New England Patriots News & Rumors

NFL Staff Updates: Hawks, Dolphins, Slater

April 10th, 2024 at 9:06pm CST by Ely Allen

The Seahawks have added a new face to their front office, according to team senior reporter John Boyle. Boyle tells us that Joey Laine has been hired as Seattle’s new vice president of football administration.

Laine was hired by the Packers last year to the role of salary cap analyst. Before that, he spent seven years in Chicago serving as the Bears’ chief contract negotiator. He also looked after the team’s salary cap situation and strategic planning while ensuring compliance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

Seattle announced the hiring of a new assistant coach, as well. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the Seahawks are bringing in former Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton to serve as an offensive assistant. Keeton most recently spent the 2023 season as an offensive analyst at Marshall. He was hired to be Montana State’s new quarterbacks coach in January but will instead take his first job in the NFL.

Here are a few other coaching and staffing updates from around the league:

The Dolphins also brought in a new coaching assistant from the college ranks, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Rob Everett, formerly a senior offensive analyst at the University of Wisconsin, will come in as a new Miami offensive assistant. Before his time with the Badgers, Everett was a defensive coordinator at Division III Bridgewater College.
Patriots special teams legend Matthew Slater announced his retirement in February after 16 years in New England. We noted at the time that Slater’s attention would now turn to his post-playing days, and it didn’t take long as Conor Ryan of Boston.com reports that Slater will stick around with the Patriots in a new role. Right now, it’s unclear whether the position is a paid, full-time gig or if Slater is simply volunteering, but the 10-time Pro Bowler was on hand for the team’s first day of their voluntary offseason workout program today. New head coach Jerod Mayo has already made a habit of hiring former Patriots players as coaches, hiring Dont’a Hightower as the team’s linebackers coach and Tiquan Underwood as assistant wide receivers coach. Slater may just be the next to join in the fun.

QB Jayden Daniels To Meet With Six Teams

April 9th, 2024 at 7:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

TODAY, 7:20pm: Daniels’ visit with the Commanders has officially been scheduled. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the quarterback will visit with the team next Monday and Tuesday.

MARCH 27, 11:00am: Jayden Daniels is going through an abbreviated pro day Wednesday. The 2023 Heisman winner is expected to throw, but NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe notes the LSU product is not planning to perform other drills. He will then prepare for a cross-country tour of “30” visits.

The fast-rising prospect already has six meetings scheduled, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Commanders, Patriots, Giants, Vikings, Broncos and Raiders are planning to meet with Daniels. This sextet of teams makes sense due to QB needs or draft proximity.

The Bears not being included is notable, and the team not meeting with the dual-threat talent would only further solidify its intentions of starting the draft with a Caleb Williams pick. Considering the 2022 Heisman winner has hovered over this draft class for months, the Bears not taking a meeting with another QB prospect would not be too surprising. Then again, a Chicago meeting could emerge down the road during the pre-draft process. Ryan Poles, however, is among several prominent execs or HCs at the pro day.

As should be expected, Antonio Pierce is at LSU’s pro day. The Raiders HC has offered persistent Daniels praise, after being on Arizona State’s staff during the QB prospect’s time with the Sun Devils. Jerod Mayo, Dan Quinn, Dennis Allen, Adam Peters and Joe Hortiz are among the other HCs and execs in attendance today in Baton Rouge, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham joins his boss at the pro day, per Breer.

High-end wide receiver prospect Malik Nabers is also generating considerable attention, as should be expected. After declining to weigh in at the Combine, Daniels checked in at 210 pounds today, per Breer.

Each of the teams preparing to bring in Daniels holds a pick between Nos. 2 and 13. The Raiders are on the low end here, landing at No. 13 after they completed a sweep of the Broncos in Week 18. Although mock drafts have regularly sent Daniels to Washington or New England at No. 2 or No. 3, Las Vegas has been consistently connected to him. Daniels attended the Raiders’ regular-season finale to support Pierce, celebrating with the team in the locker room after the game. Connected to a potential trade-up, the Raiders are also believed to have brought up Daniels during their OC search.

The Vikings (No. 11) and Broncos (No. 12) reside well outside of Daniels range as well, but both are logically being tied to a trade-up maneuver. Minnesota acquired Houston’s first-round pick (No. 27), providing more ammo to climb up for a passer. Denver does not have its second-rounder, sending it to New Orleans for Sean Payton, and traded three first-round picks — for Payton and Russell Wilson — from 2022-23. Although the Broncos are planning to acquire another veteran to compete with Jarrett Stidham, they will surely be in on first-round QBs.

