One of the somewhat under the radar moves that the Patriots made this offseason was signing wide receiver Jordan Matthews. Matthews reportedly had other offers worth more money but took a one-year one million dollar deal with the Patriots on a “prove it” type deal, which now looks like it is should pay off even more for both the Patriots and Mathews.
Matthews has been somewhat disappointing in his brief NFL career after being selected in the second round out of Vanderbilt by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2014 NFL Draft. Matthews best year came in 2015 where he finished with 85 receptions with 997 yards with 8 touchdown receptions. Coming out of college Matthews was best utilized as a slot receiver, where he was used primarily in 2015 before being moved to more of an outside receiver in 2016 where his numbers diminished slightly. Matthews was traded to Buffalo in the 2017 offseason in exchange for cornerback Ronald Darby, where he was plagued by injuries and finished with only 25 catches on the year.
With or without an Edelman suspension Matthews has the potential to put up big numbers for the Patriots as the teams number three receiver following the departure of Danny Amendola to Miami. Matthews is best utilized in the slot despite his size at 6’3 205 pounds and has the skill to step right in if he can learn the playbook and gain a familiarity with quarterback Tom Brady. Brady skipped the teams voluntary team workouts but reported this week for mandatory mini camp, and with the possible Edelman suspension looming it is pivotal that he gets in as much work possible with Matthews now and during training camp which is set to kick off at the end of July.
The 2018 NFL Draft is just over a week away and the Patriots still have some holes and needs on the roster that they will look to address in the draft. After a surprising trade that sent wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams, the Patriots now own two picks in the first and second rounds and own five of the first 95 picks in the draft.
This seven-round mock draft was conducted on FanSpeak.com using their mock draft simulator. I used the ‘Big Board’ rankings done by Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, with ‘NFL Mock’ for team needs, on the difficult draft setting. Some players may be ranked higher in other rankings and projections then were taken in this mock draft.
The Patriots linebacking core was terrible in 2017. The Patriots will benefit heavily from getting Dont’a Hightower back from injury in 2018, but is someone the Patriots can not rely on to stay healthy and even with Hightower returning and healthy the Pats could use an upgrade at the position. The Pats select another Alabama linebacker in Evans to pair with Hightower. Evans is extremely versatile and has the ability to play both inside and outside in the pros, as well as get after the quarterback and drop into coverage. Selecting Evans gives a great complimentary piece to Hightower, as well as gives the Patriots insurance if Hightower misses time again in the future. Evans had an official visit with the Patriots last week and is someone who is definitely on the Patriots radar.
I had the Patriots selecting Miller here in the first version of my mock draft and stick with him again here. Following the departure of left tackle Nate Solder tackle immediately becomes one of the biggest needs for the Patriots, despite the team re-signing LaAdrian Waddle in free agency. Waddle filled in nicely last year at right tackle for Marcus Cannon, but is not a full-time starter. Miller can step in right away and protect the blindside of quarterback Tom Brady. Miller has good size and arm length similar to Solder which will help him defend speed rushers off the edge. 2017 third-round pick Tony Garcia is reported to be getting healthier after missing all of the 2017 season due to having blood clots in his lungs and the Patriots could defer to take a tackle later on in the draft if they believe in Garcia, but I have them taking Miller here who can step in and start right away. Miller visited with the Patriots last week and wouldn’t be surprising to see his name called by the Patriots on Day One of the NFL Draft.
via mlive.com
Round 2 Pick 43: Maurice Hurst, Defensive Line, Michigan
Let me start off by saying that I do not think Hurst will be available at this pick, hell I don’t even think Hurst be around at 23 if were being honest but it’s the way the simulator goes and if for some reason Hurst was available here the Patriots should run up the stage with the draft card with his name on it. As a Michigan fan I’ve watched a lot of Hurst over the past few years and he is an absolute monster on the defensive line. His speed and explosiveness allows him to go through an offensive line with ease and disrupt plays in the backfield. Hurst also has the ability to play inside or outside due to his combination of size and speed. Would be small for a true interior defensive lineman listed at 6’2 282 pounds, but has size flexibility to gain weight to his frame to become more of an interior player or stay where he’s at or slim down and play primarily on the outside and move inside on third down and passing situations. Hurst did have a medical condition for an irregular heartbeat at the NFL Combine but was cleared medically prior to his pro day.
