Patriots thoughts and reactions on Orlando Brown signing with Bengals
The New England Patriots can’t seem to get on track in free agency as they’ve missed another chance to upgrade their offensive tackle position dramatically.
Reports have it that the Cincinnati Bengals (they of the AFC title game Bengals) have swooped in and signed top free agent offensive left tackle (OLT) and Super Bowl champion, Orlando Brown Jr.
As former President Ronald Reagan might have said, “There they go again”, or rather there they didn’t go. In short, the New England Patriots blew a golden opportunity once again.
The real grabber in this situation is that Brown signed a four-year deal for a paltry (relatively speaking) $64.04M with a signing bonus of $31M. That’s chump change in the modern NFL.
It averages out to a mere $16M per year for a top offensive tackle which the Patriots could have sorely used. Once again this team has failed to sign a top player (emphasis on “top”) who’d have upgraded the O-line and the team dramatically.
Let’s analyze this in a bit more excruciating detail.
New England Patriots personnel operation is out-to-lunch
As usual, the Patriots looked a gift horse in the mouth and said no thanks. Brown is a top OLT, the second most important position on any NFL or any other football team for that matter.
The New England Patriots have OLT Trent Brown who’ll be 30 next month only for this, the last year of his contract.
Conversely, Orlando Brown Jr. could have been a plug-and-play OLT for years to come since he’s only 26 years old, healthy, and in his prime. Trent may be gone after this season and then what?
Instead of making this major move, the team added two backup or waiver-wire-level tackles in Calvin Anderson and 34-year-old Riley Reiff for about $7.5M this season. Neither can shine Orlando’s cleats.
As predicted, add up all these ludicrous ho him signings, and you’ll have frittered away enough cash to have signed a top player or two. Now the draft is the only hope and everyone, including owner Mr. Robert Kraft, knows they can’t draft either.
Orlando Brown is a top player at his position and now the team roster will be littered with mediocrity with Calvin Anderson, Riley Reiff, Conor McDermott, and Yodny Cajuste who are either at the end of their careers or waiver-wire quality players.
Once again the New England Patriots lackluster, amateurish personnel operation (and “operation” is giving more credit than is due, it’s really a disaster), has flubbed up royally again.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has to step in
Patriots owner Robert Kraft hopefully is paying attention to all this nonsense. He needs to step up and step in to put the kibosh on this totally flawed modus operandi. If not, the Patriots will absolutely consign themselves to the bottom of the AFC East, not only for this season but maybe for the foreseeable future.
The Patriots’ personnel operation is a debacle. Should the New York Jets finally lock in a trade for Aaron Rodgers, the team will be looking up at the other three AFC East teams and will finish last in the Division. Take that to the bank.
This will be a far cry from the halcyon days when winning the division with Tom Brady was a foregone conclusion. The mighty have fallen off a proverbial cliff and they can’t get up, at least not while this personnel operation is around.
It’s sad to have to say this since hope always springs eternal that the New England Patriots may actually “get it” in personnel, but it’s clear, it’s not going to happen under this regime. It’s as clear as a bell. There’s no Tom Brady to save them from themselves anymore.
Absent a trade for Lamar Jackson (which is about as likely as a man landing on Mars tomorrow), the Patriots are toast.
Next. New England Patriots on the verge of joining Red Sox in cellar?. dark
Mr. Kraft, enough is enough. How much of your money has to be thrown down the sewer before you finally do what has to be done with your own team?
It’s time to make a change and bring in a real General Manager who actually has a clue. Step away after the 18th hole today and do what has to be done. What are you waiting for?