Patriots Had Harry Graded Higher
There was a lot of talk this offseason about how the Patriots’ receiving corp was looking a little thin. Chris Hogan left in free agency and Rob Gronkowski retired, so Tom Brady‘s group of pass-catchers was a bit depleted. New England moved swiftly to address the issue, taking N’Keal Harry out of Arizona State in the first round of last month’s draft. They nabbed Harry at 32nd overall, but they apparently would’ve been willing to take him much higher.
Bill Belichick told Todd Graham, one of Harry’s former college coaches, that the team “had him graded a lot higher than where he was taken in the first round,” per Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Graham spoke to Belichick the night of the draft, and the Patriots coach told him they “were so fortunate that he was still there.” It’s the first time in Belichick’s 19 years at the helm in New England that they’ve taken a receiver in the first round, so they clearly had to be very high on him.
Latest On Benjamin Watson’s Suspension
Ben Watson recently joined the Patriots, but the veteran tight end won’t be suiting up for the team until Week 5. We learned yesterday that the 38-year-old will be suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season.
In a Facebook post, Watson explained that he thought he was retiring for good after the 2018 season, so he wasn’t quite as careful with his treatment. He was given Bio Identical Testosterone Cypionate by a doctor, which is banned by the league. Only after he made the decision to return to the NFL did he realize the implications, and he ended up failing a drug test.
Some additional notes and opinions have emerged over the past 24 hours pertaining to Watson’s suspension, which we’ve collected below:
- While Watson is set to miss four games, he still has a good chance of meeting his incentives. As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com points out, Watson’s deal with the Patriots includes $650K in incentives: $250K if he appears in 35-percent of the team’s offensive snaps and another $400K if he appears in 45-percent of the snaps. Florio calculates that Watson will need to “get roughly 66 percent of the snaps in the remaining games of the year to earn the full incentive.”
- Albert Breer of SI.com believes the Patriots could still be in the hunt for more tight end depth. The writer cites the organization’s handling of their 2006 receiver corps; among the three (yes, three) active New England receivers in the AFC title game, one (Jabar Gaffney) didn’t join the team until October. Breer notes that this “a sign of how the Patriots can bring guys along and how they adjust.”
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes that Watson’s suspension should strengthen Austin Seferian-Jenkins‘ chances of making the roster. The 26-year-old, who signed a one-year deal with the Patriots back in April, had 11 receptions in five games for the Jaguars last season. Meanwhile, Volin believes that fellow free agent addition Matt LaCosse likely has a roster spot locked up, while the team could also lean on some of their young options (including Ryan Izzo, Stephen Anderson, and Andrew Beck).
- Volin also opines that the suspension could be a blessing in disguise for Watson. While the veteran hasn’t missed a regular season game since 2013, he’s still 38-years-old. The four-game absence could prove to be especially helpful come playoff time, with Volin pointing to previous performances from Tom Brady (2016) and Julian Edelman (2018).
Benjamin Watson To Be Suspended 4 Games
The Patriots’ new tight end, Ben Watson, won’t be able to suit up right away. The veteran, who recently came out of retirement to join New England, announced in a Facebook post that he’ll be suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season, per Mike Reiss of ESPN (Twitter link).
In the post, Watson explains that he thought for sure he was retiring for good after the 2018 season, so he wasn’t quite as careful with the treatment he received. He was given Bio Identical Testosterone Cypionate by a doctor, which is banned by the league. Only after he made the decision to return to the league did he realize the implications, and he ended up failing a drug test.
While it’s obviously not a welcome development, the news isn’t blindsiding the Patriots. Watson says in his post that he discussed the failed drug test with teams before signing, so New England was prepared for this suspension. Watson won’t be appealing the ban, as he writes that he wants to”respect the regulations that have been collectively bargained to promote fairness on the field of play and accept the discipline associated with my infraction.”
While the Patriots should be just fine in the first month of the season without him, it will leave them quite thin once again at tight end. Rob Gronkowski‘s retirement this offseason left them with very few proven options at the position, although they have signed a few guys like Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Matt LaCosse.
Watson is 38 now but he remained reliable in 2018, appearing in all 16 games for the Saints. He finished the season with 35 catches for 400 yards and two touchdowns. Just a few years ago he was a huge part of the Saints’ offense and racked up 825 yards and six touchdowns, so he’s a capable receiver. Just yesterday we heard that Watson only considered coming out of retirement for the Patriots and the Saints, despite interest from at least a handful of teams.
