NFL Notebook: With Sherman and Talib gone, can Patriots still corner the market this offseason?

In this week’s edition of the NFL Notebook, we look at what might keep Nate Solder in New England, hear more thoughts from Brandon Browner about Bill Belichick’s decision in the Super Bowl, and understand why this could be a big week for the Patriots if they’re going to be in the mix for a mid-level quarterback in this year’s draft. But first, in the wake of the 1-2 punch that saw Aqib Talib dealt to Los Angeles and Richard Sherman sign with San Francisco, we wonder where that leaves New England at corner with free agency just around the corner.

1. So there will be no marquee free-agent acquisition at cornerback this offseason for the Patriots (unless there is a surprise name released). Late Saturday, Richard Sherman signed with the Niners — a comfortable move for the veteran on a number of levels, something he hinted he was looking for late in the  week. And on the heels of Aqib Talib being traded to the Rams, that leaves New England without a potential big-ticket item when it comes to cornerback.

So where do the Patriots go from here? There’s always the possibility of a trade, but while you never say never when it comes to New England, it seems unlikely an elite cover corner is going to shake loose this spring. So if you can’t build at one end of the defense, make sure you’re well-stocked at the other end. The Patriots should continue to build their front seven throughout the offseason, adding much-needed linebacker depth and the occasional defensive lineman. They did that Saturday with Danny Shelton, a beast of a presence who will be paired with Malcom Brown. And they reportedly tried to make it work with Michael Bennett before Seattle up and traded him to Philadelphia for the equivalent of a bag of magic beans (Bedard said it didn't happen).

One thing that is likely: cornerback has probably moved past defensive line (but not linebacker), at least when it comes to New England’s overall draft priorities. The Patriots will add depth at corner come draft weekend, and augment the position with a mid-tier corner or two in free agency. As we’ve seen on numerous occasions, New England has been adaptable when it comes to the team-building process. If you can't add a high-level corner, look to add a potential player of impact at another defensive position. Look for the Pats to do the same thing this time around.

2. When it comes to Nate Solder and free agency, I believe if the Patriots manage to make the dollars competitive, the veteran will have a hard time walking away from New England.

OK, I can be guilty of being naive when it comes to this sort of thing. But I had the chance to speak with Solder on several occasions last year, and while he strikes me as a smart and practical guy, he also knows just how good he has it here in New England for several reasons, including the comfort level he enjoys in the locker room. The best example? In the midst of the push to see him win the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award at the end of the 2017 season, his teammates turned out in droves to support him. The voting was done on social media, and the support he received was unlike I’ve ever seen when it came to that locker room. The wave after wave of Tweets and posts from Solder’s teammates illustrated the level of affection the rest of the team had for the big left tackle. I asked him about that bond late in the season, and after taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he replied.

“Really, I have a feeling that this group of guys, they all have heart for each other, for causes that are outside of football,” explained Solder. “We all kind of support each other. So if someone has a cause or something, we’re all jumping on that with them, because we all kind of feel the same way. That makes for a unique group of people that really care about things beyond the sidelines. That’s really special.”

Let me be clear — Solder isn’t going to re-sign with the Patriots just because so many of his teammates think he’s a good guy. But the deep bond he’s established within the community for a variety of reasons is something that transcends football. And it’s the sort of thing that could come into play if all things are relatively equal when the rubber hits the road in free agency.



3. Brandon Browner never holds back, and in the wake of Belichick's decision to bench Malcolm Butler in Super Bowl LII, he was very vocal on social media, calling out his old coach for his decision. This week, in his debut podcast “Brandon Browner Unplugged,” the defensive back — who spent the 2014 season with the Patriots -- expanded on his decision to hammer Belichick for the move.

