Well that wasn't ideal. As a fan base we were so confident, and deservedly so. On paper we looked like the better team. They just couldn't quite get over the hump all game long. Putrid 1st half, Gostkowski missing the extra point, nothing ever felt quite right all game long. The offensive line is currently in talks to be on the next season off American Horror Story. Brady should make them walk all the way home, that's how bad they were. And he didn't shy away form it postgame to. He talked in his presser about taking shots today and needing to heal up. It's a wake up call to the line and the staff that he needs better protection.
The defense actually played well to. Well enough to allow the offense multiple chances to get back into it. But Brady just kept getting pressured. It was beyond frustrating to watch. And Peyton Manning wasn't spectacular either. Brady outplayed him in the 2nd half; those throws, especially to Gronk on 4th down, were vintage Brady. Some of the play calling was awful to. Just all around a tough one to stomach.
So where do we go from here? I'l say it right now: next year is must-win. It's the last year we have all our best players under contract. After next season there's a very real chance we aren't able to keep all of Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins. Jones is the likeliest to leave. Here's the upcoming free agent list:
And the list for 2017:
The only lock from the 2016 class I see is Akiem Hicks. Blount, Ebner, Siliga, Develin and Wilson are all probably in the 50%-70% range to come back. In the 2017 class I'd like to see Branch, Sheard, Vollmer, Ninko, Chan, Slater, Dont'a, Bolden, Collins, Ryan and Butler all come back. Leonard Johnson may be another one to sign a team-friendly deal. He showed flashes of promise at the tail-end of the season. Duran Harmon is another 50%-70% guy. I'd like to see Jon Bostic back and get more time in the system because I think he still has potential to break out. LaFell, Cannon, Dobson and Scott Chandler, if not cut this offseason, are all gone after next season barring huge years from any of them.
Early look at this years NFL free agent class, there are some good names who unfortunately will more than likely re-sign with their teams. Andre Smith was a bit of a headache and inconsistent at right tackle for the Bengals in his early years, but has been a good starter nonetheless. Russell Okung is another tackle that will probably end up back with Seattle. In all honestly, unless they make a trade, I think the Patriots will build offensive line depth through the draft.
Skill positions may be somewhere to look though. I want to see Bill pursue cornerback Sean Smith AGGRESSIVELY. He's a dude that could make a huge impact opposite Malcolm Butler. At wide receiver there are multiple options. Rod Streater was underwhelming the past few season and could probably be gotten for cheap. Hakeem Nicks, Reuben Randle and Malcolm Floyd are all long shots. Darrius Hayward-Bey or Travis Benjamin maybe? Two guys I'd love are Mohamed Sanu and Alshon Jeffrey. Two big deep threats.
All we can do is speculate until the season officially ends though. Until then, go Panthers I guess. God this is going to suck.
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