via fullpresscoverage.com
Round 2 Pick 63: Mike Gesicki, Tight End, Penn State
While I believe that Rob Gronkowski will return to the Patriots for 2018 his status is currently unknown. Even if Gronkowski returns, Gesicki is an improvement from Jacob Hollister and Dwayne Allen, the latter who still could be released from the Patriots and save the team $5 million in cap space, as well as be a nice compliment to Gronkowski in the passing game. Gesicki has good size listed at 6’5 247 pounds, and had a great combine running a 4.54 40-yard dash. While Gesicki isn’t polished as a blocker he has great hands and route running ability, which could allow the Patriots to draft Gesicki and still keep Allen, who was used primarily as a blocker last season.
The big question of who is going to be Tom Brady’s successor has finally been answered in Richmond quarterback Kyle Lauletta. Lauletta could end up going earlier than this due to the need of quarterbacks around the league, and the reported Patriots interest in Lauletta earlier in the draft process and offseason. Lauletta was the MVP of the Senior Bowl and has drawn comparisons to Jimmy Garoppolo, primarily due to the two both being quarterbacks from the FCS and some similarities in their play style. If Belichick sees Lauletta as a similar player to Garoppolo you could see the Patriots, and other teams attempt to move up earlier in the draft to select him. There were reports that the Patriots were the team most interested in Lamar Jackson, and while I think Jackson is a great player do not want the Patriots selecting a quarterback too early in the draft, especially with the team likely having to move up in the first round to select Jackson.
via standard.net
Round 6 Pick 198: Taron Johnson, Cornerback, Weber State
Cornerback looked to be a big need for the Patriots after Malcolm Butler signed with the Tennessee Titans and the Patriots missed out on top guys on the market such as Aqib Talib and Richard Sherman. The Patriots then made a call to their farm system the Cleveland Browns to acquire Jason McCourty, which doesn’t make corner as big an area of need for the Patriots. Johnson player both outside and in the slot during his time at Weber State, but projects as more of an inside corner in the pros due to his size. Johnson has good ball skills having 42 passes broken up during his time at Weber State and could push Cyrus Jones for a roster spot if the former second-round pick doesn’t show signs of improvement.
via azcentral.com
Round 6 Pick 210: Christian Sam, Linebacker, Arizona State
Patriots go linebacker again in the sixth round taking Christian Sam, who is a slightly undersized linebacker but has the ability to play inside and outside linebacker. Sam is a good coverage linebacker which is something the Patriots lacked last season and can help fill a role on defense and is someone who always seems to be around the ball. Sam is another player who has had an official visit with the Patriots prior to the draft.
The Patriots lost Dion Lewis in free agency but retained Rex Burkhead as well as signed Jeremy Hill in the offseason which doesn’t make running back a huge need. Edmonds was an extremely productive four year starter at the FCS level but dealt with some injuries during his time in college. The Patriots could take a flyer on him late to see how he translates from the FCS.
The Patriots have lost some key contributors from their 2017 team in the early stages of the NFL offseason so far in players such as Nate Solder, Dion Lewis, Malcolm Butler and Danny Amendola; and could still lose several other contributors as the offseason goes on.
This seven round mock draft was conducted on FanSpeak.com using their mock draft simulator. Some players may be ranked higher in some rankings and projections then were taken in this mock draft.
Following the departure of left tackle Nate Solder tackle immediately becomes one of the biggest needs for the Patriots, as they could still also lose both LaAdrian Waddle and Cameron Fleming to free agency. Miller can step in right away and protect the blindside of quarterback Tom Brady. Miller has good size and arm length similar to Solder which will help him defend speed rushers off the edge. The Patriots added tackle Matt Tobin in free agency who as part of an abysmal Seattle Seahawks offensive line last season, and drafted Tony Garcia last year in the third round who missed his whole rookie season due to blood clots. Garcia’s status and health is currently unknown and Miller can step in and start right away.
