Tag: NFL

Hunter Renfrow is Seeking to Fulfill His Own Prophecy of Playing for the Patriots

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The NFL Draft is this Thursday and I’ve heard through the grape vine that we may be seeing some quality Draft #content from our guy Mattes so stay on the lookout for that. Him and Joey B are the draft nerds though. I enjoy college football, but aside from the top skill position players I can’t really get into where the DT from FSU is ranked.

I do love to cherry pick draft stories though, like the one where Hunter Renfrow is basically calling his own shot. Hunter Renfrow AKA The Three Eyed Raven had a dream where he got drafted by the Patriots. Renfrow is an undersized, under recruited slot receiver who became a team captain so you just KNOW the Pats are going to take him at some point. Apparently Hunter knows that too as he’s seen here signing his potential future Patriots jersey. Maybe he’s taking a page out of the Lavar Ball playbook? Just speak it into existence. Keep an eye on this kid, he may be the next guy to take the Patriots slot receiver torch once Julian Edelman is ready to move on.

Gronk Dented the Lombardi Trophy After BUNTING With It Before the Red Sox Ring Ceremony

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I knew I spotted a dent in this thing during the Red Sox ring ceremony! I was snapping screenshots left and right while secretly watching and live tweeting the World Series celebration from work so I completely forgot to tweet out the above pic. Like how the hell could this have happened already? Well the story has literally just come out courtesy of the Patriots Twitter feed. Apparently Gronk dented the Lombardi Trophy by BUNTING with it.

Legit can’t make this up. If you wrote a screenplay about the 2018 Patriots and ended it with Rob Gronkowski denting the Lombardi Trophy at Fenway by bunting with it they’d say it sounded too fake.

Oh that? That was already there.

Goddamn I’m gonna miss this guy.

Former Chargers GM Says Trading Eli Manning Was the Highlight of His Career. Respect the Spite

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Yahoo – In 2004, the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Chargers made a trade that would forever change the course of both franchises. Moments after the Chargers selected Eli Manning with the first pick in the NFL draft, the team traded him to the Giants for Philip Rivers…

“[The trade] was the most satisfying moment for me in my career and I really mean that. I would say that if I was ever fortunate to win a Super Bowl, I’m sure it would’ve trumped that, but I don’t know that. I gotta tell you there was a lot of highs and lows in the business, but that moment was the greatest high for me as an executive for an organization.”

As Smith explains, the deal netted the Chargers with enough draft picks to select Shawne Merriman and kicker Nate Kaeding. Both guys played big roles in the team’s success from 2004 to 2009. More importantly, though, Smith was happy he took some of the power away from Manning and his agent, Tom Condon.

“When I heard emphatically from Tom Condon and Archie Manning ‘don’t take us,’ that hit me — call me a traditionalist — it hit me the wrong way,” Smith said. “I decided I was not going to play this game with them and I flipped it, in my view, to an unknown where they didn’t know what I’m going to do or how this is going to unfold — they really didn’t.”

I hated the Chargers growing up. Hated them. Shawne Merriman was an arrogant dickhead who could dish it but couldn’t take it when the Pats did his Lights Out dance in San Diego after an upset. LaDanian Tomlinson was the greatest runningback I’ve ever seen, but all he did was complain about how “classy” the Patriots were. All while sitting on the sidelines in his Darth Vader outfit while Philip Rivers played on a torn ACL. So aside from the Peyton Manning Colts and the Rex Ryan Jets the mid 2000s Chargers were my most hated football team.

BUT, I now LOVE AJ Smith. The architect of one of the most hated teams of my youth is an A+ grudge holder and I have to respect the spite. Oh whats that Eli, you don’t want me to draft you No. 1 overall in the NFL? In fact you won’t even play for my team if I do draft you? Well fuck you because now I’m doing it.

AJ Smith wasn’t going to let some rich kid and the Manning Mafia tell him how to do his job. I bet he would have ate the draft pick and let Manning sit the year out if he didn’t get the trade offer he wanted. Just spite that whole family because you ain’t John Elway, kid.

Now obviously this trade was the rare trade that worked out swimmingly for both sides. The Chargers got Philip Rivers and a boatload of picks that turned into franchise cornerstones and the Giants got Eli and 2 Super Bowls (kill me) out of it. Big Z made the point that the Giants might actually have won more Super Bowls with Rivers under center because aside from two month long hot streaks by Eli Manning, Rivers is clearly the better player. Rivers has a better career Completion %, more TDs, 60+ less INTs, and a better QB Rating.

