HEADLINES

New England Patriots News & Rumors

Patriots To Sign DE Trey Flowers

August 8th, 2023 at 8:25am CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 8: Flowers’ second visit will result in a reunion. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) a deal has been agreed to, allowing the veteran to return to where his career began.

AUGUST 7: For the second time this year, the Patriots arranged a meeting with Trey Flowers. The former standout New England edge rusher visited with the team in March, and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets he was in Foxborough for a Monday workout.

Flowers, who will turn 30 this week, spent last season with the Dolphins. The Lions moved on from his big-ticket 2019 contract — one authorized during Matt Patricia‘s run as the team’s HC — during the 2022 offseason. Flowers played just four games with the Dolphins, making just four tackles and tallying one quarterback hit.

[RELATED: Patriots Authorize Matt Judon Raise]

The Patriots have received by far Flowers’ best work. The former fourth-round pick operated as the top edge defender on the Super Bowl-bound 2017 and ’18 teams, totaling 14 sacks and 45 quarterback hits in that span. As they often do, the Pats passed on a big free agency payment to retain the emerging talent, letting the Lions follow through on a five-year, $90MM contract.

Injuries heavily impacted Flowers’ Detroit tenure; he missed 19 games between the 2020 and ’21 seasons. Flowers suffered a season-ending foot injury in October of last year. But the Pats are taking a look at Flowers’ form; the two visits certainly indicate interest. As the returns of Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy most recently illustrate, the Pats are not averse to bringing back key performers on lower-cost deals.

New England has a locked-in Matt Judon–Josh Uche edge-rushing duo atop its depth chart, and the team also returns Deatrich Wise. A Flowers addition would crowd the Pats’ edge group, considering the team used a second-round pick to select Georgia Tech’s Keion White in April. But the team is kicking the tires on the eight-year veteran.

Patriots Adjust Matt Judon’s Contract

August 6th, 2023 at 5:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 6: Further details on the new agreement are in, courtesy of ESPN’s Mike Reiss. A void year for 2025 is in place, which will help smooth out the cap implications of the raise. The deal is now set to expire before free agency following that season, though, which means the franchise tag will not be an option for New England.

Judon’s new pact saw some of his $9.5MM 2024 salary pushed up to this season. That certainly helps his situation for the immediate future, but Reiss notes that the two parties will likely be in the same situation next offseason that they were in recent weeks given the absence of guarantees after 2023. Another strong season from Judon would help his bargaining position and likely further the mutual interest to prolong his Patriots tenure.

AUGUST 4: The contract talks between the Patriots and Matt Judon had occurred for a bit now, and they will produce a resolution early in training camp. The Patriots agreed to provide more guarantees for their top pass rusher.

Going into Friday, Judon’s through-2024 contract contained just $2MM in remaining guarantees. That number is now at $14MM, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). All of those guarantees come in 2023. No new years are included on this contract, which was originally agreed to during the Pats’ 2021 free agency splurge.

Judon has led the Patriots in sacks in each of the past two seasons, totaling 28 in that span. The ex-Raven’s $13.6MM-per-year contract is out of step with that value, and while the Patriots are not extending Judon at this point, they will reward the oft-red-sleeved edge dynamo ahead of his third season with the team. Judon, who will turn 31 this month, can earn up to $18MM in 2023. Originally, he was set to only earn $12MM with his $11MM base salary and a $1MM roster bonus. According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, another $500K could’ve been added through another bonus. Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports that, of the $14MM, $7MM will be guaranteed base salary and $7MM will come in the form of a signing bonus.

So, basically, instead of only having $2MM guaranteed with an $11MM salary and the potential to make $1.5MM more in bonuses, Judon’s new deal will automatically guarantee him $14MM for the year. That may not be much of a raise, but it’s an act of good faith by the Patriots to make sure one of their best defenders knows he’s being taken care of for now.

Judon had staged a bit of a “hold-in” to start camp, participating in a limited capacity over the first few days, to presumably send a passive-aggressive message to the team that he was unhappy with how any talks towards a new deal were going. He’s since returned to full participation and with this amended contract, it seems that the situation will avoid devolving into any sort of mess.

