Top Patriots buzz from the NFL combine
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Mike Reiss
INDIANAPOLIS — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Stanley and OL: At the NFL scouting combine, one rival NFL executive said some of the buzz going around was that the Patriots would aggressively pursue veteran Baltimore Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley should he make it to unrestricted free agency.
It was hardly surprising, and also reflective of the type of conversations that take place at the combine, where front office executives, coaches, scouts, agents and reporters come together to set the stage for the start of free agency (legal negotiating period starting March 10) and the NFL draft (April 24-26).
Sorting through what is legitimate and what is smoke is an evolving process, but the idea that the Patriots would be connected to Stanley hits at arguably the top theme head coach Mike Vrabel and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf drilled home in on-the-record interviews last week.
Offensive line play wasn’t good enough last year. Defensive line play wasn’t good enough last year. And they’re bullish on fixing it, because they believe that’s where games are won. It’s good timing, as this year’s draft is considered especially strong on the defensive line.
Stanley, who turns 31 later this month, is widely viewed as the top left tackle set to hit the free agency … if he gets there. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCosta struck a confident tone at the combine that they might be able to re-sign him, and Stanley has previously relayed that he places a value on playing his entire career with one organization.
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At the same time, business is business, and last year the Ravens had slashed Stanley’s salary by $7.5 million as injury concerns mounted.
Stanley’s stock is back up after playing in every game in 2024 for the first time in his nine-year career, and now he’s primed to cash in on a deal that figures to top $20 million per season — whether it’s in Baltimore, New England or elsewhere. One potential obstacle for the Ravens is that they rank in the bottom 11 of the NFL in salary cap space.
In New England, he wouldn’t just fill a gaping void at left tackle, but also provide leadership and championship pedigree to a locker room that needs it as a new culture is established under Vrabel. The Patriots have more than $125 million in cap space (league high), and if they’re going to take a big swing, it makes sense that Stanley is on their radar.
But there was another theme from Vrabel and Co. last week at the combine: The Patriots are going to have multiple plans and won’t be putting all their free agent footballs in one bag, because part of the process is out of their control. So they’ll explore multiple avenues to achieve the goal of filling myriad needs so they can let the draft come to them and not be hamstrung by a glaring need (e.g. last year at wide receiver).
It sets the stage for what should be an exciting free agent period as Vrabel’s vision for the Patriots comes into focus.
2. Coaches stay back: Other than special teams, Patriots assistant coaches didn’t attend the combine, prioritizing time in Foxboro over Indianapolis as they work through their playbooks and terminology, among other things, as a first-year staff.
Meanwhile, it was a bit of a shock to the eyes to see former Patriots cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino — in his first year as Buffalo’s nickelback coach after 10 seasons in New England — walking through the Indiana Convention Center in a Bills hoodie.
3. Coaching connections: Wolf said the Patriots’ coaching staff’s recent experience with other teams, and familiarity with soon-to-be free agents, could be “an advantage for us moving forward” in deciding whom to pursue.
Wolf said part of the reason last year’s free agent class didn’t pop was that the team needed more thorough information.
Along those lines, here are six lesser-discussed free agents who play on the line of scrimmage that could interest the Patriots this year based on Vrabel’s preferred aggressive style of play, and their connection with coaches on staff:
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DT Levi Onwuzurike (Detroit Lions): A 2021 second-round pick out of the University of Washington, he was coached by first-year defensive coordinator Terrell Williams last season. A back injury slowed him down early in his career, but he is coming off his best season (28 tackles, 13 QB hits).
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G Dillon Radunz (Tennessee Titans): When Vrabel was entering his fourth season as Titans coach in 2021, the team selected Radunz in the second round out of North Dakota State. Radunz has played both tackle and guard spots (54 games, 31 starts) and looks most comfortable at guard.
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OT Cam Robinson (Jacksonville Jaguars/Minnesota Vikings): When Robinson was drafted in the 2017 first round by the Jaguars, current New England offensive line coach Doug Marrone was Jacksonville’s head coach. Robinson started 47 games over Marrone’s four-year tenure.
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OL Teven Jenkins (Chicago Bears): Patriots assistant offensive line coach Jason Houghtaling and tight ends coach/passing game coordinator Thomas Brown were in Chicago last season when Jenkins, a 2021 second-round pick out of Oklahoma State who battled injuries earlier in his career, started 14 games. He was drafted as a tackle, but looks more comfortable at guard.
