Patriots Notes: Brady, Collins, Thuney
The Patriots are projected to have roughly $30MM in cap space this offseason but, as ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss notes, they also have a litany of key free agents to consider. That list, of course, starts with superstar Tom Brady, who is planning to explore free agency for the first time in his career. It’s hard to imagine Brady leaving New England, but the Pats are notoriously opposed to sinking too many dollars into any one player. With countless suitors out there with more cash to burn than the Patriots, Reiss pegs his odds of returning at just 80%.
While you ponder the unthinkable, here’s more on the Pats:
- Among the free agents with less than 50% odds of returning, in Reiss’ estimation: linebacker Jamie Collins, wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, special teams ace Nate Ebner, linebacker/fullback Elandon Roberts, outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, and left guard Joe Thuney. Thuney isn’t the biggest name on the list, but he might land the biggest pay day of them all as a four-year starter who has never missed a game. Thuney also just turned 27 in November, which means that other clubs will be eager to sign him through his prime years. Given their history, the Patriots seem unlikely to match exorbitant offers for him.
- Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels missed out on the Browns head coaching gig and Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (on Twitter) sees that as a promising sign for Brady’s return. Regardless, Brady is still expected to test the waters in March.
- Earlier this week, New Hampshire prosecutors dropped their charges against Patriots safety Patrick Chung. Chung was arrested in 2019 when police found cocaine in his house.
Charges Dropped Against Patriots’ Patrick Chung
Patriots safety Patrick Chung has reached agreement with prosecutors to drop charges stemming from his 2019 arrest. The case will not go to trial, provided that Chung stays out of trouble over the next two years, participates in regular drug testing, and performs 40 hours of community service. 
In June, New Hampshire cops were called to Chung’s home in late June on “on a call for service.” While at his residence, police obtained evidence leading to a felony drug charge for cocaine possession. Chung submitted a plea of not guilty and, months later, appears set to put the incident behind him.
The Belknap County Attorney’s office cited Chung’s cooperation and lack of a prior record for their decision to settle. They also noted that police only found a small amount of cocaine at his house. Of course, Chung could still face league discipline in the form of a fine and/or suspension.
Last year, Chung appeared in 13 games and recorded 51 tackles, three passes defended, and one tackle for loss. In the Patriots’ Wild Card game against the Titans, Chung injured his ankle in the first quarter and was unable to return. The Pats went on to lose 20-13, eliminating them from the playoffs.
Texans Won’t Hire GM
The Texans’ offseason is underway and they won’t be hiring a new general manager to manage things. On Monday, head coach Bill O’Brien confirmed the team’s previously rumored plans to keep the current structure in place without the addition of a new GM (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). 
“I feel like where we are right now it stays the way it is,” O’Brien said of the team’s current front office. “We have a great group of people.”
The Texans have taken a committee approach to roster management since firing Brian Gaine back in June. Since then, executive vice president of team development Jack Easterby has run the football operations department with O’Brien having final say. Meanwhile, VP of Football Administration Chris Olsen handles contracts and salary cap matters with Matt Bazirgan running player personnel.
When Gaine was forced out, the Texans were denied the chance to hire top Patriots executive Nick Caserio to serve as their GM. After their plans were thwarted, the belief was that they would wait until after the 2020 draft, then hire Caserio away from New England. Apparently, that’s no longer the plan.
The Texans’ unorthodox setup has not prevented them from staying active. The Texans traded for running backs Duke Johnson and Carlos Hyde, giving them the quality backfield that they sorely needed. They also swung a blockbuster deal for Laremy Tunsil and moved Jadeveon Clowney to the Seahawks for a third-rounder and two players. That third rounder later turned into former Raiders cornerback Gareon Conley.
Patriots’ David Andrews Plans To Continue Playing
David Andrews missed the entire 2019 season with blood clots in his lungs, but he intends to return to the field in 2020, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. 
“I feel great,” Andrews said. “I have a bunch of doctors’ appointments in February, [hopefully] get all that cleared up, and be good to go for next year.”
Andrews still has one year to go on the three-year, $9MM extension he inked with the Pats in 2017, so he should be back in New England, provided that he’s healthy enough to play. It remains to be seen who he’s be snapping the ball to, however. Tom Brady, Andrews’ longtime partner, is intent on exploring free agency for the first time in his career.
Before the blood clots, Andrews served as New England’s primary center since 2015. He went from UDFA to the Pats man in the middle for four AFC championship games and three Super Bowls.
Andrews allowed only four quarterback pressures in 2018, the fewest among Patriots linemen. In that year, he graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 center.
