2017 NE FA market & targets

[long distance]

This also bears monitoring

Good overview of Doyle by Hill here:
Colts TE Jack Doyle will "test free-agent market" and should interest Patriots

 

[luuked]

The first of the podcasts from the Ringer NFL show this week goes more into FA and team building than actual combine talk despite being titled "Day 1 of the Combine".

It's Mays and Lombardi talking.. pretty interesting stuff..

 

[patsinthesnow]

@jeffphowe
The Patriots are expected to be heavily focused on edge rushers this offseason. I'd be surprised if they didn't draft two and sign one.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

@jeffphowe
The Patriots are expected to be heavily focused on edge rushers this offseason. I'd be surprised if they didn't draft two and sign one.

Makes a lot of sense. They're already down Long, and may possibly be down Sheard. And they'll have a good idea of how much they think Nink has left in the tank. So that position has the potential to be the biggest hole on the team.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

Makes a lot of sense. They're already down Long, and may possibly be down Sheard. And they'll have a good idea of how much they think Nink has left in the tank. So that position has the potential to be the biggest hole on the team.

Totally with you on this. That's why a lot of my efforts this year has been diverted into my EDGE thread. Come on over and take a gander. Of course, now watch BB go in a totally different direction!

DL & EDGE Players: Run stuffers, designated pass rushers, hybrids, etc

 

[Hammer of Thor]

Totally with you on this. That's why a lot of my efforts this year has been diverted into my EDGE thread. Come on over and take a gander. Of course, now watch BB go in a totally different direction!

DL & EDGE Players: Run stuffers, designated pass rushers, hybrids, etc

Yup, I've been following that thread -- I really appreciate you (and all the others here) putting in all this time and effort towards scouting these guys! I don't have the time and frankly, I don't have the eye for player talent (although I'm ok with schemes), so I find these extremely helpful in envisioning how I'd like to see the team go, and comparing to how they actually do go.

Oh, and yeah, I'm totally envisioning the 2010 draft all over again....
- Resign Logan Ryan
- Sign a few veteran retreads for edge who may or may not have tread on their tires
- PatsFans.com: "MOAR PASS RUSH!!!" theme leading into the draft
- Select Jourdan Lewis at 32
- Belichick's press conference: "Lewis is a 4 down player who can contribute on special teams right away."
- PatsFans.com -- draft thread makes the game day thread look calm and restrained.

And of course ultimately we're all thrilled that McCourty is with the team, and that's how I'd expect it to end up here too.....

 

[manxman2601]

Ouch. Well there goes my interest in Burton.

 

[manxman2601]

Yup, I've been following that thread -- I really appreciate you (and all the others here) putting in all this time and effort towards scouting these guys! I don't have the time and frankly, I don't have the eye for player talent (although I'm ok with schemes), so I find these extremely helpful in envisioning how I'd like to see the team go, and comparing to how they actually do go.

Oh, and yeah, I'm totally envisioning the 2010 draft all over again....
- Resign Logan Ryan
- Sign a few veteran retreads for edge who may or may not have tread on their tires
- PatsFans.com: "MOAR PASS RUSH!!!" theme leading into the draft
- Select Jourdan Lewis at 32
- Belichick's press conference: "Lewis is a 4 down player who can contribute on special teams right away."
- PatsFans.com -- draft thread makes the game day thread look calm and restrained.

And of course ultimately we're all thrilled that McCourty is with the team, and that's how I'd expect it to end up here too.....

What do you mean draft day thread is calm and restrained. Not me. That means they passed on McCaffrey!

 

[long distance]

Call me interested

 

[long distance]

Unsurprisingly Pats are definitely in the LB market.



Speed and agility indeed seem to be the order. Glad to see that.

Huge numbers at his Pro Day as well (not invited to Combine):
His 3 cone drill time of 6.50 would have been the fastest at the combine dating back to at least 2006!
__

He had huge 3 seasons as Falcons leading tackler until emergence of Dion Jones.
Four games into his rookie season, Worrilow became a starter at middle linebacker and became the first undrafted rookie to lead the team in tackles with 127. Worrilow was a starter for the next two seasons as well, with 143 tackles in 2014 and 98 tackles in 2015. Worrilow lost his starting job this season when Atlanta drafted Deion Jones out of LSU in the second round last spring.

But this is where it gets real Patriotic:
“One story that doesn’t show up enough is that when we drafted Deion Jones, Paul Worrilow was the one spending extra time with him,” Quinn said in November. “So if that’s not an example of a good teammate trying to take it as far as you can for the team, we don’t have a better one than that.

He brought Deion in early. He stayed late for film, brought him to his house, which is not the easiest thing to do when you’re competing at the same spot. I think that goes to show the type of guy he is and the type of teammate he is.”

Worrilow learned how to play special teams, something he had never done.


