After a mini-bye following Thursday Night Football, the New England Patriots are ready to get back on the field. That will take place in Miami with a divisional matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
But first, let’s get into this week’s edition of the #PostPulpit Mailbag.
What moves do you expect before the trade deadline. I know we did a lot for receiver group in the offseason but do you see adding another body considering WR1 and WR2 aren’t really panning out as expected? – sumeetw
I’m not expecting
much from the Patriots at the trade deadline. They’ve invested heavily in both wide receiver and offensive guard from a financial and draft-capital standpoint, so it would be tough to see another significant investment there — like Josh Downs or previously being in the Quenton Nelson market.
They should also get healthier with Alijah Vera-Tucker, Mack Hollins and Romeo Doubs all on injured reserve, while the players filling in for them have largely held things together.
If the Patriots do make a move, I’d expect a fringe or depth addition in exchange for late-round draft capital. Perhaps they look to add another run-stuffing defensive tackle, a blocking tight end or more depth on the defense.
Hey Brian.
They’re not sexy names, but what are your thoughts on trading for Grover Stewart or Dalvin Tomlinson? After moving on from Tonga in the offseason, no one has really stepped up to fill his void on the roster. Durden has been underwhelming in my opinion. I’m not expecting either guy to be Tonga, but they could use a solid experienced pro to anchor the middle on early downs. – Pat in Agawam
A run-stuffing nose tackle would be on our list of targets due to some inconsistent play from the current group, led by Cory Durden who might be at his best in the rotational role he held last season. Players like Stewart or Tomlinson fit that mold and both make sense as targets as neither would require a significant investment in terms of draft capital or money.
Among the backup OL guys that have been in the mix, which have actually performed the best? Lomu is pretty obvious, but not a true backup. Have any of the others done well enough to be called a pleasant surprise or to be in line as backups again next year? – ed.liebfried
None have been perfect, as expected, but everyone has shown intriguing flashes and helped hold things together. We’ve written plenty about Lomu, but Ben Brown did not allow a quarterback hit in any of his three starts, while Matt Pryor’s size allows him to drop anchor and move bodies along the interior.
Walter Rouse has also shown intriguing traits at left guard, including some impressive moments in 1-on-1 pass protection. His awareness against stunts will need to continue to improve, but the 25-year-old, who is relatively new to the position, could develop into a reliable top backup or spot starter.
Would it be crazy to grab a free agent coverage linebacker for a playoff run? Matt Milano? Bobby Okereke? Your Ad Here? Maybe if we only picked them up for half a season we could afford someone good and “well rested.”
It doesn’t necessarily have to be another coverage linebacker, but I would be in favor of looking for a playable third linebacker that can allow New England to play more base defense. New England is bottom 10 in success rate against heavy personnel grouping due to Marcus Jones’ size or inconsistent play from the third safety in big nickel.
Finding another linebacker to play true base defense could be an answer to slowing those groups down.
With only 5-6 designated-to-return spots, it’s getting tougher to choose who comes back. If we think their cap number is a good proxy for value during a playoff run, it would be:
-AVT
-Mike Onwenu
-Romeo Doubs
-Reggie Gilliam
-Mack Hollins
-Player to be named later
And I guess Harold Landry III is a freebie?
How would you allocate the spots? – WannaBe Pats GM
The Patriots currently have six return designations remaining, having used two on A.J. Brown and Marcus Bryant. They would receive two additional designations if they make the playoffs. Brenden Schooler does not count toward the total, and neither would Harold Landry if he returns.
Among the players currently on injured reserve, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Mack Hollins and Romeo Doubs seem like clear-cut locks to return when healthy. Mike Onwenu would join that group, though his timeline likely puts his return in the playoffs. New England would also likely want to bring back Gilliam, but his availability remains uncertain after he was hampered by a knee injury throughout the season.
That would leave three or four return designations for the remainder of the regular season, with no other players currently on injured reserve — including Greg Van Roten, Dell Pettus and Khalil Jacobs — appearing to be immediate priorities.
That’s all for this week’s #PostPulpit mailbag. If you have questions you’d liked to be answered next week, submit them online in our weekly submission post on the Feed. Make sure to follow @iambrianhines and @PatsPulpit as well.