Washington (No. 2) and New England (No. 3) have clear needs. How the Commanders proceed will be a pivot point in this draft, with the team now tied to three passers — Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy — at No. 2. Patriots trade-down rumblings have emerged, though a previous rumor suggested some of the team’s scouts are higher on Daniels than Maye. The Pats are doing considerable recon ahead of their Daniels meeting, with Breer adding nine New England representatives are on-hand today.

If the Commanders want Daniels, trade-ups will not factor into the equation. The Giants could also be left out if they are eyeing last year’s Heisman recipient, seeing as the Commanders will be unlikely to trade them the No. 2 pick. Steadily linked to QBs despite Daniel Jones‘ employment, New York has a big-picture decision to make. The team, which holds the No. 6 pick, can easily move on from Jones by 2025. The Giants have already met with Maye and McCarthy.

Transferring to LSU in 2022, Daniels broke through with a dominant final season and became the second Tigers QB to win the Heisman in four years. Following Joe Burrow, Daniels obviously displayed a more versatile skillset than the pocket passer. Accounting for 50 TDs (40 passing) last season, Daniels paired 3,812 passing yards with 1,134 on the ground. The ex-Arizona State recruit completed 72.2% of his passes, setting himself up to go early in this year’s draft.

Draft Notes: Sweat, Seahawks, Titans, Bears, Patriots, Packers, Mims, Eagles, Broncos

April 9th, 2024 at 10:06am CST by Sam Robinson

Ranked as the No. 3 defensive tackle on Mel Kiper Jr.’s ESPN.com big board, T’Vondre Sweat has an off-field issue to navigate ahead of the draft. The Texas alum was arrested on a DWI charge over the weekend. Sweat was involved a two-car accident, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg, who indicates the DT’s SUV collided with a sedan shortly before 5am on Sunday. The Seahawks and Titans are among the teams performing some due diligence on Sweat, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero indicating the ex-Longhorns D-lineman met with the Titans on Monday and will fly to Seattle for a “30” visit later this week. Sweat posted a $3K bond following his arrest.

Here is the latest from the draft ranks:

Widely expected to begin the draft by taking Caleb Williams first overall, the Bears still hold another top-10 pick. Pertaining to the latter draft slot, the team is hosting Alabama tackle JC Latham on a two-day visit that runs through Tuesday, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Latham has already met with the Cardinals and Titans. One of this draft’s supply of intriguing tackle prospects, Latham is on track to be a first-round pick. Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board ranks the first-team All-SEC blocker 18th overall, while ESPN slots him 12th. The Bears have Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright, their 2023 first-round pick, as their starting tackles. A recent report indicated Chicago is unlikely to trade its No. 9 pick.
Another of the Round 1-level tackle prospects in this draft pool, Tyler Guyton visited the Patriots recently, ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes. Ranked 23rd on Jeremiah’s big board, Guyton stands 6-foot-8 and is more projection than proven talent. Only garnering honorable mention All-Big 12 acclaim last season, Guyton made just 15 college starts. Five of those came at TCU in 2022 before transferring. The Patriots re-signed Michael Onwenu with the intention of keeping him at right tackle, but with Trent Brown leaving for Cincinnati, New England still has a need at left tackle. Barring a trade out of No. 3 — certainly a possibility — the Pats would need to address this issue after the first round.
This draft class features another raw tackle talent drawing first-round consideration. Amarius Mims has Guyton beat, starting eight games in three Georgia seasons. Six of Mims’ starts came at right tackle last season. The 6-foot-8, 340-pound tackle missed time at Georgia, requiring ankle surgery early last season, and suffered a hamstring injury while running at the Combine. Viewed as high-ceiling talent, Mims has drawn understandable concerns about his durability, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Reid.
The Eagles and Broncos are two teams to monitor with regards to an early-round tackle investment, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller writes. Although Philadelphia just extended left tackle Jordan Mailata, stalwart RT Lane Johnson is heading into his age-34 season. The Eagles are typically proactive on their O-line. The Broncos have two high-priced tackles (and a rather glaring QB need) in Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey, but Bolles is going into a contract year. The second pick going to the Saints in the Sean Payton trade is the Broncos’ 2024 second-rounder, leaving Denver with only a third after its No. 12 overall slot.
Add the Packers to the list of teams to meet with cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. The Alabama product visited Green Bay on Monday, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein. This will follow McKinstry meetings with the Jaguars, Buccaneers and Lions. Regarded as a more highly touted prospect going into last season, McKinstry has seen teammate Terrion Arnold leapfrog him. The latter ranks higher now, though McKinstry should still hear his name called early. Save for the Jordan Love pick, the Packers have used a defense-focused approach in Round 1 for more than a decade. Beyond Love, Green Bay’s last offensive player chosen in Round 1 was tackle Derrick Sherrod in 2011.

