Patriots news

LordSensei1958 said:
The quarterbacks had a strong day, despite the Zappe interception. It will be interesting to see what comes of the room with the team likely to make a cut at some point. Coach Jerod Mayo has already hinted at a plan to trim down the quarterback room heading into training camp.
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I have opposed the idea of keeping Zappe around. I still do. But, there are two reasons I can think of where it would make at least some sense to have Zappe on the roster this season:


  1. Milton's so bad that he's not worth keeping around
  2. The team decides that it doesn't even want Maye to be the game time QB2, for whatever reason


So, I don't like it, but if the idea is that Zappe stays until Milton proves himself to be at least worth a development year, and/or Maye makes the team comfortable enough to have him as at least the game day backup, that would have some logic to it.
 
The bond between the New England Patriots offensive rookies is getting noticed by Patriots legends of the past.

It’s been well-documented throughout the course of OTAs that quarterback Drake Maye and wide receivers Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker have been developing a bit of a connection. Former Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch understands how important building that sort of connection is for a team.

Maye’s communication with the rookie receivers has been noticeable and evident. This has certainly excited Patriots fans, as the organization looks to find stability at the quarterback position for the first time in the post-Tom Brady era.

Branch spoke to ESPN’s Mike Reiss earlier this week, and he discussed how valuable the bonding of rookies and that communication can be early on.

“We were very tight. These are guys you can go through the rut with. ‘Hey man, I’m making mistakes today’ and your teammate, especially your draftmate, is going to pull you up,” Branch said. “You can lean on each other. Bounce ideas off each other. Study together. All these things, these young men will have the opportunity to do with one another. It’s magical if these guys buy into everything.”

Some of the biggest struggles a rookie quarterback can have is the ability to process the playbook, as well as adjust to the speed of the game. It seems as though Maye is taking on a bit of a leadership role, and his work ethic is clearly being noticed by the coaching staff.

The Patriots need to develop the young quarterback properly, if they truly hope he grows and becomes the future of the franchise.
 
Former NFL receiver Deion Branch is looking forward to legendary quarterback Tom Brady’s New England Patriots Hall of Fame induction on June 12.

Branch is obviously familiar with Brady, having been a teammate of the signal-caller’s for seven seasons. His best year statistically for the Patriots came in 2005. That year, he recorded 78 catches for 998 yards and five touchdowns.

However, it was the conclusion of the 2004 season that was perhaps the most memorable part of his career. He tallied 11 catches on 12 targets for 133 yards in Super Bowl XXXIX and was named the game’s MVP.

He is looking forward to honoring his former quarterback at the induction ceremony, as he told ESPN’s Mike Reiss earlier this week.

“There’s nothing like being around the guys that we did phenomenal things with, and most importantly, just to give congratulations to Tom. Celebrating this guy. He deserves it all,” Branch said.

It will certainly be fun to have former Patriots in attendance, as everyone, from former players to fans alike, celebrate the quarterback’s career.
 
New England Patriots wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk is determined to make an impact, and it appears he is doing so early.

Polk comes from Washington, where he recorded 115 catches for 1,967 yards and 16 touchdowns over the course of three seasons. His best year came in 2023, as he tallied 69 receptions for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games.

His impact may have been overshadowed by the play of Rome Odunze, who was a first-round draft pick and one of the most dynamic receivers in all of college football.

Still, there is no denying Polk’s talents

There are no questions about his work ethic as well. He has reportedly taken on a large role as the rookies have come into the organization. He is similar to quarterback Drake Maye in that way with the rookie class looking to turn things around in New England.

He wants to be a leader on the field, despite being a rookie. There’s no better time to start than the present if he hopes to reach the lofty goals he’s set for himself.

Polk’s former coach at Lufkin High School, Todd Quick, remembers.

“He told the kids, ‘Mark it down, I will win a Super Bowl and I will be All-Pro,'” Quick told NESN.com. “His goals are lofty, but they’re goals he can reach.

“…His goal is to win every snap he takes. He knows that will give him the chance to compete, so he is a fierce competitor during practice and he’s not blowing smoke just saying stuff. He truly believes it and he knows what it takes. He’s going to work, he’s gonna compete and New England will fall in love with him just because of who he is.”

Polk will be tasked with helping to reignite the offensive unit for the Patriots. It’ll be a tall task, given how much the team struggled last year. But it sure sounds like he’s up for the challenge.
 
