Tag: Michael Lombardi

Browns: Former GM calls Cleveland a ‘sleeper team’ to win the AFC North

The Browns former general manager Michael Lombardi has his eyes Cleveland to make a run at an AFC North crown.

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Is head coach Kevin Stefanski facing a make-or-break season as the Cleveland Browns look to get back into the playoffs in 2023? After two straight seasons of missing the playoffs, the Browns made massive upgrades to their roster and are officially out of excuses.

And one of their various former general managers thinks they are a sleeper team to sneak to the top of the AFC North after finishing last in the division a year ago. Michael Lombardi joined The Pat McAfee Show to discuss the Browns, and he thinks the move to hire Jim Schwartz as their new defensive coordinator could push them over the top.

You can see what Lombardi had to say about his former employer here.

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Ex-NFL exec likes Dalvin Cook fit for Patriots over DeAndre Hopkins

This is a strong case for the Patriots going after Dalvin Cook

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There have been talks of free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins potentially signing with the New England Patriots for weeks.

But what if the five-time All-Pro wideout wasn’t really the best fit for the team? What if it was actually four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook instead?

Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi, who was also a former Patriots assistant, threw out the idea of Cook being the better fit of the two players in New England.

“I actually believe Dalvin Cook would be a better fit than Hopkins for them,” Lombardi said, when appearing on The Pat McAfee Show. “[Rhamondre] Stevenson is a great player. There’s no question. But without Stevenson, if he goes down, it’s Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris. They need another back, back there, and I think Cook is one of those really good change-of-pace, catch a screen, go a long way. I think he’d make a huge difference for the Patriots offense with Stevenson.”

There is no doubt the combination of Cook and Stevenson would do serious damage to opposing defenses.

With that said, Cook is a bit of a premium option for a Patriots team that does need help at receiver. There are other potentially cheaper options out there like Ezekiel Elliott and Leonard Fournette with Ty Montgomery, who had a tremendous spring showing, serving as the change-of-pace option for New England.

Those cheaper moves coupled with the addition of Hopkins might suit the team as whole even better.

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Michael Lombardi not a big fan of pending Commanders owner Josh Harris

Lombardi also famously once said Doug Pederson “might be less qualified to coach a team than anyone I’ve ever seen.” How’d that one turn out?

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It’s no secret to 106.7 The Fan listeners that Michael Lombardi was no fan of Dan Snyder or Bruce Allen.

Thursday Lombardi, a guest on the “Sports Junkies” morning show on 106.7 The Fan, offered some open opinions on current Philadelphia 76ers owner and pending Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris.

Lombardi has worked for the 49ers, Eagles, Browns, Raiders and Patriots. He has never shied away from presenting his opinion.

Thursday, Lombardi warned Commanders fans that he feels Harris is too interested in making sure his players are happy.

“As a Washington fan, I’d be concerned he is too player-friendly and wants too much for the players to be happy,” Lombardi said. “I’ve never been part of a program that worked if you’re not driving the players to be the best that can be. A former Canadiens (NHL Montreal franchise) player once told me they hated Scotty Bowman 363 days a year, but the day they got the Stanley Cup, they loved him.”

Lombardi was direct in saying Harris listened to those who were into analytics, resulting in the 76ers trading away Mikal Bridges for Zhaire Smith and Smith is not even in the G League, while Bridges is an All-Star.

“After 35 years studying players, I can tell you there are no two players who are exactly the same – so there’s no question Josh Harris will spend money and has the will to win, but what makes this tough with new ownership is, do they know how to make moves and build a culture within the building? The Commanders haven’t had a culture in the building since Dan Snyder bought the team, so this will take a lot of work.”

Lombardi doesn’t buy into the narrative that Ron Rivera has built a winning culture for the Commanders or the Panthers.