DB Logan Ryan Announces Retirement

April 9th, 2024 at 8:17am CST by Sam Robinson

Nearly two months after returning to the Super Bowl stage, Logan Ryan is stepping away from football. The versatile defensive back announced his retirement after 11 seasons Tuesday morning (video link).

The former Patriots draftee later made his way to the Titans, Giants, Buccaneers and 49ers. The San Francisco agreement did not come to pass until early December, shortly after Talanoa Hufanga‘s season-ending injury. Ryan, 33, went from spending most of 2023 out of football to playing 62 defensive snaps in Super Bowl LVIII. He closes his career with 19 interceptions.

That marked Ryan’s third Super Bowl appearance. The 2013 third-rounder was a backup cornerback in Super Bowl XLIX but a starter by the time the Patriots returned to a Super Bowl two years later. Ryan played every Patriots defensive snap in their historic comeback past the Falcons, parlaying that season into a three-year, $30MM Titans contract.

A Rutgers alum, Ryan started 124 games and suited up for 19 playoff contests. Primarily playing cornerback in New England and Tennessee, Ryan was one of the top tacklers at the position during this NFL period. That helped a transition to safety commence during his Giants tenure. The Giants picked up Ryan late in the 2020 offseason and handed the New Jersey native an extension (three years, $31MM) months after that signing.

During Ryan’s final Titans season (2019), the team voyaged to its first AFC championship game since 2002. The 5-foot-11 defender had returned from a broken leg that ended his 2018 season. Ryan helped the 2019 Titans’ cause by making 113 tackles — 31 more than any other corner registered that season — as primarily a slot defender. Ryan’s 2019 playoffs included a pick-six on Tom Brady, ending the Patriots’ Super Bowl LIII title defense in the wild-card round. Ryan also intercepted a pass and sacked Brock Osweiler during the Patriots’ divisional-round win over the Texans in 2016.

The COVID-19-marred 2020 offseason led to several veterans lingering in free agency for months, as visits were shut down for an extended period. Ryan belatedly landed with the Giants on August 31, 2020, soon completing the transition to a safety role. This came after he displayed high-level blitzing chops, tallying 8.5 sacks over his final two Titans seasons.

Teaming with Xavier McKinney in 2021, Ryan notched a career-high 117 tackles in his second Giants season. Ryan’s two Giants years overlapped with ex-Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge’s New York tenure. The team moved on shortly after hiring Joe Schoen as GM, cutting Ryan and letting Jabrill Peppers join the Patriots in free agency. The Giants have since passed on re-signing ex-Ryan safety teammates McKinney and Julian Love, effectively starting over at the position.

The Buccaneers gave Ryan an opportunity in 2022, but a foot fracture limited his on-field work in Tampa. Ryan played in nine games with the Bucs, starting six, but the team did not bring him back in 2023. The 49ers reached out to Ryan following Hufanga’s injury, encouraging him to go on a booked cruise with his family before joining the team for the stretch run. After playing 12 defensive snaps over his first three 49ers games, Ryan was on the field for every San Francisco defensive play in Week 17, as the team wrapped up home-field advantage. He then played 100% of the 49ers’ defensive snaps against the Packers in the divisional round.

Ryan moved into the San Francisco slot role by Super Bowl LVIII and was the closest defender in coverage on Mecole Hardman‘s game-winning touchdown — one that wrapped the NFL’s longest Super Bowl — but the veteran safety/corner provided the 49ers with some pivotal reps leading up to that point. Discounting a short-field, one-play TD possession in the third quarter, it took the Chiefs until overtime to mount a touchdown drive against the 49ers. Ryan played in both the NFL’s overtime Super Bowls.

