Do you know there are children in New England who never experienced a fall or winter when the Patriots were really good?
More than one million children under the age of 10 either weren’t born or have no recollection of 28-3 or Super Bowl victory parades.
They don’t know that fanbase feeling of arrogant invincibility. They never got to condescend to the world that they were born in the right place at the right time and everybody else can suck it.
Somewhere, the famous (and infamous) Sign Kid smirks with pity.
It’s actually been years longer than that since the Patriots opened training camp without some kind of sideshow, drama or dysfunction. I could argue it’s been two decades since we’ve seen bliss like this. Even when the Patriots were Godzilla to the rest of the league’s Tokyo, some kind of camp drama was annually afoot. Contracts. Controversies. Cuts. Crime. Competition. It was always something.
But this year? It’s nothing at all. Seriously.
🔊 Patriots Talk Podcast: 5 PRESSING questions for the Patriots heading into training camp | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
No trepidation over an inexperienced head coach elevated too soon, no coach-quarterback sniping, no offensive coordinator audition, no “win-now” ultimatums, no Spygate, no Deflategate, no holdouts and no hold-ins.
Mike Vrabel hasn’t made a bad decision. Drake Maye hasn’t thrown a pick. Milton Williams hasn’t missed a practice or gotten caved in at the point of attack. Stefon Diggs hasn’t moped or erupted. Christian Gonzalez hasn’t been beaten. It’s all downhill and green lights until we get to the beach!!
The patient has been sick for a long time. Now, the antidote — in the form of a coaching staff/locker room housecleaning, a free agent splurge and an attitude adjustment — has been swallowed. It’s just a matter of waiting for it to take effect. Then, ALL BETTER!
And if it doesn’t? And if it DOESN’T??? What then?!
Then there are murmurs of discontent. Followed by talk, chased by irritation, trailed by outrage.
The welcome calm and unchecked optimism over what will happen the next five months is a mirage. Because there are kids out there – innocent kids – who look back fondly at Cam Newton’s heroic performance in a 35-30 loss to the Seahawks as the pinnacle of their Patriots experience. And that’s wrong.
The heat — while turned down fairly low — is still on. Who should feel the toastiest?
Here’s 13. In order.
Drake Maye, quarterback
He got a breakfast ball for 2024. Now, this one counts no matter where it lands.
With an improved offensive line, the most experienced and accomplished offensive coordinator in the league, better wideouts (theoretically), and an easy schedule, Maye’s snapshots of excellence from last season should be strung together to make a decent-length video of success.
He’s the third overall pick. He’s smart. Tough. Athletic as hell. Let’s see some results.
Mike Vrabel, head coach
Usually, a new head coach gets a generous amount of leeway when he takes over a new team. And Vrabel will certainly get some here in New England. But the open fire hydrant of enthusiasm and optimism since it became clear Vrabel would replace Jerod Mayo mayyyyyyybe has people expecting a little too much.
I think Vrabel will spend a fair amount of time over the next two months noting his team is neither good nor smart, but is working to become both in short order.
Will folks hear and/or believe him? Probably not. Eight wins or bust.
Robert Kraft, owner
I enjoy Kraft. There. Said it. I’m also comfortable saying he is the gold standard for someone simultaneously patting himself on the back and slapping himself upside the head.
It was amazing pivot for Kraft to acknowledge that he set Mayo up to fail in one press conference, then unveil Vrabel a week later. Like his sentimentality and trying to do the right thing — first by Bill Belichick, then by Mayo — didn’t just wrap the franchise around a telephone pole.
Now the team is sitting on $60 million in cap space (mostly because nobody wanted to come here) and if the returns are tepid … that will be noted.
Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator
When last seen on a Patriots sideline, McDaniels was kindling hope that Mac Jones was a Pennington-level replacement for Tom Brady.
It. Was not. To be.
Now, a coach who can chameleon an offensive system better than anyone who’s ever done it is back with a quarterback who’s miles more athletic than Brady was. Oh, the places Drake will go with McDaniels in charge!!!
McDaniels is the No. 1 reason people predict a return to competency on offense. Incompetence will get him in the crosshairs.
Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry sit down to discuss some crucial question for the Patriots heading into Training Camp.
Will Campbell, offensive tackle
Don’t blame Will Campbell that Ronnie Stanley didn’t want to leave Baltimore.
Because if Stanley had decided to leave the Ravens and come to New England as a free agent back in March, there’s no way the modestly-appendaged Campbell would have been taken by the Patriots with the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft.
They might have traded down. They might have taken Ashton Jeanty or someone else. Who knows? But it wouldn’t have been Campbell.
BE THAT AS IT MAY, the Patriots did take Campbell fourth overall, and he’s pledged in his syrupy Louisiana drawl to be everything this team wanted and more. One hopes he is.
He’s gotten a lot of crap and heard for months how flawed he is. He’ll be MORE than entitled to some “Told ya so’s” if he’s a very good rookie tackle. But he’s got to be.
Stefon Diggs, wide receiver
If it weren’t for the boat video, people would be giddy about the progress Diggs has apparently made and the promise of a true, top-tier receiver on the Patriots roster.
Many still are. And should be. But there’s also hard-to-shake hand-wringing that he’s going to be a net negative.
Albert Breer shares what he’s hearing about the conversation between Mike Vrabel and Stefon Diggs on Arbella Early Edition
Eliot Wolf, executive VP of player personnel
As much as we’ve heard about how harmoniously the inherited GM is getting on with all the new guys, it doesn’t escape notice how many players Wolf drafted, signed or extended in 2024 are either gone, not very good or under the microscope.
After that many whiffs, Wolf doesn’t just need solid contact from his imports, he needs some home runs.
Terrell Williams, defensive coordinator
The Patriots defense is supposed to be really, really good. The backbone of the team. The foundation for imagined success.
If it doesn’t come to pass on the field, Williams will be the one answering what’s going wrong.
Mike Onwenu, offensive guard
The most well-compensated player on the roster has to be one of the best players on the roster. End of story.
Milton Williams, defensive tackle
The most highly-paid player in Patriots history has to be an absolute beast in the middle. End of that story. And end of this story.
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