{"id":135433,"date":"2024-03-27T09:21:29","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T13:21:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/?p=135433"},"modified":"2024-03-27T10:16:19","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T14:16:19","slug":"top-patriots-takeaways-from-the-nfls-annual-league-meetings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/?p=135433","title":{"rendered":"Top Patriots Takeaways from the NFL’s Annual League Meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo and owner Robert Kraft spoke to reporters during the NFL\u2019s annual league meeting in Orlando, Florida. This marked Mayo\u2019s first time speaking to reporters since the combine and Kraft\u2019s first time since Mayo\u2019s introductory press conference.<\/span><\/p>\n

With free agency largely in the rearview, most questions centered around the team\u2019s lack of splashy signings, quarterback prospects, and potentially trading the highly coveted No. 3 pick. NFL owners also passed multiple rule changes, including two that will significantly affect on-field play.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are my top takeaways from the event.<\/span><\/p>\n

OUTSIDE FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO QUIET FREE AGENCY<\/b><\/p>\n

The Patriots have drawn criticism from fans over their lack of splashy free-agent additions. Despite leading the league with over $100 million in cap space, big names like Calvin Ridley, Christian Wilkins, and Danielle Hunter signed elsewhere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

De facto general manager Eliot Wolf lived up to his word, retaining all of the team’s key free veterans and re-signing most of its significant role players. But their out-of-house signings didn\u2019t move the needle created by vows to \u201cburn some cash.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mayo told reporters he didn\u2019t regret his phrasing, but began his presser by breaking down New England\u2019s free agency strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, the media, the fans, everyone wants that big signing,\u201d Mayo acknowledged. \u201cBut at the same time, as we continue to put this team together, I think there has to be a process. It has to be a methodical process. And look, when there is a guy that we want to get, the Krafts have already told us, they\u2019ll spend the money.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I would say offensively this year, we were very picky as far as the players that we were getting, and at the same time, that wasn\u2019t really a deep offensive free agent class to even make that kind of splash.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mayo was spot on about the offensive options on the market. Calvin Ridley was the only weapon worth investing significant capital in, and quality tackle options Tyron Smith and Jonah Williams both signed with competitors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, the Patriots had more obstacles to overcome than a shallow pool of offensive talent. Mayo alluded to the team\u2019s uncertain future as a factor in their quiet free agency.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI would say there were various reasons why guys didn\u2019t sign with us,\u201d Mayo said. \u201cOnce again, the unknown is scary for a lot of people and I would say, even in our building right now, it\u2019s still unknown.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kraft went into further detail, specifically mentioning Ridley, who signed a four-year, $92 million with the Titans despite a strong push from New England.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere was one outstanding receiver that, unfortunately, we couldn\u2019t close,\u201d Kraft explained. \u201cIt was not because of finance. He made clearly his girlfriend wanted to be in the South. And we had a situation where the taxes were like almost 10% higher. We offered, or were willing to keep going at that premium, but he didn\u2019t want to be in the Northeast. And part of it might be the quarterback situation as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kraft\u2019s mention of Ridley\u2019s partner, to whom he is actually married, was a bit odd. Still, it was notable that he admitted geography, taxes, and an incomplete quarterback room factored into the receiver\u2019s decision.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gone are the days of free agents braving harsh elements and high prices for the promise of a Super Bowl ring. With Tom Brady and Bill Belichick no longer on the sidelines, the Patriots must find other means of recruiting veteran talent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mayo acknowledged as much when asked if the organization will have to rebuild its reputation as an ideal free agent destination.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is always to have players want to come to your organization, and that is absolutely our process,\u201d Mayo said. \u201cWe\u2019re thinking about those things. And once again, the Krafts are giving us the ability to really, I don\u2019t want to say modernize but to really do the things that we want to do going forward to bring people in, which I think is important.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

There was already a lot riding on the upcoming draft, but the uncomfortable truths of a rebuild bring it further into focus. The Patriots have to knock virtually every pick out of the park, which would be made much easier with more at-bats.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

