"Fresh Ideas" for 2026?

[ctpatsfan77]

Kyle Dixon - played at Culver-Stockton

• Dixon received a massive $252,000 signing bonus in guaranteed money. This ranks as the third-highest guaranteed contract New England has ever given to a UDFA. This heavy financial investment strongly signals that the front office has high expectations for him to survive final cuts.

As I have noted before, that $252K is mostly guaranteed salary. [They only gave him $17,500 as a signing bonus.]

That salary guarantee includes any salary he earns from any team this season. So they're not gambling that he'll make their 53, just that he'll be somewhere in the NFL.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

The two UDFA with more guaranteed money?

Myles Montgomery and CJ Dippre.

Dippre was waived out of camp, and was on the practice squad until November.

The money means there was competition for the player, but not much else. 250k is nothing to a NFL team.

Agreed. And the $$ go up every year so the higher contracts are the most recent.

Having recognized that, the money does indicates something. CJ Dippre was later elevated to the 53 because another team wanted to sign him off the PS.

At 6'4" tall and running a 4.46 40 Dixon has the athleticism to last. My only comment was I think he has to be considered in the 53 man discussion.

 

[Headcase]

Agreed. And the $$ go up every year so the higher contracts are the most recent.

Having recognized that, the money does indicates something. CJ Dippre was later elevated to the 53 because another team wanted to sign him off the PS.

At 6'4" tall and running a 4.46 40 Dixon has the athleticism to last. My only comment was I think he has to be considered in the 53 man discussion.

Fair.....big guy from a small school, we'll see if he can hang in the league.

The WR shake out will be interesting, three guys in the last year of their contracts, will one or two of them get moved/cut to make room for a UDFA on the 53?

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Fair.....big guy from a small school, we'll see if he can hang in the league.

The WR shake out will be interesting, three guys in the last year of their contracts, will one or two of them get moved/cut to make room for a UDFA on the 53?

Yup, that is right. The last year in their WR contract is important as well. The coaching staff might be shuffling WRs a bit with a longer term view.

 

[Clonamery]

Yup, that is right. The last year in thier contract is important as well. The coaching staff is shuffling.

Wut. Little early in the League year for coaches to be on the move.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Wut. Little early in the League year for coaches to be on the move.

Sorry. I was typing too fast. The coaching staff might be shuffling the WRs a bit with 2027 or a longer term view in mind. We will see. I edited my earlier post for clarity. Thanks.

 

[Triumph]

TJ Moe will be the focal point of this offense. Book it.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I think you have to consider Kyle Dixon. Maybe he was signed to replace Hollins, or in a couple of years Brown, or both? Dixon, with a $250k signing bonus, must have been on numerous other teams' radar which means he might not get to the PS, so he will stay on the 53.

Kyle Dixon - played at Culver-Stockton

• Dixon received a massive $252,000 signing bonus in guaranteed money. This ranks as the third-highest guaranteed contract New England has ever given to a UDFA. This heavy financial investment strongly signals that the front office has high expectations for him to survive final cuts.
• At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds with a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, he gives Drake Maye a true, big-bodied outside "X" receiver threat that the current roster lacks.

@PatsFan2 will love this post in 3, 2, 1 ...............

You have to account for how a pro sports team can spend a quarter mill as a message to the big bodied receiver they are courting. Now they’ve got him. So yeah, Extra Kyle gets to compete for a spot, but I wouldn’t take my paycheck to kalshi to play that name.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

You have to account for how a pro sports team can spend a quarter mill as a message to the big bodied receiver they are courting. Now they’ve got him. So yeah, Extra Kyle gets to compete for a spot, but I wouldn’t take my paycheck to kalshi to play that name.

The payout would be HUGE!! You might reconsider.

 

[Clonamery]

Sorry. I was typing too fast. The coaching staff might be shuffling the WRs a bit with 2027 or a longer term view in mind. We will see. I edited my earlier post for clarity. Thanks.

I'm just messing with you.

 

[Ring 6]

Isn't there a running joke here that the first play of the game is always a run?

He's been telegraphing his plays since the Tom Brady years. They would tell everyone at the stadium what they were doing and then do it - more specifically on short yardage. It was always a struggle converting because they wern't built to bully people and the defense would collapse on it. The plays would clog up the lanes for runners because the formations were so compact.

Rham was a punching bag in the playoffs with how many obvious runs they gave him - especially the Denver game.

This is one of those tired old wives tales that are nothing more than that.

 

[mgteich]

I think with this group, unless someone really suuuucks, you keep 6 WRs. Somehow.

The best Chism argument is that he's among the "future" group... if he earns it, he can hang on by his fingertips (kind of the name of the game, at least sometimes)... but it's not the easiest group to make your case in.

