It's Super Bowl eve here in sunny Los Angeles.
Let's finish the week strong by answering your pressing New England Patriots questions in today's mailbag:
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I wouldnât rule out another addition. Thereâs still plenty of shakeup thatâs going to happen with staffs across the league -- and that shakeup could mean another departure or two from the Patriots staff -- so things are still in flux.
For instance, wide receivers coach Mick Lombardi will be among those considered for the offensive coordinator job under Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas. (Another name to keep an eye on is Browns tight ends coach Drew Petzing, who interviewed last weekend.) If Lombardi leaves, that would be yet more brainpower out the door.
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Tight ends coach Nick Caley is a well-respected Patriots assistant league wide as well. It would make sense for Bill Belichick to stockpile talent and sort out roles once the dust settles.Â
Could I see Judge eventually being the guy to run the offense? Possibly. But my belief is there is more coming. For what itâs worth, Mac Jones told us on Friday that he hadnât yet spoken to Judge. It also sounded like he hadnât heard which direction the team was going when it comes to its offensive play-caller.
I can tell you coaches around the league Iâve spoken to would be very surprised if Judge is calling offensive plays in 2022. Weâll see.
For a team that wants to play as much man-to-man defense as the Patriots have under Bill Belichick in recent seasons, having a No. 1 has been hugely beneficial. There's a trickle-down effect on the rest of the unit when it has that presence on the outside.
But the Patriots are in a financial pickle with J.C. Jackson. He wants to get to free agency. He knows he's going to be the top corner on the market. So unless the Patriots are willing to tag him (and guarantee him over $17 million next season), they may have to be prepared to lose him and adjust their scheme to cope with the fact that they don't have a No. 1 anymore.
My understanding is Jackson was offered a contract during the season that was rebuffed. How the Patriots handle him now and moving forward remains one of the most interesting storylines of the offseason.
Glad you asked, Matt. We'll have some Senior Bowl takeaways (as well as some Shrine Bowl takeaways) in future episodes of Next Pats.
But guys who stood out to me who look like Patriots fits? How about UConn's Travis Jones. At 6-foot-4, with long arms, and tipping the scales at just under 330 pounds, he looks like a true nose tackle in their scheme. He was one of the best players in Mobile on either side of the ball.
North Dakota State wideout Christian Watson also looks like their kind of player. Real speed on the outside. Good size. A willingness to play special teams (and even take the occasional handoff). Boise Stateâs Khalil Shakir was a very difficult cover out of the slot and it's easy to envision him playing in Foxboro.Â
Last one for now: South Carolina edge defender Kingsley Enagbare. He checked in at 6-4 with 35-inch arms and he weighed in at a hulking 261 pounds. He's an energizer bunny off the edge with real explosiveness.
He's not the most polished player, and he didn't have incredible sack production in the SEC. But he was a pressure machine, and with his frame and athleticism he's the kind of player I could see the Patriots coveting even though they've added some young edge defenders in recent drafts (Josh Uche, Ronnie Perkins). He had a big week and looks like a second-round pick.
It's an interesting draft class this year, Tim. It's not very deep at the top, but there should be more draftable players in this crop than others because so few declared for the draft after seasons wiped out (or partially wiped out) due to COVID.
It's an approach they could take depending on who's available. Bill Belichick has long told us that trades up are about specific players. So if the right player is there within reach and it means parting with a future pick, go for it. If not, sit tight.Â
To your point on what this draft has to offer positionally, it does look like a good tackle and receiver class. There should be plenty of talented corners off the board early, too. All of those spots are areas the Patriots could be looking to upgrade in the spring.
I have no doubt they read the Bag every week, Dicky! So have it, fellas!
For a long time they've been one in the same. Josh McDaniels held both titles. Bill O'Brien held both titles. I'm assuming that however the responsibilities get divvied up for 2022, they'll have a similar setup.
That relationship between the quarterback and the play-caller is so important that it makes sense to combine the two responsibilities when possible.
Best bet is Eliot Wolf, who had general manager interviews elsewhere this offseason. But I'd imagine Wolf, director of college scouting Matt Groh and director of pro scouting Steve Cargile will all take on a little more in terms of responsibility with Ziegler moving on.
We'll see what Allen Robinson is expecting on the open market. He's coming off career lows in a variety of categories, but everyone I've spoken to believes that was more a product of his situation than any declining ability.
He wasn't thrilled to play on the franchise tag last year -- no surprise there -- and so maybe it's unlikely he'd want to play on another short-term deal in order to build his resume back up and hit free agency soon. But he probably won't be paid like Chris Godwin or Davante Adams, and I believe he believes he should be in that range.
Maybe if that kind of deal isn't out there for him, a shorter contract with the Patriots, an opportunity to be the clear-cut No. 1 option, would be of some interest.