PATRIOTS OPEN TO TRADING THE NO. 3 PICK<\/b><\/p>\n

Since the Vikings loaded up in a transparent ploy to acquire a quarterback, New England has been a focal point of trade talks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A strong argument can be made for simply taking a franchise quarterback. But the Patriots’ roster has many holes to fill. If they don\u2019t love Drake Maye and\/or Jayden Daniels, it would make sense for to stock up on 1st-round picks. <\/span>Mayo confirmed the team is keeping its options open.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know everyone likes to think they have the special formula to picking players, but honestly, the guaranteed way to win is to accumulate more picks,\u201d Mayo explained. \u201cAnd so if we don\u2019t feel convicted at No. 3, to your point, we are willing to [stay put] that as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

New England isn\u2019t banking on a 1st-round passer, either.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to find gems throughout the draft,\u201d Mayo said. \u201cOnce again, as we continue to go through the process and look at these players, really it\u2019s about trying to find those gems later in the draft.\u00a0 Now, sitting at\u00a0 No. 3 is very unique because, whatever happens at No. 3 or No. 2, if you\u2019re convicted on three or four quarterbacks, then I feel like we\u2019re in a good position.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked about Drake Maye, Mayo was honest about the process of evaluating a quarterback, but he also said the UNC product has no ceiling.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, look, Drake Maye had a fantastic interview at the combine,\u201d Mayo said. \u201cHe brings a lot of energy.\u00a0 You can tell he has that leadership ability.\u00a0 And also, the exciting part about a guy like Drake Maye is, the ceiling, there is really no ceiling with a guy like that.\u00a0 Now, in saying that, when we\u2019re trying to put together this roster, I know a lot of people look at the ceiling, but you\u2019ve also got to kind of see how low is the floor?\u00a0 How low is the floor?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI would say a guy like Drake Maye, he has a lot of room to grow. He\u2019s a young guy. Honestly, he hasn\u2019t played football nearly as much as these other guys. That\u2019s definitely something that we\u2019ve looked at, but he definitely is going to develop.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mayo\u2019s comment about Maye\u2019s ceiling is notable, given Sportkeeda’s Tony Pauline reported not everyone in the Patriots’ building is sold on Maye. If the quarterback does fall to New England, he\u2019ll need unanimous support.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd once again, it\u2019s not all about me, it\u2019s not all about Eliot,\u201d Mayo explained. \u201cWhat you guys have heard me say a lot, it\u2019s about collaboration. And one thing that Alonzo Highsmith, one of our scouts, told me, and I truly believe it, he\u2019s been doing it for a long time, and he said all the bad picks that he\u2019s seen, it\u2019s really been where everyone wasn\u2019t on the same page. And you would hope that you can get everyone on the same page, coaches, and also scouts. If you have one person drafting, that\u2019s kind of tough.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kraft admitted the fan in him wants the Patriots to stay put and take a quarterback, but will ultimately defer to the experts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI put my \u2018fan hat\u2019 on, and I definitely would [like a quarterback with the No. 3 pick]. In the end, you can\u2019t win in this league consistently unless you have a first-rate quarterback and a first-rate coach,\u201d Kraft confessed. \u201cOn the other hand, you\u2019re in a different position. We\u2019ve never been in the third draft position since we\u2019ve owned the team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happens, a lot of people behind are really desperate to move up, and so we\u2019re going to be open to whatever can come our way. But in the end, I\u2019ll let the team make the decision what they think is best. One way or another, I\u2019d like to see us get a top-rate, young quarterback.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

