We’re running a mailbag every Friday during training camp. If you have questions on the Patriots, NFL, or want to gripe about past answers, email cmason@masslive.com or tweet @bychrismason. Now let’s get to this week’s questions!
At this point should the Patriots just trade Matthew Judon and be done with it? — Tom M.
I don’t think so.
The trade value just isn’t there right now. Colleague Karen Guregian spoke to an NFL executive earlier this week who ballparked Judon’s current market. That return isn’t pretty for the Patriots, but makes sense given Judon is almost 32 years old, coming off a season-ending injury, and unhappy with his contract on top of that.
“It depends if a team is desperate at the end of camp for a pass rusher because of injuries too,” the executive said. “My guess would be a fifth-round value or some sort of mid-round swap.”
Yes, the rebuilding Patriots need draft capital, but a fifth-rounder for Judon? No thanks. For perspective, New England’s most recent fifth-round picks have been Atonio Mafi, Cameron McGrone, Justin Rohrwasser, Byron Cowart and Jake Bailey.
I think the two sides just need to find some middle ground here. It doesn’t make sense to extend Judon at this stage, but the four-time Pro Bowler is worth more than the $7.5 million he’s making this season. Giving Judon a healthy pay bump in 2024 and then letting him hit free agency next March feels fair for all parties involved.
With Eliot Wolf and Jerod Mayo in first-year roles, whatever they do next will set a precedent. I think negotiating in good faith makes more sense than trading the most decorated player on the roster for the sake of doing so — especially with over $40 million in cap space.
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Who’s really having an outstanding Pats camp so far? And who needs to step up his game? — Ed H.
A couple wideouts jump out here, in both the positive and negative categories. In the competition for the final spot, Tyquan Thornton has shown up repeatedly, while JuJu Smith-Schuster has largely been quiet since training camp started.
On Thursday, Thornton beat Christian Gonzalez in a pair of 1-on-1 drills, caught a touchdown from Jacoby Brissett in 7-on-7 drills and had another reception from him in 11-on-11. That he’s playing with Brissett also speaks volumes, as the veteran has been leading the first team all summer; Thornton is running with the starters. Smith-Schuster, on the other hand, only saw one target in team drills on Thursday, a jump ball from Drake Maye that was ripped away from him by Marcus Jones. Smith-Schuster needs to step up if he wants to make the 53-man roster.
On the defensive side of the ball, Keion White looks outstanding. He could be primed for a monster season.
Do you think Davon Godchaux’s extension was at all related to Christian Barmore’s health issues, and the Pats losing a little leverage? — Matt K.
No, though they’re both defensive linemen, what Godchaux and Barmore are asked to do is significantly different. Mayo touched on that Thursday morning, too, and I’m buying what he’s selling. Godchaux is a one-dimensional run stopper, while Barmore is an every-down guy that is probably best as a pass rusher.
“Honestly, those are two different types of players,” Mayo said. “The one thing about having DG back is that it does provide some stability up front. In saying that, by committee, we’ll have to try to replace the production of Christian.”
I have Pop Douglas in my dynasty league. Is it worth keeping him, replacing him with another Pats receiver like Ja’Lynn Polk who has shown flashes or getting a different player not on the Pats? — Conor M.
Disclaimer: I don’t play fantasy so this could be terrible advice, but I think Douglas is going to have a big season if he’s able to stay healthy. He just boasts a quickness that nobody else on the field has — it jumps out at camp — and I’d expect him to see a lot of targets accordingly.
If you were a betting man, who would you put $100 on to win the Super Bowl this season? — Miller
Using FanDuel’s odds, I think Cincinnati (+1500) is the best value at 15-to-1. It feels like Joe Burrow’s ‘23 injury pushed the Bengals out of mind, but he’s still a really, really good quarterback with a strong roster.