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LB Azeez Ojulari (New York Giants): Inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr was a defensive assistant with the Giants in 2024 when Ojulari appeared in 11 games and totaled six sacks. Ojulari (6-3, 240) entered the NFL as a 2021 second-round pick out of Georgia and, despite multiple seasons limited by injury, has totaled 22 sacks as a pro.
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DE Dayo Odeyingbo (Indianapolis Colts): Cornerbacks coach Justin Hamilton was the Colts’ assistant defensive backs coach in 2024 (after getting his start with Vrabel in 2023), as Odeyingbo started a career-high 14 games and had 17 QB hits and seven tackles for a loss. Odeyingbo (6-6, 286) entered the NFL as a 2021 second-round pick out of Vanderbilt.
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4. ‘Different’ meeting: Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams, a projected first-round pick who played through an ankle injury last season, told ESPN at the combine that his interview with the Patriots was an outlier.
“How they run their meeting, they’re very different,” he said.
How so? Williams was asked that question twice, and he cracked a smile, saying he’d keep that to himself — the type of answer that probably will endear him that much more to Vrabel and Co.
5. Graham follow-up: Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, who was listed at 6-foot-3 and 320 pounds during the 2024 season, weighed in at 296 pounds at the combine. The 24-pound discrepancy figures to spark internal conversation for the Patriots — who could consider Graham at No. 4 — because 296 is on the lighter side at the position (coupled with 32-inch arm length, which is in the 12th percentile).
As Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said, one of Graham’s biggest adjustments in the NFL will be going up against guards who weigh 340 or 350 pounds, and how he holds up against double-team blocks in the run game.
In Vrabel’s six seasons as Titans head coach, he never had a sub-300-pound starting defensive tackle on a consistent basis (Jeffery Simmons, Teair Tart, etc.). So one question when considering Graham would be if they view him as an Aaron Donald-type (285 pounds) who will be disruptive regardless of being undersized, or is it a situation where he’d be asked to gain some weight and there would be a projection that he could maintain his relentless style of play.
In some ways, it’s a similar conversation they’d be having if they pursue Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams (6-3, 284 at the 2021 combine) in free agency as part of the plan to bolster the line of scrimmage.
6. They said it: “It’s hard to find. You usually have to draft them. But then sometimes, based on circumstances, [they’re] available for trade. There’s only so many options in free agency … We’ll explore all three of those.” — Vrabel, on the search for a top-flight wide receiver, another top need for the Patriots
7. Cowden intel: Giants general manager Joe Schoen spoke highly of Ryan Cowden, the new Patriots vice president of player personnel who served as his senior adviser the past two seasons and is a longtime friend. Schoen had been hoping to have Cowden by his side through the 2025 draft, according to league sources, so it stung a bit to have him depart for New England in January to reunite with Vrabel.
One observation from the combine: The connection with Vrabel, Cowden and vice president of football operations and strategy John Streicher — given their history working together — is hard to miss.
Giants GM Joe Schoen on his background with Patriots VP of Player Personnel Ryan Cowden and what NE is getting with Cowden joining the front office. pic.twitter.com/ij1gWl76LF
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) February 25, 2025
8. Patriots at Women’s Forum: The NFL hosted its ninth annual Women’s Forum at the combine last week, with Vrabel and Streicher attending.
As Patriots fans learn more about Vrabel, and things that are important to him, this is one of them. Vrabel and Streicher have been regulars at the forum in recent years, backing NFL executive Sam Rapoport’s program that brings women with aspirations of working in football operations together to learn from NFL coaches and front-office executives.
This isn’t the only area in which Vrabel has invested his time and resources to support the careers of others. Consider that four coaches on the current Patriots staff initially started out on Vrabel’s Titans staff as Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellows: Clint McMillan (defensive line), Justin Hamilton (cornerbacks), Milton Patterson (defensive assistant) and Chuckie Keeton (offensive assistant).
9. Drake sliding: Vrabel told SiriusXM NFL Radio that he shared a video with quarterback Drake Maye of a Major League Baseball team at spring training using a Slip ‘N Slide, joking that he’d be bringing it to New England if Maye didn’t start sliding more when he runs.
The humorous message from head coach to franchise quarterback: “Get down and save the equipment!”
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Red Sox break out the Slip ‘N Slide to practice sliding
The Red Sox get creative with slide practice as they bring out a Slip ‘N Slide.
10. Did you know?: Maye was contacted 113 times last season (rushes and dropbacks), the fourth-highest total for any quarterback who made 12 or fewer starts, according to ESPN Research. The only quarterbacks with 12 or fewer starts who were contacted more last season were the Giants’ Daniel Jones (130), Colts’ Anthony Richardson (124) and Titans’ Will Levis (118).
