As the 2020 NFL Draft draws closer we’ll profile some of the players that may be on the Patriots radar or that we feel would be a great fit.
On Monday we wrote about Alabama’s Terrell Lewis, who we feel is a great fit for the Patriots in what they do and how they normally target potential linebackers in the draft process. On Tuesday, it was another linebacker Malik Harrison. Today we’re going to look at a position that needs an influx of youth, safety
Presently, the Patriots return both starters Devin McCourty and Pat Chung and they are both excellent safeties, McCourty at free safety and Chung in the box. But both are on the wrong side of 30 and despite McCourty having the best year of his career in 2019, the team needs to get younger.
The backups on the roster, Adrian Phillips (just signed, Terrence Brooks, Obi Melifonwu, and Malik Gant are all more in the box safeties than a centerfielder. The team lost Duron Harmon (“The Closer”) to the Lions and need a safety that can defend the deep part of the field in sub packages and eventually replace McCourty.
So, let’s take a look at another one of the prospects that we feel would be a good fit for the Patriots and vice versa.
Xavier McKinney from Alabama is another great prospect from Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide program. McKinney, like McCourty, has the versatility that Bill Belichick loves in his players. With the Tide, he played equally at slot, free safety and in the box and produced at each one.
He’s tough, physical and will make plays all over the field, like his predecessor Minkah Fitzpatrick. In the last two seasons, he’s had five interceptions and 20 passes broken up, forced five fumbles and had a fumble recovery.
Of the safeties entering the draft this spring, McKinney is arguably the best man-to-man coverage safety available. As a senior, he notched 95 tackles, 5.5 for a loss, 3 sacks, 3 interceptions, 8 passes broken up, and 4 forced fumbles.
Pros:
– Excellent football I.Q.
– Outstanding in man coverage, can cover a lot of ground
– Very good change of direction, and burst to make up ground
– Superb versatility
Cons
– Can allow passes underneath when spying on QB
– Struggled a bit on big targets
– Inconsistent tackler at times
What his Role Will Be:
McKinney will take over the role from Duron Harmon as the subpackage deep safety.
Will his Role Change from Year 1-2?
Yes, in Year 2 he should be pushing McCourty for the starting deep safety role
How Many Downs Can He Play?
Four
What Current Player on the Roster Will He Replace?
McKinney will replace Harmon who was moved to the Lions. Eventually, he’ll replace McCourty as the team’s starting free safety
What is his ST Value?
Outstanding. He began his career in Alabama by working his way on the field in the kicking game.
Conclusion: NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, their resident draft expert wrote about McKinney, “His coverage instincts, athleticism and quick-twitch burst are more cornerback than safety, which is why he’s likely to be a coveted toy for teams looking to upgrade and diversify their sub-packages. He can sit in center field all day if needed, and he’s an adequate open-field tackler but has room for improvement in that area. McKinney represents the new breed of versatile, matchup safety with high upside as an early starter.”
McKinney checked in at six-foot, 201 pounds at the NFL Combine. He turned in a 4.63-second 40-yard dash, 19 reps on the bench press, a 36-inch vertical and a 122-inch broad jump.
Some of his best attributes are his instincts and ability to read a QB’s eyes while in coverage. McKinney is outstanding in man coverage and has tremendous hip fluidity which allows him to change direction easily and while at top speed. Nick Saban often tasked him to cover tight ends and slot receivers and he showed he’s more than up to the challenge.
McKinney is going to go early in the draft, possibly even before the Patriots are selecting at #23. While they may decide to go in another direction with their first pick, if they’re looking for a playmaker who’ll step in on Day 1 and provide quality reps and who’ll eventually replace Devin McCourty, then he would be an outstanding pickup. Many people are split on who is the best safety in the 2020 draft class, McKinney or Grant Delpit from LSU. The feeling here is you can’t go wrong with either.
McKinney’s highlight reel tape from JustBombs can be seen here:
Listen to our Patriots 4th and 2 podcast on blog talk radio as the writers Russ Goldman, Derek Havens and I from PatsFans.com discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis.
Head coach Bill Belichick became the latest member of the New England Patriots to do a special coronavirus public service announcement this week.
“We are all in this together, thank you to our heroic medical professionals, doctors, nurses, medical workers, and others who are selflessly and courageously doing their job to take care of others in need”, Belichick said.
Take a listen to Belichick’s full message courtesy of the Patriots Twitter page below.
“Let’s keep stringing good days together and we will get through this.”
The Patriots have been active in their support of first responders and frontline workers for the past few weeks, pushing a #TogetherWhileApart social media campaign.
Check out a few additional thank you’s and words of encouragement from other members of the organization.
Good morning, here is your Sunday Patriots news 03-29 and AFC East notes this week.
