Friday Patriots Notebook 4/5: News and Notes

Some Patriots news and notes for this morning:

Patriots Have ‘Full Consensus’ On #3 Pick

There’s certainly been a lot of discussion about what the New England Patriots might do with the #3 overall selection, especially given their remaining needs after a disappointing free agency.

However, while many have wondered if the Patriots might entertain a trade for what Jerod Mayo called ‘a bag’ to get them to move out of that spot, it sounds like it’s going to take a lot for that to happen.

According to NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran, after spending the last couple of weeks scouting potential signal callers and attending their pro days, the club has apparently reached a point where they feel pretty good about two players.

Given all the work that’s gone into this, it appears both Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye showed them enough where they’re confident neither will become disappointments at the next level, and Eliot Wolf and company seem to feel comfortable with either player.

“What I’m hearing in terms of ‘the bag’ that Jerod Mayo referenced last week, what kind of currency do the Patriots need to see coming to them?” said Curran during his latest Patriots Talk Podcast with Phil Perry. “And I keep circling back to it’s gotta be three first-round picks, meaning Minnesota at 11, and 23 and their first-round pick from next year.”

“From what I’m hearing, it’s going to take a lot more than that for the Patriots to be moved off their spot. Because they as a team collectively understand the opportunity that these three quarterbacks represent at the top of the draft – take McCarthy out – these two quarterbacks, whether it be Daniels or Maye.”

“This isn’t Trey Lance and Zack Wilson. It’s two people that there is full consensus that they’re franchise quarterbacks.”

Curran has been fairly vocal in his desire to see the team potentially trade out of that spot and bolster their roster. But at this point, he also admitted that what they’ve seen has changed things.

The club is now simply viewing it with the mindset that the opportunity to select a potential future NFL starter is sitting within reach. So, it’s likely a situation where it’s just one they simply can’t pass up.

“So regardless of what I’ve been saying, I’m giving you a sense now of what the Patriots’ mindset might be,” said Curran. “It would take an unbelievable amount to move them off their spot. Not that they couldn’t be, but it would take them a lot to move out of three because they see it right there in front of them. The hardest thing to capture is there.”

Nov 11, 2023; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) looks to pass against the Florida Gators during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

(PHOTO: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports)

Commanders ‘Leaning’ Toward Daniels?

Curran also spoke with Washington reporter J.P. Finlay in that same podcast, with Finlay offering up some insight into what he believes the Commanders may do at #2. What they decide could obviously impact what New England ultimately does with their pick, and it sounds like they also have someone they’re coveting.

According to Finlay, it feels like it’s going to be Daniels who will be the player that will end up in Washington.

“It seems they’re leaning Jayden Daniels,” said Finlay. “If you think about the type of player you can get there, the immediate high ceiling he seems to offer. Repeatedly Dan Quinn, the new head coach, and Adam Peters have talked about how important mobility is in the modern game.”

“Then, if you factor in Josh Harris, the new owner, has said that he wants to model his organization like the Ravens, nobody’s Lamar Jackson, but certainly Jayden Daniels can run. I think that’s the lean.”

Finlay believes that both J.J. McCarthy and Maye could also be in play, so while he believes Daniels is the guy, he added that, “I’m not writing anything in marker until draft night.”

The Commanders also signed veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota this offseason, which seemingly set up the departure of Sam Howell, who the Commanders shipped off to the Seahawks in a recent trade.

Curran then asked Finlay if he felt that the addition of Mariota might signal that they’re favoring Daniels, and Finlay believes there are definitely enough similarities where that notion can’t be ruled out.

“They say they’re totally cool with Mariota coming in and running the show, I kind of don’t believe it,” said Finlay. “I have pointed that out. When they signed Mariota, to me, it meant two things. One, they’re leaning Daniels, because if you’re going to build an offense around somebody, you could at least have a backup that can run the same offense. And two, I thought it meant bad news for Sam Howell, and sure enough, Sam Howell was traded like a few days later.”

“It might be a bridge too far to say definitively Mariota equals Daniels, but the two players are … if Daniels goes #2, they’re both going to be Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks that went second overall. Daniels, I think, is a really refined pocket passer, but they both can run, and that’s just a lot of similarities to me.”

Odds and Ends

According to Albert Breer, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is expected to visit the Patriots on Friday. This will be the third meeting between Maye and the Patriots, as they also reportedly spent time with him at the scouting combine as well as ahead of his Pro Day. Daniels is also reportedly expected to visit Monday as the club continues it’s Top 30 visits. … One interesting note on Howell that I came across, and it appears that Denver was also in on that trade. Denver reporter Mike Klis said both he and Darnold were on their radar, but the price became too high. “Sources tell 9NEWS the Broncos had interest in free agent Sam Darnold and were in on the trade for Washington quarterback Sam Howell,” wrote Klis. “But the price got steep on both, and Darnold wound up signing with Minnesota for a $10 million, one-year deal and Howell was dealt to Seattle in a double swap of draft picks that resulted in late-third-round value.” That bit of news is somewhat interesting, given that Denver may be affected by what the Patriots do at #3 should they elect to try and move up behind them at #4. … Christian Gonzalez appears like he’ll be wearing a different jersey number in 2024, with the second-year cornerback apparently switching to No. 0 ahead of this season. Gonzalez wore that number in college, but donned the #6 during his rookie campaign, which was obviously cut short due to a season-ending shoulder injury. … With reportedly Dugger unhappy with the transition tag, Alex Kay of Bleacher Report believes the Commanders might be a team that could end up in play for his services. “Dugger could flourish in the nation’s capital, anchoring a secondary that needs all the help it can get as the team rebuilds,” writes Kay. “Upgrading the safety spot should be a priority for Washington’s new regime. Neither Percy Butler nor Darrick Forrest—the team’s projected starters—have flashed as much upside or skill as Dugger early in their respective careers.” If Washington did make an offer, the Patriots would then have the right to match it, but wouldn’t receive any compensation if they chose not to match the deal.

About Ian Logue

Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.

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Tags: Drake Maye J.J. McCarthy Jayden Daniels Kyle Dugger Sam Howell