I’d still rather have two SB rings, but I respect the shit out of AJ Smith for deriving so much pleasure out of something so small. An early candidate for The 300s 2019 Hater of the Year.

Rapid Reaction to the Patriots 2019 Regular Season Schedule

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Even though the 2019 NFL regular-season schedule wasn’t supposed to be “officially” released until Wednesday night at 8 p.m., The Athletic was already able to get the skinny on the Pats’ upcoming slate of games earlier this morning.

And, of course, in today’s world of “I SAID IT FIRST” journalism, you know they wasted no time in leaking it to the masses:

Rapid reaction:

For starters, the beginning of the season should be an absolute cakewalk. Sure, the Steelers are a tough(ish) team to start off with. But losing Antonio Brown definitely doesn’t make them better than they were last year, and so far they haven’t really made waves with any noteworthy offseason moves. Plus, the game will be in Foxborough; Brady & Co. ain’t losing at home in a season-opener coming off a Super Bowl victory. So, that’s 1-0 so far.

Then there’s three straight against the dregs of the AFC East, immediately followed up by meetings with Washington, the Giants, and then the Jets. Honestly, a 7-0 start is entirely possible and should not come as a surprise to anyone. (*He said while knocking heavily on his desk.*)

However, after that, shit gets REAL.

Starting with a bout at home against Cleveland in Week 8 (yeah, if you haven’t heard, the Browns are going to be legit this season), the Pats are going to get hit with an absolutely brutal mid-season test. Even though they get a bye in Week 10, starting in Week 9 they have to square off against five-straight playoff squads from last season, with three of those contests being on the road. And to make matters worse, each of those squads look even better than they did last year (with the exception of Houston, who has done zilch to improve themselves so far this offseason). Seriously, Weeks 8-14 are going to a slogggg.

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Baker will make his Foxborough debut just a few days before Halloween this year. CANNOT wait for that one.

But then the season ends with three cupcakes, starting with Cincy in Week 15 and then finishing against Buffalo and Miami, respectively. (Also, I LOVE mid-season bye weeks. The Pats always seem to get them, and they’re usually a much-needed reprieve midway through the year. I was very happy to see that.)

So, in all, only about a third of the teams on this year’s schedule give me cause for concern, meaning that an 11- or 12-win season – at the absolute minimum – is a more than safe assumption to make.

Does that make me sound like a cocky, arrogant, spoiled Patriots toadie? Maybe. Do I understand why the rest of the nation hates us so? Absolutely. Can a lot still happen this offseason in terms of roster moves, or could a significant injury occur which changes my whole outlook? Potentially.

But am I still 100% percent confident in my prediction? WITHOUT…A…DOUBT. Mark the Pats down for another trip the playoffs and a run at title No. 7. You heard it here first.

D’Qwell Jackson Hilariously Asks Tom Brady to Help Him Get His F-ing Football Back

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“Here’s the fucked up part. I never got my ball back. The NFL said it was deflated. Then Bill Belichick and Bill Nye the Science Guy had a pissing contest over PSI levels…Roger Goodell probably has my fucking football on his damn mantle.”

Update: D’Qwell Jackson has responded and is now a friend of The 300s.

Bravo, D’Qwell, bravo. Heres a guy that became an unwilling footnote in the whole Deflategate saga. The NFL initially tried to make him the fall guy, but D’Qwell immediately denied having any part in snitching about allegedly deflated footballs. This video only confirms that in my mind as he comes off as a sneaky funny guy who just wants his fucking football back. As he has done to so many others, Roger Goodell swooped down and took something that wasn’t his. D’Qwell just wants a keepsake from a huge play he made in a huge game that his team otherwise got their doors blown off in. Let the man have that, Roger.

The Absolute Implosion of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers Just Reinforces How Rock Solid the Patriots Have Been

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Jesus, Aaron! Maybe just turn the other cheek? While he’s probably not wrong, he has absolutely zero to gain by sniping the “mostly irrelevant, bitter players.” It’s a lose lose situation because he just comes off looking like a dickhead. This all stems from the recent Bleacher Report article that absolutely smoked Rodgers and Mike McCarthy and the fault that each deserves for the Packers coming up short over the years.

It must be infuriating as a player because you really can’t win, but look no further than one Tom Brady for a playbook on how to handle “smear attacks” and media hit pieces. The most incendiary things he’s said in the past 5 years came from *leaked* emails such as him shitting on Peyton Manning’s longevity as well as his hatred of ill prepared pool cover companies.

Tom Brady also had the gall to politely tell WEEI to go fist themselves after someone called his daughter a pissant on the air. That was after ESPN dropped article after article on the crumbling Patriots dynasty including Seth Wickersham writing 20,000 word pieces on how bad the infighting and the drama had gotten within the Patriots organization. All they’ve done since was go out and win 2 out of 3 Super Bowls.

