Tag: Patriots

Browns quarterback Josh Dobbs warms up before playing the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022 in Cleveland.

Patriots sign QB Josh Dobbs

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The New England Patriots officially have their new backup quarterback, signing journeyman Joshua Dobbs on Tuesday.

The team did not disclose terms, but it was originally reported last week to be a two-year, $8 million contract with $3.8 million fully guaranteed, per NFL Network.

Dobbs will back up Drake Maye in New England after Jacoby Brissett left for the Arizona Cardinals earlier this month.

Dobbs, 30, spent last season with the San Francisco 49ers. He took over late in their Week 17 game against the Detroit Lions when Brock Purdy left with an injury and started in Week 18 against the Arizona Cardinals. He went a combined 32-for-47 for 361 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions plus two rushing touchdowns in those appearances.

Stints as a backup for Pittsburgh (2018, 2020) and Tennessee (2022) led him to seize on some unlikely opportunities in 2023.

The Arizona Cardinals acquired him from the Cleveland Browns just before the season to be their starter while Kyler Murray continued to rehab from an ACL tear. After eight starts, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings and made four starts for them after a season-ending Achilles injury to Kirk Cousins.

In 23 career appearances (3-12 record in 15 starts), Dobbs has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 3,281 yards, 17 TDs and 15 interceptions. He has added 520 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.

–Field Level Media

Jan 5, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones (10) looks to pass during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christine Tannous/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Reports: QB Mac Jones to sign 2-year deal with 49ers

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Former first-round draft pick Mac Jones is signing with the San Francisco 49ers, multiple outlets reported.

Jones, 26, chose the 49ers because he wanted the chance to work with head coach Kyle Shanahan, ESPN reported, adding his deal is worth $7 million over two years with $5 million in guarantees.

Jones was under consideration when the 49ers traded multiple draft picks to select Trey Lance No. 3 overall in 2021.

Hoping to find the next Tom Brady, the Patriots selected Jones with the No. 15 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. He threw 22 touchdown passes, went 10-7 and earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie before offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left to become coach of the Raiders. In three seasons in New England, Jones was 18-24 as a starter. He completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 8,918 yards with 46 touchdowns and 36 interceptions.

After losing the starting job, Jones was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars before the 2024 season for a sixth-round draft pick.

The backup to Trevor Lawrence, Jones played in 10 games and started seven in place of an injured Lawrence. He finished 2-5 as a starter. Jones passed for 1,672 yards with eight scores and eight interceptions.

Brock Purdy is entrenched as the starter in San Francisco, where he is expected to sign a long-term contract extension.

–Field Level Media

Aug 03, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots center David Andrews (60) waves to his son at training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Reports: Patriots to release C David Andrews

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Longtime Patriots center David Andrews will be released after 10 seasons in New England, according to multiple reports.

Andrews, 32, has been a starter since he arrived as an undrafted free agent in 2015. The Georgia product won two Super Bowls with the Patriots but played only four games last season because of season-ending shoulder surgery.

He also missed the 2019 season after suffering a pulmonary embolism.

Andrews had one year, $8 million fully guaranteed left on his contract.

Ben Brown started 10 games for the Patriots at center in 2024 and remains on the roster.

Andrews was named a team captain eight times and started 121 regular-season games and 10 playoff games.

–Field Level Media

Nov 10, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Detroit Lions cornerback Carlton Davis III (23) intercepts a pass interned for Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (3) during the third quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Reports: Patriots, CB Carlton Davis agree to $60M contract

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Free agent cornerback Carlton Davis agreed to join the New England Patriots on a three-year contract worth up to $60 million, according to multiple reports.

New England also picked up linebacker Robert Spillane (Las Vegas Raiders) on a reported three-year, $37.5 million agreement, according to multiple reports.

Adding Davis addresses the secondary and a focus of the new defense being implemented by head coach Mike Vrabel, who can pair the physical and aggressive Davis with left cornerback Christian Gonzalez in 2025.

Davis, 28, was acquired by the Detroit Lions before the 2024 season but finished his lone season in Detroit on injured reserve with a broken jaw.

A self-described lockdown corner, Davis is a top-end competitor with the size to line up at multiple positions in New England’s scheme.

Spillane is a former Titans linebacker under Vrabel and an ex-teammate of outside linebacker Harold Landry, who agreed to join the Patriots after being released by Tennessee last week.

He led the Raiders with a career-high 158 tackles and had two sacks and two interceptions in 2024.

–Field Level Media

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux (92) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Reports: Patriots ship DT Davon Godchaux to Saints

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Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux is headed to the New Orleans Saints in a trade that nets New England a 2026 seventh-round pick, according to multiple reports.

Godchaux, 30, was given permission to seek a trade in February less than a full year removed from a three-year extension he signed with the Patriots in July 2024. The contract includes base salaries of $4 million in 2025 and $5.5 million in 2026 and will be assumed by the Saints barring a restructure.

Godchaux played at LSU and was not an ideal fit for the gap-penetrating defense of new head coach Mike Vrabel.

