New England Patriots News & Rumors

Bengals’ Trey Brown Declines Patriots Interview

May 6th, 2024 at 9:27pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots have kicked off their search for a “top football executive,” but one of the team’s targets has already rejected an interview. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown has declined an interview for the Patriots’ de facto GM job.

A move to New England would be a bit of a reunion for Brown, as the 39-year-old started his front office career as a Patriots scout. He followed that up with a long stint in Philadelphia, where he eventually climbed to the role of Eagles director of college scouting. Brown had brief stints in the AAF and XFL before joining the Bengals as a scout in 2021. Following one year with the organization, he was promoted to his current role of senior personnel executive.

Brown’s rise through the Bengals organization coincided with the team’s on-field turnaround, and the executive garnered plenty of praise for his role in the operation. He first popped up on the GM carousel in 2022 when he earned an interview for the Raiders GM job. He got another look for the Raiders job this offseason but walked away empty handed. Considering his track record, Pelissero notes that Brown will remain a top GM candidate during next year’s hiring cycle.

While the Patriots have continually signaled that they’ll eventually be conducting a search for a front office leader, today’s development still comes as a bit of a surprise. After moving on from head coach/de facto GM Bill Belichick, the team basically handed the reins to Eliot Wolf, who retained his title of director of scouting. While the new-look Patriots relied on a group effort to fill the Belichick-sized void, Wolf played a major role in the team’s free agency and draft approach. With the roster pretty much set (and the organization having made a significant decision with Drake Maye at No. 3), the team will now curiously consider another executive to lead the way.

With that said, Wolf’s presence may cause some issues for Robert Kraft and the Patriots’ top decision makers. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe notes, the Patriots may have a tough time convincing candidates that Wolf isn’t “a lock to get the job.” For what it’s worth, Volin notes that the Patriots have already complied with the Rooney Rule in regards to their GM vacancy.

The Patriots haven’t employed a traditional GM since Kraft took over ownership of the organization. It sounds like the long-time owner is once again considering a creative approach to his front office.

Patriots Begin Top Executive Search

May 6th, 2024 at 3:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

Eliot Wolf has been at the helm of the Patriots’ front office this offseason, holding down de facto general manager duties through the draft. As expected, however, New England is prepared to bring in another important executive in the near future.

CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports the Patriots have begun their search for a “top football executive.” Questions have been raised about whether or not a new hire would work alongside or underneath Wolf, but Jones adds the role being interviewed for is believed to be one which will “outrank all other football positions in the building.”

Wolf – brought in following his time with the Packers – received positive reviews leading up to the draft, and as such many have pointed to him being the ultimate choice for the unnamed executive position. As of the most recent update on the matter, Wolf is certainly still in the running to have his duties at the head of the personnel department carry on through the remainder of the offseason and beyond. Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald confirms that is the case as New England sends out external interview requests.

As Jones notes, there is precedent for teams waiting until well into the offseason and beyond the draft to hire a new general manager. On the other hand, the Patriots have not used a typical organizational structure during this century, with Bill Belichick operating as head coach but also the top decision-maker regarding roster building. With Belichick no longer in the fold, Jerod Mayo is handling his responsibilities on the sidelines.

In the front office, however, there is room for either a new executive to lead the personnel department or an enhanced title to be given to Wolf. The son of Ron Wolf has ushered in a new structure with respect to player evaluation and scouting for the draft, and much of his future will of course depend on how his decisions to date have been viewed by owner Robert Kraft.

New England turned down interest shown by both the Giants and Vikings in the third overall pick. By retaining the selection, the Patriots added Drake Maye as a potential franchise quarterback. That move was followed in short order by the team finalizing a monster extension with defensive tackle Christian Barmore (the largest non-Tom Brady deal in club history).

To say the least, Wolf has already made a number of critical decisions in his brief time at the helm. Kraft will thus have plenty to evaluate as he also meets with potential options to supplant Wolf. To satisfy the Rooney Rule, the Patriots’ search process must include at least two external minority candidates, and it will be interesting to see who the team reaches out to.

Patriots To Waive QB Nathan Rourke

May 6th, 2024 at 8:51am CST by Adam La Rose

Following the draft, New England was one of a few teams with five quarterbacks on the roster. That logjam has been addressed to a degree now, however. The Patriots are waiving Nathan Rourke, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports.

