New England Patriots News & Rumors

Patriots To Release WR DeVante Parker

March 11th, 2024 at 2:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots attempted to trade DeVante Parker in the build-up to free agency, but no suitors have emerged. As a result, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports New England will release the veteran wideout.

This appeared in the cards recently, with reports the Pats were attempting to trade the former first-round pick. With Parker attached to an extension signed last year and the veteran north of 30 and coming off an unimpressive season, trade efforts seemed like an uphill battle. As such, the Pats are moving Parker off the roster.

New England has JuJu Smith-Schuster signed to a three-year deal that includes a guaranteed $7MM for 2024, and the team just re-signed Kendrick Bourne. With a Calvin Ridley pursuit on the team’s radar, it did not appear Parker had a place on the ’24 Pats roster.

Parker signed a Pats extension last year, but only $9.1MM of the summer accord came guaranteed. This left Parker vulnerable; it cost the Patriots just more than $3MM to release the 2015 Dolphins draftee now. New England had traded for Parker as part of an oft-criticized effort to upgrade the talent around Mac Jones. The move produced a 539-yard, three-touchdown 2022 season. The Patriots still shopped for upgrades in 2023, adding Smith-Schuster and pursuing DeAndre Hopkins. And Parker underwhelmed last year, hauling in just 33 passes for 394 yards and no TDs.

Bourne, Demario Douglas and Smith-Schuster represent the Pats’ WR pillars so far, with the recently re-signed Hunter Henry set to continue as a pivotal part of the Pats’ passing attack. Parker is unlikely to find a strong market for his services; the one-time 1,000-yard receiver turned 31 in January.

Patriots To Sign RB Antonio Gibson

March 11th, 2024 at 1:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Antonio Gibson will be on the move when free agency begins. The dual-threat running back is set to join the Patriots, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Patriots will not devote too much money to complementing Rhamondre Stevenson, but the team will still authorize a deal north of the veteran minimum. Gibson will sign a three-year, $11.25MM pact, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed tweets.

The former Washington back will receive $5.3MM guaranteed, per Kyed, who indicates the contract can max out at $17MM. The Pats are guaranteeing $1.2MM of Gibson’s 2025 base salary ($2.35MM) at signing. This deal brings a bigger commitment than the Patriots gave Ezekiel Elliott last year, though Stevenson should still be expected to lead the way in his contract year.

Gibson, 25, has a history of operating as a supplementary option. The Memphis product, however, was not especially consistent in Washington. Gibson rushed for 1,037 yards in 2021, and he added 1,042 scrimmage yards as a rookie. The Commanders turned more to 2022 third-rounder Brian Robinson over the past two years, and Gibson will do fairly well on the contract front considering he only gained 265 rushing yards last season.

Eric Bieniemy‘s offense minimized Gibson, though last year’s 65-carry season also can be interpreted as a conservation effort through a long-term lens. While the Commanders are moving on, the Patriots will see if the former third-round pick can bounce back in what will still be a low-cost backfield. New OC Alex Van Pelt, after all, did spent four years in Cleveland, where a running back duo (Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt) played a major role.

Patriots Plan To Release LB Chris Board

March 11th, 2024 at 8:43am CST by Adam La Rose

Chris Board played every game in his debut Patriots season in 2023, but he will not be retained for a second campaign with the team. New England plans to release the veteran linebacker and special teamer this week, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Board was on the books for one more season, and he was due $2.4MM. Moving on will create $1.96MM in cap savings while creating a dead money charge of $938K. Waiting until after the new league year opens would allow New England to designate the former UDFA a post-June 1 release, but doing so would not change the financial elements of the move in this case.

The 28-year-old had a four-year stint with the Ravens to begin his career. Board started only two contests on defense across his 63 games in Baltimore, but he established himself as a core special teams player along the way. His subsequent deals in Detroit and New England also kept him sidelined with respect to defensive workloads, and he logged only one defensive snap with the Patriots. Board saw a career-high special teams snap share of 89%, though, and his third phase contributions will be missed.

Franchise mainstay (and special teams ace) Matthew Slater retired earlier this offseason, marking an end to his decorated career with New England. Losing Slater and Board in the same offseason will create a notable vacancy on special teams for the Patriots, a team which ranked 28th in that capacity last season in terms of DVOA. Board will now look to find a new home as he faces the possibility of playing for a third different team in as many years in 2024.

