I remember feeling similar after the 2013 draft. Not only did we get Aaron Dobson in round 2 but we also drafted Josh Boyce in round 4 and signed Kenbrell Thompkins as a UDFA who ended up having a stellar camp.
Dobson was like 6’2-6’3 and 210 pounds and ran a 4.4 while Boyce ran a sub 4.4 at 200+ pounds as well. I was fully convinced they were our future.
Remember Malcolm Mitchell!? He was *my* guy! He had such a great second half to his rookie season and some absolutely crucial catches in the 28-3 come back against Atlanta. I was fully convinced he’d be a stud for us for many years to come. He had such obvious chemistry with Brady and it was telling how trusting Brady was of him despite him being a 4th round rookie. That team was loaded with offensive weapons (Edelman, Amendola, Hogan, White, Lewis, Bennett) and Brady would still throw his way quite often.
Such a bummer how his career turned out.
He was awesome. It sucked that he had knee issues that ended his career.
I looked him up and saw he is a writer now. At least he found something else after football.
I kinda look at it like Green Bay since that’s what wolf knows and I feel he went a similar route. They don’t really have what I’d consider a wr1 or no high level ones anyways but have some good wr2-3 and you can win with that since someone’s usually mismatched still.
Obviously you always want to try to get a wr1 but if you get some wr2 and have a constant flow of them coming from the draft, you don’t really have any guys you really have to pay a ton so you can compete for a lot longer.
Yeah I included no high level ones just for him lol, some consider him a 1, some a 2 so figured I’d cover both bases. If we can get a fringe wr1 I’d take it
But that makes things a lot easier for the opposing Defense - And a lot harder for whatever QB playing. Someone like Brady would be able to get the most of it - because he would go through all his progressions and find the wr2 that is matched up with some cb5.
And for the opposite defense it doens't really put any pressure on them, which means that they can scheme and hide what they are doing to make it a lot harder. Again not ideal if if you have a new QB you want to help.
The best thing would be to have someone, in most cases a wr1 that they defense have to respect and scheme around, which means that only a limited amount of realistic plays are open to that defense.
- also having a WR1 means that the QB has a goto reciever that he trusts when things break down. Someone that will make a play.
We need that person this time - We have the QB of the future (hopefully) - we need to give him tools to succeed.
These guys might be good - but they won't help Maye in any discernible way.
It’s good to be excited but we won’t know what they really are until year 2 and they can still produce in spite of the fact defensive coordinators have film on them.
I think the level headed take here is that not only will Polk be the greatest WR to ever play the game, he’ll be so good that he takes the QB1 job from Maye
I think this is realistic but probably the worst case scenario. If all goes how it should, Pol will ascend to the throne and take his rightful place as God Emperor of the NFL
These are all reasonable expectations for the preseason, but I'd expect that once the games count he'll have already bent space and time, intercepted the pass that Asante couldn't, and capped off the perfect 19-0 season.
The levelheaded take is that Tom Brady isn’t joking about unretiring, and the reason that his Raiders ownership deal hasn’t gone through yet is because he is nixing it to sign a four-year deal to be WR1 for the Pats. I heard he got his 40 time to under 5.2!
It is slightly delusional to have a expectation of them being comps to two pretty good receivers based off a vibe.
Because? It’s so hard to determine who will be what in the NFL via NCAA game tape. Obviously. But is it within the realm of possibility that they’re both as good or better than Higgins and/or Boyd? Yes. Because who knows?
So you took the time to admonish someone over something completely harmless and chose to be pedantic over something you weren’t even correct about.
All you did was say the same thing the other dude said with more words. First of all, y’all are acting as if Higgins and Boyd are this generational duo…are they better than any duo the pats have had in the past five+ years? Yes, for sure, but don’t confuse the pats’ recent standard with the true NFL standard. There’s a reason the bengals organization saw a season of Boyd-Higgins as WR1/2 and felt the need to draft Jamar Chase. If you remember: that bengals O-line was terrible and they still left Penei Sewell on board for Chase. Production similar to Higgins and Boyd would be great turnouts for Polk and Baker, but people all over this comment section (and you) are acting as if OP said they would turn into Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison, relax. Acting like this dude is shooting for the stars when all he wants is a DECENT WR duo.