Without Andrews, the Patriots turned to Ted Karras as their starting center in 2019.
Updated 2020 NFL Draft Order
The stage has been set for the conference championships. The Titans, Chiefs, 49ers, and Packers are moving on to the semifinals, while the Texans, Seahawks, Ravens, and Vikings will begin planning for the offseason ahead. Unfortunately for the Texans, their first round pick belongs to the Dolphins.
Here’s an updated look at the 2020 NFL Draft order from Nos. 1-28:
1. Bengals (2-14)
2. Redskins (3-13)
3. Lions (3-12-1)
4. Giants (4-12)
5 Dolphins (5-11)
6. Chargers (5-11)
7. Panthers (5-11)
8. Cardinals (5-10-1)
9. Jaguars (6-10)
10. Browns (6-10)
11. Jets (7-9)
12. Raiders (7-9)
13. Colts (7-9)
14. Buccaneers (7-9)
15. Broncos (7-9)
16. Falcons (7-9)
17. Cowboys (8-8)
18. Dolphins (via Steelers 8-8)
19. Raiders (via Bears 8-8)
20. Jaguars (via Rams 9-7)
21. Eagles (9-7)
22. Bills (10-6)
23. Patriots (12-4)
24. Saints (13-3)
25. Vikings (10-6)
26. Dolphins (via Texans 10-6)
27. Seahawks (11-5)
28. Ravens (14-2)
Patriots WR Julian Edelman Arrested
Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman was arrested on Saturday night after allegedly jumping on the hood of someone else’s Mercedes, per TMZ Sports. Edelman was cited for misdemeanor vandalism and released.
Edelman was reportedly walking around Beverly Hills with friends around 9pm when he leaped onto the vehicle for some unknown reason. Officers were in the area working on a robbery case when a bystander flagged them down and alerted them of the incident.
TMZ’s law enforcement sources say that Edelman was drinking, which is hardly surprising. And given the nature of the transgression, the LA County district attorney may not file charges, especially if Edelman pays the vehicle owner for damages.
Edelman was also arrested in 2011 for allegedly groping a woman at a bar, but those charges were later dropped after video evidence proved inconclusive. Given that, the current allegations probably will not lead to an NFL suspension.
As one of the few reliable weapons in the Patriots’ passing game this year, Edelman hauled in 100 catches for 1,117 yards and six scores. The 33-year-old is under contract through 2021.
Giants Request Permission To Interview Dolphins DC
New Giants head coach Joe Judge continues working to fill out his staff. New York has requested permission to interview Dolphins defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for the same position, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. Garafolo adds that the request is expected to be granted.
Generally, teams are hesitant to allow their coaches to interview with other teams unless it is for a clear promotion. However, Judge worked with Graham and current Dolphins head coach Brian Flores with the Patriots, which may make Miami more willing to make an exception. Graham not only shares a history with Judge, but also worked with the Giants from 2016-17, serving as the team’s defensive line coach from 2016-17.
On the surface, it would seem like a surprise for a coach on a 5-11 team to be receiving outside interest, but entering the season many wondered if the Dolphins would manage to win any games. Miami clearly entered the season with a tank in mind, making minimal free agent additions last offseason and trading the team’s best offensive lineman (Laremy Tunsil), defensive back (Minkah Fitzpatrick), and wide receiver (Kenny Stills) early in the season. While the Dolphins are by no means a legitimate contender, they finished the season winning three of their final five games, including wins against the Eagles and Patriots.
Since Judge was relatively unknown before the Giants announced his hiring this week, little is known about the people he might target to fill out his staff. At least to start, it appears he will continue to look to the Bill Belichick coaching tree.
NFL Draft Rumors: Lions, Giants, Dolphins
Here’s the latest NFL Draft buzz from Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller:
- Miller would be positively stunned if the Bengals don’t draft LSU quarterback Joe Burrow No. 1 overall and the Redskins don’t grab Ohio State defensive end Chase Young with the No. 2 pick.
- With that in mind, Miller feels the draft truly starts at No. 3 overall, where the Lions pick. Sources tell Miller that they’ll look heavily at Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah and Auburn defensive lineman Derrick Brown. Then again, it’s a prime trade-back spot – teams like the Dolphins, Chargers, and Panthers could move up to land a QB.
- Unless new head coach Joe Judge sways him in a different direction, Giants GM Dave Gettleman is expected to look at edge-rushers, left tackles, and wide receivers with the No. 4 pick. “He can’t help himself with linemen, so slot your top-rated offensive tackle there,” one scout who previously worked with Gettleman said. Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr. and Georgia’s Andrew Thomas rank among the top tackles in this year’s crop.
