Busy week, what with the scouting combine and the mother of all storms. I had travel plans completely fouled up by that blizzard, and ended up getting rebooked on another airline three days later than the day originally scheduled. That led me to ask the simple question: Why do I live here? I blame my parents (isn’t that who we’re always supposed to blame?) Don’t feel too bad for me. I was stuck someplace warm, hence the brilliant tan. Golden god-ish if you ask me. But I did miss my insane dog, so there’s that.
Anyway, thought I’d pull a handful of quotes from this week’s press avails with Eliot Wolf and Mike Vrabel and give you my take.
Wolf on the roster: “We're going to explore every avenue to try to improve the team. We filled a lot of needs last year, and we're still building. We have areas that maybe we feel good about the starters, but maybe the depth is not where we want it to be. We have areas where we maybe need to add a starter. So, I think it's going to be sort of a holistic approach...”
Later, he added, “We're all aware that we have more work to do on the roster, and so I don't think that the fact that we made the Super Bowl does anything other than possibly make us a more attractive destination for free agents. So again, we were attractive before because of Drake and because of coach Vrabel, and now that we've established a winning culture that we hope we can maintain, it makes us even more attractive."
- Eliot, you’re making my point (I did that in my best Glenn Ordwayvoice). This is the message I’ve been passing along to you all year. The Patriots don’t want to use the word "rebuild," but they had a lot of work to do, especially given how the drafts went in 2022, 2023, and 2024 (with a few exceptions). That they ended up in the Super Bowl didn’t change that. The roster needs work. Maybe less than Wolf (and company) thought coming into this past season, but there are areas of need, and they get their second crack at addressing them during this free agency/draft cycle, and I would argue this is just as important a stretch as it was a year ago, even if they don’t spend nearly the same kind of money.
Wolf on Christian Barmore: "Christian has grown up quite a bit, and we continue to help him with that. And he continues to want to make improvements in that area. So, yeah, he's continued to improve on the field. He had a little bit of a lull in the middle of the season there. He wasn't playing quite as well, but kicked it up again at the end, and continues to be a key cog in there for us."
- If Barmore grew up, I certainly didn’t see it during his interactions with the media. That’s not the be-all and end-all, and I’m not foolish enough to think that it is. The most important thing is how he conducts himself in the building with the coaches, support staff, and teammates. But what I saw didn’t speak to the level of maturity you’re hoping for when you outlay as much cash as the Pats have and will - assuming they don’t move on this offseason.
- Barmore can be a dominating presence on the interior and certainly formed an effective duo with Milton Williams. But there remain inconsistencies (more than Wolf admitted) both in his play and his attitude. So, between that and the off-field issues - he has that pending court case - the Pats are walking a fine line. It speaks to that Vrabel quote from last spring: ”You can’t win - you can’t do what we want to do - with just a bunch of good dudes.” That’s the nature of this beast. If Vrabel believes they have a good handle on the player, you continue with him because the talent is real. But if there are questions, given the way the contract is structured, this is the time to pull the ripcord.
Vrabel on Kyle Williams: “The transition in that position from year one to year two can be pretty special. Just, it's a lot for these guys. They go from the combine and the Combine training to maybe not running as many routes or understanding defense, and once they get out there and training camp, they realize, like, this isn't the combine. Coverage has changed. Things that look like man coverage now become zone coverage, and things that are zone coverage now become match coverage. There's just a lot of volume for that particular position. And so excited to see where guys like Kyle Williams go from year one to year two, and just his development and his growth mentally and physically.”
So does he think Williams can become a #1? “Well, I'm not gonna say that. I just know that I'm excited about seeing where he goes from year one to year two. It's a fantastic place. The ability to adjust down the field on the deep ball. He's got really good release skills. You saw what the crossing route was against Tampa Bay, and his ability to create an X play that was maybe a 10 or 12-yard pass. So I'm not going to sit there and say, Oh, these guys, it's going to be the number one receiver, edge rusher, like we're just excited that he's with us, and what he showed us, and his attitude was fantastic, and we'll have to help him reach his potential.”
- This was about as excited as Vrabel got during his series of interviews (podium, off the side, Pro Football Talk, etc) about a single player. As he said, that doesn’t mean he’s predicting Williams to be the next breakout star, but clearly, he feels there was enough on tape - even if it just came in flashes - to believe the young receiver has a chance to be far more impactful next year than this past one. Then the question becomes: does that impact how they approach the draft? There are a number of players (KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston) that have been connected to the Pats at the tail end of round one, but would a belief in Williams push them in another direction, not just on day one, but perhaps day two as well? Just file Vrabel’s comments away for two months from now, when their actions will either back that statement, or if he was just blowing smoke just in case.
