We will try to temper our optimism for the 2025 Patriots, but with the changes they have made, it will not be easy

Because we are all friends here – yes, even you – I will acknowledge this in advance.

I tried to temper my optimism for what the Patriots from 2025 could be, in no small part because of the non -adapted scars of the regrettable decision to put these words together in the following order two summers ago:

“In his third NFL season, Mac Jones Will without a doubt prove that he is the answer for the patriots at Quarterback. ‘

Now Jones has proven a lot of Things without a doubt. That he went to the design of 2021 at least two rounds too early. . . That a quarterback cannot succeed in just throwing switches. . . That Bill Belichick can hold a ferocious resentment against his own mistakes.

What the current 49ers-backup, now at Team No. 3, did not prove, is that he was the answer to another question afterwards: “What noodle-armed QB is absolutely not The Quarterback of the future of the Patriots? “(Bailey Zappe is also an acceptable answer. What wax Belichick thinks with that post-brady QB situation?)

That was an ice -cold cold take by me. I should have known better about Jones, whose physical skills were insufficient and his football sharpness exaggerated by the Alabama -Hype machine, even after the promising first half of his Rookie season.

The Mac-whiff was perhaps the heaviest reminder that the high expectations of summer and mini camps and no-pads quasi-football balls are often proved to be false due to the blunt power of September and then.

So, so, While the renewed Patriots from Mike Vrabel closed their eight weeks out of the seasonal program Caution is the floor with their last mini -camp exercise on Tuesday. We try to keep those expectations. . . Well, tempered.

But because we are still all friends here, we can acknowledge a different truth: staying rational about this team is not easy, because just about all-about vibes to the talent level to the coaching staff to the general professionalism is clear light year.

A skeptic – or a realist – can note that it would be difficult to be worse. Jerod Mayo is through and through a football man, but as a head coach he would have been over his head, even if he was not saddled with a staff that consisted of misfit toys and the worst selection in the competition. In retrospect, it was somewhere between Damning and Noten that the Krafts thought he was ready to lead an NFL operation, let alone to follow Belichick. It is a miracle that his Patriots have won four games.

Hiring VRABEL – A proven, commander and respected head coach – And an experienced staff with Josh McDaniels, Doug Marrone and Thomas Brown gives the Patriots a high basic line of professionalism that was missing last season, and frankly, in the past season or two of Belichick’s rule.

The enormous upgrade when coaching competence makes it a challenge to pay attention to what. And it is almost impossible to modulate enthusiasm for the renewed selection and the serious upgrades in talent in multiple positions on both sides of the ball.

Big-Bucks Free Agent sign Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, back from his scary blot-clot problems, have become fast friends and potential Wreakers-of-Havoc at defensive tackle. They are the support point of what should be a hugely improved defense, in which Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis form a potentially excellent cornerback -tooth to hold the back.

There is also difficult hope for some holdovers, such as versatile Marte Mapu and veteran Kyle Dugger, who have to be placed in more positions to play on his strengths.

The attack must be improved enormously, and not just because it couldn’t get much worse. Drake Maye, who missed all the measurable and charisma, that Jones was missing, should make a leap in year 2 while McDaniels refiles the system to the enormous skills of the Quarterback.

Now that he is back On dry land, experienced receiver Stefon Diggs Looks healthy and quickly from 7½ months after the suffering of a torn ACL, and the design added the much needed reinforcements of the skill position to run back Treeveyon Henderson (I loved This choice, although the position was not a need for high priority) and recipient Kyle Williams, who quickly looked in all the bills and as a fast student.

We will find out or No. 4 General Pick Will Campbell is a left tackle or a disguised guard as soon as the real games begin. But the Hey, it couldn’t get worse, especially applies to the attacking line.

What is that? Well, you have me, it’s true. I really have trouble not being ruthlessly optimistic here. The facts say that the patriots have the third easiest power of the schedule, and a fast start of September (they open at home opposite the Tom Brady Raiders, visit Miami and then organize the Steelers and Panters) is not outside the empire of the possibility. An optimist could even say that it is likely.

So what is a reasonable result for the Patriots from 2025? How does a .500-like record-8-9 or 9-8 and playing meaningful games until the end of December?

Go ahead, call it optimistic if you want. I’m going to call it realistic, if not likely. In January this take proves the opposite of freezing.