NFL:

Teams that jump both feet into free agency on Day 1 and win the day, rarely are around when the smoke clears in January. In fact, usually, the opposite is true. Look at the mistakes of the Philadelphia Eagles which should be a beacon to those who want to sign everybody…now, asap.

Brady was signed through the 2017 season and was set to make $10 million in 2017 and $9 million this year. His salary cap hit of $15 million will most certainly come down now as a result.

The basically farcical Legal Tampering Window begins on March 7 will continue until free agency begins on March 9 at 4 p.m. The NFL sent out a memo in 2013 when they first allowed this window of honeymooning free agents spelling out the parameters of what is and isn’t allowed during these negotiations.

Now the receiver position as we mentioned a month ago is even in a deeper state of need of an overhaul. With the contract situation of Danny Amendola still needing to be looked at, and his own roster position not a given yet, the need for youth, speed and size just got even more important.

According to Adam Schefter and Dianna Russini from ESPN, Brady and the Patriots signed a two-year extension that will have him in a Pats uniform thru the 2019 season.

The talk of trading Jimmy Garoppolo has been broached by several writers recently and while it’s an interesting topic, until the battle against the league is ultimately put to bed between Tom Brady and the NFL, it’s just too risky of a move.  

A couple of quick thoughts on the Combine, while it has been held in Indy for the past 30+ years, and is centrally located in the country, perhaps, like the NFL Draft, it is time for the Combine to make the rounds and visit other cities

A downhill, instinctive linebacker, the 6’1, 248-pound Butler is a thumper in the middle of the field, runs a 4.67 in the 40-yard dash but is a three-down player. He was a member on all four core special teams units as well so he isn’t worried about having to earn his way onto the field via special teams either.

The truly two most important aspects of the Combine? The interviews and the medicals and those are the two parts that all of us aren’t allowed to see.

The Patriots should find a younger, more athletic right tackle and then re-do Vollmer’s contract and move him to swing tackle. That falls in line with the Patriots way of thinking, which is to replace a player perhaps a year too soon rather than a year too late.

What the Patriots would really like is an upgrade at the RCB position and move Ryan into the slot. Bill Belichick loves his veterans on the defense and would like to bring in a veteran presence and allow the others to compete and sort out the rest.

Mayo was taken with the 10th pick of the 2008 NFL Draft and immediately paid dividends. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year and a 2-time Pro-Bowler but he was much more than that.

Now the team has to decide whether to bring back Chandler who also battled injuries last season for a second go around and cover his cap hit of $3 million-dollars or cut him for a savings of $2.05 million.

The Patriots lost an iconic figure with the retirement of Jerod Mayo this week, and while it wasn’t entirely unsuspected it leaves the Patriots with a depth issue behind starters Hightower and Collins. Those two are arguably the best pair of linebackers in the league and the team’s immediate concern is locking them up long-term.

The team needs some youth, size and speed on the outside. Not necessarily a deep threat, that everyone clamors for, since that isn’t their offense. But someone who can stretch the field horizontally as well as vertically and has the size to go up and grab those contested throws.