via idahopress.com
Round 2 pick 43: Leighton Vander Esch, linebacker, Boise State
The Patriots linebacking core was terrible in 2017. The Patriots will benefit heavily from getting Dont’a Hightower back from injury in 2018, but is someone the Patriots can not rely on to stay healthy. Vander Esch has very good size at 6’4 250lbs which will allow him to play both inside and outside in the NFL, but projects best as in inside linebacker in the NFL. Vander Esch can be a great compliment to Hightower and also gives the Patriots insurance at linebacker if Hightower misses time again in the future and is a big improvement over guys like Elandon Roberts, Marquis Flowers and Kyle Van Noy.
via tulsaworld.com
Round 2 pick 62: Mark Andrews, tight end, Oklahoma
While I believe that Rob Gronkowski will return to the Patriots for 2018 his status is currently unknown. Even if Andrews returns he is an improvement from Jacob Hollister and Dwayne Allen, who still could be released from the Patriots and save the team $5 million in cap space, as well as be a nice compliment to Gronkowski in the passing game, Andrews has great size and was a big red zone threat during his time at Oklahoma. Andrews weakness is that he isn’t a great blocker and is primarily just a pass catcher on offense. Because of this the Patriots could look to keep Allen even if they draft Andrews, who is a great blocking tight end but was practically invisible in the passing game last season.
via Georgia.247sports.com
Round 3 pick 95: Lorenzo Carter, edge rusher, Georgia
Carter has great size at 6’6 250lbs for an edge rusher and had a very good showing at the NFL Combine running a 4.50 40 yard dash. Edge Rusher is a need for the Patriots but I don’t put it at the top of lists for things they need. Trey Flowers had a good season last year and rookie Deatrich Wise showed signs of promise. The Patriots will also get back Derek Rivers who missed his entire rookie season last year after tearing his ACL in training camp, and I expect the team to bring back James Harrison on a veterans minimum deal. The team has also signed defensive end Adrian Clayborne to a two-year deal. Carter will have time to learn and fill out his frame more as well as be able to contribute as a pass rusher on third downs for the Patriots and give the team another nice piece to have for the future.
via WalterFootball.com
Round 4 pick 136: Tarvarus McFadden, cornerback, Florida State
Cornerback looked to be a big need for the Patriots after Malcolm Butler signed with the Tennessee Titans and the Patriots missed out on top guys on the market such as Aqib Talib and Richard Sherman. The Patriots then made a call to their farm system the Cleveland Browns to acquire Jason McCourty before the team released him. McFadden has good size at 6’2 and has very good ball skills. McFadden could use more time to develop and cornerback isn’t a big need for the Patriots right now with Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty, Eric Rowe, Jonathan Jones and Cyrus Jones on the roster but could look to add another corner in the draft.
via nflmocks.com
Round 6 pick 185: Jaylen Samuels, North Carolina State
Samuels seems like a player that the Patriots would value and love. During his time at N.C. State Samuels spent time at running back, fullback, wide receiver and tight end. His versatility on offense is something that Bill Belichick would fall in love with. These rankings had him listed as a running back, but other rankings have him listed as a tight end so it’s tough to project what position he will play in the NFL, if he’d even have a true defined position. With the losses of Amendola and Lewis someone like Samuels could have value and step into numerous roles in the Patriots offense, or spend time on the practice squad and work on developing a defined position rather than being a Swiss army knife on offense.
It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if the Patriots didn’t address the Quarterback position at all in this years draft. It also wouldn’t surprise me at all if they took someone they liked earlier on in the draft. Right now you have to think that Tom Brady has at least three more years left and Brian Hoyer is a more than capable backup QB. The Patriots met with Litton at the NFL Combine and seems to be someone they could have some interest in if they do want to address the quarterback position in the draft, but as of right now they have other holes and needs to fill.
Butler states that he did not violate any curfew, or any other actions that have been rumored to have happened. This strengthens my argument and belief even more that Belichick made a personal decision to not play Butler other than one snap on the punt team. Belichick sat back and saw guys like Eric Rowe, Johnson Bademosi and Jordan Richards struggle, but Belichick wouldn’t put his pride or ego away for the betterment of the team, and played a huge factor in why the Patriots ultimately lost the game. Belichick is known for “not putting one player above the team” but this is exactly what he did, but with himself. He put himself and what he wanted to do over what was best for the team, which was playing Malcolm Butler. And the most notable person to like this post so far, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, which is notable especially following the Seth Wickersham ESPN article that came out stating that Brady and Belichick had problems with one another.