Over his career, Ryan earned just more than $69MM. The Titans authorized Ryan’s biggest contract, one he played out in the late 2010s, but he earned more than $15MM with the Giants as well.

Latest On Patriots’ Plans At No. 3

April 8th, 2024 at 3:00pm CST by Ben Levine

APRIL 8: Especially with New England having lined up ‘top 30’ visits with both Daniels and McCarthy, it would still come as little surprise to see the team remain at No. 3 and add the highest-ranked passer still on the board. However, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes the Patriots have only committed three such visits to quarterbacks (Daniels, McCarthy and Maye), adding his sense is the team has not yet fully committed to one draft strategy over another.

Plenty of time remains for the Patriots to finalize their draft board, of course, and much of their decision when on the clock will depend on the Commanders’ actions at No. 2. As things stand, now, though, uncertainty surrounds New England’s preferred direction.

APRIL 2: The Patriots’ plans with the third-overall pick are partly dependent on how the top-two selections unfold. However, it’s seeming increasingly likely that the organization will opt for a quarterback with their first-round pick.

According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, league executives believe the Patriots will take a quarterback at No. 3. While Kyed says the team won’t force the selection, it sounds like the organization’s top decision makers are in favor of drafting a QB.

The question is: which quarterback will the Patriots select? Since the Patriots won’t have their choice of QBs, we probably won’t hear anything definitive out of New England. Caleb Williams is the assumed first-overall pick, and Kyed believes the Patriots would love the opportunity to choose between LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye (in the scenario where the Commanders opt for Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy or another position).

If the Patriots do somehow have the opportunity to choose between Daniels and Maye, Kyed knows there are some members of the Patriots who are “fans” of the LSU product. This isn’t a complete surprise; Williams has never been a realistic option at No. 3, and there were rumblings that the Patriots weren’t particularly enamored with Maye. For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Jordan Reid writes that the Patriots and Commanders were among the teams with the most representation at both Daniels’ and Maye’s pro days.

Many pundits have suggested the Patriots could look to move back in the draft. Ben Volin of The Boston Globe previously opined that the organization would still leave the draft with an early-round QB, even if they do make a trade. Kyed writes that the Patriots don’t believe there are five or six franchise quarterbacks in the draft, so if the team is serious about adding a future starter at the position, they can’t stray too far from the top of the board.

The Patriots have already moved on from Mac Jones this offseason, putting them in prime position to select a quarterback with the third-overall pick. The team brought in old friend Jacoby Brissett to keep the seat warm, and they’re still rostering Bailey Zappe in case they want to redshirt a rookie.

Patriots To Host QBs Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy

April 5th, 2024 at 10:21pm CST by Ely Allen

The holders of the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Patriots have been doing their homework to determine who they will bring in from the college ranks. With former starting quarterback Mac Jones getting traded to the Jaguars, the focus has been on quarterbacks. After hosting North Carolina passer Drake Maye today, New England made sure to schedule visits with two of the draft’s other top quarterbacks, as well, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Breer tells us that LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels will be the first to follow Maye with a visit immediately after the weekend. Daniels will be in town on Monday for dinner before taking his “30” visit the following day at Gillette Stadium. Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be the third quarterback to take a visit, scheduling his trip for the week after Daniels’ visit.

With the third pick of the draft, and Caleb Williams being nearly cemented into the No. 1 overall pick, the Patriots are virtually guaranteed that at least two of the above visitors will be available when it’s their turn to pick. So, in theory, if the team decides following these visits that they would be happy drafting any two of the visiting quarterbacks, that’s all the research they would need to do. There’s no harm in doing as much research as possible, and there’s always a possibility that the Patriots trade back into the first round after their first pick, so they still may continue to bring in future visitors.

Most mock drafts at this point in time, though, tend to predict quarterbacks being selected with each of the draft’s first four picks. With Williams almost certainly headed to Chicago, New England should have its pick of whomever the Commanders don’t select between Maye, Daniels, and McCarthy.

Any of the three would enter New England with a clear chance at the starting quarterback position. Following Jones’ departure, the Patriots currently roster Jacoby Brissett, Bailey Zappe, and Nathan Rourke at quarterback. All three passers provide New England with starting options at the position if their potential rookie pick isn’t ready to take the reins.

Brissett, returning to the team that drafted him for the first time since his rookie season, held his own as a starter during stints with the Colts and Browns. Zappe has started eight games in replacement of Jones over his first two seasons. Rourke has starting experience from his standout season in the Canadian Football League but has yet to make his debut in the NFL.