Judon has shown he has a desire to stay in New England for the foreseeable future. While this newly reworked contract isn’t an extension, perhaps it serves as a promise of things to come as the Patriots strive to keep Judon happy until negotiations can resume.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Latest On RBs Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook

August 6th, 2023 at 11:45am CST by Adam La Rose

A number of notable names remain on the open market into August, especially at the running back position. The futures of both Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook remain uncertain, despite the overlapping interest shown in them in some cases.

Elliott has been available since his expected Cowboys release, but he has not seen much of a market after his career-worst performance in 2022. A reunion in Dallas has been floated on a number of occasions during the offseason, with owner Jerry Jones publicly keeping the door open to a deal at a highly reduced rate. The latest reports on the matter, however, pointed to Dallas focusing more on its younger options behind franchise-tagged starter Tony Pollard.

In spite of that, Jeff Howe of The Athletic notes that the Cowboys are still in the running to re-acquire Elliott (subscription required). The team which appears more likely to sign the former rushing champion, though, remains the Patriots. New England hosted Elliott – after conversations between Bill Belichick and Stephen Jones – as one of several established backs they have kicked the tires on, and Howe reports the team is still “highly interested” in him. A agreement sending Elliott to New England would come as much less of a surprise than one with Cook.

The latter has been connected to every AFC East team except the Bills this offseason, including passing interest shown by the Patriots. Howe adds that New England is “almost certainly not going in that direction” with respect to signing the ex-Vikings starter. Cook’s only free agent visit to date has been with the Jets, a team which (like the Patriots) already has an established No. 1 option in the backfield.

The situation is different regarding the Dolphins, but they are not believed to view Cook, a Miami native, as a necessity. That could point Cook back in the direction of the Jets, a team which is in win-now mode as the Aaron Rodgers era is set to begin. Cook is thought to be looking for guaranteed money across two seasons, but no team has appeared enthusiastic about making such a commitment. Elliott, likewise, is unlikely to secure any long-term deal while being brought in to serve as a high-end backup.

Elliott’s and Cook’s fates are not doubt linked, and the RB dominoes will likely fall in quick succession once one makes a decision on their next landing spot. The Cowboys, Patriots and Jets are among the teams to watch closely, but there is still little clarity with respect to how willing those clubs, and others, are to make a sizeable commitment at the position.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/23

August 4th, 2023 at 7:36pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves as we head into the weekend:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Removed from commissioner’s exempt list: OL Josh Sills

San Francisco 49ers

Sills was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list back in February when a grand jury indicted him on counts of rape and kidnapping. The charges stem from an event that allegedly took place back in December 2019. Today it was announced that Sills was acquitted of both charges, according to sources at The Athletic. The Eagles released a statement that, with his adjudication, he will return to the team’s active roster.

The 49ers announced that Johnson has been placed on season-ending injured reserve. They didn’t disclose the injury that will sideline the young edge they signed two months ago.

The Vikings are adding the XFL’s 2023 leading rusher in Smith. Smith had 791 rushing yards in 10 games last year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/3/23

August 3rd, 2023 at 9:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday’s minor moves:

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: LB Austin Ajiake

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Placed on IR: RB Alfonzo Graham

Washington Commanders

NFL Injury Updates: Kupp, Moss, Anderson

August 2nd, 2023 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Last night, the Rams suffered a scare as former All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp left a Tuesday night practice early with a hamstring injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The veteran underwent an MRI to determine the extent of the damage early this morning.

While many players who talked with the media didn’t see the injury occur, it’s believed that he was forced to pull up while running a redzone route, leading to concern as a non-contact injury. Without details being released, a spokesperson for the team confirmed the injury.

Kupp’s presence in the Rams’ offense is vital. A year after winning the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award, Kupp once again led the team in receiving yards last season. What’s amazing about that is that, this time, he did it despite missing eight games due to injury. If he had continued to play the remainder of the season and produce at the same pace, he would have finished the season with the third-most receiving yards in the league last year, behind only Justin Jefferson and Tyreek Hill.

After Kupp missed the back half of the season last year with a high ankle sprain, the team is going to be delicate with any injury situation heading into the preseason. They will be cautious with Kupp moving forward, but Los Angeles does expect that he may be able to return “for scrimmages in a few weeks.”