“What you hear is that he’s a player-friendly coach, but somebody has to drive the bus and run the program – if you’re player-friendly and not demanding? I’m not saying that you have to have a hard edge, but you have to be demanding and put the burden on the players to be the best they can be,” Lombardi said. “The Commanders are talented, but talent alone isn’t going to win anything. Ultimately, you have to be able to put the players in a situation to succeed.”

Lombardi does not take too kindly to Harris’s in-game involvement either.

“He sits right next to Doc Rivers on the bench, and to me, you shouldn’t be sitting there because that’s an awful message,” Lombardi said. “You need to have a global view of it. One of the reasons the 76ers don’t achieve is because they spoil all their best players. That comes from ownership; teams that win in the NFL, the owner drives the culture by saying the kind of team they want. If you want to be player-friendly, that’s great, but you’re never going to win a championship.”

There was more, but space does not permit it here. Check out the link I’ve provided above. The discussion was well worth the listen.

Ex-Patriots assistant thinks Mac Jones should show accountability

Should Mac Jones take accountability? One former Patriots assistant believes so.

The 2022 New England Patriots might not have been a mess of quarterback Mac Jones’ doing, but his reaction to it, especially on the football field, should come with some form of accountability, according to former Patriots assistant Michael Lombardi.

“Did the Patriots mess up with their decision with the staffing? I think that’s fairly obvious, and I think he’s admitted that. Okay? So that’s one,” Lombardi said, when appearing on The GM Shuffle. “Did Mac Jones’ behavior, conducive to that of an ultimate leader? No. He’s got to admit that, too. So there’s culpability on both sides.

“This isn’t a one-sided, let’s favor the player route. Let’s understand the player has to show a sincere accountability for his behavior, his lack of maturity. Some of that late tackling stuff on the field, that didn’t endear himself with his teammates either. So he’s going to have to cover that up. He’s going to have to show that he’s mature, too.”

To be fair, coach Bill Belichick has never fallen on the sword for some of the staffing blunders he made last season. Sure, he made the necessary changes in the offseason, which suggests he knows what he was doing wasn’t working.

But he hasn’t actually come out and admitted publicly to getting it wrong and changing course, which is absolutely fine as long as the necessary changes are being made.

Lombardi does make some good points about Jones. The frustrations with the way things were going and some of the decisions being made with the team are completely understandable.

Jones, a former Pro Bowler and first-round draft pick, was basically trotted out onto the field as a crash test dummy for a Belichick-approved vehicle with Matt Patricia at the wheel. But the controversial tackles out of frustration, alleged backchanneling with Alabama coaches and on-field tirades were a bit much for a player only in his second NFL season.

This isn’t just on the Patriots to get right.

Both Jones and Belichick need to figure it out together if they have any hopes of competing, much less winning a stacked AFC East division.

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Ex-GM shreds Giants’ Dave Gettleman, Jason Garrett: ‘They’re stuck in time’

Michael Lombardi takes aim at New York Giants owner John Mara, GM Dave Gettleman and OC Jason Garrett: “They are stuck in time!”

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Michael Lombardi has been a successful NFL scout, personnel director and general manage for nearly 40 years. He has been working in media imparting his wisdom for various media outlets since the 1990s and is generally a respected voice on the football landscape.

During a recent appearance on the 94 WIP Podcast, Lombardi laced into the New York Giants after their flaccid 27-13 loss to the Denver Broncos last Sunday. His first first salvo was aimed at general manager Dave Gettleman and the front office.

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“They can’t evaluate their own players. They over-judge their own players. They’re not good,” Lombardi said. “They’re not even good on D. Everybody thinks, ‘well, we’re good on defense,’ — they gave up 420 yards!”

Unfortunately, that is all true. The Giants have drafted poorly, picking players in the wrong spots and ignoring important needs. They have become a team that swings and misses in the draft and then is forced to overpay in free agency in attempt to make up for those misses.

Lombardi then moved on to offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who has the offense sputtering to the tune of 17 points per game going back to the beginning of last year. His style and results have fans clamoring for days of Kevin Gilbride.