So my advice to Aaron Rodgers? Be more like Tom Brady.

Imagine Paying That Much for Russell Freaking Wilson?

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ESPN – The Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson have reached agreement on a four-year, $140 million extension that includes a $65 million signing bonus and makes the quarterback the highest-paid player in the NFL, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday morning.

I heard this today and just laughed. Honestly just laughed. Making Russell Wilson the highest paid quarterback in NFL history is maybe the dumbest decision a professional sports franchise has ever made? Why? Because he is not the best quarterback of all time, or even of HIS time.

Over the last four years, the Seahawks have never had a record higher than 10-6, have lost in the divisional round of the playoffs once, and FAILED TO MAKE THEM once. I know, I know, this isn’t all on the quarterback, but it sort of kind of is right? A good QB is supposed to be able to position any team to win. Look at some of the garbage D’s Brady has carried. Rodgers and Brees have consistently succeeded without a slew of All-Pros on the other side of the ball from them. And it isn’t like the Seahawks didn’t try and give Wilson the weapons as well. He and Jimmy Graham couldn’t have connected playing fuckin catch in the backyard, let alone in a pro football game.

The bottom line is that other than honey moon period with Pete Carroll in 13′ and 14′ Wilson has not proven himself to be able to get it done when it matters. He actually finished outside the Top-10 in Total QBR this year. I HATE modern stats because I think they tell crooked stories, but QBR is one I rely on to say whether or a guy actually executes vs padding his stats with a couple deep balls.

So congrats to the Seahawks and their 12th Man squad. You just gave NBA money to a guy who doesn’t really get it done. But hey on the bright side pro athletes tend to play better after they are given outrageous deals.

-Joey B.

And Here We Have Lou Merloni Being The World’s Lamest Human/Wettest Blanket

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Boston.com – “You won the World Series, your banner’s going up, you’re getting rings. That’s it. End of story, end of story” exclaimed Merloni from a Red Sox standpoint. “No Patriots. Sorry, it’s stupid.”

So I’ll be honest I went looking for the link to this NOT DOING RESEARCH and was surprised to see how many people agreed with Lou Merloni, who has somehow parlayed way too long of a playing career into way too long of a broadcasting career. On the flip side agreeing with him were people like Scott Zolak and other raging jackasses from old guy Boston sports media sooooooo.

I personally like that the Sox did this since it is the same fan base. Plus the Pats win only happened a couple of months ago. To be honest I think Merloni’s point of view is just coming from the same barber shop that produces every “old man yells at cloud” opinion when it comes to America’s (former) game. “Baseball purists” I believe they’re called. People who hate fun basically.

But look, Framingham’s Favorite Son is entitled to his opinion, I suppose. My point is: who fucking cares? Is it really ruining opening day/your day that the Sox honored the Pats? Did they even televise it (nerd alert if you can answer this)? After I’d say pitch two everyone and anyone with a brain (and a couple beers) forgot it happened. Although I’d say there were a few kids at Fenway who someday will get to say they got to see BOTH of their teams who won the previous season honored, which is pretty cool.

Either way, for Lou Merloni to decide to die on the hill that the Pats should not be mentioned on an ugly ass April day is kind of preposterous. You got opening day, Marathon Monday in a week, a college admissions scandal. SO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM LOU. Let a little extra frivolity go.

-Joey B.

 

In a Post Gronk World, Patriots Sign 285 Pound German Tight End Jakob Johnson

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Yahoo – The New England Patriots have a new tight end from Germany. The Patriots have added Jakob Johnson to their organization as part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program. According to Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal, “if Johnson doesn’t make the Patriots 53-man roster, he’ll be granted an extra 11th spot on the team’s practice squad, but not eligible to be promoted.”

Johnson played tight end for the Stuttgart Scorpions in Germany last season. He tallied 43 receptions for 474 yards and four touchdowns, in addition to 12 tackles for the Scorpions in 2018. He’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds.

Johnson played college football at the University of Tennessee from 2014 to 2017. He showed some impressive versatility with the Volunteers, playing tight end, defensive line and offensive line. We know Patriots head coach Bill Belichick values players who can fill multiple roles/positions.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch, indeed.

In what I will from here on out refer to as a Post Gronk world, the Patriots are suddenly thin as a triscuit at tight end. Maybe they saw the success the Celtics have had importing Daniel Theis AKA The Daniel Wall from the Deutschland. The Patriots have had some success dipping into Germany before though, most notably when they signed Sebastian Vollmer completely out of nowhere and the guy went on to become a stud. Unrelated, but should be noted, Seabass is now dabbling as sports commentator and is also chiseled from marble.