MAYO ASKS FOR PATIENCE AMID SIGNIFICANT REBUILD<\/b><\/p>\n

The Patriots\u2019 two dynasties weren\u2019t built in a day, but those sky-high standards can be hard to shake.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked about his expectations for this season, Kraft initially played a familiar tune before acknowledging the harsh reality of a rebuild.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy hope and expectation is to make the playoffs,\u201d Kraft expressed. That\u2019s something, realistically, we have a new leadership team, we\u2019re going to have a lot of young players we don\u2019t know \u2013 a lot can happen. We might struggle more than I want. \u2026 I just hope we don\u2019t struggle. But in the end, everything is chit-chat until you get on the field. X\u2019s and O\u2019s are where it\u2019s at.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to forget, but New England was more competitive last season than its 4-13 record suggests. Of the team\u2019s 13 losses, eight were by one possession, and in the other five losses, the defense allowed multiple second-half touchdowns once.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With Christian Gonzalez and Matthew Judon returning from injury, and potential jumps from last year\u2019s early-round picks, it\u2019s fair to think a less anemic offense and improved special teams could get the Patriots past four wins.<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, expecting a playoff run so soon is ambitious, particularly with a brand new offensive staff and rookies slated to fill major roles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mayo was more grounded when referencing New England\u2019s current outlook, asking fans for grace as the franchise charts a new course.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor Patriots fans, I understand the frustration,\u201d Mayo said. \u201cI understand the expectation that has been really built over the last 20 years. But at the same time, hopefully, the fans understand that we\u2019re trying to build this the right way. And we\u2019re trying to bring in pieces that we think are for the long term. I think there\u2019s a combination between bringing people in for the short-term, but also you have to think long-term, that\u2019s always the hard thing to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

I would just ask Patriots fans for patience. Once again, there will be players that hit the wire, free agents, guys that are explosive, whatever you want to say.\u00a0 There will be guys in the draft.\u00a0 There will be guys after the draft.\u00a0 So just sit back and kind of let us do our job going forward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

PATRIOTS TAKING ACTION AFTER DROPPING TO BOTTOM-FIVE IN NFLPA SURVEY<\/b><\/p>\n

Each season, the NFLPA surveys players on their working conditions to highlight teams that excel and raise standards for teams that need improvement. The results are aggregated into an annual report card for each of the NFL\u2019s 32 teams.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Patriots ranked 29th in the team surveys, with their strength coaches earning the league\u2019s 2nd-lowest grade and their weight room ranking as the worst in the NFL.New England ranked 24th in 2023, pointing to a glaring regression that Kraft was asked about during his press conference.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI must tell you, I was unaware of how bad that was,\u201d Kraft confessed. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a plan, and we put in place, where we\u2019re committing a whole new facility adjacent to ours that has been discussed with the young leadership team. A building that will be in excess of $50 million that will have the most [modern] facilities.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Patriots\u2019 lowest grade on the survey was an F- for their treatment of families. New England is one of 12 teams that does not provide a family room during games, one of seven teams that doesn\u2019t provide daycare support for players\u2019 children on gamedays, and one of just four teams that doesn\u2019t offer a family room or daycare.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kraft said he was unaware of the daycare issues but called it a fixable issue that they plan to address.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLook, the players are the heart and soul of the business. I\u2019d be very surprised if that didn\u2019t improve.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

PLAYER SAFETY EFFORTS LEAD TO BIG RULE CHANGES\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The NFL’s attempts to make the game safer are often polarizing and this year was no exception.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The first major rule change enacted by NFL owners was a ban on the controversial “hip-drop tackle,” specifically the swivel technique that has led to multiple significant lower-body injuries. According to NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller, 230 instances of the tackling technique occurred last season, resulting in 15 players missing time.<\/p>\n

Violating the rule will result in a 15-yard penalty during games. However, according to NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent, the league will use fines rather than flags to legislate the rule.<\/p>\n

Officials’ judgment has seemingly gotten worse by the season, so speculation over their ability to enforce the rule properly is justified. Players have also spoken out against the rule.<\/p>\n

\n

*No HorseCollar
*No Ducking the Head
*No Hip Drop
*No Slamming
*No Big Hits on Defenseless Receiver
\ud83d\ude02Y\u2019all must not have had to tackle these dudes before<\/p>\n

— JB (@NVBentley33) March 25, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n