After a hugely disappointing season for the New England Patriots by their lofty standards, the fresh start of a new league year with a refreshed coaching staff cannot come soon enough.
And with the NFL Combine in the books, draft season is in full swing and there is intrigue surrounding what head coach and de-facto general manager Bill Belichick will do with the 14th overall pick, with the Pats' roster in need of upgrades across the board to give quarterback Mac Jones the best chance of steering the team to success as he enters a third year in the league.
But before they can tool up for next season, the Pats face losing their top playmaker on offence. Here, Mirror NFL brings you the latest round-up of Patriots news, with plenty of big stories developing across the league.
Belichick has two plans for first-round pick
For all of Belichick's incredible success as a coach, he has not covered himself in glory with recent draft picks. Just look at 2019 when he took N'Keal Harry with the 32nd overall pick ahead of three bonafide star receivers in Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf and Terry McLaurin, as well as respectable operator Diontae Johnson.
After being a bust in Foxborough, Harry is now a bit-part player for the lowly Chicago Bears, and that is just one of several examples of costly missteps by New England in the draft. Pats fans will be desperate for more success this time around when the draft visits Kansas City in late April, and the Boston Herald reports the team are believed to have two ideas when it comes to using the 14th pick, and they are both textbook Belichick.
According to the Herald's "league sources", the Patriots are expected to draft an offensive tackle or trade back 10-12 spots. Jones certainly needs offensive line help after taking 34 sacks in just 14 games as his all-around game regressed.
And with the general consensus being most prospects in the high end of the draft after the top 10 are a much of a muchness, the best value could be found by stockpiling picks and selecting later in the first round.
Top receiver to test the market
In a team without a 1,000-yard receiver, wideout Jakobi Mayers was arguably the Pats' most important playmaker on offence in 2022 alongside the team's leading rusher Rhamondre Stevenson.
But Meyers, who hauled 67 catches for 804 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games in his fourth year in Foxborough, is an unrestricted free agent and is among the top receivers available across the league.
Despite the absence of weapons for Jones to work with, the Patriots are not expected to franchise tag Meyers before Tuesday's 9pm GMT (4pm ET) deadline and he will be allowed to test the market when the new league year begins next week.
According to NFL media's Mike Giardi, the Pats hope Meyers will give them a chance to seal a deal after assessing his options, with a salary in the $12-14m range mooted, but ESPN insider Dan Graziano says the parties have been far apart in their negotiations thus far.
Matt Patricia on his way out?
A dismal season calling plays by Patriots' 'special football advisor' Matt Patricia led to him being demoted after they missed the playoffs, much to the delight of fans who bemoaned his return to New England in 2021 after a poor three-year stint as head coach of the Detriot Lions.
Given much of his coaching career has been spent on the defensive side of the ball, including six seasons as the Pats' defensive coordinator before being hired by the Lions, he never looked like the right man to replace Josh McDaniels when he headed to the Las Vegas Raiders for their head coaching gig.
After losing his play-calling duties with the Pats but remaining as a 'special football advisor', Patricia's future with the organisation is uncertain, and that is compounded by the vagueness of his job title.
But he could be in line for an official coaching role elsewhere in the league. Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald reports Patricia is in the running for a role on the Philadelphia Eagles' staff, "presumably as a linebackers coach".