Rough life for Sebastian these days.

So a closer look at Jakob Johnson, who is the prime hybrid prototype that Belichick loves so much, having played TE, DL, and OL at Tennessee. He is definitely not Gronk though. In fact he’s more like an extra lineman because he only caught 3 passes for 23 yards in 17 games over parts of 4 seasons at Tennessee. He also recorded 14 tackles in that same time. So not a lot of catches, but he did make the SEC Academic Honor Roll three times!

Last season he went over to Germany to play for his hometown Stuttgart Scorpions where he Balled. Out. Johnson had 43 receptions for 474 yards and four touchdowns so its not like the kid can’t catch, it seems like they just didn’t utilize him much as a receiver in college. Hey, Belichick turned a college wrestler into a 3x Super Bowl champ offensive lineman in Stephen Neal so I have faith Bill can make something of this kid too.

This has been your NFL Euro Offseason Report.

Reassessing the Patriots Biggest Needs Three Weeks Into the Offseason

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In just three weeks since the offseason and new NFL league year began, the Patriots have already lost each of the following from last year’s squad:

  • Their starting left tackle (Trent Brown)
  • Their top defensive lineman (Trey Flowers)
  • Their starting tight end (Rob Gronkowski)
  • Their top kick returner (Cordarrelle Patterson)

OH, and they could potentially lose their kicker, too, as Stephen Gostkowski still remains a free agent.

Now, it might be a bit misleading to say they “lost” each of these players; many presumed that guys like Brown and Flowers would be too pricey for the Pats to keep, and the team was likely preparing to move on from them anyway. However, the news of Gronk’s retirement certainly wasn’t ideal, and we know the team already swung and missed on multiple free agents or guys on the trade block so far as well (e.g. Antonio Brown, Adam Humphries, Cole Beasley, etc.).

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MAN, this dude would’ve looked good rockin’ the Flying Elvis.

Look, I’ve been a die-hard Pats fan for almost two decades now, and Bill always finds a way to build a competitive roster, no matter what. But this offseason saw the team take some pretty big hits, and besides Julian Edelman and a solid running game, the team’s offense is pretty barren.

The thing is, after Gronk’s retirement and a few contract restructurings, the team now has about $23 million available in cap space after having just pennies a few weeks ago. (Which, like, WTF??!!! We couldn’t have figured all this out BEFORE free agency began, guys??!! SERIOUSLY??!!) At this point, I bet they’re saving up the dough for all the extra draft picks they’ll have this year or future re-signings, as there really isn’t anything noteworthy left on the market. (Maybe we could go after Michael Crabtree or Ndamukong Suh?? Ehhhh.)

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Love ya, bud, but you couldn’t have said something in February???

While it’s always a futile effort to try and predict anything Belichick will ultimately do, here is at least a quick ranking of the team’s biggest remaining needs this offseason:

1.  Tight End

OK. This one seems almost too easy. After losing arguably the greatest tight end to ever play the game, it should be pretty obvious that attempting to replace him would be at the top of the team’s priority list. Some, though, might say that trying to find a replacement for Gronk perhaps shouldn’t be the main focus; he’s a generational talent, and rarely has a team ever had someone so dominant and game-changing at the position. Rather than trying to replicate what they had with him, maybe they should focus on improving other areas of the offense, as they’ll never again find another Robert James Gronkowski.

Sure. I get that. But the team’s current options at the position are pretty bleak. At the moment, the team has Jacob Hollister, Stephen Anderson, Matt LaCosse, and something named Ryan Izzo (?) as its only tight ends on the roster. While Hollister has shown flashes of talent when given the chance, he can’t seem to shake the injury bug and has really only proven his worth in preseason action. Anderson is a decent piece with some potential; I liked some of what I saw from him during his time with the Texans. (No really, though. I think I’ve even started him in fantasy once or twice.) And apparently the team likes LaCosse, as they made a point to sign him as a free agent this offseason. (I literally know ZILCH about Izzo. Moving on…)

Again, while they’ll never find another Gronk, the position has always been a huge part of the team’s offense. Not only have over 20 percent of the team’s total targets gone to guys playing tight end over the past five seasons, but the running game has also relied upon some great blocking from the position, too. For as much as people think of Gronk as a receiver, he was also one the game’s elite blockers, regardless of position. The team also cut Dwayne Allen this offseason, who was another great guy to have up front. Especially with the investment the team has made in the future of its rushing attack, in addition to the lackluster receiving group, something else really needs to be added here this offseason.

