Off-season 2017 Backfiring on Patriots
Remember how the Patriots were applauded for their off-season? Well the haul was loaded with lemons.
Five weeks in, prized free agent addition CB Stephon Gilmore has been involved in several communication problems and untimely penalties, costing the defense several big plays and arguably directly the loss to the Carolina Panthers.
New England was burned from acquiring a corner before. The Patriots traded 2005 third and fifth round selections to the Arizona Cardinals for Duane Starks and the Cardinals’ fifth round selection. Starks lasted just seven games until New England released him.
Will Gilmore at least last as long as Starks did? Probably. Gilmore and the defense rebounded against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so the secondary’s communication could be improving. If Gilmore’s stay in New England is abbreviated, he still lasted longer than DE Kony Ealy and TE James O’Shaunessy, as neither made it out of training camp with the team.
The 2017 off-season isn’t a failure. It’s too soon to reach that conclusion. So far, though, the Patriots don’t have much to show for their aggressive approach that was compared to the 2007 off-season.
That year New England traded for WRs Randy Moss and Wes Welker. They signed WR Donte’ Stallworth, RB Sammy Morris and spent big for LB Adalius Thomas.
I’m guilty of making that comparison. But before a single game was played, New England wasted no time moving on from some bad deals.
Acquiring Ealy and a 2017 third round pick from the Panthers for a 2017 second round selection was a typical Patriots low risk/high reward transaction. The draft day trade for O’Shaunessy and a 2017 sixth round selection for a Kansas City Chiefs 2017 fifth round pick would had provided depth behind TEs Rob Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen. Ealy and O’Shaunessy were cut after the final preseason game.
Speaking of Allen, New England gave the Indianapolis Colts a 2017 fourth round pick for the fifth year veteran and a 2017 sixth round pick. While used as a blocker, Allen has zero catches but a few drops through five games. That includes zero targets against the Buccaneers, a game Gronkowski did not play in.
The Patriots might be losing faith in Allen as a receiver, but they still believe he could help the team. LB Davis Harris was active for the first three games. He did not play in the last two.
Not every deal was a swing and miss. Giving up a 2017 first round pick for WR Brandin Cooks is paying off. Catching the game-winning score against the Houston Texans was the perfect ending to his five catch, 131-yard, two touchdown afternoon.
DE Lawrence Guy has started four games for the Patriots. RBs Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead have been somewhat productive when given the ball. And WR Phillip Dorsett has four receptions in limited work.
And though the Patriots only made four draft selections, DE Deatrich Wise has quickly emerged as a promising pass rusher. He had a pivotal sack of Panthers’ QB Cam Newton taken away by a Gilmore penalty.
What stings is seeing former Patriots doing well with their new teams:
Ealy earned a game ball from New York Jets coach Todd Bowles after four passes deflected and an interception against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
QB Jacoby Brissett was dealt to quarterback-needy Indianapolis for Dorsett. Brissett quickly became the starter for the Colts, leading Indy to a win.
Brissett couldn’t beat the Seattle Seahawks, though, as Brissett threw a pick-six to CB Justin Coleman, a Patriot traded to Seattle for DE Cassius Marsh.
Sorry, didn’t mean to take a shot at Marsh. After being burned by Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt for a 78-yard touchdown pass, Marsh has shown some pass rush ability, netting a sack against the Texans. But Marsh was at fault for a bone-headed roughing the passer penalty against the Buccaneers.
The secondary has the talent to right itself. It can be done with or without Gilmore. The Patriots team could right itself. It will have to be done with less contributions than expected from the off-season class.
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