Giving you what you need to know from a Patriots' perspective at the first day of the scouting combine in Indianapolis — and, no, we don't mean telling you every time a draft prospect meets with the team (yawn) or says how great Tom Brady is (tell us something we don't know) ...
Falcons TE Austin Hooper will hit free agency
With Chargers TE Hunter Henry expected to be franchised, Falcons TE Austin Hooper figured to be the top free-agent TE ... if he was allowed to hit free agency.
According to Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff, Hooper will hit free agency at least to set his market, but the team is hopeful of bringing him, linebacker D'Vondre Campbell and reserve lineman Wes Schweitzer back into the fold.
"This does not necessarily close the door on their time with the Falcons and we fully intend on negotiating with them in the free agency period as we work through our roster-building scenarios," Dimitroff told reporters in Indianapolis. "Oftentimes you have to look at what the market is to determine whether you're willing, as an organization, to step up and pay those players a certain amount of money."
Certainly the Patriots will be interested in Hooper, but will they come with the type of over-the-top offer that the Falcons won't be able to match? That's doubtful, and there are other TE-needy teams who have much more cap space and they might have better quarterback situations. Those teams:
Dolphins: $89.4 million (Have Mike Gesicki but Hooper's better)
Cowboys: $76.8 million (This would make the most sense, and they'll overpay)
Texans: $64.3 million (Would you rather play with Deshaun Watson or Jarrett Stidham?)
Browns: $61.9 million (David Nojku has been hurt a lot and that offense uses multiple TEs)
Redskins: $53 million (Jordan Reed was released)
Jets: $49.7 million (Need serious help for Slingin' Sammy)
Then there's the Patriots with about $30 million in cap space without paying a veteran QB.
Bottom line is if the Patriots want Hooper, they are going to have some company and they're going to need to bring a strong offer.
Titans, especially, coy about QB situation.
Two teams who are expected to be involved in Tom Brady should he hit free agency, the Titans and Raiders, didn't come close to saying they are firmly behind their incumbent quarterbacks, which will lead to speculation that they will come after Brady.
Titans GM Jon Robinson, a former Patriots exec, didn't come close to backing Ryan Tannehill.
"We'll see how that goes," Robinson said. "He's under contract here for the next few weeks and he did a great job for us. We'll start those (contract) talks and see kind of where those go, just like all the other players.
"(He) had a good year and we'll see how it goes from here."
Is Tannehill the QB going forward? #Titans. pic.twitter.com/MTokaCmxbp
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) February 25, 2020
#Browns Andrew Berry when I asked him if he’d listen to offers for Odell Beckham Jr: pic.twitter.com/aTFu0viyFD
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) February 25, 2020