“To me, they took their best cornerback out of the game,” said Browner, talking with his co-host Miko Grimes, the wife of Bucs corner Brent Grimes. “If they had won the game, (we) would have been talking about how (Tom) Brady played the best game in Super Bowl history. He threw for 500-something yards. But it was a bullheaded move by Bill Belichick. A boneheaded move. I happened to be one of the ones to speak up. I shined a light on what it was. That’s my homeboy. I (saw) him tear up in pregame, and I was trying to figure out what that was. I was like, ‘Damn, he never cried for the national anthem.’ They didn’t put him the game, and I knew what time it was. I was in that locker room — they go man-to-man matchups. In my eyes, it felt like they thought (Eric) Rowe was a six-footer (so) they could put him on Alshon Jeffery, and that could be the excuse.”

Grimes, who acknowledged the Patriots’ business model works because of the five Super Bowl wins, also related a story from the Pro Bowl “a couple of years ago” where Butler approached her husband for some professional advice. “Brent was like, ‘The one thing I can tell you is that the Patriots are always going to make a decision for them. You’re never going to win.’ He told him that, ‘Be prepared for that,’" Miko Grimes recalled. "(Butler) said, ‘Yeah, but I’m balling. They’re going to have to do this. They’re going to have to do that.’ And Brent was like, ‘They don’t have to do anything.'"

4. With the draft roughly six weeks away, we’re going to be including some Patriots’ draft nuggets between now and the big weekend. Our first this week looks at how many picks the Patriots have had in the top 10 since 2000: two. Defensive lineman Richard Seymour was No. 6 overall in 2001 and linebacker Jerod Mayo was selected 10th overall in 2008. Only three teams (the Broncos, Steelers and Colts) have had fewer top 10 picks in that time. For what it’s worth, the Packers, Saints, Giants, Seahawks and Eagles have all had three picks in the top 10 since 2000. On the other end of the spectrum, the Browns and Lions have each picked in the top 10 10 times, while the Jaguars have done it a whopping 13 times.

5. Interesting Pro Day slate this week from a Patriots’ perspective, especially if you believe New England is in the market for a mid-range quarterback like Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta or Toledo’s Logan Woodside. The guess? We’ll see Belichick show up at a few of these spots.

Monday: Arizona, Illinois, William & Mary.
Tuesday: Kansas State, Northwestern, Richmond, Tulsa, Vanderbilt.
Wednesday: Arizona State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin.
Thursday: Clemson, Oklahoma State, Oregon. UCLA, Virgina.
Friday: Georgia Tech, Oregon State.
Saturday: Bowling Green, Delaware, Fresno State, N.C. State, Penn, Syracuse, Tennessee, Toledo.

6. Patriots cornerback Johnson Bademosi is one of a handful of NFL players who are part of “American Football Without Barriers” group that’s touring Europe. Bademosi and the rest of the crew — which includes Marshawn Lynch, Marcus Peters, Jabaal Sheard and others — are holding football camps this weekend in Portugal. ("Beast Mode Abroad" is a fascinating concept.) A source says Bademosi is interested in returning to New England — we should know more about where he’ll be playing come 2018 this week.



7. It was announced this week that the 1987 replacement Redskins will be acknowledged with Super Bowl rings, and my guess is one member of the Patriots’ roster is pretty psyched about it: Steady Teddy Karras. The father of the offensive lineman — Ted Karras Jr. — was part of the Washington roster as a replacement player 30 seasons ago. He was a defensive lineman out of Northwestern who played one game and had a single sack, but will be in line to get his ring next season.

8. Good to see former Patriots defensive back Steve Gregory land with the Lions this past week as a defensive assistant. Gregory, who was with New England in 2012 and '13, is best known as the guy who scooped up the buttfumble and ran for a touchdown, but he had a good career as a complementary piece of the New England secondary in his two seasons with the Patriots. Gregory, who played eight years in the league — six with the Chargers and two with the Patriots — joins ex-Patriots like Bob Quinn, Matt Patricia and others in Detroit.

9. Have to imagine that one of the guys who was happiest to hear about the Jarvis Landry trade to Cleveland was Belichick. Via this NFL Films clip, it was clear the level of respect he had for Landry prior to and during last year’s Miami-New England game in Foxborough. In eight career contests against the Patriots, Landry has 55 catches for 569 yards and three touchdowns, an average of almost 7 catches and 71 yards per game.