- No team has done more work on Oregon’s Justin Herbert than the Dolphins, who own the No. 5 pick and two more selections later on, Miller writes. The Dolphins will almost certainly go QB here, then shift their attention to offensive tackle, edge-rusher, and running back help.
- The same source who tipped Miller off to the Cardinals‘ love of Kyler Murray last year says they’re wild about Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. But, internally, they also feel that the offensive line need is too big to overlook.
- The Raiders, with two picks in the first round, are looking to go defense and wide receiver, Miller hears.
- The Bills are already nervous about other teams leapfrogging them for wide receivers, Miller hears. The Bills own the No. 22 overall pick and nine total selections in the draft.
- The Patriots are impossible to read, but none of Miller’s sources believe that they’ll draft a quarterback early on. Tom Brady has vowed to continue playing, but he’ll also explore his options in free agency.
Giants Hire Joe Judge As Head Coach
Jan. 8: The hiring is official, per a team announcement.
Jan. 7: The Giants are finalizing a deal to hire Patriots wide receivers/special teams coach Joe Judge as their new head coach, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) reports. This news comes moments after the Panthers hired Matt Rhule, who was believed to be the Giants’ top target. 
Interestingly, Schefter hears that the deal was in the works on Monday night, before Rhule shook hands with Carolina brass. That was “another reason” why Rhule accepted the Panthers’ offer, according to Schefter, which indicates that the Baylor head coach might not have been the Giants’ first choice after all.
Before agreeing to a seven-year deal with the Panthers that could be worth up to $70MM, Rhule called the Giants and gave them an opportunity to match the offer, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. When the Giants declined, Rhule 86’d his scheduled interview with the G-Men, and the Giants shifted their focus to Judge.
The Giants considered a whole host of candidates for their head coaching vacancy, as shown in PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker. Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, and Cowboys assistant Kris Richard were also on the radar, and the Giants were reportedly seeking an interview with ex-Cowboys HC Jason Garrett. Garrett, apparently, won’t be interviewing for the top job, however – Judge has been tapped as the Giants’ next head coach.
Judge, 38, was being groomed by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for an even larger role down the line. He also had an opportunity to return to his alma mater, Mississippi State, as their head coach. Ultimately, he chose to become the new head coach of the Giants, replacing the recently-dismissed Pat Shurmur.
Judge joined the Pats in 2012 after a three-year stint as a special teams assistant at Alabama. In 2015, he was elevated to ST coordinator and, in 2019, he was also given the WRs coach title. Although he doesn’t have the star power of the Giants’ other reported candidates, the club believes that he has the right temperament and energy to handle the pressure that comes with the New York market.
Judge becomes the latest Belichick protege to join the head coaching ranks. In the past few years, Mike Vrabel (Titans), Matt Patricia (Lions), and Brian Flores (Dolphins) have all left the nest and climbed the ladder.
The Redskins, Cowboys, Panthers, and Giants have all filled their head coaching vacancies, leaving the Browns as the lone team in search of a new leader. The Browns saw a few of their targets go elsewhere, but, on the plus side, they can now afford to take their time in the search.
Patriots’ Tom Brady Won’t Retire
Tom Brady‘s season is over, but his career will continue. On Wednesday, Brady took to social media to declare that he will continue playing in 2020.
[RELATED: Tom Brady, Robert Kraft Discuss Future]
“You don’t always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again. And that’s right where you will find me,” Brady wrote. “Because I know I still have more to prove.”
Not everyone would agree that Brady still has more to prove, even after the Patriots’ surprising ouster at the hands of the Titans. Brady, who will turn 43 before the start of the 2020 season, is a six-time Super Bowl champ, three-time MVP, 14-time Pro Bowler, and, undeniably, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.
Meanwhile, Brady is on course to reach free agency for the first time in his career. The Patriots are reportedly willing to allow Brady to explore his options, even though they do not have any other viable options at the position.
For his part, owner Robert Kraft doesn’t want to see Brady in another uniform.
“Before the season started it was very important to Tom that he be free to do whatever he wanted at the end of the year. You know what I said to myself? That any person who plays 20 years for this team and helps us get to nine Super Bowls, and been really selfless, has earned that right,” Kraft said recently. “And you know, my hope and prayer is No. 1, he play for the Patriots. Or No. 2, he retires. … But I just hope and pray we fit into his plans.”