Less than a month away from day one of the NFL Draft. Still working through a number of positions for our membership, including wide receivers and edge rushers. There are so many different sizes, shapes, and flavors that culling down the herd for both spots has been challenging. But I’ll get there and get them to you soon.
Meanwhile, some thoughts on the Patriots and I swear, I won’t mention AJ Brown once...
- I am sure most of you would like to see Christian Gonzalez get his extension this offseason. I, too, would prefer the team keep one of the few blup chip players on their roster. Both Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf have preached their desire to keep the cornerback around for the foreseeable future, so where’s the deal? It’s easy to sit here and say, "Get it done” as soon as possible (I would want to). But if you’re Gonzalez, don’t you want to wait and hope Devon Witherspoon blinks and signs first? Let the Seahawks CB set the new ceiling (Trent McDuffie got $100 million guaranteed, $11 million more than the previous high) and then see if you can get at least one dollar more.
Before you hit me with the bullcrap Robert Kraft kept selling about “Tommy” taking less, talk to the hand. 99.9% of the population would/will take every last dollar (and I’m still not totally convinced Brady didn't. See the TB12 facility at Patriot Place). Gonzalez has no obligation to be like TB12. His only obligation in negotiations is to do what’s best for him and his family. If that means grabbing every last dollar, I won’t fault him for that. NFL careers are over in a flash, and few will care about you when it’s gone. Get your bag, young fella, and don’t fret about what talk show hosts or writers or folks on message boards say. If they’re willing to pay it, you've earned it. Don’t forget, the moment they think you’re not worth it, they’ll show you the door, and your parting gift will be some social media post thanking you (I am on a one-man crusade against these things).
Finally, Patrick Surtain didn’t sign his extension - at the time, the largest at the position - until September 4th, many months after he was eligible to get it. Sauce Gardner eventually topped that deal. His contract didn’t get inked til mid-July. Meanwhile, both Derek Stingley (March 17) and Jaycee Horn (March 10) put pen to paper ASAP. There is no one-size-fits-all, and as of now, while we can talk about it, there’s no reason to fret. Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind, but until then, all is well.
- The more information I gather on the Romeo Doubs signing and how he fits into this offense, the more I believe he begins as the ‘X’ and Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Williams assume more of the Stefon Diggs role. The Pats have always felt Boutte had more positional versatility, and because of the lack of a true X over the last couple of seasons, he had to stay out there by default. Williams also got stuck out there because of Diggs (and even Pop Douglas), but there’s a belief that his speed could play really well in the slot and give the team a vertical threat there. Bottom line, Doubs gives them another movable chess piece, and we know how much Josh McDaniels values that in his offense. I look forward to seeing how that plays out, especially if the team doesn’t add a high-end veteran wideout between now and say, July 2 or so...
- The Patriots were just 16th in pressure-rate rushing with four. And quite frankly, were it not for the work of the interior defensive line, that number would have been considerably lower. Hence, the addition of Dre’Mont Jones and likely another edge rusher in the draft, be it on day one or two.
Jones had a higher pass-rush win rate than the man he’s replacing, K’Lavon Chaisson (12.9% to 11.9%). The two have totally different body types (265 lbs to 248) and play styles (no one was ever kicking Chaisson inside, while Jones very much has that in his bag).
By sheer size/strength, Jones should improve the run defense, but as a rusher, he’ll attack the QB mostly by converting speed to power, and he certainly doesn’t have Chaisson’s bendability.
Considering the questions about what sort of form Harold Landry can return to (knee surgery), the edge they’ll likely add in the draft may be more spring-loaded, if you will. There’s not necessarily a perfect 1-for-1 match where the Pats are picking at 31, though there are a couple of intriguing candidates, Malachi Lawrence and Derrick Moore. They are not without their flaws, and in Moore’s case, maybe the end of round 1 is too rich.
Would the Pats entertain a trade-back to the early part of round two and acquire another asset? For instance, let’s say Alabama QB Ty Simpson is sitting there at 31. If the Cardinals at #34 overall decide they want that 5th year option, by the Rich Hill Modified Trade Chart, they could couple together that pick and one at the top of the 5th (#143) to move up 3 spots. That would then serve as real ammunition for the Pats if they wanted to climb up from pick #63 (end of 2nd round) or #95 (end of 3rd). And yes, I know they have a million 6th-rounders, but that’s not usually going to create much movement on day two. With a draft that may only have around 10 prospects graded as true first-rounders, more assets would allow the Pats to attack the sweet spot. Sign me up for that, more than a trade-up in round one.
WHAT A CAREER
Earlier this week, LaVonte David retired after 14 years and over 1,700 tackles. David may not have been a 1-of-1, but he was certainly a throwback. The 36-year-old spent his entire career with Tampa Bay, which is unheard of in this day and age with free agency and cap management, and the fact that for nearly the first decade of David’s time there, the Buccaneers didn’t make the playoffs.
"I felt like when I came in this league, when I came to this organization, I wanted to be the best football player I could be. But it turned into me just being the best person I could be," David said. "I feel like the football stuff speaks for itself, but for me to actually like come to an organization, be here for 14 years, to accept me and accept my family...to not only look at me as a football player, but look at me as a friend -- that's the thing that I'm most proud of for everybody in here. ... At the end of the day, I'll always be a Buccaneer. As always, it's Bucs for life."
David entered the league as a second-round pick out of Nebraska, immediately found himself in the starting lineup, and by year two, was voted to the Pro Bowl (and not as the 6th replacement...). That was a pattern for him. Always one of the best players at his position, someone capable of not just being a tackle machine, but excelling in coverage as well. However, with the Bucs a non-factor for so long, that greatness was overlooked. Then Tom Brady showed up, and everything changed.