NEVER ENDS...
Since the moment Vrabel arrived in Foxborough, the fan base and local media have pegged AJ Brownas a future Patriot, even doing so last year when the financial ramifications from such a trade made less than zero sense for the Eagles. Hey, why let the facts get in the way of a good story?
But after another year in which he expressed dissatisfaction with the Philly offense, the Brown chatter hasn’t dissipated a lick. While the Eagles insist they want as many good players on their team as possible, you do have to wonder whether Brown being their second-best wideout last season (behind DeVonta Smith) has changed their thinking, even though, once again, a trade would be costly from a cap perspective. Still, GM Howie Rosemandidn’t throw cold water on the idea.
“I think you go into the league year listening to offers for everything and anything,” Roseman said. “If someone is going to give you something you didn’t anticipate and you won’t even have the conversation, I don’t think you’re necessarily doing your job or really servicing the team you’re with.
“You never know what someone is willing to do. Certainly, we’ve been in situations where there were guys we didn’t anticipate trading that we got an offer that was too good, and then you balance it with what you can get there.
“Without getting into specifics on any player, we’re always listening, and we’re always kind of open. There are very few things that I would shoot down without even hearing what that means, because how does it hurt to listen?”
Brown actually had more catches this past year than the season before (78 to 67 in ‘24), but his yards per catch dropped significantly (16.1 to 12.9). He’s not old - Brown turns 29 this summer - but as has been reported by Albert Breer, there was concern about his knee back when the Titans traded him, and I can’t imagine that’s improved now several years further into his career.
“He’s not the same guy he was,” a defensive coach in the NFC told me this week. “I don’t see the same kind of explosiveness. But for one year? He could be an upgrade over Diggs, if that’s the kind of receiver they want.”
Brown is due $29 million in cash for the upcoming season, most of it paid via an option bonus that becomes guaranteed on March 14. Per Over the Cap, cutting Brown would be foolish. Trading him? “The cost... on the cap prior to June 2nd would be $48.939 million. That would be a $25.5 million loss in cap room for the team. They would also get a $5.5 million cap credit in 2027.”
If Philly waits until the summer to deal him, it’s $22 million in dead money this year and $21.6 million the next. Thus, were a transaction to happen, it feels like post-June 2 is the sweet spot for the Eagles. Would the Pats be willing to wait (they could, in theory, have a deal in place)? That might be too risky a proposition, especially if they decide to move on from Stefon Diggs.
We do know Vrabel speaks highly of Brown every time he's asked, included this week:
"I've watched him grow," he said of their relationship. "I've watched him mature. I'm proud of him, proud of the father that he is. I'm proud of the husband. That has nothing to do with where he plays or where he played. Those are the things that are important. We reach out and text each other during the good things that happen to each other. Sometimes things don't go so well for the people that you're close with, and you text for those as well. It's a two-way street of support and reminders of what got us to where we are here today."
NOW OR NEVER?
It doesn’t sound like the Buffalo Bills are counting on former second-rounder Keon Coleman to be the answer to their wide receiver prayers.
His first two seasons have been littered with a litany of focus issues, including an inability to be on time (I mean, what are you doing, kid?). Former Bills head coach Sean McDermott made Coleman inactive for several games, and while McDermott’s no longer there, the man who drafted him, GM Brandon Beane, is.
“Some of the things we’ve talked about is just, it’s the maturity. It’s the off-the-field. That can get in the way,” Beane said. “I’ve been in this league 28 — this will be 29 — seasons. I’ve seen that many times get in the way of people’s opportunities to grow, and not only on the field, but to expand their net worth off the field. And so that is kind of the challenge to Keon.”
Coleman does have someone in power in his corner. That would be new head coach Joe Brady, who I’m told pushed to draft Coleman in the first place (someone ought to tell Bills owner Terry Pegula that). At his introductory press conference, Brady said his hiring is “the best thing that could have happened” for the 6’4” wideout.
That draft was thought to be chock full of receivers, and a bunch went in the late first, early second round. Jury’s still out, but thus far, the group has been mostly underwhelming.
