did anyone see early in the game the mandated close up of the idiot kraft family in the box?
The focus groups must have commented on how bob looked like a dwarf because they gave him a booster chair to sit on to show dominance. But later he was not on it. That hard plastic must have been uncomfortable
Kraft was asked about Eliot Wolf's job security during yesterday's press conference and his answer was that he'll be staying on, hopefully its just a for now situation.
@erikthredd said:
Kraft was asked about Eliot Wolf's job security during yesterday's press conference and his answer was that he'll be staying on, hopefully its just a for now situation.
@erikthredd said:
Kraft was asked about Eliot Wolf's job security during yesterday's press conference and his answer was that he'll be staying on, hopefully its just a for now situation.
I was hoping he got shown the door
Quite a few of the Pats media think that he won't be making any of the major decisions going forward like who the next coach will be and hopefully not be making any of the draft picks.
@erikthredd said:
Kraft was asked about Eliot Wolf's job security during yesterday's press conference and his answer was that he'll be staying on, hopefully its just a for now situation.
I was hoping he got shown the door
Quite a few of the Pats media think that he won't be making any of the major decisions going forward like who the next coach will be and hopefully not be making any of the draft picks.
Let's hope not, I'm absolutely sick and tired of wasting our draft picks on "Misses"
@erikthredd said:
Kraft was asked about Eliot Wolf's job security during yesterday's press conference and his answer was that he'll be staying on, hopefully its just a for now situation.
I was hoping he got shown the door
Quite a few of the Pats media think that he won't be making any of the major decisions going forward like who the next coach will be and hopefully not be making any of the draft picks.
Let's hope not, I'm absolutely sick and tired of wasting our draft picks on "Misses"
The only caveat that I keep hearing regarding his first draft class from a year ago is that he was intending to implement a different draft scouting system that originated with his father, Ron Wolf, in his Packers days but Eliot wasn't able to make those changes in the short time following Belichick getting fired and the draft. He made the 2024 picks using BB's scouting scoring system whatever that was.
Numerous media guys think the plan is to keep Wolf around to handle most of the other GM responsibilities but once they find their next HC see if that person has someone in mind to take over that next GM role. They think that if its Vrabel he may try to bring in the Chiefs assistant GM, Mike Borgonzi, who he has ties to during his Chiefs playing days.
In used to be a big Patriots fan as I lived near the Foxboro raceway but once they let Brady get away I followed him and now do not even care if I see another pro football game again. I remember back in 1960 I had the chance to buy shares in the new Patriots for $5.00 each but having just got out of the Marine corp I was making less than a dollar an hour and could not afford it. I also remember a parade in Foxboro with Plunket riding in a convertible as a new Patriot!
NFL All-Pro teams were announced and looks like NE had two players get voted in...
Brenden Schooler made 1st team on Special Teams
Christian Gonzalez made 2nd team at Cornerback
Nothing new on the head coaching front other than Lions DC Aaron Glenn declined NE's interest in a interview.
edit: actually its being reported that NE is interviewing Ben Johnson today.
@erikthredd said:
NFL All-Pro teams were announced and looks like NE had two players get voted in...
Brenden Schooler made 1st team on Special Teams
Christian Gonzalez made 2nd team at Cornerback
Nothing new on the head coaching front other than Lions DC Aaron Glenn declined NE's interest in a interview.
edit: actually its being reported that NE is interviewing Ben Johnson today.
That is pretty humbling to have Aaron Glenn turn down an interview lol.
@erikthredd said:
NFL All-Pro teams were announced and looks like NE had two players get voted in...
Brenden Schooler made 1st team on Special Teams
Christian Gonzalez made 2nd team at Cornerback
Nothing new on the head coaching front other than Lions DC Aaron Glenn declined NE's interest in a interview.
edit: actually its being reported that NE is interviewing Ben Johnson today.
That is pretty humbling to have Aaron Glenn turn down an interview lol.
Not really, I think that he just realizes that he's not a real consideration for the job even though NE requested an interview. The team already brought in two minority candidates and most people covering the team think its ultimately going to be Mike Vrabel in the end.
For all of their blunders in recent years, the Pats are in a no-win situation right now. Last year there weren't any minority interviews under the Rooney Rule because Mayo was already waiting in the wings and they got creamed by the local media for not going through the process.
This time around they did the exact opposite, interviewing both Leftwich & Hamilton while requesting another with Glenn and those same people that bitched a year ago are now calling this all a sham interview process.
@erikthredd said:
NFL All-Pro teams were announced and looks like NE had two players get voted in...
Brenden Schooler made 1st team on Special Teams
Christian Gonzalez made 2nd team at Cornerback
Nothing new on the head coaching front other than Lions DC Aaron Glenn declined NE's interest in a interview.
edit: actually its being reported that NE is interviewing Ben Johnson today.
That is pretty humbling to have Aaron Glenn turn down an interview lol.
Not really, I think that he just realizes that he's not a real consideration for the job even though NE requested an interview. The team already brought in two minority candidates and most people covering the team think its ultimately going to be Mike Vrabel in the end.
For all of their blunders in recent years, the Pats are in a no-win situation right now. Last year there weren't any minority interviews under the Rooney Rule because Mayo was already waiting in the wings and they got creamed by the local media for not going through the process.
This time around they did the exact opposite, interviewing both Leftwich & Hamilton while requesting another with Glenn and those same people that bitched a year ago are now calling this all a sham interview process.
Ok I wasn't aware of the Rooney rule being part of this whole thing
@erikthredd said:
NFL All-Pro teams were announced and looks like NE had two players get voted in...
Brenden Schooler made 1st team on Special Teams
Christian Gonzalez made 2nd team at Cornerback
Nothing new on the head coaching front other than Lions DC Aaron Glenn declined NE's interest in a interview.
edit: actually its being reported that NE is interviewing Ben Johnson today.
