Curtis Samuel, Hunter Henry would be ideal Patriots’ free-agent targets – New England Patriots Blog
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Brief-strike feelings and notes about the New England Patriots and NFL:
one. Cost-free-agent WRs, TEs: In modern many years, mentor Bill Belichick has at times described the conclusion of Patriots seasons as a “crash landing” because of its suddenness in the playoffs, which can make this one particular a little bit unique. Connect with it a slow descent, and the outcome is it will allow far more time to target on two positions high on the team’s offseason precedence listing — wide receiver and restricted conclusion.
Whilst quarterback will most likely generate the most important headlines, a powerful circumstance could be made that it is not going to matter who is using snaps from heart if the Patriots do not decisively enhance about him.
Whilst the chance of the franchise tag exists to take some players off the industry (commencing Feb. 23), the wide receivers who could arrive at unrestricted cost-free agency are headlined by projected large-ticket things Chris Godwin (Buccaneers), Allen Robinson (Bears), Kenny Golladay (Lions), Will Fuller (Texans), JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers) and Corey Davis (Titans).
But it hardly ends there.
T.Y. Hilton (Colts), Curtis Samuel (Panthers), Marvin Jones (Lions), Nelson Agholor (Raiders), Sammy Watkins (Chiefs), A.J. Green (Bengals), Breshad Perriman (Jets), John Ross (Bengals), Alex Erickson (Bengals), Josh Reynolds (Rams) and Keelan Cole (Jaguars) could also be available.
Pace and dynamic playmaking capability have been missing in New England, and so a player like Samuel, 24, would be an perfect concentrate on. At restricted conclusion, it is a related photo to past offseason, with Hunter Henry (Chargers) the prime concentrate on following playing on the franchise tag.
Henry would be an enhance for the Patriots, as he’s a correct restricted conclusion in the feeling he’s a variable as a blocker and go-catcher. He could command shut to a prime-of-the-industry offer, which is in the for each-year-range of $fourteen million to fifteen million.
Lesser high priced alternatives include Jonnu Smith (Titans), Gerald Everett (Rams), Jared Cook (Saints) and Jacob Hollister (Seahawks), between other folks.
A Samuel-Henry mix, even though high priced, would deal with arguably the Patriots’ prime desires.
2. Ziegler for Caserio: Nick Caserio was a valuable member of the Patriots firm for 20 many years, and even though some could possibly check out his departure to develop into Houston’s standard manager as the most current case in point of New England’s drop, the check out here is unique. It was time — for him and the firm. Caserio had reached his ceiling in New England, and his assistant, Dave Ziegler, is really regarded with the chance to breathe new existence and potentially some far more choice imagining to Belichick’s. The key is preserving Ziegler from the Denver Broncos, who are interviewing him for their standard manager job.
By way of conversations with previous players, coaches and key figures, Peyton Manning will get to the heart of soccer background and its cultural influence. Watch on ESPN+
3. QB or no QB in initial spherical: The Patriots individual the No. fifteen decide in the 2021 NFL draft, which would be their fourth-highest in Belichick’s tenure (considering the fact that 2000), and the strategy is to relay weekly nuggets foremost up to April’s draft.
On ESPN’s “Initially Draft” podcast with Mel Kiper Jr., Todd McShay and Subject Yates, McShay referred to as it the “hardest year of evaluation” he’s had in approximately 20 many years as an analyst because of the variation in overall online games played involving prospective buyers. McShay, who included “wide receiver is so deep in this course,” slotted Ohio Point out quarterback Justin Fields to the Patriots at No. fifteen in his initial mock draft (no trades). The dialogue with Fields highlighted subpar performances against Northwestern and Indiana well balanced against his stellar exertion against Clemson in the playoff semifinals, and how his inventory has been a little bit volatile as a outcome of it.
One draft imagined from here: Contemplate how the notion of quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert is unique nowadays than it was at this time past year as a result, it will be fascinating to see how it shakes out with this year’s consensus prime three — Trevor Lawrence, Fields and Zach Wilson.