Butler put out this statement so that his name would not be damaged due to the rumors that have been coming out about him, and this statement makes me believe even more that this as a personal decision made by Bill Belichick and his decision is why the Patriots lost the Super Bowl.
I’m sure there will be more to come out with this story, as well as several others over the upcoming weeks, and this will be a Patriots offseason like one we have never seen before.
Listen to @WIckedLitRadio Super Bowl Reaction Podcast for a full recap and thoughts on the Malcolm Butler situation and the game itself.
The Patriots lost Super Bowl 52 in heartbreaking fashion losing 41-33 to the Philadelphia Eagles. Tom Brady and the offense played great, Brady put up 505 passing yards to go along with three passing touchdowns. The defense in the other hand was absolutely abysmal. This was one of the worst defensive performances I’ve ever seen, and the big key to this was the absence of cornerback Malcolm Butler.
Butler was seen crying during the singing of the National Anthem, and most people didn’t really think much of it. The game then starts and Butler is not on the field for the opening play, and then the opening drive, and then the entire first quarter, and so on. Butler did not receive a single defensive snap the entire game and when asked why Butler was not on the field coach Bill Belichick replied “Have guys out there that best help us win”. REALLY?!?!?!?!?! Eric Rowe, Johnson Bademosi, and Jordan Richards are the best guys for the team? Not the corner back who played 97.8 percent of snaps this season, and 3,125 out of 3,195 over the past three seasons? Butler had his struggles this year I’ll admit that, but he’s much much better than the other three players listed. Playing Butler was what was best for the team, not playing Butler was in the best interest of Belichick’s pride and ego.
What’s yet to be known is the real reason why Butler didn’t play a single defensive snap this game. It’s been rumored that Belichick hasn’t been as high on Butler over the past year and a half and during Butler’s contract negotiations. Butler wanted and thought he was worth a certain amount of money and Belichick thought otherwise. I think this was Belichick the GM making the decision over Belichick the coach, pretty much saying to Butler “You wouldn’t take my offer now you’re going to sit in the Super Bowl and lose value not only here but elsewhere. We have guys who can step in and replace you.” and clearly he was wrong. Whether its due to money or any other reason Belichick has a personal vendetta against Butler, he thought he could sit Butler and be perfectly fine with Richards, Rowe and Bademosi, and he was wrong. Belichick saw these guys constantly getting beat wouldn’t put Butler into the game.Bill wanted to prove that he was right and that he was smarter and better than everyone else and guess what, he was wrong.
Could this be a potential shot at Patriots owner Robert Kraft with the reported power struggle in New England between Belichick, Brady and Kraft? It was reported that Belichick did not want to trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo earlier this season and that it was a decision that was made by Robert Kraft, could this be Bill’s way of trying to fire back at Kraft and that he’s the one who is in control and sitting Butler be a message? You didn’t want Jimmy here so you shipped him out, I don’t want to play Malcolm so I’m going to sit him in the Super Bowl.
The fallout from this move will be interesting to see in the upcoming weeks. During post game interviews you could see the frustration in Patriots defensive players faces when asked about Malcolm Butler not playing, but did their best to answer the questions in typical Patriots fashion and not discussing much. Im sure their will be a lot of information to come out over the following days and weeks and a lot more storylines, but one thing that I know is that the ego and pride of Bill Belichick cost the Patriots the Super Bowl.
Follow along to @WickedLitRadio on Twitter and Instagram to listen to the Super Bowl post game Podcast .
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been suspended for one game for his late hit on Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White in Sunday’s victory.
