The Big news, no pun intended, is the Patriots re-acquiring OT Trent “Area Code” Brown from the Las Vegas Raiders.\u00a0 This was a cap-saving move by the Raiders in unloading the under-performing Brown.\u00a0\u00a0 This a swap of 2022, Day 3 draft picks (5th for 7th and Brown).\u00a0\u00a0 Bill Belichick is famous for this type of low-risk \/ low-cost deal.\u00a0 Also of significance is Brown re-negotiated his contract to lower his salary for shortening the term to one year.\u00a0 This will allow him to become a Free Agent after the 2021 season.\u00a0 His new salary and incentives could reach $11M.\u00a0 To be fair to Brown, he suffered effects from COVID which affected him all season.<\/p>\n
Marcus Cannon is likely to be cut.\u00a0 The savings on Cannon’s contract will cover Brown’s new salary.\u00a0 It should be noted that the Patriots have not indicated whether or not they will re-tag Joe Thuney.\u00a0 I am assuming he will not be re-tagged and allowed to become a Free Agent.\u00a0\u00a0 The other Free Agent of note, David Andrews, is expected to re-sign with the Pats for around $7M per year for 3 years according to Miguel Benzan @PatsCap.<\/p>\n
What an O-line that will be.\u00a0 That also gives O-line coaches Cole Popovich and Carmen Bricillo a lot to work with.\u00a0 Here is how I would employ the lineman.\u00a0 Leave Isaiah Wynn at Left Tackle, move Michael Owenu to Left Guard, re-sign David Andrews, leave Shaq Mason at Right Guard and plug Brown at Right Tackle where he played for the 49’ers and Raiders.\u00a0 I am still drafting two O-lineman that can play Left Guard and Center.\u00a0 We have no backup center.<\/p>\n
Does Brown have anything left?\u00a0 He got the big Bucks in Free Agency from the Raiders and got fat and lazy.\u00a0 He vastly underperformed the contract he signed.\u00a0 An important point is that Dante Scarnecchia is no longer the Patriots O-line coach.\u00a0 He was responsible for resurrecting Trent Brown and getting him that big contract.\u00a0 Popovich was here and he and
\nCarmen Bricillo are disciples of Scarnecchia, so hopefully, they can bring Brown back to the dominating player he once was.<\/p>\n
This is a brilliant 1st salvo in what should be an exciting off-season.\u00a0 With Free Agency right around the corner and teams having to get back down to the salary cap, this is the first of what I expect will be many transactions.<\/p>\n
Pro Days<\/strong><\/p>\n The\u00a0 1st Pro Day was held at Kansas and their top player RB Pooka Williams didn’t disappoint.\u00a0 He ran a reported 4.38 40 at 5’8.5″, 175 lbs.\u00a0 His 3-cone was 7.02 and his vertical jump was a disappointing 31.5″.\u00a0 Someone with sprinter speed should do much better in the vertical.\u00a0 That number would have been the 2 or 3rd worst at last year’s combine.\u00a0 Remember these are unofficial numbers usually coming from the agent.<\/p>\n This week’s schedule of Pro-Days<\/p>\n Kansas State – March 9<\/p>\n Wisconsin – March 10<\/p>\n Arkansas – March 10<\/p>\n Clemson – March 11<\/p>\n Nevada – March 11<\/p>\n Oklahoma – March 12<\/p>\n North Dakota State – March 12<\/p>\n NFL Network is broadcasting from Trey Lance’s North Dakota State workout on Friday.<\/p>\n Morse’s Morsels<\/strong><\/p>\n Franchise tags have been placed on S Justin Simmons (DEN), OT Taylor Moton (CAR), OG Brandon Scherff (WAS), WR Chris Godwin (TB), and WR Allen Robinson (CHI) greatly reducing the top talent available in the Free Agent pool.\u00a0\u00a0 This makes Joe Thuney the top available Offensive Guard available.\u00a0 He should cash in with a huge contract and another 3rd round compensation pick next year for the Pats.\u00a0 Los Angeles Chargers TE will not be franchised and is likely one of the Patriots top Free Agent targets.<\/p>\n Dak Prescot’s $160M contract is outrageous for a player coming back from a severely broken ankle.\u00a0 In the 1st year, he receives a $66M signing bonus and a $9M salary for a whopping $75M guaranteed money.\u00a0 His 2nd year (2022) is $22M and fully guaranteed.\u00a0 His 3rd year has a clause that the team must decide by the 5th day of the new league year to lock in his 2023 salary at $31M.\u00a0 He also has a provision that he can’t be franchised, which would make him a Free Agent again at age 31.<\/p>\n Cap Casualties<\/strong><\/p>\n Here are some names of players cut for salary cap purposes.<\/p>\n DE Carlos Dunlap<\/p>\n DE Henry Anderson<\/p>\n TE Jared Cook<\/p>\n TE Josh Hill<\/p>\n WR Golden Tate<\/p>\n DT Jurell Casey<\/p>\n RB Duke Johnson<\/p>\n Signing any of these players would not affect the player compensation formula of Free Agency.\u00a0 Of all those players Jurell Casey and Henry Anderson intrigue me.\u00a0 Anderson is a tall 3-4 DE at 6’6″ 300 lbs and BB has sung the praises of Casey often.<\/p>\n From the HOA combine a few numbers have been reported (probably by agents).\u00a0 Chazz Surratt, an ILB from North Carolina ran a 4.72 40.\u00a0 Georgia CB Eric Stokes ran a 4.24 40, which will cause scouts to go back and look at his game tape.\u00a0 Does he play that fast?\u00a0 Tevin Jenkins OT Oklahoma St stands 6’6″ 315 lbs.\u00a0 He ran a remarkable 5.04 40 and put up 34 reps at 225lbs.\u00a0 One knock on him is that he is strictly a Right Tackle.<\/p>\n Deep Sleepers<\/strong><\/p>\n RB Jermar Jefferson Oregon St measures at 5’9″ 217 lbs runs an estimated 4.56 40.\u00a0 As a true freshman, he ran for 1380 yards and 12 TD.\u00a0 In 2019 his numbers dropped as injuries limited him to 9 games and 658 yards and 8 TDs.\u00a0 Can you name me any other draftable player from Oregon State?\u00a0 He was the whole show.\u00a0 In 2020 he ran for 858 yards and a 6.5 YPC, in just 6 games.\u00a0 He also grabbed 43 passes during his time in Corvallis.<\/p>\n If you want a true blocking TE then Ohio State’s Luke Farrell is your man.\u00a0 At 6’5″ 265 he could also play some OT, his blocking is that good!\u00a0 He is serviceable as a receiver.<\/p>\n There has been a lot of talk about the rise of Iowa DT Daviyon Nixon who is expected to go in Day 2.\u00a0 After the scouts looked at his tape closely, it was true that Nixon was making plays all over the field, but they also noticed his DT partner Jack Heflin.\u00a0 Heflin stands 6’3″ 305 lbs and he was occupying double team blocks to free up Nixon.\u00a0 Don’t be surprised if your see Heflin gets drafted.\u00a0 At the least, he is a priority Undrafted Free Agent.\u00a0 Heflin was a transfer from Northern Illinois where he was 2nd team All-MAC in 2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bill Belichick is famous for this type of low-risk \/ low-cost deal and he pulled off a good one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":2456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22259],"tags":[845,1025,22502,1438,44,1785],"class_list":["post-35865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2021-patriots-offseason","tag-dante-scarnecchia","tag-joe-thuney","tag-justin-simmons","tag-las-vegas-raiders","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-trent-brown"],"yoast_head":"\n