That is pretty humbling to have Aaron Glenn turn down an interview lol.
Not really, I think that he just realizes that he's not a real consideration for the job even though NE requested an interview. The team already brought in two minority candidates and most people covering the team think its ultimately going to be Mike Vrabel in the end.
For all of their blunders in recent years, the Pats are in a no-win situation right now. Last year there weren't any minority interviews under the Rooney Rule because Mayo was already waiting in the wings and they got creamed by the local media for not going through the process.
This time around they did the exact opposite, interviewing both Leftwich & Hamilton while requesting another with Glenn and those same people that bitched a year ago are now calling this all a sham interview process.
this year's interviews were obvious tokenism . Last year was the Krafts thinking they were geniuses and the coach could just be a low price puppet and the foxboro crew could run the team.
Bellichek thought it was all him and was wrong , Kraft's think its them and were wrong
It was just Brady and we had a good run and its over never to return.
Kinda like how in KC Andy Reid gets credit when really its all Mahomes and when he is gone they will fade the same way
If you get the Apex QB he puts the whole team on his shoulders
Although Reid and the KC owners are not douchebags like what we have here and also Mahomes is more likeable than Brady
You missed out on my point entirely. The local sports media here always want to have it both ways. I just posted one example that you replied to and here's another...
These same reporters bitched for 20+ years about Belichick not being more open with his answers and how he treated some of them at times. Then when the new guy, Jerod Mayo, took over and was willing to be the exact opposite of Bill in that regard, you know, all smiles and willing to elaborate on his answers, they crucified him for saying too much in his introductory press conferences. One schmuck actually reported that Mayo was talking too much lol.
They do everything possible to control the narrative and of course the majority of sports fans in this region eat that sh!t up because they're gullible.
You just did the exact same thing in your follow-up comment above this one. In a single comment you want to give Bob Kraft none of the credit but all of the blame. Which one is it? I think that you and too many other Pats fans here (here in NE, not here here) think that Bob Kraft played any real role in their 20+years of dominance especially the part about Kraft being too cheap to spend any salary cap. Idiot's like Felger told you that was the case so you ate it up for 20 years believing it to be true.
IMO, he hired Belichick and gave him God-like control and BB being the penny-pincher that he was was always very favorable to Kraft's bottom line BUT Kraft was never the final say on any of those financial decisions. He just sat back and basked in the limelight while being able to end many of their playoffs runs by breaking out his glow in the dark Keds at the SB afterparty.
Belichick had all of the control of roster decisions and Bob's checkbook, not the other way around. In fact the last time Bob was the guy making those decisions he handed Bledsoe & Ty Law the highest paying QB & CB contracts in history at the time. Kraft didn't make a financial roster decision since then until the 2024 offseason and at that point it didn't matter how much money he was offering free agents, the team was so bad they didn't want to sign here.
Although Reid and the KC owners are not douchebags like what we have here and also Mahomes is more likeable than Brady
We've finally found the former Pats fan that jumped on the KC bandwagon that 2deuces was talking about in the Loyal Fan thread. 😉👍
@erikthredd said:
At least now that they have a proven head coach and a promising young QB they should have a much better chance of convincing free agents to sign here.
I hope they give him the most say in the draft process, I have no reason to trust in anyone else in the organization at this point
@erikthredd said:
At least now that they have a proven head coach and a promising young QB they should have a much better chance of convincing free agents to sign here.
I hope they give him the most say in the draft process, I have no reason to trust in anyone else in the organization at this point
Fingers crossed, man. If Vrabel does get that final say on picks, Its going to be interesting to see what he does with that 4th overall pick. At a time when this roster is begging for a Left Tackle & WR1, does he go with someone like Penn State DE Abdul Carter if available? If BB were in that situation, Carter would be the pick and the fanbase would vilify Bill to no end, would they do the same for Vrabel? 🤷♂️
I'll have to dig up what some of his drafts were like while watching the first game today,
Here are the most notable picks of Vrabel's draft history with the Titans:
2018: first draft, traded multiple mid round picks to move up twice in rounds 1&2 for LB's Rashaan Evans & Harold Landry
2019: DT Jeffrey Simmons (multiple All-Pro teams) and WR AJ Brown (eventually traded)
2020: T Isaiah Wilson (their 1st round pick who had multiple off the field legal issues, was suspended then eventually traded. Played in one NFL game)
2021: DB Caleb Farley (1st round pick who only spent two seasons in Tenn)
2022: WR Teylon Burks (1st round pick who has played in 27/51 NFL games,) QB Malik Willis
2023: OL Peter Skoronski & QB WIll Levis
Its also noteworthy that his GM during his Titans days, Jon Robinson, is currently available.
@erikthredd said:
You missed out on my point entirely. The local sports media here always want to have it both ways. I just posted one example that you replied to and here's another...
These same reporters bitched for 20+ years about Belichick not being more open with his answers and how he treated some of them at times. Then when the new guy, Jerod Mayo, took over and was willing to be the exact opposite of Bill in that regard, you know, all smiles and willing to elaborate on his answers, they crucified him for saying too much in his introductory press conferences. One schmuck actually reported that Mayo was talking too much lol.
They do everything possible to control the narrative and of course the majority of sports fans in this region eat that sh!t up because they're gullible.
You just did the exact same thing in your follow-up comment above this one. In a single comment you want to give Bob Kraft none of the credit but all of the blame. Which one is it? I think that you and too many other Pats fans here (here in NE, not here here) think that Bob Kraft played any real role in their 20+years of dominance especially the part about Kraft being too cheap to spend any salary cap. Idiot's like Felger told you that was the case so you ate it up for 20 years believing it to be true.
