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It was a busy few days, so there was no time to write a weekend piece here. Instead, I took listener questions — mostly about the first few days of free agency — for a solo podcast. Specifically about:
• The guys New England lost, the guys they added, and how it all speaks to their team-building approach.
• Who they’ll miss the most. (Spoiler: It’s Khyiris Tonga.)
• Who I was really impressed with when we talked with some of the new guys on Thursday, including Reggie Gilliam.
Reggie Gilliam meets the media in Foxborough on Thursday.
• Questions abound about the status of A.J. Brown. What’s the latest?
• I continue to advocate for Jacob Rodriguez and Domonique “Big Citrus” Orange as potential Day 2 and Day 3 draft targets for New England.
This is me talking about Jacob Rodriguez. I like Jacob Rodriguez.
Cool stuff I did this week.
• Talked with the guys from 98.5’s “Toucher & Hardy” about the early stages of free agency. (You can probably tell, but this was pre-Romeo Doubs signing.
• I talked with my pal Christian Arcand on WEEI on Thursday night about the Patriots, free agency, Christian Gonzalez, and A.J. Brown.
• Then, on Friday afternoon, I talked with Mannix & Mannix on Portland’s 96.3 The Big Jab about the Patriots, as well as a ton of league wide moves, including Minnesota’s decision to go with Kyler Murray at quarterback.
• The Patriots rolled out a bunch of their new free agents on Thursday, having them sit at tables and just shoot the breeze with us. That’s how I got five minutes solo with new defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones. Two things that didn’t make the cut in the story: one, he spent a lot of time “talking shit” to fellow OSU alum TreVeyon Henderson during last year’s Patriots-Ravens game. And two, he’s good friends with Thayer Mumford.
• I like a lot of the new Patriots’ free agents, particularly Kevin Byard and Julian Hill. (I’ll be writing a longer feature based on my conversation with Hill next week.) But Gilliam might be tops on my list. I talked with Gilliam’s college coach, Jason Candle, and he had a couple of notes, including the fact that Gilliam blocked six kicks in his last two seasons in college.
Looking ahead.
• So we’re entering my favorite stretch of free agency, the second wave. You can still go out and sign the big ticket guys, but stretches like this are where you really make your bones as a GM. It’s not going to be anywhere near as frantic as the past week, but in many ways, can be just as important when it comes to the team-building process. Make sure you follow along for all the latest updates here (Bluesky) and here (X).
One last thing.
.• On Thursday, I tried to get some answers from the Tom Brady statue about the rumor Brady wouldn’t trade Maxx Crosby to the Patriots under any circumstances. He wasn’t talking. Until next time.
