Category: Patriots

With Isaiah Wynn Out for the Season, Scrutiny Intensifies on Patriots’ Poor Drafts

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ESPN – New England Patriots top draft choice Isaiah Wynn tore his left Achilles during Thursday’s preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles and will miss the 2018 season, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Last year the Patriots top pick Derek Rivers blew out his ACL and missed the whole season. Granted he was “only” a third round pick, he was supposed to be a solid young infusion of talent the Patriots were banking on. This year their top overall pick Isaiah Wynn just blew his achilles and is done for the year. Add that to the fact that they’re other first round pick this year in Sony Michel has missed the entire pre-season with a knee injury and the Patriots draft is looking like a shaky class already, at least in the immediate future.

My point here though is that the Pats have not gotten much out of the draft in the past several years, which is essentially playing with fire in today’s NFL. If we go back and look at the Patriots draft picks in the first 2 rounds over the past 10 years and the contributions they’ve gotten — it gets ugly. I took the first 2 round as the barometer as that is normally the elite young talent you expect immediate contributions from. Guys you’re getting in the later rounds are oftentimes lottery tickets and/or end of the roster players. Anyone that makes a significant contribution from late in the draft is a pleasant surprise, no more no less.

With that being said, lets take a look…

  • 2018
    • 1st Rd – Isaiah Wynn (No. 23), Sony Michel (No. 28)
    • 2nd Rd – Duke Dawson (No. 56)
  • 2017
    • 1st Rd – NO PICK
    • 2nd Rd – NO PICK
  • 2016
    • 1st Rd – NO PICK
    • 2nd Rd – Cyrus Jones (No. 60)
  • 2015
    • 1st Rd – Malcolm Brown (No. 32)
    • 2nd Rd – Jordan Richards (No. 64)
  • 2014
    • 1st Rd – Dominique Easley (No. 29)
    • 2nd Rd – Jimmy Garoppolo (No. 62)
  • 2013
    • 1st Rd – NO PICK
    • 2nd Rd – Jamie Collins (No. 52), Aaron Dobson (No. 59)
  • 2012
    • 1st Rd – Chandler Jones (No. 21), Dont’a Hightower (No. 25
    • 2nd Rd – Tavon Wilson (No. 48)
  • 2011
    • 1st Rd – Nate Solder (No. 17)
    • 2nd Rd – Ras-I Dowling (No. 33), Shane Vereen (No. 56)
  • 2010
    • 1st Rd – Devin McCourty (No. 27)
    • 2nd Rd – Rob Gronkowski (No. 42), Jermaine Cunningham (No. 53), Brandon Spikes (No. 62)
  • 2009
    • 1st Rd – NO PICK
    • 2nd Rd – Patrick Chung (No. 34), Ron Brace (No. 40), Darius Butler (No. 41), Sebastian Volmer (No. 58)
  • 2008
    • 1st Rd – Jerod Mayo (No. 10)
    • 2nd Rd – Terrence Wheatley (No. 62)

As you can see, in the last 10 years, the Patriots had great success in the first half of the decade, drafting guys like McCourty, Solder, Mayo, Gronk etc. But in the past 5 years (not counting the 2018 draft) the Pats have exactly ONE of those players still on the roster in Malcolm Brown who is solid but unspectacular.

And for the guys that were actively traded away, the Patriots have not received great value in return.

  • Chandler Jones – Received OL Jonathan Cooper (cut before his 1st season with NE) and a 2nd Round draft pick, which the Pats then traded to the Saints for 3rd and 4th Round draft picks ultimately turning into Joe Thuney, and Malcolm Mitchell (recently cut).
  • Jamie Collins – Received Browns 3rd Round draft pick, which the Pats then flipped to Detroit for No. 85 overall, which the Pats then used to take Antonio Garcia (played 0 snaps for NE and missed his entire rookie season due to blood clots in his lungs before getting released).
  • Jimmy Garoppolo – Received a 2nd Round draft pick, which the Pats then flipped to Detroit and traded down for a 2nd and a 4th, which they then flipped a couple of times again in a whole bunch of draft day trades to wind up with Duke Dawson and a 2019 Bears 2nd Round draft pick.