IMO, he hired Belichick and gave him God-like control and BB being the penny-pincher that he was was always very favorable to Kraft's bottom line BUT Kraft was never the final say on any of those financial decisions. He just sat back and basked in the limelight while being able to end many of their playoffs runs by breaking out his glow in the dark Keds at the SB afterparty.
Belichick had all of the control of roster decisions and Bob's checkbook, not the other way around. In fact the last time Bob was the guy making those decisions he handed Bledsoe & Ty Law the highest paying QB & CB contracts in history at the time. Kraft didn't make a financial roster decision since then until the 2024 offseason and at that point it didn't matter how much money he was offering free agents, the team was so bad they didn't want to sign here.
Although Reid and the KC owners are not douchebags like what we have here and also Mahomes is more likeable than Brady
We've finally found the former Pats fan that jumped on the KC bandwagon that 2deuces was talking about in the Loyal Fan thread. 😉👍
kraft and bill both benefited from Tom but wanted the credit. They decided in their own minds that it was actually them who were geniuses and he was the sidecar.
Jettison Tom and Bill is exposed , Jettison Bill now kraft is exposed .
Everything about Kraft as a person is nauseating , the same goes for bill. Without the winning in the foreground the things they do and say just lay there like turds on a sidewalk
I don't want to give kraft any credit because he is an owner . Owners don't do anything valuable , look at Jerry Jones for example.
The owners that shut up and write checks are the good ones.
We are at a point where everyone seems to desperately need attention for just working
the sports media complex is included too many people doing too little work and all wanting a pat on the back for the tiniest thing.
This was a scientific process. Complex system with many variable , who is the driving force was the question. Since we started removing variables from the system we can see the results.
Very happy about the Vrabel signing. He is the guy I wanted last year. The word I keep hearing is accountability. that is something this organization needs in spades. Now to get a competent OC, DC and GM. I keep hearing McDaniels name. I would be very happy with that.
@erikthredd said:
You missed out on my point entirely. The local sports media here always want to have it both ways. I just posted one example that you replied to and here's another...
These same reporters bitched for 20+ years about Belichick not being more open with his answers and how he treated some of them at times. Then when the new guy, Jerod Mayo, took over and was willing to be the exact opposite of Bill in that regard, you know, all smiles and willing to elaborate on his answers, they crucified him for saying too much in his introductory press conferences. One schmuck actually reported that Mayo was talking too much lol.
They do everything possible to control the narrative and of course the majority of sports fans in this region eat that sh!t up because they're gullible.
You just did the exact same thing in your follow-up comment above this one. In a single comment you want to give Bob Kraft none of the credit but all of the blame. Which one is it? I think that you and too many other Pats fans here (here in NE, not here here) think that Bob Kraft played any real role in their 20+years of dominance especially the part about Kraft being too cheap to spend any salary cap. Idiot's like Felger told you that was the case so you ate it up for 20 years believing it to be true.
IMO, he hired Belichick and gave him God-like control and BB being the penny-pincher that he was was always very favorable to Kraft's bottom line BUT Kraft was never the final say on any of those financial decisions. He just sat back and basked in the limelight while being able to end many of their playoffs runs by breaking out his glow in the dark Keds at the SB afterparty.
Belichick had all of the control of roster decisions and Bob's checkbook, not the other way around. In fact the last time Bob was the guy making those decisions he handed Bledsoe & Ty Law the highest paying QB & CB contracts in history at the time. Kraft didn't make a financial roster decision since then until the 2024 offseason and at that point it didn't matter how much money he was offering free agents, the team was so bad they didn't want to sign here.
Although Reid and the KC owners are not douchebags like what we have here and also Mahomes is more likeable than Brady
We've finally found the former Pats fan that jumped on the KC bandwagon that 2deuces was talking about in the Loyal Fan thread. 😉👍
kraft and bill both benefited from Tom but wanted the credit. They decided in their own minds that it was actually them who were geniuses and he was the sidecar.
Jettison Tom and Bill is exposed , Jettison Bill now kraft is exposed .
Everything about Kraft as a person is nauseating , the same goes for bill. Without the winning in the foreground the things they do and say just lay there like turds on a sidewalk
I don't want to give kraft any credit because he is an owner . Owners don't do anything valuable , look at Jerry Jones for example.
The owners that shut up and write checks are the good ones.
We are at a point where everyone seems to desperately need attention for just working
the sports media complex is included too many people doing too little work and all wanting a pat on the back for the tiniest thing.
This was a scientific process. Complex system with many variable , who is the driving force was the question. Since we started removing variables from the system we can see the results.
Overall, we're pretty much on the same page here, I'll just add a few more thoughts:
Agree with everything you said about Kraft and will take it a little further about his "success" as owner. He bought the team with Parcells already in place, hit an uncontested layup with Drew as the 1st overall pick and hired BB who found Brady which led to all of their success during that era.
You look at how this franchise went from the laughingstock of the leagues for decades to a dynasty and it was, for the most part, due to those two HC & two QBs. (we can argue about how much credit BB deserves another time) Kraft spent those two eras along for the ride and when the end of each finally came and he was forced to become an active owner, he failed miserably. Just look at the Pete Carroll years and this past one. He hasn't had to make any real decisions in about 25yrs and the dynamics have changed greatly across the NFL in that time.
That all being said, again, i'll go back to my original point that you replied to the other day, no matter what he decides to do, he can't win here (in the court of public opinion.)
The end of the Parcells era ended once Kraft meddled in the draft decisions with the Terry Glenn pick. Got lambasted for it from the media & fans for years and didn't do anything remotely similar until he heard BB was thinking about moving on from Brady to Garoppolo. He stepped in again and again there was a huge outcry from fans & media which was probably the reason why he didn't step in one last time right before Brady decided to leave and go to Tampa Bay.
