New England Patriots Links 2/16/16 - Franchise Tag Window Begins, Patriots Unlikely to Tag

LOCAL LINKS

• Karen Guregian thinks the Patriots are unlikely to use the franchise tag this year.
• Christopher Price reports that the franchise tag window opens today, and looks at whether the Patriots will utilize that option this year.
• Alexander Basalyga (All Three Phases) Expectations for the 2016 New England Patriots offseason.
• Jeff Kane (ESPNNH) It’s time for the Patriots to move on from Josh McDaniels.
• Nick O'Malley highlights the Patriots biggest salary cap bargains.
• Mark Daniel analyzes the offensive line and says it's time for the Patriots to acknowledge that their plan didn't work.
• Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry break down the roster by position: Offensive tackle.
• Ryan Hannable continues his position-by-position breakdown of the roster: Secondary.
• Kevin Duffy reviews the roster: Cornerbacks - Linebackers.
• Ryan Hannable takes a free agent snapshot: WR Alshon Jeffery.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Patriots free agency outlook: Wide Receivers.
• Cody Lachance (All Three Phases) Tyler Gaffney: The forgotten man.
• Jeff Kane (ESPNNH) A look back at the 2015 New England Patriots.
• Amanda Hoover notes that it looks like Tom Brady is skiing double-black diamonds this offseason. "At least it’s safer than cliff jumping!"
• CSNNE spotlights the most disappointing Patriots' season-ending losses: 2006.
• Christopher Price notes that in a Twitter Q&A yesterday, RB D'Angelo Williams questioned the Patriots wins and said he had no interest in playing for Bill Belichick.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Oliver Thomas (247 Sports) Fix the frustration: Patriots' running game grounded out in 2015.
• Oliver Thomas (247 Sports) Akiem Hicks lands among NFL's 50-best free agents.
• Tyler Dragon (NFL.com) Tom Brady finds another way to make fans nervous.
• Bill Barnwell (ESPN) Five moves each AFC East team should make.
• Bucky Brooks (NFL.com) AFC East rookie grades: Bills cleaned up without first-round pick.
• Danny Shimon (Nat'l Football Post) Reviewing the 2015 NFL Draft: AFC East.
• Sean Keeley (The Comeback) Twenty years ago, the Cleveland Browns fired Bill Belichick, creating six Super Bowl championships. Whoops.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Team-by-team look at who could be tagged.
• Chris Wesseling (NFL.com) Franchise tag primer: Miller, Cousins top candidates.
• Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (USA Today) Which NFL players are top candidates for franchise tag?
• Emily Kaplan (The MMQB) Your 2016 offseason primer: 10 Storylines to follow.
• Kenneth Arthur (Sports on Earth) 32 bold NFL offseason predictions.
• Oliver Thomas (247 Sports) Tom Brady ranked Bleacher Report's top QB of 2015.
• Matt Miller (Bleacher Report) Ranking the top 50 QBs from 2015. /Slideshow warning.
• Armando Salguero (Miami Herald) Dolphins offseason goal: Get stronger, tougher, to play in AFC East.
• Adam H. Beasley (Miami Herald) New Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase not on three-year timetable to win, Ross associates say.

DUMPSTER DIVE

• Chris Chase (Fox Sports) The NFL needs to give the Patriots their first-round pick back.
• Michael Hurley wonders if it's too much to ask for human decency, with regards to the Peyton Manning sexual assault story.
• Tom E. Curran finds that the Mannings are old pros when it comes to image protection.
• Cindy Boren (Washington Post) Peyton Manning and the sexual assault story that won’t go away.
• Sean Gentille (Sporting News) Peyton Manning is white, rich and powerful, so he's safe. /Tom Brady and Ray Lewis disagree.
• First Take (ESPN) Stephen A. Smith: Manning can't get a pass on this. (2.22 min. video)
• Ian Casselberry (Awful Announcing) Peyton Manning is highly in demand by networks wanting him for NFL analyst role.
• Gary Myers (NY Daily News) After latest allegations come to light, can Peyton Manning really be trusted?
• Ron Borges says Peyton Manning shouldn't have called that audible back in 2003.