New England Patriots links 2/22/18 - Branch worth cutting for cap space?

TEAM TALK

• Erik Scalavino examines the free agency landscape from a Patriots perspective, beginning with perhaps the most important position groups for New England: Defensive back.
• Don Banks and Nick Stevens - Cover 2 Podcast: Player movement in the NFL, college QB landing spots in the draft, NFL Combine, more. (48.11 min.)

LOCAL LINKS

• Kevin Duffy considers eight players the Patriots can cut to create more salary cap room for free agency.
• Stephen Hewitt ranks the Patriots 2018 schedule to see which game is best.
• Sam Puran (FullPressCoverage) Patriots year in review: Week 1-4 breakdown.
• Mike Dussault (PatsPropaganda) Patriots over-investment in secondary didn’t pay off.
• Matt Monitto (PatsFootballFans) Potential practice squad breakouts.
• Mike Reiss notes Julian Edelman shared an Instagram snapshot of his rehab progress this week, captioned with one word: “determined”.
• Zack Cox makes the case that the Patriots’ most important impending free agent is Nate Solder, for whom the team does not have a viable replacement plan.
• Kevin Duffy comes up with a list of buy-low free agent candidates on the offensive side of the ball for the Patriots, including RB Jeremy Hill and WR John Brown.
• Tom E. Curran continues his offseason position breakdown: Tight end suddenly a tenuous spot for New England.
• Zack Cox finishes up his position-by-position look at the roster with the safety position.
• Tyler Sullivan (247 Sports) Patriots free agent profiles: Matthew Slater and Johnson Bademosi.
• Ian Glendon (FullPressCoverage) Potential free agent fits for the Patriots.
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) 5 cornerbacks Patriots could target in free agency.
• Tyler Sullivan (247Sports) The Patriots should make another run at Richard Sherman. /Did they ever make a first run?
• Danny Picard predicts which numbers the Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots and Celtics will retire next.
• Ryan Hannable recaps how two-time Super Bowl champion and former NFL DE Dexter Manley went off on Tom Brady.
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) ESPN mock draft: Patriots pick LSU CB Donte Jackson in 1st round.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Robert Klemko (SI) How are players selected for the NFL Scouting Combine? Jeff Foster takes us inside the process.
• Albert Breer (SI) Game Plan: The farce of free agency’s tampering period.
• Marc Sessler (NFL.com) Free-agency fun, AFC: Kirk Cousins to Jets? Dion Lewis to Fins?
• Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports) With Jarvis Landry getting franchise tag, crop of free-agent WRs looking thin again.
• Danny Kelly (The Ringer) The 2014 NFL draft class is ready for its second act.
• Gregg Rosenthal (NFL.com) NFL trade tsunami? This offseason could be defined by deals.
• Gil Brandt (NFL.com) Top 10 defensive backs to pursue in free agency, 2018 NFL Draft.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) NFLPA president hopes for “longer runway” before Thursday night games.

EXTRACURRICULAR

• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) NBA fines Mark Cuban $600,000 for tanking remarks. /Good read.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Mavericks’ situation raises obvious question: Which other teams have issues like this?
• Sheilla Dingus (AdvocacyForFairnessInSports) Predators lurk at every turn as neurologically impaired ex-NFL players seek concussion settlement relief.
• Sam Cooper (Yahoo! Sports) Longtime NFL linebacker estimates he sustained 2,500 concussions in his career.
• Lindsay H. Jones (USA Today) NFL contingent to participate in inaugural Advocacy in Sports workshop.