Any path he chose was damned if you do, damned if you don't.
the sports media complex is included too many people doing too little work and all wanting a pat on the back for the tiniest thing.
I view the sports media, meaning content creators in sports talk radio, podcasts or any public figure who give their sports opinions on a daily basis (like Stephen A, Skip Bayless, Brian Windhorst & many others) as nothing more than the cockroaches of the sports world, surviving on scraps however they can. Sports fans on the whole are easily led and have a tendency to parrot what these morons tell them, then it becomes fact.
Again, it goes back to Kraft here who has a reputation as a meddlesome owner (or a cheap one) even though there were only TWO known instances where he stepped in for the better of the team. He'll never win here (metaphorically speaking) and public opinion on him will never change regardless of whatever decision he makes, not when Sports fans are as jaded as the idiots they listen to on a daily basis but you could say the same with society in general, as a whole not just sports.
Pats also signed some front office guy, Ryan Cowden, that was with the Giants this past season but worked for the Titans during Vrabel's time there. He's not replacing Wolf and it doesn't look like he maybe considered for the GM role anytime soon. Here's a short clip about him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ToRQSCiOCc
@erikthredd said:
You missed out on my point entirely. The local sports media here always want to have it both ways. I just posted one example that you replied to and here's another...
These same reporters bitched for 20+ years about Belichick not being more open with his answers and how he treated some of them at times. Then when the new guy, Jerod Mayo, took over and was willing to be the exact opposite of Bill in that regard, you know, all smiles and willing to elaborate on his answers, they crucified him for saying too much in his introductory press conferences. One schmuck actually reported that Mayo was talking too much lol.
They do everything possible to control the narrative and of course the majority of sports fans in this region eat that sh!t up because they're gullible.
You just did the exact same thing in your follow-up comment above this one. In a single comment you want to give Bob Kraft none of the credit but all of the blame. Which one is it? I think that you and too many other Pats fans here (here in NE, not here here) think that Bob Kraft played any real role in their 20+years of dominance especially the part about Kraft being too cheap to spend any salary cap. Idiot's like Felger told you that was the case so you ate it up for 20 years believing it to be true.
IMO, he hired Belichick and gave him God-like control and BB being the penny-pincher that he was was always very favorable to Kraft's bottom line BUT Kraft was never the final say on any of those financial decisions. He just sat back and basked in the limelight while being able to end many of their playoffs runs by breaking out his glow in the dark Keds at the SB afterparty.
Belichick had all of the control of roster decisions and Bob's checkbook, not the other way around. In fact the last time Bob was the guy making those decisions he handed Bledsoe & Ty Law the highest paying QB & CB contracts in history at the time. Kraft didn't make a financial roster decision since then until the 2024 offseason and at that point it didn't matter how much money he was offering free agents, the team was so bad they didn't want to sign here.
Although Reid and the KC owners are not douchebags like what we have here and also Mahomes is more likeable than Brady
We've finally found the former Pats fan that jumped on the KC bandwagon that 2deuces was talking about in the Loyal Fan thread. 😉👍
>
This was a scientific process. Complex system with many variable , who is the driving force was the question. Since we started removing variables from the system we can see the results.
Forgot about this last part...Let's be real here, We (meaning the 4-5 Pats fans here) have known for quite awhile that their success was in large part due to Tom Brady and had said so for years to the point that non-Pats fans were literally making threads defending Bill Belichick's greatness. If there's any enlightenment about the Pats success still going here its not to the people that watched Brady play on a weekly basis.
Kraft was always a passenger on that train, never a driver, and I think that the HOF voters feel the same sentiment and haven't voted him in for that reason alone. Bob's decision making going forward is likely what determines whether or not he ultimately gets voted in. Parcells was never his decision, Belichick was. Navigate your franchise to a championship run under a second head coach and you'll almost guarantee that green jacket (they'll have to find one in a kiddie size 😎)
i don't think NE's situation is nearly as dire as some people make it out to be. the road to recovery starts with the head coach and quarterback. in my opinion, the Patriots have both boxes checked now. and with the 4th pick they can fortify even further with either a game-changer like Hunter or a beast o-lineman to protect the box that's checked. Kelvin Banks (who played at Texas) is a stud left tackle. idk if they'd go that direction but he's someone to keep an eye on.
their situation is now very similar to what i told sanction yesterday about his Broncos. first it takes the right pieces, then experience and time. no one expected Denver to do squat this season, but with an established HC and a promising QB, they took the next step in the natural progression. i foresee that happening with the Patriots as well.
if i was a fan of a team that desperately needs a left tackle, this would give me a stiffy
"Banks can go a whole game without getting mentioned because he is so consistent at stoning opposing defensive ends. His athleticism leaps off the screen. Scouts are even more excited because he carries a frame that will occupy more muscle as he matures. Banks is a nice guy, but there’s a dog behind that megawatt smile. He takes it personally when someone in an opposing uniform touches his quarterback. He understands the job and his own toughest critic. That will serve him well at the next level."
@craig44 said:
I give Kraft a lot of credit for keeping the Patriots here in NE, because back in the 90s there was very serious talk about them leaving town.
As far as on field stuff, very little credit to the owner.
but he still wants to be thanked for it 30 years later the guy is like a teenage girl on tiktok with the narcissism
@galaxy27 said: i don't think NE's situation is nearly as dire as some people make it out to be. the road to recovery starts with the head coach and quarterback. in my opinion, the Patriots have both boxes checked now. and with the 4th pick they can fortify even further with either a game-changer like Hunter or a beast o-lineman to protect the box that's checked. Kelvin Banks (who played at Texas) is a stud left tackle. idk if they'd go that direction but he's someone to keep an eye on.
their situation is now very similar to what i told sanction yesterday about his Broncos. first it takes the right pieces, then experience and time. no one expected Denver to do squat this season, but with an established HC and a promising QB, they took the next step in the natural progression. i foresee that happening with the Patriots as well.
