NFL Notebook: Will Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson Get New Contracts?

The Patriots’ aggressive offseason led to significant upgrades all over the roster when you project their key new contributors' production on both sides of the ball. 

NFL games and Super Bowl championships are neither won on paper, nor are they decided in March or during the NFL Draft. New England scoffed at teams and fan bases who claimed they “won the offseason” in the past, already counting Lombardi Trophies ahead of time. Even Pats owner Robert Kraft said that within the organization, they laughed at those teams. 

As Patriots training camp opens with the first full-squad practice on Wednesday, the time has come for Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s on-the-fly rebuild to come to fruition on the field. 

“We made a lot of improvements on paper. Now we have to become a football team,” starting center David Andrews said in May.

Andrews is spot on. Yes, the upgrades look good on the depth chart, but coming together as a football team will be a challenge with so many new faces. 

Here’s a look at a rough estimated two-deep depth chart for the Patriots:

The new players (five on offense, five on defense) that project to have significant roles are in blue while Trent Brown, Ted Karras, and Kyle Van Noy are players returning for their second stints in New England. We didn’t even highlight players switching positions, such as Michael Onwenu moving from right tackle to left guard. Currently, rookie Mac Jones is backing up starter Cam Newton at quarterback. That could eventually become the team's most significant change. 

Roster turnover is inevitable. The Pats didn’t just turn over their roster, they overhauled it, and their big free-agent additions will be taking their first live reps as Patriots in a few days. After fielding a talent-depleted roster a year ago, resulting in a 7-9 record, New England has the talent to make a return to the postseason and compete for the AFC East crown. 

The onus is on Belichick, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and the rest of the coaching staff to figure out how to deploy their new personnel and help this team gel.

Without further ado, let’s empty the mailbag. Thanks to everyone who asked questions this week:

The rumblings around the Gilmore situation is that he’ll likely get a raise for the 2021 season before he comes off the PUP list. Although it was a surprise that he reported to camp already, I’ll believe that Belichick will sign a 30-year-old corner to a multi-year extension when I see it. Jackson did all the right things this offseason by showing up to OTAs and minicamp and telling NFL Network’s Mike Giardi that he doesn’t care about his contract. If Jackson has a strong summer, a Jonathan Jones-like extension before the season kicks off could happen. In 2019, Jones was set to play on a second-round tender, just like Jackson, until he signed a new three-year deal before the season opener. 

I don’t see the fit for Sony Michel with the Rams. Sean McVay ran some different things last year, but he’s a wide zone coach. To run wide zone effectively, the primary ball carrier needs speed. The scheme calls for the running back to take his initial rush path off-tackle and then either bounce it around the corner or cut back upfield. Sony ran well last year, but he’s the opposite of a wide zone runner. Peak Todd Gurley or Niners running back Raheem Mostert are good examples of perfect wide zone backs. Both were track guys. 

Answering the second question here, fourth-round pick Rhamondre Stevenson was placed on the active/non-football injury list this past week. Stevenson can come off the list at any time, but the designation means he’s dealing with lingering injury issues from college. Is this a prerequisite to another “redshirt” year for a rookie running back in New England? Maybe it’s trending that way, but we aren’t there yet until Stevenson starts missing practices. It’s difficult to envision the Patriots playing a rookie running back who wasn’t a full participant in camp. If he comes off NFI quickly, then there’s still a chance he’ll play this year. If these injuries keep him out of camp, it’s looking like the Damian Harris/James White route. 

Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne will be the Patriots’ top three wide receivers barring something unforeseen. That was the plan dating back to free agency, and nothing has changed. Behind them, my sense is that the Pats will ride this situation out with Harry for a bit. The team wasn’t keen on Harry’s trade request or the wording by his agent, placing the blame on the coaching staff for Harry’s struggles. Plus, Harry has zero trade value right now, so maybe a strong preseason could change that. 

I’m not sleeping on Ernie Adams’ guy, Tre Nixon. Isaiah Zuber is making a strong push to make the roster, even if Harry is here. Zuber brings an element of speed that the Pats don’t have outside of Agholor. Zuber can be used as a gadget weapon and kick returner as well. As a depth receiver, the added special teams value is a must. 

I can already see myself arguing with Pats fans about Agholor this season. People will measure the signing by statistical production, and when he doesn’t produce like a No. 1 receiver, they’ll cry about it. Agholor’s impact should be measured by how defenses line up against the Pats this season. If he’s forcing safeties to respect him as a deep threat, it’s going to open up the middle of the field and the run game by keeping defenders out of the box. That’s why he’s here, and if Agholor is the threat they need, the signing was worth it. As the season progresses, I’ll eventually write a breakdown on how Agholor is impacting safety alignment. 

There are a lot of good camp battles this season. I’m looking forward to the edge defenders the most. The Pats have at least four, if not six, edge defenders that can play in the league. There are ways to get more than two on the field at once, especially with Kyle Van Noy and Josh Uche’s versatility. Someone will be the odd man out. Is it 2020 third-round pick Anfernee Jennings? Chase Winovich? A redshirt year for Ronnie Perkins? We’ll see. The Pats have some dudes at outside linebacker now. It’ll be an intense battle for playing time. 

It’s put up or shut up time for Joejuan Williams. As I wrote in my camp preview series, an optimist would say that Williams was buried on the depth chart in his first two seasons. Jason McCourty is no longer here, and the Patriots desperately need a third outside corner to step up, or they’ll find themselves playing Jalen Mills often on the boundary. Williams has a golden opportunity to carve out a role behind Gilmore and Jackson. Plus, both starting corners are UFAs after the season, so New England also has a future hole or two at the position. Williams was drafted to be the next guy. Now is his chance. 

J.J. Taylor had a nice spring. His explosiveness is evident, and he brings a different dimension compared to the other Pats running backs. As a receiver, he is more of a vertical threat at this stage than White. The question is can he hold up in pass protection? We all know Taylor is small, and the Pats will be reluctant to put him on the field if he’s getting bowled over in blitz pickup. Taylor could also return kicks, which adds value. 

It feel like Adrian Phillips might be the odd man out for reps at strong safety/money backer. Kyle Dugger will get every opportunity to star in that role, while Mills is a factor as well. Phillips was a surprise standout a year ago, playing as a linebacker and adding value in the kicking game. He’s a good football player. Dugger is trending toward stardom, and the Pats paid Mills. There’s still a role for Phillips on this team as depth in the secondary and a core special teamer. 

Answering the first question on Mills, his role will be interesting to monitor. He played as an outside corner in minicamp with Gilmore holding out, but the expectation is that he’ll be a jack of all trades. Depending on the opponent and who is healthy, we’ll see Mills play everywhere. Last season, Jason McCourty played 60% of the snaps and moved around the secondary. It feels like Mills is a younger and more versatile replacement. Some weeks Mills might be a safety. Other weeks he'll be an outside corner, and sometimes he’ll play in the box or over the slot. He’s going to go where they need him based on the game plan.