New England Patriots links 5/31/16 - Add Jabaal Sheard to 'needs new contract' list

LOCAL LINKS

• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Jabaal Sheard is another player deserving of a new contract.
• Mike Reiss finds out that right after Terrance Knighton signed with New England, he talked with Tom Brady and reminisced about their past meetings as opponents.
• Miguel Benzan (PatsCap) Memorial Day thoughts: Patriots salary cap. "It is shameful how "the Patriots are cheap" crowd ignore how many Patriots became the highest player at their position during the Kraft era; More.
• Christopher Price looks at how the rule of 26-27-60 will apply to this year's quarterback class.
• Doug Kyed believes Malcolm Butler is right to want a new contract, but points out how the Patriots hold all the leverage in any potential discussions.
• Sports Final guest Mike Reiss joins Steve Burton to discuss Tom Brady, and Malcolm Butler's contract situation. (4.17 min. video)
• Ryan Hannable notes Tom Brady pays tribute to Pat Tillman in a Memorial Day Facebook post.
• Christopher Price sees Tiquan Underwood among some ex-Patriots heading to CFL training camp.
• Connor Fulton (MusketFire) New England Patriots roster: 10 best names.
• Cyrus Geller (MusketFire) AFC East Power Rankings: Who is in the basement?
• Gayle Fee Inside Track: Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Gisele Bundchen...

NATIONAL NEWS

• Aidan Curran (Inside the Pylon) New England Patriots draft fits: How the new players will contribute.
• Alex Reimer (SB Nation) The Patriots made 3 offseason moves that are so perfectly Bill Belichick.
• Reporters (ESPN) 100 NFL predictions that will frame 2016 season: 1. QB Jimmy Garoppolo will lead Patriots to a 3-1 record (if Brady suspension stands).
• David Leonhardt (NY Times) Boston and Pittsburgh, America’s most successful sports cities.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Third-round negotiations become the NFL’s "wild, wild West".
• Clay Travis (Fox Sports) ESPN loses another 1.5 Million subscribers as cord cutting accelerates.
• Caitlyn Holroyd (The Score) Antonio Brown to Patriots: Give tryout hopeful a chance.
• Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports) For two decades, 'NFL PrimeTime' changed how we watched the game.
• Andrew Lynch (Fox Sports) Five more NFL owners weigh in on Raiders' potential move to Las Vegas.
• Joe Thomson (The Score) Chris Long breaks phone, forced to live 'like it's 1987'. /Can you say, 'slow news day'?
  

DEFLATEGATE, DUMPSTER DIVE

• Ben Volin Sunday Football Notes: More odd twists and turns in Deflategate.
• Andy Gray (SI) Q&A: David Ortiz on Deflategate, statues and pounding buffalo wings.
• Joe Thomson (The Score) David Ortiz: NFL will lose a fan if Brady's 'stupid' suspension upheld.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Patriots won’t say whether John Jastremski has been fired.
• Justin Block (Huffington Post) 21 Scientists say Tom Brady is right and the NFL is wrong: Annoyed scientists attack the NFL’s bogus Deflategate claims.
• Paul Newberry (AP) NFL version of three-card monte: the Super Bowl scam.