Some big-picture perspective on the Patriots' thought process on draft weekend, lingering uncertainties with Mike Vrabel, a dud of all duds by the Bruins, and the shocking firing of Alex Cora.
• When Patriots' executive VP of player personnel Eliot Wolf spoke to the media last week, he said a lot. Perhaps even too much, some would surely say.
And what stood out the most about his and the Patriots' front office's plans for the draft was Wolf's focus on the long term over the short.
"I think it's easy to look at a piece of paper or a depth chart right now and just kind of see what our needs are right this second, but you also have to factor in who's going to be a free agent next year because this isn't just a one-year filler," Wolf said. "This is a long-term commitment, especially with the early-round guys that you think are going to be there."
Lo and behold, when the picks started flying off the board, what'd the Patriots do?
They drafted Caleb Lomu at a position -- offensive tackle -- where they have two starters whose jobs are not in jeopardy. The ending of Will Campbell's rookie season was abysmal, but people forget that he held his own all year at arguably the most difficult position in sports. And while it wouldn't have been shocking if Morgan Moses had decided to retire this offseason, he's been durable for over a decade in the NFL.
Then they drafted Gabe Jacas, who as an edge rusher technically fills the "drafting for need" portion of the event. Yet considering his draft spot (No. 55 overall) and the fact that he was the ninth EDGE off the board, Jacas will not be relied upon to be the team's top pass rusher in 2026.
And their third pick -- tight end Eli Raridon -- checks the "long-term planning" box, as Hunter Henry is 31 and has taken more than 4,100 snaps since joining the Patriots in 2021. A UFA-to-be in 2027, Henry's likely playing his last season in New England.
The philosophy was clear as can be, and for that, the Patriots deserve a tip of the cap. A less-grounded franchise might have looked at the success of last season -- 14 wins, a division crown, a trip to the Super Bowl -- and pinned the pedal to the floor in the offseason, convincing itself that just one more player would make all the difference in the world.
Instead, the Patriots applied some controlled urgency (trading up for both Lomu and Jacas) while also taking a measured approach to their pursuit of A.J. Brown this offseason.
Of course, there's no guarantee that everything will play out according to this vision. The development of these three players -- along with the six late-round picks -- is now in the hands of the coaching and training staff. But strategically, the process was sound in Foxboro for this year's draft.
• I must admit that a guilty pleasure of mine is perusing all of the NFL team grades after every draft. This is, without question, one of the stupidest exercises in all of humanity. But with the allure of some team getting an F-minus staring me in the face, I can't help myself.
If you're interested in such tomfoolery too, you can know that the Patriots' grades ranged from B-minus (USA TODAY) to A-minus (CBS Sports). ESPN and Sports Illustrated each gave out a B grade, while NFL.com offered the Patriots a B-plus.
So there you have it. Now you can sleep at night.
• The draft provided an ideal distraction from the ongoing Mike Vrabel controversy, a situation that is very much still developing. And even amid that distraction, the Patriots managed to bring it back to the forefront by not involving Vrabel in Saturday's dealings, after he had planned to be in regular communication with Wolf, Ryan Cowden, John Streicher and the rest of the Patriot Way Posse. (They're called that, right?)
Ultimately, it's hard to say how much Vrabel's remote involvement would or would not have changed the process on Saturday. If he was undergoing counseling as he stated he would be, how could he possibly weigh in on decisions to make trades or take certain actions where time is critical?
Whether or not any of those six day-three picks -- Cornerback Karon Prunty, OT Dametrious Crownover, LB Nambi Obiazor, QB Behren Morton, RB Jam Miller and EDGE Quintayvious Hutchins -- pan out, we'll surely remember that the head coach was absent during their selections. That's fair game.
The only additional bit I'd throw in is that we ought to really look back at all the late-round picks from 2026 when we evaluate these players down the line. If diamonds were found in the rough during this "bad draft," and the Patriots' picks didn't turn into much, then further scrutiny will be warranted. But if the final four rounds of this draft don't produce a Puka Nacua (fifth round, 2023) or Antonio Brown (sixth round, 2010) or even a Mike Onwenu (sixth round, 2020), then the judgment of the Patriots' work this past Saturday should be viewed in the proper context.