The news has been filled with nothing but the latest of the coronavirus, but with that being said, we hope that all of you and your families are being safe. While we’re not supposed to visit and congregate in larger groups (those Sunday Italian family dinners are missed), we can still check up on one another. Give a call to a family member, especially an older one, they’ll appreciate it.
Quick Hitters For the Pats, and the NFL:
Devin McCourty: We were very pleased that the team locked up McCourty, the QB of the defense for the next couple of seasons with a two-year, $23 million dollar deal. ESPN’s excellent NFL Insider Field Yates feels the same and gave NE high marks.
“I’m always a fan of investing in your own players, particularly one who is as indispensable as any other on the defensive side of the ball,” Yates wrote. “McCourty is one of the best players in football and an indispensable cog for the Patriots’ defense.”
Tom Brady Bucs Presser: It was no doubt painful for many fans seeing the virtual press conference with Tom Brady being introduced as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But the thing that kept coming to mind was the Seinfeld “Pirate” episode.
Bill Belichick: The coach was nominated for a Sports Emmy for his appearance on NFL Network’s “NFL 100 All-Time Team” panel. He is one of six nominated in the “Outstanding Sports Personality – Studio Analyst” category. We believe that he should be nominated every year for his press conferences …but that is just our opinion.
Shalique Calhoun/Brandon Copeland: With Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, and Elandon Roberts heading off in free agency, the Patriots linebacking corps took a big hit. It is going to look very different (and we’ll add more below) but two players who have been brought back/in could see a significant amount of snaps this year are Calhoun and Copeland.
Joe Montana: Tom Brady’s childhood idol is a bit baffled by the Patriots allowing Brady to leave for Tampa (Us too). However, Montana had this to say, “I think when you look at the whole situation, you try to figure out how you want to get away from things that are there,” Montana said. “I had a different story, where they had made a decision. I still don’t understand how New England let him get away. I don’t understand that.”
Salary Cap: The Patriots cap space is currently under $1 million dollars…yikes. The official amount according to Miguel aka @patscap is $803,834. So changes are coming and either some players are getting their deals reworked or cut outright.
Among those who are available for reworking contracts are Dont’a Hightower and Stephon Gilmore. Those who could get a deal reworked or risk being cut would include Marcus Cannon, Rex Burkhead (with redshirt RB Damien Harris waiting in the wings). Burkhead is versatile but has had durability issues and his release would save nearly $4 million in cap savings. But again, if you’re not getting your cap information from Miguel, you’re not getting the right stuff.
Phillip Dorsett: Is now a former Patriots WR, signing a one-year deal with Seattle. The former 1st round pick of the Colts has never lived up to his potential. His three years with the Patriots consisted of small hot streaks surrounded by long stretches where he was invisible/or forgotten. Maybe his third team is a charm.
4th & 2 Podcast – If you’ve haven’t checked out our PatsFans.com podcast, “Patriots 4th & 2” in a bit, check it out. This week Derek and I went over the various comings and mostly goings of free agency.
How Will the Patriots Attack the 1st Round of the Draft? Defense:
By now, most of you have seen on television or read many of the draft pundits predictions on how the team will go using the 23rd pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Many, including ESPN’s Mel Kiper, have the Patriots using their pick on a QB. Kiper thinks they take Utah State’s Jordan Love.
While that is entirely plausible, considering who they lost in FA, I’m not so sure they pick Love, who should develop into a solid starter but doesn’t strike me as having a very high ceiling. But we’ll see. Do I believe that they’ll draft a QB in 2020? Absolutely, but I feel that will be done in the middle rounds. I definitely don’t see them double-dipping with the 1st pick at WR for the 2nd year in a row. There will be some intriguing wide receiver talent available in the middle rounds as well too.
They need an eventual replacement and backup for Devin McCourty at free safety. Both McCourty and Pat Chung return but both are getting long in the tooth. The Patriots have plenty of depth behind Chung, including the recently added Adrian Phillips. But with Duron Harmon gone, traded to the Lions during the early free agency frenzy, they lack that backup and eventual replacement to McCourty.
If they were going to draft a safety in the first round, the guy I’d really like to see is Alabama free safety Xavier McKinney. Alabama turns out great defensive players every year and McKinney is outstanding.
In my opinion, he’s the best safety in the draft and especially in man coverage. The Patriots demand that their single-high free safeties have the range to cover the deep part of the field, and McKinney is outstanding there. He can also (like McCourty) drop down and cover receivers out of the slot. McKinney, if drafted would provide an even better option than Harmon gave them in their subpackages…and that is saying something.