Their situation as a whole isn't dire, its just the Oline as a group that sucks. Sure a WR1 would be fantastic but that addition is nowhere near as important as finding a capable Left Tackle. Vederian Lowe, Michael Jordan (since released) & Demontrey Jacobs would all be considered PS projects elsewhere and here they started the majority of NE's games at tackles.
Banks seems like he could be a great fit but who knows if the guy making the final decisions, Eliot Wolf, goes that route. He didn't prioritize that position heading into the 2024 draft and went with Chukwuma Okorafor who he signed off the scrap heap days before free agency started. Okorafor decided one week into the season that he didn't want to play football anymore lol.
I just got done listening to Mike Vrabel's press conference and he talked about improving the offensive line. We'll have to wait and see how that goes, hopefully he has more control of their roster decisions than Wolf does.
It's not Dire since we have a decent up. and coming QB and a competent HC so we have some solid stuff, it's harder to get a QB and a good HC than anything else so we got a good foundation
All that I'm hoping for with this upcoming draft is, first & foremost, find your starting LT that has extended experience at that particular position. With having an additional 3rd rounder from ATL they could add another Tackle on Day 2 and at that point their OL depth would look like this:
your two 2025 Tackles picks
RT Caeden Wallace & G Layden Robinson drafted in 2024
RG Michael Onwenu
G/C Cole Strange
G Sidy Sow
C David Andrews (but coming off of IR)
Just finding that starting LT and one capable swing Tackle would make for a huge improvement across the board. Then all of these other linemen that had to be played as starters can now develop behind the scene having had actual game experience to build upon.
Complete wishful thinking on my part but if Cincy lets Tee walk, then throw the checkbook at him to get him here. At that point, you'd have your WR1 and could use the entire draft to start rebuilding the trenches.
@erikthredd said:
All that I'm hoping for with this upcoming draft is, first & foremost, find your starting LT that has extended experience at that particular position. With having an additional 3rd rounder from ATL they could add another Tackle on Day 2 and at that point their OL depth would look like this:
your two 2025 Tackles picks
RT Caeden Wallace & G Layden Robinson drafted in 2024
RG Michael Onwenu
G/C Cole Strange
G Sidy Sow
C David Andrews (but coming off of IR)
Just finding that starting LT and one capable swing Tackle would make for a huge improvement across the board. Then all of these other linemen that had to be played as starters can now develop behind the scene having had actual game experience to build upon.
Complete wishful thinking on my part but if Cincy lets Tee walk, then throw the checkbook at him to get him here. At that point, you'd have your WR1 and could use the entire draft to start rebuilding the trenches.
Burrow is lobbying hard for T Higgins, I doubt he goes anywhere but for sure he is a guy I'd love to get in Foxboro
@galaxy27 said:
check out this scouting report on Banks
if i was a fan of a team that desperately needs a left tackle, this would give me a stiffy
"Banks can go a whole game without getting mentioned because he is so consistent at stoning opposing defensive ends. His athleticism leaps off the screen. Scouts are even more excited because he carries a frame that will occupy more muscle as he matures. Banks is a nice guy, but there’s a dog behind that megawatt smile. He takes it personally when someone in an opposing uniform touches his quarterback. He understands the job and his own toughest critic. That will serve him well at the next level."
@erikthredd said:
All that I'm hoping for with this upcoming draft is, first & foremost, find your starting LT that has extended experience at that particular position. With having an additional 3rd rounder from ATL they could add another Tackle on Day 2 and at that point their OL depth would look like this:
your two 2025 Tackles picks
RT Caeden Wallace & G Layden Robinson drafted in 2024
RG Michael Onwenu
G/C Cole Strange
G Sidy Sow
C David Andrews (but coming off of IR)
Just finding that starting LT and one capable swing Tackle would make for a huge improvement across the board. Then all of these other linemen that had to be played as starters can now develop behind the scene having had actual game experience to build upon.
Complete wishful thinking on my part but if Cincy lets Tee walk, then throw the checkbook at him to get him here. At that point, you'd have your WR1 and could use the entire draft to start rebuilding the trenches.
Burrow is lobbying hard for T Higgins, I doubt he goes anywhere but for sure he is a guy I'd love to get in Foxboro
Yeah, its a long shot at best. If we go into the draft still needing both of the LT & WR its going to be a tough decision at 4. Go with someone like Tetairoa McMillan (assuming Hunter is gone) or a guy like Banks or Campbell at Tackle?
The FA class really is expected to have one elite WR in Tee and just two LT's in current Vikings T Cam Robinson (likely leaving with Darrisaw due back for 2025) & the Ravens LT (can't remember his name, he's likely staying in Baltimore.) It would be fantastic if they could resolve one of those two positions in free agency.
I REALLY want our OL addressed in a big way with the draft/FA. I know they are not "sexy" picks, but they are just vital to team success. I have heard good things about Banks and he should be available at 4.
The main negative that seems to be going around for Banks (at least from the Pats media) is that he has average arm length but who knows if that will ever be a real issue or not for him in the NFL. The "experts" said the same about Matt Light and he was a fantastic left tackle for NE for 10+yrs. Will Campbell is the other top tackle that some have rated higher than Banks.
Its going to be interesting to see who Vrabel brings in to be his OL coach. That position has been a revolving door of coaches since Dante Scarnecchia retired in 2019, the next guy will be their 6th OL coach since then. This last guy, Scott Peters, and all of the hubbub a year ago about him having instructed MMA fighters on grappling techniques, turned out to be a complete dud.