Poll: Where Will Gerald McCoy Sign?
Since being released by the Buccaneers earlier this week, Gerald McCoy has received his fair share of interest from about a quarter of the league’s teams. Once Tampa Bay quickly signed Ndamukong Suh as his replacement, the veteran defensive tackle became arguably the most impactful free agent left on the market. 
It’s not hard to see why the nine-year veteran is receiving so much attention. Since entering the league in 2010, the Oklahoma product has earned six Pro Bowl selections and a First Team All-Pro nod (2013) while recording at least five sacks in every season since 2012. He is the only defensive tackle who can make that claim.
The list of teams interested in McCoy’s service is a long one that includes the Browns, Ravens, Panthers, Colts, Bengals, Saints, Falcons and Patriots, who have reportedly pulled out of the running recently. As of this writing, only the Browns and Ravens have been linked to visits. According to reports, McCoy is more interested in playing for a contender and making the playoffs for the first time in his career than a pay day.
His fit in Cleveland would be an intriguing one. That would mean the Browns would roll out a defensive line that would feature McCoy, Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson. That is one formidable front four. The Browns have been connected to McCoy for some time, but they decided against trading for the defensive tackle while he was under contract for $13MM in the upcoming season. After his Bucs release, the Browns might be able to sign him at a lesser rate without giving up any draft capital.
Staying in the AFC North, Baltimore would provide McCoy a contender as the reigning division champs and a loaded defense to work in. In 2018, Baltimore allowed the fewest yards and the second-fewest points in the league, and would become even better on paper with the addition of McCoy. 
Drew Brees is making his own pitch for McCoy to join the Saints. “He’s a stud, he’s a great player,” Brees said this week. “I mean you’re basically asking me if I would love having a Pro Bowl defensive tackle that I’ve spent the last eight years trying to run around and avoid, not have hit me, join our team. Yeah, of course.” McCoy would team with the recently signed Malcom Brown up the middle for a team considered by many to be a Super Bowl frontrunner in 2019.
The Colts have the cap space to sign McCoy and have been relatively quiet so far this offseason. The longtime star would fill an immediate role as a leader on a young and up-and-coming defensive unit that features the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Darius Leonard.
Both the Panthers and Falcons have little in the way of cap room to sign McCoy, but that hasn’t stopped the NFC South squads from readying their pitches for the six-time Pro Bowler.
The Bengals are also interested in McCoy, but they are arguably the furthest away from competing for a playoff spot among the other teams listed. Though pairing McCoy with fellow standout Geno Atkins up the middle would instantly propel Cincinnati into the conversation in the AFC North.
So which team will be the one to land the impact defensive tackle? Is it one of the squads already rumored to be interested, or will a mystery team emerge and secure McCoy’s signature? Vote in the poll (link for app users) and let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
Where will Gerald McCoy sign?
-
Browns 22% (1,014)
-
Mystery Team 17% (799)
-
Patriots 13% (598)
-
Ravens 12% (547)
-
Colts 11% (489)
-
Saints 10% (442)
-
Bengals 7% (335)
-
Falcons 4% (196)
-
Panthers 4% (187)
Total votes: 4,607
Ben Watson Only Considered Patriots, Saints
It appears of the teams interested in helping Ben Watson unretire, one had a substantial lead on the others. Although the 38-year-old tight end was linked to the Chiefs, Bills and 49ers, he was only considering a return if two teams were in the mix.
“I was retired. I was done for a few months,” Watson said, via Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston. “Around I would say, late April, early May I started thinking about it and made myself available. There were really only two places I would consider playing, coming back (to the Patriots) and playing in New Orleans. Once I made myself available I got a call, and I thought it would be an interesting opportunity.”
The Patriots and Saints were Watson’s two most prominent stops during his 15-season run, the former drafting him in the 2004 first round and deploying him for six seasons. The latter featured him frequently before and after the Jimmy Graham trade. New Orleans, though, was not in the mix for Watson. The Saints shelled out some cash to sign Jared Cook, who was coming off his most statistically productive season.
New England lost this generation’s best tight end, but Watson did not factor Rob Gronkowski‘s status into his decision. Though, it’s certainly debatable if the Pats would have been interested had Gronk not informed them he was retiring. That may have forced Watson to consider one of the aforementioned destinations.
“No, I was retired. I considered myself retired,” Watson said about viewing Gronkowski’s retirement as a reason to come back. “I was processing as such and moving forward as such until late in April. (Gronkowski’s exit) wasn’t a factor for me.”
