Good morning, and a happy Sunday, and a Happy Mother’s Day to all the great Moms out there. We hope you all have a wonderful day with family.Here is your Patriots news for 05-10, along with this week’s NFL notes. In a section below, we’ll take a look at what free agent linebackers are still available.It seems the Vrabel story has gone from a sports story to celebrity-gossip fodder. Drake Maye came out in support of Vrabel this week and said that he doesn’t believe the situation will be a distraction for the team.My concern, if I were the Patriots, is whether this affair ever affected the football team. If so, then I’d have a major issue with it. Obviously, in Russini’s case, her circumstances differ when it comes to being a member of the media. But the “journalistic integrity” pearl clutching? A bit much.Rookie Minicamp Is UnderwaySoooooo, the Patriots’ rookie minicamp is underway. In addition to the nine players drafted, they also welcomed 12 UDFA signees or tryout invitees to Gillette Stadium. All of the draft picks, OT Caleb Lomu, EDGE Gabe Jacas, TE Eli Raridon, CB Karon Prunty, OT Dametrius Crownover, LB Namdi Obiazor, QB Behren Morton, RB Jam Miller, and LB Quintayvious Hutchins, are in attendance. Jacas was there but did not take part.The Patriots signed 12 UDFAs, including WRs Jimmy Kibble, Nick DeGennaro, Kyle Dixon, and Cameron Dorner; DBs Channing Canada and Kenneth Harris; RB Myles Montgomery; LBs Khalil Jacobs; and OL Jacob Rizy and JonDarius Morgan.Bernd Buchmasser of Pats Pulpit posted a list of the 13 players invited to tryout at the rookie minicamp, bringing the total number of players to 32. WR Logan Collier (North Alabama), WR Demarcus Lacey (Marshall), OT Eli Simonson (UC Davis), DT Korey Foreman (Fresno State), DT Tyrell Martin (Eastern Michigan), LB Jordan Kwiatkowski (Central Michigan), LB Declan Williams (Incarnate Word)CB Malcolm Greene (UMass), S Peter Manuma (Hawaii), P Mitch McCarthy (Indiana), and LS Kneeland Hibbett (Alabama). As of Thursday, May 8, five draft picks have already officially signed their rookie contracts: CB Karon Prunty, T Dametrious Crownover, LB Namdi Obiazor, QB Behren Morton, and RB Jam Miller.The focus of this minicamp is to acclimate them to how the Patriots conduct their practices and meetings and to familiarize them with the facility and the staff. As you would expect, Mike Vrabel was heavily involved with the players in the drills, teaching, encouraging, and getting physical, as is his style. Exactly as he always is.As for the drills themselves, it should be remembered that the practice was unpadded, with rookies all over the field, so as not to get excited about who did what… that can take a back seat until the entire team gets together. The big takeaway is that the players are out there and getting ready to join the rest of the team once OTAs start.Quick Hitters For the Patriots and NFL News:Stefon Diggs: The former Patriots wide receiver was found not guilty of felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault and battery in a December incident with his former live-in chef. The jury deliberated for only 90 minutes. He could still face some discipline from the NFL.Now that his legal issues are behind him, he will probably sign with a team fairly quickly. Diggs had over 1,000 yards receiving last season, and that was coming off a torn ACL in the previous October.His age (33) is a concern for whoever signs him, but as for the chances of his returning to New England, that ship has probably sailed. Will Diggs still be available on June 2? Because that is the only scenario I can see the Patriots bringing him back if the projected trade with Philadelphia falls through.Harold Landry Rehab: The Patriots brought in the talented edge rusher last season, and he was off to a very good start in 2025 before suffering a knee injury that lingered through the remainder of the season, severely curtailing his production.He had surgery to repair his knee and has been actively rehabbing. That rehab is a very significant factor for the 2026 defense. The Patriots’ pass rush wasn’t great last year, especially after Landry’s injury. They lost K’Lavon Chaisson and replaced him with Dre’Mont Jones. We won’t know until the pads come on if he is an improvement, a wash, or a step back. But he definitely fits the Patriots’ philosophy.The team’s 2nd-round pick, Gabe Jacas, definitely improved their depth along the edge, especially after losing Anfernee Jennings, who was an excellent edge setter in the running game, but wasn’t a great pass rusher. There is a lot of optimism surrounding Jacas as he fits Vrabel’s vision of being a physical, violent, relentless player. Former Patriots’ coach and now Illinois head coach Bret Bielema cited Jacas’ incredibly strong hands and his “desire to be great” as reasons he could fit into the defense.Elijah Ponder showed some promise, while Bradyn Swinson is still an unknown, so getting a healthy Landry back is important for the pass rush in 2026.He turns 30 in June and should still have plenty of gas left in the tank. However, if his knee injury is one of those chronic issues, it could really set the defense back.Caleb Lomu: The Patriots on Thursday had an introductory-type day for their top draft pick, which is a bit of a rarity; normally, they have that introductory bit the day after they’ve been drafted. However, the team opted to wait until the rookie minicamp started. The rookie sees himself as a tackle; what side to him is irrelevant.