1. Everyone knows it's very likely the Patriots will be drafting a quarterback in this April's draft to potentially be Tom Brady's successor, whenever he decides to retire. Even though it's been just two weeks since Super Bowl LII, some have been trying to connect the Patriots to some quarterbacks, but it's just too early in the process to do this. Sure, watching tape of the possibilities is a valuable exercise, but there's much, much more that will go into it. Replacing Brady is no easy task, and it is going to take more than just a talented football player. Maybe equally important is how can the player handle the pressure, media scrutiny, etc. This will be discovered in meetings with the player and talking with those close to him. The first step of this process will begin at the NFL combine Feb. 27-March 5, as the Patriots will interview multiple quarterbacks and then continue the process at pro days and pre-draft visits. Keep an eye on who the Patriots meet with both at the combine and at pro days. This will give more insight on who the Patriots are connected to, even more so than who looks the best on tape.
2. One of the biggest needs the Patriots have is at the edge rusher position, but don't expect the team to make a huge splash at the position in free agency because it doesn't make sense. They have a few young players already in place — Trey Flowers, Deatrich Wise, Derek Rivers and Harvey Langi — so it's more about providing a stop-gap to give these players a year or two to grow into their roles. For this reason, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Bill Belichick go after a veteran with only a few more years left in his career. This would be much cheaper than overspending for a pass rusher in the prime of his career, but also be the best route for the team. One name that comes to mind: Julius Peppers, or even perhaps bringing back James Harrison.
3. It wouldn't be surprising if Brady gets a contract extension this offseason. Typically, he's received them when he has two years left on his deal, which is the case this offseason, as he's currently signed through 2019. Another reason to do it is to lower his cap hit for this coming season, which is currently $22 million. It's also $22 million next year. There's no guarantee Brady will play out the length of a potential extension, but what it would do is lower his cap hit so the team can have more money to address other positions of need.
4. Speaking of Brady, perhaps the reported meeting with Belichick and Robert Kraft may occur very soon, if it hasn't already happened. Brady was in Costa Rica for a family wedding this past week, and with all that happened the week following the season with Josh McDaniels, there likely wasn't enough time for the three to sit down and address the tension that occurred this past season. If the meeting hasn't already happened, expect it to happen soon.
5. It's no surprise the WWE is making such a strong push at Rob Gronkowski, but don't expect it to happen. Just say it offers the tight end $5 million a year for three years, Gronkowski could likely make just below that in one NFL season. For a player who loves football as much as he does, how could he walk away from playing a few more years with the greatest quarterback to ever play the game? The retirement talk just doesn't add up. This isn't a knock against the WWE for going after him, but it just doesn't seem likely to happen.
6. The Patriots will need to replace two members of the coaching staff, as defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is now the head coach of the Lions, and assistant special teams coach Ray "Bubba" Ventrone is the new special teams coach of the Colts. The coaching staff typically gets announced in mid-March, so it's likely another month until official word comes out.
7. For those wondering when Belichick will address the media next, it likely won't be for awhile. Most teams have their GMs and head coaches speak at the combine, but Belichick has rarely spoken at the event in recent years. The next likely time is the NFL owners' meetings, which are at the end of March following free agency. Although, many might remember Belichick didn't last year, as he was out recruiting.
