Patriots news
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New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger has reportedly stayed in the area to continue working out at Gillette Stadium ahead of training camp, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Dugger agreed to a four-year, $58 million contract extension in April, in one of the Patriots’ major offseason moves. The organization locked up several in-house players, including Dugger, Christian Barmore, Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, Anfernee Jennings and Rhamondre Stevenson,
The safety looks to build off of a successful 2023 season that saw him record 71 tackles, seven pass deflections, two forced fumbles and an interception.
He established himself as one of the best safeties in the NFL by becoming one of the few bright spots for the struggling Patriots.
Reiss wrote:
Dugger agreed to a four-year, $58 million contract extension in April, in one of the Patriots’ major offseason moves. The organization locked up several in-house players, including Dugger, Christian Barmore, Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, Anfernee Jennings and Rhamondre Stevenson,
The safety looks to build off of a successful 2023 season that saw him record 71 tackles, seven pass deflections, two forced fumbles and an interception.
He established himself as one of the best safeties in the NFL by becoming one of the few bright spots for the struggling Patriots.
Reiss wrote:
Dugger is going to be a major piece for the New England defense moving forward. The fact that he has stayed local is certainly a positive sign regarding his willingness to take on an even bigger role for the team.
The New England Patriots only made one defensive pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and it was an intriguing one with former South Carolina cornerback Marcellas Dial Jr.
Dial had 36 tackles and a forced fumble last season. Those numbers were down from his 2022 campaign, when he totaled 45 tackles, 12 pass deflections and three interceptions. All in all, he was a key contributor for the South Carolina defense.
The Patriots defense is coming into the 2023 season ranked as one of the best in football. Dial will undoubtedly have to fight for his spot on defense, particularly in a secondary headlined by 2023 first-round pick Christian Gonzalez.
South Carolina defensive coordinator Clayton White isn’t betting against him.
“He has the size, strength and speed to play at that level,” said White, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “But more importantly, I think he brings the intangibles and the will. He’s a great locker room guy, great team player and great special teams player, too.”
Versatility is something the Patriots have always valued in their players. For that reason, it will be interesting to see where Dial fits on the roster.
His intangibles, most notably his special teams contributions, could help him stand out in a crowded defensive room at training camp.
Dial had 36 tackles and a forced fumble last season. Those numbers were down from his 2022 campaign, when he totaled 45 tackles, 12 pass deflections and three interceptions. All in all, he was a key contributor for the South Carolina defense.
The Patriots defense is coming into the 2023 season ranked as one of the best in football. Dial will undoubtedly have to fight for his spot on defense, particularly in a secondary headlined by 2023 first-round pick Christian Gonzalez.
South Carolina defensive coordinator Clayton White isn’t betting against him.
“He has the size, strength and speed to play at that level,” said White, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “But more importantly, I think he brings the intangibles and the will. He’s a great locker room guy, great team player and great special teams player, too.”
Versatility is something the Patriots have always valued in their players. For that reason, it will be interesting to see where Dial fits on the roster.
His intangibles, most notably his special teams contributions, could help him stand out in a crowded defensive room at training camp.
The book on the 2024 New England Patriots is that their receiver corps is not ready for prime time. And given that the current cabal of receivers is led by veterans Kendrick Bourne, Jalen Reagor, Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, K.J. Osborn, and JuJu Smith-Schuster, there’s a credible argument to be made that there’s not a lot of there there, as Gertrude Stein once said of the city of Oakland.
But if the Patriots, rookie quarterback Drake Maye, veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, and new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt are to transcend all that, the answers could very well reside with two first-year pass-catchers: Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk, selected with the 37th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 draft, and UCF’s Javon Baker, selected with the 110th overall pick in the fourth round.
Both receivers are sleepers to a point, and they’ve each shown a lot on tape already. Last season for Washington, Polk set career highs in targets (108), receptions (69), receiving yards (1,159), and receiving touchdown (nine). Polk was also good for 14 catches on passes of 20 or more air yards on 28 such targets for 567 yards and five touchdowns.
At the 2024 scouting combine, I asked Polk for his favorite college play, and he brought up this 38-yard catch against Michigan State in which he ran a deep over route, and somehow came up with the catch despite getting whacked by safety Jaden Mangham at the catch point.