Regardless, the first opportunity to start will likely go to whomever the team drafts at No. 3 overall, assuming of course that that player is a quarterback. Yesterday’s visit with Maye, in conjunction with the upcoming visits with Daniels and McCarthy, should give New England the perfect opportunity to decide the order of preference for the three, in hopes that their top option will be available after picks by Chicago and Washington.

Patriots To Host QB Drake Maye

April 4th, 2024 at 3:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bringing a sizable contingent to Drake Maye‘s pro day, the Patriots certainly have interest in the North Carolina prospect. Holding the No. 3 overall pick, the Pats may well have Maye available to them later this month.

The Patriots will go through with an official “30” visit with the high-end quarterback prospect Friday, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. After meeting with Maye at the Combine, the Pats already spoke with the two-year Tar Heels starter at his pro day last month.

Although buzz about New England trading out of No. 3 overall has surfaced, this No. 3 choice — in a draft that looks to feature six first-round-caliber quarterbacks — represents a pivotal point for a team that saw its Mac Jones plan go awry quickly. A recent report indicated other NFL execs expect the Patriots to take a QB at 3. Another pointed to the team only being OK trading out of the No. 3 slot if it was assured it could land a passer later in the first round.

Maye came into the 2023 season much higher on draft boards compared to Jayden Daniels, but the LSU passer’s Heisman campaign rocketed him onto the same level. Maye also did not enjoy as strong of a season as he put together in 2022. J.J. McCarthy also represents a wild card here, having wowed NFL staffers at his pro day. The Michigan product had already seen his stock rise prior to that Ann Arbor showing.

McCarthy being in consideration for the Commanders at No. 2 would only increase the chances Maye is still there for the Pats at 3. Of course, if McCarthy goes at 2, the Pats would have the Maye-or-Daniels decision. That would be a rather good problem to have for a team that has, save for Jones’ 2021 season, endured mostly bad quarterback play since Tom Brady‘s 2020 free agency exit.

Already visiting the Giants, Maye will certainly log some more visits before the mid-April deadline. The Patriots have thus far been Maye’s most popular mock-draft landing spot. ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s mocks have sent the Tar Heels’ Sam Howell successor to New England, though Daniel Jeremiah’s latest NFL.com offering mocks Maye to Washington and Daniels to Foxborough. It would certainly be a risk for the Pats to trade out of this draft slot and take their chances with one of the second-tier arms in this class. An early-March report did indicate some Patriots scouts are not sold on Maye, but trading out of No. 3 would effectively remove the top four QBs from the AFC East club’s equation.

The Pats sent many staffers to Daniels’ pro day and Maye’s Chapel Hill showcase last month; given the magnitude of this decision, those trips add up. Offering better size compared to Daniels, the 6-foot-4, 223-pound QB is also nearly two years younger. Maye, 21, threw 38 TD passes compared to seven INTs in 2022. His ratio narrowed to 24-9 last season. But scouts are high on Maye’s arm strength and aggressiveness; he also combined for nearly 1,200 rushing yards between 2022 and ’23, offering teams some intrigue in the run game as well.

AFC Restructures: Howard, Mason, Wilson

April 3rd, 2024 at 7:48pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans front office did some work recently to help with their cap situation. The bigger of their two recent moves saw them address the contract of veteran offensive tackle Tytus Howard, per Field Yates of ESPN.

Howard agreed to a restructured contract in which Houston converted $12.88MM of his 2024 base salary (originally worth $14MM) into a signing bonus. The Texans also added two void years onto the end of his existing deal. The adjustments to his contract resulted in the clearance of $10.3MM of cap space for Houston.

Here are a few other restructured deals seen recently around the AFC:

Houston also adjusted the contract of fellow offensive lineman Shaq Mason, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The new deal saw the Texans convert $8.04MM of Mason’s 2024 base salary (originally worth $9.25MM) into a signing bonus while, once again, adding two voidable years to the end of the contract. The resulting changes added an additional $6.4MM to Houston’s salary cap space.
Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald informed us that a restructured deal was also underway for Patriots cornerback Marco Wilson. The new contract is a one-year, $1.2MM deal with $600K of guaranteed money, including a $300K signing bonus. The restructure results in approximately $750K of additional cap space for New England. Wilson’s new deal also contains a $200K workout bonus, $500K in potential per game active roster bonuses, $416K in incentives that are likely to be earned, and $750K in incentives classified as not likely to be earned.