It obviously doesn’t help that three of the last 5 years the Patriots didn’t even have a first round pick due to various reasons, trades, and league mandated penalties from absurdly overblown alleged incidents. This is not a great way to build a deep roster guys.

Your team is built around that young talent because you can’t overpay for everyone. With guys like Logan Ryan, who was formerly the third CB on the Pats, getting $30 million contracts — you rely on young cheap talent to flesh out the rest of the roster. But the Patriots have failed to do that over the better part of the last decade.

That is how we find the Patriots suddenly with the fourth oldest team in the league at an average age of 26.7. The cabinets are bare my friends and most of that is masked by Tom Brady being the goat.

Part of the problem here is the high risk/high reward approach the Patriots tend to take in the draft. Because they have been set at quarterback for the better part of the last 2 decades, they have been able to take some big swings (and misses) on risky players. Taking Rob Gronkowski in the 2nd round with a bad back was a big risk because he was just coming off a missed season due to back surgery. But obviously that paid off as Gronk, when healthy, has turned into arguably the greatest tight end the league has ever seen.

But then there are cases where the team is taking risks in the 1st Round on guys with pre-existing injuries and unsurprisingly those same injuries pop up and the guy never makes an impact. Easley was a guy with two bum knees coming out of Florida and never made an impact with the Patriots because he was always battling, yup, knee injuries.

So it should come as no surprise really that the Patriots lack a core of young, elite players on the roster. All of their best players are on the back 9 of their careers; Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski Devin McCourty, Julian Edelman. They had 2 players in the NFL Top 100 (Gronk and Brady) and exactly 0 players on ESPN’s top NFL players under 25 years old.

Listen this team will be good as long as Brady is upright and pliable in the pocket and Gronk is on the field. But probably not a second longer. With each passing mediocre draft, I am less and less confident that this team will be all that good the second Brady and/or Gronk call it a career.

TLDR;

 

 

The 300s Previews the Patriots (Part 4): Who the Hell is Playing Linebacker?

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Quick: name the Patriots linebackers this season besides Dont’a Hightower.

not for me no GIF by Originals

For all the attention the team’s depleted receiving corps has received so far this summer, the current group of linebackers lacks some serious name recognition as well.

Everyone knows what to expect from Dont’a Hightower, the team’s unquestioned leader at the position. It’d be nice if he could stay healthy for once, after missing all but five games last season and not playing a full 16-game slate since his second year in 2013. But when he’s on the field, the guy’s pretty damn good.

And sure, Elandon Roberts and Kyle Van Noy started 14 and 12 games, respectively, for the Pats last year, and they’re likely to be the top two playing alongside Hightower in 2018. But I’d be willing to bet that seven out of 10 fans you’d find on the street couldn’t name them both with a gun to their head.

Image result for kyle van noy elandon roberts

That doesn’t mean these guys are necessarily anything to sneeze at; Roberts and Van Noy each had 65-plus tackles last year, and Van Noy added 5.5 sacks to boot. Both also received above-average ratings from Pro Football Focus last season. Still, neither player is necessarily going to win you any games, and there’s definitely room for improvement.

Marquis Flowers also came out of nowhere and played all right after the team’s Week 9 bye last season, finishing with 27 total tackles and 3.5 sacks over that time – albeit with 10 of those tackles and 2.5 of those sacks coming in one game against Buffalo in Week 16. He’ll most likely serve as the team’s top reserve.

No matter how you feel about them, though, it seems the team didn’t view linebacker as a big area of need this offseason. They did draft two this past May (Ja’Whaun Bentley and Christian Sam), but other than that there was not one notable move at the position.

The Pats also signed former Falcon Adrian Clayborn. And last year’s second-round pick Derek Rivers – who missed his entire rookie season due to injury – is back as well. Both are expected to help the defense this year, but both are also much more of a defensive end than they are a stand-up linebacker. (Some, though, believe Rivers could eventually become a solid outside linebacker due to his great pass-rushing ability – a la Chandler Jones – so we’ll see what happens there.)

It should also be noted that the Patriots finished with the fifth-best mark in the league in terms of points per game allowed last season (18.5), so it’s not like the defense is in bad shape overall. But the team was 20th when it came to rushing yards allowed per game (114.8), and while that has just as much to do with the defensive line it’s still not a very positive note for the rest of the front seven.