A four-year starter for the Patriots who previously played for the Dolphins, Godchaux has 429 career tackles and 5.5 sacks in 120 career games (109 starts) for Miami (2017-20) and New England. The former fifth-round pick also has 26 quarterback hits.

–Field Level Media

Nov 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans linebacker Harold Landry III (58) celebrates the fumble recovery against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Reports: Patriots signing LB Harold Landry III, TE Austin Hooper

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The New England Patriots signed free agent outside linebacker Harold Landry III on a three-year contract and re-signed tight end Austin Hooper to a one-year deal, according to media reports on Sunday night.

Landry, a one-time Pro Bowl selection who was recently released by the Tennessee Titans in a salary cap move, has a new contract worth $43.5 million with $26 million guaranteed, per reports.

Hooper, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is returning to New England on a $5 million contract with a maximum value of $7 million, ESPN reported.

Both players have connections to the Patriots’ new head coach, Mike Vrabel, when he was at the helm of the Titans, as well as to other New England coaches.

Vrabel used a Titans second-round draft pick in 2018 to select Landry. The Patriots’ new defensive coordinator, Terrell Williams, was the Titans’ defensive line coach under Vrabel from 2018-23.

Hooper spent time with Vrabel at Tennessee in 2022 and with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels with Las Vegas in 2023, when McDaniels was the Raiders’ head coach.

Landry, 28, was the Titans’ longest-tenured player when he was released. He would have earned $17.5 million in base salary with a $24.05 million cap hit in 2025.

He started all 17 games last season and made 71 tackles with a team-high nine sacks as well as 15 tackles for loss, one safety, 15 quarterback hits and four pass breakups.

He has 397 career tackles in 98 regular-season games (79 starts) with 50.5 sacks, 70 tackles for loss, 102 QB hits, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

After being voted to the Pro Bowl in 2021, Landry signed a five-year, $87 million deal in 2022 but tore his ACL in the preseason and missed the entire campaign.

Hooper, 30, caught 45 passes on 59 targets for 476 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games (eight starts) in his first season in New England.

A Pro Bowl selection in 2018 and 2019, Hooper has 409 career receptions for 4,178 yards and 28 touchdowns in 139 regular-season games (76 starts) for the Atlanta Falcons (2016-19), Cleveland Browns (2020-21), Titans (2022), Raiders (2023) and Patriots.

The Falcons selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft.

–Field Level Media

Sep 24, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs guard Joe Thuney (62) takes the field prior to a game against the Chicago Bears at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Reports: Chiefs trade G Joe Thuney to Bears for ’26 fourth-round pick

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Kansas City Chiefs left guard Joe Thuney is headed to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft, according to multiple reports.

Thuney started at left tackle late in the season for the Chiefs and manned that spot for Kansas City in the Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bears agreed to a trade for Rams guard Jonah Jackson, parting with a 2025 sixth-round pick, according to multiple reports.

Trades cannot become official until the first day of the league year on March 12.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles previously was in the Chiefs’ personnel department and was executive director for player personnel in Kansas City when the team signed Thuney as a free agent to a five-year, $80 million contract in 2021. He has one year and $16 million remaining on that deal.

The Bears are working to settle an offensive line that became a concern in front of 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams last season. New head coach Ben Johnson said last week at the combine he would have no reservations changing out three or four starting spots in the offseason, pointing out the example of the Carolina Panthers’ overhaul last offseason that included two massive additions at guard: free agents Robert Hunt (Dolphins) and Damien Lewis (Seahawks).

The Athletic reported Wednesday that New England was in the bidding to reacquire Thuney via trade.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said at the NFL Scouting Combine last week that Thuney is a natural “center-guard” and would not be used at left tackle in 2025.

The Chiefs have a number of moving parts on the line even after securing right guard Trey Smith with the franchise tag. One piece the team is lacking entering the offseason is a certain solution at left tackle.

Thuney, 32, is a two-time All-Pro and two-team second-team All-Pro with four Super Bowl rings — two with the Chiefs, two with the Patriots. He has played in 146 regular-season games since being drafted by New England 78th overall in 2016.

–Field Level Media

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux (92) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Report: Pats give DT Davon Godchaux OK to seek trade

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Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux was granted permission to seek a trade by the New England Patriots, NFL Network reported Wednesday.

The team signed Godchaux to a two-year, $18 million contract extension in July. However, Godchaux’s role could be diminished in new head coach Mike Vrabel’s defensive scheme.

In 2025, Godchaux is due a base salary of $4 million while carrying a cap hit of $8.3 million and a dead cap value of $10.67 million, per Spotrac.

Godchaux, 30, has started every game for the Patriots the past three seasons. He has 429 tackles — 20 for loss — and 5.5 sacks in 120 career games (109 starts) for the Miami Dolphins (2017-20) and Patriots. The former fifth-round pick also has 26 quarterback hits.

The report comes amid questions about the return of Christian Barmore, who was limited to four games in 2024 due to blood clots. Vrabel said it was “too soon to tell” about Barmore’s status.

“There will be a checkup for where he’s at medically as we move closer to April,” Vrabel told reporters at the Scouting Combine. “But he seems to have the energy and the attitude that would be exciting to work with.”

Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots in July and returned to play four games late in the season before suffering a recurrence, landing him on the non-football illness list.

General manager Eliot Wolf said the Patriots “don’t know for sure yet” about Barmore’s 2025 status.

“The one thing we know is that he’s working out in Tampa right now and that’s going really well from the reports we’ve gotten. He’s doing everything in his power,” Wolf said. “He wants to play football, and that’s one of the things I’ve always admired about Christian is how passionate he is. He doesn’t want to let anyone down. And he’s passionate about getting back on the field.”

Barmore, 25, signed a four-year, $83 million contract last April.

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Barmore paced the Patriots with a career-high 8.5 sacks in 17 games (six starts) in 2023, also setting career highs in tackles (64), quarterback hits (16) and pass breakups (six).

Barmore has recorded 12.5 sacks, 32 QB hits and 133 tackles in 44 career games (11 starts).

Many of the top defensive line prospects told reporters they’ve had formal interviews with Vrabel and Wolf this week at the Combine in Indianapolis or are planning to before the event ends.

–Field Level Media

Jan 5, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up before the start of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Eliot Wolf: Patriots ‘doing what’s necessary’ to improve

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INDIANAPOLIS — Eliot Wolf and the New England Patriots are gearing up to make the roster good enough to use the No. 4 pick on the best player available.

A big part of his recruiting pitch to free agents centers around quarterback Drake Maye, selected third overall in 2024.

“It’s a more attractive destination than it was last year,” Wolf said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Wolf said “ultimately, it’s my final say” on roster decisions but repeated head coach Mike Vrabel’s position that they’ll work together to make major decisions to fill out the roster.

Maye will be at the center of the attempted turnaround. He went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Wolf listed running back and defensive line as two of the positions he believes are strongest in the upcoming draft, indicating it might be “meatier” in the middle rounds at positions like offensive tackle and wide receiver.

Connecting the dots, considering Vrabel and Wolf stressed getting better on the offensive line, they likely are to be in the mix for top free agent blockers.

The Patriots allowed 52 sacks last season; Maye was sacked 34 times.

“The game is always won on the line, and that was before the Super Bowl,” Wolf said, noting he felt responsible for every hit Jacoby Brissett and Maye took. “We took some swings. Taking swings ultimately isn’t good enough. We went 4-13. We have to have results. We need to continue to improve the roster.”

Vrabel and Wolf said the Patriots are planning to spend responsibly and get more out of their assets. Wolf said he was accountable for decisions that didn’t pan out building the roster in 2024.

“It’s about doing what’s necessary. Just didn’t get enough done,” Wolf said. “The free agency class didn’t live up to expectations. The draft class, it’s too early to tell, but certainly we expected more out of some of those guys.”

–Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media

Sep 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross reacts after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

NFL players give high marks to Dolphins, Vikings in satisfaction survey

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The Miami Dolphins are at the top of the NFL when it comes to player satisfaction.

The NFL Players Association released its Third Annual NFLPA Players’ Survey & Club Report Cards on Wednesday. Nearly 1,700 players answered questions about their daily experiences with their teams to come up with the rankings.

The survey is designed to improve overall working conditions for the players but also to give them the information they need when considering factors to help them make career decisions.

Teams were given letter grades in 11 categories that concerned ownership, coaching, strength and conditioning programs, as well as things such as travel, locker room facilities, nutrition and treatment of player families.

Just as in 2024, the Dolphins ranked first overall out of the 32 teams, with No. 1 votes in seven of the categories. Owner Stephen Ross was the highest-graded owner. He received an A-plus rating, as did head coach Mike McDaniel.

Coming in at No. 2 were the Minnesota Vikings, who ranked first in treatment of families and locker room. Head coach Kevin O’Connell and the owners, the Wilf family, ranked third overall.

In last place were the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals were dinged, especially, for their facilities, but players also said the team needs an upgraded food program. Coach Jonathan Gannon received an A grade from players — the only A on the Arizona report card — while ownership ranked No. 30 overall with a D-minus grade.

Coming in No. 31 were the New England Patriots. After the 2024 survey, owner Robert Kraft made improvements, such as investing $50 million in a new facility next to the stadium, currently under construction, and improving services for family members.

Still, Kraft –whose teams have won six Super Bowl games — ranked only No. 30 among team owners with a D.

And the Kansas City Chiefs, despite their success on the field –three Super Bowl wins in five appearances over the past six seasons — ranked 26th overall. They made improvements since the last survey, especially in the family and food categories, but ranked in the bottom five in locker room, training room, training staff and weight room. Team ownership scored 26th with a C-minus grade.

Other highlights:

–Players generally are happy with their head coaches. Six of them received A-plus scores, nine received an A, and five earned A-minus ratings. The six at the top: Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders), Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons), Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs), Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions), O’Connell and McDaniel.

–Woody Johnson of the New York Jets was the lowest-ranked owner, judged with an F.

–The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and Patriots received F grades for team travel, with the Buffalo Bills getting an F-minus.

–The Cincinnati Bengals were last in two categories: treatment of families (F-minus) and food/dining (F).

–Field Level Media