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Lots of “QB Talk” on Day 2 of NFL Draft

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FOXBORO – Ask anyone in Foxboro, Boston, Lexington or Concord and there is no quarterback controversy in New England. At least not yet.

New England Patriots head coach and head of football operations, Bill Belichick, clearly stated that veteran Cam Newton remains his starter — despite the Patriots drafting Alabama’s highly touted QB Mac Jones in the first round on Thursday night, not to mention that Tom Brady’s heir apparent of a year ago, Jarrett Stidham, is still on New England’s QB depth chart.

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The QB talk came as Day 2 of the annual NFL Draft marched on and several other teams drafted to find their future QBs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Florida quarterback Kyle Trask, the Minnesota Vikings grabbed Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond and the Houston Texans selected Stanford quarterback Davis Mills on Friday night.

Teams made their second- and third-round picks, and they will return to action Saturday to conclude the draft with Rounds 4-7. Trask was taken with the last pick of the second round at No. 64 overall. The former Gators signal-caller will back up Tom Brady after throwing for 4,283 yards, 43 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2020.

The Vikings grabbed Mond soon after with the second pick of the third round, No. 66 overall. Mond is coming off a stellar senior season in which he passed for 2,282 yards, 19 touchdowns and three interceptions in 10 games with the Aggies.

Mills heads to Houston after serving as a Stanford team captain in 2020. He made only 11 starts in college but impressed scouts with his mobility and prowess at reading the field.

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Georgia cornerback Tyson Campbell on Friday to begin a busy night of drafting. Campbell, 21, started 24 games in three seasons with Georgia.

Campbell was a five-star recruit out of high school in Florida and ranked as the second-best cornerback in his class behind only Patrick Surtain II, who was chosen in the first round by the Denver Broncos (No. 9 overall) on Thursday night.

The New York Jets followed by taking Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore with the second pick of the second round at No. 34 overall. The Broncos took North Carolina running back Javonte Williams at No. 35, the Miami Dolphins selected Oregon safety Jevon Holland at No. 36, and the Eagles picked Alabama center Landon Dickerson at No. 37.

The New England Patriots maintained their strong pipeline with Alabama when they selected Crimson Tide defensive tackle Christian Barmore with the sixth pick of the second round. Barmore will reunite with college teammate Mac Jones, whom New England drafted at No. 15 overall in the first round.

Florida State cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. had to wait until the middle of the second round until the Los Angeles Chargers selected him at No. 47 overall. Samuel led the Seminoles with three interceptions and served as a team captain in 2020 before opting out after eight games.

Notre Dame pass rusher Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah slid to No. 52, where the Cleveland Browns selected him. Many draft analysts had projected the former Fighting Irish star to be a first-round pick after a season in which he was a first-team All-American, captured Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors and won the Butkus Award given to the nation’s top lineup.

 

Patriots Select Mac Jones, Quarterback

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FOXBORO/CLEVELAND – In all the years, in all the NFL Drafts, Bill Belichick, the mastermind behind the New England Patriots entire football operation, never, ever, ever picked a quarterback with his first round draft choice. That streak ended last night in Cleveland when Belichick and the Patriots selected Alabama’s Mac Jones with their No. 1 choice, the 15th overall selection of the 2021 NFL Draft.

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With Cam Newton as his mentor, Jones is likely to play the early part of the 2021 season as back-up and apprentice to Newton, but with the way Belichick values his top pick, the keys to the New England Patriots’ offense will someday – soon – be turned over to Jones in the same manner in which All-Pro, All-Time great Tom Brady once accepted the QB job from Drew Bledsoe.

“This is what I wanted all along,” Jones said on stage at the “in-person” NFL Draft raft in Cleveland. “And I can’t wait to play for the greatest franchise in NFL history.”

Jones, a two-time national title winner with the Crimson Tide, was the fifth quarterback chosen in the top 15 on Thursday. He becomes the 11th player drafted by Belichick who played for Nick Saban in college.

In 13 games last season, Jones threw for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Some argue he was a product of a system that thrived with a rugged offensive line and elite playmakers everywhere. He was a backup in 2017 when Alabama also won the title.

He already seems to have a grasp of the “Patriot Way” of playing football.

Saban said last month teams began showing greater interest in Jones late last season and after the national championship game. In conversations with teams, Saban reminds them where Jones started — on the scout team and then behind a slew of talented players, including projected 2021 NFL starters Jalen Hurts (Eagles) and Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins). And, perhaps most importantly, of Jones’ perseverance to keep working toward getting on the field instead of leaving as a transfer.

“I think that the team that picks me is going to realize they don’t have to worry about me being the first guy in and the last guy out,” Jones said last month. “I’m going to sit and watch as much film as I can and do all the right things. And then obviously the tape speaks for itself.”

