New England Patriots links 3/21/17 - Resetting the roster: Middle LB still a need

TEAM TALK

• Press Release: Patriots release RB Tyler Gaffney.
• Where are they now: TE Jermaine Wiggins.

LOCAL LINKS

• Ryan Hannable resets the 2017 Patriots roster to see which positions are set and which need work.
• Cody Lachance (AllThreePhases) The curious case of Malcolm Butler.
• Kevin Duffy looks at eight potential outcomes for the Patriots and Malcolm Butler.
• Ian Logue (PatsFans) Unless the price is right, Patriots should hold on to Butler.
• CBS Boston passes along a report that the Patriots have had 'no talks' with the Saints or Malcolm Butler.
• Mike Reiss mentions how like a fan, Malcolm Mitchell has rewatched Super Bowl LI "3-4 times."
• Phil Perry Film Review: WR Brandin Cooks felt he wasn't being used to his full potential. In New England, the coaching staff will have the opportunity to use him in a variety of ways.
• Karen Guregian suggests a Patriots reunion with Darrelle Revis is not as farfetched as it might seem.
• Ryan Hannable tells everyone to stop connecting Darrelle Revis to the Patriots because it's not happening.
• Ryan Hannable looks at RB Tyler Gaffney's history and finds that three seasons into his NFL career, he has yet to record an NFL regular-season carry.
• Nick O'Malley hears Chris Long's explanation of why he walked away from the Patriots after only one season.
• Jeff Howe discusses the Tom Brady jersey recovery, noting Houston police chief Art Acevedo criticized the NFL's private security team responsible for the protection of the Patriots locker room.
• John Sapochetti thinks we should all spend more time talking about Boston's other three sport franchises.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Peter King (The MMQB) MMQB: Dwight Clark has ALS; Plus Beast Mode-Raiders rumor, a bad free-agency trend and more.
• Chris Wesseling (NFL.com) Are Patriots targeting No. 11 pick for Malcolm Butler?
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Patriots, Saints supposedly won’t talk about a trade for Malcolm Butler.
• Brett Smiley (Fox sports) 7 Things the Patriots could do to make the rest of NFL fans hate them even more. 1. Acquire Adrian Peterson for cheap, have him run wild.
• David Carr (NFL.com) Patriots, Jaguars among teams that improved most during free agency.
• Cameron Dasilva (Fox Sports) The 9 most surprising moves of NFL free agency so far.
• Russell S. Baxter (Fansided) NFL power rankings: Free agency grades. No. 3, Patriots. (No. 1 Titans)  /I clicked through the slideshow for you.
  
• Adam Schein (NFL.com) Sixteen teams to watch: Each division's favorite, top contender.
• Robert Mays (The Ringer) The pros and cons of the star running backs in this NFL draft class.
• Chad Reuter (NFl.com) Instant-impact prospects on on offense.
• Danny Kelly (The Ringer) A four-step guide to watching football like a scout.
• Robert Mays (The Ringer) Free agency shook up the NFL's offensive line hierarchy.
• Brad Gagnon (The Comeback) Looking back at the historically bad 2013 NFL Draft class, four years later. /Pats traded their 1st-round pick to Minnesota.
• Kevin Clark (The Ringer) How NFL players lost their leverage.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Belichick doesn’t think Revis’ skills translate to safety.
• Michael McCann (SI) Tom Brady's Super Bowl jersey has been reportedly found, but legal implications remain.
• A.J. Perez and Lorenzo Reyes (USA Today) Reports: Ex-director of Mexican paper stole Tom Brady's jerseys, maybe Von Miller's helmet.
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Tom Brady hopes to make "something very positive" from jersey return.
• Overreaction Monday (ESPN) Tom Waddle: Brady jersey probe more effective than deflategate. (1.04 min. video)
• John Breech (CBS Sports) Tom Brady once took a picture with alleged Super Bowl jersey thief.
• Charles Robinson (Yahoo! Sports) Revelations in Tom Brady jersey theft case has teams checking to see if other items were stolen.
• Mark Maske (Washington Post) Ban on field goal leaps, automatic suspensions part of new NFL rule proposals.
• Around the NFL (NFL.com) Competition committee to propose 10-min overtimes.

DUMPSTER DIVE

• Tim Cowlishaw (Dallas News) Will NFL suspend Zeke? Cowboys must learn from Bill Belichick, Patriots tempting Roger Goodell.
• Dan Hanzus (NFL.com) James Comey, head of the FBI, hates the Patriots. /He's a looo-zer.
• Thom Loverro (Washington Times) Union warns of ‘new world of NFL investigations.’
• Phillip Bupp (The Comeback) NFL’s ‘new world of investigation’ seems more severe than U.S. law.
• Sheilla Dingus (Adocacy for Fairness in Sports) Are prescription painkillers an NFL sanctioned PED?
• Zachary Zagger (Law360) Ex-NFL stars who fought concussion deal rejoin class.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) NFL says Maroon doesn’t speak for league on CTE.
• Dan Wetzel (Yahoo! Sports) Fractured friendship of Aaron Hernandez and a gangster played out in bone-chilling court scene.