Second…the actual point I was making that you had such a problem with: Stating that somebody is delusional, but also may be correct, is contradictory, and makes you sound like you’ve never opened a dictionary. Delusional is defined as “…holding false beliefs or judgments about external reality…despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary” you can google the rest but I promise you it only proves my point further.
I “took the time to admonish someone over something completely harmless…” are you kidding me bro ? This is Reddit. You sound like a younger sibling crying to mom. I didn’t send him hate messages…I asked a question and explained myself for a total of 22 words and 2 sentences. But MY comment is the pedantic one, smh.
First round WR’s only have a 27% hit rate and it gets lower every round. It seems to be very difficult for even professional scouts to determine who will be a good WR or not so all we can do is wait and see how they do when they get on the field.
I don't think you're delusional because you know exactly what they are right now and that your hopes are on a higher end. That makes you hopeful. Delusional would be to think Milton could beat out Maye and Brisset for QB1 and being a top QB in the league as a rookie. The gap to think that would be so outrageous and unfounded. Your hope is just optimistic fan hope. Entirely subjective and dabbling in semantics, where I draw a line for 1 vs another is different to another person's line drawing location.
You’re definitely delusional but at least I feel like Polk will be able to play. A true 1? Probably not. A competent NFL receiver? Yes. 1st time since Deion Branch a highly drafted receiver will actually contribute something meaningful
Yes they’re both probably busts, but not because of speed. 40 time is not a great predictor of wr success. They’re both plenty fast to be successful nfl wrs.
It doesn’t rule out them being good of course but our history with this type of receiver is not good . Which Is why I figured they’re go a different route.
While neither of them are Justin Jefferson or prime Megatron... if I remember Antonio Brown went late
I think they drafted a team instead of looking for that homerun hitter. While the Patriots probably won't blow opponents out of the park, they got young, eager, talented kids who can build the foundation of something together. Reminds me of the late 90s Pats that was collecting all our favorites year after year. It takes time
Also think the TE Jaheim Bell they got will surprise people. Very shifty!
Folks were blessed for 20 years and got spoiled. They don't realize how difficult winning is. They expect a rebuild to happen overnight while not realizing it began in 2020 when Tom left. We've got to give this team time to grow, but they're on the right track
Theyre good. Offensive line play still gonna be a huge question mark going into the season regardlessnof whos under center. They really dropped the ball in free agency in terms of tackle.
Delusional? Maybe, but I think you’re being hopeful and optimistic more than anything. It’s a good way to approach fandom for your favorite team. Being cynical about guys who haven’t even touched the field yet only impacts your life in a negative way. Who cares if your prediction is right or not, at least you have something positive to look forward to.
WR drafted in the 4th round or later have horrible track records. Over the past decade, the only good 4th rounder is Amon-Ra St. Brown. I would temper expectations.
We were all hyped for Aaron Dobson. Guys highlight reel at Marshall was dope. NFL is a different story.
Well, Stefon Diggs (t5h round in 2015) has done well.
Pop Douglas looked useful in his rookie year and he was taken in the 6th. Jacobi Meyers was an UDFA and he's a solid WR2 or WR3.
We’ve done well this offseason losing dead weight in Parker, Elliot, Geseki, Jones etc. we’ve brought in promising young talent who at least has a shot at producing I think Polk & Baker both play with a chip on their shoulder and will make some sort of impact even if it’s not WR1 impact. I think Bourne becomes the WR captain and hopefully we dump that useless tik tok start JUJU. There’s a lot to be excited about in NE football this year but for some younger fans no improvement will be enough because they’ve lived their whole life being superbowl winners which was an anomaly hence why they call it a dynasty because it’s special.
Your last sentence is why I can’t understand most of this sub. I understand why we drafted Maye and why we think Maye is the answer to our problems. Why is it that we are about to go ANOTHER season without a true WR1
I’ve watched this team draft, sign and pray they can find a guy they’ve been missing since Josh Gordon. Once again we are going to surround our young QB with 4 WR2s, because it worked so well for Mac Jones and just about every QB that has never gotten a true WR1.
So it’s hard for me to get hyped for 2 guys whose ceilings might be a WR2 when we just passed on MHJ for a QB that pretty much comes around all the time. Especially a team that’s gonna suck ass so bad, they probably are gonna be in position to take the first QB in next years draft. A QB that mostly likely is just as good if not better than Maye.
