With the Tennessee Titans wrapping up a deal for Julio Jones for a not-so-great price (?), it’s now time for the New England Patriots to move forward.
As reported, the cost for Jones was this,
"The Falcons have announced that the team has agreed to terms on a trade that will send receiver Julio Jones to the Titans. Atlanta gets Tennessee’s second-round pick in 2022 and fourth-round pick in 2023. The Titans get Jones and Atlanta’s sixth-round pick in 2023… Jones presumably will be required to pass a physical before the transaction becomes official. The Titans will also need to do a little salary-cap magic to absorb Jones’ $15.3 million charge foe 2021. Barring something entirely unexpected at this point, Jones is a Titan. More from Chowder and Champions 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win"
In 2020, the Patriots had two second-round picks. One was Kyle Dugger who had a fine season The other was Josh Uche who flashed a bit but produced little.
Their second-round pick in 2019 was Joejuan Williams who has 23 tackles with no interceptions or sacks in his two seasons in New England. Who knows if he’ll even make the team this year.
The same ole’ story for the New England Patriots
The point of this short history lesson (it is far worse if you look back 20 years at the team’s second rounds picks in total) is that these second-rounder Patriots picks are often throw-away picks.
Many have flopped and they don’t really seem to value fourth-rounders all that much either. They parted with two fourth-rounders plus their own second-round pick this year for Christian Barmore.
The fact is, there had been many drafts and many high picks that couldn’t even warrant a place on the field never mind deliver what their draft positions suggested.
With this lack of draft success, the failure to outbid the Titans for a Hall of Fame wide receiver is judged here to be even more ill-advised.
In fact, they may not have even had to outbid the Titans since it may be presumed at present that New England’s picks could be higher than Tennessee’s. There wasn’t that much at risk in sending out the two picks, at all.
Yet, Jones’s cap hit of $15m+ or so was certainly an issue. But, the team has cap space and could have maneuvered around it. In addition, next year a lot more cap space might be freed up, as well.
The Patriots’ personnel operation has seldom been one to elicit praise from those who really paid attention.
Yet, in an uncharacteristically aggressive offseason, fueled by last season’s flop and the owner’s clear directive to get better (more on that later), they did a solid job, much better than usual, at least on paper this offseason.
That’s until now. They had a chance to add a top, No. 1 wide receiver to their team (that doesn’t have one and needs one desperately) after the retirement of Julian Edelman and they passed.
The New England Patriots failed to learn a major lesson from the past
This space was an early and vociferous proponent of the Jones trade. New England balked (for better or for worse).
The previous two decades were led by the greatest quarterback ever, Tom Brady, the great safety valve, punctuated by his brilliance not that of the personnel operation to any great extent except on rare occasions.
Rather, Brady’s magnificence overcame the ineffectiveness of the Patriots’ personnel department by his sheer personal excellence, not the other way around.
When they did provide a top wide receiver in 2007, Randy Moss, the result was predictable. They had the greatest season of all time and only narrowly missed out on a perfect season.
Yet, when Moss left, they didn’t learn the obvious lesson, give Brady weapons and he’ll dominate. They never did again. Now, without Brady, they still don’t fathom that lesson.
So, with the Patriots once again failing to fit perhaps the final piece of the puzzle for 2021 into the slot necessary to bounce back from the woeful 2020 season, where do they go from here? Fortunately, they still have options.
The Julio Jones saga notwithstanding, one of the weakest positions on the Patriots is still the wide receiver room. As noted, no one there is a bonafide No. 1 receiver or frankly even close.
The need remains. The question is, after all the hullabaloo about free agency and after a finally sensible draft, will the Patriots have the perceptivity to take what may be the ultimate step to make them a contender once again?
It doesn’t seem so at this time on June 7, 2021. Yet, there is still time to deal for the missing piece to actually fashion this team into a post-Tom Brady contender again, rather than an AFC East afterthought and an also-ran.
Brady was the single most important asset of the Patriots ever and the fashioner of their dynasty. He wasn’t appreciated in New England.
Now he plies his trade in Tampa Bay and wins Super Bowl(s) there taking a previously talented but moribund losing team to a Super Bowl-winning season in his first season there.
The Patriots conversely flopped and won a paltry seven wins and had no playoffs at all.
New England Patriots must complete the puzzle by adding the missing piece
Their usual offseason approach changed this offseason when the real majordomo of the Patriots’, owner Bob Kraft uncharacteristically weighed in heavily on personnel matters.
Kraft seemed irritated that his prime asset, Brady had moved on and won yet another Super Bowl, this time with the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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This is speculative, but the big boss couldn’t have been happy with that though it’s been written in this space previously that he had to take a big share of the blame himself for allowing that fiasco to transpire.
Kraft made it clear that he wanted the quarterback situation sorted out and a good draft (author’s addition: for a change).
Bill Belichick seemed to get the message. He spent a bundle of Kraft’s money on free agents. Then, the Patriots had an uncharacteristically solid draft. This was a revelation, unheard of.
In the draft, he moved to remedy the quarterback situation alluded to by Mr. Kraft by drafting Mac Jones of Alabama. There is no issue at all with any of those activities here.
Yet, the Patriots still need a move to secure a top wide receiver to complete their otherwise pretty solid offense. That historical perspective noted earlier must be kept in mind.
There is still time to complete the job before training camp by trading for a top receiver elsewhere. That acquisition will immeasurably assist Cam Newton, the presumptive starting quarterback or whoever else might be in that spot due to injury or any other factor.
Whoever it might be, the move needs to be made, if not for a number one receiver at least for a “top receiver”, an 80-catch or so type.
The New England Patriots whiffed on Julio Jones. Can they hit subsequently hit a home run elsewhere in a trade with another team for another top receiver? They still have time. We’ll see.
I’d like to hear any ideas readers may have on who would/could make sense in a trade for a top wide receiver by the Patriots.