The Browns promoted former TE coach/pass game specialist Tommy Rees to take over their OC position and he was considered one of the favorites to become Vrabel's OC here after Mike spent time working with him this past season. It makes you wonder if Cleveland made this move before there was a chance of losing him to NE. A lot of people liked him for this job because he would have basically been running the same system that Alex van Pelt had Drake Maye QB'ing in year one. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43413761/browns-promoting-tommy-rees-former-irish-qb-oc
Comments
did anyone see early in the game the mandated close up of the idiot kraft family in the box?
The focus groups must have commented on how bob looked like a dwarf because they gave him a booster chair to sit on to show dominance. But later he was not on it. That hard plastic must have been uncomfortable
the booster chairs at lums were the best
Kraft was asked about Eliot Wolf's job security during yesterday's press conference and his answer was that he'll be staying on, hopefully its just a for now situation.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Byron Leftwich & Pep Hamilton both interviewing with the Pats today.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
I was hoping he got shown the door
Quite a few of the Pats media think that he won't be making any of the major decisions going forward like who the next coach will be and hopefully not be making any of the draft picks.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dGZuIEYzY_I?feature=share
Interesting video from Bill Belichick.
Perhaps this explains well why Mayo was fired, he just couldn't handle the job. And why Kraft figured he'd seen enough and cut his losses.
Let's hope not, I'm absolutely sick and tired of wasting our draft picks on "Misses"
The only caveat that I keep hearing regarding his first draft class from a year ago is that he was intending to implement a different draft scouting system that originated with his father, Ron Wolf, in his Packers days but Eliot wasn't able to make those changes in the short time following Belichick getting fired and the draft. He made the 2024 picks using BB's scouting scoring system whatever that was.
Numerous media guys think the plan is to keep Wolf around to handle most of the other GM responsibilities but once they find their next HC see if that person has someone in mind to take over that next GM role. They think that if its Vrabel he may try to bring in the Chiefs assistant GM, Mike Borgonzi, who he has ties to during his Chiefs playing days.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
In used to be a big Patriots fan as I lived near the Foxboro raceway but once they let Brady get away I followed him and now do not even care if I see another pro football game again. I remember back in 1960 I had the chance to buy shares in the new Patriots for $5.00 each but having just got out of the Marine corp I was making less than a dollar an hour and could not afford it. I also remember a parade in Foxboro with Plunket riding in a convertible as a new Patriot!
NFL All-Pro teams were announced and looks like NE had two players get voted in...
Brenden Schooler made 1st team on Special Teams
Christian Gonzalez made 2nd team at Cornerback
Nothing new on the head coaching front other than Lions DC Aaron Glenn declined NE's interest in a interview.
edit: actually its being reported that NE is interviewing Ben Johnson today.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
That is pretty humbling to have Aaron Glenn turn down an interview lol.
Not really, I think that he just realizes that he's not a real consideration for the job even though NE requested an interview. The team already brought in two minority candidates and most people covering the team think its ultimately going to be Mike Vrabel in the end.
For all of their blunders in recent years, the Pats are in a no-win situation right now. Last year there weren't any minority interviews under the Rooney Rule because Mayo was already waiting in the wings and they got creamed by the local media for not going through the process.
This time around they did the exact opposite, interviewing both Leftwich & Hamilton while requesting another with Glenn and those same people that bitched a year ago are now calling this all a sham interview process.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Ok I wasn't aware of the Rooney rule being part of this whole thing
The Patriots have also interviewed Ben Johnson.
both years were a sham.
this year's interviews were obvious tokenism . Last year was the Krafts thinking they were geniuses and the coach could just be a low price puppet and the foxboro crew could run the team.
Bellichek thought it was all him and was wrong , Kraft's think its them and were wrong
It was just Brady and we had a good run and its over never to return.
Kinda like how in KC Andy Reid gets credit when really its all Mahomes and when he is gone they will fade the same way
If you get the Apex QB he puts the whole team on his shoulders
Although Reid and the KC owners are not douchebags like what we have here and also Mahomes is more likeable than Brady
You missed out on my point entirely. The local sports media here always want to have it both ways. I just posted one example that you replied to and here's another...
These same reporters bitched for 20+ years about Belichick not being more open with his answers and how he treated some of them at times. Then when the new guy, Jerod Mayo, took over and was willing to be the exact opposite of Bill in that regard, you know, all smiles and willing to elaborate on his answers, they crucified him for saying too much in his introductory press conferences. One schmuck actually reported that Mayo was talking too much lol.
They do everything possible to control the narrative and of course the majority of sports fans in this region eat that sh!t up because they're gullible.
You just did the exact same thing in your follow-up comment above this one. In a single comment you want to give Bob Kraft none of the credit but all of the blame. Which one is it? I think that you and too many other Pats fans here (here in NE, not here here) think that Bob Kraft played any real role in their 20+years of dominance especially the part about Kraft being too cheap to spend any salary cap. Idiot's like Felger told you that was the case so you ate it up for 20 years believing it to be true.
IMO, he hired Belichick and gave him God-like control and BB being the penny-pincher that he was was always very favorable to Kraft's bottom line BUT Kraft was never the final say on any of those financial decisions. He just sat back and basked in the limelight while being able to end many of their playoffs runs by breaking out his glow in the dark Keds at the SB afterparty.
Belichick had all of the control of roster decisions and Bob's checkbook, not the other way around. In fact the last time Bob was the guy making those decisions he handed Bledsoe & Ty Law the highest paying QB & CB contracts in history at the time. Kraft didn't make a financial roster decision since then until the 2024 offseason and at that point it didn't matter how much money he was offering free agents, the team was so bad they didn't want to sign here.