Here are a couple of other updates on injuries from around the league:

  • One of Denver’s newest young cornerbacks will be cutting it close to play in Week 1 of his rookie season, according to Troy Renck of Denver7. The Broncos‘ second of two third-round picks, former Iowa cornerback Riley Moss underwent “core/sports hernia surgery” this week in Philadelphia. The recovery is expected to take around four weeks, which will have Moss back just in time to debut for the regular season if he can avoid any setbacks.
  • The Patriots were really hoping to see former Broncos offensive tackle Calvin Anderson step up and compete for a starting tackle job on their offensive line this summer. Unfortunately, Anderson began camp on the non-football illness list with an undisclosed illness. When asked about a timeline for Anderson’s return, head coach Bill Belichick gave the noncommittal response of, “We’ll see how it goes,” telling reporters that he doesn’t have a crystal ball. It’s unclear what form of illness could be holding Anderson out for such a long period of time without hope for reprieve, but based on Belichick’s answer, New England may need to start looking at other options in their tackle competition.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/23

August 2nd, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league:

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Waived: WR Ed Lee

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Moseley reportedly had a small clean-up procedure on his knee the other day as he continues to come back from last year’s ACL tear. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, it doesn’t appear to be a major setback, and head coach Dan Campbell expects Moseley back on Monday.

The news on Harris’s retirement comes from KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson, who reports that the two sides “are parting ways as (Harris) plans to retire.” If this is truly the end of the road for Harris, then the transaction puts a cap on a five-year career that saw Harris rack up 11 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits in the NFL.

Turk was urgently brought on as an undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma to compete with free agent addition Jake Bailey, formerly with the Patriots. The punter competition may be over quickly as Bailey is the only punter on the roster now.

Trice, the Steelers’ first of two seventh-round picks this year, suffered a non-contact injury at camp yesterday. His placement on injured reserve indicates that his rookie season has unfortunately come to an end before it had the chance to begin.

Cowboys Unlikely To Re-Sign Ezekiel Elliott?

August 1st, 2023 at 9:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

As most teams’ training camps head into their second week, Ezekiel Elliott remains unsigned. The two-time rushing champion has been connected to a few teams, but his main connection is not generating momentum.

The Cowboys saw offseason pickup Ronald Jones incur a two-game suspension Monday, and they are otherwise thin on experience behind Tony Pollard. But Elliott does not look to be in the Cowboys’ current plans, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill, who notes a reunion with the longtime starter is not a consideration at this point.

[RELATED: Cowboys Offered Pollard Long-Term Deal]

Mike McCarthy said the team does not want Elliott to take reps from its younger collection of backups. Malik Davis, Rico Dowdle and 5-foot-6 sixth-rounder Deuce Vaughn comprise that contingent. With Jones not exactly a lock to make the team regardless of his suspension, the Cowboys will be closely monitoring the progress of the aforementioned trio.

McCarthy’s comments regarding the backfield, however, came as Jerry Jones once again (via the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins) left the door open to a Zeke-Cowboys reunion. The prospect of the Cowboys bringing Elliott back at a significantly reduced rate surfaced in March, and the topic came up after the draft in April and again in June.

“I’ve been very consistent,” Jones said. “We’re just kind of see how it plays and we’re certainly haven’t closed the door. I wouldn’t know right now, what adjustments we might make, but just working ahead I don’t want to rule it out.”

Elliott, 28, has visited the Patriots. Prior to meeting with Elliott, Bill Belichick consulted Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. Belichick contacted Jones for a reference of sorts. The Patriots have looked into Elliott, Leonard Fournette and Darrell Henderson but have not made an addition. They have also discussed a meeting with Dalvin Cook, but as of now, the Jets have secured the only summit with the top back available. Cook may be zeroing in on the Jets, though with no deal agreed to, the Pats and Dolphins still have time to up their offers.

While Elliott has undeniably slowed down since his initial NFL breakthrough, he still matched Pollard’s 12 touchdowns last season and has frequently generated praise from Jerry Jones. But the former No. 4 overall pick has logged 2,186 touches — 309 more than any other active back. Elliott did well to fetch that six-year, $90MM extension from the Cowboys in 2019. Playing four years on the deal gave him vital security. Although the Ohio State product may well have a chance to play an eighth season soon, this year’s grim running back developments do not have teams eager to add him.