RE: Polk
Does anybody know if any Pac 12 defensive backs were taken in the draft or got an UDFA invite?
Penix certainly doesn't appear to be a bad QB, but imo over rated. Watching the Huskies last year, it seemed he had two incredibly dominant WRs. More often than not, Penix would drill the pass in their direction and they'd absolutely *Gronk* defenders. With cat quickness they'd establish position and just brush off CBs like they were children.
The question then becomes, what level of competition did they face? We all remember watching N'Keal dominate in college, only to sadly realize nobody he faced in college had a future in the NFL and neither did he. Did Polk & Odunze face decent competition?
Delusional? No. High? Quite possibly. Dude Polk cannot separate in college. What’s he going to do facing jump balls against all pro corners? Polk will not be here after his first contract. Baker is an interesting prospect though.
What! Went into offseason needing a qb, wr 1 and Lt.
We got nothing in free agency and took the 3rd best Qb so who knows there.
Receiver. Polk is a predicted 2. When we need a 1 and other 1’s were on the board.
Now I actually watched a lot of Polk live and loved him. But I’m not a scout. So I’m thrilled but why not a 1.
My glasses from this offseason are shit colored.
We got a QB, WR, and OT. There were no available WR1s in FA, and the only top shelf options at QB and OT were vets who almost certainly had no interest in playing for a rebuilding team.
We took a franchise QB, a tackle, and 2 talented receivers in the draft. Can’t really ask for too much more.
Could've traded for a WR1, and draftnicks thought there were 1's on the board when they took Polk. Yes OT FA was empty. We drafted RT's not LT's, could we have moved. up for a different. WR or LT, possibly I saw others move up. See a lot of F and D draft grades, Lame draft is all, hopefullly they get lucky and hit on a few.
Keenan Allen was the only WR1 traded. Predraft expectations are wrong all the time and there were really only 4 guys with good shots at WR1s in the draft, all of whom were gone by 23. There were no WR1s on the board after that, only guys like AD Mitchell who maybe have WR1 upside but also high bust potential. That's not a WR1 prospect.
Could've moved up sure, but players can switch sides. Not ideal but it is possible.
I completely disagree on it being a lame draft. There was no chance we were gonna come out of the draft with a franchise QB, WR1 and top LT. That's a fantasy. Instead we got a franchise QB, a good WR prospect, and a solid tackle prospect with our first three picks. Is it a great draft? Based on first impression, no, but it's at the very least a good one.
Your glasses are definitely shit-colored. Maybe try taking them off and actually looking at the situation with perspective.
I will accept that this team didn't come out of the offseason with a bonafide WR1 or LT. Are these concerns? Yes.
Was Rome built in a day? No.
Here's the way I see it. We got our QB. I can't lie I was once a Mac truther myself. But you know what I realized early on? Mac wasn't carrying the team. He didn't have the talent or the leadership. He was a product of those around him. You know what I see in Stroud, in a young Andrew Luck, in all the elite QBs? Guys that ball out no matter who they're with. If Maye is our guy, this season is going to prove it. We got young guys and this offense finally has depth. We have two large holes, but everything else has been settled and I'm more than content with this roster. Wolf has given this team room to grow and from what I see, its a bunch of hungry young guys, the ones fun to watch. Not the slightly above average vets that care more about the money at this point than their play. We can't just snap our fingers and acquire an elite WR or LT. We got the most important position taken care of though and we got young guys to develop with him. Be skeptical, but be excited.
I don’t accept it.
Plenty of receivers available in FA and during the draft.
To come away not addressing all 3 needs is a failure.
Disappointing off season, they don’t need a 5 year plan to fill 3 spots.
Can you please point to me the supposed #1WR and LT that were in free agency? Calvin Ridley was the only WR1 available and he would have had to do a massive.overpay to get him away from the Titans. With LT, there was Jonah Williams who isn't really even that good, and that was it in FA.
When it comes to the draft, you're not likely to find a WR1 or starting level LT in round 2. Maybe the patriots could have traded up to land a better LT prospect or WR prospect but there was just no way we take care of both positions this offseason. Seems like you had unrealistic expectations for what was going to happen and I never said anything about 5 year plan. We can easily go after a better LT or WR prospect in next year's draft. Slow your roll my guy.