Full story here: Paul Worrilow's Super Bowl dream about to come true
__

Small tribute to his great character here:
Worrilow just wants to be an Atlanta Falcon

+ he carries a true great story

In the spring of 2011, Worillow discovered he had been matched to a 23-year-old female leukemia patient in need of a life-saving peripheral blood stem cell donation.[15] Worrilow had two-years-prior signed up for the National Marrow Donor Program, through which the chances of becoming a donor are 2/10ths of 1 percent.[16] In the five days leading up to the procedure, Worrilow underwent a series of injections of a drug called filgrastim to increase the number of blood-forming cells in his bloodstream. On May 25, 2011, over the course of 6 hours, Worrilow's blood was then removed through a needle in one arm and passed through a machine that separates out the blood-forming cells, returning it back through a vein in his other arm.[17] Worrilow has yet to meet the woman who received his donation.

 

[manxman2601]

Call me interested

My final mock in 2012. Kendricks with the second rounder. Not a big success but, just maybe, after five years, I get to nail two picks . Oh man, I loved Mark Barron that year. Oops.

This is my final mock. It's a combination of what I want to happen and what I think will happen.




Trade: Patriots trade #27, 62 and Ryan Mallett To Kansas City for #11 and #146

#11 Mark Barron, S, Alabama

The best defensive player in the draft not named Claiborne or Cox who will both be gone in the top 10. Intangibles-wise, Barron is cut from the same cloth as the last decade Patriot greats like Bruschi, Vrabel, Harrison et al.

KC have brought Tannehill, Osweiler and Cousind in for pre-draft visits so interest in a QB is there. Mallett is certainly a better prospect than Cousins and Osweiler. This trade could give them a first three rounds something like: Mallett, Hightower, Silatolu, Chapman, Jamell Fleming. If I was a KC fan, i'd be extremely happy and would consider it better than anything they can get by sticking at #11. This trade makes a lot of sense for both teams.


Trade: San Diego trade #49, 110, 2013 3rd for Patriots #31

San Diego, who most likely grabbed a pass rusher in the first round trade up to fill their second biggest need, a safety in Harrison Smith.

#48 Vinny Curry, DE/OLB, Marshall

As other pass rushers moved up in to the first round, Vinny Curry has held his ground and thus represents pretty good value for the Patriots.

Personally I'd prefer Ronnell Lewis but this pick screams value.

Trade: Patriots trade#49 (Via SD) to Broncos for #57, 2013 3rd

#57 (Via Den) Mychal Kendricks, LB, Cal

I see Denver going RB in the first round to add to their offensive weapons in support of Peyton Manning. Trading up to the mid-second gives them their choice of DT's, either Reyes, Thompson or Ta'amu.

Looking at the Pats visits, I think the Patriots are looking through a sub-package lens at this draft and I think one of Lavonte David, Mychal Kendricks or Bobby Wagner will almost certainly be one of our picks. I have David marginally ahead of Kendricks with a bigger drop off to Wagner. But Kendricks is one hell of a player - 8 sacks in 2010, 40+ career games at Cal, 30 tackles for loss in the last two years and one of the combine stars to boot. I also get the impression that BB is a fan of the Cal system so Kendrick is my pick.

#93, Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

This makes sense in a Rob Gronkowski way. missed a significant part of the 2011 season but had he not, he'd have gone at least a round higher. There's no need to rush him in to the lineup with our stacked receiving corp but his skillset makes him a good Welker/Branch replacement in the future. One of the smartest receivers in the draft and a very good returner. I'd be very disappointed if they don't consider this pick seriously. We may have to trade up from the bottom of the third for him.

#110 (Via SD) Ron Brooks, CB, LSU

This is the pick I'm most confident that the Patriots will pick and is another sub-package pick. He's the best blitzing CB in the draft and has the skills to man the slot-corner position. Could also be part of the safety rotation. The Patriots have shown a lot of interest in him.

#126 Tyrone Crawford, DE, Boise State

This is my hunch pick. Crawford is fairly raw but has shown considerable skill. He's strong against the run and has shown pass rushing ability. Like Allen Bailey who the Patriots showed significant interest in last year, he's a bit of a tweener but he could slim down and play OLB, could stay as he is and play LDE or bulk up to be an interior rusher or even 5-tech. The Ravens had a lot of success with a similar player in Pernell McPhee last year.

#146 (Via KC) Akiem Hicks, DE/DT, Regina

I don't think BB is as focused on a 3-4 DE as much as this board thinks he is. He passed on a number of good ones last year, and aside from Brockers, we don't appear to have had any contact with the likes of Still, Reyes or Worthy. However I'm holding on to this pick as one that makes a ton of sense. Hicks has the upside to be a significant contributor in the long term and as a 5th round pick on a team with few roster holes, he makes a lot of sense. would follow a similar career path for the Patriots as Deaderick - gradually being folded in to the rotation.

#Those picks with two 2013 3rd rounders thrown in is a quality haul as far as I'm concerned and I wouldn't be at all surprised if as many as three of those will be Patriots come next sunday.

Note: If we don't trade up for Mark Barron, i think Courtney Upshaw is starting to become the most likely pick @27. Just a hunch.

 

[manxman2601]

Unsurprisingly Pats are definitely in the LB market.



Speed and agility indeed seem to be the order. Glad to see that.

