Bedard Columns

Bedard: Patriots head into transition year with a transition draft class

POSTED: 2:29 AM April 25, 2020

Outside of that, it's tough to see much initial impact with this quintet. I mean, it's not a great sign when the director of player personnel repeatedly spotlights how some...

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2020 NFL Draft: Day 2 mock draft sees Patriots address a lot of needs at TE, S, WR, C and QB

POSTED: 1:59 PM April 24, 2020

Not sure if you know this, but the fine people over at ProFootballNetwork.com have a mock draft simulator that has been updated with the first round and the trades (good...

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Bedard: Patriots fans don’t get payoff, but Bill Belichick makes smart move with trade down

POSTED: 2:25 AM April 24, 2020

Well, in the end, that wasn’t much fun at all. Thursday night’s first round of the NFL draft — like no other we’ve ever had — was just a reminder...

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Bedard’s Final Big Boy Big Board: Looking for some Patriots fits (Updated after Day 2)

POSTED: 8:24 PM April 23, 2020

Putting together my picks in some sort of order. Bear with me. REMAINING PLAYERS QB Jacob Eason, Washington (6-6, 231, 4.89, 9.5 hands, Round 2-3): Long motion that needs to...

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2020 NFL Draft: Day 1 – Patriots trade out of first round, pick up Picks 37, 71

POSTED: 7:53 PM April 23, 2020

WHAT: 2020 NFL Draft WHEN: Thursday (Round 1, 8 p.m.); Friday (Rounds 2-3, 7 p.m.); Saturday (Rounds 4-7, 12 p.m.) WHERE: Everyone’s basement thanks to the pandemic. TV: Thursday—ABC, ESPN,...

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Bedard: Final mock draft, and parting Patriots thoughts on QBs, trade-downs, Thuney & Howard

POSTED: 2:33 PM April 23, 2020

Happy Draft Day everyone! The day you never really think is going to get here and then speeds by in three days — then what are we going to talk about in sports?...

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2020 NFL Draft: Defensive back rankings – Do Patriots finally start youth movement at safety?

POSTED: 3:42 AM April 23, 2020

The Patriots bid adieu to Duron Harmon with a trade to the Lions, which broke off a piece of their veteran-laden secondary. Still, they’re left with Devin McCourty and Patrick...

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2020 NFL Draft: LB rankings – Patriots have immediate need that could be filled in first round

POSTED: 4:04 PM April 22, 2020

There may be no greater position of need on the Patriots than linebackers capable of playing off the ball. With only two players — Dont'a Hightower and Ja'Whaun Bentley —...

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Bedard: Patriots send Gronkowski to Tampa Bay for a fourth-round pick

POSTED: 4:20 PM April 21, 2020

Two league sources confirmed Ian Rapoport’s initial report that Rob Gronkowski has informed the Patriots that he wants to return to play football, but he wants to do it with Tom...

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2020 NFL Draft: DL rankings – Might be time for Patriots to invest high pick on line again

POSTED: 4:03 PM April 21, 2020

Was talking to a league source earlier today and what he said recalibrated me when it comes to the Patriots and Bill Belichick in the draft: “When it doubt, Bill goes...

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2020 NFL Draft: Edge rankings – Beyond first-round talents, projecting NFL success gets dicey in this group

POSTED: 4:35 PM April 20, 2020

In three years, the Patriots have lost Trey Flowers and Kyle Van Noy on the edge. Both excelled in the Patriots' all-around system and the team really couldn't ask much...

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2020 NFL Draft: Offensive line rankings – If Patriots want a center, they better act quickly

POSTED: 6:00 AM April 20, 2020

For the most part, the Patriots are set on their offensive line and have plenty of options. Isaiah Wynn was a first-round pick and flashed that potential at left tackle...

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Best of BSJ Free Preview

NFL Notebook: Matt Peart to be Governor’s Academy own ‘Blind Side’ NFL draft story

POSTED: 5:36 PM April 18, 2020

Eight years ago, Peart had yet to play football after entering The Governor's Academy in Byfield on the North Shore as a top basketball prospect. Come Friday or Saturday, he'll...

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2020 NFL Draft: WR rankings – Unreal class depth leaves intriguing options for Patriots

POSTED: 3:41 PM April 17, 2020

The hype is real. All the reports you've heard about this being the deepest receiving group in draft history are true. That you can find starting-level talent at least through...

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Bedard: If Belichick was truthful on planning with Brady in mind, he thought the QB was in decline 2 years ago

POSTED: 2:30 PM April 16, 2020

If every decision was made to make things best for Brady, then what does that say about where Belichick thought Brady was the past two seasons? If you look at...

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Ranking the AFC East (Defense) – Despite departures, Patriots still have best overall unit

POSTED: 2:28 PM April 14, 2020

Despite the departures of Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Duron Harmon, the Patriots still own the best defense in the division thanks to a dominating secondary and special teams...

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Bedard: Ranking the AFC East (Offense) – Patriots, Bills close but more depth needed in New England

POSTED: 2:41 PM April 13, 2020

There has been and will be a lot of talk about how the Patriots stack up with the rest of the AFC East after the departure of Tom Brady. We...

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2020 NFL Draft: RB rankings – Patriots don’t appear to have many needs but change is coming

POSTED: 4:50 PM April 11, 2020

With Sony Michel entering his third season as a former first-round pick and Damien Harris on mothballs after being a third-round selection last year, the Patriots wouldn’t seem to have...

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2020 NFL Draft: QB rankings – After elite prospect Joe Burrow, there are a lot of question marks