As for Vrabel saying he'd be in contact with the Patriots on Saturday, only for that to not be the case, we're left to wonder why. What changed? Did they dislike the optics? Did they sharply pivot yet again based on what they thought the public wanted to hear? It's been such a bizarre situation with some tremendous mismanagement by Vrabel and the team. It's well past the time for direct honesty to dictate how they all proceed in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
• Speaking of uncertainty in leadership positions in Boston sports, the firing of Alex Cora on Saturday night was absolutely shocking in a way that you rarely experience in this day and age.
Was the start to the season terrible? Obviously. Was Cora starting to publicly air out some of his issues with the roster given to him? Sure.
But a firing at that point in time -- along with the axing of the two hitting coaches, the bench coach, the third base coach, the hitting strategy coach and (for all intents and purposes) the game planning and run prevention coach -- was stunning.
Ultimately, Alex Cora was not put on this earth to manage a team like the 2026 Red Sox. Give him a roster full of established big leaguers, sprinkled with star players, and he'll work his magic. His button-pushing in the 2018 playoffs was legendary. His work in drilling fundamentals while trying to squeeze every ounce out of an undermanned roster left much to be desired.
So, in a way, the 2026 Red Sox -- a Quadruple-A team -- could actually be better off with a Triple-A manager like Chad Tracy in the short term.
But does anyone believe Sam Kennedy and Craig Breslow are capable of lifting the Red Sox back to championship status any time soon? They would not be able to deliver in that department even if John Henry's bank account were open for free use. But with the obvious ownership restrictions on spending, even the most ardent Red Sox fan should have difficulty finding a way for the Red Sox to get back to being one of the best teams in baseball. (And no, being a second wild card doesn't come close to qualifying.)
It's unfortunate, too. Fenway Park in recent years has been as lively as it's ever been. The seats are full, the music is blaring, the drinks are flowing. The "vibes," as the youth say, are high. All that's missing is a strong, competitive team that matches the fans' level of commitment.
And despite Kennedy's and Breslow's assertions on Sunday morning, we know that championship-caliber baseball won't be coming to Boston any time soon.
• And if we're talking disappointments in Boston sports, well, we've got to address whatever the hell it was the Bruins did on Sunday afternoon at the Garden. In a must-win Game 4 on home ice, the Bruins were outscored 4-0 in the first 14:24 of the game. They were outshot 19-5 in that opening 20 minutes, which were plagued by careless turnovers (Jonathan Aspirot and Fraser Minten BOTH turned the puck over to give Buffalo its first goal, while Aspirot was no help whatsoever after the little-used Jordan Harris' turnover led to Buffalo's third goal), braindead penalties ("too many men on the ice" is still a verboten word in many Boston hockey households), and no offense to speak of.
The second period was better and borderline encouraging, but the third period was all Buffalo once again. The final score was 6-1 ... and it wasn't that close.
"Man to man in here, if we're not [FREAKING] embarrassed by what just happened, then I don't know what to say," alternate captain Charlie McAvoy told reporters at his locker postgame.
Head coach Marco Sturm aired a similar sentiment: "Well, we should be embarrassed. Because it was embarrassing. ... I am embarrassed. And we all should be."
It was a brutal showing. After blowing Game 1, winning Game 2, and losing a competitive Game 3, Sunday looked like the moment when these Stanley Cup Playoff series get back to even. Instead, the Bruins are heading back to Buffalo in what will most likely be a joyous environment for Buffalonians, who haven't celebrated a series win since 2007. Two-thousand-seven! Good for them.
None of that will change the fact that this was an excellent season for Sturm, and a surprisingly relevant season for the Bruins. Last year, after firing Jim Montgomery and after trading away Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic and Brandon Carlo, it looked like the team was tearing it down to the studs. Instead, even if they're not currently built for a deep playoff run, and even if Sunday was kick in the gut for everyone who paid hard-earned money to attend that boondoggle of a hockey game, they still put together a worthwhile season. Something to build off. A big bundle of hope.
That's not everything, but it's more than a lot of teams can claim.