Tag: mike reiss

Mike Reiss: Patriots staying at No. 3 in draft barring unexpected blockbuster offer

ESPN insider Mike Reiss reports the New England Patriots will stay at No. 3 in Thursday’s 2024 NFL draft barring a blockbuster offer.

Day 1 of the 2024 NFL draft is Thursday, and there’s a ton of suspense regarding how things are going to play out. Perhaps the most intriguing storyline is how the Minnesota Vikings will get their future quarterback.

According to ESPN NFL Nation reporter Mike Reiss, it likely won’t come through a trade with the New England Patriots, who hold the third overall pick. Reiss writes that the Patriots are planning on moving forward with picking at their current slot “barring an unexpected blockbuster trade offer.”

The stance makes a ton of sense for the Patriots, who also need a quarterback. The consensus top four quarterbacks in the draft are Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels and J.J. McCarthy. Picking in the third slot ensures they get one of those players.

That said, the Vikings are one of the few teams that have the draft assets to be able to pull off a “blockbuster” trade — if they value getting their quarterback that early. Minnesota has the 11th and 23rd picks in the first round, along with seven selections in the rest of the draft.

However, outside of the two first-rounders, none of the remaining picks are before the fourth round, which means a trade with the Patriots would likely include early picks in 2025. Thankfully, the Vikings have a full complement of picks in 2025 (with an extra fifth-round pick in place of a sixth).

The question is, will general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah be willing to give up the assets needed to make such a deal? Would he and the Vikings’ decision makers be content to get whichever QB is left after New England picks and try to make a deal with the Arizona Cardinals — who don’t need a quarterback and might be willing to take less to move back?

We’ll find out in a couple of days.

5 big takeaways from Patriots’ surprising 21-18 victory in Pittsburgh

Here are 5 big takeaways from New England’s surprising 21-18 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers

The New England Patriots came into Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Thursday fresh off a five-game win streak, including a three-game historically awful stretch of play.

Expectations for the primetime game were low, as best evidenced by Patriots beat writer Ben Volin’s dull prediction for a matchup.

But ultimately, New England’s offense found their long-missing stride. The team finally notched over 300 total yards for the first time in nearly a month and led a dominant first half for the team. And that first half was all the Patriots needed to seal the win away with a final score of 21-18.

Here are five big takeaways from the game.

ESPN reporter ponders if Patriots will draft this RB with No. 14 pick

Will the Patriots shake things up by drafting a running back at No. 14?

Don’t sleep on the New England Patriots taking a running back in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Earlier in the month, the Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported that the Patriots were interested in acquiring another “blue-chip” running back in the draft to pair with Rhamondre Stevenson. ESPN’s Mike Reiss questioned if that option could come with the No. 14 pick and Texas’ Bijan Robinson possibly being available.

Robinson and Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs are the only two players at the position in this year’s draft widely perceived as high-end options. If Robinson is still on the board when the Patriots are on the clock, it could be hard for the team to pass him up.

Reiss wrote:

Here’s a question that could become a factor inside the Patriots’ draft room: If Robinson slides to No. 14, would it be a worthy pick given the limited blue-chip options available?

The Patriots signed James Robinson to a two-year deal, but there are still questions surrounding the once promising running back. Injuries have been a major issue for James, who has been quiet since eclipsing 1,000 yards rushing as a rookie with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020.

Adding a dynamic player like Bijan to the mix would give the Patriots one of the best running back rooms in football. But would a move like that one be enough to mask other needs, particularly at receiver and offensive tackle?

That’s the question the Patriots should be asking themselves.

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ESPN offers dramatic prediction for Patriots regular season finale

ESPN has a bold prediction for the New England Patriots season finale.

NFL schedules were released Thursday night, and ESPN made bold predictions for the New England Patriots following the announcement.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss gave his thoughts on the schedule, and he offered an interesting twist in his predictions for how the season will unfold. Among his predictions was a dramatic finish for New England in the season finale against the Buffalo Bills.

The Patriots’ season finale will take place on the road in Orchard Park, N.Y. Highmark Stadium could be the backdrop for a potentially dramatic finish between these two AFC rivals, according to Reiss.

From ESPN:

“The Patriots will need to beat the Bills in the regular-season finale to secure a playoff berth, and it will be intriguing to see how it unfolds if Buffalo has already solidified its own playoff seeding. The Patriots’ 2021 season ended in embarrassing fashion at Buffalo in a 47-17 playoff loss, and in this scenario, they would have a chance to write a different story a year later.”