Coverage is another area the team’s linebackers struggled with last season, particularly when it came to opposing running backs. They allowed a whopping 844 receiving yards out of the backfield in 2017, which was the second-most in the league behind Tennessee. The defense also (surprisingly) allowed the third-most passing yards overall in the league last year, which indeed has more to do with the secondary, but the linebackers play a big part in that as well.

And this happened just last week in the team’s first preseason game against Washington:

(Nahhhht a great look there for Van Noy.)

On the plus side, Bentley, the team’s 2018 fifth-round draft choice out of Purdue, has looked great so far, both in camp and during last week’s preseason opener, and he’s even been receiving reps with the starters at practice.

Image result for ja'whaun bentley

Hey, at least Bentley caught Marshall last week! (Photo credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports)

Still, the 6’2″, 255-pound rookie is viewed as much more of thumper who can help against the run, which does not do much at all in terms of helping the team’s pass coverage.

Fortunately, the team often employs a three-safety, two-linebacker scheme, limiting the amount of responsibility the linebackers have in coverage. The team’s solid group of corners as well as safeties Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon (Patrick Chung is more of a run-stopper) can oftentimes pick up the slack and hide the team’s deficiencies in the middle of the defense. This is also perhaps why Bill & Co. chose to focus on other more pressing areas of need this offseason.

The Pats also have guys like Nicholas Grigsby and Brandon King, who are expected to be solid special teams guys. And we can’t forget about second-year man Harvey Langi, who flashed at times early on last season before a serious car accident in October ended his season. Fortunately, it didn’t end his life or his career, and while he is still going to need to win his spot on the team this summer, don’t be surprised if he’s a factor by season’s end. I like what I saw from the kid in his limited action last year.

harvey langi

Welcome back, young fella.

So again, I am not saying the the linebackers are “bad”; I’m just saying that other than receiver, and maybe cornerback, this is probably the area that’s going to see the most ups and downs in 2018.

Gone are the days that guys like Bruschi, McGinest, Vrabel, and Mayo are seen roaming the middle of the defense, striking fear into the hearts of opposing offenses. But can the guys we have this year still get it done? Let’s hope so. For now, I’ll keep the faith.

Check out the rest of “The 300s Previews the Patriots” series here. And be sure to check out the Pats in action tonight against the Eagles in preseason game No. 2.

The 300s Podcast: Fantasy Football Follies

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Football is back, thank christ. So this week, as summer is winding down, we turn our attention to the biggest productivity killer in corporate America; fantasy football.

-Flatscreen TVs are now disposable apparently

-Since I can’t play poker, Fantasy Football allows me to feel like a man and gamble

-Is DraftKings too much math and not enough fantasy?

-Hot Take: Live Drafts SUCK

Subscribe, rate, and review The 300s Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

Patriots “System” Strikes Again; Is it Time to Call Old Friend Brandon LaFell?

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Image result for brandon lafell

It seems like every few years the Patriots are desperately “thin” at wide receiver and Brady is forced to make something out of a whole lot of nothing.

Brady built the early part of his career off of solid-but-unspectacular guys like Deion Branch, David Givens, David Patten, Daniel Graham, Ben Watson, Christian Fauria, and, of course, my all-time-favorite Patriot Troy Brown. But in all honesty, while each of them had their moments, none of them could ever really be considered a stud, and they should all thank TB12 for giving them the notoriety they never would have had – and were never able to obtain again – without him behind center.

Image result for troy brown patriots meme

Don’t worry, Troy. You’re still my boy.

Then, in 2006, Brady got to the AFC Championship with Reche Caldwell and a 35-year-old Brown leading the way (before watching the defense blow a 21-point lead in vomit-inducing fashion, ultimately handing Peyton Manning his first ring.)

He finally got some pretty insane help at the age of 30 with the likes of Randy Moss and Wes Welker in 2007, before seeing the team draft players like Gronk, Aaron Hernandez (yeah, I know, but he was really good), and Julian Edelman over the next couple of years thereafter. But, again, before that Brady was always able to get it done no matter who was on the field.