Rourke put himself on the NFL radar with a decorated tenure in the CFL. The 25-year-old Canadian initially joined the Jaguars, but he was unable to lock down the backup spot in Jacksonville. New England claimed him off waivers in December and he was re-signed in March.

That decision came after the Patriots cycled through a number of passers during the 2023 season, including Matt Corral and Malik Cunningham (who played QB in college but may need to transition to receiver at the NFL level). Starter Mac Jones is no longer in the fold, and the position has seen considerable change over the course of the 2024 offseason. Veteran Jacoby Brissett was signed as a bridge option for a rookie added at the top of the draft.

To little surprise, the Patriots used the No. 3 selection on Drake Maye. The North Carolina product profiles as New England’s quarterback of the future, although Brissett may begin the year atop the depth chart. In any case, those two will each use up roster spots throughout the campaign, leaving the QB3 position up for grabs. With New England having used a sixth-rounder on Joe Milton, three places on the depth chart are likely accounted for regarding the 2024 season.

Reiss noted over the weekend that Rourke would likely be competing with Bailey Zappe for the fourth and final roster spot amongst signal-callers. Monday’s move means the latter will remain in place for the time being, after he made eight starts across the past two seasons. With Maye now in the fold, however, Zappe’s path to a first-team role has become unclear in New England. For Rourke, meanwhile, it will be interesting to see if outside teams put in a claim; failing that, he will become a free agent.

Drake Maye, Jacoby Brissett To Compete For Patriots’ QB1 Job

May 4th, 2024 at 10:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Even before the Patriots pulled the trigger on Drake Maye with the third-overall pick, it was assumed that free agent acquisition Jacoby Brissett would keep the seat warm for most (if not all) of the 2024 campaign. However, it sounds like the organization is willing to give their rookie quarterback every chance to compete for the starting job.

While speaking with reporters this week, head coach Jerod Mayo acknowledged that the team hasn’t made a decision on their Week 1 quarterback starter.

“Look, Jacoby understands, he’s a mentor,” Mayo said (via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe). “He’s very smart, has great leadership skills, and hopefully Drake can learn something from him, as well. I would say we’re going to compete all spring, we’re going to compete during training camp, and the best player will start.”

After moving on from three-year starter Mac Jones, the Patriots scooped up old friend Brissett via free agency. The veteran would never be confused with a top-end quarterback, leading many to rightfully assume that the organization was going to select a QB at No. 3.

However, Brissett has shown that he can be competent when given the opportunity to start; he went 7-8 as a full-time starter for the Colts in 2019, and he’s since gone 6-10 in stints with the Dolphins and Browns. Considering that performance as a fill-in, Brissett has earned a reputation as one of the league’s premier backup QBs.

As Wolfe notes, many scouts were critical of Maye’s “inconsistency in accuracy and overall NFL readiness,” leading many to believe that the veteran would be the QB1 until his younger teammate was ready to go. That could still end up being the case, especially considering Brissett’s former Cleveland OC Alex Van Pelt is now leading the Patriots offense. But following New England’s worst showing in decades, there’s a chance that Robert Kraft and co. want to generate some enthusiasm with their squad, resulting in Maye leading the depth chart.

The Patriots found themselves in a similar situation back in 2021. That season, Jones was expected to temporarily take a back seat to 2020 starter Cam Newton, but the rookie ended up winning the job in the preseason. While Brissett will surely be sticking around regardless of this current outcome (Newton was ultimately cut), there’s a chance the Patriots immediately start their first-round QB for the second time in a post-Tom Brady era.

OL Notes: Guyton, Beebe, Cowboys, Commanders, LT, Raiders, Packers, Patriots

May 3rd, 2024 at 5:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyler Smith delivering strong early returns at two positions — left tackle, left guard — gave the Cowboys options while constructing their draft board, and Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton became the team’s pick. The Guyton move points to Smith staying at guard. The Cowboys are set to give the ex-Sooners right tackle every opportunity to win the starting LT job, The Athletic’s Jon Machota notes (subscription required). Teams make the inverse move more often, with the college game’s top O-linemen most frequently coming from the left tackle spot. Guyton views himself as a more natural left tackle, however, and his development there will keep well-paid RT Terence Steele in place.

