NFL Notebook: 2018 Patriots will start to come into sharper focus over next three weeks

In this week's NFL Notebook, we'll look at the two big questions about the Patriots' offensive line heading into the draft, the comings and goings in free agency in the AFC East, and why I voted the way I did for the Patriots' Hall of Fame. But first, why these next few weeks are going to be so important when it comes to the evolution of the 2018 roster.


1. We'll get some clarity on some questions involving the 2018 Patriots over the next two to three weeks. It'll start on Friday morning, when we get a chance to talk with Bill Belichick as part of his pre-draft press conference. While the coach will almost certainly be guarded in his tone, the simple fact that he’s even holding a pre-draft press conference (personnel chief Nick Caserio has handled those duties the last several years) is noteworthy in and of itself. One week from Monday — Patriots’ Day (coincidence?) — the offseason workout program begins, which means players will start to return to Foxborough for a more regimented series of workouts than what they might have been doing on their own to this point in the offseason. While it won’t be a definitive statement on plans for 2018 and beyond, his attendance could give us more insight into whether or not Rob Gronkowski is truly on board for this season. And from that point on, with the rest of the players back in the area, there should be a steady stream of media availabilities leading up to the draft from April 26-28, where the next big team-building event will take place. (This doesn’t even begin to take into account the fact that the preseason and regular-season schedules will likely be released in this window — or shortly after it — as well.) As of this weekend, we are just over two-plus months removed from Super Bowl LII. The draft represents the approximate midway point of the NFL offseason. Given what’s transpired to this point, it hardly seems like much of an offseason at all, but the first real steps in the journey back to football will be taken in earnest over the next few weeks.

2. This is something that came up in the comments of one of our stories this week on the Patriots and their expected draft approach this time around. The idea of them taking an offensive tackle in the first round was described as “reactionary,” something New England doesn’t usually do. The conversation went back and forth a bit, but the ultimate takeaway for me was that this year’s draft boils down to a couple of fundamental questions regarding the offensive line and the left tackle spot in particular: How do the Patriots feel about Tony Garcia? And to a lesser extent, LaAdrian Waddle? There are other possibilities on the roster right now, but Waddle likely sits at the top of the left tackle depth chart right now, and if Garcia is healthy, he’s probably right behind him. Basically, if they don’t chase an elite left tackle in the early going (Kolton Miller is one name that comes to mind), it could be a litmus test on how they see Garcia’s health and/or Waddle’s skills. It’s going to be fascinating to see how it all shakes out. Maybe it’s just the pre-draft over-analysis starting to fuzz my brain, but it was the sort of thing that’ll be worth keeping in mind come draft weekend.

3. One thing I do know is that I’m going to be interested to watch the Garcia and Waddle relationship continue to evolve over the course of this coming season. At one point late last year, reporters spotted Waddle going over the playbook with Garcia in the locker room, the veteran teaching the youngster some specifics. It's just one example of Waddle's understated leadership skills. We probably don’t talk about this enough, but Waddle has done a good job carving out a niche as a positive veteran voice in the locker room. If he ends up being the starting left tackle when the season opens, that voice of reason could grow louder. And that will be a good thing for New England’s younger offensive linemen who might be looking for a mentor/leader.

4. Talked a bit about my votes for the Patriots Hall of Fame this week, but wanted to go a little more in-depth here. (For a refresher on how the whole process works, click here.) I can tell you I voted for Rodney Harrison, Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour. Let me tell you why:

Harrison: I’m a Rodney apologist. I make no bones about that. During the nomination process, I said he was a transformative presence for a team at a tough time, and I firmly believe that to be the case. He was a tone-setter, a tough, battle-tested presence who became emblematic of the New England defense in 2003 and 2004. Of the names who were up for nomination this year, he -- more than anyone else -- personified what it meant to be a Patriot.



Vrabel: A close second. I’m not sure there was much exit polling going on, but I still believe Vrabel would have landed a spot in the Hall two years ago if Kevin Faulk hadn’t arrived at the draft wearing a Tom Brady jersey. (And I was a huge fan of Faulk.) But for everything Vrabel did on both sides of the ball for the eight years he was in New England, he deserves a spot in the Patriots’ Hall of Fame

Seymour: Deserves to be a part of the conversation. It didn’t end well for him here, but he was so vital in so many ways for the New England defense from 2001 through 2008. The Patriots positioned him at multiple spots along the defensive line, and he responded time and again, carving out a legacy of toughness and strength while helping the team win three Super Bowls. When he was right, he was absolutely dominant.

(For the record, I’ve voted in the past for the likes of Leon Gray, and would do so again in a heartbeat. But as Tom E. Curran mentioned here, there’s a logjam that’s developing. While it’s a good thing in some respects — it means it’s very tough to get in — it’s created a dicey situation for some of the individuals who played for or coached the team in the 1970s and 80s who might deserve a spot. I can also tell you many other names were discussed, including Gray, Matt Light and others. The nominees will be announced on April 18.)