The controversial hit has been discussed over the past 24 hours and has been a big debate on whether Gronkowski should be suspended or not, personally I do not think that Gronkowski should be suspended I also don’t think that Gronkowski should appeal the decision. Following the game Gronkowski delivered an apology to White, saying that he was frustrated with the officiating, which was absolutely terrible, and said that he isn’t a dirty player and doesn’t try playing like a dirty player. Gronkowski has no previous history of being a cheap player or making dirty hits on the field, unlike someone like Vontaze Burfict who has a history of being a cheap and dirty player and has been suspended games before for his play. Gronkowski retaliated to both the referees and to White in a way that he shouldn’t have after White should have been called for defensive holding and pass interference on that play and for calls that Gronkowski wasn’t getting all day as well as a terrible pass interference call against Gronkowski earlier on in the game, Gronkowski shouldn’t have done what he had, no doubts about it but a one game suspension for a player with no history of being a cheap player seems a bit excessive.
I compare this situation to the AJ Green-Jalen Ramsey fight that happened several weeks ago; where after the play was dead Green had picked up Ramsey from behind in a choke hold and slammed him to the ground and proceeded to throw punches at Ramsey. Both Green and Ramsey were ejected for the incident, Green was later fined for the incident and Ramsey was not. While the situations are similar they are also different; but to me it seems like because Green was ejected from the game he was not suspended, Gronkowski was not ejected from the game so he is being suspended. Like Gronkowski, Green is a player who does not have a history of cheap plays and was given a large fine for his actions, like he should have been. That fact that the refs didn’t eject Gronkowski should be on them and not taken out on Gronkowski and force him to miss a separate game, the suspension makes it seem like it is a make-up call for something the refs missed.
With all this being said why I don’t think Gronkowski should be suspended for a game, I don’t think he should appeal the suspension either. The game that Gronkowski will miss is a Monday night game against Miami in Miami, the same team the Patriots beat 35-17 just one week ago and won with ease. While the Patriots offense is obviously better with Gronkowski in it, they should still be able to beat Miami without much problems without Gronkowski. Following Miami, the Patriots travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers for a game which will likely determine who the number one seed in the AFC will be and who will get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The game in Pittsburgh is a far more valuable game for the Patriots and Gronkowski, especially since Pittsburgh is a team that Gronkowski has absolutely destroyed throughout his career. In five games against the Steelers Gronkowski has piled up 30 receptions for 496 yards and eight touchdowns, including two separate three touchdown games.
Gronkowski has three days to file the appeal of his suspension, and is Gronkowski does appeal it is unknown when the decision on his appeal would be made. If the appeal decision isn’t made before the weekend and pushed into the following week and it’s lost Gronkowski would then be forced to miss the game against Pittsburgh. Gronkowski could very well win his appeal or even hear news before this weeks game, but is it worth the risk? I don’t think it is and if I’m Gronkowski and the Patriots though I don’t think I should be suspended, I take it to make sure that once the matchup with Pittsburgh comes the team will be at their best with Gronkowski on the field.
Listen to Bill and Patrick discuss the Patriots vs. Dolphins game, the current state of the NFL and how the Celtics have been playing post win streak on http://wickedlitradio.fireside.fm/15
The Patriots have officially traded backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. This trade comes as a major surprise to just about everyone, especially after the Patriots did not trade Garoppolo during the 2017 offseason or NFL Draft. There were reports all offseason and even on draft night that the Cleveland Browns had major interest in acquiring the quarterback, but the Patriots did not want to move on from Garoppolo. There were even some rumors and reports claiming that the Browns were willing to trade two first-round draft picks to acquire the Patriots backup.
There are a few different ways you could look at this trade; don’t like that the Patriots traded Garoppolo in general, don’t like how they didn’t trade him for the rumored Cleveland deal during the last NFL offseason, or happy that they moved on from Garoppolo and still at least get something for him. Consider me part of the latter two. Garoppolo’s trade value was never going to be higher than it was this past NFL offseason after playing a good six quarters against the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins during Tom Brady’s four-game suspension, and he had one year left on his deal. The Patriots could have moved on from Garoppolo then and potentially could have gotten more in a deal, they didn’t. Belichick coveted Garoppolo and talked great about him all offseason to the point you didn’t think he was trying to drive up trade value, you got the sense that Belichick believed in Garoppolo and him potentially being the quarterback of the future for the Patriots.
