Notes and thoughts on the Patriots’ interim defensive coordinator, Michael Onwenu, OTA attendance, and more.
The New England Patriots have checked off the latest box of their offseason program as they wrapped up organized team activities this past week. The final box will then come with a three day mandatory minicamp from June 9-11.
As for other stories, thoughts and takeaways from the last few days, here is our weekly notebook clean-up operation. Welcome to the latest edition of the Pats Pulpit Sunday Patriots Notes.
Kuhr’s emergence
As a fifth grader at Crown Point Elementary in Jacksonville, Florida, Zak Kuhr tutored a fourth-grader who was restricted do to not speaking English very well.
Their work over the next few weeks together eventually resulted in the student landing an ‘A’ on a test, which started Kuhr on his long path into coaching.
“He got an ‘A’ on a test and I remember him hugging [me] and crying and I was like, ‘This is what I want to do – help people,’” Kuhr recalled.
Fast forward many years later and Kuhr’s coaching career has now landed him with the New England Patriots. But after being hired as the team’s inside linebacker coach, his responsibilities have quickly grown in recent months as defensive coordinator Terrell Williams has been sidelined with a medical condition.
While Williams has remained involved back home in Detroit on Zoom, Kuhr is doing his part to echo his message as he has held the reigns over New England’s defense this spring.
“I’m just an extension of T and Vrabes and echoing that message to the unit,” Kuhr said. “T and I meet every single day. We talk every single day with Zoom, so we’re always on the same page. It’s really my voice is the one doing it. Yeah, there’s a little extra stuff with how practice goes. For the most part, I’m just an extension of him.”
Kuhr has experience working under both Williams and Mike Vrabel from their time together in Tennessee, where he spent four seasons (three as an assistant inside linebackers coach). His connection to the staff dates back even further, however, as he served as an intern at Ohio State in 2011.
From there, Kuhr went on to work for five different collegiate programs — including his first full-time coaching position at James Madison in 2014-15, a job which Patriots vice president of football operations and strategy John “Stretch” Streicher helped him land. It was there he served as a co-offensive coordintor before holding the offensive coordinator at Texas State several years later.
“I’ve been a coordinator before,” Kuhr said. “I know it was at the college level, but I’ve been in front of a unit before and ran unit meetings. I did that for a couple of years, so I wouldn’t say it’s anything too new.”
While Williams will eventually return to his coordinator role and relegate Kuhr back to inside linebackers, his timeline is not yet known. As he’s away from the team phyiscally, Williams knows his defense is left in good hands in the meantime.
“Zak’s unbelievable. He’s an unbelievably smart guy,” Williams. “He’s going to be a superstar in this league. Smart, and more than anything he has the ability to connect with players.”
DePalma’s help
With Kuhr taking on a larger role across the whole defense as the de-facto defensive coordinator, he credited defensive assistant Vinny DePalma for taking on more responsibility in their linebacker room. A former Boston College linebacker, DePalma got his coaching start on Jerod Mayo’s staff as an assistant last season. He was then the only holdover on that side of the football.
“It’s helped to have a guy like [assistant] Vinny DePalma in there; he has taken a lot of lifting off my shoulders [with inside linebackers]. He’s going to be a great coach,” Kuhr said.
Limited fashion
Throughout the media attended practices this spring, Mike Onwenu has been a limited participant when it comes to more competitive team periods. Onwenu shared that is due to him rehabilitating a prior hand injury.
Onwenu, who has been locked in at the right guard position after spending the early portions of his career bouncing between both guard spots and right tackle, feels good otherwise.
“I feel great. I feel strong, I feel fast. I’m ready to ball,” he said after Monday’s session.
Left guard watch
Who will align opposite Onwenu at left guard is a bigger question at this point in the offseason, and perhaps the biggest remaining depth chart question on the roster. Throughout the three open organized team activities, Cole Strange, Wes Schweitzer, and Tyrese Robinson were featured at the position as the team continues to work through potential options.
“All the players that we’ve been rotating through there have been doing a good job there,” offensive line coach Doug Marrone said Monday.
Beyond being one-fifth of the starting offensive line, the importance of the left guard spot only grows as they’ll align next to rookie left tackle Will Campbell.
“I think that can be a positive thing anytime you have a rookie — like in game situations bullets are flying — having someone who you know just communicates very effectively. I think that’s a really good thing,” Strange said.
Rookie deals
The Patriots officially agreed to terms with fourth overall pick Will Campbell on a four-year, $43.66 million fully guaranteed rookie contract with a $28.39 million signing bonus. Among the 11 draftees, just second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson and fourth-round safety Craig Woodson remain unsigned.
When it comes to Henderson, who went 38th overall back in April, the Cleveland Browns signing Carson Schwesinger (33rd overall) and the Houston Texans inking Jayden Higgins (34th overall) to fully guaranteed contracts — the first two ever for second-round picks — likely has complicated the negotiations.
Support for Stevenson
Following the loss of his father, Robert Stevenson, back in March, Rhamondre Stevenson has enjoyed being back in the building and around his teammates and coaches.
“It felt great just being in the huddle with the guys and just being back in the building, just going through meetings and the weight room,” Stevenson said Monday. “It’s great to be around them. They kind of get my mind off things and just give me focus on football. So, yeah, I love being around.”
Stevenson was appreciative of the support he received when he was back in Las Vegas with family, which even included a visit from running backs coach Tony Dews.
“I’ll keep the dialogue to myself, but it meant a lot,” Stevenson said. “Just the whole coaching staff just still having my back, checking in on me. [Tony] even came to Vegas for a little bit. So, you know, all that means a lot to me, a lot to my family. And you know, I love it.”
Attendance check
After returning to OTAs on Monday, wide receiver Stefon Diggs remained present for practice on both Tuesday and Thursday. Additionally, cornerback Carlton Davis, who missed the last two sessions open to the media, returned to the practice field later this week.
New England has had strong overall attendance during voluntary OTAs as the calendar now flips to the mandatory part of the offseason.
Next week ahead
The Patriots are set to hold mandatory minicamp with three straight practices from Monday through Wednesday before breaking until training camp.
All three sessions are set to start to begin at 12:00 p.m. ET and be accompanied by media availability, starting with Mike Vrabel addressing the press each day at 11:45 a.m. ET.