Harvey Langi Recovers From Accident
- Patriots defensive end Harvey Langi saw his rookie season end after a scary car accident left he and his wife with serious injuries, but Doug Kyed of NESN.com reports the edge defender is now fine and is on track to play in 2018. Langi is also on track to participate in OTAs, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets. Langi played in just one game last season, but the Patriots gave the BYU product a hefty bonus to sign as a UDFA.
49ers To Pick 9th, Raiders To Pick 10th
The order for the 2018 draft is officially in the books. The 49ers won the coin toss for the rights to the No. 9 pick on Friday afternoon. The Raiders will now pick 10th. Beyond the first round, the Niners, Raiders, and Dolphins will alternate draft order due to their identical records.
The 49ers and Raiders both finished the year with matching 6-10 record and an identical strength of schedule. Typically, conference record is the next tiebreaker, but because the two teams are in different divisions and conferences, the logjam was settled with a coin flip.
The Raiders aren’t the only losers in today’s toss. The Patriots hold the rights to the Niners’ second-round pick thanks to the Jimmy Garoppolo trade and they’ll now pick at No. 43 overall instead of No. 41.
Here is the complete rundown of this year’s draft order:
1. Cleveland Browns (0-16)
2. New York Giants (3-13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-12)
4. Cleveland Browns (via the 4-12 Houston Texans)
5. Denver Broncos (5-11)
6. New York Jets (5-11)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)
8. Chicago Bears (5-11)
9.San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
10. Oakland Raiders (6-10)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-10)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
13. Washington Redskins (7-9)
14. Green Bay Packers (7-9)
15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
16. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)
17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)
18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
19. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
20. Detroit Lions (9-7)
21. Buffalo Bills (9-7)
22. Buffalo Bills (via the 10-6 Kansas City Chiefs)
23. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
24. Carolina Panthers (11-5)
25. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
26. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
30. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)
31. New England Patriots (13-3)
32. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
Rex Burkhead Generating Interest
Free agent running back Rex Burkhead is expected to see a “competitive market” for his services and it’s not a lock that he re-signs with the Patriots, according to Doug Kyed of NESN. Burkhead, 27, inked a one-year deal with New England last offseason and went on to produce 518 yards from scrimmage in 10 games. Viable in both the running and passing game, Burkhead ranked seventh in receiving DVOA in 2017, meaning he was highly effective on a per-play basis. The Patriots, of course, have another free agent running back in Dion Lewis, who is expected to draw interest from six-to-seven teams on the open market.
Dion Lewis Expected To Draw Interest From 6-7 Teams
Patriots free agent running back Dion Lewis is expected to draw significant interest on the free agent market, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Lewis, who is reportedly seeking a $6MM annual salary, is likely to draw the eye of the Jets, Texans, 49ers, Raiders, and Colts, per Florio. New York, San Francisco, and Indianapolis are each facing vacancies in their backfields, but a Lewis addition in Houston or Oakland would presumably lead to the release of Lamar Miller or Marshawn Lynch, respectively.
The Patriots had a cavalcade of running backs on their roster in 2017, but Lewis was the best of the bunch. The 27-year-old Lewis posted the most outstanding season of his career in 2017, toting the ball 180 times for 896 yards (both team highs), managing 214 yards on 32 receptions, and scoring 10 total touchdowns (including one in the return game). Lewis ranked first in Football Outsiders‘ DYAR metric, sixth in broken tackles, and sixth in Pro Football Focus‘ pass-blocking grades.
Lewis isn’t the only free agent running back about whom New England needs to worry. Rex Burkhead is also scheduled to hit the open market later this month, so while the Patriots still employ James White, Brandon Bolden, and Mike Gillislee they could see a great deal of turnover in their backfield over the coming weeks.
Danny Amendola To Have Strong Market
Free agent wide receiver Danny Amendola‘s market is “unfolding favorably,” according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, who adds it wouldn’t be surprising if the veteran wideout is able to earn $3-5MM annually on his next contract.
Amendola has taken several pay cuts in order to stick on the New England roster over the past few years, and his resulting cap charges have stayed the near the low end of that $3-5MM range. As Howe notes, the mere fact that Amendola was willing to accept those pay reductions likely means he’d prefer to stay with the Patriots for the long term, but New England could need to fend off other suitors.
Following a down 2016 campaign, Amendola managed 61 receptions, 659 yards, and two touchdowns during the 2017 regular season before stepping up with a 26/348/2 line in the postseason. Acting as Tom Brady‘s security blanket, the now 32-year-old Amendola has never topped 700 yards receiving in a single season, but his proficiency in the quick passing game makes him desirable in today’s NFL.
If he does reach the open market, Amendola will join a free agent wideout class that also includes Allen Robinson, Sammy Watkins, and Marqise Lee, and Paul Richardson.
Richard Sherman, Aqib Talib Interested In Patriots?
Given that Sherman and Talib are both after a second Super Bowl ring, it’s no surprise to hear that they would both be intrigued by the possibility of joining up with the Pats. Both players are under contract, but it’s a situation to watch, particularly since Seattle is in the bottom third of the league in cap space.
Cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Aqib Talib would be receptive to the idea of joining the Patriots, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Both players are under contract, but it’s possible that the Seahawks could trade Sherman and Talib is a trade/release candidate for the Broncos due to his $11MM cap number in 2018.
- Patriots free agent tackle Nate Solder wants to continue playing, despite some recent hardship in his family.
Patriots’ Nate Solder To Continue Playing
Despite some rumblings of retirement, pending free agent Nate Solder plans to continue playing football, sources tell Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter). Howe adds that the left tackle’s reps have yet to start negotiations with the Patriots, though there are still about two weeks to go before the start of free agency. 
There was some belief that Solder could walk away from the game after dealing with tremendous hardship in recent years. In 2014, Solder was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Fortunately, the cancer did not spread and doctors were able to remove the testicle. Then, in 2015, Solder’s son was diagnosed with kidney cancer at just three months ago. He is still undergoing chemotherapy.
Despite all of that, Solder has decided to continue playing. The 29-year-old (30 in April) rates as one of the very best free agent tackles in this year’s crop, along with Ja’Wuan James of the Dolphins. In 2017, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 32 ranked tackle. Last year, Solder was in the top 20 with another predominantly healthy season.
The Patriots have been the only team that Solder has known since being selected in the first round of the 2011 draft, but he could be lured away by an aggressive market in March. If the Pats are intent on keeping him, their best bet will be to get something done over the next 13 days.
Interest Between Patriots, Preston Brown
The Patriots are “believed” to be among the clubs interested in Bills free agent linebacker Preston Brown, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Brown, in turn, seems to be open to an offer from New England.
“I think I can definitely help the young guys they have,” Brown said. “They’ve got some good young talent at linebacker. They run pretty well. I know (David) Harris retired. A lot of young guys were playing well, (Kyle) Van Noy and (Elandon Roberts) played well. They definitely have some things they can work on like we all do, but I think I can help that defense get better.”
As Brown alludes to elsewhere in Howe’s piece, the Patriots have made a habit of poaching Bills players over the past few seasons. In 2016, New England inked restricted free agent wideout Chris Hogan to an offer sheet that Buffalo failed to match, and last year, the Pats signed unrestricted free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore and RFA running back Mike Gillislee.
The Patriots could certainly use help at the second level of their defense, as the unit ranked 31st in run defense DVOA and allowed the second-most adjusted line yards in the league a season ago. New England also struggled covering opposing running backs in the passing game (22nd in DVOA, per Football Outsiders), and none of the club’s primary ‘backers ranked among the top-50 in Pro Football Focus‘ positional grades. Stalwart Dont’a Hightower will return from injury in 2018, but the Patriots could still stand to add another linebacker.
Brown, 25, led the NFL in tackles last year while playing the third-most defensive snaps (1,180) of any linebacker in the league. The former third-round pick has started nearly every possible game (62 of 64) during his four-year career, and has never missed a contest due to injury. Per Howe, the Patriots would likely be interested in Brown at a $5MM annual price point. If his cost jumps into the $8MM per year range, New England would be expected to bow out.
“Anytime you can play for one of the best franchises in NFL history, it’s obviously going to be an option,” Brown said. “They definitely have great players. I met with the coaching staff coming out of college. I have some familiarity with those guys, and they definitely do a great job each and every year of continuing to win.”
Rob Gronkowski Expected To Return
After pondering retirement, Rob Gronkowski is expected to continue playing in the NFL, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) reports. Agent Drew Rosenhaus declined to comment on the tight end’s status, but the belief is that he’ll be back with the Patriots in 2018. 
Rumors have been swirling about Gronkowski’s future for quite some time, particularly after he suffered a concussion during the AFC Championship game. The tight end has pondered a future in movies and even the WWE, but he’ll put acting and wrasslin’ on hold for the time being.
The lovable Gronk has caught 76 touchdowns through eight seasons in the NFL. This past season, he turned in another productive campaign with 69 grabs for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns.
After the Super Bowl, Patriots coach Bill Belichick did his best to quell talk of Gronkowski moving on to something else.
“At the end of every season, every person goes through somewhat of a process at the end of the season and then the following season,” Belichick said. “I think everyone that is involved in a NFL season, you get pretty drained especially after a season like this. [You] go through the end of the year process. The following year is the following year. It’s the same for everybody. I certainly can’t speak for anybody else…You’d have to ask any individual for every situation, but I would say five minutes after the game, or the day after the game is not really the time to make those decisions.”
Patriots Notes: McDaniels, Amendola
The NFL is expected to change the rule to allow teams to hire coaches, even while their teams are still active in the playoffs (Twitter link via Judy Battista of NFL.com). There has been talk of doing this before, but there was a renewed focus on the rule change this offseason after Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels bailed on becoming the Colts’ new head coach at the last minute.
- Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola is eligible for the open market, but he wants to stay put. “I’m a free agent this year, so let’s say — the unknown. We’ll see what happens. I definitely want to be here. To tell you the truth, I don’t want to leave. But it’s a business. I’ve learned that,” Amendola said (via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com). Amendola earned just over $3MM last season as he caught 61 passes for 659 yards and two touchdowns. The 32-year-old could earn cash in elsewhere, but he sounds pretty intent on staying in New England.