There should be no doubt that Brady can always work with what’s in front of him, but over the years we’ve also seen plenty of highly-touted guys who simply can’t handle the Patriots “system” and flame out in a flash. Whether they were high draft picks or former standouts with other teams, here’s a short list of guys who came in with high expectations but just couldn’t hack it in Foxborough: Aaron Dobson; Joey Galloway; Bethel Johnson; Chad Ochocino; Brandon Tate; Reggie Wayne.

If you’ve been reading any Patriots news over the past week or two, it looks like Eric Decker might be the next guy to make that list.

After signing with the team two weeks ago, Decker has been having trouble just catching and holding on to the ball in camp, and a lot are starting to wonder if he’ll even make the team. Patriots Wire posted a story today highlighting Decker’s struggles while also offering some insight – via another free-agent wide-out addition that didn’t work out – as to why he’s been having such a tough time:

So apparently, as some have alluded to over the years, Bill just asks too much of his receivers, and some guys can handle it more than others. I guess it’s as simple as that.

There’s still plenty of time for Decker to get it together, and the story even mentions that he made some nice plays at the end of yesterday’s practice, but there’s definitely reason for concern. Add that to the fact that Phillip Dorsett left practice due to injury on Tuesday afternoon (fortunately, it doesn’t look too bad from the sounds of it), and the Patriots current wide receiver situation looks potentially the worst it ever has throughout Brady’s entire career.

At this point, it looks like Chris Hogan and Cordarrelle Patterson are going to be the team’s top two receivers when the team kicks off the season against the Texans on September 9, and that can’t be giving anyone the warm and fuzzies.

Is it time to give Brandon LaFell a call?

Now, before Pats fans jump down my throat, let’s take another look at how it all really went down during his short two-year stint with the Pats.

LaFell finished his first season in New England with 74 catches, 953 yards, and seven touchdowns. Those are some very solid numbers, especially considering the previously mentioned issues with many of the team’s other free-agent additions. LaFell also caught the game-winning touchdown against the Ravens in the 2014 AFC Divisional Round playoff game. He was a really big part of the offense that year.

Image result for brandon lafell ravens

But something changed at the start of the 2015 season. LaFell started the year on the PUP list, and he was never able to overcome his nagging foot injury. He eventually finished the season with just 37 catches, before being cut by the Pats in the offseason.

It was a sad end to what looked like a promising career turnaround for the then-29-year-old, but he was fortunately able to catch on with Cincinnati only about a month after his release from the Patriots in March 2016. Over the past two seasons, he’s compiled a combined 116 receptions for 1,410 yards and nine scores – and all of that came while playing with Andy “Inconsistency is My Middle Name” Dalton.

Image result for andy dalton meme

I know I said last week that signing Dez Bryant would be a bad move for the Pats at this point, but that was solely because of Dez’s selfish attitude. LaFell has been nothing but a stand-up guy throughout his career, and the only reason he was cut by the Bengals this offseason is because he asked to be:

(Why? I’m unsure. But again…Andy Dalton.)

(OK. Fine. Dalton’s not entirely terrible, but still.)

Taking a cheap flier on a guy who knows the “system” and has proven success with Brady can’t hurt. And as much as the team continues to say they’re impressed with some of what they’ve seen from the under-the-radar guys at camp, let’s not kid ourselves: this team needs some pass-catching help in a desperate way.

I, for one, would welcome LaFell back with open arms. Here’s to hoping Belichick and McDaniels will consider doing the same.

Steelers Use Deflated Football on Thursday Night. NFL Says “No Problem”

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Pittsburgh Steelers' Landry Jones in action during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

Photo credit: Michael Perez/Associated Press

Bleacher Report – During Thursday night’s preseason game between the Philadelphia Eaglesand Pittsburgh Steelers, Howard Eskin of 94.1 WIP in Philadelphia reported that one of Pittsburgh’s footballs was “very deflated” and that the NFL was investigating. 

Friday, the NFL released the findings of its investigation, noting that there had been no foul play by the visiting Steelers:

OH! Of course, it’s fucking Wilson’s fault!!! YUP! Has to be it! Case closed!

Unbelievable. The NFL finished their “investigation” into the deflated football that was used in last night’s preseason game between the Steelers and Eagles quicker than Chris Christie destroys a box of Krispy Kremes.

