Jon Wallach’s Eagle Eye View Provides a Positive Perspective on the Patriots
Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New England Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf during the NFL Scouting Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
On paper, this doesn’t look good. The Patriots are led by a first-time head coach, an offensive coordinator who didn’t call plays at his last job, a first-time defensive coordinator, and a first-time special teams coordinator. They also all work under a guy who has never had the final say on any draft he’s been a part of.
You’re also presumably going to add a rookie quarterback to this? Ask Zach Wilson how that went a couple of years ago.
However, against all odds, I find myself optimistic. Listening to Eliot Wolf and Jerod Mayo, it is hard not to believe that this team is on the right track. Both men were very calm in dealing with the media over the last 48 hours, and, most importantly, neither man promised a quick fix.
![New England Patriots Introduce Jerod Mayo as Head Coach](https://985thesportshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2024/01/GettyImages-1940309277.jpg)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 17: (L-R) Owner Robert Kraft and newly appointed head coach Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots speak to the media during a press conference at Gillette Stadium on January 17, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Will this team win anything next season? No, and they probably won’t in 2025 either. However, with a slow, methodical plan that I believe we’re headed towards, these guys are plotting the correct course for a return to respectability. Do your homework, draft the kids, let them play, and re-sign the ones that are good enough. You start with the quarterback at 3, “weaponize the offense,” and watch everyone develop.
No more drafting kickers and punters. No more Tyquan Thorntons or Jack Jones three rounds too soon. No going off the board to take Tavon Wilson in the second, and, Hell Yes, no more N’Keal Harrys or Joejuan Williamses come April. It’s all about adding four or five solid young players each year and teaching them.
That’s the way winning teams do it. It takes time, and, most importantly, the new regime seems to understand that. It’s going to be a shock to the system for all Patriots fans under the age of 30, but the early call is that this reset is being done by the right people with the right attitude.
I’m optimistic. In late February.
Jon Wallach is part of Toucher & Hardy and contributor for 985thesportshub.com. Follow Wallach at @KenGriffeyrules on Twitter.
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Patriots graded among league's worst teams on annual NFLPA report card
The grades are in for the New England Patriots in 2023, and they’re not great. On Wednesday the NFLPA released the results of the second annual Player Team Report Cards, and the Patriots’ report card should leave the team with a lot to think about.
For the second year in a row, the NFLPA surveyed players from each NFL team over the course of the season, in order to get an understanding of how teams are handling different elements of their operation. Here’s the methodology from the NFLPA website…
“In 2023, the NFLPA worked with Statler Nagle and research experts at Artemis Strategy Group to further enhance the survey process and provide third-party perspective.
The survey was administered from August 26 to November 16, 2023. Artemis Strategy Group conducted the census survey online and provided access to every player on a 2023 NFL roster at the time of the survey. A total of 1,706 players completed the survey this year.
Answers were collected anonymously, and players evaluated their current workplace based on their club experience. The survey included both closed-ended and optional open-ended questions. Grades are calculated based on player responses to a series of survey rating questions in 11 categories. Each category grade is based primarily on scores from scaled rating questions. Grades also reflect additional details about workplace conditions, such as the quality of club offerings. Teams are ranked within each category and overall on the basis of their scores. Each team’s overall score is based on a weighted combination of grades for each of the 11 categories.
The overview section for each club’s “report card” and commentary accompanying each category ranking reflects player respondents’ opinions about the state of each club’s workplace. We note that the information collected from this survey reflects only the opinions of the 2023 players on each club roster who completed the survey.”
The Patriots finished ranked 29th of 32 teams on this year’s report cards. That’s down from ranking 24th last year.
“The New England Patriots finish the year ranked 29th in the team surveys,” the NFLPA’s overview of the Patriots’ results reads. “The results point to club management that has not been keeping up with changing times; as in most categories, the player responses highlight outdated facilities and stale services.”
In what areas in particular did the Patriots struggle? Here’s a look at the breakdown of the Patriots report card. The full report can be found here.
Nick Gemelli, the wizard behind the scenes at Toucher & Hardy and a maestro on 985thesportshub.com, kicked off his radio escapade back in 2007 as an intern for Toucher & Rich on WBCN. After navigating through WFNX and the Boston Phoenix, he made a triumphant return to the show in 2016. Hailing from Marshfield but currently holding it down in Tewksbury, Nick’s radio journey is as dynamic as his Twitter feed. Nick writes about what happens on the Toucher & Hardy Show and Boston area lifestyle content.