Patriots Rumors: Trades, McCourty, Tobin
The free agency defection of Danny Amendola, the trade of Brandin Cooks, the releases of Kenny Britt and Jordan Matthews, and potentially the advancing age of a now-32-year-old Julian Edelman leave the Patriots somewhat vulnerable at wide receiver. Might the NFL’s most trade-happy team consider one to bolster perhaps Tom Brady‘s final receiving corps? Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests (via NBC Sports Boston) one that would be quite the blockbuster, even if it could be a tad of a reach.
Describing “a weird sense coming out of Denver as it relates to Demaryius Thomas,” Florio posits a Thomas-to-the-Patriots trade. While prefacing this with the fact that said weird sense might not end up being meaningful regarding Thomas’ Broncos status, Florio points out Patriots OC Josh McDaniels drafted Thomas in 2010 and the Pats suddenly need receivers more than the Broncos appear to. That said, the 30-year-old wideout is one of the best players in Broncos history, and John Elway trading a key player to the Patriots may not be realistic. The Broncos have liked what they’ve seen from Courtland Sutton and fourth-rounder DaeSean Hamilton this preseason, and Denver cut the cord on Super Bowl starter T.J. Ward to save money after the 2017 preseason. But the Broncos picked up Thomas’ 2018 option — he’s attached to an $8.5MM base salary and $12MM cap number — and have struggled for years to develop receiving depth. Thomas is, however, due a non-guaranteed $14MM next season, the final year of his contract. So, he very well could be entering the last season of his Broncos tenure.
Here’s the latest out of New England:
- The Broncos don’t have a clear pipeline to the Patriots, but the Bob Quinn-run Lions do. And Mike Reiss of ESPN.com suggests a possible Golden Tate-to-New England transaction between Belichick and one of his former lieutenants. Reiss posits a deal involving contract-year defensive tackle Malcom Brown and linebacker Elandon Roberts but estimates the Lions probably wouldn’t part with Tate, even though he’s in a contract year and no substantial extension discussions have occurred. Tate, 30, is set to earn $7MM in base salary this season.
- While his twin brother’s been one of the NFL’s top safeties for a while, Jason McCourty‘s worked as a cornerback. However, the offseason trade acquisition began practicing at safety this week and lined up there in Friday night’s preseason game, Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston notes. Bill Belichick said (via NESN.com) McCourty’s safety reps were about gauging possibilities rather than a permanent move. McCourty also saw time at corner Friday night. New England houses Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon and Patrick Chung at safety and less experience at corner after Malcolm Butler‘s departure, but it appears Belichick will determine his newer McCourty’s versatility.
- Isaiah Wynn‘s injury creates a void for the Patriots at swing tackle for the time being, and 2018 UFA addition Matt Tobin saw time as Trent Brown‘s backup at left tackle. The former Eagles cog may find a way onto New England’s 53-man roster because of Wynn’s season-ending injury, per Perry. The Pats have LaAdrian Waddle as a swing tackle, but with Tobin having extensive guard experience, he might bring sufficient value as a bench option at multiple spots.
Eric Decker Not Lock To Make Patriots
At this summer’s outset, the Patriots‘ receiving corps looked like it could feature plenty of depth. Kenny Britt, Jordan Matthews and Malcolm Mitchell were competing for spots for a team whose top receiver is a 32-year-old slot man coming off a season-erasing injury. But the Julian Edelman-fronted group has experienced some turnover, with that aforementioned trio no longer in the picture. New England brought in another veteran, Eric Decker, recently. The Pats would be the 31-year-old receiver’s fourth NFL team, but he’s not a lock to make the 53-man roster, Andy Hart of Patriots.com writes. Decker does not seem comfortable in the Pats’ offense, Hart adds. If Decker cannot make the Patriots, the supporting cast behind Edelman and Chris Hogan won’t be a slew of seasoned wideouts. Underwhelming ex-first-rounder Phillip Dorsett remains in contention, and kick-return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson looks like a roster lock. Special-teamer Matthew Slater and would-be rookies Braxton Berrios and Riley McCarron round out one of the more interesting groups of the Tom Brady era.
Opinion: Why The Patriots Shouldn't Sign Dez Bryant
- Some Patriots fans have been clamoring for Dez Bryant after the release of Kenny Britt, but Doug Kyed of NESN.com doesn’t think it’s an automatic fit. Bryant famously turned down a $7MM/year from the Ravens while accomplished wide receiver Eric Decker came on board for less than $2MM. If Bryant still wants top dollar, the Pats might not be the right place for him. Bryant may be a better option than Decker, but he’s not necessarily worth more than triple the money, Kyed argues. It’s also worth noting that Decker came in with knowledge of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ offense while Bryant would have to learn the offense in less than three weeks.
Pariots Offered Kenny Britt Extension
The Patriots released wide receiver Kenny Britt earlier today, but New England actually offered the veteran pass-catcher an extension earlier this summer, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic (Twitter links). As of earlier this week, Britt was still dealing with the hamstring injury that landed him on the physically unable to perform list, so it’s possible the Patriots were attempting to use that leverage in order to re-up Britt on a cheap deal. New England originally signed Britt last December after he was cut by the Browns; his contract included a option for 2018 which the Pats exercised in March. Britt was scheduled to earn a base salary of $1.05MM this season ($150K of which was fully guaranteed), and he already collected $50K in workout bonuses. Per Howe, Britt is now nearing full recovery and is expected to find a new team in the near future.
Patriots Release WR Kenny Britt
Kenny Britt‘s time with the Patriots has come to an end. On Wednesday, the Patriots released the wide receiver, according to an announcement from his agency. 
Britt was expected to take on a larger role with the Pats following the departure of Danny Amendola and the four-game suspension handed to Julian Edelman. However, he was never able get on the field during training camp with due to his hamstring, and the Pats ran out of patience.