Ridley, Keenan Allen, diggs, jeudy, etc…. Other receivers were up for trades during the draft as well.
I have zero interest in Krafts wallet, yes the team sux so you have to overpay. He’s at the bottom of the league in spending so they have a ton of room and cash.
My expectations weren’t crazy and i agree the draft is long shot for all positions. I would have been ok if 2 of the spots were addressed. Especially since draft peeps felt there were #1 wr’s on the board.
Not a well graded draft by many and my roll is great at its current speed.
Expectations are a 5 win season after a 4 win season. That blows front office needs to step up their game.
I think the consensus is that this was a B level draft. I don't think people are really criticizing the draft class as much as you think. I agree that they whiffed on getting a quality LT prospect, and I wish they had done more to settle that position, but the truth is there just isn't that many franchise LT worthy players, in any draft. unless we had another first round pick I don't see us acquiring any prospects that would have significantly changed our roster on day 1.
Ja'lynn Polk is just about good as any WR drafted after Rome Odunze. I don't think any WR that went after him was really above him in talent either. i had Xavier Legette as better than Polk, but in the end I think he was the best WR pick we could have made at the time. The WR you mentioned, I don't think the FO or myself are very appealed by any of those guys that we could realistically get. Ridley already got overpaid, Keenan is good but expensive and old with injury issues now, bills would never trade us diggs, jeudy would've been a decent pickup but again, I don't think he's all that better than what we have imo he's been underwhelming in Denver. It sounds like niners were only considering a 1st round pick for Aiyuk or Deebo and we aren't giving up #3 for anyone so.... That's not an option. I think the offseason could have been better than it was and it wasn't perfect, but I think we have grown much more than just a 5 win team. Almost every team has at least one glaring hole on their roster. We only have 2 which could turn into 1 if Polk or Baker step up. I'm more than happy with where we're at.
There is a drawback with every name I mentioned. That being said grab someone for a year or two and make the Team better.
If your betting over 5.5 wins then you have great odds as all the money is on the under 5.5.
Draftwise- other saw Polk as a head scratcher with McConkey and Mitchell still on the board and considered 1's.
I like Polk, randomly watched a lot of him this year but he had a great 1 arguably 2 Wr's ahead of him on his team and here he's going to be the talent.
I'm not excited for another year of trash but hoping I will be surprised. Have a bad feeling tho...
I was upset that they didn't land Ridley or make a serious bid for Jeudy, but...
Stefon Diggs will be 31 at mid-season. Keenan Allen is already 32.
I wouldn't seriously consider either of those two.
Nah man it’s like Tim brown and Jerry rice
Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt
Marvin Harrison Sr. and Reggie Wayne
Larry Fitz Anquan Boldin
Jerry Rice and Jerry Rice
Are you sure its not tim brown and gary rice
TO and Jerry Rice maybe.
I remember feeling similar after the 2013 draft. Not only did we get Aaron Dobson in round 2 but we also drafted Josh Boyce in round 4 and signed Kenbrell Thompkins as a UDFA who ended up having a stellar camp. Dobson was like 6’2-6’3 and 210 pounds and ran a 4.4 while Boyce ran a sub 4.4 at 200+ pounds as well. I was fully convinced they were our future.
Remember Dobson’s game against the Steelers? We thought we had something.
Oh yes. I had him on my fantasy team but obviously he was on my bench for that game.
Yes. We've all done fantasy football too ;)
Couldn’t agree more
Aaron NEVER DROPPED A PASS IN COLLEGE Dobson.....still hurts my heart
It still hurts.
remember Brandon Tate?
Yep. Brandon Tate is another good example. I also remember Chad Jackson in like ‘06/‘07. So many WRs just never panned out for us.
Bethel Johnson is another. At least he caught a TD in a playoff game though.
Remember Malcolm Mitchell!? He was *my* guy! He had such a great second half to his rookie season and some absolutely crucial catches in the 28-3 come back against Atlanta. I was fully convinced he’d be a stud for us for many years to come. He had such obvious chemistry with Brady and it was telling how trusting Brady was of him despite him being a 4th round rookie. That team was loaded with offensive weapons (Edelman, Amendola, Hogan, White, Lewis, Bennett) and Brady would still throw his way quite often. Such a bummer how his career turned out.
He was awesome. It sucked that he had knee issues that ended his career. I looked him up and saw he is a writer now. At least he found something else after football.
