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Throughout the transition from former Patriots coach Bill Belichick to new head coach Jerod Mayo, Robert Kraft had made one thing clear. Ownership was not going to be involved in final football decisions, as “you can’t hold them responsible and have them accountable.”

With the first round of the NFL Draft finally looming, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s name has cooled a bit over the last week, albeit he continues to come up in conversation among those pondering where he fits among the top names in the draft.

It could also mean Minnesota is finally warming up to the reality that Wolf isn’t joking around.  So unless they really sweeten the pot Thursday night with something incredible, in addition to their two first-round picks, they’ll walk away without the guy they really want and possibly be forced to settle for whoever is left.

After seeing fellow receiver DeVonta Smith receive a three-year extension from the club, Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown made some noise on Thursday to seemingly express his frustration about not receiving one himself.

As for why the Patriots are using valuable time on Penix Jr., it’s entirely possible that he might be their backup plan should another team come to them with an unbelievable offer to move them off that #3 overall spot.

For the Patriots, the question seems to center around whether or not it’s going to be North Carolina’s Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy who gets the call at #3 overall just over one week from now. However, there’s one area that should be kept in mind ahead of that decision.

“There’s really two things, and they’re entwined as one,” explained Hoge. “You can’t have one without the other, they have to work together and it’s really a guy that processes things quickly and effectively and is accurate, and that’s where it starts.”

Matthew Slater may be done playing football, but it appears he’ll still have a presence with the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

While the New England Patriots have kept their defense mostly intact, they’ve lost some guys who had a surprising impact on third down in 2023.

This will be an interesting week as two of the top prospects in the draft will be at Gillette Stadium, with each of them potentially visiting ahead of what may be a longer stay with the New England Patriots in the coming years.

The New England Patriots finally reached an extension with safety Kyle Dugger

Nothing is ever off the table. The Patriots at #3 will get either Daniels or Maye, but in essence, neither is a consolation prize.

It appears both Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye showed them enough where New England is confident neither will become disappointments at the next level, and Eliot Wolf and company seem to feel comfortable with either player.

While many have wondered if the New New England 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.

In a recent article, Bedard wrote, “Kraft has been and continues to be one of the most powerful owners in the biggest professional sports league in North America.  But it’s time for someone else to be the voice of ownership to the fans.  It’s time for Jonathan Kraft to step out of the shadows and to the forefront of this franchise.”