New England, Team Vibes and Players to Target and Avoid

As we race toward August, Footballguys.com will look at one team per day with our quick-hitting Team Vibes and Players to Target and Avoid, where we check out the overall mood of each team's offense and let you know the players we are in on (because they are great values at the cost it takes to acquire them) and who we're out on (because they are too expensive and won't give you a good return on that investment).

Go Deeper: See in-depth projections for every Patriots player here >>>

This is a daily series that will stretch through July 31. If you like this and want another, come back tomorrow. Another will be here. And all 32 of them will be free to Insiders. To become an Insider, simply sign up with a free account.

And here are all of the Team Vibes and Players to Target and Avoid articles we've done so far:
New England | New Orleans | NY Giants | NY Jets | Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | San Francisco | Seattle | Tampa Bay | Tennessee | Washington

Quick Hits

Want a brief overview? Here it is:

• General Vibes - Neutral
• We're In On at Cost - Rhamondre Stevenson
• We're Out On at Cost - Rhamondre Stevenson

And yes, that's right. Stevenson is a polarizing player. Some people are very high on him. Some believe the hype is too much.

Want a longer breakdown of how it's going in New England (and what 15 people think about Rhamondre Stevenson)? Read on.

Patriots, Team Vibes

• Good - 2
• Neutral - 9
• Bad - 5

Staffers with Good Vibes

• Phil Alexander: Matt Patricia is no longer calling offensive plays. What was that?
• Zareh Kantzabedian: The disparity between Joe Judge and Bill O'Brien as offensive minds is unfathomable for the human mind to comprehend. Trust in O'Brien.

Staffers with Neutral Vibes

• Ben Cummins: The offensive coordinator switch from Matt Patricia to Bill O’Brien will provide a significant upgrade.
• Dan Hindery: The coaching change should help, and New England is amongst the betting favorites to land DeAndre Hopkins and Dalvin Cook, either of whom would provide a boost.
• Jason Wood: It’s neutral with a positive bent, though, as Bill O’Brien is a major upgrade at coordinator and knows Mac Jones inside and out.
• Jeff Haseley: New England is in a fierce division, but as long as they have Bill Belichick, they will be competitive.
• Chad Parsons: The offensive ceiling may not rival the top of the NFL hierarchy, but the floor is sturdy, as even if Mac Jones does not take a step forward, the ground game should thrive.
• Jeff Tefertiller: An average team in a strong division, with the worst quarterback of the division.
• Daniel Harms: Bill O'Brien should get Mac Jones back on track, but the offense isn't widely talented.
• Dave Kluge: They beefed up their pass-catchers, but Mac Jones could hinder the overall production.
• Craig Lakins: The addition of Bill O'Brien as the offensive coordinator should provide some signs of life for a stagnant offense, but they still lack playmakers at WR despite adding Smith-Schuster in the offseason.

Staffers with Bad Vibes

• Jeff Bell: When we are talking about Mac Jones and Mike Gesicki, it is hard to get excited.
• Hutchinson Brown: This team has very little to get excited for in 2023. This year is the year we realize Mac Jones is NOT the future for this team.
• Andy Hicks: There can be little confidence in getting reliable outcomes and volume of numbers.
• Ryan Weisse: Sure, having a real offensive coordinator helps, but the roster at this point inspires no confidence.
• Sam Wagman: Does this team have an upward trajectory with next to no wide receiver talent, no real answer at the quarterback position, and holes on the defense?