AFC Notes: Patriots, Ravens, Raiders

Patriots

When asked for a reason to be optimistic about the Patriots at the owners meeting, HC Bill Belichick responded “the last 25 years.” It didn’t go over well with the fanbase and Belichick later clarified the organization isn’t resting on its laurels.

“We’re not resting on our past laurels; that’s not the message to the team or the fans,” said Belichick, via Jim McBride of the Boston Globe. “We have never operated that way and aren’t now.”

Belichick, who currently has 329 carer wins, said he’s thinking about passing former Dolphins HC Don Shula for the most victories in NFL history at 347.

“I have a great respect for the game and all that, [but] I’m not really focused on that right now,” Belichick said. “The 2023 season is all I’m concerned about.”

Belichick reiterated the Patriots will continue building a competitive team. 

“I think we’ve been pretty competitive every year that I’ve been here with the Patriots. That’s our overall plan,” Belichick said. “So, I expect it to continue that way. I think the team has been managed pretty well over the last 20-however-many years. So, I think we’ll continue managing it the way we’ve been competitive every year. I expect we’ll continue to be competitive.”

• ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes the Patriots think the signings of OTs Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson will be big for starting LT Trent Brown, who has always played his best when fending off competition. 
• Doug Kyed reports the following on the Patriots’ plan to use TE Mike Gesicki: “A source said Gesicki isn’t expected to meet with wide receivers but he won’t be asked to do typical tight end blocking assignments either.”

Ravens

• Jamison Hensley of ESPN notes that the Ravens need a contingency plan in case QB Lamar Jackson winds up sitting out.
• Hensley mentions that QB Teddy Bridgewater could be the best option among a current free agent class that includes Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz, Cam Newton, and Joe Flacco.
• As for a potential trade, Hensley points out that the Ravens wouldn’t make a move until after the draft given that they only have five picks, and lists 49ers QB Trey Lance as a potential target as he could be the odd man out in San Francisco.
• Hensley also thinks that the Ravens could go after a quarterback who may be released following the draft such as Titans QB Ryan Tannehill.

Raiders

Raiders owner Mark Davis explained that several coaching changes impacted QB Derek Carr and his tenure with the team. 

“Derek did a hell of a job, but throughout the process, he went through [six] different coaches so he never had a consistency to the head coaching part of the thing, nor to his coordinator part,” Davis said, via ESPN.com. “But he gave us everything he had for nine years.

“The only consistency for the last 11 years has been me, in this organization, so the buck stops with me. And I think that if you’re going to look at anybody that has failed, obviously, it’s me at putting leadership together and putting a team on the field. The only thing I can do is try to get better at it. As I’ve always said, the one thing I know is what I don’t know and I’m going to hire people that I believe are capable of doing it and give them a vision and goals and I’m going to let them do the job. I will play devil’s advocate and I will get in conversations, but again, I just believe that, in my position, I have to rely on the people that I hire.”

Davis said that he’s told every coach he’s hired that no one on the roster is “untouchable” and he left roster decisions up to the coaches.

“I don’t want to denigrate Derek but I don’t believe he’s the GOAT of professional football,” Davis said. “I think he’s a great quarterback, he’s a hard worker, he’s a good leader, all of those things. But if I were to get in the way of the coach’s decision-making, accountability, then, goes out the window because now they’re pointing fingers if things don’t go right.”