Understanding the New England Patriots’ quiet start to free agency

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick thoughts/notes on the New England Patriots and the NFL:

1. Ninkovich’s opinion: Rob Ninkovich played for the Patriots from 2009 to 2016 and won two Super Bowl championships, still lives in New England, and has therefore followed Bill Belichick’s quiet approach to free agency with interest. He makes an analogy with someone ready to jump off a trampoline.

While other AFC teams like the Las Vegas Raiders (Davante Adams, Chandler Jones), Buffalo Bills (Von Miller), Los Angeles Chargers (Khalil Mack, JC Jackson) and Denver Broncos (Russell Wilson) are going like cannonballs, Ninkovich he described the Patriots’ approach in different terms.

“They have not splashed. They are direct, like a pencil », she said with a smile. “It’s like scratching your head a bit. You’re saying, ‘What are you doing here?’ You’re watching the guys go and you don’t see comparable quality coming. You didn’t get to where you wanted to go last year, and now you’re thinking, ‘Well, how are you going to get back? what point this year?’”

But Ninkovich himself is a good example of something Belichick has often said: There are different ways to acquire talent — free agency, trades and draft — and it’s a year-round process.

In 2009, Ninkovich didn’t join the Patriots until the opening days of training camp after he was cut by the New Orleans Saints, a decision former coach Sean Payton still regrets as one of his biggest mistakes.

And that’s what Ninkovich, entering his fourth season as an ESPN football analyst, sees as the most realistic way for the Patriots to build on last year’s 10-8 season.

“Maybe they’ll get some key pieces in the draft that are functional,” he said. “My only concern is that it usually takes a year or two to be ready to play at a high level in the NFL for a full 17-game season.”

Ninkovich points to quarterback Mac Jones as one of the exceptions, and a silver lining in any Patriots conversation.

“You’re going into your second year with a quarterback who has to cheer you on, with the steps he took in his first year in the NFL. And I think Rhamondre Stevenson will be one of the best, if not one of the best.” top three running backs in the league based on what I saw with his strength, burst and ability to catch and run. I think it will be a big part of the identity that they have,” he said, before warning about the noticeable holes. to fill along the offensive line.

Ninkovich also believes the Patriots would benefit from playing two more tight end formations with big-money 2021 signings Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry. Surprisingly, that wasn’t a big part of the focus last season.

As for the defense, Ninkovich highlights his old position.

“What they do at linebacker is going to be huge. You saw that when they played teams that were really fast, or had a big guy catch and run out of the backfield, they had a harder time because they were bigger body guys.” as they have always wanted to be more physical,” he said.

“The game is changing, faster than ever, and it’s smoother than ever. So you might be able to get away with a lighter linebacking corps and still play good competitive football.”

And, of course, there’s a huge void to fill at cornerback after Jackson’s departure.

That’s a lot of uncertainty at a time Ninkovich sees as critical for the franchise.

“I really think this is a vital, vital, vital offseason for them to keep up with,” he said.

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Marcus Spears and Rob Ninkovich disagree with the idea of ​​Bill Belichick being the Patriots’ offensive playcaller in the future.

2. Belichick’s Approach: Since Belichick hasn’t communicated publicly with the fan base about coaching changes or anything else since the season ended, it has sparked curiosity about his plan.

I asked an NFL front-office staffer with knowledge of how the Patriots operate how they would explain what Belichick is doing this offseason, and this was his assessment:

• He essentially made two years of free-agent shopping in 2021, hoping to capitalize on a depressed market.

• He is now focused on making internal adjustments to get more out of last year’s additions.

• That he attended the University of Georgia pro day on the first day of free agency was probably no coincidence, perhaps a reflection of a renewed commitment to the draft and development after a three- or four-year dry spell in that area.

The NFL’s annual meeting is March 28-29 in Palm Beach, Fla., and that could be the first time Belichick — and owner Robert Kraft — field questions from reporters on this topic and others.

3. Chip Project: The Patriots enter this year’s draft with seven picks (one in each of the first five rounds and two in the sixth), and given his start in free agency, my initial projection is that Belichick will be motivated to trade and rack up more records. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah called it a “really good draft, especially when you get to the second, third and fourth rounds. There’s a lot of quality there, a lot of starters.”

