New England Patriots links 4/05/18 - ‘Should Pats move up for a QB’ debate; WR depth may be a concern

TEAM TALK

• Press Release: NFL offseason workout program primer.
• Patriots trade Brandin Cooks to LA Rams; Sign OL Luke Bowanko and TE Troy Niklas.
• Paul Perillo tackles this week’s Ask PFW Mailbag: Trading Gronk, OBJ, and more.
• John Rooke’s View from Above: Should we consider life after Gronk? /Nah.
• Don Banks presents his post-free agency power rankings. New England at No. 2.
• Angelique Fiske recaps the NY Times story of how Julian Edelman may have helped stop a potential school shooter.
• Patriots Hall of Fame nominations coming soon. (1.04 min. video)
• From the NFL - Peter Schrager: Brandin Cooks trade should signal more trades to come for Patriots. (2.55 min. video)
• From the NFL - Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks project New England’s first four selections in the draft. (2.47 min. video)
• From the NFL - Hit, miss or meh? Grading Patriots last 10 first-round draft picks. (2.10 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Karen Guregian reports the Patriots added a few more depth pieces to the roster yesterday, signing OL Luke Bowanko and TE Troy Niklas.
• Mike Reiss mentions that TE Troy Niklas is more than a blocking tight end, even though that’s how he was primarily used in Arizona.
• Ryan Hannable sees the Brandin Cooks trade as a great deal for the Pats, but is concerned at the thin roster depth at wide receiver.
• Mike Dussault (PatsPropaganda) Patriots trade Cooks to Rams: “If anything was clear in 2018 it was that the offense far more hurt by the absence of Edelman than it benefitted because of the addition of Cooks ‘stretching the field’.”
• Tanya Ray Fox (PatriotsWire) Brandin Cooks will be harder to replace than you think.
• Ryan Hannable points out how the team has more options after the Cooks trade saved around $8 million against the cap for 2018, putting their cap number over $14 million.
• Kevin Duffy thinks the Pats should keep their draft picks after the Cooks trade.
• Mike Giardi gives us his best guess at what the Pats will do with two first- and two second-round picks.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) What should the Patriots do with all this draft capitol?
• Ryan Hannable speculates on which QBs the Patriots could be targeting if they select one high in the draft.
• Doug Kyed makes a pros and cons list to see determine if the Pats should trade up for a QB, if the opportunity presents itself.
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Report: Patriots have affinity for Baker Mayfield, potential top 10 prospect.
• Kevin Dillon profiles 10 non-QB prospects New England could target at pick No. 23.
• Doug Kyed wonders if Bill Belichick unwittingly fibbed to Bradley Chubb at NC State’s pro day.
• Ian Logue (PatsFans) Thursday Patriots Notebook: Patriots sign two players, Edelman thwarts potential school shooting, more.
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Report: LSU RB Derrius Guice to visit Patriots.
• Robert Alvarez (PatsFans) “28-3 flag” makes appearance during Houston Astros World Series banner raising. /Fist-bump.
• Logan Mullen passes along Colin Cowherd’s wild conspiracy theory on why many key Patriots offensive players have left. /Adjust tinfoil hats before reading further.
• Joshua Schrock relays another insane conspiracy theory, this one floated by Skip Bayless, regarding the Brandin Cooks trade.
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Adam Schefter casts slight doubt on Tom Brady’s return in 2018. /yeah, this article belongs way down here.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Ken Belson (NY Times) Patriots’ Julian Edelman may have thwarted a school shooting.
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Trades make this year’s draft look very different in New England.
• Tim Daniels (Bleacher Report) Patriots trade rumors: Brandin Cooks deal ‘all about’ moving up for QB in draft.
• Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (USA Today) Seven NFL draft WR options for Patriots to replace Brandin Cooks.
• David Steele (Sporting News) Rule out a Rob Gronkowski trade from Patriots at your own risk.
• Brad Gagnon (Bleacher Report) The Patriots would have regretted trading Rob Gronkowski.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Will Patriots opt for second-tier quarterback over top-flight options?
• Jason La Canfora (CBS Sports) Bill Belichick and the Patriots are now firmly in the market for a QB in the 2018 NFL Draft.
• Albert Breer (SI) Game Plan: Sean McVay on why the Rams will be different than dream teams past; There are plenty of questions about what the Patriots will do with their haul of picks; More.
• Andy Benoit (SI) Answering the crucial question for each top quarterback in the 2018 NFL draft.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Judge recognizes that lack of cap is affecting concussion settlement.
• Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News) NFL Mock Draft 2018: Patriots, Bills, Jaguars land right QBs. Pats pick UCLA OT Kolton Miller at 23, and Oklahoma State QB Mason Rudolph at 31.
• Jason Owens (Yahoo! Sports) NFL mock draft: How will Patriots take advantage of extra first-round pick? Pats pick Texas OT Connor Williams at 23 and LSU CB Donte Jackson at 31.
• Nate Davis (USA Today) NFL mock draft 2018. Pats trade their No. 31 pick to Lions to move up to No. 20 for Boston College OLB Harold Landry, and pick Notre Dame OT Mike McGlinchey at 23.
• Charley Casserly (NFL.com) Mock draft 2.0: Patriots pick OT, CB after Cooks trade. UCLA OT Kolton Miller and Iowa CB Josh Jackson.
• Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Pats pick UCLA OT Kolton Miller and Florida DT Taven Bryan.