New England entered Monday with nearly $83MM in cap space, the second-most in the NFL. That figure will grow slightly once the Board release is processed. The Patriots are already a team worth watching closely with respect to free agent additions given the holes on their roster and their ability to make multiple major additions. Part of that process will involve at least a few moves aimed at re-building their special teams units with Slater and Board no longer in the fold.

Jaguars To Acquire Mac Jones From Patriots

March 10th, 2024 at 10:33pm CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots have agreed to trade quarterback Mac Jones to the Jaguars, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Although the deal cannot be finalized until the new league year opens on Wednesday and until Jones passes a physical, it appears that Jones — a Jacksonville native — will try to resurrect his career in his hometown.

Schefter reported that New England and Jacksonville were discussing a sixth-round pick as trade compensation, and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network confirms that a sixth-round choice (No. 192 overall) is the official return for Jones. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says four teams were in the mix for the Alabama product, though Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports says that, as of yesterday, the Jags were the only club to make an offer. Albert Breer of SI.com adds that New England was seeking a fifth-rounder before ultimately settling for the sixth.

A report from late last month suggested that the Patriots had a three-step plan in place for addressing their quarterback situation this offseason, and trading Mac Jones was one of those three steps. While there was some pushback on the notion that New England had developed some sort of QB flowchart that had been distributed throughout the organization, it has seemed clear for some time that the club would seek a Jones trade, which would represent a beneficial change of scenery for both player and team. Now, the Pats can focus on adding a veteran to their roster and/or acquiring a top collegiate prospect in the draft. The most recent rumors on the draft front have indicated that if Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels are off the board by the time New England is on the clock with the No. 3 pick, the club will trade back.

While Jones is obviously not a threat to unseat Trevor Lawrence as the Jaguars’ starting quarterback, he will have an opportunity to regain his footing while working with Lawrence — whom he has known for years, as the two frequently competed against each other in high school recruiting camps — and head coach Doug Pederson, a celebrated quarterback whisperer. Jones, the Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2021, clearly has potential that may have been stunted by the Patriots’ coaching and schematic maneuvers in 2022, and as he enters the final year of his rookie contract, Pederson & Co. will try to unlock some of that potential and at least turn Jones into a viable backup.

Another factor in the trade is the health of current backup C.J. Beathard, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler details. Per Fowler, Beathard has been “banged up,” so the Jones acquisition gives the Jags a healthy QB2 option. The nature and extent of Beathard’s injury is unclear, and so is his future with the club at this point, though ESPN’s Mike Reiss says Jones and Beathard are expected to compete for the backup job.

The Jaguars will still have a sixth-round compensatory choice (No. 212 overall) in the 2024 draft.

Free Agency Notes: Queen, Seahawks, Packers, Panthers, Pats, Jackson, Bengals

March 10th, 2024 at 10:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens’ Roquan Smith payment always made it likely Patrick Queen would need to collect his money elsewhere. Now that Queen’s most recent defensive coordinator landed a coaching job, a logical fit has emerged. Indeed, many executives predicted (via the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora) Queen would wind up reunited with Mike Macdonald in Seattle. With the Seahawks likely to again part ways with Bobby Wagner, spots are open. Jordyn Brooks, who joined Queen as a 2020 first-round LB pick, is also on the cusp of free agency. Queen is coming off his best season — a Pro Bowl showing alongside Smith — and turned a corner once the Bears trade commenced last year.

Checking in eighth on PFR’s top 50 free agents list (before the Chris Jones and Baker Mayfield deals), Queen could be in line to rival what Tremaine Edmunds received ($18MM per year, $41.8MM fully guaranteed) last year and land a top-five ILB contract. Barely 12 hours from the legal tampering period, here is the latest from the free agent scene:

Not known for splashy signings, the Packers do look like they are ready to upgrade at one position on the market. Green Bay appears likely to look at the top safeties available, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Although several veteran safeties became street free agents due to recent cuts (Justin Simmons, Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs and Jordan Poyer among them), this saturated market does include two young guns that should be paid well soon. It would not shock to see the Pack pursue Xavier McKinney and Kamren Curl, Fowler adds. Both safeties are going into their age-25 seasons, which could separate them on a crowded market.
The Panthers released Bradley Bozeman today, and while they will look for a center, expect a guard pursuit as well. This year’s market is big on guards, and The Athletic’s Joe Person writes the Panthers want to upgrade at a guard spot this offseason. Carolina lost both its starting guards — Brady Christensen, Austin Corbett — to major injuries last season, representing one of the many issues on offense in Bryce Young‘s rookie year. The team does not consider Ikem Ekwonu an option. Despite the 2022 first-rounder playing guard at points in college, ESPN.com’s David Newton indicates the new coaching staff is keeping him at left tackle.
The Patriots are open to bringing back J.C. Jackson, according to Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline. Jackson’s season ended early after the team placed the veteran cornerback on the reserve/NFI list. Should Jackson move past the mental health struggles that wrapped his first season back in New England, Pauline adds the team is open to another reunion despite last week’s release.
Seeing a revolving door form at right tackle (Bobby Hart, Riley Reiff, La’el Collins, Jonah Williams) over the past four years, the Bengals want that to stop. They may be ready to take a two-pronged approach by adding a veteran and a potential rookie heir apparent. “We would like to have somebody man the right tackle spot for a number of years, yes,” player personnel director Duke Tobin said (via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.). “We’d like it to be a young guy that can come in and do that or a veteran that might have the opportunity to rebuild his career, something. But yes, we would like that to be manned on multiple fronts. But we’re focused with having it manned well enough to provide us a chance to win next year. That’s the No. 1 thing.” Williams is a free agent, and given the market he might have — as a chance to move to left tackle may await — it is unlikely the 2019 first-round pick is back in Cincinnati.

Suitors Emerging For Chiefs’ L’Jarius Sneed

March 10th, 2024 at 9:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

MARCH 10: Add the Dolphins to the list of Sneed interested parties. Miami is not in good cap shape and may well lose both Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt in free agency. But with the team cutting Xavien Howard, cornerback help will be sought. The Dolphins are believed to have looked into the prospect of acquiring Sneed, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes.

MARCH 6: As expected, the Chiefs were among the teams which applied the franchise tag before Tuesday’s deadline, keeping L’Jarius Sneed off the free agent market in the process. The standout corner is far from certain to remain in Kansas City, though, as a tag-and-trade maneuver is on the table.

Sneed has served as a full-time starter for nearly his entire Chiefs tenure (70 regular and postseason games), developing into a key member of the team’s vaunted secondary. The tag will cost $19.8MM in 2024, though, using up significant cap space on a team already needing a new deal for Chris Jones. The latter is the defending champions’ priority, and a re-up will not come cheaply. A long-term Sneed pact could also approach or reach the $20MM-per-year-mark his one-year tender is valued at.

Knowing Sneed could very well be on the trade block, Tyler Dragon of USA Today Sports reports seven teams have emerged as interested suitors. That list consists of the Vikings, Colts, Titans, Patriots, Lions, Falcons and Jaguars. Many of those teams are among those set to have the most spending power ahead of free agency and therefore the ones most capable of absorbing Sneed’s cap hit as it stands while working out a lucrative long-term deal.

Of course, teams like Minnesota, Indianapolis and Jacksonville could see sizable changes to their cap situations in the near future. The Vikings have two of the top pending free agents in Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter, and meeting the stated objective of retaining both will use up much of their cap space. The Colts and Jags, meanwhile, used the franchise tag on wideout Michael Pittman Jr. and edge rusher Josh Allen yesterday; long-term deals with either could lower their 2024 cap figures and free up room for an aggressive Sneed pursuit.

The Falcons – presumed to be a strong Cousins suitor – will likely wait until their quarterback addition has been made before authorizing a costly move (in terms of draft capital and finances) like a Sneed acquisition. New England and Tennessee rank second and third in respective cap space as things stand, meaning those teams could outbid other suitors and immediately make a deal for the 27-year-old a priority. Detroit reportedly has cornerback at or near the top of the organization’s offseason to-do list, so a Sneed trade would come as little surprise.

With respect to compensation, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer predicts a second-round pick could be required to convince the Chiefs to green-light a trade. Losing an effective contributor will no doubt induce Kansas City to generate as many bidders as possible and land better draft capital than what a 2025 free agent departure would yield (a third-round compensatory pick the following year). With free agency one week away, it will be interesting to see how much of a market develops for Sneed if the Chiefs move forward with exploring a trade.