I wrote here a few weeks ago that I thought they’d go defense either a lineman or linebacker in the first round. They replaced the loss of Danny Shelton with the signing of former Bucs DT Beau Allen and the big man should be a force against the run. We’ve heard rumors of the Patriots signing former Broncos DL Derek Wolfe, but there are at least as many rumors of him going to Kansas City or Baltimore, so we’ll have to watch how this situation plays out.
Matt Miller, one of my favorite draft writers from Bleacher Report has the Patriots going after LSU LB Patrick Queen with the 23rd pick. I love Queen’s game, he’s very athletic, a three-down linebacker who can roam sideline to sideline. His biggest strength is in the run game, but he has a definite lack of size that the Patriots generally like with their linebackers at just 6’0, 229. However, Elandon Roberts was about the same size at 6’0, 238 so there is precedence there. Queen is at his best when the defensive line stacks things at the point of attack and it allows him to attack downhill.
The guy I like and have been beating the table for is Iowa edge player A.J. Epenesa. He’s got the size that the Patriots like in their 3-4 DE/Edge rusher at 6’5, 280. He was very productive for the Hawkeyes in 2019 with 11.5 sacks, 49 tackles, and 14 tackles for a loss. And he didn’t test exceptionally well at the NFL Combine in Indy which may push his draft stock down enough for the Patriots to find him available with the 23rd pick.
He’d be a great fit with the Patriots defensive philosophy that puts a premium on setting the edge against the run first, which is a strength of his. He shows excellent power, balance and the ability to be stout and string the play out. And for a big man, Epenesa has the speed to chase down ball carriers. And he can still bring the heat on the opposing QB too, as evidenced by his 11.5 sacks.
If the Patriots were to select McKinney, Queen, or Epenesa, it would, in my opinion, be a great start to the draft.
Patriots Offensive Line Strength or Weakness in 2020:
The Patriots have a lot of holes to fill this offseason, but the offensive line is at least on paper, looking pretty strong heading into the 2020 offseason workouts…if there are any.
With LT Isaiah Wynn, LG Joe Thuney, C David Andrews, RG Shaq Mason, and RT Marcus Cannon seemingly in place, this starting unit with a new QB under center should be a position of strength. And the team still has last season’s redshirt draft picks T Yodny Cajuste and G Hjalte Froholdt as depth. However, there still exist several unknowns this spring.
Andrews is expected to be ready for training camp after missing all of last season with blood clots in his lungs. And with Ted Karras gone in FA to Miami, it opens up big question marks if Andrews is not ready. Joe Thuney had the franchise tag placed on him, which he signed but it is still a possibility that the Patriots trade him rather than try to work out a long-term deal.
We had heard right after the playoff loss to the Titans that Cannon wasn’t returning and had moved his family back to Texas. Whether that was the Patriots choice or his wasn’t known. But perhaps he changed his mind. With a salary of $9.5 million (a prime player to rework his deal), it was a good reason to return for one more season in New England.
There were reports that the Patriots face-timed with Boise State T Ezra Cleveland. His draft projections are all over the place from 1st Rd to 3rd-4th with many draft pundits believing he projects to be a guard at the next level. Do the Patriots see him as a guard or tackle? And are they serious about bringing him in? If so, at which position? That’s what makes the offseason/draft season so intriguing.
Plus we have the 2nd year guys with Cajuste and Froholdt. How will they fare in Year 2? And with Dante Scarnecchia retiring for a second time, how will his replacement fare in trying to replace one of the very best positional coaches in the league and a legend in Gillette?
No AFC East Notes This Week –
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“I have had the privilege of coaching some of the best specialists in the NFL and Stephen Gostkowski is one of them. Stephen had many highlights over his 14 years as a Patriot and one of the most impressive was the way it began when he succeeded the most accomplished kicker in NFL history. For some, this may have been too difficult a challenge. But from his rookie year, Stephen exuded a maturity and confidence that demonstrated he was up to the task. He made several crucial kicks his rookie year and established a top level of performance and consistency for years and years to come. Stephen is a great teammate who made outstanding contributions over a decade of championship football.” Bill Belichick on kicker Stephen Gostkowski after the team announced he would not be returning to New England.
Listen to ourPatriots 4th and 2 podcasts on blog talk radio as Russ Goldman, Derek Havens and myself fromPatsFans.com discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis.
The McCourty twins will be reuniting in the Patriots backfield for a third consecutive season in 2020.
Back on March 15th, Devin signed a two-year, $23 million contract extension to remain in Foxboro likely the remainder of his career.
Devin’s twin brother Jason signed a two-year, $10 million contract extension a year earlier in 2019.
Take a look back at the twins best plays from 2019 below.
Yeah I remember me and, me and D used to talk about this kind of stuff all the time Like what it's gonna be like when you get closer to your dreams I didn't know much then but, probably tell you a lil' somethin' now-Drake…..living out our dream https://t.co/e67KXzNsqR
On Sunday, Devin McCourty announced he was resigning with the Patriots on a two-year deal that’ll keep him in Foxboro for the remainder of his NFL career.