“There’s no imagination,” Lombardi said. “I mean, there’s no design in the running game. The Clapper refuses to design a run game, this is just not a misdemeanor. But look, the Giants have been bad for five years. They’re 28th in win percentage over the last five years, they’re 26th over the last 10 years. This isn’t just a one-time thing. … It’s one of the worst offenses to watch, and you’re not helping the quarterback.”

Lastly, Lombardi took a shot at ownership, which we have been suspect of when it comes to their competence.

“John Mara is one of the nicest human beings on planet earth. Unfortunately, John Mara can’t have an honest conversation about his organization or evaluate himself. That’s just a problem. It’s just a hard thing. He’s loyal to people, he likes people. They’re stuck in time. They can’t get out of it,” Lombardi said.

Again, bingo, right on the money. They need modern day thinking in the building and they don’t have it. At one time, they were on the cutting edge. Now they are doormats and not even trying to copycat the successful teams in the league.

We’re not sure why Lombardi is attacking the Giants out of the blue, so to speak. Perhaps he was shunned employment by them at one time (?) or maybe he’s a simply a fan who is sick and tired of being sick and tired. There’s plenty of those these days.

Or, it’s just disgusting to watch and the subject is low-hanging fruit for the media. The league is better when the Giants are competitive and this organization has lost its way and doesn’t know how to get off the treadmill of losing.

Regardless, there is no legitimate rebuke to Lombardi’s analysis. The numbers are what they are as Bill Parcells once reminded us.

Lombardi and I are around the same age and remember when the Giants were turned around by George Young in the 80s and were handed off to Ernie Accorsi in the late 90s. Accorsi and his assistant, Jerry Reese, kept the ball rolling and built a team in the 2000s that won two Super Bowls.

Gettleman also worked under Accorsi but this is 2021. All the methods on how to build and run a team we knew to be sound in the days of Young and Accorsi are no longer sound. The league is run by 21st Century thinkers. The Giants are still stuck in the 20th Century.

Michael Lombardi offers thoughts on Mac Jones winning starting role for Patriots

“You never make a quarterback shift this dramatic unless the team really believes in the guy that you go with.”

Cam Newton’s release on Tuesday was a surprise to many.

The 32-year-old appeared to be leading the quarterback race against Mac Jones, as he started all three preseason games, and at minimum he appeared to be a roster lock. The No. 15 pick is currently the only quarterback on the 53-man roster and he overcame all odds to become the clear-cut starter as a rookie in New England.

There’s speculation on the factors that led to Newton’s release — but, the overall consensus points to the fact that Jones just won the job. Former Patriots executive Michael Lombardi joined the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday and reiterated this sentiment.

“Did he think that Mac would come along this quickly? Obviously, I don’t think that’s true,” Lombardi said, transcribed by WEEI. “I think he felt like Cam could get them through. Now, I do know that in 2022 they felt really good that Mac Jones would be the starter based on what they saw, but this kid kind of has developed. … I do think they moved quicker than they anticipated. I don’t think they wanted to do this. They guaranteed $3.5 million to Cam, but they had to make this decision because this is basically the best player who won the job.”

Jones’ leadership, which has been heavily discusses by those around him, was one of the biggest factors in the decision.

“I think it’s been organic, but look, let’s face it, Cam is a natural born leader and so is Mac Jones. But, Mac’s ability to win over his teammates, Mac’s ability to resonate. You never make a quarterback shift this dramatic unless the team really believes in the guy that you go with,” he said. “This is not Belichick making a decision, or Josh McDaniels. This is the team sees it. And you can’t fool the team. You can’t fool the team. The team knows who the best players are. They know who should be playing quarterback, particularly. Because they are at every practice, they watch every throw. They see the team being led.

“So, this was a situation where it became crystal clear and obviously, particularly after the five days against the Giants where he was really good. And then in the preseason game against the Giants where he was really good that Belichick was forced to make a decision.”