“I just feel myself as a tackle, just in general, left or right side,” Lomu said. “Just happened to play left in college, and that’s kind of what I got comfortable with, just playing those three years at left tackle at Utah. First year there, I was kind of a swing tackle, so I feel comfortable at left and also have been working out at right these past couple of months. Feel just as good on the right side, as well. So, either tackle position, I’m happy to play and feel comfortable playing.”Lomu made it clear that he’s open to playing anywhere. “Any position that they need me at, I’m willing to play, and would love to play,” Lomu said. “There are five guys. There are five positions, and any position that I can contribute to to help the team, I’m going to do that. And just to get on the field and get some playing time. That’s the goal, and whatever position they need me to play to be able to get on the field and play, I’m willing to do.”Schedule Release: The NFL will release the 2026 schedule on May 14, and, of course, like everything else in the NFL, it will be a primetime event. The Patriots’ opponents are already known, and their schedule will be much tougher, with games against division leaders and the AFC West. Games against the Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, and a Super Bowl rematch against the Seahawks will all be tough matchups. Within the division, the two games against Buffalo will be must-see, as they feature Josh Allen and Drake Maye competing. Interestingly enough, both games last year were won by the visiting team.Jajuan Jennings: The Vikings signed the 49ers’ free agent wide receiver this past week. It is intriguing (at least here) because of the backstory. Adam Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show Friday that three other squads showed interest in Jennings: the Dolphins, Commanders, and the Chiefs. Last week, in this column, I wondered if the Chiefs would still be interested in pursuing a trade with Philadelphia for A.J. Brown at the eleventh hour.A potential showstopper remains the salary cap, where the Chiefs have between $6-7 million in available cap space. But their interest in Jennings shows that they are far from done tinkering with the roster. Romeo Doubs: The Patriots signed the former Packers’ wide receiver in free agency, and there is a lot of optimism about what he can bring to the table, especially in the red zone, an area the Patriots struggled in during the 2025 season.At the time of his signing, the feeling here was that Doubs would assume Stefon Diggs’ role as the go-to guy in the offense. However, it is fair to ask how much of his perceived production will be affected if the Patriots go through with the trade of A.J. Brown from the Eagles. The Patriots believed he had the potential to increase his production after playing in a “spread the wealth” system in Green Bay. It will bear close watching once the pads come on in training camp.Patriots No Huddle Podcast: Derek, Mike, and I didn’t record an episode this week. However, we’ll be back soon on the PatsFans.com website. You can always check out our other podcasts on our YouTube channel.Please check it out. And be sure to like, share, and leave us a review. Russ Francis/Chuck Fairbanks: The former Patriot tight end and head coach should be in the Patriots team Hall of Fame, and the fact that Francis isn’t is an absolute travesty. Francis and the Raiders’ Dave Casper changed how teams used the tight end position. We will continue to display this in our Sunday posts until it happens. Casper is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Francis’ numbers stand up well against Casper’s, yet he isn’t even in the team’s HOF. Free Agent Linebackers That Are Still Available:The Patriots were a bit thin at linebacker behind starters Robert Spiillane and Christian Elliss in 2025. But now, with the release of Jahlani Tavai, the trade of Marte Mapu, and the loss of Jack Gibbens in free agency, the depth was even more critically important coming into the 2026 season. K.J. Britt, formerly of the Dolphins, was signed to a one-year contract to join Chad Muma as the projected top backups. However, Britt has been used more as a special-teams player than as a linebacker. During the draft, the team added Namdi Obiazor, and then signed UDFA Missouri linebacker Khalil Jacobs earlier this month. They also have practice-squad players Otis Reese and Amari Gainer.Depth is still an issue behind Spillane and Elliss, however. But some veteran free agent linebackers are still available. Bobby Okerke, 29, has been a productive linebacker before being released by the Giants this spring. His coverage skills are good; he earned a coverage grade of 65.6 from PFF in 2025. He could be a nice depth piece for subpackage defenses in 2026.Shaq Thompson, 32, who played for the Bills last year, is still available. He professed a desire to return to Buffalo, but wants to be a starter. His projected cap hit would be between $2.5 to $3 million. Thompson had a coverage grade of 70.2 according to PFF, which was 14th in the league among off-the-ball linebackers. Interestingly enough, Thompson spent a very brief time with the Red Sox’s rookie team in the Gulf Coast League.Germaine Pratt, who will turn 30 on May 21, is a productive veteran who had 95 solo tackles last season, good for 12th among all linebackers.According to PFF, “His PFF coverage grade of 57.5 ranked 40th among 88 qualified linebackers. His run-defense grade of 67.6 ranked 44th at the position. His pass-rush grade of 55.8 ranked 67th among qualified linebackers.” _______________“Somebody asked me what success looks like, and I said, ‘Yeah, you can judge it by wins and losses during the season, but success for me in the offseason is going to be that the players believe in what we’re doing, and they believe in the message, they believe in the teaching, and they believe in the connections that we’re making.’” — Mike VrabelFollow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at [email protected]Listen to our PatsFans.com Patriots No Huddle podcasts on Apple and YouTube as Derek Havens, Mike D’Abate, and I discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis.
ð Questions Answered in This ArticleWhat is the focus of the Patriots rookie minicamp?The minicamp focuses on acclimating players to Patriots practices and meetings, and familiarizing them with the facility and staff.Which Patriots draft picks signed rookie contracts before minicamp?As of May 8, CB Karon Prunty, T Dametrious Crownover, LB Namdi Obiazor, QB Behren Morton, and RB Jam Miller officially signed their rookie contracts.When will the 2026 NFL schedule be released?The NFL will release the 2026 schedule on May 14, presented as a primetime event.Like this article?Support Steve and buy him a coffee.
About Steve BalestrieriA former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)View all posts by Steve Balestrieri
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