gresh and fauria: who took sides against the patriots 'family'?
One of the tentpole events of the NFL calendar is taking place this week in the NFL's scouting combine, where this year, a confirmed 321(!!) prospects will go through a ringer on-field drills and off-field interviews with all 32 teams.
A Patriots' brass of head coach Jerod Mayo and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf, among others, will be in Indianapolis for the event. Given that, it's time for a fresh mailbag answering all of your Pats questions.
A reminder: to stay involved, be sure to keep an eye out for the thread on Twitter @mikekadlick and @WEEI. Don't have Twitter? Email me at michael.kadlick@audacy.com to submit any questions you may have.
And we're off...
Q: What should we expect to hear from Eliot Wolf at the combine? Do you think he will be forthcoming on the new structure?
A: Patriots de facto general manager Eliot Wolf is set to speak with the media at 10 a.m. EST on Tuesday from the NFL Combine, marking his first on-the-record appearance since New England's front office shake-up.
So what should we expect? Great question.
Though the Jerod Mayo-led football operation in New England has been far more open and honest since taking over for Bill Belichick last month, I wouldn't bank on Wolf spilling all of the trade secrets in Indy. Will he explain what they're thinking about with the No. 3 overall pick in April's draft? Perhaps. May he even dive into what his new responsibilities are versus now-de-facto director of scouting Matt Groh? Possibly. But I don't see this quick presser being a tell-all into the 2024 Patriots plans.
Q: All of the focus has been on OT/QB/WR for good reason, but what about TE as well? Considering we have none on the roster, who will you be looking at in FA and the draft?
A: New England's three most important needs this offseason are without question: quarterback, wide receiver, and tackle. Their fourth, at least on offense, is tight end.
The Patriots don't have any tight ends under contract heading into 2024 with Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, and Pharaoh Brown all having played out the final year of their deals last season. They'll have to dip into free agency, the NFL Draft, or even the trade market to address the position.
So who should we look at? For starters: it'd be wise to re-sign Henry. The 29-year-old was named a team captain last season, has been dubbed an offensive leader despite his pending free agency, and led the Patriots in receiving touchdowns in two of the last three seasons. If they can't come to terms on an extension, the franchise tag route could also be an option. Henry's tag number sits at $18.6 million as opposed to the listed ~$12 million, due to his 2023 salary of $15.5 million. A player can’t take a pay cut on the franchise tag, so in this case it is 120% of his previous year's salary.
For the rest of the free agent market, a name to watch is Harrison Bryant. Bryant was the No. 2 tight end to David Njoku in the Cleveland Browns offense under Alex Van Pelt for the last four seasons, and although his numbers don’t jump off the page, the 25-year-old was efficient with his 13 catches in 2023 (hauling in three of them for touchdowns) and his familiarity with what Van Pelt wants to do on offense makes him a clear fit.
In the draft? The top dog is without question Georgia's Brock Bowers. The 6-foot-5 monster of a tight end will likely be selected in the top half of the first round, taking him out of New England's range. Names to watch for the Patriots could be Texas' Ja'Tavion Sanders, Kansas State's Ben Sinnott, and Ohio State's Cade Stover.
Q: Do you think the Patriots will draft a new kicker?
A: Patriots kicker Chad Ryland struggled as a rookie after being selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, hitting just 64% of his field goal attempts and just 50% from 40+ yards.
New special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer told us last week that he worked out Ryland last offseason during the pre-draft process while with the Rams and that he "know[s] the guy. I know his character. I know what kind of work habits that he has." He added: "It's definitely early in the process right now and trying to figure all that out as we plan for when those guys come back."
So could they really dip into the draft well again?
They certainly won't do it with as early of a pick as Ryland in 2023, but a name to watch could be Alabama's Will Reichard. Reichard was the First-Team All-SEC kicker in 2023, and is the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader after banging in 293 PATs and 82 FGs over five seasons in Tuscaloosa. He hit 88% of his field goal attempts this past season and was 5-for-5 from 50+ yards.
FWIW: I took him in the seventh round in my Post-Super Bowl Patriots Mock Draft 1.0.
Q: Who are some realistic offensive line trade candidates New England could trade for?
A: I'm going to workshop this question into my own as, while the Patriots desperately need help along the offensive line, they don't necessarily need to trade for one. There are plenty of talented offensive linemen on the free agent market or in the draft that won't cost any additional capital -- just cold hard cash or a draft pick. So who are some targets?
In free agency, the Patriots' No. 1 target should be in-house in Mike Onwenu. Onwenu recently fired his agents heading into his first shot at the NFL's open market, and could reportedly end up representing himself. The 2020 former sixth-round pick has started 56 games at both tackle and guard for the Patriots, showcasing his versatility and flexibility as an offensive lineman. The franchise tag route would cost New England $20,985,000 on a one-year deal.
Other free agent options include Jonah Williams and Tyron Smith.
In the draft, first round targets would be Notre Dame's Joe Alt and Penn State's Olu Fashanu. with later options being Houston's Patrick Paul, BYU's Kingsley Suamataia, and Arizona's Jordan Morgan.
Q: What should the Patriots do with the No. 3 overall pick? Trade up or down? Draft Jayden Daniels on Marvin Harrison Jr.?
A: The Patriots are going to have options with their first-round pick. Not only has it been reported that the Vikings have been in discussions with New England to trade up to the No. 3 pick, but it's also been floated by NBC Sports' Peter King (congrats to the GOAT on his retirement) that the Bears could trade out of the No. 1 pick.
Like I said, options. The Patriots could either trade up or trade back with seemingly willing partners.
So what should they do? I say stick at three and take your quarterback -- whether it be Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, or Drake Maye.
The Patriots have far too many holes to be trading the farm to acquire the No. 1 overall pick and with Alex Van Pelt saying last Wednesday that his offense is "not so much about scheme, [but] about the players and putting those people in position [to be successful]," that me they're ready to mold their system around whatever talented quarterback falls to them.
Q: What is the likelihood the Patriots explore a veteran QB becoming the set starter (ex.: Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo)?
A: There's also the chance they go with the "best player available" route and select a guy like Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. In this scenario, which could actually be pretty likely given Eliot Wolf's history and his father Ron's draft philosophy, perhaps they lean on a veteran to be their starting quarterback in 2024.
Those options would include, among others, Russell Wilson (who is likely to be released by the Broncos), Kirk Cousins (who is coming off of an torn Achilles), and Jimmy Garoppolo (who will be suspended for the first two games of the season for a PEDs violation).
Another is Baker Mayfield. And while all signs point to him re-signing with the Buccaneers, the former Oklahoma Sooner has a history with several members of the Patriots' organization. Wolf and executive Alonso Highsmith were among the brass who selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in Cleveland, and Alex Van Pelt was his coordinator for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
If he doesn't stay in Tampa, Mayfield to New England would make a lot of sense.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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