Now It's A Party

Like Chuck Norris, Bill Belichick doesn't sleep.

He waits.

Saying I never had a doubt might be a stretch but haven't we all seen this movie before? Belichick and the Patriots suffer losses early on in free agency, refuse to overpay for big name aging free agents that are repeated linked to New England by national pigskin pundits and bobbleheads while Belichick make a few trades for rotational starters and veteran backups, trolls the Jets with feigned interest in potential draft picks, as Patriots fans keen and moan and gnash our collective teeth, dreaming of a never gonna happen trade for Odell Beckham, Jr.

Then Belichick makes a move like the Brandin Cooks trade and the rest of the NFL loses its shit, and Pats fans like me say, "I knew Bill had a plan."

Belichick and the Patriots just renewed their lease on that space they occupy in the heads of the Other 31 NFL teams; owners, GMs, and players are all looking around trying to figure out what it all means. With two 1st round and two 2nd round picks, will Belichick move up and take a franchise QB or dominant, playmaking defender? Will he stand pat and somehow still wind up with that franchise QB and dominant, playmaking defender? Will he trade down and wind up owning the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the 2018 draft, restocking New England's roster with young, athletic, developmental prospects?

Speaking of...

In the time between the Super Bowl loss and the early weeks of free agency, it seemed everyone forgot about the young talent already in the Patriots program. I'm happy to have LaAdrian Waddle back but count me as one of those who saw Cole Croston as a potential 2018 starter at left tackle. It's hard to project what can be expected from the kids coming off injuries but the Pats have Anthony Garcia along with Croston on the LT depth chart, promising DE Derek Rivers, and second-year LB Harvey Langi returning from rookie seasons lost to unfortunate circumstances. WR Malcolm Mitchell returns from a lost sophomore season.

The list of promising youngsters already on the roster also includes DB David Jones, DL Eric Lee, WR Riley McCarron, DL Adam Butler and Keionta Davis, TE Jacob Hollister, OL Ted Karras, DL Dietrich Wise, Jr., and DT Vincent Valentine (to name a few).

They have veteran stalwarts Julian Edelman and Dont'a Hightower returning from seasons lost to injury. (How many other NFL teams lose their #1 wide receiver and their best defensive player and make it to the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl?) They've got 2nd year in the system guys in WR Phillip Dorsett, WR Kenny Britt, and TE Dwayne Allen. Dorsett's speed and Britt's size still intrigue and I may be alone in this but I'm not ready to write off Allen quite yet.

And free agency was hardly a bust as Belichick signed or traded for DE Adrian Clayborn, DT Danny Shelton, TE Troy Niklas, DB Jason McCourty, RB Jeremy Hill, WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson, and WR Jordan Matthews.

Despite the losses of LT Nate Solder, RB Dion Lewis, WR (and forever New England sports folk hero) Danny Amendola, and CB Malcolm Butler, despite the stories of Game of Thrones-level discord within the walls of 1 Patriot Place; the rumors of a crumbling Patriots dynasty were always so much wishful thinking on the part of those pigskin pundits and bobbleheads who dust off their New England Patriots dynasty obit around this time every season.

So, let's acknowledge the uncomfortable truths… Okay, perhaps they're merely rationalizations...

The Patriots didn't lose Anthony Munoz at left tackle. The Giants may feel comfortable making an aging, league-average veteran the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL but that was never going to happen in New England. (Solder's departure was yet another example of Belichick's better to let them leave one year too early than keep them around one year too long philosophy of roster management.) Malcolm Butler was gone even before the controversial Super Bowl benching. Belichick never overpays for running backs, preferring a RB by committee/game-plan matchup approach, and with James White, Rex Burkhead, and Mike Gillislee already on the roster, Lewis was as good as gone, too. As for Amendola, he couldn't and shouldn't give a hometown discount on what will likely be his last contract. It is professional football, after all.

And let's acknowledge more truths about life in the NFL…

The Patriots are counting on a number of key players returning from injury; Edelman, Mitchell, and Hightower, as well Chris Hogan and Burkhead who were limited by injury in 2017. We should be tempering our expectations in that regard, at least.

And yet, it's already hard to remember the extended winter slog through the slough of despond that Patriots fans began back in February. We're reminded once again that things are never as bad as they seem (nor as good as they seem, but let's leave that in the parenthetical). Think of it this way. 700+ words about the 2018 Patriots and their chances to compete for another Super Bowl and I haven't even mentioned Tom Brady.

Oh yeah. That guy. Maybe you've heard of him.

Two weeks ago, I would've cared less about mock drafts. I was sure that any player Bill Belichick had a 1st round grade on would be gone by the 31st pick and the Pats would trade down to pick up a 2nd and a 4th and a 3rd in 2019. Now? I can see a franchise left tackle and a QB of the Future joining the Patriots on Day 1 of the NFL Draft.

Yeah, it's a party now.