NFL Notebook: Which Patriots rookies could spark positional battles this summer?

FOXBOROUGH -- A lot to absorb after a wild three-day draft, including some thoughts on the Patriots drafting college captains, another explanation for why Josh McDaniels was spotted in the New England draft room, and fresh bulletin-board material from the Jets. But first -- which rookies could push veterans when it comes to positional battles in camp this summer?

1. One of the things that really stood out for us in the days leading to the draft was the quote from Mike Vrabel, who said he used to watch the draft every year as a player knowing teams were trying to replace him. In the context of that conversation — now that the draft is done — it’ll be interesting to see if there are any looming positional battles when it comes to the 2018 Patriots. Here are three possibilities:



a) Isaiah Wynn vs. the field: The Patriots first overall selection has playing experience at multiple spots along the offensive line. Could he challenge one of the entrenched guards (Shaq Mason, Joe Thuney) for playing time? Or will it be at left tackle, where he’ll be part of a conversation that’ll include multiple candidates, including LaAdrian Waddle, Tony Garcia, Trent Brown and others?

b) Ja’Whaun Bentley/Christian Sam vs. Elandon Roberts: Bentley appears to have some positional flexibility, but for the most part, the two rookies built their college rep on working as run-stuffers on first and second down. That was Roberts’ role last season.

c) Duke Dawson vs. Cyrus Jones: The role of nickel corner is likely up for grabs, and will be contested by these two. (Jonathan Jones could also be a part of the picture as well.) Cyrus Jones could also face competition from rookie Braxton Berrios when it comes to punt returner.

(One more note: While it won't necessarily be a battle for playing time, it was interesting to see the Patriots go after someone like Berrios, a Julian Edelman clone. Not suggesting Berrios is going to make Edelman expendable, but "Minitron" has always been a big chip-on-your-shoulder guy who has responded to challenges, and it'll be interesting to see how he reacts. Ultimately, the fact the Patriots selected an undersized overachiever who projects as a slot receiver and punt returner a year after the 31-year-old Edelman missed a whole season because of a knee injury is worth noting. That’s all.)

2. With the draft — and a flurry of trades — now in the rearview mirror, it’s time to revisit Bill Belichick’s big board of favorite draft partners. (As a reminder, these are his favorite trade partners since he took over in New England in 2000.)

Ten trades: Oakland
Eight trades: Green Bay, Denver, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland
Seven trades: New Orleans, Philadelphia
Six trades: Houston, Tampa Bay
Five trades: Baltimore, Kansas City

It’s also worth updating our semi-regular look at what teams have been most aggressive when it comes to going after quarterbacks. Here’s a look at the teams that have drafted the most quarterbacks since 2000:

Twelve: New York Jets
Eleven: Denver, San Francisco
Ten: New England, Washington, Cleveland, Baltimore
Eight: Houston, St. Louis/Los Angeles, Pittsburgh

3. One thing we thought was interesting was the fact that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was spotted in the New England draft room while the Patriots were making their first-round picks. Asked about it on Saturday afternoon, Patriots’ director of player personnel Nick Caserio downplayed the fact McDaniels was spotted, saying he had been in there before. “Even going way back to the 2000s when he and I were in there together when we really didn’t know anything. We still don’t know anything, although we have a little more experience,” said Caserio with a smile. “Our entire coaching staff is very involved in our process. We have a lot of confidence and faith in their information, their input and their evaluation. Josh has been in there before and our coaches, and their opinions on our entire staff, are very valid. They’re an intricate part of this process and we rely on them on a lot of information, and Josh is included. He’s one of them.”

4. One of the pre-draft possibilities for the Patriots at quarterback was Washington State’s Luke Falk, an unabashed fan of Tom Brady and the TB12 method — right down to his diet. That’s why it was weirdly fitting for him to be taken 199th overall, and while he didn’t go to New England, he did end up with a team that has plenty of ties to the Patriots in the Titans. Tennessee’s GM Jon Robinson made his bones in the New England front office, and Vrabel ... well, you probably know his story. “He was a guy that was kind of sticking out at the top of our board as a guy,” Robinson said of Falk after the pick was made, “and quarterback is a premium position in this league. To add a guy like him who has had a really productive college career, and with his work ethic and his mindset at that position, a guy to work with, come in here and compete on the 90-man roster for a spot. I am really excited to add Luke.” In that same vein, it probably wasn’t a shocker to see the Titans trade up twice to get ahead of the Patriots — not saying they were trying to beat New England to the punch on a prospect, but given the deep ties, it’s probably reasonable to assume the two teams are going to be competing for the same sort of talent down the road, at least as long as the Robinson-Vrabel duo is in charge in Tennessee.