Check out some of “DMac’s” top plays from the 2019 season to celebrate his return.
On Monday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport announced that free agent linebacker Kyle Van Noy had come to an agreement with the Miami Dolphins on a four-year deal worth $51 million dollars.
Van Noy had spent the past four seasons with the Patriots following a trade from the Detroit Lions and was apart of three trips to the Super Bowl and two championships.
In 2019, Van Noy posted career-highs in sacks (6.5) and quarterback hits (15).
The signing reunites Van Noy with head coach Brian Flores who was his linebacker coach with the Patriots from 2016-2018.
On his social media accounts Monday night, Van Noy posted a thank you to Patriots nation.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B90OhjCBjmz/
A few ex-teammtes tweeted out congratulatory messages to Van Noy following the news.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Devin signed a two-year deal worth $23 million, with $17 guaranteed.
Devin mulled retirement leading up to Super Bowl LIII, but the extension all but guarantees he’ll remain a Patriot until the end of his career.
A key piece to the Patriots defense since his drafting in 2010, Devin’s durability has also been remarkable over his career, he hasn’t missed a game since 2015.
In addition to three Super Bowl rings, Devin has earned two Pro Bowl selections and three Second-team All Pro honors over his 11-year career.
While the world rushed the aisles of stores to hoard the last of the toilet paper supply, the vote for the NFL’s new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) narrowly passed 1019-959 with about 500 players not even voting.
If the Player’s Union wanted to send a strong message to the owners, they perhaps sent the wrong one. With about 20 percent of the members not even voting, it tells the ownership that the union is fragmented and weak. That won’t bode well down the road.
The big takeaways from the new CBA is that there will now be a 17-game season with one less preseason game. The seven-team playoff format with only one team getting a bye means that more teams will be resting players down the stretch
The salary cap will increase to $198.2 million, which means the Patriots should receive about another $3 million in cap space. Rosters will increase from 53 to 55 and teams can dress an additional two players on game days. The rules governing drug testing have changed and the players will receive a bigger slice of the revenues moving forward. The agreement will ensure a somewhat calm labor front for the next 10 years.
So, on to the Patriots and the possibility of bringing Tom Brady back, the new CBA should help that along. The 30-percent rule is no more so it “should” be easier to backload a contract for multiple seasons that may be agreeable to both Brady and the Patriots. This “should” make it easier for the team to restructure guys like Stephon Gilmore and Dont’a Hightower, because with the Slater re-signing and the news of Devin McCourty’s return (more below) the Patriots are running out of cap space.
With the new CBA, the sticky subject of voidable years has also been addressed as well. The Patriots added two voidable years to his deal last year, those are not allowed if the CBA is in its final year, which the league was in until Sunday. Now the team and Brady can add the voidable years to the back end of the contract, which will give the team some measure of cap space relief. For more on that see Miguel @patscap.
The rumored Brady to Tennessee train totally derailed on Sunday when it was announced that the Titans were giving Ryan Tannehill a big new contract with over $91 million in guaranteed money. That supposed door is closed. What’s left for Brady now? In reality, not much. The Tampa Bay Bucs, the Patriots, or perhaps that “mystery team” that we’ve been reading about. We’ll see; unless something totally crazy happens in the next day or so, the chances of Brady returning should be much better.
Is Tampa closer to a Super Bowl than New England? No, so if Brady were to opt to go there, it would have to be for one of two reasons. One, he just wants out of NE and would be willing to go about anywhere, or Two, the Patriots don’t want him back.
So, with the news that Devin McCourty is returning, the twins will be back for at least another season in New England. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that McCourty’s two-year deal is worth $23 million with $17 million in guarantees.
Friday the Patriots locked up Slater for another two years, so they are locking up some of their veteran players before free agency starts. Jamie Collins, Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts, Joe Thuney, and Ted Karras are all free agents, but all eyes will be on #12.
And so it begins, buckle your seat belts, its going to be a bumpy night.
As the 2020 NFL combine gets underway in Indianapolis this week, take a look back at the workout highlights from Tom Brady (2000), Devin McCourty (2010), Dont’a Hightower (2012), and Stephon Gilmore (2012).
On Saturday night at the 9th Annual NFL Honors in Miami, cornerback Stephon Gilmore was named the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
“It’s a great honor. It’s a blessing. It’s a lot of hard work,” Gilmore said. “Obviously, I couldn’t have done it without my teammates, but to be the first player in Patriots history to win Defensive Player of the Year, it’s a great honor.”
Check out some of the best sights and sounds shared over social media from the evening below, including reaction from Gilmore’s teammates and players around the league.
