Getty Alex Leatherwood
If the New England Patriots need as much help on the offensive line as it appears, there may be a former first-round pick within their grasp via trade.
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Alex Leatherwood with the No. 17 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says he is on the trade block.
Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed also listed Leatherwood as a potential trade candidate. Leatherwood is caught in a pretty familiar situation for several young players across the NFL.
He was a draft pick made by former Raiders general manager Mike Mayock. The Raiders cleaned house ahead of the 2022 season, including adding former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as their head coach.
As is often the case, the new regime isn’t in love with some of the holdovers, and in this case, that includes Leatherwood. The 23-year-old hasn’t played much during the preseason, and he’s been repped down in the Raiders’ training camp.
Because of this dynamic, NESN’s Sean T. McGuire suggests the Patriots pursue a potential deal to land Leatherwood to aid New England’s seemingly out-of-sync offensive line.
New England struggled mightily against the Raiders in the preseason finale last week. The 26-3 loss in Sin City had many reacting harshly to the Patriots’ performance. The Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard even accused another former Raider and current Patriot, Trent Brown, of “running his own play out of the old playbook.”
Brown is at one of the offensive tackle positions, while New England will play either Isaiah Wynn, Justin Herron, or Yodny Cajuste on the other side. It would appear as though Leatherwood could come in and, at the very least, provide some needed depth and talent to the position.
In a best-case scenario, Leatherwood might show up and solidify a starting spot.
Leatherwood was very durable during his rookie season with the Raiders. He played in and started all 17 games. However, he may be in a scheme or continuity mismatch. If he is dealt, it will be interesting to see if the Patriots attempt to trade for him.
The Raiders will almost certainly want a strong draft pick for such a young player who still has some upside.
Bill Belichick Was Thrilled to See Chris Berman During His Presser
Bill Belichick respects legends.
Just days after the Patriots were hosted at UFC headquarters by the promotion’s president Dana White, Belichick’s presence was graced by ESPN and broadcast legend Chris “Boomer” Berman.
To say Belichick was happy to see Berman would be an understatement. Take a look at the video captured by NBC 10’s Joe Kayata:
Bill Belichick super excited to see @BrownUniversity grad and @espn great Chris Berman at media availability this morning.
“Boomer!!!”
@NBC10 #Patriots
This was a memorable moment between two giants of their businesses.
Patriots Notes and Quotes
- Adrian Phillips Recommends Severance
If you’re looking for the occasional film or television review, you might want to consider giving Patriots safety Adrian Phillips a follow on Twitter. Whether it is Marvel or DC movies or programs on popular streaming services, Phillips has a short but definitive opinion.
Recently, he took to Twitter to give a ringing endorsement to the Apple TV series Severance.
Severance on Apple TV🔥🔥
For those who are wondering, Severance, is a psychological thriller TV series starring Adam Scott.