5. With free agency pretty much wrapped up, here’s a quick refresher as to what happened in the AFC East:

Patriots
Re-signed: RB Rex Burkhead, ST Matthew Slater, OT LaAdrian Waddle
Arrivals: DE Adrian Clayborn, RB Jeremy Hill, WR Jordan Matthews, CB Jason McCourty, OL Matt Tobin, WR Cordarrelle Patterson
Departures: WR Danny Amendola, WR Brandin Cooks, CB/ST Johnson Bademosi, CB Malcolm Butler, OT Cameron Fleming, RB Dion Lewis, OT Nate Solder
Unsigned: OLB James Harrison, DL Ricky Jean Francois, LB Shea McClellin

Bills
Re-signed: RB Travaris Cadet, LB Ramon Humber, RB Taiwan Jones, DT Kyle Williams
Arrivals: C Russell Bodine, DB Rafael Bush, WR Kaelin Clay, CB Vontae Davis, CB Phillip Gaines, RB Chris Ivory, DT Star Lotulelei, QB A.J. McCarron, LB Trent Murphy, OT Marshall Newhouse
Departures: LB Preston Brown, CB E.J. Gaines, OT Seantrel Henderson, WR Jordan Matthews, WR Deonte Thompson, CB Shareece Wright
Unsigned: DB Leonard Johnson, DB Shamarko Thomas, DT Cedric Thornton, FB Mike Tolbert

Dolphins
Re-signed: FS Walt Aikens, LS John Denney, QB David Fales, DE Williams Hayes
Arrivals: WR Danny Amendola, RB Frank Gore, QB Brock Osweiler, OG Josh Sitton, WR Albert Wilson
Departures: OG Jermon Bushrod, LB Neville Hewitt, K Cody Parkey, C Mike Pouncey, DT Ndamukong Suh, SS Michael Thomas, RB Damien Williams
Unsigned: SS Nate Allen, QB Jay Cutler, TE Anthony Fasano, WR Jarvis Landry, QB Matt Moore, OG Anthony Steen, TE Julius Thomas, OLB Lawrence Timmons, DB Alterraun Verner

Jets
Re-signed: DB Terrence Brooks, CB Mo Claiborne, OT Ben Ijalana, QB Josh McCown, LB Julian Stanford
Arrivals: QB Teddy Bridgewater, DE Brandon Copeland, RB Isaiah Crowell, LB Neville Hewitt, CB Trumaine Johnson, C Spencer Long, WR Terrelle Pryor, RB Thomas Rawls, K Cairo Santos, C Travis Swanson, LB Avery Williamson
Departures: K Chandler Catanzaro, LB Demario Davis, DE Kony Ealy, C Wesley Johnson, TE Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, DE Muhammad Wilkerson
Unsigned: Bruce Carter

6. Loved hearing this interview former Patriots defensive end Chris Long did with Ryan Russillo earlier this week where he was asked what it was like winning in Philly vs. winning in New England. “Every fan that comes up to me from the cities asks me, ‘Which one’s better?’ Well, I’m not going to say which one’s better,” Long said. “The two cities, the difference is obviously one has been used to this perpetual winning championship machine. So going to Philly and feeling that kind of excitement in the city, that’s hard to beat. It wasn’t their fifth or sixth or however many it’s been in New England. That’s a machine. You’re joining a machine and you play your part and you love it.” A lot of other good stuff in there as well, including his thoughts on playing for Belichick.



7. We’ve talked multiple times this offseason about quarterbacks wanting to mimic Brady and his approach to the game on and off the field, and it came up again this week when it came to Philly’s Carson Wentz. The Eagles are pushing Wentz to try and be smarter when it comes to preserving his body in the same way that Brady has done. His former offensive coordinator Frank Reich told him that he needs to develop better instincts when it comes to that sort of thing, but Reich said that “it definitely went in one ear and out the other early on.” His head coach Doug Pederson said that even though Reich is gone, he’s going to continue to hammer the point with Wentz in hopes of avoiding the same injury that left him on the shelf last season. "I'm going to sit down and talk to him," Pederson told reporters. "Longevity's everything in this business. Learn from the best. Learn from Tom Brady, who got hurt early in his career. And learn from guys that have done that and yet still went on to have great careers and long careers."

8. With the recent run of trades the Patriots have made this offseason — and to follow up on this post that examined the possibility of some upcoming draft weekend deals on the part of Belchick — here’s an updated look at New England’s favorite trade partners since Belichick took over in 2000. (This list has every franchise he’s traded with at least five times, as well as where they pick in the first round.)

Ten trades: Oakland (which has the 10th overall pick in the draft)
Eight trades: Green Bay (No. 14 overall), Denver (No. 5)
Seven trades: New Orleans (No. 27), Chicago (No. 8), Cleveland (Nos. 1 and 4)
Six trades: Detroit (No. 20), Houston (no first round pick), Philadelphia (No. 32)
Five trades: Tampa Bay (No. 7), Baltimore (No. 16)

Now you have to have some context for these picks — for example, many of the deals that were made with the Broncos were done when Belichick’s buddy Mike Shanahan was there as opposed to the current regime — but nevertheless, it gives us more food for thought when it comes to the potential for a draft deal involving the Patriots.

9. One of the defensive tackles in this year’s draft who might have had a shot to end up in New England at the start of the pre-draft process was Stanford’s Harrison Phillips. A 6-foot-4, 307-pounder who is considered a Day Two candidate, the Cardinal coaches love him and what he brings to the field. “He’s really bright — a double major who finished up in three years. He was a state wrestling champion in high school — that tells you something about his competitive spirit,” said Stanford assistant Duane Akina. “He’s a very strong inside technique who can muscle past those guards.” While the Patriots went out and got Danny Shelton, Phillips could still be a consideration for New England if he ends up sliding on draft weekend.

10. You want a unique memento from Super Bowl LII? Maybe a massive banner of your favorite quarterback? Or favorite tight end, safety or special teams’ star? Then check out this auction of items, which will go to benefit the Twin Cities Salvation Army. There’s some fun stuff there, and it all goes to benefit a great cause.