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Iowa’s Noah Fant is an almost too perfect fit for the team and would be a steal at the end of the first round…if he makes it to that point. (OH, and look he even wears Gronk’s number. Hmmm…)

2.  Wide Receiver

WOW, MATTES! Way to go out on a limb. 

I know, I know. Even the most casual Patriots fan knows the team needs some serious help at receiver. But it still doesn’t change the fact it’s one of their top needs, SO BACK OFF.

Anyway, while Edelman is still playing at the top of his game, the only other somewhat reliable receiver the team has right now is Phillip Dorsett. Josh Gordon is still under contract, and he was terrific during his time on the field last season. But, while he could potentially play for the team in 2019, who the hell really knows what’s going to end up happening with that guy? The team also recently signed journeyman Bruce Ellington as well as a guy with some sneaky potential in Maurice Harris. But, in reality, Edelman and Dorsett are the team’s top receivers for 2019 so far. Yikes.

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Looks like Jules is going to have to be THE man again in 2019.

Fortunately, there is a lot of talent at wide receiver (and tight end) in this year’s draft, so the team could choose to pounce on someone in the early rounds. But, Belichick’s never really been too successful going that route, and I’d still like to see them bring in another veteran guy on a cheap flyer (again, Crabtree??) or via trade. Brady is in desperate need of some more weapons.

3.  Linebacker

Here is a position that is being overlooked by Patriots fans this offseason. I don’t think people realize how weak the team was at times over the middle of the defense in 2018. And, to be honest, if we didn’t have such a stellar secondary to clean up the mistakes of those in front of them, it could’ve been worse.

While some might think I get on Kyle Van Noy too much, I want everyone to know that I do realize his value as a pass-rusher/edge defender. He stepped up big time, especially in the playoffs, and he is a key piece on D. I’m not denying that. However, neither he nor Dont’a Hightower (who continues to look older and older with each passing snap) could cover a blind paraplegic stuck in molasses if their life depended on it. Not only did the team give up the ninth-most receiving yards to the running back position last season, but in the playoffs both of these guys also allowed almost SEVENTY PERCENT of the targets thrown their way to be completed. WOOF.

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Van Noy giveth, and Van Noy taketh away.

And there’s also the fact that Van Noy and Hightower are literally the only two linebackers who played significant snaps last season. Elandon Roberts has been all but forgotten. And while I am intrigued by second-year man Ja’Whuan Bentley – who showed a lot of promise before losing most of last season due to injury – we still need another guy, specifically one with some speed. Regardless of how you feel about anyone in the team’s current linebacking corps, there’s no doubt that the depth here is super thin.

(BOLD PREDICTION: Jamie Collins, an above-average coverage guy and former Belichick special project, ends up coming back to Foxborough on a cheap deal.)

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Round 2, anyone???

4.  Offensive Tackle

Again, here’s what seems like another pretty obvious choice, but I’m not highlighting the position solely due to the loss of Trent Brown. After all, the team did spend a first-round pick on a guy last year, Isaiah Wynn, whom is expected to take over and slide right into the left tackle spot this season. And they still have a steady-but-declining Marcus Cannon on the right side as well. Pretty much, the starters are set.

But behind that, there’s really not much. After losing swing tackle Cameron Fleming to Dallas in free agency before last season, the Pats then lost LaAdrian Waddle as a free agent to Buffalo this offseason. Waddle, while not a stud by any means, is a guy who played in 30 games (starting seven of them) for the team since 2016, filling in at both tackle spots whenever needed. (He wasn’t spectacular, but he was a solid, reliable guy who knew the system nonetheless.) So, in reality, the team is down two of its top four tackles from last season.

They did just go out and sign some guy named Cedrick Lang this week – who was drafted in 2016 and has yet to see an NFL snap – and there’s some who really believe in third-year man Cole Croston. Still, though, I’d like to see another solid tackle added within the first couple rounds this April, especially in a draft that is so deep at the position.

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I don’t know anything about this Lang guy. But I guess a 26-year-old, 6’7″, 300-pounder is never a bad thing to have.

To me, these are the areas in which the team could see the biggest issues in 2019 if not addressed right away. While a lot of people may also bring up positions like the defensive line or quarterback, I feel as though the team already has enough at both of these spots to get them by for now. (The draft is also LOADED at pass-rusher, so we can feel pretty safe assuming we’ll get at least one or two of ’em.)

What do you think, Pats Nation? Do you agree with my rankings? Is there another position I overlooked entirely? Be sure to let us know in the comments!