Getty What was Bill Belichick and the Patriots focus at the Combine?
The New England Patriots have lost several players in free agency, but they do have a wealth of picks with 12 in total heading into the 2020 NFL Draft. The team released Cody Kessler on Wednesday which could be an indication that there is now a need to add a quarterback to the roster.
That’s not a preposterous thought, but if the Patriots’ positional focus at the NFL Combine is any indication, the team is focused heavily on this year’s wide receiver and tight end crop.
The Patriots Met With More WRs and TEs Than Any Other Position
According to Yahoo Sports’ NFL Draft Insider, Eric Edholm, the Patriots met with 12 wide receivers and six tight ends at the Combine. Edholm says the specific players interviewed aren’t necessarily an indication the team is interested in those prospects, but there is something to take from the Patriots’ focus on weapons in the passing game.
To me, which specific players a team meets with at the NFL combine is only mildly interesting.
But the allotment of which positions teams are meeting with, that can tell far more.
Take, say, Patriots by position …
WR — 12
TE — 6
DB — 4
QB — 3
OL — 3
DL — 2
RB — 2
LB — 1
Interviewing 18 different guys whose prime responsibility is to catch passes isn’t a coincidence. When you also consider the Patriots likely had a good idea they would be heading into the 2020 season without Tom Brady, this focus makes a little more sense.
The Patriots are likely looking at turning over the QB position to second-year-pro Jarrett Stidham, or perhaps another young signal-caller. There are two huge gifts a team can give a young QB. One is a great offensive line, the other is multiple weapons in the passing game that make his job easier.
If the Patriots, who lost the speedy Phillip Dorsett in free agency and Ben Watson to retirement, are looking to beef up their aerial options, it makes sense to focus on receivers and tight ends.
A Lot of Interviews Doesn’t Have to Equate to Several Picks at One Position
The Patriots may have talked to 12 receivers, but that doesn’t mean they will draft two or more. The high number of interviews might have been conducted as a means of the club doing its due-diligence because it only has plans to use one selection on a player at that position, and they want to be sure to select the right guy.
The same concept could apply to the tight end grouping.
Are the Patriots Bluffing or Sending out False Signals?
This is the least likely scenario because time is money, and an NFL team isn’t likely to waste a valuable opportunity to get to know a player better so that it can create an illusion for another opponent.
That said, we all know Bill Belichick and the Patriots are known for their secrecy, and one should never underestimate the Hoodie’s guile. In anticipation of another team deciding if it should trade up, down or to stay put in a draft position, the Patriots may not mind appearing more interested in a prospect or position than they are if it means keeping their real targets under wraps.
However, because it makes sense to see the Patriots take a WR or tight end, the focus at the Combine seems a bit more valid.
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