The guesses are, given our present knowedge (no trade, no Stefon re-signing)...

Brown, Boutte, Doubs...
Definitely probably Kyle Williams as the big future bet
leaving 2 spots for
Hollins
Douglas
Eff Ton

...and whoever I left out.

I'm rooting for him unless I have to pick another guy to lose. In other words, camp.

Personally, I don't care who is the #6 WR, or even if we have one, although I would vote "no". I understand that one of our posters
is likely surprised that I don't care, but then again, for me, this is a PS position, and I certainly don't focus on them.
I don't think that Hollins is going anywhere, so that makes 5.

In your 6 WR corps, that would leave Douglas and Chism (and Dixon) competing for the #6 WR spot. I don't see this being a roster spot unless the player is one of our returners. Also, as I have said, I don't this player getting many rece8ving reps.

In the end, I am NOT opposed to a 6th WR, although I think that this will likely be a PS position along with a second PS WR..

 

[n1997y]

As I have noted before, that $252K is mostly guaranteed salary. [They only gave him $17,500 as a signing bonus.]

That salary guarantee includes any salary he earns from any team this season. So they're not gambling that he'll make their 53, just that he'll be somewhere in the NFL.

I don’t think it works like that. They can’t guarantee some other team paying him. Doesn’t it mean the Pats pay him no matter what? So they’re gambling that if he doesn’t make the Pats they’ll pay him to play for some other team?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I don’t think it works like that. They can’t guarantee some other team paying him. Doesn’t it mean the Pats pay him no matter what? So they’re gambling that if he doesn’t make the Pats they’ll pay him to play for some other team?

No. It's just a standard clause, which says in principle "we guarantee $X of your 2026 salary. That guarantee can be satisfied by salary payments [PS or 53] from any team." The principle is the same as an offset clause in a veteran's contract. ["If we release you, any salary you earn with a new team shall count against this guarantee."]

The only way the Patriots get screwed on one of the big guarantees they gave UDFAs this year is if they get cut and end up out of the league before earning the full guarantee. If team A cuts a player and team B signs him, team B must pay him at least the $15Kish/week for the PS or $50Kish for the 53; they can't freeload and let team A pay everything.

 

[Water Boy]

How about new uniforms?

 

[JoeSixPat]

Diggs is rumored to be heading to the Commanders, so I don't think he's coming back.

We'll see about Boutte - I'd prefer him here but if there's a good edge rusher or TE available via trade for him, I'm ok with that (though if it's just a 4-6 round pick offered for trade we should keep him)

A $250k signing bonus isn't much to eat if he doesn't make the team - he can make $1 mil a season so any team grabbing him of the PS if that's where he winds up is still on the hook for that. No doubt there are always some UDFAs who get interest from multiple teams so I'm sure that's why he got it, but I think he'll safely make it to PS as depth and to learn the system.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

A $250k signing bonus isn't much to eat if he doesn't make the team - he can make $1 mil a season so any team grabbing him of the PS if that's where he winds up is still on the hook for that. No doubt there are always some UDFAs who get interest from multiple teams so I'm sure that's why he got it, but I think he'll safely make it to PS as depth and to learn the system.

Not sure who you're referring to by "he" here. If it's Kyle Dixon, again, see my previous post.

 

[n1997y]

No. It's just a standard clause, which says in principle "we guarantee $X of your 2026 salary. That guarantee can be satisfied by salary payments [PS or 53] from any team." The principle is the same as an offset clause in a veteran's contract. ["If we release you, any salary you earn with a new team shall count against this guarantee."]

The only way the Patriots get screwed on one of the big guarantees they gave UDFAs this year is if they get cut and end up out of the league before earning the full guarantee. If team A cuts a player and team B signs him, team B must pay him at least the $15Kish/week for the PS or $50Kish for the 53; they can't freeload and let team A pay everything.

I think it’s the standard clause that basically says the Patriots guarantee he will be paid $X amount, with the standard offset that says if he signs with another team for $Y that offsets against the Pats so the other team pays $Y and the Pats pay $(X-Y). In that case there is no reason for another team to pay more than the minimum required by the CBA, and the Pats will pay him for playing for another team.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I think it’s the standard clause that basically says the Patriots guarantee he will be paid $X amount, with the standard offset that says if he signs with another team for $Y that offsets against the Pats so the other team pays $Y and the Pats pay $(X-Y). In that case there is no reason for another team to pay more than the minimum required by the CBA, and the Pats will pay him for playing for another team.

His guaranteed salary is equal [give or take ~$1K] to the standard salary for a rookie on the PS for 17 weeks [the season is 18 weeks now]. Teams literally can't pay a PS player less than that.