Jones is now preparing for a Week 1 matchup against the Miami Dolphins and his former Alabama Crimson Tide teammate, Tua Tagovailoa.

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Michael Lombardi meticulously explains why Patriots unlikely to trade up for QB

Coming from a former Patriots executive, this logic makes sense.

The New England Patriots’ quarterback situation is one of the more intriguing storylines heading into the 2021 season.

Cam Newton re-signed on a one-year deal, but his role as the starter is far from being secure. The Patriots trading for Jimmy Garoppolo or another veteran isn’t very likely, but the possibility of Bill Belichick drafting a signal-caller has much higher odds. The main question now is — how far are the Patriots willing to go for one of the top-tier prospects in this year’s draft?

Former Patriots executive Michael Lombardi joined The GM Shuffle podcast and discussed the situation in great detail, ultimately saying he doesn’t believe the team will trade up.

“They’re not far away. Obviously, they have to fix the quarterback position,” Lombardi said, transcribed by ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “Cam Newton has to play much better. Where are they with Jarrett Stidham, and can they trade up? If Mac Jones goes three, which is what we all believe to be true, then where does that all fit? That means get to 4. Do they like Justin Fields? I don’t think so. Do they like Trey Lance? I’m not sure. I don’t know.

“Just knowing how they operate, I couldn’t imagine they could get either one of Lance or Fields to a high enough point to justify trading up to get them. This is what fans don’t understand. If you have a grading system that you have to really adhere to, you’ve got to be able to say; well Lombardi says, ‘They don’t like Fields and they don’t like Lance.’ That doesn’t mean they don’t like them. What I’m saying is they don’t have them graded high enough to be able to justify them at that point in the draft.”

With an inside perspective, Lombardi doesn’t believe the quarterbacks are graded high enough to justify the assets they’d give up to trade.

“To go in the first 15 players; let’s just say, you think Justin Fields is a 69 player. You graded him 69,” Lombardi continued. “That player has abilities and can create mismatches versus most opponents in the league. He’s a featured player on the team. Has the ability to impact the outcome of the game. No one player can take him out of the game. Each week he has a consistent level of performance. Plays at a championship level in most situations. Rates in the top 10 in positions of his league.

“If you feel comfortable grading Justin Fields there, then OK, you can do that. I don’t. I don’t think he’s going to be a top 10 quarterback in the league. Now, you can disagree with that. That’s fine. Again, this is really important about the draft. What you have to understand about the draft. I don’t want you to think how I think, but I want you to understand how I think. That’s really critical to separate the two things.

“… So, when I say they can’t trade up to get that, I’m saying they can’t put verbiage next to the player that justifies it. Like, if I gave him a 63 grade — ‘He’s a one-dimensional player that can do well, has certain skills to be productive in a role. He may never be a full-time starter.’

“OK, if you think Justin Fields is, then you’d say, ‘A player that has the ability to be a starter, but can’t overcome some of the limitations. He’s adequate at the position, struggles to be productive versus blue or top-level players. Doesn’t play on a consistent level.’ It doesn’t mean he’s not a good player. You’re just describing this. And if you don’t have verbiage next to this, you can’t really justify it. But, if all you do is say, ‘He’s first-rounder’ or, ‘He’s a second-rounder’ then what are we saying?

“That doesn’t say anything. Descriptions tell you what he is. That’s why it’s hard for me to see them drafting quarterbacks like Fields or Lance, or even some of these guys early, because they can’t fit the description to justify trading for them.”

Lombardi knows how the Patriots operate  and it’s extremely possible Belichick plans to start Newton if a quarterback he wants doesn’t drop to No. 15.

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Why Michael Lombardi believes Patriots are front-runners for Matthew Stafford

Cap space plays a huge factor in acquiring Matthew Stafford.

At this point, it’s difficult to believe Cam Newton and the New England Patriots will pair together for the 2021 season.

