Reports Out Of Indy Suggest The Patriots are Focused On Drafting Travis Hunter
Stacy Revere. Getty Images.MassLive has just posted a long and comprehensive report on the Patriots-adjacent talk going on at the Indianapolis Employment Enjoyment Summerslam Grill Jam Fun-Splosion. There's a lot to unpack here, and it's well worth any Pats fan's time:
But just to hit a few of the major bullet points:
The Patriots plan to beef up the trenches, seeking both offensive and defensive linemen. A top target to monitor is Philadelphia defensive tackle Milton Williams, who is considered a good fit in Vrabel’s system. The 25-year-old finished with a career-high five sacks and 10 quarterback hits last fall. …
Titans edge rusher Harold Landry is a natural Patriots target. Although his agent was given permission to seek a trade, there are some who believe Landry will ultimately be cut by Tennessee. If that happens, sources expect the Patriots to be involved. Landry was drafted by the Titans when Vrabel was the coach. …
The Patriots will also be dogged in attempting to fix their offensive line. They’ll look to upgrade both tackle spots this spring and add at least one guard. The top name to watch is left tackle Ronnie Stanley.
--On finding a true WR1:
The Patriots want to upgrade their pass catchers. They’d love to add a No. 1 receiver, but there’s skepticism that’ll happen this offseason. …
“(No. 1 receivers are) just not walking around here,” Vrabel cracked at the Indiana Convention Center.
--On when the decision to fire Jerod Mayo was made:
Some in Vrabel’s circle knew a move to Foxborough was in play following New England’s ugly Week 15 loss at Arizona. From that moment on, staffers also noticed the Krafts had less of a presence around the team.
Still, coaches were blindsided by Adam Schefter’s report before the season finale that Jerod Mayo could be fired.
--On just how unpopular Robyn Glaser (she was the one in Apple TV's The Dynasty walking down an office hallway in slo-mo swinging a hammer to reenact how she destroyed the infamous Spygate tapes) was around One Patriots Place:
Robyn Glaser’s departure from Foxborough remained a hot topic in Indianapolis.
People within the walls at Gillette Stadium were wary of Glaser’s long-term aspirations due to a thirst for power. Prior to her resignation last month, Glaser was a controversial figure within the hierarchy. At least one respected member of the organization was alarmed by how she conducted her business.
To repeat, there's plenty more where these gems came from. But the biggest issue of all, what to do with the No. 4 pick, is still the Final Jeopardy clue that needs to be answered. And here's what Mark Daniels and Karen Guregian were able to ascertain. Emphasis mine:
[E]verything is in play at No. 4 overall.
Abdul Carter’s foot fracture was one of the biggest storylines at the Combine, but the Patriots don’t think that will hurt the Penn State standout’s draft stock. They’re not expecting him to fall far enough.
Defensively, the Patriots believe the best cornerback in the draft is — Travis Hunter. Offensively, the Patriots believe the best wideout in the draft is — Travis Hunter. Whether the two-way Heisman winner is still on the board at No. 4 is a different question.
While LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell’s NFL position has been hotly debated, the Patriots see him as a tackle — arm measurements be damned. Campbell has fans in the organization, as does Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. Both are possibilities at No. 4.
I concede I'm projecting here. They're not reporting the Patriots plan to take Travis Hunter. And there's serious doubt he'll be on the board for them at No. 4. (Thanks again, Mayo.) A lot of that will depend on the markets for Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. Assuming, as this report does, that Abdul Carter's foot fracture is a nothingburger and he's assured of going in the Top 3.
The first complication, and the first domino that could fall that will turn the Mock Draft world upside down, is Matthew Stafford. If he ends up with the Giants or Browns, that takes one team out of the QB Sweepstakes and they probably take Hunter.
The second is obviously free agency. If the Pats can haul in a big fish like Ronnie Staley, they have the luxury of passing on Will Campbell and shopping for guards and a right tackle (thus sliding Michael Onwenu back inside where he's best suited).
All of which points us back in the direction of Hunter, who works on just so many levels. Whether you make him your full time WR1 and use him in subpackages on defense, or line him up on the side opposite Christian Gonzalez and utilize him in spread offense alignments, either way you're adding a special talent to a roster in need of significant upgrade. Yes, he won the Heisman. But more importantly from New England's standpoint, he won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best receiver and the Chuck Bednarik Award as its top defensive player. Either way they win at an area of tremendous need.
Which, not insignificantly, was a point not lost on Vrabel when he talked to Hunter:
“We were kind of jawing back and forth as he left last night. And I said: ‘You’re not the only one that played two-way. There were some other guys that did this, too.’ And he kind of looked at me and he laughed.”
To repeat it for the people sitting in the back: Wanting a special player who's a thoroughly unique talent and getting him with the 4th pick are two totally different things. But it's not hard to look at the situation as it stands and extrapolate that the Patriots see Hunter as their best option. Their dream scenario, even. Right now at the end of February, I couldn't agree more.