Images courtesy of LSU Athletics and Mike Christy/Arizona Athletics By Andy Backstrom NEFJ Correspondent INDIANAPOLIS – Drake Maye needs help. Up front and on the outside. The second-year Patriots quarterback could get a hand in one of those areas when New England makes its first selection in April’s NFL Draft. As New England Football Journal pointed out earlier this week, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and the…
North Andover hires Cerullo as next head coach
The Scarlet Knights have their new leader. He’s not really new though. In fact, there’s probably no one else who knows the program better. Matt Cerullo was officially introduced as North Andover’s next head coach in a statement on social media earlier on Sunday morning. Cerullo has been NA’s defensive coordinator since 2021 and a longtime assistant since 2018, so there’s already familiarity there that should help the transition be…
Could the Patriots shock everyone and draft a tight end at No. 4? It’s worth considering
Image courtesy of Penn State Athletics Trade down. Trade the pick for a proven player. Stick and pick a lineman on either side of the ball. Take Travis Hunter if he happens to fall. Everyone has an opinion on what the Patriots should do with the fourth overall pick when the draft opens up in Green Bay late in April. Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf (and Ryan Cowden to an…
CIAC to host showcase on May 4th
The CIAC announced on Thursday that they will be hosting a showcase day for high players on Sunday May 4th from 8:00 am to 2 pm at Western Connecticut State University. The event was organized with the help of former Anna Maria Head Coach Steve Croce. According to the announcement, athletes will participate in the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle, 3-cone drill, both vertical and broad jump, position specific drills, and…
Who could be in play for the Patriots with the No. 4 pick?
Image courtesy of Tony Harman/Colorado Athletics By Andy Backstrom NEFJ Correspondent INDIANAPOLIS – The New England Patriots have too many holes for one draft selection to patch. They need to surround second-year quarterback Drake Maye with more weapons. They also need to bolster a defense that ranked 11th-to-last in the NFL with 24.5 points per game allowed last season. That’s where executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and…
Horsley looking to show he’s not just ‘the other’ guy from BC during NFL Combine
Image courtesy of Joe Sullivan/BC Athletics By Andy Backstrom NEFJ Correspondent INDIANAPOLIS – Cam Horsley and Donovan Ezeiruaku are roommates at the NFL Combine. That’s fitting for a pair of Boston College defensive linemen who have played alongside each other the last four years. “It was a lot of being in tune, building that camaraderie,” Horsley said Wednesday in the Indianapolis Convention Center. “Playing alongside Don, it was a great…
What did we learn during Eliot Wolf’s press conference on Wednesday?
By Andy Backstrom NEFJ Correspondent INDIANAPOLIS – The New England Patriots were 4-13 last season. More plainly, they just weren’t good enough. And as Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf admitted Wednesday at the NFL Combine, the organization “just didn’t get enough done.” He took the blame for a roster that was among the NFL’s worst in 2024. “Certainly the free agency class didn’t live up to…
Ezeiruaku poised to be next All-time BC player drafted
Image courtesy of Joe Sullivan/BC Athletics By Andy Backstrom NEFJ Correspondent INDIANAPOLIS – Donovan Ezeiruaku recorded a sack in his first game at Boston College. The eloquent defensive end from Williamstown, New Jersey, made his voice known before that, even as a true freshman. “Right off the bat, I felt like he was a very good leader,” BC defensive tackle Cam Horsley said Wednesday at the NFL Combine. “Some guys…
Patriots shopping Godchaux but don’t expect a worthwhile return
The Patriots are shopping defensive tackle Davon Godchaux. Godchaux has two years remaining on his contract, including $16.5 million in guaranteed money. He is scheduled to earn salaries of $4 million in 2025 and $5.5 million in 2026. The 6’3 330 pound Godchaux is not a scheme fit in the new Patriots defensive scheme and the team told his agent that he can seek a trade. Given what he is…
Krafts take another hit with poor NFLPA report card grade for second straight year
In the movie ‘Remember the Titans’ there’s a scene early where Julius Campbell is speaking to Gerry Bertier, it’s a critical, tone-setting moment for the rest of the film. “Attitude reflects leadership, captain,” Campbell told him. If you’ve seen it, you know the rest is history with the help of a few more bonding moments. Right now, Patriots players have loudly said the same thing to Robert and Jonathan Kraft….