We're about one week into free agency, and the Patriots haven't dished out one lousy contract.
Oh sure, they slightly overpaid for Hunter Henry - he wasn't getting $16 million guaranteed on the open market - and the transition tag on Kyle Dugger is, in my opinion, regrettable considering the number of good safeties who were plunked into this class and the fact that the 28-year-old has never proven to be that kind of playmaker/disruptor that usually gets that kind of salary ($13.8 million). But if you're into messaging, Eliot Wolf has signaled to that locker room that we'll take care of you if you play well for us. That's a long way from where this organization was under Bill Belichick. Under their former head coach, the Pats didn't sign a player they drafted in the first three rounds to a second contract since Duron Harmon in 2013. Still boggles the mind, doesn't it? (And yet they won three more Super Bowls during that time. What a time to be alive).
"I think they kept some good players," former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum told me Monday. "(Mike) Onwenu's a very good offensive lineman with position flexibility. We've seen him play guard and tackle and do it well. They transitioned Dugger, and I'm sure a long-term deal will flow from there. And (Josh) Uche is still a good young pass rusher, so those look - to me - like smart and productive moves."
Tannenbaum, who now works for ESPN, said he understands why the fan base might be hungering for more outside free agents but noted that "they can always add like they did with Austin Hooper. I know he's not a headline-worthy player, but those sorts of moves exist. I do think we tend to overreact to things. We're just a week into free agency."
Us, overreact? Never...
For instance, look at where the Pats are at wide receiver. They re-upped Kendrick Bourne on a team-friendly deal and added former Vikings #3/4 pass catcher K.J. Osborn. That came after extending themselves for Calvin Ridley, who ultimately spurned the organization to join the Tennessee Titans.
Obviously, there is still time for Wolf to build this room, and there's no question the de facto GM understands it's incomplete. Were he satisfied, he wouldn't have been in on Ridley at that kind of cash. But going from Ridley to Osborn does not change the offense's identity or make it a significantly safer space for the rookie QB, who eventually gets dropped into this mix. That's where the draft comes into play.
"This draft is loaded with receivers, said Tannenbaum. "And I think, you know, we've seen a lot more activity around running back than we have wide receiver for a reason (editor's note: Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, Derrick Henry, Austin Ekeler, D'Andre Swift, and Devin Singletary all came off the board quickly). The running back position isn't going to be great in this year's draft, but I think there are a lot of teams that will be very active at the receiver position.
"I mean, looking at the Chargers - everyone expects them to take a big step up with the new head coach (Jim Harbaugh) and obviously a great young quarterback (Justin Herbert) - and they just let both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams go. They know what's there in the draft."
If the Pats plan on "weaponizing" the offense, Wolf has promises to keep and miles to go before he sleeps.
THE CLOSER
The more I research the Ravens signing of Derrick Henry, the more I like it. It's worth noting that three of Baltimore's four regular season losses resulted from blown fourth-quarter leads, a recurring issue for the team. The Ravens have blown 11th fourth-quarter leads over the last three years, tied for tops in the league (h/t Mike Sando). Henry is the ultimate closer, and even though he's not the same player he was a couple of years ago, there's still plenty of tread on the tires. Think how often defenders will be cautious about attacking because of Lamar Jackson's ball-handling and running ability. Try tackling Henry without a head of steam or from the side. The big man is going to break a lot of tackles.
HOW(ELL) DID THIS HAPPEN?
So, why did Sam Howell net a more significant return than Mac Jones or Justin Fields? Talking to some folks around the league, the answer was twofold: Howell is a much better thrower of the football than either of those guys and could very well push Geno Smith to the bench in Seattle. Also, he's got two years left on his rookie deal, and as a 5th rounder, it's mere peanuts against the rising cap. Howell wasn't perfect in Washington this year, but the consensus is that their terrible line play and a play-calling imbalance - Eric Bienemy was far too pass-happy - made Howell a sitting duck in the pocket. Despite good athleticism, he got hit so often that it eventually wore him down (Mac is raising his hand, too). Is Howell a franchise QB? No one I talked to thinks that, but he has a chance to become a mid-level signal caller with stability around him.
DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS
Speaking of the Commanders, they have taken a different approach to the offseason than New England. New GM Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn have opted to part ways with several of their free agents—Kam Curl, Curtis Samuel, Kendell Fuller, Nick Gates, and Antonio Gibson, among others — in favor of bringing in fresh talent from outside the team. A number of those newbies have experience with Quinn from previous stops in Seattle, Atlanta, and Dallas. Obviously, Jerod Mayo's only experience has been in Foxborough, hence the heavy lean toward Eliot Wolf and Alex Van Pelt's tree. There's no saying that one way is better than the other - the results have to play out - but Washington clearly wanted to power-wash the stink emanating from the franchise last season (and years prior), while the Pats identified a few bad apples - Trent Brown, DeVante Parker, and Mac - and dropped them in the trash. It will make a good comparison down the road, especially if both teams select QBs at the top of the draft.
HELP. I NEED SOMEBODY. HELP. NOT JUST ANYBODY
Wonder what's going through Justin Herbert's mind right now? New head coach Jim Harbaugh traded his favorite receiver, Keenan Allen, for a fourth-round pick, released his other big target, Mike Williams, and let running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Gerald Everett flee in free agency (to the Commanders). That's 219 receptions, 2,339 yards, and 12 TDs out the door.
Yes, LA added a pair of tight ends — Will Dissly and Hayden Hurst — but that, combined with returning wideouts Josh Palmer and last year's first-round Quentin Johnson (he was not good), is awfully thin. The Chargers have the 5th and 37th picks in the draft, so they could easily double-dip at the position. Still, league sources believe Harbaugh would like to move back from 5 and accumulate more selections because of an aging and, to this point, underperforming roster. If I'm Herbert, I'm pleading with the staff to ensure they get him one of the big three pass catchers - Marvin Harrison, Malik Nabors, or Rome Odunze - that almost certainly will be off the board before we get to the Jets picking at #10 overall. In a typical year, Nabors or Odunze would easily be at the head of the class, and in writing that, I know of multiple teams that actually have one or both graded higher than Harrison. I'm fascinated to see how it plays out.
FIELDING QUESTION
Circling back to Fields, I wrote this back in February:
"The stats don't paint a flattering picture of him as a passer. Despite having 40 career starts and 958 attempts, his mechanics remain a work in progress (he had an overhaul after year one in the league), and he struggled with concepts that forced him to work through his progressions quickly (a staple of new Bears OC Shane Waldron's offense). Fields' athleticism and big arm led to longer developing plays, and he had some success throwing off play action. To this point in his tenure, moving outside the pocket remains where he looks most comfortable, throwing the ball with authority. It also gives Fields the option to eat up large parcels of space with his legs, as he is one of the best-running QBs in the league. But that skillset has also led the 24-year-old (he'll be 25 in March) to bail out of the pocket even when there is no or limited pressure. That caused some frustration internally, per a team source, especially in this most recent season."
Fields now is a Pittsburgh Steeler, apparently as a backup to Russell Wilson. The cost? A 6th rounder in 2025 (based on PT, i.e., if he starts, it could jump to a 4th). That won't happen if Fields remains on this trajectory. While Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will give him more answers than he had in Chicago, Fields must dramatically improve his processing speed and accuracy. If he can't, it becomes less likely that he'll fulfill the promise of being a top-10 pick, although, as we've seen, teams will still roll the dice on the pedigree (Mitch Trubisky and Sam Darnold come to mind as guys who keep getting chances).