Trading down from No. 24 to 29, the Cowboys picked up an extra third-rounder (No. 73). Dallas used the latter pick on Kansas State’s Cooper Beebe, and Machota adds he profiles as the team’s Tyler Biadasz center replacement. Linked to Duke center prospect Graham Barton at No. 24, the Cowboys passed with the ex-Blue Devil on the board (Barton went to the Buccaneers at No. 26). Beebe vacillated between left tackle, right tackle and left guard with the Big 12 program. While Machota notes Beebe could be an eventual Zack Martin successor, he is on track to begin his career at center.

Here is the latest from O-lines around the league:

The Raiders are making changes on the right side of their offensive line. Right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor joined the Giants, and Greg Van Roten remains a free agent. The team used Day 2 of the draft to acquire Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson (Round 2) and Maryland’s Delmar Glaze (Round 3). In all likelihood, Powers-Johnson is ticketed for a starting guard role, per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed. Glaze is set to begin his career at tackle, though GM Tom Telesco said (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez) guard work could also be in his future. Glaze will likely settle in as the Raiders’ swing tackle, according to The Athletic, though it is in play he could push Thayer Munford — who lost a position battle with Eluemunor last year — for the RT post.
Washington made three second-round picks in this draft. The Commanders acquired a defensive tackle (Jer’Zhan Newton), a cornerback (Mike Sainristil) and a tight end (Ben Sinnott) in a busy Round 2. O-line finally came up in Round 3, with TCU’s Brandon Coleman chosen at No. 67. Projected by some as a likely candidate to slide to guard, Coleman will not make that move initially. The former national championship game starter will begin his Commanders run at tackle, ESPN.com’s John Keim notes. Coleman logged extensive time at LT and LG with the Horned Frogs, playing on the blind side during the team’s banner 2022 season. He joins a Washington team that released LT starter Charles Leno. With only swingman Cornelius Lucas in place on the left side, Coleman should have a chance to move from the third round to Jayden Daniels‘ blindside protector. Lucas (47 career starts) would be in place as insurance.
As expected, Jordan Morgan will train at left tackle for the Packers. Matt LaFleur confirmed the No. 25 overall pick will begin his career there, and while The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman notes the team liked how 2022 seventh-rounder Rasheed Walker played in relief of David Bakhtiari, the first-round Morgan investment tips the team’s hand here. The Packers have assembled some depth post-Bakhtiari, with Andre Dillard in place as a potential swing option alongside the loser of this position battle.
Chukwuma Okorafor and third-round Patriots pick Caedan Wallace are set to vie for the New England left tackle job. Before the draft, de facto GM Eliot Wolf said (via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed) Okorafor — a longtime Steelers right tackle starter — stood as the Patriots’ starting LT. This will be a rather unique battle, as Wallace played all but six college snaps at right tackle. Wolf, however, views the Penn State product as a viable LT option, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss notes. The winner will likely be protecting Drake Maye‘s blind side at some point in 2024. Mike Onwenu is staying at right tackle.

Patriots Sign K Joey Slye

May 2nd, 2024 at 11:01am CST by Adam La Rose

Joey Slye has not needed to wait long to find a new employer. The veteran kicker has an agreement in place with the Patriots, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports. The team has since announced the move.

Slye was let go by the Jaguars on Tuesday. Jacksonville – which already rostered Riley Patterson – was one of the teams which added a kicker during the draft, making Slye expendable. The latter is a veteran of 78 games, however, and he will provide experienced competition for Chad Ryland in training camp.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, Ryland had an underwhelming rookie season. The 24-year-old connected on only 64% of his field goal attempts, including just five of 10 kicks from between 40 and 49 yards. Ryland did miss only one of his 25 extra point attempts, but his 2023 performance did not compare well with that of Nick Folk, whom New England released last offseason.

Ryland is still under contract for three more years on his rookie pact, but teams often move quickly in terms of finding replacements at the kicker position when it is deemed necessary. Slye, 28, could step in as the team’s preferred option depending on how he fares during training camp and the preseason. The former UDFA has experience with the Panthers, Texans and 49ers, but much of his regular season action has come with the Commanders.