The New England Patriots aren’t short of space under the salary cap, but they can create more by cutting unproductive wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster after June 1.
Smith-Schuster is a logical candidate to be cut because “injuries and other ongoing QB situations” meant the veteran “has not produced as well as they would like,” according to Pro Football Network’s Tony Catalina.
As Catalina put it, there is a financial incentive for parting ways with Smith-Schuster. Albeit a small one: “The savings wouldn’t be astronomical, but by designating Smith-Schuster as a post-June 1 cut, it would leave behind $9.6 million in dead money in 2024 and an additional $2.6 million in 2025 while freeing up $1 million in cap space for next season. Compare that to incurring a $12.3 million dead money charge and losing $1.6 million in salary cap space to release Smith-Schuster before June 1.”


Smith-Schuster helped the Kansas City Chiefs win the 2023 Super Bowl, but he barely made a dent in New England last season. His modest numbers likely won’t look good to new head coach Jerod Mayo and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf.
Especially since the Pats have loaded up on younger receivers this offseason.

JuJu Smith-Schuster Didn’t Deliver​

He should have been a roving target able to win between the numbers and make life easier for now former quarterback Mac Jones. Instead, Smith-Schuster struggled for playing time and mostly cut a frustrated figure who even clashed with his position coach, franchise legend Troy Brown.
When he did see the field, Smith-Schuster hardly bossed coverage over the middle or amassed yards after the catch. He gained only 93 of his meagre 260 receiving yards after the catch, while failing to break a single tackle, according to Pro Football Reference.
Smith-Schuster was also guilty of a pair of drops. One of which led to this game-deciding interception against the Washington Commanders in Week 9, per Henry McKenna of Fox Sports.


View: https://x.com/henrycmckenna/status/1721274453173174681


In short, the Patriots didn’t even get a shadow of the player Smith-Schuster had been elsewhere. The 27-year-old recently admitted an ongoing knee injury, suffered before he even signed with the Patriots, had hampered his performances.


Unfortunately, time is not on Smith-Schuster’s side as he seeks to make amends. Not when the Pats’ receiver corps has been refreshed.

Patriots Reloading at Wide Receiver​

The Patriots have reloaded Smith-Schuster’s position group via both free agency and the 2024 NFL draft. It’s the latter route that’s yielded the more intriguing possibilities, including a rookie set for a niche role in coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s offense.
Another rookie, fourth-round pick Javon Baker, will also be in the mix for reps. There’s also room for third-year burner Tyquan Thornton, who has a plan to bounce back after a pair of middling seasons.


Thornton can be a big-play threat, but he’s unlikely to take catches away from DeMario Douglas. The latter was a record-setter as a rookie last season and should make life easier for new quarterback, No. 3 pick Drake Maye.
Add in former Minnesota Vikings’ pass-catcher K.J. Osborn, and it’s obvious there isn’t much room for Smith-Schuster. Better the Patriots cut bait and add to their league-leading $44,415,791 worth of cap space.
 
The New England Patriots are coming off of one of their worst seasons in history, finishing tied for the second-worst record in the NFL and earning the third overall pick.

Despite having a ton of money this offseason, New England didn't add many veteran difference-makers. Their biggest moves came through the draft, selecting North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye in the first round and two wideouts (Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker) in the second and fourth rounds respectively.

On top of these moves, the Patriots also swapped out head coach and de facto general manager Bill Belichick for Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf, who are now tasked with running the franchise for the foreseeable future.

With all of that, ESPN doesn't view New England as a contender in the 2024 season. Their Football Power Index (FPI) has them as the second-worst team again, just behind the Carolina Panthers.

The FPI gives the Patriots just a 1% chance of winning the AFC East and only a 2% chance of making the playoffs at all, considering their talent and the hardest schedule in the league in their mind.

According to ESPN, New England also has a 22% chance of securing the top pick in next year's draft and a 66% chance of landing in the top five.

None of these feel far off, even though they are just projections.

The Patriots can be better than they were last year and still end up with the same record or worse just because of who they'll play.

New England should only be worried about developing their young talent and deciding which players should be with the team for the next few years because they're probably not going to be playing any postseason games this season.
 
Chad Ryland kicked at the University of Maryland for just one season. But, one of the team’s mottos still resonates with him: the best is ahead.

