me as well for a perceived defense of what Eliot Wolf is doing. So I figured it might be a good exercise to publish my answers to him, along with the gist of his comments.
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Fran said that he and his brother-in-law decided not to renew their season tickets they were so "disgusted."
"I've been a loyal follower of Greg forever. I love when he's on with Felger and I don’t think I've ever disagreed but … this time I ( and EVERY friend, family member and even my 2 dogs ) disagree so much we are angry."
Hey Fran, thanks for writing. Totally understand why you're frustrated, and what the current regime is doing is certainly not conducive, timing-wise, to make people jump at their ticket renewals. But a couple things I want to talk out a bit:
How on Earth are you not taking the patriot management team to task? You used to rip BB and rightly so. Not now though.
So, really, the only time that I was really critical of Belichick was during the season, after his decisions did not pan out. I certainly voiced my displeasure with some things that he did (Matt Patricia, Adrian Klemm, etc) or didn't do (draft a tackle or TE last year, having successors ready to go at QB, WR, slot WR, TE, for example), but I largely let the coach/team hire/sign/draft who they wanted to and then we judged the results. They know way more than me about players and coaches, and Belichick has forgotten more football than I'll ever know. They have earned the right to make their decisions.
Unlike Felger, I don't have a daily talk show where I need to judge them on THAT day. I take the long view. They get to make their moves, then we get to judge. Roster building is a multi-month process.
They have at least three major holes left: QB, WR1 and LT. They have until the start of camp to get those sorted out. If they don't, then, yes, I will rip them.
They have all kinds of cash and they have barely done a thing except re-sign average players that you say is great. Really?
I have never, ever believed in free agency. I think it is fool's gold. I don't care how much cash you have. If you're active in free agency, you are likely headed nowhere (see, the Patriots since the 2021 splurge).
My grades on the 2023 Patriots are here.
The defense is more than solid. Makes sense they would keep that side of the intact, and go about stabilizing the offense. Let's see what they do at QB and WR.
They make promises they haven’t come close to fulfilling. That's called lying.
What promises? Mayo made an unfortunate comment that he has already walked back from, and the Patriots are going to burn some more cash by the time they are done with Christian Barmore and Rhamondre Stevenson extensions. I didn't hear any promises. Maybe you did, but I didn't (this is another reason why I don't pay much attention to what is said at NFL podiums).
Mayo made his comment, which was not a smart move but typical of a first-time head coach. What made it even worse was that he doesn't even have personnel say.
I've heard Robert Kraft talk about having a high draft pick, and a lot of cap space and how that can help the team reset. That's just a fact. I never heard him say how they were going to use the resources. If he did, then, yes, that would be lying.
Reporters will get to talk to Kraft and Mayo at the league meetings next week. They can expect some tough questioning.
You say oh a kick there, a pass there and bam we are .500 (in 2023)
I said the personnel on this team was better than 4 wins, should have won 6 or 7. I stand by that. Even with the 22nd-ranked scoring offense, the Patriots' estimated wins were around 8.
The totality of the operation produced 4 wins, and that result was deserved due to the deterioration/dysfunction of the offensive coaching staff and the QB room. But that's different than the talent level of the team (I would say team-wise entering 2023 it was mediocre, but not poor), which is what the personnel department has to assess. Happens all the time where the talent level of the team is better, but the coaching lets the team down. In my opinion, that happened last year, in addition to failing to address OT adequately. The coaching on the offensive line just by itself basically set this offense up to fail. I voiced my concerns about the Klemm hiring, I was basically the only person to do it, but at the time said Belichick has more than earned the right to make his hire. He just better be right. And he was not. That's two straight years of whiffing on offensive line coaching. No NFL offense is going to function properly with the likes of Patricia and Klemm (who was missing half the season) directing the unit in which everything on offense revolves around.
Greg come on. You should be absolutely shredding Krafty and Wolfie. Instead you tell dreamy stories of his father and the Packers.
Again, I'm not ripping anyone until I see the finished product. I'm not going to rip them, and then they go trade for a WR1. Talk show hosts can do that. I can't and won't, never have.
And I voiced my concerns about their process in hiring a head coach - there was no process, and Mayo was not exactly beloved in the building - but the Krafts, after previously hiring two HOF coaches, earned the right to hire a man they know way more about than I do. Maybe Mayo was the best candidate at the end of the day, but to not do a search and not even talk to Mike Vrabel or an offensive-minded head coach, I disagree with that approach. But they made their decision, they are entitled to it, and now they'll be held accountable.
I'm giving you context about why Wolf is doing the things he is doing. The Packers, over the last 30-plus years, are second only to the Patriots in terms of wins. If this method had a bad track record, I would tell you that as well. Factually, what he is doing is very successful. His father was in almost the exact same situation when he took over the Packers before the 1992 season. Whether it works here in today's game remains to be seen.
Sorry, I don't know anybody that is slightly optimistic but you'll basically say that we don't know what's going on. Maybe we might not know as much as you but 99.9% of other analysts are thinking the same as us. I don't think I can listen to you and Nick Cattles praising these clowns and their great moves without extra blood pressure meds. As Jim Murray says we’ve been duped, sold a bunch of crap and you are helping to sell it.
I don't think anyone has been duped or sold a bunch of crap. Just because you thought they were going to do X, Y and Z because of Mayo's comment or some talk show hosts/writers interpreted it to mean X, doesn't really mean anything to me. It's not football reality. It's hot air.
Before free agency, I told you that:
- They are much more likely to sign a bunch of mid-level players to plug them in advance of the draft
- They will prioritize re-signing their own players.
- Patriots will sign at least one QB (Brissett) and possibly draft 2.
- Swing at Calvin Ridley, possibly a impact defender if they don't re-sign their own.
You're certainly entitled to the way that you feel. If you want to be mad about 2024 on March 21, you can certainly do that. I've been covering the league for over 20 years. I've seen team building happen a bunch of different ways. The way the Patriots are doing it now has been very successful. Doesn't mean it will be here. But it's not like what they are doing is definitely a road into a ditch.
Don't think I have really praised them and called them great moves. I have liked the direction they are heading. Re-signing your players is a good start - and some of these would not have happened under Belichick. They have addressed depth issues with good, solid football players. They took a swing at Ridley, but the money got absurd and they backed away. And there is such a thing as the money getting too much, even with a ton of cap space. You will never convince me otherwise.
But there are a lot of big pieces to the puzzle missing. You take that as weakness, or missing an opportunity. Could be. I take that as ... I want to see what they ultimately end up doing. The season doesn't start until September.
If they get to training camp without a real option at QB, WR1 and LT, you bet your ass I'll be all over them. But for now, I'm going to let them do their jobs. The scoreboard will tell all. It's not my job to rip people before March is even over. Talk radio can do that. I've never operated that way. Even when Patricia was hired, I voiced my concerns and didn't think it would end up well for the Patriots, but I wanted to see what happened. Belichick had more than earned that leeway.
But, yes, it's my feeling right now that the combination of the talent being better than the record last year and the personnel additions to this point, plus the draft and anticipated other moves - I will be severely disappointed if they don't trade for a WR1, but perhaps that is coming in the draft, I don't know - I do expect the Patriots to show improvement this season to at least 7 wins. Anything less is a failure and they will definitely be scrutinized, especially Eliot Wolf, if that doesn't happen.
And I would expect nothing less than you and others to hold me to that.
Thanks for taking the time to write and I respect the passion,
Greg