New England Patriots links 3/17/21 - Pats make all the right moves in free agency; What’s left? Center!

TEAM TALK

• Patriots 2021 Free Agent Tracker.
• Paul Perillo says Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry could reignite the Pats’ two-TE glory days.
• Paul Perillo’s NFL Notes: Aggressive Patriots hit the ground running
• Paul Perillo tackles this week’s Patriots Unfiltered Q&A: Pats FA frenzy kicks things off.
• Offseason Report: Patriots signing blitz continues. (5 min. video)
• Patriots Unfiltered 3/16: Newton returns, Breaking down reported signings; More. (2 hours)

LOCAL LINKS

• Michael Hurley counters the recurring theme that Cam Newton cannot complete a pass. It’s so wrong, and it’s gone too far. Let’s take a look.
• Zack Cox resets the Patriots roster ahead of the official start of free agency today at 4:00 pm. Still a few holes that need filling.
• Karen Guregian updates the Patriots to-do list to see what’s left. 1. Quarterback: Sticking with Newton and adding a quarterback in the draft looks like the best bet.
• Ryan Hannable speculates on what the Pats’ plan is at quarterback: “It feels the Patriots will be targeting a rookie high in the draft to pair with Newton, similar to what the Dolphins did last season with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tua Tagovailoa. Or, they will end up trading with the 49ers for Jimmy Garoppolo”.
• Noel Powers (PatsPropaganda) What the Patriots still need and where they could find it. 1. WR.
• Chad Finn spends time making sense of the Patriots’ recent signing frenzy. “I don’t think this is an abandonment of the usual way of doing things, of seeking players with certain characteristics.”
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) 9 takeaways from the Pat’s uncharacteristically aggressive spending spree. 1. Wow.
• Doug Kyed says David Andrews plans to test the free agent market; Center is the team’s biggest remaining need.
• Bill Burt writes about the day the Patriots ‘took care of family business’. “What does all of this tell us? A few things. Belichick is indeed in this for the long haul. And that he is going back to his roots as a coach … defense, line of scrimmage control, special teams, running the football and clutch quarterback play. That was the heart of the first Patriots dynasty; beating teams in so many ways with so many people.”
• Mike Reiss breaks down every Patriots’ free-agent signing and how each will impact the upcoming season.
• Andrew Callahan looks at how the Patriots offense will revolve around tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith
• Mike D’Abate (FullPressCoverage) Charge of the Light Brigade: Patriots sign Henry to three-year deal. Patriots have added the top two free agent tight ends on the market.
• Evan Lazar sees Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith as a perfect tight end pairing for the Patriots.
• Khari Thompson explains how Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith can resurrect the Patriots’ two-tight end monster.
• Doug Kyed points out how the Hunter Henry-Patriots union has been in the making for 10 years.
• Ian Logue (PatsFans) Newly signed TE Hunter Henry caps off incredible start to Patriots offseason.
• Evan Lazar says the Patriots slightly overpaid for Nelson Agholor, but he gives the team a viable deep threat and a number three receiver, and brings an element their offense was missing.
• Zack Cox gives us the details on the contracts of Jonnu Smith, Matt Judon and Davon Godchaux.
• Alex Barth talks about how Nelson Agholor’s contract follows the trend of Patriots free agency deals.
• Alex Barth mentions Jonnu Smith’s contract should allow the Pats to keep spending in 2021
• Tom E. Curran believes Bill Belichick is sending a clear message that it’s time for the Patriots to do things differently. He doesn’t have to explain himself at the mic, actions speak louder than words.
• Matthew Geagan says Bill Belichick’s spending spree shows the Patriots are not messing around.
• CBS Boston reports the Patriots have given out the second-most guaranteed money in NFL free agency — ever.
• Ryan Hannable looks to Miguel Benzan to determine how much salary cap space the Patriots have left.
• Logan Mullen mentions how Patriots players reacted on social media after the Hunter Henry news, elated and cracking jokes.
• Robert Alvarez (PatsFans) Best of Social Media: The Patriots react to their team’s free agency signings.
• Chad Finn asks fans which of the Patriots’ free-agent signings they think will work out best.
• Logan Mullen passes along the N’Keal Harry rumors with the trade market for him heating up.
• CBS Boston passes along the report of the Buccaneers’ interest in James White.
• David Latham (LastWordOnSports) NFL Rumors: Patriots could be preparing for Deshaun Watson trade.
• Andy Hart highlights ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky who now thinks Bill Belichick may be ready to pull off a ‘huge’ trade for QB Deshaun Watson. /Thinks Pats will actually do it, or that it’s just fun to throw out there?
• Marcus Kwesi O’Mard NFL Rumors: Patriots interested in Seahawks’ RB Chris Carson in free agency?
• Phil Perry issues his latest Patriots mock draft: Trade up to No. 7 and get future Pats QB, Justin Fields (Ohio State).
• Locked On Patriots podcast: Mike D’Abate and Steve Balestrieri discuss each of the Pats’ eight (so far) signings and provide their thoughts on a potential trade involving WR N’Keal Harry. (37 min.)
• NESN Patriots podcast: Doug Kyed and Zack Cox react to Bill Belichick’s extremely active start to NFL free agency. The duo discuss what to expect from the newest Pats tight ends. (36 min.)
• Patriots Fourth and Two podcast: The rebuild is on. Russ, Steve and & Derek discuss. (70 min.)

NATIONAL NEWS

• Jason La Canfora (CBS Sports) NFL insider notes: QB Deshaun Watson to Eagles? Crazier things have happened; plus Bears settle for Andy Dalton.
• Experts (ESPN) NFL free agency 2021 winners and losers: Best and worst signings, value deals, gut reactions and more. Patriots’ spending spree included.
• Gregg Rosenthal (NFL.com) 2021 NFL free agency: Tuesday’s winners and losers. Going Up: Josh McDaniels’ flexibility.
• Jordan Dajani (CBS Sports) Jaguars, Patriots among winners on Day 2, while Bears come up losers.
• Cody Benjamin (CBS Sports) 2021 NFL free agency grades: Buccaneers, Chiefs, Jets leading the way with smart signings. Patriots earn a ‘B’.
• Mark Schofield and Doug Farrar (TouchdownWire) Grading all the 2021 NFL free agency signings.
• Adam Kilgore (Washington Post) Patriots’ free agency binge is about opportunity, not revenge: It seems like an exceedingly un-Patriot way of doing business.
• Dan Wetzel (Yahoo! Sports) Bill Belichick may be dusting off the old-school approach that won him Super Bowls before Tom Brady.
• Gregg Rosenthal (NFL.com) Top 101 NFL free agents of 2021: Chris Carson among RBs still on the market.
• Bryan DeArdo (CBS Sports) Here are the top 10 available players, and where they might be heading.
• Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield (TouchdownWire) The best remaining NFL free agents for 2021.
• Danny Heifetz (The Ringer) What in the world are “voidable years” and why are they dominating NFL free agency?
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Report: Panthers are locked in on trading for Deshaun Watson.
• Total Access (NFL.com) Ian Rapoport details the Bears’ ‘aggressive’ push for Russell Wilson ahead of Andy Dalton signing. (1.17 min. video) /What a downer for the fans, lol.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Masseuse contends Deshaun Watson asked for “inappropriate areas” to be massaged.
• Charles Robinson (Yahoo! Sports) Deshaun Watson denies alleged sexual lawsuit claim floated on social media by lawyer, failed Houston mayoral candidate