As a Patriots fan from a Pats perspective
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We need to draft a quarterback in this Draft from Round 1 with our top pick wherever we land in the Draft order. Personally, I would have Malik Cunningham who is a dual threat QB start as our QB for the remaining games this season mainly just for evaluation purposes to see if he can play in this league. I would bench Mac and Bailey for the last remaining games of this season. Cunningham starts mainly to see what we have. Then if he flops, then we Draft our rookie QB for the future whether it be Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels or someone else. But even if Malik Cunningham excites, I would still go QB and have Malik as a stop gap. Cut Zappe and I would ultimately cut Mac Jones or trade him preferably trade him for draft picks.
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Next draft need on the board…Offensive Tackle. Definitely need an OT to help block for our QB going forward as OT is the linchpin for everything on offense. This I would try to go for in Round 2.
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Then go pass rusher (EDGE)
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Then go tight end afterwards and then linebacker
Free agency
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However if we do not go QB in this Draft and we address it in free agency instead…list of free agent QBs right now as it stands for 2024 free agency: Kirk Cousins, Ryan Tannehill, Jacoby Brissett, Marcus Mariota, Tyrod Taylor, Sam Darnold, Jameis Winston, Baker Mayfield, Gardner Minshew and Joshua Dobbs
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Or potential trade candidates if the Patriots trade for a QB in free agency: Derek Carr (Saints), Kyler Murray (Cardinals) or Justin Fields (Bears)
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Go wide receiver by going after someone like Mike Evans from Tampa Bay or Tee Higgins from Cincinnati to bring to New England to basically be WR1 for our rookie QB
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Re sign Dugger, Onwenu
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Then you get rid of Gesicki or Hunter Henry in free agency…most likely I would get rid of Gesicki but keep Henry
Then as far as the front office…you fire Bill Belichick as the GM of this franchise and you bring someone else in to replace Bill in the front office
Keep Belichick on strictly to be the coach and coach this team
I appreciate and upvoted the post…but this take has been espoused before many times in the last 5 weeks or so. We need a QB and a OT and Bill cant be GM.
There are 2 things that will happen next year
Bill B is fired
Bill B is here and will still be the GM (I don’t want it to be this way…but it will be)
My nitpicks…Why would you want Kyler Murray? or Justin Fields? or most of the retreads you mentioned? I know you didn’t mean to put “Ghosts” Darnold in there, Is Tyrod Taylor still alive? Brissett? yech…Even Cousins…I guess so, but he is more for a team that is way farther ahead in a rebuild than we are…I do like Dobbs…in the 7 games he played…but that was it.
Evans and Higgins have been mentioned…I like Evans but he is old, Higgins I don’t love, with Burrow and Chase there he should be more productive.
Dugger is a good player, but unless he comes back for cheap, we can find the same elsewhere, he is no Ronnie Lott or Devin McCourty
for me? I also will espouse pretty much the same what others had said…pick a QB with the 3rd pick (except Caleb), or pick MHJR…or trade the pick (but only for a Bears sized bounty (bonus if we get a WR1 out of it)) I am tired of drafting Defense and guards in the first round.
sign Onwenu, and keep Henry I suppose.