Image result for chris christie krispy kreme

Seriously??!! Who looked into that shit? Did someone leave a message for the Rooneys and call it a night? How in the hell can you conduct an investigation and close the case less than 12 hours after the game even ended?

Look, I get it. Why in the world would the Steelers care enough to deflate a football in Game 1 of the preseason which literally means nothing? Also, there’s no proof that the Steelers are the culprit here, and it very well could have been a fluke ball. Fine.

But can you at least make it seem as though there was a little more concern surrounding the situation considering Brady was almost burned at the stake and put under the microscope for A YEAR AND A HALF?

I know there were text messages and other (subjective) pieces of evidence the NFL had to go off of, and I know that supposedly 11 of the 12 balls the officials looked at from the 2015 AFC Championship were said to be under-inflated. Brady most likely did order the balls to be doctored up a bit. I’m not disputing that.

But, just like with Spygate, you’re a complete sheep if you think the rest of the NFL wasn’t doing the same thing. In fact, Aaron Rodgers openly admitted (h/t Pro Football Talk) that he likes to mess with the footballs he uses – albeit by over-inflating them – just a few days after Brady was dinged for it, and nobody even gave it a second thought.

But if the Pats do it? OH GOD! STOP THE PRESSES! LET’S EVEN GET THE FRIGGIN’ U.S. JUDICIAL SYSTEM INVOLVED!

Unfair prejudice against the Patriots is a real thing, and you’re just ignorant or completely stubborn if you say there isn’t.

Sorry we’ve won five titles in the past 16 years. Sorry Brady and Belichick have made you all look like fools over that time.

It’s obvious you just hate us because we’re beautiful. So actually, sorry not sorry.

kim possible hair flip GIF

The 300s Previews the Patriots (Part 3): Who’s Replacing Malcolm Butler?

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Image result for malcolm butler

First and foremost, the boys are finally back in action tonight!!! After what felt like an extremely long offseason, the first Patriots preseason game of the year kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium against Washington.

Even though the team is just getting things started, we are already three levels deep into “The 300s Previews the Patriots” series. After focusing on the offensive side of the ball in both Part 1 and Part 2, today we’re going to give you a look at the defense, specifically regarding exactly whom is going to replace Malcolm Butler.

It’s actually really sad how things ended with Butler, who signed a deal with the Titans this offseason, and I’ll be entirely honest in saying that I’m still not over Belichick’s decision to sit him for the Super Bowl. (Seriously, though, what in the HELL could the guy – a guy who played 98 EFFING PERCENT of the defensive snaps last season – have possibly done to not play in the biggest game of the year? Even worse, we’ll never know the actual reason, because Belichick is apparently taking that shit to the grave.)

I’ll still always love you, Malcolm. And while I’ve yet to get married or have a kid, I know this will always remain one of the very greatest moments of my entire life:

Anyway, it’s time to suck it up, and it’s time for someone else to step in and take Butler’s place opposite Stephon Gilmore in the team’s secondary this season. At least we know Gilmore is a stud; he was excellent in his first year with the team last season. But other than that, there are a couple solid veteran guys and a mishmosh of talented young players/rookies to choose from at corner.

For some reason, the team also worked out free-agent cornerback Bashaud Breeland on Tuesday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rappoport:

But for now, that’s as far as it’s gone with him.

According to the team’s current official depth chart (which means diddly squat this early in camp, but still), Eric Rowe is leading the way. The 25-year-old has had an inconsistent two years with the Pats after being acquired from the Eagles for a fourth-rounder after his rookie season in 2015. At times, he’s been really bad, and at other times he looks like he’s worthy of the pick the team gave up for him. If Rowe (6’1″, 205 pounds) wins out, he and Gilmore (6’1″, 201 pounds) will make for a pretty stout pairing that should be able to match up physically with most outside receivers. Rowe doesn’t have the speed that Gilmore possesses, but both are tailor-made to play on the boundary.

Image result for eric rowe

What many fans are rooting for instead, however, is that Jason McCourty – twin brother of Patriots safety Devin McCourty – will win the job and give the team a little dose of double trouble in the defensive backfield. The Pats acquired Jason McCourty this offseason from the Browns, and many assumed he would automatically win the starting job, especially considering the fact that the trade occurred just two days after Butler signed with Tennessee.

