New England Patriots links 6/07/21 - Assume the position: Let the roster battles begin!

TEAM TALK

• Transactions: Patriots sign wide receiver Marvin Hall.
• Mike Dussault shares his OTA Blogservations (6/4): Defense brings the energy; More.
• Mike Dussault catches up with Nelson Agholor, getting up to speed in New England and enjoying the grind.
• Press Conferences: Bill Belichick (18 min. video) - Nelson Agholor (9 min. video) - Chase Winovich (3 min. video) - David Andrews (5 min. video)
• Press Pass: Patriots coaches talk QBs and new faces. (4 min. video)
• Highlights: Key takeaways from Friday’s OTA. (4 min. video)
• Photos: Inside Patriots OTAs (6/4)

LOCAL LINKS

• Mike Reiss shares some quick-hit weekend thoughts: Jarrett Stidham sends reminder he’s still a factor in Patriots’ QB picture; Hightower’s return; Mac the perfectionist; More.
• Ryan Hannable’s Sunday 7: Changes are coming to how Patriots do things this season; One interesting absence from voluntary workouts this spring has been running back Sony Michel; More.
• Karen Guregian’s Sunday NFL Notes: Patriots need players to make Year 2 leap. /Yep!
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Sunday Patriots news: Newton hurts his throwing hand; former Lions WR Marvin Hall is a very fast, undersized WR (5’10, 192) who played for Matt Patricia in Detroit; More.
• Mark Daniels looks at how Bill Belichick reshaped the Patriots front office after Nick Caserio left.
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) PFF says Patriots have one of the top 3 best offensive lines in the NFL.
• Mike Masala (PatriotsWire) 9 biggest position battles for the Patriots in 2021.
• Doug Kyed updates where the Patriots QB battle stands after two open OTAs and Cam Newton’s Injury; Did Jarrett Stidham re-enter the fray?
• Evan Lazar highlights the Patriots’ second spring practice open to the media on Friday: Jarrett Stidham steals the show; Defense controlled the day; Kyle Dugger doing a little bit of everything; More.
• Andy Hart recaps Friday’s OTAs: While most of the day belonged to an energetic, vocal defense and the offense had way too many drops in the passing game, Stidham had the best throw of the session with a deep in-cut on the left hash to Isaiah Zuber, who also had a solid practice.
• Doug Kyed shares his OTA observations: Cam Newton suffered an apparent injury to his right hand or wrist; Attendance; drills; More.
• Sean T. McGuire has the latest on Cam Newton’s hand injury, that is not thought to be serious at all.
• Darren Hartwell speculates on how much time Cam Newton is expected to miss with a right hand injury.
• Ryan Hannable explains how Mac Jones has already earned respect from Bill Belichick.
• Phil Perry lays out Mac Jones’ up-and-down performance in extended OTA action on Friday. “But from afar, his impressive moments were outweighed by what Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels might call teaching moments.”
• Ryan Hannable notes Nelson Agholor had high praise for both Cam Newton, Mac Jones.
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Nelson Agholor explains why he’s ‘always been a fan’ of Jakobi Meyers.
• Andrew Callahan notes that after signing a 3-year, $15 million contract in free agency, WR Kendrick Bourne is already establishing himself in the community and wants to set roots in New England.
• Danny Jaillet (PatriotsWire) What WR Marvin Hall could bring to New England.
• Mike Masala (PatriotsWire) CB Joejuan Williams, facing uncertainty, still needs to step up and find a role in 2021.
• KJ Doyle (GuyBostonSports) Have the Patriots basically given up on Chase Winovich?
• Ryan Hannable points out that several key players continue to be absent from OTAs.
• Robert Alvarez (PatsFans) Best of social media: A look inside the second week of Patriots OTA’s.
• Katie McInerney notes Bill Belichick declined to share with the media how many Patriots are vaccinated.
• Andy Hart says Julio Jones might’ve been fun, but didn’t make sense for the Patriots.
• Andrew Callahan reports on the Julio Jones-Titans trade. “Adding Jones could have cost the Pats upwards of half their remaining cap room over the next two seasons, plus a mid-round draft pick. The front office has seemingly chosen that flexibility over becoming likely Super Bowl contenders with little roster-building margin for error moving forward.”
• Zack Cox explains that the Patriots never had serious interest in acquiring Julio Jones.
• Dakota Randall talks about a Jeff Howe report on why the Patriots ultimately passed on a trade for Julio Jones. “I believe the Patriots had some initial interest in Julio Jones very early in the process, but the price point was going to have to change, either with trade compensation or the Falcons eating money. It didn’t, and they moved on.”
• Sean T. McGuire discusses why the Titans trade for Julio Jones could mean bad news for the Patriots and the rest of the AFC.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Albert Breer (SI) Monday Morning QB: The Julio Jones trade has been in the works for a long time; Plus, Titans GM Jon Robinson on the deal, Joe Judge’s Giants head into Year 2, the Packers’ next decision in the Aaron Rodgers situation, and much more.
• Peter King (ProFootballTalk) FMIA: Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers and the compromise that helps everyone get what they want.
• Tyler Sullivan (CBS Sports) Biggest remaining offseason priority for each NFL team. Patriots: Get Mac Jones up to speed.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Titans take on Julio Jones’ remaining contract, with the Falcons paying nothing.
• Jeff Chadiha (NFL.com) Julio Jones trade: Who are the winners and losers? Losers: Every cornerback on the Titans’ schedule.
• Nate Davis (USA Today) Julio Jones trade winners and losers. Losers: Colts, Patriots, 49ers. “Any of these clubs could have significantly benefited from the acquisition of Jones, who would have greatly enhanced their aspirations to contend in 2021 and beyond. All three could have much more easily taken on his contract than Tennessee and certainly had the draft capital to match the Titans’ winning bid. They say that sometimes the best trade is the one you don’t make ... but in this case?”
• Kaelen Jones (The Ringer) Julio Jones creates an offense of Goliaths in Tennessee. /Author may not be aware Goliath was slain by a much smaller, yet more cunning, man.
• Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports) How did Titans and Falcons odds change after the huge Julio Jones trade?
• Cody Benjamin (CBS Sports) Comparing Julio Jones deal with other big WR moves of the last five years.
• Bryan DeArdo (CBS Sports) Julio Jones trade grades. Titans: A, Falcons: B.
• Jason La Canfora (CBS Sports) Julio Jones may not be the only blockbuster Jones trade on NFL horizon: Cardinals sack star Chandler Jones situation is similar.
• Charles Robinson (Yahoo! Sports) The Packers sent a public message to Aaron Rodgers over the weekend. This week he gets his opportunity to respond.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Ja’Wuan James files grievance against Broncos seeking $15 million.
• Lorenzo Reyes (USA Today) Tom Brady rookie card sells for world record $3.1 million at public auction.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Chad Johnson goes distance in four-round boxing exhibition.