4. Jonnu for Jakob: Fullback Jakob Johnson played 27.9% of the snaps last season, while tight end Jonnu Smith played 46.8%. That’s not a high enough total for Smith after he signed a four-year, $50 million deal with $31.25 million guaranteed. With Johnson joining the Raiders, it would make sense for Smith to take on some of that workload, even though they have contrasting styles of play. The Patriots could easily have re-signed Johnson (his deal included a minimum salary with only $200,000 guaranteed), and their lack of motivation to do so leads them to the idea of ​​getting more out of Smith as a complement to Henry (68.5% playing time). ). So it wouldn’t be a surprise if the traditional fullback isn’t as big a part of the offense in 2022.

5. Cash for Karras: The signing of center/guard Ted Karras to a three-year, $18 million deal with the Bengals was a case of the Patriots staying true to their financial discipline, which has been a staple of Belichick’s approach. Karras made $3 million in 2021, and New England offered a deal averaging $5 million this offseason. The Bengals pushed the market beyond the Patriots’ comfort level, with Karras set to make $7 million in 2022, so Belichick walked away even though the offensive line now becomes a top need.

6. Trent State: Unlike Karras, the Patriots didn’t seem to go to great lengths to re-sign tackle Trent Brown, even though the offensive line is a big question mark. My feeling: Brown’s recent injury history was important, so if he did come back, he would have to have been on a market-friendly deal.

7. Insurance contracts: The Patriots have signed two free agents from other teams — Texans cornerback Terrance Mitchell and Saints running back/receiver Ty Montgomery — and their modest contracts indicate they’re not locked into the roster. What they add is experienced insurance if potential draft picks or younger players already on the roster — like cornerback Shaun Wade, running back JJ Taylor and wide receivers Kristian Wilkerson and Tre Nixon — don’t develop as expected. . The ideal thing for the team is for the youth to win.

8. Jakobi’s Perception: Fourth-year wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, who was introduced in the second round as a restricted free agent, was a guest on Sirius XM NFL Radio last week with hosts Bob Papa and Charlie Weis. Three leftover nuggets:

• On the early influences on his career: “I think the guys that really pushed me, I would say, were Troy Brown and Mick Lombardi. Troy actually played the position, so he talked to me about a lot of the things that he’s been through: what he’s seen, what he did to play that long. It’s really been great having Troy Brown around.”

• On his relationship with Jones: “I feel like the first year laid the groundwork. We had a lot of learning experience from each other. This will be the first time I’m going back with the same quarterback. I’m excited for the opportunity to continue growing.” with it… He throws a ball so nice and easy to catch that it actually sticks in your hands a little bit.”

• On whether he is aware of the composition of the offensive coaching staff: “No. We’ll probably all find out at the same time, honestly. I just have to get going as soon as I find out. The plan is for [players] that they were there to keep working, to keep improving, so whenever we have that structure, we’ll be ready to continue no matter what.”

9. Punt Protection Rotation: The last time the Patriots played a game, their punt protection unit included running back Brandon Bolden, center Joe Cardona, Johnson, personal protector Cody Davis and linebackers Jamie Collins, Jahlani Tavai, Kyle Van Noy and Brandon King. Only Tavai, Cardona and Davis are still on the roster, and Tavai may not be there when needed.

The Patriots blocked three punts in 2021, part of an overall special teams performance that fell well below the team standard, and the unit is undergoing an offseason overhaul. Also, linebacker Chase Winovich, another career punt contributor, was traded.

Veteran special teams captain Matthew Slater relayed that the unit’s issues going into 2021 have been identified by returning coordinator Cam Achord and: “It’s details, technique, footwork and communication. I think we’re all confident that we can work it out.”

New linebacker Mack Wilson is projected as an addition. The Patriots hope Wilson emerges defensively like he did as a rookie in Cleveland in 2019, but he should at least be a factor in the kicking game.

10. Did you know? The Patriots, whose first pick is 21st overall, have picked that spot six times. He ties with No. 32 for his most frequent spot among the top 32 picks. His picks at 21: OLB Chandler Jones (Syracuse, 2012), RB Laurence Maroney (Minnesota, 2006), DT Vince Wilfork (Miami, 2004), TE Daniel Graham (Colorado, 2002), S Tim Fox (Ohio State, 1976 ), D. B. John Charles (Purdue, 1967).