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With the teams slugging it out in the 2021 season, this rivalry has been given new life. As the Patriots look to reclaim their spot atop the AFC East, a season finale win in Buffalo could prove to loom large in the grand scheme of the season.

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Report: Bill O’Brien was present at Patriots’ voluntary offseason workout

It’s unknown whether or not Bill O’Brien was an active participant, or just observing.

The New England Patriots have an interesting path to navigate with the departure of Josh McDaniels, along with a few key offensive coaches.

Mac Jones is entering his second year in the NFL and he will have to adjust in a major way to the new offensive approach. Instead of bringing in an experienced offensive coordinator, Bill Belichick elected to put Matt Patricia and Joe Judge in charge.

It was an odd choice by Belichick considering the lack of experience both coaches have on the offensive side of the ball — despite the fact they were both head coaches.

Bill O’Brien was one of the biggest names this offseason to replace McDaniels and that would’ve made sense. O’Brien was previously the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, and he spent 2021 as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator.

He didn’t come in to take the job, but ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported that he was at the Patriots’ voluntary offseason workouts last week.

“Bill Belichick previously said the Patriots’ coaching staff was likely complete, but that doesn’t mean visitors won’t be welcomed at various times — and Belichick’s network is deep,” Reiss wrote in his Sunday column. “Along those lines, players took note of current Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien on the field at Gillette Stadium last week at the voluntary offseason program. O’Brien, of course, has deep roots in New England as a former Belichick assistant.”

Whether or not O’Brien was an active participant in practice or just there to observe wasn’t specified.

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ESPN’s Mike Reiss explains why Mac Jones hasn’t signed rookie contract yet

Don’t worry Patriots fans, Mac Jones will be a member of the team this year.

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Despite practicing and working with the New England Patriots, Mac Jones hasn’t officially signed with the team just yet.

New England has signed a couple rookies so far and has a majority of the roster ready for the 2021 season. First-round quarterback Jones, second-round defensive tackle Christian Barmore and third-round defensive end Ronnie Perkins have yet to be signed for their own reasons.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss had a Sunday notes column and explained why the rookies have yet to ink their deals.

“First-round pick Mac Jones has yet to sign his rookie deal, and in fact, defensive tackle Christian Barmore (second round) and defensive end Ronnie Perkins (third round) also remain unsigned. A cause for concern? Hardly,” Reiss wrote. “Sometimes agents prefer to wait to see more contracts finalized before moving forward, and those close to the situation relay that’s the current dynamic in play.”

Don’t worry Patriots fans, these talented players will be on the roster.

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ESPN’s Mike Reiss thinks Stephon Gilmore’s holdout will be positive for Patriots

ESPN’s Mike Reiss has a positive hunch about Stephon Gilmore’s future with the Patriots.

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There’s been uncertainty surrounding Stephon Gilmore’s status with the New England Patriots since the end of the 2020 season.

Gilmore, 30, is entering the final year of his five-year contract and is only set to make $7 million. The former Defensive Player of the Year won’t play for that low of a price and he made that clear by sitting out during the Patriots’ mandatory minicamp. Because Gilmore missed minicamp, he was set to be fined $93,085.

He’s also nursing a quad injury that put him out for the remainder of the 2020 season, but the contract issue seems to be the primary focus. ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote a column on Sunday with his thoughts on the topic and he has a positive takeaway.

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore didn’t report to mandatory minicamp, and while some holdouts can become acrimonious, my sense on Gilmore’s mindset is different. He seems to enjoy being a Patriot, is open to sticking around, and this was his least-expensive-but-most-decisive way of sparking more productive contract talks with the team, so he can feel better about being part of New England’s present and future.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler followed up with another promising note for the Patriots.

Gilmore already expressed interest in staying with the Patriots and there’s a solid chance that happens.

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ESPN’s Mike Reiss has optimistic prediction on Patriots’ win total for 2021

Will the Patriots tally double-digit wins this season?

It’s difficult to believe the New England Patriots will finish with a worse record this year than they did in 2020.

Bill Belichick’s free agency frenzy helped revive a team that was completely drained of talent and youth. Tom Brady’s absence was a huge hit last offseason, but the collective injuries and free agency departures were just as damaging. The Patriots lost players like Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, Danny Shelton, Duron Harmon and Elandon Roberts.

Cam Newton has a full season under his belt and much more talent and direction to work with in 2021 — and, COVID-19 won’t be the same beast to conquer as it was last season. For these reasons, it’s not far-fetched to think Belichick can tally a winning record.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss made his prediction on the season and put the Patriots at ten wins.