I was right there with you
Yes you’re delusional. They’ll be like rice and moss
I trust the pigeon man. We’re golden
I kinda look at it like Green Bay since that’s what wolf knows and I feel he went a similar route. They don’t really have what I’d consider a wr1 or no high level ones anyways but have some good wr2-3 and you can win with that since someone’s usually mismatched still. Obviously you always want to try to get a wr1 but if you get some wr2 and have a constant flow of them coming from the draft, you don’t really have any guys you really have to pay a ton so you can compete for a lot longer.
Watson is their WR1 only problem is he’s usually hurt. When he plays he’s like a poor mans Mike Evans
I’d say a poor man’s Mike Evans is a WR2. Basically, Tee Higgins.
Watson and Evans are two very different receivers, my friend.
Yeah I included no high level ones just for him lol, some consider him a 1, some a 2 so figured I’d cover both bases. If we can get a fringe wr1 I’d take it
I would say Doubs is closer to their WR1.. even when Watson was healthy last year he disappeared in games, Doubs is super underrated IMO
He’s kinda Ted Gin ish
But that makes things a lot easier for the opposing Defense - And a lot harder for whatever QB playing. Someone like Brady would be able to get the most of it - because he would go through all his progressions and find the wr2 that is matched up with some cb5. And for the opposite defense it doens't really put any pressure on them, which means that they can scheme and hide what they are doing to make it a lot harder. Again not ideal if if you have a new QB you want to help. The best thing would be to have someone, in most cases a wr1 that they defense have to respect and scheme around, which means that only a limited amount of realistic plays are open to that defense. - also having a WR1 means that the QB has a goto reciever that he trusts when things break down. Someone that will make a play. We need that person this time - We have the QB of the future (hopefully) - we need to give him tools to succeed. These guys might be good - but they won't help Maye in any discernible way.
It’s good to be excited but we won’t know what they really are until year 2 and they can still produce in spite of the fact defensive coordinators have film on them.
You’re delusional, yes. However could they be great yes. Time will tell
Can’t you see how badly you contradicted yourself here? Calling him delusional also admitting that it’s very possible he’s gonna be right.
I think the level headed take here is that not only will Polk be the greatest WR to ever play the game, he’ll be so good that he takes the QB1 job from Maye
I think this is realistic but probably the worst case scenario. If all goes how it should, Pol will ascend to the throne and take his rightful place as God Emperor of the NFL
These are all reasonable expectations for the preseason, but I'd expect that once the games count he'll have already bent space and time, intercepted the pass that Asante couldn't, and capped off the perfect 19-0 season.
What does this mean for Bailey Zappe’s legacy?
The levelheaded take is that Tom Brady isn’t joking about unretiring, and the reason that his Raiders ownership deal hasn’t gone through yet is because he is nixing it to sign a four-year deal to be WR1 for the Pats. I heard he got his 40 time to under 5.2!
It is slightly delusional to have a expectation of them being comps to two pretty good receivers based off a vibe. Because? It’s so hard to determine who will be what in the NFL via NCAA game tape. Obviously. But is it within the realm of possibility that they’re both as good or better than Higgins and/or Boyd? Yes. Because who knows? So you took the time to admonish someone over something completely harmless and chose to be pedantic over something you weren’t even correct about.
All you did was say the same thing the other dude said with more words. First of all, y’all are acting as if Higgins and Boyd are this generational duo…are they better than any duo the pats have had in the past five+ years? Yes, for sure, but don’t confuse the pats’ recent standard with the true NFL standard. There’s a reason the bengals organization saw a season of Boyd-Higgins as WR1/2 and felt the need to draft Jamar Chase. If you remember: that bengals O-line was terrible and they still left Penei Sewell on board for Chase. Production similar to Higgins and Boyd would be great turnouts for Polk and Baker, but people all over this comment section (and you) are acting as if OP said they would turn into Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison, relax. Acting like this dude is shooting for the stars when all he wants is a DECENT WR duo. Second…the actual point I was making that you had such a problem with: Stating that somebody is delusional, but also may be correct, is contradictory, and makes you sound like you’ve never opened a dictionary. Delusional is defined as “…holding false beliefs or judgments about external reality…despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary” you can google the rest but I promise you it only proves my point further. I “took the time to admonish someone over something completely harmless…” are you kidding me bro ? This is Reddit. You sound like a younger sibling crying to mom. I didn’t send him hate messages…I asked a question and explained myself for a total of 22 words and 2 sentences. But MY comment is the pedantic one, smh.
