NFL Notebook: Per source, 'reasonable chance' James Harrison back with Patriots

Taking a weekend trip around the NFL with a focus on the Patriots…


1. It’s early in the team-building process, but according to a source close to James Harrison, there’s a “reasonable chance” he could play for the Patriots in 2018. The former Defensive Player of the Year, who was acquired in December after he was cut loose by the Steelers, played one regular season and three playoff games for the Patriots last year at the age of 39. The 6-foot, 242-pounder, who is scheduled to become a free agent next month, said in the days leading up to the Super Bowl he wanted to continue playing until “maybe (the age of) 41.”

2. The day after Super Bowl LI, Bill Belichick said the most Belichick thing ever, acknowledging that while the win and title were all nice, the fact was they were chasing 30 other teams when it came to getting a jump on the next season. This year, the same thing is true for New England, except without the satisfaction of winning a title. So now that the coaching staff for 2018 appears to be in place, what’s the next step in the offseason for the Patriots? At this point — other than some rest and recharging — the primary focus at this time of year is bringing together the scouts and coaches to try and start on a pre-draft game plan. Those meetings are likely to take place some time in the next week-plus, so everyone is on the same page when the combine rolls around at the end of February. A sizable portion of that involves some serious self-scouting, an occasionally sobering process that involves looking at the positives and negatives of your team and where it has to improve.

3. On the heels of this piece from Greg earlier in the week that looked at some possible free-agent additions for the New England defense, I’d like to add my two cents on the idea of Julius Peppers: I think it’d be fantastic. We’ve written several times before that the Patriots seem to annually take a flier on a defensive veteran late in their career, usually a defensive lineman or an edge defender. This past season was Harrison. In year’s past, that group has included Andre Carter, Tommy Kelly, Ted Washington, Keith Traylor, Shaun Ellis and Albert Haynesworth. Peppers apparently tried to make it happen in 2009, as the Patriots were reportedly one of the teams on a four-team wish list, but for whatever reason, it didn’t work out. He’s not nearly the terrifying defensive presence he used to be, but used judiciously, he could be an intriguing puzzle piece for New England.

4. Offensive lineman Andrew Jelks is one of the great roster unknowns for the Patriots. The 6-foot-6, 307-pounder out of Vandy, who was signed as a rookie free agent last May, did not play football his last two years as a collegian because of knee issues. While the tackle did practice for a spell in November with New England, he remained sidelined for the rest of the 2017 season. A league source said this week that Jelks should be “a full go and have a chance to contribute” in 2018, which might have an impact on the Patriots’ team-building approach this offseason. There’s some uncertainty for the Patriots offensive line this offseason — left tackle Nate Solder is a free agent, while Marcus Cannon is trying to come back from an ankle injury that limited him to seven games in 2017. In addition to the rest of the current group, the Patriots have a trio of young offensive linemen who are all relative unknowns at the NFL level, a group that includes Jelks, Cole Croston (who was on the 53-man roster all year but took 13 healthy scratches) and last year’s third-round pick Antonio Garcia (a college tackle who spent the whole year out because of a reported illness that caused him to lose 40 pounds). Could they contribute at all in 2018? Based on the foundation they built in 2017, there’s a chance. But the biggest takeaway here is that New England is following a blueprint it established with other offensive line prospects in the past. The Patriots have played the long game with offensive linemen they believe might be able to help them out down the road: Stephen Neal was a college wrestler who was signed in 2001, but didn’t crack the starting lineup until 2004. Ryan Wendell took two years to go from practice squander to starter. Not saying that Jelks, Croston or Garcia will have the same sort of career arc. It’s only to suggest that the Patriots don’t mind waiting for an offensive line prospect to develop if they believe that move will pay dividends down the road.

5. The decision that left A.J. McCarron an unrestricted free agent this past week will have an undeniable effect on the offseason quarterback market. The truth of the matter is if he plays his cards right, he could end up making more than Cincy starter Andy Dalton. As to how it all impacts New England, the feeling here is it likely frees up another team from going after a quarterback in the draft or free agency. Basically, if the Patriots are going to be in the market for another signal-caller this year as a backup for Tom Brady, the inclusion of McCarron increases the likelihood of it being a buyer’s market. Not dramatically, of course, but if you’re New England, every little bit helps.

6. While it’s a safe bet the Patriots’ coaches have already gone through the Super Bowl film, I’m always interested in how the players approach having to rewatch such a high-profile loss. In the months after New England’s Super Bowl XLVI loss to the Giants, special teams captain Matthew Slater said he had yet to watch the game because it was too painful. I asked Falcons coach Dan Quinn last spring about what Slater said, and he said his players were going in the opposite direction, asking to watch the game. That gave birth to their “Embrace the Suck” philosophy from last year. “I was of the mindset that you have to watch it,” Quinn said. “It doesn’t mean that you ever get past it. But you get past it if you know what I mean in that, OK, you have the lessons and it sucked, and now, you’re on to the next thing. But you have to make sure — in my opinion — that you do understand where you can grow stronger. That’s the way (we) went about it.” One important thing worth noting: the Falcons faced the Patriots last year, and so there was immediate value in a rewatch, if only from a practical perspective. Given the fact that the Patriots don’t play the Eagles in 2018, going back to watch the game again means there might not be any real value in self-flagellation, at least from a players’ perspective.

7. The 2018 Patriots will undoubtedly play a role in helping make or break one of the stranger statistical quirks in recent memory: 14 times in the last 15 seasons, an NFL team has gone from worst in their division one year to a division title the following season. The Eagles turned the trick in 2017, going from last place in the NFC East to a division crown. In 2018, New England will play the Jets, Texans and Bears, three teams who finished in last place in their (respective) divisions in 2017. Our pick to keep the streak alive this year? Houston. Provided Deshaun Watson and J.J. Watt are healthy again, they have an excellent shot at making it to the top of the AFC South one year after its 4-12 last-place finish in the AFC South. (For the record, the complete list of the eight last-place finishers is as follows: New York Jets, Houston, Cleveland, Denver, New York Giants, Tampa Bay, Chicago, and San Francisco.)

8. Quick reminder: We’ve been breaking down the 2017 Patriots by position. This past week, we took a look at the offense: Quarterback, tight end, running back, wide receivers and offensive line. This coming week, it’ll be defensive line, linebackers, secondary and special teams.