Haters still hating. Brady. Belichick. The Patriots. Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. They even hate me and the other good citizens of Patriots Nation. Apparently, we're just not humble enough. Or something.
I'm guessing it's the the seven Super Bowls. The five wins. The quarterback and coach who are the greatest of all time. The greatest NFL dynasty of all time. Can you blame us if we've lost perspective?
You can? You do?
Okay. Whatever.
Because I really don't care anymore.
The Patriots are already the odds on favorites to win SB52. That's the money talking and the money knows. The money always knows.
I'm in the midst of my own personal off season, collecting Patriots Porn, which happens after every New England Super Bowl win. I watched the parade, of course. Thoroughly enjoyed the Goodell-themed signage. "Goodell loves Nickelback" was my personal favorite. (If you love Nickelback I hope God will have mercy on your poor, moldy soul. Seriously, I feel just terrible for your family and loved ones and the deep shame they must feel.) The "Roger That" commercial for Shields MRI. (Tom Brady is also the GOAT of sick burns.) I've got that SI with Julian Edelman on the cover. I've pre-ordered the SB51 edition of "Three Games to Glory." I taped the game and my son and I are going to watch it again this coming Sunday. I retweeted the NFL.com video of all 466 yards passing for Tom Brady in SB51. I've watched the Sound FX special twice.
I'm caught up in the Jimmy Garoppolo rumors, of course. I think he's still worth more to the Patriots as a low deductible insurance policy for Tom Brady than he is as a franchise savior to the Bears, Browns, Texans, 49ers or Jaguars but if one of those teams would offer a 1st and a 4th (or more) then I'm sure Belichick would consider it.
I'm worried about the Patriots resigning Dont'a Hightower. And Martellus Bennett. And Logan Ryan. And Malcolm Butler.
How much gas does LeGarrette Blount have in the tank? I love the guy but you have to think Bill will look for a running back in the draft. Everyone is projecting Christian McCaffrey to the Pats which means that's absolutely the last thing that will happen. It's almost certain the Jets will draft McCaffrey to make sure the Patriots don't get him and pretty much assures McCaffrey will be a bust at the NFL level (sorry dude). Never change Jets; never change.
I'd love to see New England keep the band together but that's not how the NFL rolls. It's going to take serious coin to keep Hightower. The Patriots were willing to pay fair market value for Devin McCourty and I hope they'll do the same with Hightower. He's special. You could argue he authored the turning point plays in SB49 (the stop on Marshawn Lynch that set up Butler's INT) and SB51 (the strip sack of Matt Ryan that turned that shifted momentum in New England's favor). Hightower is a big play waiting to happen. Let's hope the Patriots can keep him.
Somebody is going to overpay for Bennett. I'll miss him. I'll miss the Gronk and Martysaurus Rex 2TE offense that never was. I'm certain someone will outbid the Pats for Ryan as well. Can't blame them for cashing in. It's called professional football, after all.
I've already been looking at the other free agent tight ends (Ryan Griffin and Jack Doyle aren't going to cost as much as Bennett) and the draft eligible prospects coming out of college. Alabama's O.J. Howard probably won't fall to #32 but Miami's David Njoku might. Or maybe Rob Housler will be the latest reclamation project the Patriots seem to specialize in...
Yeah, I don't believe that either.
Did you click that David Njoku link? Try not to fall in love with him. The Jets will be drafting him to make sure he doesn't fall to the Patriots...
Butler is a restricted free agent so I've got a bit more confidence he'll be a Patriot next year. Of course, Chris Hogan was an RFA when the Patriots signed him away from the Bills, too.
James White is still under contract, right? So there's that. Remember last Summer when Donald Brown was going to replace White. It seems crazy now but yeah, that happened.
The Patriots will lose some players to free agency, obviously, but you've got to think there are a few more Chris Long's out there. Players willing to take a million or two less than market value for the chance to get a ring. Why else are you playing this game if not to experience what we all saw last Sunday night; the brotherhood, the tears of joy, the kids playing in the red, white and blue confetti, the tangible realization of your indelible place in the history of the game that you've called your own since you were a kid.
How much better will Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell be in 2017 after a full season in the program? I hope Amendola restructures again. Julian Edelman, Hogan, Mitchell and Amendola are my favorite quartet since the Beatles. Having said that, I do like the the notion of a Garoppolo for DeAndre Hopkins trade.
What's Trey Flowers' ceiling? Do Vincent Valentine and Elandon Roberts make the second-year leap? Kyle Van Noy will have the advantage of the offseason program as will Eric Rowe. Shea McClellin looks like the next Swiss army knife in the Belichick/Patricia defense but… They just have to re-sign Hightower. Maybe they don't have to re-sign Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon but the Patriots defense that held the high scoring Falcons offense to 21 points and shut them out in the 4th quarter is worth keeping together.
One more time: The Falcons didn't choke. They just couldn't block Dont'a Hightower and Trey Flowers. That's not choking. That's football.
The best for last… How much longer can Tom Brady play?
The pigskin pundits and bobbleheads continue to remind us that Father Time is undefeated. I get the feeling this is merely wishful thinking on the part of Jets, Dolphins and Bills beat writers and ESPN's NFL "insiders" sucking Roger Goodell's tit.
As Taylor Gabriel noted, "He's Tom Brady, though."
What's more likely in 2017? Brady throws for 4,500 yards, 32 TD and 4 INT, leading New England to a 13-3-0 record and a #1 seed or that he makes everyone regret Belichick trading Garoppolo to the Bears?
If the Patriots do win SB52 (just spitballing here), it would certainly provide the poetic symmetry the sagas of yore love so much; he'd have 3 championships in 4 years to start and end his career. Then again, why worry about symmetry? If New England takes home the Lombardi Trophy from SB52, wouldn't they be the odds on favorite to win SB53?
Yes. The answer is yes.
Because Tom Brady.
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