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(PHOTO: Jerod Mayo talks to reporters at the 2024 Scouting Combine (via Patriots.com)) Some Patriots news for this morning:
With nine days left before March comes to an end, Jerod Mayo and the Patriots still find themselves with some key needs ahead of next month’s NFL Draft.
The two most glaring remain at offensive tackle and wide receiver, with what little there was available at both positions in terms of high-end talent seeing clubs either place the franchise tag on those players, while the remainder were snatched up early.
The Patriots did manage to grab one player, having signed Pittsburgh offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor. They also signed receiver K.J. Osborn, with the former Minnesota wideout being the lone player who fans are probably the most optimistic about out of the nine guys who were added so far this offseason.
He’s been a consistent playmaker for the Vikings, and he bolsters a receiver depth chart that, along with Kendrick Bourne and Demario Douglas, provides a solid trio of players who can make plays for Jacoby Brissett this season.
Tyquan Thornton has bulked up significantly, albeit it remains to be seen what type of an effect it has on his speed, as well as if he’s improved when it comes to dealing with press coverage. One of his biggest issues the last couple of years is getting off the line of scrimmage and into his routes. So it should be interesting to see if he’s made any progress there.
One of the few notable receivers left in the free agent market dropped off, with the Jets adding Mike Williams a couple of days ago on a 1-year deal. Williams might have been an interesting name coming off his ACL injury, having been a solid playmaker for the Chargers. But after what happened with JuJu Smith-Schuster last year, the Patriots appear to be sticking with a cautious and more deliberate approach and seem to be comfortable instead taking a shot at addressing the position in the draft next month.
Mekhi Becton remains an interesting name at offensive tackle, as he’s one of the few remaining players available. He visited the Bengals last week, but Cincinnati instead went with Trent Brown, which leaves Becton still without a team. That might give the Patriots some leverage in terms of signing him at a reasonable deal if they view him as an option.
The former first-round pick is similar to Brown in that when he’s on and dialed in, he’s a decent player. The problem is that hasn’t been the case. He’s dealt with injury issues, including an avulsion fracture in his right kneecap in 2022, albeit he did appear in 16 out of 17 games for New York last season. His weight has also been an issue.
However, he’s not very athletic, nor is he as good of a blocker in the passing game. So depending on the scheme New England is planning on running this year, it remains to be seen if he’d be a fit in their offense. Still, he’s just 24 years old and adding a player who is motivated with something to prove isn’t a bad thing, but it will simply depend on how the team views him.
Becton is also somewhat of a reminder of what can happen if a team guesses wrong when drafting a tackle, which is relevant to the Patriots heading into next month’s draft. The former standout from Louisville was selected by New York at 11th overall in 2020, with Becton being fairly highly regarded given his size (6’7″, 364 pounds) and his resume coming out of college at Louisville.
Obviously, fast-forward four years, and it’s a reminder of how things can change. Becton is instead out in New York and still looking for a team two weeks into free agency.
Meanwhile, the Patriots could use some help opposite Christian Gonzalez this season to bolster a secondary that’s still a little thin.
NFL Media reporter Nick Shook took a look at the remaining free agents and put together a list of who he feels is the best match for each player, and he penciled Gilmore in with New England.
“Having split his most recent contract (a two-year pact) between the Colts and Cowboys, Gilmore seems to be entering the one-year deal portion of his career,” writes Shook. “He’s certainly still serviceable; last season, he recorded 13 passes defensed, two interceptions, a quality completion percentage allowed over expected (-5.6%) and a targeted expected points added of -10.5, per Next Gen Stats.”
“A contender in need of an experienced corner could benefit from his presence, but let’s not simply pick a spot for Gilmore to chase another ring. New England makes for a good fit because of what he could bring to his former employer, which offers plenty of familiarity in the form of defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington (a former assistant during Gilmore’s time there) and Gilmore’s past teammate, Dont’a Hightower, who will serve under coach Jerod Mayo as inside linebackers coach.”
“Gilmore could share his many years of NFL experience with youngster Christian Gonzalez, whom the Patriots see as the next great New England corner. Who better to show him the way than Gilmore, who earned the Defensive Player of the Year award in New England in 2019? The only downside to this pairing: It probably won’t include a title pursuit.
Gilmore was here from 2017 through 2020, with the veteran playing a big role in the club’s Super Bowl win over the Rams in 2018, including the game-clinching interception.
Taking a shot at bringing him in makes sense. The only question might be whether or not Gilmore will remain patient and – as Shook also suggested – possibly look at trying to instead latch on to a team with a better shot at making some noise in the postseason.
Patriots tight end Austin Hooper spoke with the media on Thursday and he’s excited about what he believes is a team with “good energy” along with being reunited with offensive coordinator, Alex Van Pelt. “Really smart guy. Good energy in the building,” said Hooper via Mike Reiss. “That’s a huge part of it; there’s many hours throughout the week where you’re spending a lot of time together, and it makes work so much better when you enjoy the people you work with. His style, his approach, his offense, his understanding of his personnel, and who he is as a man and coach, it’s going to make it really fun to be in the building every day.” … A2Z Sports writer Sophie Weller was at Holy Cross for their pro day yesterday and spoke with offensive lineman C.J. Hanson, who told her he spoke to the Patriots at the Shrine Bowl and the NFL Combine. He’s considered to be among the most athletic offensive linemen in the daft, having run a 5.0 40-time, along with posting a 9-foot-7 broad jump. Weller also pointed out that the Patriots were reportedly among 30 of the 32 teams on hand yesterday, with Weller reporting that both Pittsburgh and Bengals were the lone two clubs without a representative present. … Wide receiver Demario Douglas seems to be making a number change, with Douglas posting on his Instagram story that he’ll wear the #3 next season. The second-year wideout wore #81 last season. … The Patriots are in Michigan today for the Wolverine’s pro day, with Jerod Mayo joining Eliot Wolf and the club’s top brass to get an up-close look at QB Prospect J.J. McCarthy. From there, they’ll have plenty of other names to consider as Michigan has 22 players eligible for this year’s draft, with 18 of them appearing at the Scouting Combine, which surpassed the record set by LSU’s 16 in 2020.
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