Jones joins former Auburn quarterbacks Cam Newton and Jarret Stidham with the Patriots. And he could have a chance to see Tagovailoa head to head twice a year in the AFC East. Newton re-signed with the Patriots after a disappointing 2020 with the team. He went 7-8 in 15 starts and turns 32 next month. Newton completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 2,657 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushed for 592 yards and 12 scores.

Jones’ Alabama Crimson Tide dominated the 2021 NFL Draft.

The national champion Crimson Tide watched six first-round picks placed up on the draft board on the opening night of the annual college draft. Quarterback Mac Jones, Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, (Philadelphia Eagles), explosive fellow wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (Miami Dolphins) and running back Najee Harris (Pittsburgh Steelers) lead the wave of Nick Saban‘s former charges expected to be selected among the top 32 picks.

Cornerback Patrick Surtain II, (Denver Broncos), offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood (Las Vegas Raiders) were all first-rounders.

Alabama’s Saban has had 96 players drafted since he became coach at the school, including four first-round picks in 2020. Overall, Saban has produced 35 first-round picks between his time at LSU and Alabama. Tagovailoa was the fifth overall pick in 2020 — one of four Alabama players in the top 15 — and sat early as a Miami rookie while recovering from hip surgery.

Mac Jones: Insider’s Look

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Mac Jones, QB, Alabama – New England Patriots

  • 6-2. 214 lbs
  • 40 time: 4.90
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Often overshadowed by the presence of Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa on the Alabama roster, Jones finally got his opportunity to shine in 2019 after an injury to Tagovailoa opened the door for starting opportunities.

Jones entered 2020 with a quarterback competition against the highly recruited Bryce Young, but he held onto the starting job. He performed admirably throughout the year while directing Alabama to another national championship and putting his name in the Heisman race.

Despite only having a year and a half as a starter, Jones enters the NFL as a highly decorated passer with a dominant string of performances behind him.

STRENGTHS

  • Jones has a good feel for attacking with accuracy at all three levels of the field, and his ball placement regardless of the distance stands out.
  • Mechanically sound, possessing a good base as a thrower and delivering passes with a clean stroke.
  • Smart with his decisions and won’t force passes if he doesn’t have ideal leverage for the throw.
  • Control over the Alabama offense stands out, and he has a great command over the system.

WEAKNESSES

  • Unable to extend plays much with his legs, and he shouldn’t be trusted to make things happen as a scrambler.
  • Arm is relatively average, and he isn’t able to make a ton of high velocity throws when working off platform.
  • Will need to improve his quickness working through progressions as a pro.

PRO COMPARISON

Can be compared favorably to Jared Goff, Detroit Lions: Goff gets his fair share of criticism for being more of a game manager than a dynamic passer, but he has conducted some well-oiled machines with good accuracy, timing, and decision-making as a pro.

Jones brings a lot of the same traits with his timing and control, and he should be able to drive the bus with enough efficiency to start at the pro level.

 

Jaguars Ready to Rock with Lawrence

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CLEVELAND – The Jacksonville Jaguars made it official last night when the 2021 NFL Draft started to Rock n’ Roll in the City of the Rock Hall of Fame. The Jags selected Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick of the annual college draft.

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The 6-foot-6 Lawrence is the team’s first choice under new head coach Urban Meyer and immediately is expected to make an impact as a starter.

Lawrence, the Heisman Trophy runner-up went (34-2) as a starter at Clemson and led the Tigers to the national championship as a freshman in 2018. He passed for 10,098 yards, 90 touchdowns with only 17 interceptions. He also ran for 18 touchdowns.

Lawrence was the first of five quarterbacks selected in Round 1. Immediately following his selection at No. 1 overall, the New York Jets – after their dismal 2-14 2020 season – picked BYU QB Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall choice. The San Francisco 49ers moved up to No. 3 via trade and selected QB Trey Lance of North Dakota State while the Chicago Bears grabbed Ohio State QB Justin Fields at No. 11 overall, four picks before New England closed-out the rush on quarterback selections when they picked Mac Jones of Alabama.

NFL Draft: A Return to Normalcy & Uncertainty

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CLEVELAND – Although it seems like a century ago, it was just a year back when we were welcomed into NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s basement man-cave to watch the NFL Draft unfold pick-by-pick. The surreal feeling of disconnection to the normal man-hugs and NFL Draft-niks reaction was lost to the pandemic we were just beginning to understand.

Tonight?

It’ll be like Mardi Gras in Cleveland, if that would ever be a thing.

NFL Draft pundits are predicting a quarterback class like none other. The focus on the more well-known position of QB could shift a more deserved spotlight away from the amazing Alabama Crimson Tide football program when the 2021 NFL Draft begins tonight.

The defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide Class of 2021 (and their young peers) will challenge the record for first-round picks in a single year. ‘Bama Quarterback Mac Jones, Heisman Trophy winner in WR DeVonta Smith,  his fellow WR Jaylen Waddle and RB Najee Harris lead the talented departing crew of Alabama Coach Nick Saban‘s vast resourced expected to be gobbled-up by NFL player personnel departments from Miami to Seattle.  All will be among the first-rounders.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the No. 1 overall pick and awaiting for selection are five quarterbacks projected to be selected in the top half of the first round. The Jags seem set on Trevor Lawrence of Clemson, but Zach Wilson (BYU), Alabama’s Jones, Trey Lance (North Dakota State) and Justin Fields (Ohio State) are likely to be part of a record QB haul in Round one.

If the Jaguars select Lawrence first overall, he’ll be the 26th quarterback to go No. 1 since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Quarterbacks have gone first each of the past three drafts and Lawrence is listed as a -10000 favorite to go No. 1 and make it four in a row. Only twice in NFL draft history quarterbacks have gone 1-2-3, most recently in 1999 when Tim Couch (Browns), Donovan McNabb (Eagles) and Akili Smith (Bengals) were the top players drafted.

Only one time in draft history (2018), were four quarterbacks selected in the top 10, and never with picks 1-4. The Falcons hold the fourth overall pick and choosing an heir apparent to Matt Ryan is under consideration. That No. 4 overall pick is the crossroad of the 2021 NFL Draft as Atlanta could trade down and gather additional picks by dealing the No. 4 pick to a QB-needy team such as the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos or Chicago Bears.

The Patriots lost Tom Brady and his Super Bowl winning ways to reigning NFL champion Tampa Bay and Brady’s replacement in New England, Cam Newton, didn’t pan-out to be a playoff-bound QB for Bill Belichick and the Pats.

The record for quarterbacks drafted in the first round is six, set in 1983 with a class of John Elway, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Todd Blackledge, Tony Eason and Ken O’Brien. Of course, the poor New York Jets came away with O’Brien that year.

Those same J-E-T-S will be selecting at No. 2 this season and they recently dealt their “franchise QB” of the 2018 NFL Draft, Sam Darnold, to the Carolina Panthers who are coming off a QB trade of their own, having dealt Teddy Bridgewater to Denver on April 28.

To say uncertainty is the name of the NFL Draft in 2021 is an understatement for all draft.

 

Edelman Retires from Patriots, NFL

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FOXBORO – Just hours after the New England Patriots announced that Julian Edelman‘s contract was terminated, the All-Pro wide receiver sent out a video message on social media announcing his retirement.

https://twitter.com/Edelman11/status/1381722282570170373?s=20

 

“Nothing in my career has ever come easy, and no surprise, this isn’t going to be easy either,” said Edelman in the message on his @Edelman11 Twitter feed. “Now, I’ve always said, I’ll go until the wheels come off. And uh, they finally have fallen off. Due to an injury last year, I’ll be making my official announcement of my retirement from football.

“It was a hard decision, but the right decision for me and my family. And I’m honored and so proud to be retiring a Patriot. There are a million people I have to thank. Mr. Kraft, the Kraft family … I’ve learned so much from you guys on and off the field. Coach Belichick, gave me my opportunity. I’ll always love you for that. My teammates, we’ve gone to war. We lost some, we won some. You guys will always be my brothers.

“To all my coaches that I played under, I appreciate all your insight, all your hard work, all your knowledge. To the entire Patriots organization, from the meal ladies, to the people who clean up after us, the people in the hallways, the training staff, the strength staff, we share so many awesome memories that I’ll never forget.

“And of course, my family. You guys have always had my back. It’s been the best 12 years of my life. It’s a hell of a run. I can’t forget you, Patriot Nation. You guys have welcomed me and my family to a region we did not know. We didn’t know. But now, I’m one of you.

“I’m going to leave you guys with two words: Foxboro Forever.”

The 34-year-old All-Pro wide receiver is listed with a “failed physical” designation on the NFL’s transaction wire.

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A three-time Super Bowl winner, Edelman ranks second in Patriots history in receptions (620), fourth in receiving yards (6,822) and ninth in touchdown receptions (36).

A quarterback in college at Kent State, Edelman was drafted in the seventh round (232nd overall) by New England in 2009 and wound up playing in 137 regular season games and 19 postseason games. Edelman posted three 1,000-yard seasons and two 100-catch campaigns. He missed the entire 2017 season with a torn ACL suffered in the preseason.

He was named the MVP of Super Bowl LIII in 2019 after catching 10 passes for 141 yards in the Patriots’ 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

Edelman’s release frees up $3.4 million in salary cap space for the Patriots.

NFL: Patriots Sign RB White

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FOXBORO – The New England Patriots re-signed unrestricted free-agent running back James White and came to terms with exclusive rights free-agent fullback Jakob Johnson, shoring-up their backfield  on Thursday.

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White will return for his eighth season with the Patriots, while Johnson, 26, returns for his third year with the club.

James signed a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $2.5 million while the financial terms of Johnson’s one-year deal weren’t disclosed, according to ESPN.