Slye spent six games in Washington during the 2021 season, and he went 12-for-12 on field goals in that span. That earned him an extended stay in the nation’s capital, and he remained the team’s full-time kicker in 2022 and ’23. Slye saw his accuracy drop to 83.3% then 79.2% over the past two seasons, though, and the Commanders added Brandon McManus in free agency. That left Slye on the move to Jacksonville before the draft, but he will now turn his attention to earning a roster spot in New England.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/30/24

April 30th, 2024 at 8:17pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Waived: WR Kaden Davis, CB Quavian White

Dallas Cowboys

Signed: WR Tyron Billy-Johnson

Minnesota Vikings

Signed: P Seth Vernon

New England Patriots

Signed: LB Oshane Ximines

The Patriots have added some linebacker depth in Oshane Ximines, who spent the first five seasons of his career with the Giants. A third-round pick in 2019, Ximines ended up getting into 48 games during his time in New York, compiling 71 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He was limited to only three games this past season while alternating between the Giants practice squad and active roster.

In New England, he’ll be reunited with outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins, who previously served in the same role with the Giants. The Patriots will be hoping the new addition can provide some depth at strongside linebacker behind the likes of Matt Judon and Josh Uche.

Pats, Christian Barmore Agree To Extension

April 30th, 2024 at 3:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

APRIL 30: A key point for Barmore will emerge in 2026, when a $10MM guarantee vests. Of Barmore’s $41.8MM guaranteed, $31.8MM is guaranteed at signing. The Patriots guaranteed $2MM of Barmore’s 2026 base salary ($12MM), per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio; the other $10MM is guaranteed for injury only. That $10MM shifts to a full guarantee on the third day of the 2026 league year, giving the Patriots a potential out. Barmore’s contract also includes $8MM in total incentives.

APRIL 29: Continuing with a trend from earlier this offseason, the Patriots have retained another in-house player for years to come. New England has reached agreement on an extension with defensive tackle Christian Barmore, as first reported by Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds this pact is four years in length, and it carries a maximum value of $92MM. As a result, Barmore has become the latest ascending defensive lineman to secure a lucrative new pact. The 24-year-old is now on the books through 2028. The pact (which Kyed notes has a base value of $84MM) includes $41.8MM in guaranteed money, per Schefter’s colleague Jeremy Fowler. In all, this marks the franchise’s largest contract ever given to a player not named Tom Brady.

New England was active in free agency last month with respect to re-signing or extending starters on both sides of the ball. The Patriots’ defense retained safety Kyle Dugger via the transition tag before a long-term extension was worked out. Edge rushers Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings also have new deals in place, and Barmore will remain a key member of the team’s front seven alongside them for years to come.

The latter began extension talks in March, and a major raise has been hammered out in the immediate aftermath of the draft. Team and player certainly had an established framework in place with respect to second contracts along the defensive interior. Over the past two years, a number of up-and-coming producers at the position have landed lucrative extensions. Barmore’s $23MM per year average (provided he reaches his maximum earning potential) places him in a tie for seventh amongst active defensive tackles.

The Alabama product saw a notable 55% defensive snap share as a rookie, and he produced 46 tackles that year. His playing time dipped the following season and his impact as a pass-rusher improved only incrementally (1.5 to 2.5 sacks). This past campaign, however, Barmore took on a larger workload (66% snap share) and he parlayed that into a notable uptick in statistical output.

The former second-rounder racked up 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in 2023, the second season in which he was healthy for every game. Barmore added 19 pressures and 16 QB hits, and he ranked eighth amongst defensive tackles in terms of PFF grade (83.8). New England will count on a repeat of that production this season and beyond.

The Patriots have plenty of room for improvement on offense in 2024, but the team’s defense fared well in a number of categories last year. The team ranked fourth against the run, and Barmore played a central role in that success. He will be expected to continue his career ascent in the ground game while building off his impact against the pass for the foreseeable future as one of several D-lineman cashing in around the NFL.

Latest On Giants, Vikings’ Offers For Patriots’ No. 3 Overall Pick

April 30th, 2024 at 2:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Drake Maye generated split opinions as a prospect during the pre-draft process, the Patriots have a rookie quarterback other teams coveted. New England’s reassembled front office has the trade proposals to confirm the interest.

The Patriots did not close off trade avenues, holding talks leading up to going on the clock for their highest draft choice in 31 years. But buzz in the hours leading up to the draft all but locked in Maye to Foxborough. The Giants and Vikings, who each had been viewed as having steady interest in the North Carolina prospect, did make notable offers for the pick.