The question then comes to why trade Garoppolo now? Many reasons, the biggest likely being the play of Tom Brady, who at 40-years old has shown no signs of regressing and seems to be getting better with age. Another reason could be maybe the team has had talks with Garoppolo and his agent Don Yee that could have gone bad where maybe Garoppolo said he didn’t want to be in New England after the year and wouldn’t sign an extension with the team or wouldn’t sign the franchise tag if it was given to him by the team in the offseason; which wouldn’t allow the team to trade him, ultimately making him a free agent following the 2018 season and the team getting nothing for him. And then there’s the reality that the Patriots are banged up on both sides of the football and that they likely need to make a move before the trade deadline at 4pm on Tuesday. The Patriots only had five draft picks for the upcoming 2018 NFL Draft prior to the Garoppolo deal, making it hard to move any of their current picks to acquire players in any potential trade. The only way to get more assets is to give up one of your own, and the Patriots had a great one to give up just sitting on their bench. I fully expect the Patriots to make another big move before the trade deadline, either giving up their own first round pick or the pick they acquired from San Francisco, which will likely end up being number 33 or 34 overall.
I was never a big Garoppolo fan or a believer that he was the quarterback of the future. I thought he could have and should have played last year following the AC Joint injury in his shoulder because he was fighting for a job, if not here than somewhere. People make the argument “he had a good six quarters” and that’s all it was, six quarters. People also often forget about the four bad quarters he had against Buffalo in the 2014 season finale, though I even give him some benefit of the doubt there that he had more time to learn and develop. But what about the struggles every year in training camp and preseason that he had? I never saw what other people did in Garoppolo where he was going to be a great NFL quarterback, I think he would and will probably be good but he won’t be great. I LOVE this trade because you’re still getting something for him while you can, and I think what you got will turn into something else before the 4pm trade deadline on Tuesday.
PS: Brady for five more years!!!
PPS: Former Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer was just released as I’m writing this, guarantee he will be signed as the Patriots backup.
Just when the Patriots defense starts to take a step forward in their play, they just took two steps backwards with the news that linebacker Dont’a Hightower will miss the rest of the season due to a torn pectoral muscle. Hightower is not only the leader on defense, but also the team’s top player at their weakest position which is linebacker. The team will have some decisions to make on how they go about replacing their star linebacker, whether it be through inside the organization or outside of it through a trade or signing someone off the streets.
The productivity and level of play that Hightower gives, the Patriots likely won’t be able to replace with just one player and might have to make several roster moves going forward. One move that the team is almost certain to make is removing linebacker Shea McClellin off of the injured reserve list when he is eligible to be taken off. The first game McClellin would be eligible to play in is on November 12th against the Denver Broncos following the team’s bye week. McClellin’s presence should help the Patriots linebackers in coverage against backs and tight ends, an area where the team has struggled mightily this season. Given the lack of depth at the linebacker position McClellin should be able to step in and contribute right away.
One thing that might be overlooked with the Hightower injury is his pass rushing ability and how this affects the defensive line. The Patriots really only have two true defensive ends and pass rushers in Trey Flowers and Deatrich Wise Jr., as well as Cassius Marsh who has goes into the game in certain third down situations but is primarily a special team’s player. Kyle Van Noy has the ability to rush the passer but doesn’t quite have the consistency and skill of Hightower of getting after the quarterback. The Patriots could turn to a couple of familiar faces to help in this aspect of the defense including Rob Ninkovich, who announced his retirement this summer but didn’t 100 percent rule out a possible comeback, and free agent Akeem Ayers who was a member of the Patriots 2014 Super Bowl team and is someone the team worked out at the beginning of the season. It is unknown what either guy has left in the tank and what they would be able to contribute, but their knowledge of the defense would allow them to be able to step in and contribute right away.
While its unknown what players could be on the trade block, someone who the Patriots could be interested in is also another familiar face in Jonathan Casillas. Like Ayers, Casillas was acquired by the Patriots mid-season in 2014 and was part of the Super Bowl Champion team and has familiarity with the defense. Following the 2014 Casillas signed with the New York Giants, with whom he still plays for, but with their 1-6 record they could look to trade some players and rebuild in the offseason. If available Casillas is someone I would expect the Patriots to look into before the trade deadline October 31st.
Your NFL news. A few laughs and hard nosed opinions and facts. What more could you want? It's a one stop shop.
NFL News, as it happens, when it happens. Your one stop shop. 