28. Xavier Worthy (KC, but only after they traded with Buffalo): 101 catches, 1,170 yards, 7 TDs. Plagued by injuries. 31. Ricky Pearsall (SF): 67 catches, 928 yards, 3 TDs. Injuries 32. Xavier Legette (Carolina): 84 catches, 860 yards, 7 TDs. Injuries and drops. 33. Coleman (Buffalo): 67 catches, 960 yards, 8 TDs 34. Ladd McConkey (LAC, from NE): 148 catches, 1,938 yards, 13 TDs 37. Ja’Lynn Polk (NE, since traded to NO): 12 catches, 87 yards, 2 TDs. Injured and generally clueless. 52. Adonai Mitchell (Indy, since traded to NYJ): 56 catches, 765 yards, 2 TDs. Drops.
Let that be a cautionary tale for those who think the Pats drafting a receiver at the back end of the first round can immediately makeover that room.
BREADCRUMBS
First off, Joe Schoen wants you to know “he’s still the general manager” of the New York Giants. Perhaps in title, but the addition of John Harbaughand the reorganization of the team’s reporting structure - Harbaugh answers to ownership, not Schoen - has certainly lessened Schoen’s power.
However, he remains the point man for all negotiations and had a revealing comment about Kayvon Thibodeauxduring his press conference on Tuesday in Indianapolis.
“Right now, Kayvon is going to be with us,” Schoen said. “He played well. He’s going into his fifth year, and he’s motivated. You can’t have enough pass rushers. You really can’t. I’m proud of the development and the maturation of Kayvon. He’s come a long way. Expect big things out of him next year with that rotation.”
Right now. Hard to hear that and not think the ‘For Sale’ sign has been posted in the front yard. In fact, those that I've talked to in Indianapolis believe the Giants have made it known league-wide that Thibodeaux is available. He is set to play under his fifth-year option, which the team picked up last spring. That’s just shy of $15 million for the former top-5 pick. But he’s third on the edge depth chart, behind highly-compensated Brian Burns and last year’s number 3 overall pick, Abdul Carter. The Giants' cap situation isn’t bleak, but moving on from Thibodeaux would make player acquisition a little easier, and they got offers at the deadline last fall.
“We got calls on him,” Schoen said. “Kayvon was probably one of the more popular ones. Having just got (to the combine) and haven’t really talked to anybody, I haven’t heard anything yet. But my job as the general manager is, if people come and they ask if we’d be interested in trading, if we’re interested in their players — you take into consideration everything. It doesn’t mean we’re going to do it, but we’re always going to listen.”
League sources are all over the joint when it comes to what Thibodeaux could actually fetch the Giants, but considering he’s coming off a career-low 2.5 sacks in ‘25, it appears unlikely that he’d command more than a third-round pick.
ODDS AND ENDS
- The Cowboys indicated that they are perfectly fine with wideout George Pickensplaying under the franchise tag ($28 million). Probably the wise move, considering his past history (discipline, lateness, giving up on plays). Pickens would have been a fascinating case study had he, in fact, gotten to free agency. How much would teams have been willing to spend, and what would the contract language look like (to protect from said transgressions)?
- Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey wants $10 million per season. That’s $3.6 million more than the highest-paid kicker in the game, KC’s Harrison Butker.
"It's been a journey," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jonessaid, "but we hadn't been able to get to a point where we can all agree, so it hadn't gotten done. But we'd love to get him done."
Aubrey will be a restricted free agent without an agreement, and the Cowboys are likely to place a second-round tender on him. They would have the right of first refusal on his services if someone else offers him a contract, and if Dallas lets him sign elsewhere, they would get the 2nd round pick from whoever inked the kicker to that deal.
- Sean Payton is surrendering playcalling to new offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Webb got a lot of attention during the coaching cycle, even interviewing for head jobs in Las Vegas and Buffalo.
“I think he’ll be really good at it,” Payton said. “I know that’s like, ‘Man, are you going to give up play calling?’ I would only do that if I felt like it would help our team. I’ll still be involved with what we do offensively, just like I do with what we do defensively, but I do think he has a gift. I think he’s real sharp. I’m glad he’s on our staff. Typically, any decision we make like that is to benefit our team. Listen, I’m looking forward to it.”
Payton, being Payton, still said he’ll call “some plays” on gameday.
- Could Trent Williams and the 49ers be headed toward a breakup? Williams is entering the final year of a three-year, $82.7 million contract that has no guaranteed money remaining. He has a large cap hit ($38.8 million), and SF owes Williams an option bonus of $10 million on April 1. GM John Lynchwould like to lower that number, but Williams is not one to give up anything without getting something in return. And considering he was a second-team All-Pro, the 38-year-old still has considerable leverage.