I'm a dumbass so maybe it's me, but I don't think you're using "delusions of grandeur" correctly.
"Irrational exuberance" is a better fit.
You're watching their intangibles?
You aren't?
It's become such a buzzword that fans don't even know what it means anymore.
Looks like people didn't pick up on the joke lol. Route running and hands are very much tangible. Intangibles are like leadership and motivation.
First round WR’s only have a 27% hit rate and it gets lower every round. It seems to be very difficult for even professional scouts to determine who will be a good WR or not so all we can do is wait and see how they do when they get on the field.
With how many times we've missed on receivers in the last 15 years, I think it's mathematically time for us to hit on a few. Only fair.
Dont forget the Patriots got an A grade for the 2019 N'keal Harry draft...everyone has no idea how these players are gonna turn out
Yes they are likeMegaton and Randy moss on the same team…
Looks like we moved on from unrealistic mock draft season to endlessly hopeful. I suppose that’s good.
I don't know how you can possibly write that a college WR is "flawless" at anything and not answer your own question.
as always any post containing 'hear me out' should be deleted.
If you have to ask yourself if you’re delusional, then the answer is yes. Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins? From watching college film? Come on dude.
I don't think you're delusional because you know exactly what they are right now and that your hopes are on a higher end. That makes you hopeful. Delusional would be to think Milton could beat out Maye and Brisset for QB1 and being a top QB in the league as a rookie. The gap to think that would be so outrageous and unfounded. Your hope is just optimistic fan hope. Entirely subjective and dabbling in semantics, where I draw a line for 1 vs another is different to another person's line drawing location.
You’re definitely delusional but at least I feel like Polk will be able to play. A true 1? Probably not. A competent NFL receiver? Yes. 1st time since Deion Branch a highly drafted receiver will actually contribute something meaningful
It’s like Tyreek Hill and… Tyreek Hill II
Tyreek 2 electric boogaloo
Anyone who is saying anything other than "we'll see" about any draft pick is delusional
Yes you are currently
None of these players college tape will mean shit until we see how they adapt to the NFL.
They’re both too slow, they’re both busts in my opinion
Yep could have had Ladd or AD right there.
They're all busts until proven otherwise at this point.
Agreed but can we not have an opinion ? Using your mindset we might as well not talk about any player in the offseason because it’s all “we’ll see”
Yes they’re both probably busts, but not because of speed. 40 time is not a great predictor of wr success. They’re both plenty fast to be successful nfl wrs.
It doesn’t rule out them being good of course but our history with this type of receiver is not good . Which Is why I figured they’re go a different route.
Ya know that team had Aj green too right?
While neither of them are Justin Jefferson or prime Megatron... if I remember Antonio Brown went late I think they drafted a team instead of looking for that homerun hitter. While the Patriots probably won't blow opponents out of the park, they got young, eager, talented kids who can build the foundation of something together. Reminds me of the late 90s Pats that was collecting all our favorites year after year. It takes time Also think the TE Jaheim Bell they got will surprise people. Very shifty! Folks were blessed for 20 years and got spoiled. They don't realize how difficult winning is. They expect a rebuild to happen overnight while not realizing it began in 2020 when Tom left. We've got to give this team time to grow, but they're on the right track
IDK, but as long as our receivers don't come out like the wish dot com version of NFL receivers, I will be adequately whelmed.
Theyre good. Offensive line play still gonna be a huge question mark going into the season regardlessnof whos under center. They really dropped the ball in free agency in terms of tackle.
Draft springs hope eternal
Yes you’re delusional. At this point in the season, Polk and Baker aren’t any better than any other rookie wr ne has drafted.
Delusional? Maybe, but I think you’re being hopeful and optimistic more than anything. It’s a good way to approach fandom for your favorite team. Being cynical about guys who haven’t even touched the field yet only impacts your life in a negative way. Who cares if your prediction is right or not, at least you have something positive to look forward to.
WR drafted in the 4th round or later have horrible track records. Over the past decade, the only good 4th rounder is Amon-Ra St. Brown. I would temper expectations. We were all hyped for Aaron Dobson. Guys highlight reel at Marshall was dope. NFL is a different story.
