Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your day:
--Welcome to Day Two of NFL free agency. You're going to want to follow along over on our Live Coverage page, which is up and running. We had Wednesday's up around noon, and it became a great gathering place for BSJ subscribers to ask questions, kick around some free-agent thoughts and just generally pass the afternoon talking football.
--When it comes to the Patriots and their own guys, I know they're still having conversations with a number of them. By our count, Matthew Slater, Marquis Flowers, James Harrison, Cameron Fleming, LaAdrian Waddle and Johnson Bademosi are all still in the mix when it comes to a potential return to Foxborough. My belief is that at least half of those six end up returning to the Patriots, with Slater being a slam dunk.
--The return of Rex Burkhead is a good thing if you're the Patriots, but two immediate thoughts: one, the guy has to stay healthy. If he can stay healthy, he can replicate at least some of the production you lose with the departure of Dion Lewis. And two, this doesn't preclude them from taking another back (or two) in the draft. Look for them to go after one before the end of the second day of draft weekend.
--Not sure if I completely get where Tyrann Mathieu is coming from. He refused to take a pay cut in Arizona, so he hit the open market Now, he's saying that money isn't important, and he just wants to go somewhere where it's about winning and not dollars. “It’s not all about money for me,” he said. “I want to go somewhere where I can be completely immersed in football, and it’s not too much about anything but winning. I want to be a part of winning culture, where you feel that all the time. That’s all I want.” If that's truly the case, it makes me wonder about the possibility of the Patriots reaching out. He's a safety, but at the end of the day, if money really isn't an issue, his versatility as a defensive back and toughness (combined with his comment about embracing a certain sort of culture) would almost certainly appeal to New England.
--Sometimes, it doesn't take a lot to connect the dots when it comes to free agency.
Lions visiting with four veteran RBs this week — two down, two to go. Frank Gore will visit Thursday, LeGarrette Blount on Friday, per source. DeMarco Murray and Jonathan Stewart already visited. Lions going through process with each.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2018
No better time to sign a deal with @nyjets then waiting on some @ChickfilA
Photocred: Aiden McCown pic.twitter.com/fy6aNOgQpE
— Josh McCown (@JoshMcCown12) March 14, 2018