New England Patriots links 4/19/24 – Patriots on EDGE… plus LB, OT, ST; Plus, scouting Eliot Wolf

Daily news and links for Friday.

TEAM TALK

• Patriots 2024 Mock Draft Tracker.
• Evan Lazar gives us six takeaways from Eliot Wolf’s pre-draft press conference. 2. Wolf classifies quarterback class as “unique” with six QBs in the mix.
• Photos: David Andrews receives team’s 2024 Ed Block Courage Award.
• Press Conference transcript: Eliot Wolf plus video. (19 min.)
• Patriots Unfiltered: Takeaways from Eliot Wolf’s pre-draft presser, evaluating the draft QBs, potential trades. (2 hrs)
• From the Archives: Tom Brady 2000 draft call. (3.49 min.)

LOCAL LINKS

• Doug Kyed spotlights 10 potential edge defender prospects for the Patriots in this year’s draft.
• Alex Barth reacts to the 2024 Felger & Mazz Big Board: Linebackers. ‘While linebacker isn’t an immediate need for the Patriots… adding at the position later on Day 3 could make sense with the right kind of player.’
• Taylor Kyles’ Patriots 2024 Draft Big Board: Offensive Tackles.
• Alex Barth’s Patriots draft preview 2024: Special teams.
• Matt Dolloff notes how Eliot Wolf actually name-dropped a top left tackle candidate for the Patriots: Western Michigan’s Chukwuma Okorafor.
• Mike Reiss reports Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf said that the team is “open for business” to trade the No. 3 pick in next week’s draft but would also be comfortable staying put and selecting a quarterback.
• Karen Guregian finds it eye-opening that Eliot Wolf doesn’t understand why so many pundits think the team doesn’t have enough quality weapons to adequately surround a young quarterback. Wolf’s take? ‘People are underestimating what the Patriots have in-house on offense.’
• Andrew Callahan explains how Patriots de facto GM Eliot Wolf passed the test Thursday. With mixed messages and muddied waters, Wolf made sure no other team would be able to discern the Pats’ plans.
• Doug Kyed discusses everything you need to know about the Patriots’ plans in the draft from Eliot Wolf’s press conference. 3. Do the Patriots have a left tackle?
• Jerry Thornton offers his scouting report of Eliot Wolf after his pre-draft presser.
• Ben Volin wonders what happens if the Patriots don’t love the quarterbacks available at No. 3.
• Alex Barth explores what kinds of trades the Patriots can make in this year’s NFL Draft.
• Chris Mason’s Patriots Mailbag: Chances Tom Brady returns?
• Mark Daniels takes another stab at a 7-round Patriots mock draft. Pats trade down, pick Washington QB Michael Penix at No. 11.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Tyler Sullivan (CBS Sports) Eliot Wolf says Patriots are ‘open to anything,’ including trading up or down.
• Myles Simmons (ProFootballTalk) Patriots agree to renegotiated contract with OL Calvin Anderson.
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Bill Belichick: New kickoff rule makes size more important than speed on special teams.
• John Keim (ESPN) Commanders GM content to stay with No. 2 pick in NFL draft.
• Dan Parr (NFL.com) 2024 NFL mock draft 2.0. Pats pick North Carolina QB Drake Maye at No. 3.
• Jonathan Jones (CBS Sports) 2024 NFL Mock Draft. Pats pick QB Drake Maye at No. 3. ‘There’s simply no way in my mind the Patriots move out of this spot and/or don’t take a quarterback. The way the offseason has gone — and the way the last three years have gone — they have to.’
• Eric Edholm (NFL.com) NFL reinstates 5 players who were suspended indefinitely for violation of gambling policy.
• Ben Austro (Foorball Zebras) NFL hires 5 officials and announces Walt Anderson’s new role in officiating; 4th woman hired to an on-field position.

EXTRACURRICULAR

• Mike Lombardi (X) Wonder why the Falcons didn’t have the greatest coach of all time as a top 3 candidate? Rich McKay. He’ll always have Arthur Blank’s ear and, from the start, McKay had no interest in hiring Belichick. (1 min.)
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) On same day ESPN article attacked Bill Belichick, ESPN announced hiring him.
• Sean Keeley (Awful Announcing) ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ undercutting ESPN’s Bill Belichick reporting continues march into new era.
• John Frascella (X) Summary of Bill Belichick, from today’s SCATHING ESPN article. I have NEVER seen a coach BASHED this badly. /He lists the 20 derogatory statements about Belichick from the article. Brutal.
• Jimmy Traina (SI) Bill Belichick sends message during stunning announcement With ‘The Pat McAfee Show’.
• Jordan Daly highlights Albert Breer on how Falcons president Rich McKay influenced the team’s decision not to hire Bill Belichick as their head coach this offseason. They felt their job security was on the line.