We heard post-draft the Giants continued to pursue Maye while the Pats were on the clock. Big Blue offered New England its 2025 first-rounder to move from No. 6 to No. 3; New York’s package included that 2025 first and its second-rounder (No. 47) this year, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan. The Vikings were OK unloading their No. 23 pick (along with No. 11) and their 2025 first to climb to No. 3, per ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss. Ultimately, the Pats balked and will build around Maye.

Considering how the Giants proceeded at No. 6, their pursuit of Maye qualifies as significant. The team has regrouped around Daniel Jones, despite doing steady work on this class’ top QBs. The Giants chose Malik Nabers over J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix. Each passer visited the team during the draft run-up, with Raanan adding the team did not have this QB crop’s second tier graded highly enough for an investment at No. 6.

“We had a lot of conversations with a lot of teams,” Giants GM Joe Schoen said. “I’m not going to get into specifics. We had a really good player at six. That was a position that I think was a need that we needed to upgrade. I’m fired up about the kid.”

The Giants’ Maye interest points to another make-or-break season for Jones, whose $40MM-per-year contract can be shed without too much damage in 2025. Jones performed well enough in his previous “prove it” season (2022), becoming the first QB to see his fifth-year option declined and then re-sign with that team. And Nabers profiles as the top target the 2019 first-rounder has been given while with the Giants. But Jones, who is expected to be finished with ACL rehab by training camp, is clearly on the clock once again.

The Vikings’ proposal also included two Patriots mid-round picks this year going to Minnesota, per Reiss. Going into the draft, the Patriots were not impressed with the offers they had received. As the Giants’ 2025 first-rounder dangled as an important chip — as the Pats would have only stepped back three spots in this draft and picked up a second — the Vikings essentially had to include two future firsts to present a viable offer. It cost the 49ers their 2022 and ’23 first-rounders, along with a third, to vault nine spots (No. 12 to No. 3) for Trey Lance in 2021. After New England passed, Minnesota did not end up needing to trade its No. 23 overall pick — later used to move up for Dallas Turner — to land McCarthy.

Each of this draft’s non-Caleb Williams first-round QBs trekked to Minnesota to meet with the Vikings before the draft. All but Jayden Daniels participated in a workout, with SI.com’s Albert Breer adding Daniels — who did not go through QB drills at the Combine or LSU’s pro day — passed on this part of the Vikings visit. Daniels had long been expected to go No. 2 to Washington, which was far less likely to trade the pick — despite the Raiders’ efforts — compared to the Patriots.

After Mac Jones could not sustain his rookie-year momentum — as the Pats cycled through offensive coordinators post-Josh McDaniels — Maye will be tasked with growing into a franchise-caliber passer. The 6-foot-4 prospect may well begin the season behind Jacoby Brissett, but given how this process usually goes, the two-year North Carolina starter should be expected to begin Pats QB1 work well before this season ends.

Patriots Release OL Conor McDermott

April 29th, 2024 at 9:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite changing coaches for the first time in 24 years, the Patriots have made retention a key component of their offseason. This continued Monday, with the now-Eliot Wolf-run team extending defensive tackle Christian Barmore.

But the team will bid farewell to one of its recent offensive linemen, releasing Conor McDermott on Monday. McDermott, 31, started 11 games for the Patriots over the past two seasons. Barring another reunion, this wraps McDermott’s second stint with the team that drafted him in the 2017 sixth round.

The Pats began their McDermott partnership via waiver claim midway through the 2022 season. Despite McDermott not being one of the Jets’ initial solutions at tackle, the Pats — as they lost Isaiah Wynn to injury — plugged him in for six starts that year. Although he spent time on New England’s practice squad last season, the UCLA alum started five games in 2023.

A Dolphins signing away from completing the AFC East cycle, McDermott spent the 2017 and ’18 seasons in Buffalo after being cut by New England. The Jets used McDermott as a backup tackle from 2019 until his return to the Pats in 2022. He played 589 snaps for the Patriots over the past two seasons, working at left tackle last season and right tackle in 2022.

Of the Pats’ Wolf- and Jerod Mayo-overseen re-signings, Michael Onwenu profiles as the most expensive. The tackle/guard is back on a three-year, $57MM deal; the plan is for Onwenu to stay at right tackle. The team signed Chukwuma Okorafor and is set to give the veteran Steelers RT a chance to start at LT; third-round pick Caedan Wallace should have a shot there as well.

Load More Posts