(11-11-2020, 03:14 PM)Kane Wrote:

(11-11-2020, 02:42 PM)imtheblkranger Wrote: Also, have we seen how bad NE since losing Brady? Maybe Belichick isn't quite as good as we thought. He's made some very questionable personnel moves over the years that Brady has compensated for.

*Not saying Belichick isn't a good coach, he is. But seeing NE without Brady makes me have some reservations about him

I'll say this... they aren't very good right now but didn't they have like the most opt outs of any team for Covid?
They had top defenses the last couple years and Brady didn't look great last year in New England. I'd give Bill a bit of a pass in the short term while they retool... But I don't see Kraft firing him or letting him out of his contract or Belichick even wanting to come to Jax really.

Ahh that opt out crap is such an excuse... They might have had the most opt outs, but most of them are just guys in this league. Easily replaceable guys. It's on Bill for being a pretty bad drafter over the years and not doing anything to replace those guys. They had time to bring in some bodies after those opt outs, but didn't. Maybe if he drafted better, they'd have some better depth behind average at best guys to begin with.

If you want to use that as an excuse, they really only had 3 meaningful opt outs and even then that's questionable.

30 year old LB Dont'a Hightower opt'd out, but hes had injures throughout his entire career, so who's to say he would of stayed healthy all season anyways. 33 year old S Patrick Chung opt'd out and 32 year old RT Marcus Cannon opt'd out. All of those guy's better days are behind them. Some people are acting like they lost super stars in the prime of their careers or something.

The other guys who opt'd out are WR Marqise Lee, RB Brandon Bolden, TE Matt Lacosse (who had 13 total receptions for them last year and only 40 receptions total in 5 years). FB Danny Vitale and an UDFA G Najee Toran who has never played a snap in the league. That's hardly a big loss from a handful of replaceable guys.

---