The Cowboys growing dissatisfied with the Davis-Dowdle-Vaughn group as camp progresses could reopen a door for Elliott, considering how many times the topic of a reunion has come up this since the March separation.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/1/23

August 1st, 2023 at 8:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: RB Toriano Clinton, TE La’Michael Pettway, T Dan Skipper
  • Waived: T Jordan Murray, TE Kaden Smith, DT Jamal Woods

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

  • Claimed (from Bears): WR Thyrick Pitts
  • Placed on reserve/retired list: WR Jalen Hurd

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Chosen in the third round by the 49ers back in 2019, Hurd never ended up seeing regular-season action. A converted running back who played in front of Alvin Kamara at points while at Tennessee, Hurd transferred to Baylor and became a wide receiver. Two season-ending injuries — a back malady in 2019 and an ACL tear in 2020 — derailed Hurd’s 49ers tenure. The team cut him during the 2021 season. Barely a week after the Patriots signed Hurd, it appears he is throwing in the towel on an injury-plagued career.

Penisini had unretired this offseason, joining the Panthers. The former Lions sixth-rounder played two seasons on his rookie contract but called it quits in June 2022. His unretirement will precede a Panthers exit. The Lions are moving Zylstra off their 90-man roster due to a severe knee injury. If unclaimed, Zylstra would revert to Detroit’s IR list. Zylstra has seen action in 17 games for the Lions over the past two seasons.

Hassenauer will require surgery to repair a triceps injury, and this transaction will shut him down — as far as the Giants are concerned. The only way Hassenauer can play in 2023 would be if the Giants removed him from IR via an injury settlement. Hairston suffered a herniated disk during practice, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).

Patriots Host RB Ezekiel Elliott

July 29th, 2023 at 6:25pm CST by Ben Levine

6:25: Elliott departed the Patriots’ facility without a deal in place, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). He adds that interest exists on both sides, however, which is corroborated by The Athletic’s Jeff Howe. The latter tweets that Elliott discussed contract terms with New England today, adding that the two-time rushing champion is likely close to deciding on his next destination. Since they also have interest in Elliott, the Jets could be a player in this situation, Howe notes, depending on how they fare in the Cook sweepstakes. Both veteran backs could find new homes in the very near future.

9:22am: The Patriots have been connected to a number of free agent running backs, and now the team is set to host one of the biggest remaining names on the market. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter), Ezekiel Elliott will visit New England today. Jordan Schultz was first with the news (via Twitter).

Elliott hasn’t generated a whole lot of reported interest since getting cut by the Cowboys earlier this offseason. He was briefly connected to the Eagles, Bengals, and Jets, but obviously no deal materialized. There were also rumors that he could simply land back in Dallas, but it sounds like the Cowboys want to evaluate their in-house options before making any additional moves at the position.

Despite starting 14 of his 15 games in 2022, Elliott struggled running the ball. His 3.8 yards-per-rushing-attempt marked a career-low, and despite generating 231 carries, he also finished with a career-low 876 rushing yards. On the flip side, the veteran RB proved that he’s still got a nose for the end zone, scoring 12 touchdowns.

The 28-year-old is only a year removed from his last 1,000-yard rushing season, and while he’ll probably never come close to replicating his 77-catch season in 2018, he still averaged 51 catches per season between 2019 and 2021. Plus, Elliott proved that he can still be effective in other parts of the game, with the running back earning the second-best positional grade for run blocking, per Pro Football Focus. In other words, while Elliott certainly started to show signs of decline last season, it might be a bit too early to write him off entirely.

Rhamondre Stevenson topped 1,400 yards from scrimmage for the Patriots in 2022, and with Damien Harris having left for Buffalo, the third-year back should see an even bigger role in 2023. However, behind Stevenson, the Patriots lack experienced depth. The team does have pass-catching veteran Ty Montgomery (who suffered an injury during practice this week, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Twitter), but the team is otherwise eyeing backup options like 2022 fourth-round pick Pierre Strong, 2022 sixth-round pick Kevin Harris, and former UDFA J.J. Taylor.

That lack of depth could explain why the organization has been connected to a number of free agent running backs. Most notably, the Patriots have been mentioned as a potential suitor for Dalvin Cook, although it remains to be seen if they’d pay the Pro Bowler his desired salary. The Patriots also recently hosted veteran free agents Leonard Fournette and Darrell Henderson.

Load More Posts