Huge numbers at his Pro Day as well (not invited to Combine):
His 3 cone drill time of 6.50 would have been the fastest at the combine dating back to at least 2006!
__

He had huge 3 seasons as Falcons leading tackler until emergence of Dion Jones.
Four games into his rookie season, Worrilow became a starter at middle linebacker and became the first undrafted rookie to lead the team in tackles with 127. Worrilow was a starter for the next two seasons as well, with 143 tackles in 2014 and 98 tackles in 2015. Worrilow lost his starting job this season when Atlanta drafted Deion Jones out of LSU in the second round last spring.

But this is where it gets real Patriotic:
“One story that doesn’t show up enough is that when we drafted Deion Jones, Paul Worrilow was the one spending extra time with him,” Quinn said in November. “So if that’s not an example of a good teammate trying to take it as far as you can for the team, we don’t have a better one than that.

He brought Deion in early. He stayed late for film, brought him to his house, which is not the easiest thing to do when you’re competing at the same spot. I think that goes to show the type of guy he is and the type of teammate he is.”

Worrilow learned how to play special teams, something he had never done.


Full story here: Paul Worrilow's Super Bowl dream about to come true
__

Small tribute to his great character here:
Worrilow just wants to be an Atlanta Falcon

+ he carries a true great story

In the spring of 2011, Worillow discovered he had been matched to a 23-year-old female leukemia patient in need of a life-saving peripheral blood stem cell donation.[15] Worrilow had two-years-prior signed up for the National Marrow Donor Program, through which the chances of becoming a donor are 2/10ths of 1 percent.[16] In the five days leading up to the procedure, Worrilow underwent a series of injections of a drug called filgrastim to increase the number of blood-forming cells in his bloodstream. On May 25, 2011, over the course of 6 hours, Worrilow's blood was then removed through a needle in one arm and passed through a machine that separates out the blood-forming cells, returning it back through a vein in his other arm.[17] Worrilow has yet to meet the woman who received his donation.

Good stuff. He had quite the pro day.

Paul Worrilow | Delaware, ILB : 2013 NFL Draft Scout Player Profile

 

[long distance]

Another possible reclamation project (at the position of probable need).
Solid in GB, had a huge first season w JAX (broke the Jaguars single season record for pass deflections with 23), benched in 2016 (when they brought Amukamara and Ramsey).

Doesn't seem like a team-first character . but Foxboro has seen many religion changed..

 

[WaterfallJumper]

Another possible reclamation project (at the position of probable need).
Solid in GB, had a huge first season w JAX (broke the Jaguars single season record for pass deflections with 23), benched in 2016 (when they brought Amukamara and Ramsey).

Doesn't seem like a team-first character . but Foxboro has seen many religion changed..

I really liked House the year he came out. Sign the beast!

 

[luuked]

****rell worth any consideration given his 4th round RFA tender ?

Or do you think that's just a ploy by the Steelers to let someone else negotiate the contract for them ?

 

[long distance]

****rell worth any consideration given his 4th round RFA tender ?

Or do you think that's just a ploy by the Steelers to let someone else negotiate the contract for them ?

Hope you don't mind this general comment but it just came to me today.

Big reason of Pats success under BB culture is love: they love players, all of them, most of them. They know them all (and players know that, feel that), they consider them all. I am sure they are considering ****rell (or Marshall etc.) with some love.. How much is another question.

It is definitely interesting that they're exposing their #1 CB to such a low tender - and your guess would be as good as any. They don't have a lot of cap though, they still have Bell to figure out and some other FAs, so maybe they just have to go this risky way ..

If Ryan leaves, Id prefer more experienced vet to complement young and apart from Butler pretty inexperienced CB corps.

 

[long distance]

I wonder how interested? Cooks is reportedly asking for huge long-term contract.
On the other hand they did want to trade for Hopkins mid season and they have a thing for Cooks, good knowledge from joint practices etc.

Maybe WR star could be a surprise addition this year (which is strange considering current WR corps did well esp. in no Gronk circumstances..)

It is true there is a 5th year option in 2018..

 

[I.M. Fletcher]

I would be really surprised. A slot receiver that you going to have to pay top dollar from day one? He could think he's the best receiver in the league, but it would be a really easy way to piss off Edelman.

Could be incredibly dynamic in our offense. Should also be a huge red flag that he's even on the trade market from an offense driven coach when the kid is only 23.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

****rell worth any consideration given his 4th round RFA tender ?

Or do you think that's just a ploy by the Steelers to let someone else negotiate the contract for them ?

I don't think he's very good. Better options in the draft and FA.

 

[long distance]

I would be really surprised. A slot receiver that you going to have to pay top dollar from day one? He could think he's the best receiver in the league, but it would be a really easy way to piss off Edelman.

Could be incredibly dynamic in our offense. Should also be a huge red flag that he's even on the trade market from an offense driven coach when the kid is only 23.

1.8M 2017 + 5th year option in 2018.
I wonder:
You bring him in for last cheap year. If he doesn't become a Patriot you trade him like CJ and get similar value back or possible high comp pick if you don't take the option..


EDIT: Never mind. I read mid-round pick. Carry on...