Lord Chevy
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Lord Chevy
That's pretty impressive.. I know he tore the ACL in week 8 against the Colts but i couldn't find a surgery date. I have to assume it was relatively quick and clean going by his recovery. It's been said he's a hard worker who cares a lot, and that's why he's had so called "issues", that stemmed from frustrations of losing.. I don't mind that, you need someone on the team with some fire.
Edelman will win the fan vote easily. He is obvious choice to be in the HOF.
Vinatieri will be in next year if he doesn't win this time. He is an obvious choice as well.
Mankins doesn't need to be in the Patriots HOF. Ever.
TheRainMaker
Well-known member
I think we're getting the Bledsoe 90's for 2 games and the Pat Patriot for the other two games. I really hope we get a surprise before the draft because I can't stand looking at those uniforms. I hated the change in 2000, but tolerated after a while. The current uniforms in 2020 crossed the line.
Your Patriots HOF Finalists for 2025:
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Patriots have opportunity to draft protection for Drake Maye
View: https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/44622047
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Mike ReissApr 13, 2025, 06:00 AM ET
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. OL support for Maye: The Patriots stand out from most other teams in the NFL when it comes to offensive line coaches. They have taken the unconventional approach of having three -- Doug Marrone leading the way, aided by experienced assistants Jason Houghtaling and Robert Kugler.
Most teams have two, with any additional support coming from an entry level quality-control assistant.
Coach Mike Vrabel shared why he's adopted the unconventional approach, which includes the option to break into smaller groups in the spring to aid in player development, and the hope of more efficient time management by dividing responsibilities (e.g. pressure, third down, run game diagrams, etc.), which in turn hopefully leads to a well-rested, energetic staff.
One could also say that it all comes back to one of the Patriots' top goals this offseason: Putting quarterback Drake Maye in the best position to succeed.
The Patriots allowed pressure on a league-worst 39.4% of their dropbacks last season, according to ESPN Research. They ranked 31st in pass block win rate, one year after finishing 32nd.
Devoting more coaching resources to the offensive line is one decisive way to attempt to reverse the trend and bring out the best in Maye. So, too, would using premium draft picks to address what has been a trouble spot for the Patriots in back-to-back 4-13 seasons, with the top need at left tackle and potentially guard and center.
The Patriots enter the 2025 NFL draft (April 24-26) with nine selections, and the question seems to be less if they select at least one offensive lineman for a 12th year in a row, but more when they do it.
It could come as early as No. 4, with ESPN's draft simulator widely anticipating that no linemen will be selected 1-3. LSU's Will Campbell, who took a predraft visit to Gillette Stadium, projects as the most likely option in that scenario. He is viewed by some rival coaches and executives as a Vrabel-type player because of his toughness and high-end intangibles, with the only question if he fits better as a tackle (which he played exclusively in college) or guard (where some project him due to his 33-inch arm length as measured at LSU's pro day).
The Patriots also have high picks in the second round (38) and third round (69, 77). Just as they have loaded up with OL coaches, it would hardly be a surprise if they double- or triple-dip in the draft along the offensive line.
Specific to left tackle, Vrabel said, "There's a lot of guys in the draft that we like at a lot of different levels."
But draft analysts caution that the top starting-caliber tackle options -- Campbell, Texas' Kelvin Banks Jr., Missouri's Armand Membou and Oregon's Josh Conerly Jr. -- will be long gone by the 38th pick.
It all sets up one of the more compelling draft-based questions for the Patriots: In their quest to support Maye, how do they best strategize to bolster the offensive line?
2. Vinatieri reax: Retired kicker Adam Vinatieri (1996-2005) was named one of the finalists for induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, along with receiver Julian Edelman (first year of eligibility) and offensive lineman Logan Mankins (third-year finalist in his third year). Fan voting continues through April.
"I was very honored, obviously," Vinatieri said. "Lots of great players have come and gone through the Patriots organization. Dynasties were built and rebuilt. Just being recognized as one of the guys who helped lay down the foundation for the years to come is a surreal thing for me."
Vinatieri, 52, is enjoying retirement, which includes coaching his youngest son Gabe, who is a highly touted high school football and baseball player in Indianapolis. In an interview with ESPN, he kicked around the following topics:
- Recollections of his 45-yard "Snow Bowl" kick against the Raiders on Jan. 19, 2002, which Bill Belichick has called the best he's ever seen: "Anytime you're in a playoff game, down three points and having to make a kick to extend the game, it is pressure-packed in itself. Then with the blizzard we were having at the time, put it all together ... it came down to 'You're going to have to make the most difficult kick you've ever tried in your life.' You're not going to get great footing. I remember thinking 'Shorten your steps up a little bit, try to stay light-footed approaching the ball,' knowing that get-off time wasn't going to be as big of a deal because they couldn't rush as fast either. It was more 'don't fall down, get the ball above the line of scrimmage, get it on line and then hope and pray for the couple seconds it takes to get there that you hit it straight and has enough distance.' Honestly, I didn't really know until the referees in the end zone, who you couldn't really see, stepped forward and raised their hands."
