Phil Perry: Expectations scared OC candidates away from Patriots
On Monday’s edition of Zolak & Bertrand, Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston explained why some offensive coordinators were scared off by expectations with the Patriots.
This is going to be a 2-3 year rebuild…
Phil Perry: I can tell you. I’ve spoken to some younger offensive coaches that are in the league now, just talking about the offensive coordinator job before they hired (Alex) Van Pelt. One of the reasons this was viewed as a not desirable job went beyond on the roster. It went to expectations here locally as well, ownership and fans, even though it’s been bad the last few years here and if you’re rational, you’re probably anticipating a 2 to 3 year rebuild at least. You’re also programed over the course of the last 20 plus years to watch good football. So it’s going to make it hard for who’s ever in these jobs, Mayo, Covington, Van Pelt. McAdoo, Kraft to watch more bad football. So it’s a huge factor.
Scott Zolak: Especially ownership too if you’re going to have a bigger hand into what’s being done or how you’re going to fix it. I’m going to be around more, I’m going to be more visible, and how are fans going to take that. You see how they’ve kind of taken it as, well they got their hands in everything. Yeah, they really don’t from a football sense. I think they trust Eliot Wolf. They trust Jerod.
Got to let those guys be themselves at some point too. You can’t hold their hand all day and they’ve had success letting football people handle the football end of it. But what’s the level going to be if they become impatient. You know, that’s where you don’t get off to a good start, if you’re four games under .500. That makes people uneasy. You hear it from the fans, you hear it from your clients, you hear it from your sponsors. People want a winner. Even though we haven’t had success the last few years, we still feel we’re different than the rest of the league. At some point, that’s going to wear off, and that’s where it’s going to be Interesting to see how things go.
Phil Perry: You know what will really ratchet up the impatience. Is if they screw up the quarterback decision. Whether it’s to take a guy and he fails or whether it’s to pass and that guy succeeds, that will really cause fans and maybe even ownership to look at and say, what the hell are we doing here?
Marc Bertrand: I’m sorry, but the staff is underwhelming. I like Jerod Mayo, but it feels like they didn’t do everything that they needed to do in terms of a full search because they didn’t conduct one. That impacts how I feel about the situation and the other hires they’ve made are not swinging big. The entire thing is kind of underwhelming. I hope they’re not setting themselves up and this is why the draft picks are so important as you state. I hope they’re not setting themselves up to in three years be looking at this saying, oh, we’ve got to blow everybody out and and start again.
Listen to the full segment!
A look at every Patriots wide receiver ahead of the NFL offseason
Before the New England Patriots really dive into the 2024 off-season, let’s reset the wide receiver depth chart.
Because at least some of these players are on track to be right back with the Pats in training camp. The Patriots need wide receivers, yes, but they’re not about to blow out the entire room. It’s worth knowing who’s still left behind from the debacle that was 2023.
MORE: Barth’s Quarterback Big Board
In fact, it’s fair to wonder how much the receivers are even at fault for what happened last season. The quarterbacks, coaches, and offensive line are at least ahead of them on the list. This group might be enough for Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, or Josh Allen.
You’ll notice that Kendrick Bourne is not on this list, mainly because he’s an impending free agent. He’s been covered as a considered a candidate to return after tearing his ACL. But he and another soon-to-be-free agent remain on the roster for now. Here’s what to know about the rest of the Patriots’ wide receivers…
DeMario Douglas
Dec 17, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas (81) runs the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
In an otherwise abysmal offensive season, Douglas was THE bright spot. THE silver lining. Incredibly, the 2023 Patriots technically landed a good wide receiver.
Douglas’ speed, short-area quickness, and reliable hands were almost immediately on display in training camp, and he never had a marked drop-off in performance or production. That didn’t necessarily translate to a dynamic rookie season – he may have had issues with Bill Belichick early on – but he caught 39 passes for 418 yards over his final nine games, which averages out to 74-790 over a full campaign.
Douglas may not be the new No. 1 weapon the Patriots still need. Ultimately, his ceiling seems to be that of a good No. 1 slot receiver. His lack of size will limit him at the NFL level. But he’s got the quickness and hands to make plays over the middle and in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field, and he’ll break off big runs after the catch at times too.
With “Pop” Douglas, the Pats at least know they have a piece for the future on an offense that is practically bereft of pieces for the future.