Although Reid and the KC owners are not douchebags like what we have here and also Mahomes is more likeable than Brady
We've finally found the former Pats fan that jumped on the KC bandwagon that 2deuces was talking about in the Loyal Fan thread. 😉👍
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Supposedly the Pats & Vrabel are in now in the negotiating stage in contract talks.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
Done deal. Its going to be interesting to see who his coordinators are and if he wants his own GM.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43382844/mike-vrabel-agrees-become-patriots-new-coach-sources-say
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Yep got the group text this AM
Should be an upgrade over Mayo but he has a lot of work to do
At least now that they have a proven head coach and a promising young QB they should have a much better chance of convincing free agents to sign here.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
I hope they give him the most say in the draft process, I have no reason to trust in anyone else in the organization at this point
Fingers crossed, man. If Vrabel does get that final say on picks, Its going to be interesting to see what he does with that 4th overall pick. At a time when this roster is begging for a Left Tackle & WR1, does he go with someone like Penn State DE Abdul Carter if available? If BB were in that situation, Carter would be the pick and the fanbase would vilify Bill to no end, would they do the same for Vrabel? 🤷♂️
I'll have to dig up what some of his drafts were like while watching the first game today,
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Here are the most notable picks of Vrabel's draft history with the Titans:
2018: first draft, traded multiple mid round picks to move up twice in rounds 1&2 for LB's Rashaan Evans & Harold Landry
2019: DT Jeffrey Simmons (multiple All-Pro teams) and WR AJ Brown (eventually traded)
2020: T Isaiah Wilson (their 1st round pick who had multiple off the field legal issues, was suspended then eventually traded. Played in one NFL game)
2021: DB Caleb Farley (1st round pick who only spent two seasons in Tenn)
2022: WR Teylon Burks (1st round pick who has played in 27/51 NFL games,) QB Malik Willis
2023: OL Peter Skoronski & QB WIll Levis
Its also noteworthy that his GM during his Titans days, Jon Robinson, is currently available.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
kraft and bill both benefited from Tom but wanted the credit. They decided in their own minds that it was actually them who were geniuses and he was the sidecar.
Jettison Tom and Bill is exposed , Jettison Bill now kraft is exposed .
Everything about Kraft as a person is nauseating , the same goes for bill. Without the winning in the foreground the things they do and say just lay there like turds on a sidewalk
I don't want to give kraft any credit because he is an owner . Owners don't do anything valuable , look at Jerry Jones for example.
The owners that shut up and write checks are the good ones.
We are at a point where everyone seems to desperately need attention for just working
the sports media complex is included too many people doing too little work and all wanting a pat on the back for the tiniest thing.
This was a scientific process. Complex system with many variable , who is the driving force was the question. Since we started removing variables from the system we can see the results.
when bronc is serious he makes insightful posts, like the one above. but he's only serious two times per year.
one left and there's 350+ to go in '25
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
Very happy about the Vrabel signing. He is the guy I wanted last year. The word I keep hearing is accountability. that is something this organization needs in spades. Now to get a competent OC, DC and GM. I keep hearing McDaniels name. I would be very happy with that.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Overall, we're pretty much on the same page here, I'll just add a few more thoughts:
Agree with everything you said about Kraft and will take it a little further about his "success" as owner. He bought the team with Parcells already in place, hit an uncontested layup with Drew as the 1st overall pick and hired BB who found Brady which led to all of their success during that era.
You look at how this franchise went from the laughingstock of the leagues for decades to a dynasty and it was, for the most part, due to those two HC & two QBs. (we can argue about how much credit BB deserves another time) Kraft spent those two eras along for the ride and when the end of each finally came and he was forced to become an active owner, he failed miserably. Just look at the Pete Carroll years and this past one. He hasn't had to make any real decisions in about 25yrs and the dynamics have changed greatly across the NFL in that time.
That all being said, again, i'll go back to my original point that you replied to the other day, no matter what he decides to do, he can't win here (in the court of public opinion.)
The end of the Parcells era ended once Kraft meddled in the draft decisions with the Terry Glenn pick. Got lambasted for it from the media & fans for years and didn't do anything remotely similar until he heard BB was thinking about moving on from Brady to Garoppolo. He stepped in again and again there was a huge outcry from fans & media which was probably the reason why he didn't step in one last time right before Brady decided to leave and go to Tampa Bay.
Any path he chose was damned if you do, damned if you don't.
the sports media complex is included too many people doing too little work and all wanting a pat on the back for the tiniest thing.
I view the sports media, meaning content creators in sports talk radio, podcasts or any public figure who give their sports opinions on a daily basis (like Stephen A, Skip Bayless, Brian Windhorst & many others) as nothing more than the cockroaches of the sports world, surviving on scraps however they can. Sports fans on the whole are easily led and have a tendency to parrot what these morons tell them, then it becomes fact.
Again, it goes back to Kraft here who has a reputation as a meddlesome owner (or a cheap one) even though there were only TWO known instances where he stepped in for the better of the team. He'll never win here (metaphorically speaking) and public opinion on him will never change regardless of whatever decision he makes, not when Sports fans are as jaded as the idiots they listen to on a daily basis but you could say the same with society in general, as a whole not just sports.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Pats also signed some front office guy, Ryan Cowden, that was with the Giants this past season but worked for the Titans during Vrabel's time there. He's not replacing Wolf and it doesn't look like he maybe considered for the GM role anytime soon. Here's a short clip about him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ToRQSCiOCc
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
>
Forgot about this last part...Let's be real here, We (meaning the 4-5 Pats fans here) have known for quite awhile that their success was in large part due to Tom Brady and had said so for years to the point that non-Pats fans were literally making threads defending Bill Belichick's greatness. If there's any enlightenment about the Pats success still going here its not to the people that watched Brady play on a weekly basis.