Image result for mccourty twins

While brother Devin has been a Patriots mainstay since 2010 and is a two-time Pro Bowler (2010 and 2016), Jason hasn’t been quite as prolific. Still, he has been a starter for both Tennessee and Cleveland, respectively, for the past seven seasons and has 26 passes defensed over the past two years with the Browns.

Other than Rowe and McCourty, nobody else has much of shot at winning the open job at outside corner, but there are a few young guys vying to be team’s “third” corner. Here’s a quick look at some of the players gunning to be the team’s starter in the slot:

Jonathan Jones: After a season-ending ankle injury he suffered against the Titans in the playoffs last season, Jones returned to practice for the first time on Tuesday and is expected to be the frontrunner. He initially made the team as an undrafted rookie out of Auburn in 2016, and he continued his impressive ascension last year by playing on over 40 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. Overall, he finished with 44 tackles and eight pass breakups, and he is also one of the team’s top special teams guys.

Duke Dawson: The rookie out of Florida was selected by the Pats with the 24th pick in the second round of the draft this past May, and according to ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss, he has been playing alongside Gilmore and Rowe in three-cornerback sets this summer. This may be subject to change with Jonathan Jones back in the fold, but the the team wouldn’t have used such a high selection on the 5’10”, 198-pounder with 4.46 speed if they didn’t believe in him.

J.C. Jackson: Undrafted like Jones, Jackson is another rookie who’s impressed so far this offseason. While he’s been roasted at times by guys like Gronk and Chris Hogan, MassLive’s Andrew Callahan also points out that he’s made some pretty great plays as well, breaking up passes in 11-on-11 drills and picking off a two-point conversion attempt. Still, he’s pretty unlikely to beat anyone out for a starting spot just yet.

And oh by the way, Cyrus Jones is still on the team, too, (*vomit*) and it seems like the team is still going to give him a chance to prove himself in some capacity. (At least he can return punts?)

Regardless of exactly how the final depth chart looks, I can’t remember the last time the Pats had such solid depth in the secondary – and we haven’t mentioned the team’s safeties either. Even with the team set to face the likes of Deshaun Watson, Matthew Stafford, Andrew Luck, Marcus Mariota, Ben Roethlisberger, Kirk Cousins, and the other really good No. 12 who plays quarterback in Green Bay this season, I’m feeling pretty good.

So even though I’ll still miss you, Malcolm, I think we’re gonna be just fine.

Should the Patriots Sign Dez Bryant?

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Image result for dez bryant

Well, would you look at that?

For the second straight day, we’re doing a story on a former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, who, although freakishly talented, is also an extremely volatile and contentious diva that oftentimes forces himself out of what could have been a great situation.

Yesterday, it was Terrell Owens. This time around, we’re talking about a guy who still plays in the NFL; he’s just not currently on any actual roster, and his name is Dez Bryant.

Owens and Bryant are actually eerily similar in a few different ways:

  • Owens is 6’3″, 226 pounds; Dez is 6’2″, 220 pounds.
  • Both finished with exactly 69 receptions during their last season in Dallas.
  • Owens had 81 touchdowns and 592 receptions through his first eight seasons; Dez has 73 touchdowns and 531 receptions.
  • Owens averaged 72.8 yards per game for his career; Dez has averaged exactly 66.

All I’m saying is that it’s surprising for a guy of Dez’s caliber, who has comparable numbers to one of the game’s all-time greats, to still be sitting on his couch this late in the summer.

He apparently turned down a multi-year deal from the Ravens in April, but since then it’s pretty much been radio silence for the 29-year-old. (There’s been rumblings of the Browns being interested as well, but there have been no meetings or workouts scheduled so far. Plus, come on, you really think Dez is going to play for Cleveland? Please.)

With the Patriots currently in dire straits at the wide receiver position – yes, even after signing Eric Decker last week – many have suggested that Dez could perhaps be the solution to the problem.

For all the flak he’s received the past few years for his “declining” level of play, Dez has averaged a more than respectable 13.6 yards per catch and almost six touchdowns over the past three seasons, in two of which he played just nine and 13 games, respectively. Last season, he played in all 16 games, finishing with 69 catches and 838 yards. The guy’s still pretty good, and he’s unquestionably better than most of what Brady has to work with at the moment besides Gronk.