- Two game-winning kicks in Super Bowls (48, 41 yards): "Those last couple of seconds, it almost felt like it was slow-mo and everything went away, all the crowd noise. ... You work your entire life for a moment like that. When it happens, and you get to celebrate with all the guys that you fought all season long with, what a wonderful feeling. To this day, I feel like the guys on those teams that we won championships with -- they are as much my brothers as my siblings' blood brothers are. One of the greatest memories of my life."
- His departure as a free agent in 2006: "Mr. [Robert] Kraft and I had a wonderful conversation last year when I came back [for a game] and cleared the [air] on how it all happened. He thought that I just wanted to find a new place. That was absolutely not the situation. I had 10 years with New England and was never a free agent. After the 10th year, when I became a free agent, I didn't want to leave. I just wanted a fair deal. Negotiations took a different way, and that's different people's philosophies on how they manage the team, or whatever ... but I loved all my time there. To the day I die, there's a huge spot in my heart for the organization and the people in New England. No hard feelings at all, for sure."
"Just upbeat. He wants everyone excited when they come to work. He's big on energy," said recently signed linebacker Harold Landry III, who knows it well from playing under Vrabel in Tennessee (2018-2023).
View: https://x.com/MikeReiss/status/1910373758117740868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1910373758117740868%7Ctwgr%5E70693cfcc27a137380c0e245ee9a511a09b69683%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fboston%2F
4. No trade winds? Vrabel is scheduled to answer questions Tuesday in a predraft news conference, taking a leading role as he works alongside executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and his staff.
On Thursday, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht held his predraft news conference and shared his belief that there could be fewer teams willing to trade up this year and offer an enticing enough package to do so "because the draft is pretty leveled out at a certain point, so you might be able to get the same level of player in the second round as the fourth round at certain positions."
If that's the way it unfolds, the Patriots might be disappointed if they are hoping for a solid trade-down scenario at No. 4.
5. Carter's visit: The Patriots' scheduled visit with Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter on Sunday night into Monday -- which follows Carter's visit with the Giants -- highlights how New England is preparing in the event Carter is still on the board at No. 4 (assuming, of course, they aren't thinking of trading up). ESPN's draft simulator gives Carter a 31% chance to be there at 4.
Outside linebackers coach Mike Smith said he was looking forward to learning more about how Carter approaches the mental side of football. Meanwhile, at the combine in February, Carter had positive things to say about meeting Vrabel, noting how serious, straightforward and upfront he was, which Carter said is an approach he appreciates.
View: https://x.com/MikeReiss/status/1910303714901950733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1910303714901950733%7Ctwgr%5E70693cfcc27a137380c0e245ee9a511a09b69683%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fboston%2F
6. Schedule release: The Patriots' 2025 opponents are determined, meaning the only thing remaining is to find out when those games will be played. NFL vice president of broadcast planning and scheduling Mike North told the "It's Always Gameday in Buffalo" podcast that "somewhere in the May 13, 14, or 15 range is probably still our target" for the official release.
7. Bradbury-Maye connection: The Patriots hope Maye and center Garrett Bradbury develop as quick of a rapport on the field as they have off it. Bradbury's brother-in-law, current Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Jackson Kowar, was teammates/best friends with Maye's brother Cole on the University of Florida baseball team.
So when Bradbury was released by the Vikings, he said both of them enticed him to go New England. Bradbury said he and Maye have already engaged in some high-level competitive table tennis matches, with plans to golf together in the coming months.
8. Diggs' number: Receiver Stefon Diggs wore No. 1 at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, in college at Maryland, and last season with the Texans. And he was No. 14 at Minnesota and Buffalo.
Those numbers are taken in New England (receiver Ja'Lynn Polk is 1 and linebacker Robert Spillane 14), so Diggs is going with 8, which he noted (via Instagram) symbolizes new beginnings in the Bible.
9. Parcells' influence: Vinatieri got his start in the NFL because of then-Patriots head coach Bill Parcells in 1996, and now he could join him as this year's inductees into the team's Hall of Fame after Kraft used his authority to enshrine Parcells as a contributor.
Vinatieri credits Parcells for helping him grow into the kicker he became, adding: "The team we had when [Bill] Belichick got here [in 2000] was very much developed by Coach Parcells. One thing about Coach Parcells that I really admire is he always found those veteran guys, the leaders, the good locker-room guys; and even if they were maybe a few years past their prime, he kept them there to make sure guys were doing the right stuff. I felt like I learned a lot from some of the older vets."
10. Did you know? Since 2016, only DeAndre Hopkins (67) has more career catches within 2 yards of the sideline than Diggs (56), according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Furthermore, Diggs' 11 receiving touchdowns on those targets is tied with Amari Cooper for the NFL lead. As a team in 2024, the Patriots had four catches for 59 yards on passing plays within two yards of the sideline.