Kraft was always a passenger on that train, never a driver, and I think that the HOF voters feel the same sentiment and haven't voted him in for that reason alone. Bob's decision making going forward is likely what determines whether or not he ultimately gets voted in. Parcells was never his decision, Belichick was. Navigate your franchise to a championship run under a second head coach and you'll almost guarantee that green jacket (they'll have to find one in a kiddie size 😎)
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
I give Kraft a lot of credit for keeping the Patriots here in NE, because back in the 90s there was very serious talk about them leaving town.
As far as on field stuff, very little credit to the owner.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
i don't think NE's situation is nearly as dire as some people make it out to be. the road to recovery starts with the head coach and quarterback. in my opinion, the Patriots have both boxes checked now. and with the 4th pick they can fortify even further with either a game-changer like Hunter or a beast o-lineman to protect the box that's checked. Kelvin Banks (who played at Texas) is a stud left tackle. idk if they'd go that direction but he's someone to keep an eye on.
their situation is now very similar to what i told sanction yesterday about his Broncos. first it takes the right pieces, then experience and time. no one expected Denver to do squat this season, but with an established HC and a promising QB, they took the next step in the natural progression. i foresee that happening with the Patriots as well.
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
check out this scouting report on Banks
if i was a fan of a team that desperately needs a left tackle, this would give me a stiffy
"Banks can go a whole game without getting mentioned because he is so consistent at stoning opposing defensive ends. His athleticism leaps off the screen. Scouts are even more excited because he carries a frame that will occupy more muscle as he matures. Banks is a nice guy, but there’s a dog behind that megawatt smile. He takes it personally when someone in an opposing uniform touches his quarterback. He understands the job and his own toughest critic. That will serve him well at the next level."
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
but he still wants to be thanked for it 30 years later the guy is like a teenage girl on tiktok with the narcissism
Their situation as a whole isn't dire, its just the Oline as a group that sucks. Sure a WR1 would be fantastic but that addition is nowhere near as important as finding a capable Left Tackle. Vederian Lowe, Michael Jordan (since released) & Demontrey Jacobs would all be considered PS projects elsewhere and here they started the majority of NE's games at tackles.
Banks seems like he could be a great fit but who knows if the guy making the final decisions, Eliot Wolf, goes that route. He didn't prioritize that position heading into the 2024 draft and went with Chukwuma Okorafor who he signed off the scrap heap days before free agency started. Okorafor decided one week into the season that he didn't want to play football anymore lol.
I just got done listening to Mike Vrabel's press conference and he talked about improving the offensive line. We'll have to wait and see how that goes, hopefully he has more control of their roster decisions than Wolf does.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
OL and WR and the Defense
It's not Dire since we have a decent up. and coming QB and a competent HC so we have some solid stuff, it's harder to get a QB and a good HC than anything else so we got a good foundation
All that I'm hoping for with this upcoming draft is, first & foremost, find your starting LT that has extended experience at that particular position. With having an additional 3rd rounder from ATL they could add another Tackle on Day 2 and at that point their OL depth would look like this:
your two 2025 Tackles picks
RT Caeden Wallace & G Layden Robinson drafted in 2024
RG Michael Onwenu
G/C Cole Strange
G Sidy Sow
C David Andrews (but coming off of IR)
Just finding that starting LT and one capable swing Tackle would make for a huge improvement across the board. Then all of these other linemen that had to be played as starters can now develop behind the scene having had actual game experience to build upon.
Complete wishful thinking on my part but if Cincy lets Tee walk, then throw the checkbook at him to get him here. At that point, you'd have your WR1 and could use the entire draft to start rebuilding the trenches.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
Burrow is lobbying hard for T Higgins, I doubt he goes anywhere but for sure he is a guy I'd love to get in Foxboro
yes please!!!
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Yeah, its a long shot at best. If we go into the draft still needing both of the LT & WR its going to be a tough decision at 4. Go with someone like Tetairoa McMillan (assuming Hunter is gone) or a guy like Banks or Campbell at Tackle?
The FA class really is expected to have one elite WR in Tee and just two LT's in current Vikings T Cam Robinson (likely leaving with Darrisaw due back for 2025) & the Ravens LT (can't remember his name, he's likely staying in Baltimore.) It would be fantastic if they could resolve one of those two positions in free agency.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
I REALLY want our OL addressed in a big way with the draft/FA. I know they are not "sexy" picks, but they are just vital to team success. I have heard good things about Banks and he should be available at 4.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
The main negative that seems to be going around for Banks (at least from the Pats media) is that he has average arm length but who knows if that will ever be a real issue or not for him in the NFL. The "experts" said the same about Matt Light and he was a fantastic left tackle for NE for 10+yrs. Will Campbell is the other top tackle that some have rated higher than Banks.
Its going to be interesting to see who Vrabel brings in to be his OL coach. That position has been a revolving door of coaches since Dante Scarnecchia retired in 2019, the next guy will be their 6th OL coach since then. This last guy, Scott Peters, and all of the hubbub a year ago about him having instructed MMA fighters on grappling techniques, turned out to be a complete dud.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
The Browns promoted former TE coach/pass game specialist Tommy Rees to take over their OC position and he was considered one of the favorites to become Vrabel's OC here after Mike spent time working with him this past season. It makes you wonder if Cleveland made this move before there was a chance of losing him to NE. A lot of people liked him for this job because he would have basically been running the same system that Alex van Pelt had Drake Maye QB'ing in year one.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43413761/browns-promoting-tommy-rees-former-irish-qb-oc
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486