View: https://x.com/i/status/1764128009827586305
As for Baker, the former Alabama transfer who couldn’t find a place with the Crimson Tide in 2020 and 2021 had most of the answers to the tests in 2023. For the UCF Knights, Baker caught 52 passes on 84 targets for 1,139 yards and seven touchdowns. On deep passes, he was particularly lethal, bringing in 15 attempts of 20 or more air yards on 30 targets for 574 yards and four touchdowns.
Moreover, and this is especially important for the Patriots’ receiver group as it’s been constructed for years, both Polk and Baker can consistently gain separation from aggressive coverage.
View: https://x.com/i/status/1786031492583620676
As Polk said after he was drafted, he understands how to win with multiple positions and deployments, and that will pay off in the NFL. Last season, 36% of his snaps came in the slot.
“I think being a new player, you’ve got to be able to know how to move around, do different things and be able to go out there and contribute to your offense. So, being versatile, being able to move inside and outside, know what everybody’s doing on the field is very important. So, I think it’s my job to know as much as I can, to go out there and make plays for those guys that are putting in work each and every play. I want to put my quarterback in the best situation possible. I know I’m going to be able to go out there and make plays for him. So, just being able to help other guys around me and make their job easier as well, so when that guy’s lining up next to me, he can trust me. He can put the trust in me that I’m going to be able to know what I’m going to do. We can feed off each other, be able to communicate and help each other as well.”
Baker had 75% of his snaps outside last season, but he can also win from the slot. And he came into the building having some experience with the Patriots’ rookie first-round quarterback.
People don’t know this, but when Drake Maye was committed to Alabama at first, we always used to practice and throw around,” Baker said after he was drafted. “So, me and Drake Maye got a connection going on. Drake Maye, I think, in my opinion, is the best quarterback in this draft, so when we connect again, it’s going to be a good connection.
“Competitive and trying to get the ball in whatever spots I ask him to put it, he’d put it there. So, he’d be just competitive, a competitive quarterback, and that’s what I like in a quarterback. He is somebody that could push me, and I’ll push him.”
New head coach Jerod Mayo is excited about both new additions.
“I’ll start with Polk,” Mayo said at the end of the draft. “He’s one of those guys that before we even get to the main responsibility of a receiver as far as get open, catch the ball and run with it, he’s one of those guys that isn’t afraid to do the dirty work. When we talk about the dirty work, obviously we have a good set of backs. But sometimes you need those receivers to come in there and kind of dig out support, and he does that at a very high level. Now, let’s get to the meat and potatoes of Polk. He’s one of those guys, smooth route runner, has good hands, can do a lot of different things and he’s smart. That’s one thing that we covered around here. He’s flexible, can play in different spots, and I’m excited to really see him out there.
“Then really, when you talk about Javon, look, you talk about run after catch, the run after catch, this guy is aggressive, and I would say Bake is all about — he’s all ball. He’s all ball, which I can appreciate. You can see the passion come through when you watch them on film. Two guys that obviously have different skill sets but at the same time will help our team going forward.”
So, maybe there’s more to the Patriots’ receiver corps than many might think, and perhaps two rookies will lead the way.
But if the Patriots, rookie quarterback Drake Maye, veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, and new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt are to transcend all that, the answers could very well reside with two first-year pass-catchers: Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk, selected with the 37th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 draft, and UCF’s Javon Baker, selected with the 110th overall pick in the fourth round.
Both receivers are sleepers to a point, and they’ve each shown a lot on tape already. Last season for Washington, Polk set career highs in targets (108), receptions (69), receiving yards (1,159), and receiving touchdown (nine). Polk was also good for 14 catches on passes of 20 or more air yards on 28 such targets for 567 yards and five touchdowns.
At the 2024 scouting combine, I asked Polk for his favorite college play, and he brought up this 38-yard catch against Michigan State in which he ran a deep over route, and somehow came up with the catch despite getting whacked by safety Jaden Mangham at the catch point.
