Daily news and links for Tuesday
TEAM TALK
- Patriots 2025 Mock Draft Tracker.
- Evan Lazar evaluates the Quarterbacks and Running Backs in free agency.
- Mike Dussault previews the 2025 free agents at Safety.
- Alexandra Francisco reports how retired Patriots LB Tully Banta-Cain hopes to build the ‘next Olympic sport’ with his Beach Football League.
- Evan Lazar shares his Patriots post-Combine mock draft: Pats pick Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter at No. 4. /Click on the link to see his commentary on each pick.
LOCAL LINKS
- Mark Daniels explains why the Patriots believe they’ll have more success in free agency and the draft this year. “with Mike Vrabel’s vision and Eliot Wolf’s scouting system, the Patriots will have better results in this year’s draft class. To successfully adhere to drafting the ‘best player available,’ the Patriots know they need to fill roster needs in free agency.” /Interesting read.
- Matt Geagan lays out how the Patriots plan to attack the offseason and build a winning roster.
- Phil Perry’s Combine notebook: Patriots eyeing receiver options. Will a relatively weak free-agent class force New England to the trade market?
- Conor Roche looks at which top free agents the Patriots are expected to pursue according to execs, coaches, and agents around the NFL.
- Mark Daniels looks at which non-Tee Higgins WRs the Patriots will look to target in free agency.
- Matt Dolloff spotlights WR Chris Godwin as the clear No. 1 free agent WR on the open market.
- Tom E. Curran’s Patriots 2025 roster reset: How can the offensive line be overhauled? The list of capable blockers in New England isn’t a long one.
- Andrew Callahan continues his Patriots free agency primer: 5 potential targets at offensive tackle.
- Mark Daniels suggests 5 CBs the Patriots could target in free agency. Cornerback is a sneaky need for the Pats.
- Conor Roche identifies 10 standouts from the Combine who could make sense for Patriots in the draft.
- James Foster (The33rdTeam) Combine 2025: Key takeaways from Edge rusher workouts.
- Matt Geagan recounts that when the Patriots met with two-way star Travis Hunter at the Combine, Mike Vrabel made sure the 21-year-old got a bit of a history lesson.
- Conor Ryan notes Drake Maye’s teammate, UNC running back Omarion Hampton, says it’d be ‘amazing’ to team up again with the Patriots. Hampton confirmed that he’s had some meetings with New England.
- Matt Dolloff is hearing the Patriots reportedly don’t care about Will Campbell’s arm length.
- Bob Socci Socci’s View: In a game of inches, the margin of error can be even smaller…on the field and in the draft.
- Jerry Thornton points out how times have changed: Now the NFL is (correctly) defending Tom Brady when he’s accused of wrongdoing. Brady was not ‘tampering’ when he met with Matthew Stafford.
- Nick O’Malley relays Jordan Reid’s (ESPN+) latest mock draft with an “A+ start” to the Patriots’ roster rebuild. Pats pick Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter at No. 4.
- Alex Barth shares his post-Combine mock draft. Pats pick Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter at No. 4.
- Locked On Patriots podcast: Mike and Murph discuss the Patriots’ draft dilemma: Will Campbell, Kelvin Banks, Jr. or another prospect? (39 min.)
- Locked On Patriots podcast: Mike D’Abate and Steve Balestrieri dissect the combine’s top performers with an eye on the Patriots needs, including under-the-radar prospects; More. (36 min.)
NATIONAL NEWS
- Wyatt Grindley (NFLTR) AFC Notes: Mike Vrabel, Patriots offseason, Bills Combine meetings.
- Steven Ruiz (The Ringer) Five questions about the NFL trade market.
- Tyler Brooke (The33rdTeam) Ranking 11 biggest freak athletes at the 2025 NFL Combine.
- Kyle Crabbs (The33rdTeam) 2025 NFL Draft’s positional value norms set to be tested.
- Jori Epstein (Yahoo! Sports) NFL combine: Shedeur Sanders vs. Cam Ward, is Ashton Jeanty surefire RB1, and what awaits Travis Hunter? Plus, how big a deal is Abdul Carter’s injured foot? Here’s what talent evaluators are saying coming out of Indianapolis.
- Kyle Crabbs (The33rdTeam) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Latest predictions after this year’s Combine. Pats pick Colorado CB Travis Hunter at No. 4. ‘Fit: New England could very easily take the offensive line option here with Will Campbell, and no one would bat an eye. But between the team’s need for upgraded weapons for Drake Maye and the need to get more talented at corner, Travis Hunter feels like a long-term double-dip opportunity that could be too good to pass up. The Patriots can afford to play the long game, which means drafting not for short term needs.’
- Lance Zierlein (NFL.com) 2025 NFL mock draft 2.0: Tetairoa McMillan at 5; Shedeur Sanders, Will Johnson slide. Pats pick Missouri OT Armand Membou at No. 4. ‘LSU product Will Campbell is tough, but so is Membou — and the Missouri tackle has less technique to clean up. Let’s put a new face into the fourth pick of the draft, giving New England the best offensive lineman on my board’.
- Nate Tice and Charles McDonald (Yahoo! Sports) 2025 NFL mock draft 6.0. Pats trade down, take Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan at No 6.
- Nick Bromberg (Yahoo! Sports) Bill Belichick’s first season at North Carolina won’t be documented by ‘Hard Knocks’. The group couldn’t come to an agreement with North Carolina and Belichick about the 2025 season.