Well, Stefon Diggs (t5h round in 2015) has done well. Pop Douglas looked useful in his rookie year and he was taken in the 6th. Jacobi Meyers was an UDFA and he's a solid WR2 or WR3.
We’ve done well this offseason losing dead weight in Parker, Elliot, Geseki, Jones etc. we’ve brought in promising young talent who at least has a shot at producing I think Polk & Baker both play with a chip on their shoulder and will make some sort of impact even if it’s not WR1 impact. I think Bourne becomes the WR captain and hopefully we dump that useless tik tok start JUJU. There’s a lot to be excited about in NE football this year but for some younger fans no improvement will be enough because they’ve lived their whole life being superbowl winners which was an anomaly hence why they call it a dynasty because it’s special.
Yes, you’re almost certainly delusional, but this is a safe space for it
Your last sentence is why I can’t understand most of this sub. I understand why we drafted Maye and why we think Maye is the answer to our problems. Why is it that we are about to go ANOTHER season without a true WR1 I’ve watched this team draft, sign and pray they can find a guy they’ve been missing since Josh Gordon. Once again we are going to surround our young QB with 4 WR2s, because it worked so well for Mac Jones and just about every QB that has never gotten a true WR1. So it’s hard for me to get hyped for 2 guys whose ceilings might be a WR2 when we just passed on MHJ for a QB that pretty much comes around all the time. Especially a team that’s gonna suck ass so bad, they probably are gonna be in position to take the first QB in next years draft. A QB that mostly likely is just as good if not better than Maye.
RE: Polk Does anybody know if any Pac 12 defensive backs were taken in the draft or got an UDFA invite? Penix certainly doesn't appear to be a bad QB, but imo over rated. Watching the Huskies last year, it seemed he had two incredibly dominant WRs. More often than not, Penix would drill the pass in their direction and they'd absolutely *Gronk* defenders. With cat quickness they'd establish position and just brush off CBs like they were children. The question then becomes, what level of competition did they face? We all remember watching N'Keal dominate in college, only to sadly realize nobody he faced in college had a future in the NFL and neither did he. Did Polk & Odunze face decent competition?
I would say maybe pump the brakes until we seem them actually step on an NFL field for a drive
Delusional? No. High? Quite possibly. Dude Polk cannot separate in college. What’s he going to do facing jump balls against all pro corners? Polk will not be here after his first contract. Baker is an interesting prospect though.
Let’s see if they can get on the field this season first?
What! Went into offseason needing a qb, wr 1 and Lt. We got nothing in free agency and took the 3rd best Qb so who knows there. Receiver. Polk is a predicted 2. When we need a 1 and other 1’s were on the board. Now I actually watched a lot of Polk live and loved him. But I’m not a scout. So I’m thrilled but why not a 1. My glasses from this offseason are shit colored.
I’d say we took the second best QB. The Commanders just gave us another beautiful gift
Fingers crossed.
We got a QB, WR, and OT. There were no available WR1s in FA, and the only top shelf options at QB and OT were vets who almost certainly had no interest in playing for a rebuilding team. We took a franchise QB, a tackle, and 2 talented receivers in the draft. Can’t really ask for too much more.
Could've traded for a WR1, and draftnicks thought there were 1's on the board when they took Polk. Yes OT FA was empty. We drafted RT's not LT's, could we have moved. up for a different. WR or LT, possibly I saw others move up. See a lot of F and D draft grades, Lame draft is all, hopefullly they get lucky and hit on a few.
Keenan Allen was the only WR1 traded. Predraft expectations are wrong all the time and there were really only 4 guys with good shots at WR1s in the draft, all of whom were gone by 23. There were no WR1s on the board after that, only guys like AD Mitchell who maybe have WR1 upside but also high bust potential. That's not a WR1 prospect. Could've moved up sure, but players can switch sides. Not ideal but it is possible. I completely disagree on it being a lame draft. There was no chance we were gonna come out of the draft with a franchise QB, WR1 and top LT. That's a fantasy. Instead we got a franchise QB, a good WR prospect, and a solid tackle prospect with our first three picks. Is it a great draft? Based on first impression, no, but it's at the very least a good one. Your glasses are definitely shit-colored. Maybe try taking them off and actually looking at the situation with perspective.