Hard to call any free-agent marriage "likely" right now. But it's pretty clear the Patriots need a real presence on the outside, and he'd certainly provide one.
Kentuckyâs Wan'Dale Robinson was among those listed as an official invitee to the combine this week. We'll see if he has Tyreek Hill's speed -- very, very few do -- but he's definitely fast and he's a pain to bring down in the open field.
Add him among the crop of slot types in this year's class who look intriguing. There are a bunch between Shakir, UCLA's Kyle Phillips, Alabama's Slade Bolden and Utah's Britain Covey.
I'm not sure it means those players are out. The Patriots want to get faster, but that doesn't just mean throwing athletes on the field and letting them figure it out.
Jerod Mayo has said before that you're better off running a 4.8 and knowing where you're going as opposed to running a 4.4 and having no idea. Can't play fast unless you're smart enough to play fast. And the Patriots, I'd imagine, aren't going to be looking to change their scheme -- which requires linebackers who play downhill and can defeat blocks one-on-one -- any time soon.
They can get younger and faster and still stay big and smart at the second level. Striking the right balance between all of those things will be key. Will be interesting to see if second-year linebacker Cameron McGrone, a fifth-round pick out of Michigan last year who missed this season as he dealt with a college injury, can help the Patriots in their pursuit of added juice at the 'backer level.
Theyâve gotta earn it. Trainâs moving. And there are only so many reps to go around with Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith getting the bill of the most valuable ones when healthy.
Barring an injury to one of those top guys, wouldnât bank on seeing much out of either.
Mentioned Allen Robinson above, but itâs certainly realistic for them to find a No. 1 in the draft. They just have to hit on the right guy. Theyâre due.
Having a shot at drafting Treylon Burks from Arkansas or Chris Olave from Ohio State would mean a shot at the kind of player who could maybe be a No. 1. No guarantees, especially in the second half of the draft, but if they donât add a man-beater in free agency theyâll have a shot in the draft.
How about someone who played his college ball in Hickory, North Carolina?
Sound familiar? It should. Thatâs the home of Lenoir-Rhyne, Kyle Duggerâs alma mater. And Lenoir-Rhyne has yet another physically-gifted draft prospect eligible to be selected in the spring.
Itâs receiver Dareke Young, who played in the Shrine Bowl and checked in there at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds and 10-inch hands. Heâs played in a Wing-T offense that asked him to carry the football and block defensive ends. Heâs made plays down the field. And while he wonât be drafted in the second round the way Dugger was, he could hear his name called on Day 3.
I think trading back is a real possibility. This draft, scouts will tell you, just is not loaded with "first-round" talent.
I think itâs a presence outside. Jakobi Meyers plays the slot for New England and heâs arguably their best receiver. Heâs not the low-cut guy the Patriots have typically had, but he blocks well (Mike Vrabel called him the teamâs best blocker this season), and he knows how to get open.
If you add a slot, that may force Meyers into a âZâ role and Kendrick Bourne into an âXâ role on the outside. Could they play those spots? Yes. Are they their best spots? I donât think so.
Adding a dynamic and dependable âXâ to replace Nelson Agholor would change the way teams have to defend the Patriots. At the moment, teams arenât concerned with being beat deep, allowing them to tee off on the New England running game. A bona fide downfield threat would change that.
Yes. Zooming with a former MVP quarterback. Coming soon to Next Pats.
Think itâs a possibility. Another player who had a strong Senior Bowl week.
Darren Sproles told Next Pats not to give up on the idea of J.J. Taylor filling that role. Could see the Patriots trying to get him more involved after being groomed for a few years. Taylor has a huge fan not only in Sproles but in longtime Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears.
Hey, they looked pretty good on Friday. Their defense is excellent right now. They have two great scorers. And Robert Williams has been a stud. You have to admit, theyâre fun to watch.
Itâd be up there. Have heard nothing but good things. Not only as a player. His off-the-field habits sound pro-ready, too.
We sit in a lot of traffic, Fred. A lot. But Iâm just chalking it up to us getting the full L.A .experience while weâre out here.
Wrote about it this week. Opinions vary. Michael Irvin thinks theyâre on two different planes in terms of their arm strength, so Burrow can do things Jones simply canât. Steve Mariucci and other coaches Iâve spoken to think Jones just needs a little more help-- like what Burrow has -- to reach that level.
I tend to agree with them and disagree with Irvin. Burrowâs arm is better at the moment, but itâs far from a runaway. He ainât exactly Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes out there.Â
You haven't felt pressure until you've handled an order for a hungry family of five fresh out of the 9 o'clock mass. If youâre not careful you might lose a digit as you're slicing your third cinnamon sugar bagel while eyeing the strawberry cream cheese bin to see if you have enough to keep everyone happy.
Super Bowl week was busy. In a different way. Also fun. Check out some of what we were able to do this week here, here and here.