View: https://x.com/i/status/1764128009827586305
As for Baker, the former Alabama transfer who couldn’t find a place with the Crimson Tide in 2020 and 2021 had most of the answers to the tests in 2023. For the UCF Knights, Baker caught 52 passes on 84 targets for 1,139 yards and seven touchdowns. On deep passes, he was particularly lethal, bringing in 15 attempts of 20 or more air yards on 30 targets for 574 yards and four touchdowns.
Moreover, and this is especially important for the Patriots’ receiver group as it’s been constructed for years, both Polk and Baker can consistently gain separation from aggressive coverage.
View: https://x.com/i/status/1786031492583620676
As Polk said after he was drafted, he understands how to win with multiple positions and deployments, and that will pay off in the NFL. Last season, 36% of his snaps came in the slot.
“I think being a new player, you’ve got to be able to know how to move around, do different things and be able to go out there and contribute to your offense. So, being versatile, being able to move inside and outside, know what everybody’s doing on the field is very important. So, I think it’s my job to know as much as I can, to go out there and make plays for those guys that are putting in work each and every play. I want to put my quarterback in the best situation possible. I know I’m going to be able to go out there and make plays for him. So, just being able to help other guys around me and make their job easier as well, so when that guy’s lining up next to me, he can trust me. He can put the trust in me that I’m going to be able to know what I’m going to do. We can feed off each other, be able to communicate and help each other as well.”
Baker had 75% of his snaps outside last season, but he can also win from the slot. And he came into the building having some experience with the Patriots’ rookie first-round quarterback.
People don’t know this, but when Drake Maye was committed to Alabama at first, we always used to practice and throw around,” Baker said after he was drafted. “So, me and Drake Maye got a connection going on. Drake Maye, I think, in my opinion, is the best quarterback in this draft, so when we connect again, it’s going to be a good connection.
“Competitive and trying to get the ball in whatever spots I ask him to put it, he’d put it there. So, he’d be just competitive, a competitive quarterback, and that’s what I like in a quarterback. He is somebody that could push me, and I’ll push him.”
New head coach Jerod Mayo is excited about both new additions.
“I’ll start with Polk,” Mayo said at the end of the draft. “He’s one of those guys that before we even get to the main responsibility of a receiver as far as get open, catch the ball and run with it, he’s one of those guys that isn’t afraid to do the dirty work. When we talk about the dirty work, obviously we have a good set of backs. But sometimes you need those receivers to come in there and kind of dig out support, and he does that at a very high level. Now, let’s get to the meat and potatoes of Polk. He’s one of those guys, smooth route runner, has good hands, can do a lot of different things and he’s smart. That’s one thing that we covered around here. He’s flexible, can play in different spots, and I’m excited to really see him out there.
“Then really, when you talk about Javon, look, you talk about run after catch, the run after catch, this guy is aggressive, and I would say Bake is all about — he’s all ball. He’s all ball, which I can appreciate. You can see the passion come through when you watch them on film. Two guys that obviously have different skill sets but at the same time will help our team going forward.”
So, maybe there’s more to the Patriots’ receiver corps than many might think, and perhaps two rookies will lead the way.
Tom Brady isn’t the only New England Patriots legend looking to buy a minority ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.
Per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Hall of Fame defensive end Richard Seymour is reportedly close to “finalizing a deal to become an owner and limited partner of the Raiders.”
An agreement is already in place between Brady and Raiders owner Mark Davis for the legendary quarterback to buy an ownership stake in the team, but the move has yet to be made official by the NFL. Brady still needs a three-fourths majority vote from owners.
Seymour will now reportedly join that bid with Brady (and their own partners) for roughly 10.4 percent ownership of the Raiders. Florio pointed to October as an ideal time for the owners to vote.
Seymore is a former three-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, who selected him with the No. 6 overall pick of the 2001 NFL draft. The team traded him to the Raiders in 2009.
He ultimately finished out his career in Oakland and even earned two Pro Bowl nods with the franchise.
Per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Hall of Fame defensive end Richard Seymour is reportedly close to “finalizing a deal to become an owner and limited partner of the Raiders.”
An agreement is already in place between Brady and Raiders owner Mark Davis for the legendary quarterback to buy an ownership stake in the team, but the move has yet to be made official by the NFL. Brady still needs a three-fourths majority vote from owners.
