Mike Reiss is arguably the most plugged-in media member this area has had since Will McDonough.
So, it’s no surprise that Reiss had three interesting little nuggets of reporting on Thursday morning just hours before the biggest draft for the Patriots since 1993.
3 Patriots reporting nuggets on 3 topics:
🏈Draft: At 34, team has explored what it could look like to jump into back half of 1st round.
🏈Contracts: Active extension discussions with DT Christian Barmore. Motivated.
🏈Offseason program: WR K.J. Osborn makes early impression.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) April 25, 2024
The nugget about No. 34 is interesting since that pick has been linked quite a bit to a possible trade for Tee Higgins. But, if New England feels it can get a younger, more dynamic and most importantly, a cheaper receiver by using that pick to move back into the first round, then it’s obviously the better avenue to take. This draft is loaded with talent at wide receiver, but the elite of the elite will be gone by mid-second, so it may behoove the Pats to take this route tonight.
The Barmore news is huge. it’s been abundantly clear that changing the narrative about the team taking care of its home grown talent is a point of emphasis with Bill Belichick gone. Keeping Barmore is paramount to the Patriots’ success on defense moving forward just from an X’s and O’s standpoint. But, the importance of continuing to show guys in the locker room that doing things the right way and producing will in fact get you rewarded in Foxborough with this new regime can’t be understated.
KJ Osborn making a good first impression so far isn’t surprising, but good to hear. Osborn talked at length about knowing what he was getting into when signing with the Patriots and the more positive voices in that building the better right now. If he’s going to be a locker room leader it’s good to know that he’s starting in April, but none of it really matters unless he can produce on the field.