Little more than a week removed from the disappointment of the Super Bowl LII loss to the Eagles, the Patriots are now in the midst of the offseason. The NFL Combine, free agency and the draft are on the horizon.
As such, various media outlets have begun to look at the offseason moves Bill Belichick might make as the building of the 2018 Patriots begins.
But before moving on, the Boston Globe looks at everything that happened in the last week or so as the offseason begins to roll forward, including a theory as to who it was, exactly, who lured Josh McDaniels to return to Foxborough. The Globe passes along Philly lineman Lane Johnson talking about the fun the Eagles had winning the Super Bowl compared to what he called a “fear-based” New England organization. The *Globe *notes that for a short while, Google listed Eagles Super Bowl MVP QB Nick Foles as the “owner” of the Patriots. A week removed from the Super Bowl loss, the *Globe *passes along Tom Brady’s a social media posting.
The Boston Herald says that Bill Belichick can’t just let the Malcolm Butler issue sit with his players. The* Herald* also looks at how Super Bowl losers have recovered from their hangovers in the past.
The Providence Journal wonders if the Patriots will bounce back from a month of discontent.
ESPNBoston.com says right now is the calm before the storm for the Patriots and upcoming free agents like left tackle Nate Solder. ESPNBoston.com declares that Dwayne Allen and Alan Branch are among the Patriots who could feel the financial crunch in the coming weeks. ESPNBoston.com's must-read Sunday notes open up with the search for the next Jimmy Garoppolo with a focus on Senior Bowl quarterbacks.
ESPN also has Johnson critiquing the culture of fear in New England.
WEEI.com has a position-by-position breakdown of what lies ahead for the Patriots. WEEI.com notes that Josh McDaniels saved Belichick from the most challenging offseason of the future Hall of Fame coach’s career.
Sports Illustrated's MMQB column has plenty of connections to the Super Bowl and the Patriots, including Andrew Luck apparently extra motivated to play New England moving forward after the McDaniels situation.
NBC Sports Boston headline on the Johnson comments declares that the tackle “blasts” the Patriots organization. NBC Sports Boston questions whether Rob Gronkowski could leave the Patriots for a role in in wrestling in WWE. NBC Sports Boston also passes on word that the final episode of the “Tom vs. Time” documentary will be delayed after the Super Bowl loss.
NFL.com notes that the Colts finally got their head coach, former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich. NFL.com's AFC East rookie grades gives the Patriots a B-minus. NFL.com has former Patriots defensive end Willie McGinest declaring the McDaniels is not assured of the New England head coaching job in the future. Though it acknowledges it may be an unpopular opinion, NFL.com wants to see the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII.
The Athletic breaks down how Doug Pederson, Foles and the Eagles torched the Patriots to win the Super Bowl.
