Bringing Jimmy Back Home
As New England fans watch their former QB prepare for his 10th Super Bowl, Bill Belichick and his staff have their sights to the offseason. For the first time in several years, after finishing below .500 for the second time since taking over as head coach, Belichick has found himself prepping for the offseason about a month and a half earlier than usual.
The biggest question mark heading into the offseason is, who will be under center for the 2021 season? Many fans had their hopes set on former Detroit Lions QB, Matthew Stafford before he was dealt to Los Angeles for a kings ransom! Others have prayer circles around Houston Texans QB, Deshaun Watson, but let’s be honest with ourselves, there no way the Patriots have enough to offer to the Texans. Mortgaging the teams future for one super-star player has never been Belichick’s MO.
“I’m telling you, New England is going to be back in this thing. I have a feeling Belichick, with that much salary cap, they’ll find a way to come back in this thing.” — Tony Romo
Many of you may have heard Tony Romo at the end of the AFC Championship game say the above quote regarding Belichick and the Patriots and I would have to agree with him. My belief is, as long as Belichick is the Head Coach of this team, the goal for the team will always be the following three things:
- Make the playoffs
- Win the division
- Contend for a Super Bowl
Belichick will be turning 69 years-old in April ’21. I think he coaches for 3 to 5 more years before moving into a full-time front office role for a few years before he permanently steps away from the game of football. Given that, I don’t see Belichick handing the reigns over to Jarret Stidham (who I believe will be cut during final roster cuts) or a rookie QB like Alabama’s Mac Jones or Florida’s Kyle Trask. My gut is telling me, there’s three options Belichick will go, two of which include bringing back a familiar face in either Jimmy Garoppolo or Jacoby Brissett or a two-year stop gap option with Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Below you will see the moves made in how the Patriots could potentially build a team around Garoppolo for the 2021 season. In these scenario, I see the likes of 2020 opt-outs, Dont’a Hightower and Patrick Chung stay with the team, while trading away 2019 defensive player of the year, Stephon Gilmore and cutting ties with OL, Marcus Cannon to free up another $6 to $7 million in cap room. The biggest hurdle in bringing Garoppolo in is his $24 million cap number. If Belichick does end up trading back for Garoppolo, he’ll need to work on a deal to bring down that number. Other contract restructures would probably have to be done with Hightower, Chung and possibly Julian Edelman. After the offseason moves, you’ll see what I think the project 53-man depth chart could look like for the 2021 season.
Offseason Moves:
Re-sign
- Match offer given to J.C. Jackson
- Re-sign David Andrews |3-year deal
- Re-sign James White | 2-year deal
- Re-sign Jermaine Eluemunor | 1-year deal
- Re-sign Brian Hoyer | 1-year deal
- Re-sign Nick Folk | 2-year deal
- Re-sign Jakob Johnson | 2-year deal
- Re-sign James Ferentz | 1-year deal
- Re-sign Deatrich Wise | 2-year deal
- Re-sign Adam Butler | 4-year deal
- Re-sign Dee Virgin | 1-year deal
Trade:
- Trade 2021 3rd (comp.) round pick and N’Keal Harry to San Francisco for Jimmy Garoppolo and 2022 5th round pick
- Trade Stephon Gilmore and 2021 6th (173rd) round pick to New York (Giants) for their 2021 2nd round (42nd) pick
Free Agency:
- Sign WR, Curtis Samuel | 4-year deal
- Sign TE, Jonnu Smith | 3-year deal
- Sign WR, Emmanuel Sanders | 2-year deal
- Sign OL, Pat Elflein| 1-year deal
- Sign DB, Jason Verrett | 2-year deal
Draft:
1st (15th) — Kwity Paye | EDGE Michigan
“Solid frame that can add a little weight who possesses good overall athletic ability. He has good lateral agility, flexibility in his hips, and solid burst — he isn’t going to win consistently with speed rushes up the arc, although his first step is good. He has good linear explosiveness in space and plays with excellent leverage at the point of attack. He has a low compact stance on the line of scrimmage and plays base end in a four-down front, and can kick inside on passing downs. He has thick legs and a strong base.” — via SI.
2nd (42nd via NYG) — Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR USC
“Brown aligns at wide receiver for the Trojans offense, typically from the slot. He plays with very good overall athleticism, as evidenced by his body control and agility as a route-runner. His play embodies a blue-collar toughness and competitiveness rarely seen from a wide receiver. He is excellent in contested catch situations due to his competitiveness and big play ability. He excels between the numbers and is a threat in the short, intermediate, and deep passing game. He has excellent hand-eye coordination, which makes him efficient at catching targets.” — via The Draft Network.
2nd (47th) — Tyson Campbell | DB Georgia
“Tyson Campbell aligns at cornerback for the Bulldogs defense. He plays the position with very good athleticism overall, as evidenced by his agility and short-area quickness. He has the NFL body type and frame teams covet for the position. When combined with his movement skills and length, it is easy to see why this player would be intriguing to NFL scouts. He has very good man coverage ability, but struggles with situational awareness. He remained healthy in 2020, which worked to answer durability concerns. However, when on the field, he has struggled to consistently make plays in the passing game.” — via The Draft Network.
3rd (Comp. pick) — Traded to San Francisco
How fitting, the Tom Brady compensatory pick is traded to San Francisco to bring Garoppolo back to New England.