NFC Contract Details: Bucs, Mayfield, Eagles, Sweat, Parker, Rams, Garoppolo, Saints

April 3rd, 2024 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the details from some of the recently agreed-upon contracts around the NFC:

Baker Mayfield, QB (Buccaneers). Three years, $100MM. Of the $50MM in Mayfield guarantees, $40MM is fully guaranteed. The other $10MM will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2025 league year. Mayfield can also earn $5MM per year via incentives, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman notes. Half of those are stat-based incentives. If Mayfield finishes in the top 10 in the NFL (or top five in the NFC) in passer rating, TD passes, yards, yards per attempt or completion percentage in any of the three years, he would earn $500K per category, Auman adds. The other $2.5MM per year comes through playoff incentives. Mayfield would earn $500K for a Bucs wild-card win, $750K for a divisional-round conquest and $500K for an NFC championship game win. If the Bucs are to win a Super Bowl with Mayfield at the helm, he would collect another $750K.
Darious Williams, CB (Rams). Three years, $22.5MM. Only $7MM of Williams’ $15MM guarantee is locked in at signing, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. This contract’s key date will come on Day 5 of the 2025 league year, when the remaining $8MM will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee. Barring injury, this effectively makes 2024 a “prove it” year for the now-two-time Rams CB.
Josh Sweat, DE (Eagles). One year, $10MM. The Eagles’ Sweat rework will bring $9.5MM guaranteed for the veteran defensive end, per OverTheCap. Philly used four void years to spread out the cap hit, which sits at $8.1MM for 2024. If Sweat signs elsewhere before this contract’s March 2025 expiration, the Eagles will be tagged with $16.4MM in dead money.
Cedrick Wilson, WR (Saints). Two years, $5.75MM. The Saints are guaranteeing Wilson $2.85MM, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell notes. The second-generation NFL wideout will be due a $200K roster bonus in 2025; none of Wilson’s ’25 salary ($2.7MM) is guaranteed.
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (Rams). One year, $3.18MM. Previously reported as including $4.5MM in base value, the Rams’ Garoppolo contract (via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe) contains $3.18MM in base pay.
Ben Bredeson, G (Buccaneers). One year, $3MM. Bredeson’s Bucs pact includes $1.75MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets.
DeVante Parker, WR (Eagles). One year, $1.21MM. The Patriots are paying most of Parker’s deal, with $3.19MM guaranteed remaining on his 2023 extension. The Eagles are not guaranteeing the former first-rounder anything, Volin tweets. The Pats will receive a $1.98MM cap credit if Parker plays the whole 2024 season.

Latest On UNC QB Drake Maye

April 2nd, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Ben Levine

With Caleb Williams effectively locked in with the first-overall pick and J.J. McCarthy quickly climbing up draft boards, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye‘s chance of being a top-three pick isn’t as definitive as it once was.

Fortunately, the prospect can rest easy knowing that the Commanders (No. 2) and Patriots (No. 3) had the largest contingents at his pro day. The Commanders also met with Maye privately before his public workout, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB. Specifically, coach Dan Quinn, general manager Adam Peters, and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury spoke with the prospect.

While there were reports from earlier today that the Patriots may prefer Jayden Daniels over Maye, the organization was still well represented at the prospect’s pro day. The Patriots also met with the quarterback before he threw, and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf got an up-close look at the prospect during his workout, according to Evan Lazar of the team’s website.

“It’s been awesome,” Maye said of his meeting with the Patriots (via Lazar). “Try to get to know them. Trying to get to know what they’re about, and their championship mindset to get back to the glory days.”

Interestingly, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com writes that the Broncos were also among the most represented teams at Maye’s audition. The Broncos currently sit with the No. 12 pick, and even if Maye does fall out of the top-three, it’s unlikely he drops all the way out of the top-10. In other words, the Broncos would surely have to move up in the first round if they want the UNC product.

As Adam Caplan of ProFootballNetwork.com passes along, NFL evaluators have lauded Maye for his size, arm strength, and aggressiveness. However, the prospect received criticism for hastily leaving the pocket and trying to make “hero throws,” a pair of attributes that could surely be curbed with experience.

Load More Posts