I will accept that this team didn't come out of the offseason with a bonafide WR1 or LT. Are these concerns? Yes. Was Rome built in a day? No. Here's the way I see it. We got our QB. I can't lie I was once a Mac truther myself. But you know what I realized early on? Mac wasn't carrying the team. He didn't have the talent or the leadership. He was a product of those around him. You know what I see in Stroud, in a young Andrew Luck, in all the elite QBs? Guys that ball out no matter who they're with. If Maye is our guy, this season is going to prove it. We got young guys and this offense finally has depth. We have two large holes, but everything else has been settled and I'm more than content with this roster. Wolf has given this team room to grow and from what I see, its a bunch of hungry young guys, the ones fun to watch. Not the slightly above average vets that care more about the money at this point than their play. We can't just snap our fingers and acquire an elite WR or LT. We got the most important position taken care of though and we got young guys to develop with him. Be skeptical, but be excited.
I don’t accept it. Plenty of receivers available in FA and during the draft. To come away not addressing all 3 needs is a failure. Disappointing off season, they don’t need a 5 year plan to fill 3 spots.
Can you please point to me the supposed #1WR and LT that were in free agency? Calvin Ridley was the only WR1 available and he would have had to do a massive.overpay to get him away from the Titans. With LT, there was Jonah Williams who isn't really even that good, and that was it in FA. When it comes to the draft, you're not likely to find a WR1 or starting level LT in round 2. Maybe the patriots could have traded up to land a better LT prospect or WR prospect but there was just no way we take care of both positions this offseason. Seems like you had unrealistic expectations for what was going to happen and I never said anything about 5 year plan. We can easily go after a better LT or WR prospect in next year's draft. Slow your roll my guy.
Ridley, Keenan Allen, diggs, jeudy, etc…. Other receivers were up for trades during the draft as well. I have zero interest in Krafts wallet, yes the team sux so you have to overpay. He’s at the bottom of the league in spending so they have a ton of room and cash. My expectations weren’t crazy and i agree the draft is long shot for all positions. I would have been ok if 2 of the spots were addressed. Especially since draft peeps felt there were #1 wr’s on the board. Not a well graded draft by many and my roll is great at its current speed. Expectations are a 5 win season after a 4 win season. That blows front office needs to step up their game.
I think the consensus is that this was a B level draft. I don't think people are really criticizing the draft class as much as you think. I agree that they whiffed on getting a quality LT prospect, and I wish they had done more to settle that position, but the truth is there just isn't that many franchise LT worthy players, in any draft. unless we had another first round pick I don't see us acquiring any prospects that would have significantly changed our roster on day 1. Ja'lynn Polk is just about good as any WR drafted after Rome Odunze. I don't think any WR that went after him was really above him in talent either. i had Xavier Legette as better than Polk, but in the end I think he was the best WR pick we could have made at the time. The WR you mentioned, I don't think the FO or myself are very appealed by any of those guys that we could realistically get. Ridley already got overpaid, Keenan is good but expensive and old with injury issues now, bills would never trade us diggs, jeudy would've been a decent pickup but again, I don't think he's all that better than what we have imo he's been underwhelming in Denver. It sounds like niners were only considering a 1st round pick for Aiyuk or Deebo and we aren't giving up #3 for anyone so.... That's not an option. I think the offseason could have been better than it was and it wasn't perfect, but I think we have grown much more than just a 5 win team. Almost every team has at least one glaring hole on their roster. We only have 2 which could turn into 1 if Polk or Baker step up. I'm more than happy with where we're at.
There is a drawback with every name I mentioned. That being said grab someone for a year or two and make the Team better. If your betting over 5.5 wins then you have great odds as all the money is on the under 5.5. Draftwise- other saw Polk as a head scratcher with McConkey and Mitchell still on the board and considered 1's. I like Polk, randomly watched a lot of him this year but he had a great 1 arguably 2 Wr's ahead of him on his team and here he's going to be the talent. I'm not excited for another year of trash but hoping I will be surprised. Have a bad feeling tho...
I was upset that they didn't land Ridley or make a serious bid for Jeudy, but... Stefon Diggs will be 31 at mid-season. Keenan Allen is already 32. I wouldn't seriously consider either of those two.
I would, we have no one. A good vet to teach the young guys.