We’re running a mailbag on Fridays during the offseason. If you have questions on the Patriots, NFL, or want gripe about past answers, email cmason@masslive.com or tweet @bychrismason. Now let’s get to this week’s questions!
Will Bill Belichick be coming back from Germany with the team if they lose? — Kevin W.
FRANKFURT, Germany — Yes, Belichick will be on the return flight home. Honestly, I don’t see Robert Kraft firing Bill Belichick midseason at all.
I know the Patriots coach himself has never been nostalgic with players when their productivity declines, but Kraft has six Super Bowl banners flying in his stadium because of the work Belichick did alongside Tom Brady. That buys the 71-year-old coach enough goodwill to finish the season, regardless of what transpires the rest of the way.
There are certainly ancillary benefits to a midseason firing — getting to see Jerod Mayo with the interim tag, etc. — but it could also set off a domino-like reaction at the facility. What happens to Steve and Brian Belichick? Does anybody else walk out? What happens in the front office? Are Matt Groh and company also part of a mid-season purge? If not, is it a mess with lame ducks? It’d be an unnecessarily messy situation.
Plus, what message does it send to the rest of the league if Patriots ownership kicks the greatest head coach in franchise history out discourteously? We hear all the time that the Krafts care about optics. How would that it look telling Belichick to find his own way home from Europe?
For all the huffing and puffing about a lack of playoff wins, I’ll believe Kraft is actually firing Belichick when the NFL Network microphone is finally left undisturbed.
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Best guess: Patriots QB in 2024 is….? – Colton C.
Oooooh good one. First guess? Gardner Minshew as a bridge. I don’t think they’ll be picking high enough to land Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, so even if they go the draft route, they might not wind up somebody that’s ready to be a Week 1 starter.
In a down year, who are three Patriots that have taken strides forward? — Miller
1. Pop Douglas: The shifty rookie looks like he’s got a real future as an NFL wide receiver.
2. Jabrill Peppers: Hard-hitting veteran has grown into one of the league’s nastiest strong safeties.
3. Jahlani Tavai: He doesn’t get many headlines, but Tavai has really blossomed into a solid every-down linebacker this season.
This is what we should have done in 2020. Then we might have Trevor Lawrence instead. Every organization has to go through this process to rebuild correctly. New England is no exception. Miami turned themselves around by tanking in 2019 — Andrew C.
Counterpoint: The Patriots aren’t going to land the No. 1 overall pick — the schedule is too soft over the next month — so they won’t have their pick of any quarterback in the draft. That renders the entire Lawrence comparison moot. Beyond that, the ‘19 Dolphins won five games after Halloween, including one in Foxborough, and wound up picking No. 5 overall. They took Tua Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert, who went No. 6 to the Chargers. So yeah, this isn’t the strongest argument I’ve seen. Also, was there a question in there?
Will Bill Belichick do anything to change course? His way of playing hasn’t worked for four years now. He has a losing record without Tom Brady. What does that tell you? — Mudville A.
That Tom Brady was really good.
At this point, I’m not really sure what else Belichick can do to change course. I don’t think it’s motivation that’s been the issue here. The personnel just isn’t good — (which also obviously falls on Belichick).
Do you think the JC Jackson decision was based solely on missing curfew or did the report from the Chargers GM of his actions and lack of commitment during his tenure play a part? — @killerhz
I don’t think the Tom Telesco stuff has anything to do with it. Belichick actually praised Jackson after that report came out on Monday.
“It’s been a transition (from Los Angeles),” Belichick began. “I think his off-field training and physical health and conditioning – conditional has definitely improved. So, he’s done a good job working at that. Just the consistency in the secondary from everybody is something we need to do a better job of.”
However, I don’t think this was solely based on missing curfew either. My guess is Jackson missed curfew and then the team didn’t like the way he responded beyond that. There’s a reason Jack Jones is in Germany while Jackson is watching from his couch, right?
What is the likelihood the Patriots pick up Mac Jones’ fifth year option? — @pats300levelpod
Right now that’s projected to cost $23.3 million, per OverTheCap, so I think the likelihood is zero. No matter your drink of choice — no weapons, three offensive coordinators, Jones’ own ability — the reality is that he’s been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league for back-to-back seasons now. They can’t be shelling out that kind of money for that little production.
When is this disaster of a season going to end? — DK C.
January 7th. Can’t give you an exact time because the league still has Patriots vs. Jets kickoff listed as TBD, but I’d imagine that bad boy won’t be getting flexed into prime time. So, say around 4:30 or so?
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