There’s never a dull moment in Foxboro.
The New England Patriots are coming off another championship campaign, yet it’s been an eventful offseason for the six-time Super Bowl champions — filled with some good developments, some bad developments and some developments that just make you scratch your head.
As such, Mike Sando gave the Patriots a “C” while handing out offseason grades to each NFL team in a piece published Wednesday on ESPN.com.
Sando, who spoke with NFL executives, coaches and evaluators for his piece, pointed to Robert Kraft’s prostitution solicitation scandal, Greg Schiano’s quick arrival/departure, Rob Gronkowski’s retirement and Trey Flowers’ free agency decision as key events that contributed toward the Patriots’ grade.
“So, they are going to go 10-6, at least,” an exec told Sando. “Is that a ‘B’ offseason? In their own weird way, it’s a good offseason for them.”
The Patriots’ draft class drew strong reviews from many experts. They also added a few intriguing pieces, like Michael Bennett, which should help mitigate their losses in free agency. It’ll be interesting to see how quarterback Tom Brady looks in his age-42 season and how New England’s defense performs with head coach Bill Belichick presumably calling the plays, but the Patriots again are positioned to succeed in spite of this offseason’s activity.
So, all things considered, a “C” grade seems fair, no?