Should the Patriots stand pat with Watson and Austin Seferian-Jenkins at tight end, their 2019 offense stands to look different than their other nine attacks this decade. Most of those, when Gronkowski was healthy, funneled through the future Hall of Famer. This year’s Pats feature bigger names or higher-end investments at receiver, with Demaryius Thomas (should he surmount the Achilles injury that ended his 2018 season) and N’Keal Harry now joining Julian Edelman.
Watson, 39 in December, signed for $3MM ($600K guaranteed). Seferian-Jenkins only received $895K and $50K guaranteed.
Contract Details: Patriots, Edelman, Collins
A look at the details on recent deals from around the NFL:
- Julian Edelman, WR (Patriots): Two-year extension. Worth $18.5MM, could increase to $25.5MM with incentives. $9.3MM tied to roster bonuses/performance incentives, $1.1MM in workout bonuses. Cap hits: $6.077MM (2019), $7.166MM (2020), $6.66MM (2021). Details via the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin (Twitter) and The Athletic’s Nick Underhill (Twitter).
- Jamie Collins, LB (Patriots): One year (original story). $250K guarantee, $100K signing bonus, $900K base salary. $1.25MM injury guarantee. Earnings: $2MM (plays in all 16 games), $3MM (part-time starter), $5MM (starts all 16 games). $3MM cap hit. Details via Volin and via Underhill.
- Brandon King, LB (Patriots): Two-year extension, $3.5MM. When combined with current deal, contract is three years, $4.875MM. 2019 salary increases from $1.175MM to $1.975MM, 2019 cap number increases from $1.359MM to $1.626MM. Details via Volin.
Patriots Out On Gerald McCoy?
Although the Patriots had been previously mentioned as a possible suitor for Gerald McCoy, New England is not currently in the mix for the free agent defensive tackle, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Additionally, the Browns are not considered the frontrunners to land McCoy, per Cabot.
Roughly a quarter of the NFL has reportedly expressed interest in McCoy since he was released by the Buccaneers earlier this week. The Browns, Ravens, Falcons, Saints, Colts, Bengals, and Panthers have all at least considered reaching out to the veteran interior defender, but the only team known to have actually scheduled a visit with McCoy is the Browns.
McCoy was under contract for $13MM in Tampa Bay, and it still seems unlikely he’ll be able to match that total on the open market. (If a team had been willing to pay that salary, the Buccaneers likely could have found a trade partner). But given the level of interest in him, McCoy could push for a lucrative one-year pact. For reference, fellow defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who just replaced McCoy in Tampa Bay, landed one year and $9.25MM.
McCoy, 31, ranked fourth among defensive tackles with 21 quarterback hits in 2018 and finished as the NFL’s No. 28 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/23/19
Today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Claimed off waivers: TE Andrew Vollert
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: LB James Burgess
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Gunner Olszewski
Washington Redskins
- Signed: T Adam Bisnowaty
- Waived: T Chidi Okeke
Patriots, Falcons, Saints Interested In Gerald McCoy
Free agent Gerald McCoy has at least six suitors in pursuit. The Falcons, Patriots, and Saints have shown a level of interest in McCoy since his release from the Buccaneers, according to ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine (on Twitter). As previously reported, the Bengals, Colts, and Browns are also looking into the defensive tackle. 
The Falcons have little in the way of cap space, so they’d have to get creative if they want to sign McCoy. But, after seeing his best work up close for nine seasons, they’re obviously motivated to find a way to make it work.
The Patriots would give McCoy an opportunity to win while pairing with Michael Bennett on the Patriots’ defensive line. The Pats haven’t had a versatile and dominant interior lineman of McCoy’s caliber since the retirement of Vince Wilfork, so he would fill a long-standing need for them.
Meanwhile, Saints quarterback Drew Brees is lobbying hard for McCoy to come to New Orleans.
“He’s a stud, he’s a great player,” Brees said this week. “I mean you’re basically asking me if I would love having a Pro Bowl defensive tackle that I’ve spent the last eight years trying to run around and avoid, not have hit me, join our team. Yeah, of course.”
But, like the Patriots and Falcons, the Saints are working with limited cap room.
Details On Dontrelle Inman's Patriots Deal
- The Patriots gave wide receiver Dontrelle Inman a one-year deal worth $1.5M with $300K guaranteed, plus another $1MM in incentives (Twitter link via Ben Volin of The Boston Globe). Inman still has to win his roster spot, but, as Volin notes, it is notable that he got more than just a minimum deal.