Patriots To Re-Sign WR Kendrick Bourne

March 10th, 2024 at 8:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite coming off an ACL tear, Kendrick Bourne has a deal in place before free agency. The Patriots still have the veteran wide receiver in their plans, agreeing to terms on a three-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Bourne, 28, has impressed in spurts with the Patriots; although his first contract produced an inconsistent tenure, the team still values the former 49er. The deal could pay up to $33MM. It is likely incentives comprise a sizable part of that number. Indeed, the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan reports Bourne is staying with the Pats for $19.5MM. Although it is not known how much of the deal is guaranteed, Callahan adds Bourne will receive a $4.2MM signing bonus.

It is a bit interesting Bourne’s October ACL tear did not result in a one-year deal — potentially so he could reset his market for 2025. Bourne signed a three-year, $15MM deal with the Patriots in 2021, and he has another three-year pact in place to build on what he accomplished. Bourne will be playing for a fourth Pats OC in four years, with Alex Van Pelt taking over. Even with this turnover, the organization continues to prioritize Bourne.

As of late February, Bourne had not engaged in talks with the Pats. But the sides huddled up recently and hammered out a deal. The Pats had wanted to bring back Bourne and Henry; they accomplished both goals without needing to compete with other suitors on the open market. Henry fetched a bigger contract, but that should not surprise given this year’s tight end market and Bourne’s injury. Still, this represents a decent consolation prize for Bourne, who was playing well before his knee setback.

Known as a solid blocker in San Francisco, Bourne totaled 800 receiving yards in his first Patriots season. The Pats’ offense deteriorated swiftly after Josh McDaniels‘ 2022 exit, and Bourne appeared to fall out of favor with the team later that year. Bourne came up in trade rumors at each of the past two deadlines, as the Patriots tumbled into the rare position of potential seller. The team did not bite, keeping the likes of Kyle Dugger, Michael Onwenu and Josh Uche. The latter two are on track for free agency, but Dugger received the transition tag this week.

The Patriots still appear to be hunting for a bigger name to anchor their receiving corps. They are expected to pursue Calvin Ridley, who joins Marquise Brown and Gabriel Davis as the top WRs available following the tags of Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. and Mike Evans‘ re-signing. The Pats signed JuJu Smith-Schuster for $16MM guaranteed last year, making it less likely he is moved this offseason. DeVante Parker, however, may be jettisoned via trade or release. But Bourne, who averaged a career-high 50.8 yards per game during a four-TD 2023 season, is staying put as a likely auxiliary weapon.

Broncos Trading WR Jerry Jeudy To Browns

March 9th, 2024 at 11:34pm CST by Ben Levine

Jerry Jeudy is heading to Cleveland. The Browns and Broncos have agreed to a deal for the wide receiver, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Denver will receive 2024 fifth- and sixth-round picks from Cleveland, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The deal will become official on Wednesday.

Jeudy has seemingly been involved in trade talks for more than a year, and we heard that the Broncos were actively fielding offers for the receiver prior to the trade deadline. Schefter notes that the Browns were among the teams that made a run at Jeudy last season, with NFL Network’s James Palmer noting that Cleveland’s front office previously thought the price was too high. The Broncos apparently reduced their demands, leading to today’s agreement.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the front office recently indicated that they were “warming up” to trading Jeudy (and, at the same time, presumably dropping their asking price). According to Fowler, the Jets and Patriots were among the teams that also expressed interest in the receiver before he was dealt to the Browns.

The former first-round pick never developed into a top-end receiver during his time in Denver, although that was partly due to inconsistent play from the quarterback position. Jeudy followed up a solid rookie season with a disappointing sophomore campaign, but he seemed to bounce back in 2022. Jeudy finished that season with 67 catches for 972 yards and six touchdowns, leading to the Broncos picking up his fifth-year option.

However, after emerging as a trade candidate in 2022, the talks picked up steam in 2023. Jeudy was constantly mentioned alongside teammate Courtland Sutton in trade rumors, but the Broncos ultimately decided to hang on to both of their top receivers. Jeudy wasn’t able to follow up on his promising 2022 campaign, as the wideout finished 2023 with 54 catches for 758 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games (11 starts). He finished the season ranked 62nd on Pro Football Focus’ ranking of 128 qualifying wideouts.

With the Broncos moving on from Russell Wilson, the organization will be featuring a new-look offense in 2024. That divorce probably contributed to the organization’s decision to finally rip off the Jeudy band aid, but there were also financial reasons to move on from the former first-round wideout. The cash-strapped Broncos will clear around $13MM with the trade, as Jeudy’s fifth-year option was fully guaranteed.