“Bill Belichick and his coaching staff squeezed seven wins out of a 2020 team with lesser talent,” Reiss said. “Now that the Patriots have infused the roster with more talent due to a free-agency blitz that saw them upgrade at tight end (Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith), pass-rusher (Matthew Judon) and several other positions — along with a 17-game schedule — the possibility of 10 wins seems realistic.”

The next biggest decision for the Patriots is whether or not they trade up in the draft for one of the top 5 quarterbacks. Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson will be gone in the first two picks, but they still have choices in Justin Fields, Mac Jones and Trey Lance.

Regardless of how the quarterback situation shakes out, the Patriots are in good shape to record double-digit wins this season.

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ESPN’s Mike Reiss gives specific breakdown on Patriots’ process for QB search

Here’s some insight on the thought process for the Patriots during this QB search.

Of all the questions regarding the New England Patriots’ future going forward, the quarterback situation sits at the top.

Whether it results in Cam Newton’s return, a rookie being drafted with the No. 15 pick, a free agent being signed or acquiring a veteran through a trade — the Patriots need to make a decision sooner rather than later. Free agency begins in mid-March and it’ll be much more difficult to lure in players without knowing who the signal-caller is.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss, who has very accurate and informative insight on the team, joined “Get Up” Monday morning and provided an update.

“Here’s the summary: there’s no sure-fire answer for the Patriots,” Reiss said, transcribed by WEEI. “Here’s how someone in the organization explained it to me: they said, ‘We’re going to do what we always do. Explore every option. It could be the draft. Could be free agency. Could be trade.’ And they feel like they are in a good financial position with the salary cap that if the right opportunity presents itself that they can pounce.

“There is one other thought from those around this situation that timing is important for them to get a quarterback for the start of free agency so if they are out recruiting a top receiver or a top tight end, that player knows who might be throwing them the football, so that aspect is part of this conversation as well.”

From what it seems like, the Patriots are just as unclear about their future quarterback as everyone making speculation. The NFL draft is over two months away and and free agency won’t come around for another month, so the waiting game will continue to be in play regarding the Patriots’ quarterback situation.

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ESPN’s Mike Reiss isn’t ruling out Cam Newton return, warms up to Marcus Mariota potential

Mike Reiss still isn’t ruling out the possibility of Cam Newton in New England, while also touching on the possibility of Marcus Mariota.

A lot of speculation in recent months has surrounded Cam Newton’s future with the New England Patriots, but none of it has come from Bill Belichick or Newton himself.

Despite having a tough year as a passer, Newton still led the depleted team to a 7-8 record in games he played in, while recording 592 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. Many people believe the Patriots will draft a quarterback at pick No. 15 or go out and find a veteran, whether it’s through free agency or a trade. But, why wouldn’t the Patriots take a passionate, skilled quarterback who knows the system and put actual weapons around him, along with giving him the offseason to actually prepare?

It makes complete sense, and could be much more beneficial than reaching for someone who may or may not buy into the system. ESPN’s Mike Reiss joined WEEI’s “Dale & Keefe” on Friday and touched on the topic further.

“We don’t know how all of this is going to unfold, and if you do bring him back, maybe it is a Cam and situation,” Reiss said. “For example, going back to the [Marcus] Mariota possibility, like how would you feel about Mariota and Cam? … I wouldn’t close the door just yet [on Newton returning] until we know what the other dominos are, that are out there and available to them.

“I think the concern is the functional passing game — how much of that was Cam versus how much was around him? You have to admit they didn’t put him in the best position to succeed with what was around him, but part of that was him, too. He said as much himself, right? That’s maybe the tricky part when you are navigating that one.”

Exactly, it’s pretty clear that Newton wasn’t working with much. Reiss also continued to discuss the idea of Mariota joining the Patriots, as he spent last season backing Derek Carr in Las Vegas.

“I like the possibility, or I am warming up to the possibility, of someone like Marcus Mariota,” he said. “The Raiders backup quarterback, which they might not keep because they are in a little bit of a salary cap crunch. They need to improve their defense.

He’s on the books for $10.5 million. I am warming up to the idea of maybe you just take care of that right now. Say hey, ‘what would it take? A fifth-round pick? A sixth-round pick? You might even cut him. Let’s take him and say we can move forward with him and then it still gives us flexibility whether he is the guy or not. At least we have a guy who has 61 career starts and gives us a chance at the functional passing game and maybe he ends up being the answer down the line, but if he isn’t we still have flexibility with all that cap space to go in a different direction.’”

Free agency is a little over a month away and the Patriots have a ton of decisions to make, especially with the signal-caller for 2021.

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