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But is he worth it?

jeff goldblum what GIF by The Late Late Show with James Corden

Think about this: Dez Bryant is the Cowboys’ all-time leader in touchdown receptions, is third in team history in receptions, and is fifth in receiving yards…and the team threw him away this spring like he was yesterday’s newspaper. If he were older or heading toward the end of his career, it would be understandable, but the man hasn’t even reached his 30th birthday yet and is coming off a full season of play.

Again, I’m not doubting that Dez has a lot of gas left in the tank; he’s just also pretty full of hot air.

The whole reason the Cowboys cut Dez this year was because of his attitude. Plain and simple. Is he the first stud receiver with a big mouth and a flair for the dramatic? Absolutely not. But does Dez maybe take it a bit too far sometimes? I’d say so.

For instance, just last week he went on a Twitter tirade against Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, son of team owner Jerry Jones, after the former insinuated that quarterback Dak Prescott’s development was hurt last season by Dez’s selfish attitude and constant complaining about play-calling. Because he was always barking in the ears of teammates and coaches about how HE felt the offense should be run and how unhappy HE was, Jones felt as though Dez was doing more harm than good.

And maybe, JUST MAYBE, he wasn’t wrong:

So, what does Dez do? Fire off a bunch of angry tweets, calling former coaches and teammates nasty names and, of course, complain about the team’s play-calling.

Look, I get that you’re mad, Dez, and I, too, feel as though Jason Garrett is one of the league’s most overrated coaches. And there’s no doubt that the entire Jones family is comprised of a bunch of clowns. But, dude, you’re not doing yourself any favors or attempting to silence the critics about who they think you’ve always been.

Even during his college days at Oklahoma State, he was known for always being late to meetings AND games, and he was cited for lying about working out at Deion Sanders’s house as an amateur (yeah, it was pretty dumb, but still). Tons of teams, the Pats included, passed on him on draft night, and he fell all the way to 27th in the 2010 draft when he should’ve have been a lock to be picked in the top five.

And last season’s transgressions weren’t exactly Dez’s first in the NFL either. It’s obvious that, through it all, he hasn’t learned a damn thing.

More drama is the absolute LAST thing this Patriots team needs right now, even though they could really use his talent on the field. Plus, reports out of camp are saying that guys like Cordarrelle Patterson and Phillip Dorsett are flashing and making a lot of impressive plays, so maybe things aren’t quite as bleak as it seems right now.

Did Belichick take on the notorious Corey Dillon back in 2004 and things went just fine? Yes. Did he also go after an abrasive and thought-to-be-completely-cooked Randy Moss in 2007, only to see him unite with Brady and smash NFL records? Yes.

But is Dez Bryant worth the risk right now for this team? Sorry to say it, but no, he simply isn’t. Hopefully the guy matures as the years go on and finally finds his nirvana, but for right now, I’m gonna take a hard pass.

In Offense To Big Z’s Defense of Dan Shaughnessy From My Column Taking Down Dan Shaughnessy

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Here’s the thing. Bill Belichick doesn’t like bullshit questions. He is not here to be reality T.V. To be dramatic. I think that is where anyone who hates him finds their disconnect. You have middle aged me now watching (BECAUSE HAHA ISN’T THIS FUNNY AND IRONIC AND I’M COMFORTABLE WITH MYSELF) the bachelor. Of course they are going to hate Bill Belichick not talking about OOOOO the Malcolm Butler benching.

But have you ever heard Belichick field a question about….football? He LOVES it. When Ebner got hurt last year and someone asked him how it was going to effect kick coverage, he went onnnnnnnn and on about coverage and the x’s and o’s and who knows what. He just does not want to talk about bullshit side stories that have zero to do with winning football games. Are they interesting for us to talk about on a rainy day or at the? Sure. No one will deny that. But they don’t matter to the Hooded One.

 

-Joey B.

Happy 41st Birthday, Thomas Patrick Edward Brady, Jr.

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Image result for tom brady

Two score and one year ago, the world was gifted with a child – born in San Mateo, California – who would eventually go on to become a living legend responsible for providing constant joy, multiple championships, and pure, captivating handsomeness to New England and the rest of Pats Nation for over one and a half decades (and counting).