4. Cam’s feelings: It is really normally exciting to hear what players new to the Patriots say they study about the franchise, in particular following investing an extended period of time of time with a unique firm. This is Cam Newton from his ultimate weekly job interview on WEEI past week: “The competitive endurance, without a doubt. I would walk into the door at 5:fifteen and I would not leave until finally 10 p.m., on the frequent. And each ounce was accounted for, and the mental target you want in that creating is heightened by one particular detail and one particular detail only. Knowledge that, more than the time that I was here, is a thing that I am going to never ever shy away from for the relaxation of my existence. It was the anticipations of not undertaking a thing to get it correct. It far more or fewer was undertaking a thing until finally you can not get it mistaken. … For me, it was not coaching the body. It was coaching my mind.”
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Stephen A. Smith wants to see Cam Newton transfer on from the Patriots because he thinks Cam will not match with the offense.
5. Virtual limits: Belichick’s season-ending information meeting presented closure to the Patriots’ 2020 season, and one particular of prime takeaways was the team’s digital conferences were not viewed as extremely effective. “What you assume you might be getting finished in a digital conference and what is essentially attained are two pretty unique items because it is so tricky to evaluate and gauge the comments,” he said. “Virtual conferences are high-quality for dissemination of essential data, standard data. But in phrases of the workforce doing the job together, in particular a workforce that will not have a whole lot of expertise together — and that was correct in specific positions — I do not assume you will find a great advantage to it.”
six. Silver lining: Of all the items Belichick realized in 2020, he said “in all probability at the prime” was how valuable it was for the workforce to devote time to get to “know every single other and respect every single other’s background, story and feelings,” which was an extension of their conversations on social justice in the spring. Belichick referred to as it “pretty educational” and pointed out it will aid the franchise in the foreseeable future.
Captain Matthew Slater described it this way: “We all come from unique backgrounds and have long gone by means of unique items. It was great for us to study about that. For me to hear about Coach Belichick’s expertise expanding up, for him to hear about mine, and so on and so forth, was potent.
“Ultimately at the conclusion of the working day, you were being able to draw a backlink that, ‘Hey, we spend a whole lot of time conversing about variations in this place, but we seriously do have a whole lot far more in typical than what sets us aside.’ The capability that we have for love. The want that we have for love. The want that we have for relational relationship. Just as individuals, we are wired pretty likewise, all of us — will not matter the place you come from, who you are, how aged you are.
“We saw that in a new way this year and it was potent. I assume it grew our workforce relationally, I assume we linked on deeper ranges, because we were being conversing about far more than just soccer … and allowed us an option to expand. I assume that harvest is heading to present up, not only this year but going ahead.”
seven. New regimes: There are six head-coaching openings across the NFL, and the Patriots will experience 5 of those groups in 2021 — Chargers, Falcons, Jaguars, Jets and the Texans. The Lions are the only workforce searching for a new mentor not on the Patriots’ 2021 agenda.
8. McDaniels’ head-coaching inventory: Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has not had his title linked to any of the NFL’s head mentor openings, which is most likely a mix of the team’s shaky offensive season and residuals from three many years back when he backed out on the Indianapolis Colts job at the past minute. Whilst McDaniels said two months back that he completely would like the option to be a head mentor once more, some common with his imagining feeling he is not in any rush. For McDaniels, 44, you will find a whole lot of time left in his vocation, and he’s inspired to rebuild the Patriots’ offense and aid detect young quarterbacks in the draft who could possibly ideal match for the foreseeable future.
9. Holiday getaway bonus for Ross: On the working day ahead of their season finale, the Patriots elevated follow-squad cornerback D’Angelo Ross to the 53-gentleman roster, and then come recreation working day, they made him a nutritious scratch. So why would they elevate him in the initial position? Initially, it presented insurance policies in circumstance an hurt player who was a recreation-time decision wouldn’t engage in (e.g. Justin Bethel). Next, it allowed the workforce to shell out him at the level of a player on the 53-gentleman roster for the week — a reward for tricky perform driving the scenes, initial in rehabbing from a critical Achilles damage and then this year on the follow squad. A decision that amounted to a big difference of $27,482 from what Ross would have acquired that week.
10. Did You Know: Patriots Pro Bowl punter Jake Bailey finished the season with a forty five.six web typical, which is the second-ideal in NFL background. Only Saints punter Thomas Morstead, whom Bailey has said is anyone he admired even though studying the finer points of punting at Stanford, has posted a larger web typical in a season (forty six., 2016).
