Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your day:
--Big day on the NFL calendar: Starting at noon Monday and running through 3:59 p.m. on Wednesday, teams are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents. On its face, I think the legal tampering period is one of the strangest things in all of sports -- if we're going to do this, why not just open up free agency two days early? -- but I get it. The NFL gets another couple of days as buildup to the real frenzy that starts Wednesday afternoon.
--It's important to note that it's not the Wild West out there, at least for a couple of days. The player himself is not permitted to visit with a team other than his current team, and can't be in contact with a team that is not still their own. Only the agent can serve as the rep for the player when it comes to reaching out to a potential new suitor. Strangely, this rule also limits players who act as their own rep -- the NFL does not allow free agents themselves communication with another team before the start of the new league year.
--Locally, this means that the Patriots can go out and start making handshake deals that can ultimately be executed on Wednesday at 4 p.m. -- the start of the new league year. Conversely, any other team can take a run at any one of the players on New England's roster who can become a UFA, a group that includes Nate Solder, Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead.
--Things can move really fast during legal tampering and the run up to the start of free agency, but a good team uses this stretch to put a framework in place for when it all starts Wednesday. The best local example came in 2013 when the Patriots were in the process of moving from Wes Welker to Danny Amendola. They were looking to re-sign Welker at the start of free agency, but during the legal tampering period, they were also exploring the possibility of Amendola as a backup plan. We all know what happened -- Welker didn't sign with New England the start of free agency and ultimately ended up in Denver. The Pats went with Amendola instead. The groundwork for that move was laid during the legal tampering period.
--Happy 28th Birthday, Dont'a Hightower. (Remember when the Jets tried to win his heart with cupcakes?) My gift suggestion? Good health in the new year, and a peerless coverage linebacker to work alongside him. How about someone like Nigel Bradham, who had 13 passes defensed the last two seasons with Philly and can be legally tampered with come Monday afternoon? Just a thought.
--The final episode of "Tom vs. Time" is set to debut on Facebook Monday. The quarterback is set to go on "Good Morning America" and "Late Show with Stephen Colbert" to promote it.
Now, on to the links...
1. My NFL Notebook opens with a look at where the Patriots go after losing out on both Richard Sherman and Aqib Talib. There's also talk about what might keep Nate Solder in New England, more thoughts from Brandon Browner about Bill Belichick’s decision in the Super Bowl, and the reasons 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.
2. A deep dive on what Danny Shelton might bring to New England's defensive line. I watched just about half of the snaps he took last year with the Browns, and have some very definition opinions about what he can and can't do.
3. Our pal Bob McGinn has a two-part draft breakdown. Part I is here, and Part II is here.
4. Miguel has a look at the salary cap ramifications of the Shelton pickup.
5. Greg had a terrific Friday afternoon Q&A. Good stuff in here.
Extra Point(s):
— . (@hazard010_) March 11, 2018