DeVante Parker
Dec 24, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker (1) makes a catch under pressure from Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) in the third quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Amid all the untimely drops and headaches in the regular season, you may forget that DeVante Parker tacked on two years to his contract with the Patriots during camp. He’s signed through 2025.
Parker, 31, caught just 33 passes for 394 yards in 2023, and amazingly did not score a single touchdown. He had just two games with five or more catches, and the always-injury-prone receiver missed another four games with various ailments. So now, keeping him another two seasons, let alone keeping him at all, is an ugly proposition.
MORE: Patriots linked to possible new offensive line coach
However, Parker is guaranteed $3.19 million in salary for 2024, per Over The Cap. Incredibly cheap. So perhaps Parker could be worth keeping around, if he’s just part of the depth and not expected to be the No. 1 outside receiver or anything close to it.
At the same time, the Patriots would save about $6.8 million in cash over the next two seasons if they release Parker or can find a trade partner for him. A pre-June 1 trade would create $3.33 million in cap space for 2024 and $5M for 2025, so it’s not like they’re hamstrung with the contract. It’s not impossible that Parker ultimately plays elsewhere next season.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Sep 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (7) prepares for a game against the Philadelphia Eagles during the warm-up period at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Smith-Schuster is arguably their most expendable receiver, because he mainly plays inside and the Patriots have a good slot receiver. But he’s less expendable than one may desire, because of his contract.
The 27-year-old is due $7 million in guaranteed salary for 2024, per Over The Cap. Cutting him before June 1 would cost the Pats $1.9 million against the cap. If they’re going to pay him that money, they might as well keep him around and hope that he can stay healthy. That is, if the two sides didn’t decide they need a change.
That doesn’t seem likely after just one year. So, Smith-Schuster might ultimately land in the “stuck with him” category, just like Parker. But if and when the Patriots add new receivers, perhaps they will become more willing to eat the financial penalties that arise from moving on.
Jalen Reagor
Jan 7, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Jalen Reagor (83) reacts after his catch against the New York Jets in the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Finally, a more positive story among the Patriots’ wide receivers. Reagor signed midseason as a former castaway of the Eagles and Vikings, as the 2020 first-round pick has yet to live up to his draft stock.
He still hasn’t as a Patriot, but intriguingly, Reagor started to make some plays for them down the stretch of 2023. Reagor made four catches over his final three games, and averaged a staggering 26.3 yards. Consistency and more volume would make Reagor the dynamic wideout he was supposed to be.
It’s worth finding out if he can tap into his remaining potential as a member of the Patriots. He’s on track to become a free agent, so he’s technically in the same boat as Bourne. But it’s a slam-dunk easy decision to sign Reagor for a minimal one-year deal and see how he continues to develop.
Tyquan Thornton
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 03: Tyquan Thornton #11 of the New England Patriots runs with the ball in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium on December 03, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
It’s not Thornton’s fault that he’s a remnant of the Bill Belichick era and the subpar drafting that doomed the head coach/GM in the end. But two seasons into his NFL career, Thornton has rarely looked like a player that was worthy of a second-round pick.
And that’s a little surprising to anyone that saw Thornton with their own two eyes in his first training camp as a rookie in 2022. The speed, route-running, and hands were all there. Unfortunately, Thornton hasn’t shown enough toughness at the catch point, which is making him vulnerable to any kind of press-man coverage or physicality.
Thornton should still have a chance to contribute in year 3, and nobody needs it to work out more than him. It’s just hard to have much confidence that he’ll live up to his draft stock.
Kayshon Boutte
Aug 19, 2023; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte runs after catching a pass to score a touchdown in the second quarter at Lambeau Field. Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Boutte unfortunately made headlines recently because of his arrest on charges related to illegal sports betting. That the Patriots haven’t cut Boutte should declare that, like Jack Jones, they’re willing to let the legal process play out before making a decision on him.
But for now, Boutte can’t be counted on to contribute anything to the Patriots in 2024, if he’s even still on the team come Week 1. He’s shown good hands and breakaway speed, but he clearly has plenty of off-field trouble to sort through before he can think about having success in the NFL.
T.J. Luther
T.J. Luther of the New York Jets prepares for the snap during a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 12, 2023. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The Patriots recently signed Luther to a futures contract, locking him in to the 90-man roster for 2024 camp. Luther spent much of the 2023 season on the Patriots’ practice squad, before being released in November. Mayo and the new-look Patriots staff clearly saw enough from Luther that they liked to keep him around for a summer. To borrow an old go-to line from Bill Belichick … we’ll see how it goes.
