New England Patriots links 2/03/22 - Let the Mock Draft Season begin!

TEAM TALK

• Patriots 2022 Mock Draft Tracker.
• Statement from Bill Belichick on Tom Brady’s retirement.
• Mike Dussault says Mac Jones will represent the AFC in the Pro Bowl skills showdown.
• Tamara Brown reports Cody Davis launches a gaming program to help patients at children’s hospitals.

LOCAL LINKS

• Chad Finn says Boston sports fans have had it good for 20 years and tries to pinpoint the very best time among those best of times.
• Mike D’Abate (PatriotMaven) Jones, Patriots QBs named top ‘overperformers’ by NFL.com.
• Zack Cox passes along a report that the Patriots lose assistant coach Bo Hardegree to Josh McDaniels’ Raiders.
• Sean T. McGuire notes Nick Saban brushes off the idea of Bill O’Brien rejoining the Patriots.
• Karen Guregian writes about Bill Belichick’s statement on Tom Brady’s retirement, calling him the ‘best player in NFL history.’
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Thank you, Tom Brady…requires no thanks on his part.
• Murph (E2GSports) Tom Brady bids farewell.
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) The side of Tom Brady, the GOAT, that I’ll remember. /Good read.
• Ricky Doyle wonders if Tom Brady left the Patriots out of his retirement announcement because “something massive” is coming?
• Christopher Price talks with Olivia Martinez, the widow of Tom Brady’s first throwing coach, who says Tom Brady’s retirement was a bittersweet day.
• Ricky Doyle relays Jim Gray on how he expects Tom Brady to approach retirement.
• Dakota Randall tells us the Patriots will face the newly rebranded Washington Commanders at Gillette Stadium in the 2023 season.
• Evan Lazar picks his Day 2 Senior Bowl standouts.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Adam Maya (NFL.com) Bill Belichick salutes Tom Brady amid retirement: ‘The best player in NFL history.
• Adam Rank (NFL.com) All-Tom Brady Team: Gronkowski, Seymour among best to have played with QB.
• Cody Benjamin (CBS Sports) Where does Tom Brady’s finish rank among best final seasons in NFL history?
• Danny Heifetz (The Ringer) The 2022 NFL Quarterback Commitment Index.
• Danny Kelly (The Ringer) The Ringer’s 2022 NFL Draft Guide: Everything you need to know about the 2022 NFL draft, from our Big Board to our scouting reports and beyond.
• Joel Corry (CBS Sports) Agent’s Take: 2021 Contract Awards, starring Matthew Stafford among NFL’s best and worst signings of the year
• Lance Zierlein & Chase Goodbread (NFL.com) 2022 Senior Bowl Day 2 standouts: RB prospect on track similar to Jets’ Michael Carter.
• Charean Williams (ProFootballTalk) Report: Raiders are hiring Patriots Bo Hardegree as quarterbacks coach.
• Sam Cooper (Yahoo! Sports) Jim Harbaugh to stay at Michigan after Vikings interview.
• Matt Miller (TheDraftScout) 2022 NFL Draft: Each team’s perfect pick. Patriots: Team Needs: CB, Defense. Perfect Pick: LB Devin Lloyd, Utah. Addressing the cornerback position could be tempting, but if there is a run on them in the early and middle portions of Round 1 the Patriots could be on the outside looking in at the group. Watching the Buffalo Bills run all over New England in the playoffs, a fast linebacker with real range is a huge need. Devin Lloyd is that to a T and has elite size at 6’3” and 235 pounds.
• Matt Miller (TheDraftScout) 7-Round Mock Draft. Pats pick Georgia LB Nakobe Dean at 21.
• Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports) 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Washington Commanders get their quarterback of the future. Patriots pick Utah LB Devin Lloyd.

EXTRACURRICULAR

• Andrew Brandt (SI) Business of Football: How likely Is Brian Flores’s lawsuit to bring about systemic change?
• Conor Orr (SI) Brian Flores is fearless enough to force the NFL’s hand: Flores, recently regarded as a rising star in the coaching ranks, knows the consequences of speaking out in the NFL. He chose to, anyway.
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Mickey Loomis: Brian Flores informed us of lawsuit after “very impressive” Tuesday interview.
• Ian O’Connor (NY Post) Brooklyn native Brian Flores won’t back down from NFL in discrimination fight.
• Andrew Callahan reports Brian Flores says he has had no contact with Bill Belichick since text reveal in lawsuit.
• Ryan Hannable notes Brian Flores says Bill Belichick did not know I was filing lawsuit, texts would be made public.
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Brian Flores discusses the fallout from Bill Belichick’s accidental text.
• Jaclyn Hendricks (NY Post) Hue Jackson adds to Brian Flores scandal: I was offered money to tank games.
• Charles Robinson (Yahoo! Sports) Sources: Hue Jackson may join Brian Flores lawsuit, claims to have proof that Browns incentivized tanking.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) NFL must investigate tanking allegations against Dolphins, Browns.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Stephen Ross, Jimmy Haslam could be prosecuted for violating the Sports Bribery Act.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Fritz Pollard Alliance supports Brian Flores.
• Darren Hartwell notes Pats players, NFL stars show support for Brian Flores amid lawsuit.
• Tom Hanslin (CBS Sports Radio) Deion Branch on Brian Flores’ lawsuit: ‘We all know he deserves to be a head coach.’
• Jeff Kerr (CBS Sports) NFL to investigate tanking allegations against Dolphins; owner Stephen Ross speaks.
• Jason Owens (Yahoo! Sports) Stephen Ross slams ‘malicious’ Brian Flores allegations, vows to ‘defend my personal integrity.’
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Why did NFL immediately claim the Brian Flores lawsuit is “without merit”?
• Jonathan Jones (CBS Sports) NFL insider: Brian Flores’ lawsuit shines bright light on lack of diversity in NFL head coaching hires.
• Kaelen Jones (The Ringer) Brian Flores’s lawsuit has brought the NFL’s black coaching crisis to its boiling point.
• Conor Orr (SI) What if black coaches just turn down interviews? /Some have.