Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports The New England Patriots have made the best fourth-round pick in this year’s draft, at least according to a new analysis by Pro Football Focus. Wide receiver Javon Baker, the 110th overall pick back in April, received the honor. ROUND 4 PICK 110. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (VIA L.A. CHARGERS, VIA CHICAGO): WR JAVON BAKER, UCF Baker averaged 3.21 yards per route run in 2023, ranking fourth in this draft class. He can also make plays downfield, as his 21.9 yards per reception led the class. His long-speed limitations hurt his ability to separate, but he is a competitive con ..read more

Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports The Patriots have replaced Bill Belichick as head coach, but his former job as top football executive remains unoccupied. With the NFL Draft in the rear-view mirror, the New England Patriots have put the wheels in motion to potentially reshape their football operations department. According to a report by CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, the organization has started the search for its next top football executive — a role previously held by long-time head coach Bill Belichick. When Belichick and the Patriots parted ways in January, however, he left his position as their q ..read more

Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images New England parted ways with the young passer on Monday. The New England Patriots continue to make changes to the backend of their 90-man offseason roster. The latest transaction saw quarterback Nathan Rourke get waived. A waiver wire pickup from the Jacksonville Jaguars last December, Rourke began his Patriots career as a third-string QB behind Bailey Zappe and Mac Jones. He remained in that role until the season finale, when he was put ahead of former first-round draft pick Jones to serve as the primary backup in a loss to the New Yor ..read more

Patriots OT Vederian Lowe in position vs. the Jets | Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Daily news and links for Monday. TEAM TALK Evan Lazar tells us Drake Maye’s football origin story, from local phenom to Foxborough. Alexandra Francisco has the story of Patriots players helping three young adults aging out of foster care move into their new East Providence apartments on Wednesday. Patriots All Access: 2024 NFL draft recap. (19 min. video) LOCAL LINKS Mike Reiss shares some quick-hit weekend thoughts: How will Patriots’ third-round pick Caedan Wallace fit in? Rookie ..read more

Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images Nathan Rourke had re-signed with New England ahead of the 2024 league year. A depth chart of five now stands at four for the New England Patriots. The organization has waived quarterback Nathan Rourke, according to a report Monday morning from ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Rourke, 25, arrived as a waiver claim via the Jacksonville Jaguars in December. He went on to dress as both the emergency signal-caller and top backup before season’s end. The British Columbia native later re-signed as an exclusive-rights free agent ahead of the 2024 league year. By way of Fort Sco ..read more

Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Netflix The Netflix special saw plenty of former Patriots get together to share their thoughts on the greatest quarterback of all time. The Roast of Tom Brady, a three-hour long Netflix special streamed live on Sunday night, saw the former New England Patriots quarterback take hits as if he was still playing. What made the show interesting, though, was not just what was said about Brady but who said what, both about him and other people in attendance and participating. Yes, it featured “outsiders” as well — including, among others, host Kevin Hart, ex ..read more

Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images Notes and thoughts on the Patriots and the NFL on May 5. With the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, the New England Patriots have the makings of their 90-man roster that is set to enter training camp later this summer. For anything we did not touch on in the aftermath of the NFL Draft, here is our weekly notebook clean-out. Welcome to our Sunday Patriots Notes. 1. Meeting Maye. When the Patriots came on the clock at No. 3 in the 2024 NFL Draft, Drake Maye’s phone in Detroit immediately ran. It was New England’s college director of scouting Camren Williams t ..read more

Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images The New England Patriots invested their highest draft pick in three decades in North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, but there are questions about how ready the third overall selection actually is. Count one former member of the Patriots among those advocating for patience when it comes to the young passer. “We also need some patience, okay?” ex-Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich said on a new episode of The Dan and Ninko Show. “Let’s have some patience. Because you don’t want to be sitting October 1st and every radio station, every article in Boston is wri ..read more

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports Ja’Whaun Bentley is a fan of working under his former teammate. While the extensive changes on offense drew most of the attention, the New England Patriots’ defensive coaching staff also experienced significant turnover this offseason. Among those was hiring an old friend to coach inside linebackers: Dont’a Hightower. Four months into his return to One Patriot Place, Hightower has had limited contact with his players — such is the nature of the NFL’s offseason workout rules. Nonetheless, the first reviews about the first-team coach are in, and they are quite po ..read more

Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images New England added to its special teams roster. The New England Patriots continue the process of filling out their roster following the NFL Draft, with the latest move addressing the place kicker position. On Thursday, the team acquired veteran free agent Joey Slye. Slye is the second kicker on the Patriots’ roster at the moment. What does signing him mean for the club, though? Let’s find out. The Patriots put some pressure on Chad Ryland A fourth-round draft pick by the Patriots last year, Chad Ryland managed to secure the kicker job as a rookie over incumbe ..read more