Coming off a challenging rookie season for the New England Patriots, where he connected on just 16-of-25 field goal attempts, Ryland knows better things reside in his future.

“The [Terrapins] motto, TBIA: the best is ahead,” he said after practice Wednesday. “I’m certainly looking forward to it. I’m no coward to a challenge and certainly want to continue to grow in my craft and will hopefully grow each year and take each offseason moving forward, through how many years I’m blessed to play, as serious as I did this offseason.”

Ryland’s offseason started with a mental break, in which he took just a few days to flush his mind of football. Then it was quickly back to work, which included diving into his notes and film from last season and spending time out in San Diego training with fellow specialists Bryce Baringer and Joe Cardona.

The work resulted in fundamental adjustments that Ryland will now continue to perfect over the next few months.

“That’s taking it day-by-day,” special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer said. “Every day we’re looking at a new thing like, all right is there something we can tweak here? If there’s nothing there’s nothing. Maybe it’s more about talking him through his approach and just going from mental to physical and things like that.

“So every day is a new day and just kind of figuring out, but again, they’re doing a great job in the process of it.”

Ryland now takes part of spring practices in a kicker competition for his second straight season, as the team signed veteran Joey Slye in free agency shortly before OTA’s began. Closing Wednesday’s practice, Ryland handled kicking duties and knocked in 4-of-5 attempts.

“I think one of the most important things that I learned was that I truly love my craft. Through the struggles of last year I’m not going to hide from that,” Ryland said. “I said it early on last year, like ‘I kick it I own it’ no matter what the circumstances are I have to find a way as the kicker to go and execute and hit the ball straight. And that’s what I’ve really taken upon myself this off season.”

“The kid has always been the hardest worker I’ve probably ever met.” Baringer said of Ryland. “He cares so much. Last year was last year. It’s the new year now and we’re working on the goals for this season. We’re putting that chapter in the back and we’re always gonna look out the windshield, not the rearview.”
 
New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is known for his talent on the football field. With that being said, he’s also a good basketball player.

Former NBA star Baron Davis appeared on Edelman’s podcast “Games with Names” on Tuesday and discussed a famous basketball duel between him and Edelman.

To make the story even more wild, the game was played at Adam Levine’s house. Levine is the lead singer of the band Maroon 5. Davis used to play against Levine in middle school, and Edelman met him at Levine’s house for a fun pickup game.

The former NBA All-Star admitted to being impressed with Edelman’s athletic skills on the basketball court.

“That’s when I first met you,” Davis told Edelman. “I didn’t know what you looked like. Here’s this dude flying up the court, taking off from the free throw line. I’m like, ‘Who is this dude? He gotta be somebody.’ He was like, ‘Man, I’m Julian Edelman.’ I was like, ‘Man, get the [expletive] out of here.'”

The story in itself is wild, as Edelman, Davis and Levine are three megastars in their respective fields.

If anything, this gives credence to the fact that Edelman was way more than just a football player. He was a talented athlete overall in other sports, too.

Impressing Davis is certainly no small feat.
 
LordSensei1958 said:
New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is known for his talent on the football field. With that being said, he’s also a good basketball player.

Former NBA star Baron Davis appeared on Edelman’s podcast “Games with Names” on Tuesday and discussed a famous basketball duel between him and Edelman.

To make the story even more wild, the game was played at Adam Levine’s house. Levine is the lead singer of the band Maroon 5. Davis used to play against Levine in middle school, and Edelman met him at Levine’s house for a fun pickup game.

The former NBA All-Star admitted to being impressed with Edelman’s athletic skills on the basketball court.

“That’s when I first met you,” Davis told Edelman. “I didn’t know what you looked like. Here’s this dude flying up the court, taking off from the free throw line. I’m like, ‘Who is this dude? He gotta be somebody.’ He was like, ‘Man, I’m Julian Edelman.’ I was like, ‘Man, get the [expletive] out of here.'”

The story in itself is wild, as Edelman, Davis and Levine are three megastars in their respective fields.

If anything, this gives credence to the fact that Edelman was way more than just a football player. He was a talented athlete overall in other sports, too.

Impressing Davis is certainly no small feat.
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Baron Davis was a baller. Went to many UCLA games to watch him play. My friend had court side season tickets and the entire stadium would be rumbling due to people relentlessly jumping up and down. College basketball fans are something else.
 
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