New England Patriots links 3/19/18 - Pats trade for Cordarrelle Patterson: Here’s to many happy returns

TEAM TALK

• Press Release: Patriots sign three free agents.
• Paul Perillo passes along reports that New England acquired WR/return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson and a sixth-round pick from Oakland in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
• Andy Hart and Erik Scalavino debate which player will be the next most difficult to replace on the roster this season, after Nate Solder.
• Patriots.com introduces us to Adrian Clayborn. (1 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Mike Reiss shares some quick-hit weekend thoughts: Patriots twins Devin and Jason McCourty on cusp of rare football feat.
• Mike Dussault (PatsPropaganda) Pats Posits: Sunday ramblings. /Good read.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Patriots Sunday news, AFC East notes: Adrian Clayborn will be just fine here, he has a relentless motor and will take a lot of heat off of Trey Flowers on the other side of the defensive line.
• Ryan Hannable’s Sunday 7: Malcolm Butler’s comments this week on Super Bowl LII benching were telling; More.
• Mike Reiss thinks that as one of the fastest players in the league, Cordarrelle Patterson is a wise low-risk pickup for the Patriots’ special-teams unit.
• Jeff Howe reports the Patriots bolstered their special teams last night in a surprising trade with the Raiders for WR Cordarrelle Patterson.
• Kevin Duffy lays out what we should know about new Patriots WR Cordarrelle Patterson, acquired in a trade with the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
• Ryan Hannable looks at the crowded receiving room and wonders if the trade for Cordarrelle Patterson means there’s another move coming for the Patriots.
• Doug Kyed believes the Patriots’ wide receiver corps is bound to have an odd man out in 2018.
• Phil Perry talks about the Patriots moves in free agency after a quiet start, including extending one of Bill Belichick’s favorites - safety Patrick Chung.
• Ryan Hannable makes sense of all the Patriots’ moves from Friday night.
• Mike Reiss notes the Patriots assume little risk in the modest deal they gave Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati’s former top running back who’s looking to resurrect his career.
• Kevin Duffy offers a scouting report on Jeremy Hill to find what type of running back the team is getting.
• Phil Perry calls attention to how the compensatory pick formula may impact the Pats’ free agent strategy.
• Zack Cox helps us get to know the four new additions to the team.
• Doug Kyed updates the depth chart to show the team’s areas of need after a flurry of additions.
• Brent Schwartz (PatriotsWire) Assessing the Patriots’ RB situation after Friday’s free agency frenzy.
• Doug Kyed tells us what the Patriots are getting in defensive end by signing Adrian Clayborn.
• Kevin Duffy tells us what to know about newly acquired OT Matt Tobin.
• Nick O’Malley takes a look at how many Patriots free agents succeed after landing their big contracts elsewhere.
• Karen Guregian Patriots Notebook: Safety Patrick Chung in line for multi-year extension.
• Mike Reiss addresses his Patriots Mailbag: Derek Rivers’ fit in Patriots’ defense starts with the pass rush.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Riley McCarron is one option to replace Danny Amendola in the slot.
• Bill Speros explains why it’s time for Tom Brady to say goodbye: The Patriot Way is aging a lot quicker than Tom Brady. /Pffttt...
• Karen Guregian takes a look at five leading AFC contenders, the moves they’ve made so far, what they’ve lost, and what they still might need to overtake the Patriots.
• Ryan Hannable notes OT Cameron Fleming reportedly will visit the Cowboys, leaving his return to the Patriots up in the air.
• Ryan Hannable suggests that maybe Matthew Slater isn’t a lock to return to the Patriots after all.
• Nicole Yang tells us 5 things to know about new Patriots CB Jason McCourty.
• Nicole Yang gives us Mama McCourty’s reaction to Jason and Devin McCourty both playing for the Patriots.
• Chad Finn feels Malcolm Butler’s time in New England should have ended better.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Cordarrelle Patterson brings versatility to New England.
• Danny Heifetz (The Ringer) The Patriots have a hole at the NFL’s second-most important position.
• Sean Tomlinson (Bleacher Report) Predicting every NFL team’s 2018 breakout player. Patriots: Deatrich Wise, Jr.
• Peter Sagal (NPR) Not My Job: We quiz quarterback Tom Brady on ‘The Brady Bunch’. (10.04 min. audio plus transcript)
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Finally, another team made Danny Amendola a competitive offer.
• Peter King (SI) Monday Morning QB: Inside Kirk Cousins’ fast free agency: Parental jerseys, silent auctions and a match.
• Nate Davis (USA Today) List of NFL’s 10 shrewdest free agent signings includes likely Hall of Famer, former first rounder.
• Charean Williams (ProFootballTalk) Report: Lions agree to one-year, $4.5 million deal with LeGarrette Blount.
• Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News) NFL free agency grades: Rankings, analysis of notable moves in 2018.
• Chris Roling (Bleacher Report) 2018 NFL free agents: Hidden gems still on the market.
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Report: Vikings-Eagles will open the 2018 NFL season.
• Danny Woodhead (Instagram @teamwoody39) Retirement announcement. “10 years! Wow, God had crazy plans for a small little kid from North Platte, NE! ...”
• Darin Gantt (ProFootballTalk) Bills “not ready to pull the trigger” on draft trade.
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Jets gave up far more than the last team to move up to No. 3.
• Albert Breer (SI) The Jets are coming after their quarterback.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Colts-Jets trade proves the value of tanking.
• Bob Hohler writes about the denied benefits, delayed payments and the bureaucratic roadblocks of the NFL’s concussion settlement.