4th (110th) — Damone Clark | LB LSU
“Clark possesses the size you want out of your inside linebacker. He also pairs that with a strong athletic profile. He has loose hips and is agile in the open-field. He has a smooth backpedal and can click and close very quickly” — via SI.
4th (Comp. pick) — Jackson Carman, OL | Clemson
“Clemson offensive lineman Jackson Carman enters the NFL after serving as Trevor Lawrence’s blindside protector for the last two-plus seasons in college — a role he filled quite well. Carman is a massive and powerful blocker that thrives in the run game and holds his own in pass protection. His power is notable, but he moves well for his size and features strong hand technique that he blends with a strong feel for his role in the scheme that makes him an effective blocker.” — via The Draft Network.
4th (Comp. pick) — Tedarrell Slaton | NT Florida
“Slaton is one of the most impressively built interior defensive line prospects that you will see. Listed at nearly 360 pounds, but looks much slimmer than his listed weight. Looks around 330 pounds and carries his weight well with an evenly distributed body structure. Leverage is the name of his game and he often starts low in his stance. He’s able to remain at that level throughout the duration of reps. An extremely powerful player at the point of attack, he makes it difficult for double teams to move him off of his spots. He’s a true head up 0-technique that thrives with maintaining both A gaps.” — via The Draft Network.
5th (142nd) — Jamie Newman | QB Georgia
“The flashes are bright with Jamie Newman, and it starts with his physical traits. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, Newman is one of the most physically imposing quarterbacks in this class. He’s built like a linebacker, and he moves well for his size. He’s a weapon as a runner, who combines good speed and agility with infectious toughness and resilience. As a passer, Newman is similarly flashy. He has a nice, compact throwing motion, and he’s able to generate velocity with relative ease. This velocity can enable Newman to hit incredibly tight windows. It can also enable him to hit receivers in stride downfield.” — via Pro Football Network.
6th (171st via Dallas) — Tony Polijan | TE Virginia
“A former quarterback, Poljan is an extremely smart player who’s been able to carry over his smart from behind center into a new role as a tight end. Officially making the switch during the 2018 season, he spent time seesawing back and forth between both positions prior to transitioning full-time with his hand in the dirt. Since that point, he’s been able to develop the nuisances of the position much quicker than imagined. (Extra Note) Poljan announced that he would become a graduate transfer. A natural hands catcher, he’s able to demonstrate how he can catch from a multitude of platforms and has obvious room for growth do to his newness at the position. Potentially being at a Power 5 may help display his talents more often as he continues to grow and gain more exposure at tight end.” — via The Draft Network.
6th (173rd) — Traded to New York (Giants)
Included in Stephon Gilmore trade package.
7th (205th) — Austin Watkins Jr. | WR UAB
“Standing around 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Watkins has good size for the receiver position, and he supplements that size with many other impressive traits. He has good explosiveness off the line and solid long speed. He’s twitchy, elusive, and aggressive after the catch. But even beyond that, Watkins brings toughness and intricate detail — qualities that not all athletic receivers carry with them.” — via Pro Football Network.
Roster | Depth Chart:
My belief is Garoppolo ultimately will get dealt by the San Francisco 49ers. They’ve had his name in trade conversations dating back to last year when they were talking about DeForest Buckner trade to the Indianapolis Colts. Not to mention, this was only a month after they had reached the Super Bowl with Garopollo at the helm. Regardless of what has been coming from San Francisco’s front office, it seems like they are ready to pull the trigger on a trade once they believe they have adequate compensation. Push comes to shove, Belichick will look to give up a 3rd round pick and either another mid-round pick, or throw in 2018 draft disappointment, N’Keal Harry, who could benefit from a change of scenery.
Many may have concerns regarding Garoppolo’s durability, however, I don’t think it should that big of a concern. The Patriots staff has always done a good job devising plays where the QB (mainly Tom Brady) to throw the ball away before getting hit. The 49ers had Garoppolo in open space quite a few times which had him open to serious hits.
In terms of the receiving core, bringing in a gadget player like, Curtis Samuel, who you can line up anywhere on the field should be a dream for offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels. Pairing Samuel with Julian Edelman and Emmanuel Sanders, who will be cut by the New Orleans Saints should already be a major upgrade over the 2020 receiving core. As for the tight end position, I believe the Los Angeles Chargers tag Hunter Henry, which will leave the Patriots with the second best available option in Jonnu Smith. Smith can lineup all over the field, the same way a former TE who wore #81 with the team. Smith and Samuel would be excellent additions to this teams offense to pair with the young and up and coming offensive line and a dynamic 3-headed monster in the backfield made up of Damien Harris, Sony Michel and James White.
To stay competitive within the division I think Belichick will try to keep the veteran presence intact on the defensive end as much as possible, bringing back Hightower, Chung to go also with Devin McCourty. Younger guys like Chase Winovich, Josh Uche, Adam Butler, J.C. Jackson should hopefully take another lead forward. Replacing Gilmore will be the biggest task on the defensive end, but looking out west to San Francisco again, I think their UFA conerback, Jason Verrett could look nice opposite Jackson, and help piece together what we’d be missing from Gilmore.
All in all, I believe this roster can contend for the AFC East division title next year if we Garopollo can stay healthy. You can see what he can do with a full season under his belt. If he can come back to New England and put together a similar season to the one he had in 2019 where he lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl, I think the Patriots will be in good shape heading into the 2021 season.