That man is none other than Tom Brady, and The 300s would be remiss if we didn’t give the G.O.A.T. a well-deserved (and probably all too emotional) birthday shout-out.

No other athlete in modern NFL history is as prolific and accomplished as TB12. (Sorry, Brady haters, but you literally cannot even begin to argue against this one anymore.)

Besides Charles Haley – who, while indeed a Hall of Fame defensive end, just so happened to be on some pretty loaded San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys teams – no other player has ever won five Super Bowls.

“Oh yeah, Mattes??!! How about the fact that Joe Montana NEVER lost a Super Bowl, and Brady’s lost THREE??!!”

Brady’s still been to eight of them in total, double the amount of times Montana even got there, and since 2001, when Brady took over as the starter, the Pats have won 14 division titles and have appeared in the AFC Championship 12 times.

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TFB is also just south of 500 touchdowns passes for his career (488 right now), and is likely to pass Brett Favre (who finished with 508) at some point this season for second place all-time.

The guy’s also got over 45,000 passing yards for his career and three MVP awards to his name, one of which came last year at the age of 40. (Oh, by the way, only ONE other guy in the four major professional sports has ever won an MVP award at age 40 or older. That guy was Barry Bonds in 2004, and that was because he was juiced up more than a freakin’ grapefruit.)

“OH REALLY, MATTES??!! WHAT ABOUT SPYGATE??!! AND THE DEFLATED FOOTBALLS??!! THE GUY’S CHEATED HIS WAY THROUGHOUT HIS WHOLE CAREER!!!”

iron man eye roll GIF

come on eye roll GIF

If you’re one of those people who still puts any merit into that argument, you are a complete assclown that knows absolutely nothing about football. While I’m not absolving Brady and others in the organization of any and all blame, let’s not act as though the rest of the league doesn’t pull anything a little shady from time to time. But if you think any of it has helped him put up those kind of numbers and get that many wins, you’re probably one of those “the world is definitely flat” or “vaccinations cause autism” people, too.

Brady’s also the only ever back-to-back No. 1-ranked player on NFL Network’s annual “Top 100 Players” list – which is voted on by actual NFL players and nobody else; I’m pretty sure if Brady was such a cheat, opposing players wouldn’t be so quick to label him the greatest.

Anyway, I think we all get the picture that Brady is an absolute god amongst men who will forever burn as the brightest flame in the hearts of Pats fans everywhere, no matter how long he plays.

So happy birthday once again, Tom. Shine on, you crazy diamond.

(Here’s a little extra Tom Brady/Patriots porn for your Friday afternoon viewing pleasure:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IusEolm-CfM

BREAKING: Patriots Sign WR Eric Decker to 1-Year Deal

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After playing grab ass for the past few months with reported interest from Decker on signing with New England and with the team officially working him out this week, it all came to ahead when Jordan Matthews blew a hammy and the Pats cut him. The Patriots were looking pretty damn barren at receiver with Edelman out for the first month of the season. They would have been relying on Chris Hogan, Philip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson, Kenny Britt, and whoever else winds up actually making the roster. Can’t have that. Can’t pretend its 2006 again and give Brady a bunch of scrubs and expect him to carry the entire team.

So I love the move, I’ve always been a big Eric Decker guy. Only had 1 TD last year, but he caught 54 balls for 563 yards. Not bad with a mobile QB in Marcus Mariota throwing you the ball. Cut out 2016 when he was limited to just 3 games because of injury and Decker had 4 straight years of 74+ catches.

Not to mention Josh McDaniels drafted him in Denver and knows Decker’s strengths inside and out so I would expect him to be a great fit. He’s always been solid, he’s got good hands, he’s handsome AF and his wife is an absolute must follow on twitter.

Jessie James Decker is a true ride or die that you don’t see the likes of these days and I for one am psyched to have the Deckers in my life once again.

I say once again because I have watched multiple, multiple episodes of Eric and Jessie while hungover on the coach and it is an excellent show. I suggest you all catch up so you know what we’re dealing with here.

Plus it would be an added bonus to take a guy the Jets couldn’t get much out of and make him a stud again as the Patriots tend to do.