So, we're all kind of iffy about a guy and then he signs with an AFC rival and the rightwing, conspiracy-loving Whig Party of Patriots Nation lets out a cry filled with pain, regret, and mulled vitriol.
"Fire Bill Belichick!"
Seriously? Like JuJu Smith-Shuster wasn't Nelson Agholor 2.0.
People be crazy. But here we are. Again. Free Agency Deja Vu. It's that time of the year when I find myself wondering why Belichick seems more interested in a backup guard than a WR1; a time when I catfish myself with yet another click bait rumor of yet another free agent coming off an ACL.
Or a player that another team has determined to be expendable but who might benefit from "a change of scenery" and who is possibly a "good fit" (if not a "best fit") with the Patriots.
Yes, sometimes one man's trash is another man's treasure but mostly another man's trash is just trash.
No, it is not fun watching J.C. Jackson leave for the Chargers, or the Bills sign Von Miller, or Josh McDaniels' Raiders pick up expat Chandler Jones and best WR in the league Davante Adams or any CB or WR that you've actually heard the Patriots had any interest in sign with other teams.
It's hard to argue that the AFC Rich have not gotten richer. Reigning AFC Champion Cincinnati has rebuilt their offensive line (adding Alex Cappa, Ted Karras), which may have been their only weakness. Buffalo added Miller, veteran offensive lineman Roger Saffold, and enigmatic tight end O.J. Howard. (As for the rest of the AFC East, New York and Miami both appear to be doing volume over value in free agency. So, there's that, at least.) Denver got rich trading for Russell Wilson. The Raiders, as noted above. As for Smith-Shuster, I'm not sure he really moves the needle in Kansas City but he may have a second act with all that talent around him, which Patriots fans will point to when the season's done as further proof the game has passed Bill Belichick by. The Steelers may have gotten better or may have gotten worse. No, they got better. A living, breathing Mitchell Trubisky is better than the corpse of Ben Roethlisberger.
And Cleveland just proved there is no deal with the devil that an NFL GM will not sign.
Local pigskin pundits and bobbleheads have already asked the question: Are the Patriots still a Top 10 team in the AFC? Let's do the math…
AFC Teams Arguably Better Than the Patriots
The AFC West is stacked. (4)
The AFC North has the Bengals but I'm not going to say the Steelers are better than the Patriots and the Browns will be lucky if Deshaun Watson starts 8 games in 2022, if at all. (1)
The AFC South has the Titans. Maybe the Colts if they get a QB, even if that quarterback's name rhymes with Maker Bayfield. (1)
The AFC East has the Bills. (1)
Quick Math: Based on my incisive and completely unbiased math, that is, let's see, less than all the fingers on both hands so… Are the Pats still Top 10 in the AFC?
Yes. The answer is yes.
More importantly, on March 19, 2022, it's a meaningless question.
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