5. In an appearance on CBS Sports Radio on Friday, Jets receiver Quincy Enunwa thinks this could be the year New York knocks off the Patriots. Enunwa told the “Tiki and Tierney” show that he believes the Jets will topple New England in 2018. "I think they're vulnerable,” said Enunwa. “Not only are they vulnerable, I think we're capable this year." Enunwa appeared to backtrack a bit later in the week, telling SiriusXM the quote was in response to a specific question where he was asked if the Patriots were “vulnerable” considering some recent roster changes and the reports of discord between Belichick, Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski. “Obviously, I just wanted to agree,” Enunwa he said. “I think they may be. But I also think that we’re capable of finally dethroning them. I think that we’ve always been. It’s just about getting over that hump of finishing games. Not to add more bulletin board material for them, but I think for us, we’re hyper-confident and believe that we can do that.”

6. The NFLPA announced earlier this week that through the first five week of free agency, players secured $1.29 billion in guaranteed money, which represents a 9.6 percent increase over the same time span last year. One of the things worth mentioning is that the cap rose by roughly six percent, which all in all, represents a win for the players.

7. One of the more interesting things that came across over the last three days was a pre-draft report from NFL.com that described Christian Sam a less-than-ideal prospect. NFL Media draft expert Lance Zierlein wrote of the Arizona State product: “Scouts say he’s not the alpha leader in the locker room and doesn’t love to practice.” Sam took exception to the note, saying “everyone has his own opinions” and adding that he didn’t pay much attention to the story. “I feel like that was something that was put out there that wasn’t true. I’m a guy who, when I’m practicing, I take pride in practicing, because I know it’ll prepare me for the game. I know how big practice is to be able to get prepared for the game and play at a very high level.” One thing that should encourage Patriots fans when it comes to Sam is the fact that former Arizona State coach Todd Graham has become close with Belichick over the years, and was part of the pre-draft scouting process over the last few months. It’s unlikely that the Patriots would use a draft pick on someone like Sam unless Belichick had been given a thumbs up by the likes of Graham.

8. As has been the case in year’s past, the Patriots went hard after college captains. Not saying it was the only reason they drafted some of these guys, but it hardly seems coincidental. Four of their nine picks were college captains, including Bentley, who was the first three-time captain in the history of Purdue football. “It definitely means a lot,” Bentley said Saturday when he was asked about what it meant to be a college captain. “It means a lot, No. 1, because the players select it, and especially my first time being a captain as a sophomore. That really was a big deal because you’re leading guys who are sometimes five years older than you and for them to trust you with that kind of responsibility definitely shows you how much they believe in you and what they think you’re capable of.” Again, it’s not something that will get a guy drafted by the Patriots, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Among the Patriots’ 22 starters in the AFC championship win over Jacksonville, 11 were team captains for at least one college season, and eight more reserves on the two-deep depth chart held that distinction with their college teams.

9. Here’s a final rundown of where players from New England colleges went in the draft:

Second round
No. 41: LB Harold Landry (Tennessee — Boston College)

Third round
No. 99: CB Isaac Yiadom (Denver — Boston College)

Sixth round
No. 180: DL Foley Fatukasi (New York Jets — UConn)
No. 189: CB Kamrin Moore (New Orleans — Boston College)
No. 192: OT Jamil Demby (Los Angeles Rams — Maine)
No. 200: S Foyesade Oluokun (Atlanta — Yale)

10. With the draft now in the rearview mirror, one of the sad realities of life in the NFL is the fact that many teams — particularly ones with new coaching staffs and GMs — will start to clean house when it comes to their scouting departments. Many of the teams who had turnover at the top often keep the old scouting staff in place throughout the draft process because of all the work that’s been done to that point in the process. However, now with the bulk of the roster in place and the draft process done, the new coaches will frequently look to get their own guys in the building. That means many good football minds will be on the street. While New England isn’t expected to see changes in its scouting department, it’s worth keeping an eye on some of the other teams, as occasionally respected scouts will find themselves out of a job, which could mean changes in many scouting departments around the league.