Tampa won the Super Bowl in Brady’s first season, and David backboned that defense, recording 117 tackles, 12 TFLs, forcing three fumbles, and adding an interception for good measure. The Bucs then found themselves in the postseason every year since, until this most recent campaign, and David just kept posting every week, hitting everything in sight. He had 114 tackles last season. So why, with gas still left in the tank, did he decide it was time to go?
"I feel it's time to move on and find a different path in life, be a dad to that amazing little girl over there," David said, pointing to his three-year-old daughter. "Having a girl helped me become a man, helped me understand what's important in life."
David is now the second long-time Tampa legend to walk away from the team this offseason. The other, Mike Evans, chose a new city, leaving for the San Francisco 49ers despite reports that the Bucs offered more money.
UPDATE ON MAD MAXX
After bailing on the Maxx Crosby trade, and then hearing the Vegas edge rusher dish on the nonsense (which we wrote about in this space last weekend), reporters are digging in deeper to what the hell happened.
For starters, Crosby’s camp is still not buying the medicals being the reason for the change of heart. The Ravens had imaging of the knee prior to the deal being agreed upon. Yes, he would still have to pass the physical, but being just 5 weeks removed from surgery, Baltimore knew full well where Crosby was at that point. That’s why folks around the league remain skeptical of the medicals being the reason. Rather, buyer’s remorse (remember, they were surrendering two first-rounders) and Trey Hendrickson’s desire to come to the Ravens turned the tide.
The Raiders have welcomed Crosby back, and he has since declared, "I am where I'm supposed to be.”
However, let’s not forget that he had grown weary of losing and rebuilding, and that other teams were chasing him, including the Cowboys. ESPN reported the Cowboys worked through multiple offers, starting with their second first-round pick (#20 overall) and the since-traded Osa Odighizuwa (sent to SF). Then it was a first (#12 overall) and a third, and finally, a first (#12) and a second. But, obviously, the Raiders chose the Ravens' offer. As of now, Dallas hasn’t re-entered trade talks, but a handful of teams have checked in and aren’t willing to part with the same package Baltimore did. So, GM John Spytek presses forward, with a roster in desperate need of a transformation, one that would have been made easier with pick #14 this year and whatever Baltimore’s first is next year.
STILL SLINGING IT
We all know what Joe Flacco is at this point in his career. The man is 41, couldn’t beat a dead guy in the 40-yard dash, but if you let him sit in the pocket, he can still rip it. Based on how he performed in Joe Burrow’s absence for Cincinnati last season, there was some belief in league circles that Flacco could get another starting job to start 2026 (even if it would only be as a bridge to the next guy). Instead, he remains with the Bengals after signing a one-year deal that could be worth up to $9 million based on playing time (and with Burrow’s history, that could happen).
"Believe me, I wish I was a guy somewhere," Flacco said. "And I think teams are dumb for not having me be that guy."
It’s probably a stretch to think Flacco could last 17 games. He hasn’t been a full-time starter who made it through an entire season since 2017, although he did finish with 10 starts last year between his two spots (Cleveland first, then Cincy). But he put up some good numbers once he got to the Bengals - 1,664 yards, 13 TDs, 4 INTs, and a 91 QB rating. That’s better than, say, Tua Tagovailoa, and yet Tua will probably start week 1 for Atlanta (with Michael Penix recovering from knee surgery). The Cardinals, Jets, Colts (Daniel Jones and his Achilles), and Raiders all could have/should have been in the Flacco market.
"I know enough not to get super tied up emotionally with certain things and how to think about how they might play out because you really have no idea," Flacco said. "And who knows what those teams were thinking anyway, whether I was on their radar or not. I have no idea.
"It's not really for me to decide. I think I can get caught up in all of that and say, 'Why not me?' and all that and be bitter about it."
The more he talked, however, the more it seemed like yes, this does put a snarl on his upper lip.
"Maybe part of that does still motivate me to do what I'm doing," Flacco said. "I probably do feel that way. I feel like I have unfinished business. That's part of why I'm still here and playing and doing all those things."
SPEAKING OF QBS
There was a flurry of moves made at the position this past week. Andy Dalton got traded to the Eagles (insert eyeball emoji here), Trevor Siemian signed with the Falcons, and Zach Wilson inked a one-year deal to compete for the #2 job behind Tyler Shough in New Orleans. Siemian is just a camp arm at this stage, but the Dalton move is intriguing.
Dalton was acquired for a seventh-round pick and provides a veteran backup with plenty of starting experience behind Jalen Hurts and his somewhat sought-after backup, youngster Tanner McKee. On the surface, it could simply be insurance for Philly were they to part with McKee. Several teams called about him this offseason, but the price was reportedly a second-rounder, too steep for anyone to pull the trigger on it at this time. Of course, if Aaron Rodgers chooses retirement over a return to the Steelers, perhaps they’d meet the price.
But might there be additional motivation for Dalton’s addition? Not to push Hurts - he makes too much money and still has that Super Bowl ring blinding folks - but to add experience into an offensive meeting room now being run by a 33-year-old first-time offensive coordinator in Sean Mannion? Mannion retired in 2024 (a longtime backup QB). I mean, you want to talk about being green. That’s like fluorescent green. Meanwhile, Dalton has seen everything, and done most of it, too. He should be an extra set of eyes and possibly a sounding board for the young OC, who is already under pressure without having called a single play. Welcome to Philly, Sean.