Bill Belichick has the No. 15 overall pick in the draft and it’s unlikely he chooses one of the available quarterbacks, despite the great selection at hand. Belichick, 68, isn’t in a situation where a slow rebuild is ideal, so choosing a veteran that can maintain the offense behind an elite defense will be essential.

Not many veteran free agents fit that mold. Tom Brady’s departure clearly was more detrimental than many expected and there’s few available quarterbacks who can even replicate half of the 43-year-old’s abilities. But, Matthew Stafford is an intriguing option that will be available if the Patriots choose to pursue him.

The 12-year veteran is parting ways with the Detroit Lions this offseason, but he still has $20 million due in 2021 and $23 million in 2022. It’s a hefty tab to pick up for a 32-year-old quarterback with only three playoff games under his belt.

Regardless, former Patriots executive Michael Lombardi showed some belief in the idea that New England could land him via trade.

As for the other NFC North quarterback making waves, Stafford will have many suitors. The Colts and the Patriots are the front-runners as they’re the two teams that have the cap room to handle Stafford right away. Stafford has a $20 million cap charge that cannot be reworked until he is on his new team. The team that trades for him must have the room to take on his deal, then they can lower his cap charge. Many teams can handle his cash and salary; few can handle that initial charge, which is why the Colts and Patriots are in front.

There isn’t any real reports on the Patriots closing in on Stafford through trade, but the addition of Matt Patricia will likely play a factor — for good or bad. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Detroit is expecting at least a first-round pick, which the Patriots would be capable of they saw the value of attaining Stafford.

New England’s quarterback search is still completely in the air, but so is the rest of the roster — Belichick has his work cut out for him.

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Michael Lombardi explains why Sony Michel may miss half the season

Lombardi indicated why Michel may miss half of the 2020 season.

Could New England Patriots running back Sony Michel miss the first half of the 2020 season? One NFL analyst thinks so. Former Patriots executive Michael Lombardi predicted that Michel would stay on the physically unable to perform list throughout the summer.

Michel had foot surgery this offseason, and ankle and knee injuries are nothing new to him. If he were to stay on the PUP list, he would have to miss the first six weeks of the season.

New England has depth at the position, and added to it this week with Lamar Miller. Damien Harris, James White, JJ Taylor, and Rex Burkhead also figure to be part of the equation at running back.

“I think Sony Michel is probably destined for PUP/reserve,” Lombarid said. “I think he’ll probably miss the first half of the season. I don’t think there’s any chance they’re going to rush him back. With his ankle, I think that train is gonna take a little bit of time to get out of the station.”

Michel rushed for 912 yards and seven touchdowns last season. The Patriots would love to have him healthy, as he undoubtedly has the role of feature back in this offense. Perhaps in response to Michel’s injury, New England signed veteran running back Lamar Miller this offseason. He’ll compete against Damien Harris, 2019 third-round pick.

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Michael Lombardi says there’s ‘no doubt’ Cam Newton will win starting role

“There is no doubt he’ll win the starting job.”

The starting quarterback role is still up for grabs in New England.

It’s very hard to believe the Patriots signed Cam Newton without the intention of him starting Week 1, but they haven’t announced that. Second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham seemed to be the team’s starter before Newton was signed and Brian Hoyer reportedly had a chance to fight for the role.

Newton, 31, has an NFL MVP and Super Bowl trip with the Carolina Panthers that backs his case. His injury history is the only real issue, but recent videos have shown his ability to freely throw the ball and move. Newton already got to work with Mohamed Sanu and N’Keal Harry within the first two weeks of getting signed and has been in touch with Julian Edelman as well.

For all these reasons, former Patriots executive Michael Lombardi showed his belief in Newton’s ability to earn the starting role. Lombardi put a simple and affective tweet up on Thursday.

It’s hard to believe Newton doesn’t win the job and his personality is perfect to replace a charismatic and passionate Tom Brady.

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