Focus will now shift to Sutton, who will likely continue to be on the trade block. Marvin Mims will also be eyeing a larger role heading into 2024. As Palmer notes, Sean Payton has made it clear that he wants the 2023 second-round pick on the field, but the coach believed the wideout was being blocked on the depth chart by Jeudy. This trade should clear Mims up for a significant role next season.

Jeudy will now look to rehabilitate his value in Cleveland before hitting free agency next offseason. With the Browns having made a massive commitment to Deshaun Watson, Cleveland’s front office has done everything in their power to surround the QB with intriguing targets.

The team first traded a fifth-round pick to have Amari Cooper lead their depth chart, and they later swapped a second-round pick for a third-round pick in order to acquire Elijah Moore. The organization has once again looked to add a target without giving up significant draft capital, although their offensive hopes will still depend on Watson’s ability to return to his previous form.

CB Malcolm Butler Retires

March 9th, 2024 at 7:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

After seven years in the NFL and attempts to extend his time in the league, Malcolm Butler has elected to end his career. The veteran cornerback confirmed Saturday that he has retired (video link via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson).

Butler most recently played in 2020, which marked the end of his three-year run with the Titans. He was released by Tennessee following that season, and his efforts to continue playing included a deal with the Cardinals. Before the start of the 2021 campaign, however, the former UDFA retired in a surprise decision, citing personal reasons.

He returned to NFL action the following summer, suiting up with the Patriots in the 2022 preseason. New England released Butler from injured reserve, paving the way for him to catch on with a new team. A Dolphins visit ensued, but the West Alabama product ultimately did not catch onto Miami’s roster or any other. Butler was healthy once again as of last February, but he will forego another attempt to find a role in favor of shifting his attention elsewhere.

Of course, Butler will best be remembered for his four-year tenure in New England to begin his career. That stretch was highlighted by the championship-clinching interception at the end of Super Bowl XLIX. Butler was a member of two title-winning Patriots squads (although his decorated playoff tenure with the team also includes the loss to the Eagles in Super Bowl LII, in which he unexpectedly played only a single special teams snap).

Now 34, Butler noted he is “satisfied” with his career, which spanned 112 regular and postseason games. He added he has a book planned for the near future amongst a number of post-playing endeavors. In addition to his two Super Bowl rings, Butler will exit the NFL with roughly $45MM in career earnings.

Teams Inquiring On Patriots’ Mac Jones

March 8th, 2024 at 2:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mentioned at multiple offseason junctures as a live scenario, the prospect of a Mac Jones trade may be moving closer to reality. Although the Patriots may not be certain to stay at No. 3 and select a quarterback, their three-year starter is unlikely part of the 2024 plan.

On that note, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates teams have been calling the Patriots as they work on gathering Jones intel this offseason. The Patriots sound receptive to the prospect of moving the former No. 15 overall pick. Trade compensation may be tricky, especially as a host of veteran options are available, but Jones’ 2024 rookie-deal salary will help on this front.

Jones is tied to a $2.79MM base salary for 2024. That is all an acquiring team would need to pick up if it decided to take a flier on the Alabama alum, who profiles as one of this year’s top players in need of a scenery change. A trade is seen around the NFL as the best option for Jones, and a February report pointed to the Pats being likely to seek a trade partner to unload the young quarterback.

Benched to close last season, Jones did not enjoy an optimal relationship with Bill Belichick. Despite Belichick’s exit, the Pats have a new offensive staff in place. They are expected to strongly consider a quarterback at No. 3 overall while being seen as likely to sign a veteran as well. This equation would not stand to leave a place for Jones, who could be appealing as a backup option elsewhere.

Jones is heading into his age-26 season and doing so on the heels of two down campaigns. The Patriots not replacing Josh McDaniels with a true offensive coordinator drew extensive scrutiny, and Jones — the Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up to Ja’Marr Chase — was unable to put the pieces back together under Bill O’Brien last year. Jones closed the season on the bench, serving as New England’s third-stringer in Belichick’s finale.

The Jets are also trying to unload their underwhelming 2021 first-rounder, Zach Wilson, though that year’s No. 2 overall choice is tied to a pricier salary. The Patriots should have an easier time finding a Jones taker, but the return promises to be minimal considering how the past two years unfolded.

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