The Pats removed Britt from the PUP list a couple of weeks ago. At the time, the soon-to-be 30-year-old indicated that he was close to being ready, though he declined to speculate on his Week 1 status.
In 2016, Britt had breakout campaign and recorded a 1,000-yard season with the Rams. He parlayed that success into a lucrative free agent deal with the Browns, but that proved to be a disaster. In his first act as the Browns’ new GM, John Dorsey axed Britt, leading him to sign with the Patriots in December.
The Patriots’ wide receiver group was thinned out even further this summer when they axed Jordan Matthews and Malcolm Mitchell. They have since signed Eric Decker, but this WR group has decidedly less star power than it did four weeks ago.
The Patriots should now have an easier time when it comes to roster cuts on Sept. 1. Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson, and special teams ace Matt Slater all figure to be on the 53-man roster, while sixth-round pick Braxton Berrios and Decker could convince the Pats to carry six receivers into the season opener. Of course, the math can change if the Patriots add a notable veteran such as Dez Bryant.
Britt already earned $200K in offseason roster and workout bonuses this year, so he won’t leave New England empty handed. In three games for the Patriots last year, he caught two passes for 23 yards.
Hamstring Issue Still Affecting Kenny Britt
- Kenny Britt is still dealing with the hamstring injury he suffered during Patriots minicamp. The veteran wideout has not participated in 11-on-11 drills since that setback, Doug Kyed of NESN.com notes. The Pats removed Britt from the PUP list two weeks ago, and the soon-to-be 30-year-old receiver said he’s feeling OK presently. He declined to predict whether or not he’ll be ready for Week 1. The Patriots signed Britt late last season and picked up his 2018 option in March, but considering how poorly he played with the Browns and his injury status, it wouldn’t be a shock if he’s not on the roster by September. The Pats have endured a turbulent offseason at this position, cutting both Jordan Matthews and Malcolm Mitchell, signing Eric Decker and seeing Julian Edelman incur a four-game PED suspension.
Patriots Notes: Brady, Bridgewater, Punters
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe wonders if Tom Brady‘s reworked deal with the Patriots was actually done with TE Rob Gronkowski in mind. After all, Brady’s deal only added $5MM in incentives and did not come with a big signing bonus or any additional years, so perhaps New England wanted to be able to tell Gronk — who wants a pay raise in the form of guaranteed money, not incentives — “we didn’t give Brady any extra guaranteed money, and we’re not going to do it for you, either.”
- In the same piece, Volin says he would not be surprised if the Patriots pursue Bridgewater next offseason (when he will be a free agent), or if they look to bring back Jacoby Brissett via trade in 2019 (assuming Andrew Luck proves he can stay healthy in 2018, which would make the Colts more inclined to deal Brissett). New England doesn’t have a young quarterback on its roster aside from seventh-round rookie Danny Etling, who is viewed as a practice-squad player at best.
- The Patriots haven’t used undrafted rookie punter Corey Bojorquez during their first two preseason games, and that could be because New England hopes to eventually sneak him through waivers and onto its practice squad, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. Veteran Ryan Allen is the Patriots’ likely punter in 2018, but he ranked just 18th in net punting average a season ago. By keeping Bojorquez off game tape, New England isn’t allowing rival clubs to get a look at a potentially talented played.
Patriots’ Isaiah Wynn Done For Season
Patriots’ first-round pick Isaiah Wynn tore his Achilles in Thursday’s preseason game against the Eagles, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Patriots will be forced to place the offensive lineman on season-ending IR. 
Wynn was pushing for a starting job on the Patriots’ offensive line and, at worst, he was in line for a pivotal rotational job. Now, without the versatile tackle/guard, it appears that the front five is more or less set. The Pats project to start Trent Brown, Joe Thuney, David Andrews, Shaq Mason, and Marcus Cannon up front with veterans such as LaAdrian Waddle and Brian Schwenke among those pushing for reserve roles. Meanwhile, the injury will improve the odds of another lineman making the final cut, and that could be good news for Ulrich John, Matt Tobin, and Cole Croston.
The Patriots are fortunate to have depth up front, but this is still a tough blow for the offensive line. The Pats pounced on Wynn at No. 23 overall this year because of his technically-sound blocking, above-average athleticism, and ability to play multiple positions. Now, they’ll have to wait until 2019 to see what the Georgia product can do.
Patriots, Chris Hogan Discussing Extension
Chris Hogan and the Patriots have had negotiations regarding a contract extension, but the two sides still have a bridge to gap, a source tells Jeff Howe of The Athletic (on Twitter). Howe also notes that it is early in the process, so it’s possible that a deal can come together in the next few weeks. 
The wide receiver market has exploded for wide receivers, including No. 2 wide receivers, so it’s not surprising to hear that the two sides have some work to do. Hogan’s camp may view $8MM/year as a target for a receiver of his caliber, but the Patriots are probably reluctant to pay him more than their top receiver, Julian Edelman. Howe suggests that the Patriots could push Hogan to prove his worth by playing without the aid of Edelman in September.
For now, Hogan is slated to enter the final year of his three-year $12MM deal with the Patriots. Given his production and his increased importance in the offense after Danny Amendola‘s departure, he should be in line for a big pay bump.
Tom Brady Sidesteps Retirement Question
- Asked about his previously hinted desire to play until he’s 45 years old, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady mostly deflected, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. “You know, I think you always have short-term goals and long-term goals and this year’s the one I’m focused on and obviously I want to play for a long time so I’ve said that for a while,” Brady said. “Feel like I’m a broken record. You know, it’s really this year is the focus and this team. This team needs a great quarterback and you know, hopefully I can go out and be that.”