Seymour will now reportedly join that bid with Brady (and their own partners) for roughly 10.4 percent ownership of the Raiders. Florio pointed to October as an ideal time for the owners to vote.
Seymore is a former three-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, who selected him with the No. 6 overall pick of the 2001 NFL draft. The team traded him to the Raiders in 2009.
He ultimately finished out his career in Oakland and even earned two Pro Bowl nods with the franchise.
Matthew Judon has reportedly received a contract offer from the New England Patriots, but as of right now, the two sides are “not close” to agreeing on a deal, according to Fox Sports’ Henry McKenna.
The four-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher is entering the final year of his contract in New England, and he could be eyeing free agency in 2025, unless an agreement can be made.
“Matthew Judon has asked for a new contract and the Patriots have made an offer, according to a source close to the situation. But they are not currently close to agreeing to a new deal,” McKenna posted on social media.
Judon turning 32 years old in August might have an impact on the negotiations.
Any smart team would be looking to protect itself from potentially overpaying for an aging player who missed most of 2023 with a season-ending injury.
Of course, Judon might see things differently. When healthy, he has been arguably the Patriots’ best player. The team has been throwing a lot of money around to re-sign other key in-house talents, including Christian Barmore, Kyle Dugger, Kendrick Bourne, Hunter Henry, Anfernee Jennings and Mike Onwenu.
Why not pay to keep a top-tier defensive talent like Judon?
The veteran pass-rusher recently shared his doubts on social media about a new deal getting done, when responding to a post from a fan.
“Ion think that’s about to happen,” Judon posted.
The two sides still have plenty of time to revisit the conversation before other teams enter the discussion. Judon showed up at mandatory minicamp, and he has remained a full participant in the spring practices.
At least for the present, this doesn’t appear like an issue that will disrupt what the Patriots have going on the field this season.
The four-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher is entering the final year of his contract in New England, and he could be eyeing free agency in 2025, unless an agreement can be made.
“Matthew Judon has asked for a new contract and the Patriots have made an offer, according to a source close to the situation. But they are not currently close to agreeing to a new deal,” McKenna posted on social media.
Judon turning 32 years old in August might have an impact on the negotiations.
Any smart team would be looking to protect itself from potentially overpaying for an aging player who missed most of 2023 with a season-ending injury.
Of course, Judon might see things differently. When healthy, he has been arguably the Patriots’ best player. The team has been throwing a lot of money around to re-sign other key in-house talents, including Christian Barmore, Kyle Dugger, Kendrick Bourne, Hunter Henry, Anfernee Jennings and Mike Onwenu.
Why not pay to keep a top-tier defensive talent like Judon?
The veteran pass-rusher recently shared his doubts on social media about a new deal getting done, when responding to a post from a fan.
“Ion think that’s about to happen,” Judon posted.
The two sides still have plenty of time to revisit the conversation before other teams enter the discussion. Judon showed up at mandatory minicamp, and he has remained a full participant in the spring practices.
At least for the present, this doesn’t appear like an issue that will disrupt what the Patriots have going on the field this season.
New England Patriots defensive lineman Christian Barmore has had a strong start to his NFL career, recording 133 tackles (18 for a loss), 32 quarterback hits, 12.5 sacks, nine passes defended and one forced fumble.
All of that production earned Barmore a massive extension earlier this offseason that will pay him $92 million over four years ($41.8 million guaranteed). And, now heading into the 2024 season, he's set to take on a bigger role, and NFL decision-makers think of him highly.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently put together a survey of NFL executives, coaches and scouts to rank the top 10 defensive linemen in the league. While Barmore didn't make the cut, he received enough votes to earn an honorable mention, and one NFC exec even compared him to one of the best defenders in the league.
If Barmore continues to improve and starts putting up the numbers that Jones has, the contract will look like a steal, and he'll lead the next great Patriots defense for years to come.
All of that production earned Barmore a massive extension earlier this offseason that will pay him $92 million over four years ($41.8 million guaranteed). And, now heading into the 2024 season, he's set to take on a bigger role, and NFL decision-makers think of him highly.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently put together a survey of NFL executives, coaches and scouts to rank the top 10 defensive linemen in the league. While Barmore didn't make the cut, he received enough votes to earn an honorable mention, and one NFC exec even compared him to one of the best defenders in the league.
Jones was a second-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2016 draft out of Mississippi State. He's played eight seasons for the Chiefs, recording 2733 tackles (73 for a loss), 175 quarterback hits, 75.5 sacks, 37 passes defended, 12 forced fumbles, three fumbles recovered and two interceptions. He's made five Pro Bowls, won three Super Bowls and earned All-Pro honors twice.
If Barmore continues to improve and starts putting up the numbers that Jones has, the contract will look like a steal, and he'll lead the next great Patriots defense for years to come.
ItsGonnaBeMaye
Well-known member
The Commanders really went with an unintelligent string bean RB at QB over this guy:
View: https://x.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1810854311120822425
View: https://x.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1810854311120822425
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The Commanders really went with an unintelligent string bean RB at QB over this guy:
View: https://x.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1810854311120822425
I'm glad they hired Kliff Kingsbury, everyone knew that's who his guy would be just like Kyler Murray. Hopefully Maye ends up the better player, he's certainly the better overall QB prospect.
Depends what he wants but I'd rather not sign him to a huge extension. If we could give him a raise this year and add 1 year with around a 15/per/incentives deal, then yeah that'll work.
Fun Fact:
Gronk never lost to the Colts in his career.
He was 8-0 in 11 seasons!
=AZUlN9Zq5pfGxwQcz4AtoEcxXWuN6YIm_xhBX_l9xZVgE9oIlt01Ae8uuVxwxTB9ANEVV9x7EIbmKz4Jz1B0z06geNe68zmylHAvw_FPO1LXq_2dwWRTKMpN8pg2wd621CXAAq98i_y9EQyGKLmY0W_11wdZvGcuT8yyfsIUHvbBHI_xjPfqr8jQVNDhIUXg0SGE66ij3wfB8bsUEtCoNevB5tutTbHi7nEPwy0tDp2o0w&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R]View: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=427233923645119&__cft__[0]=AZUlN9Zq5pfGxwQcz4AtoEcxXWuN6YIm_xhBX_l9xZVgE9oIlt01Ae8uuVxwxTB9ANEVV9x7EIbmKz4Jz1B0z06geNe68zmylHAvw_FPO1LXq_2dwWRTKMpN8pg2wd621CXAAq98i_y9EQyGKLmY0W_11wdZvGcuT8yyfsIUHvbBHI_xjPfqr8jQVNDhIUXg0SGE66ij3wfB8bsUEtCoNevB5tutTbHi7nEPwy0tDp2o0w&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
Gronk never lost to the Colts in his career.
He was 8-0 in 11 seasons!
=AZUlN9Zq5pfGxwQcz4AtoEcxXWuN6YIm_xhBX_l9xZVgE9oIlt01Ae8uuVxwxTB9ANEVV9x7EIbmKz4Jz1B0z06geNe68zmylHAvw_FPO1LXq_2dwWRTKMpN8pg2wd621CXAAq98i_y9EQyGKLmY0W_11wdZvGcuT8yyfsIUHvbBHI_xjPfqr8jQVNDhIUXg0SGE66ij3wfB8bsUEtCoNevB5tutTbHi7nEPwy0tDp2o0w&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R]View: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=427233923645119&__cft__[0]=AZUlN9Zq5pfGxwQcz4AtoEcxXWuN6YIm_xhBX_l9xZVgE9oIlt01Ae8uuVxwxTB9ANEVV9x7EIbmKz4Jz1B0z06geNe68zmylHAvw_FPO1LXq_2dwWRTKMpN8pg2wd621CXAAq98i_y9EQyGKLmY0W_11wdZvGcuT8yyfsIUHvbBHI_xjPfqr8jQVNDhIUXg0SGE66ij3wfB8bsUEtCoNevB5tutTbHi7nEPwy0tDp2o0w&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
HSanders
Cracker bitch
The Commanders really went with an unintelligent string bean RB at QB over this guy:
View: https://x.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1810854311120822425
for those who thought cam newton was great,this doesn't matter. i didn't so it does. i remember being astonished at how shitty cam was on the board.
