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According to NFL agent Kenny Zuckerman, former Patriots undrafted rookie Harvey Langi is returning to the team on a one-year deal. Langi spent the last two seasons with the Jets, playing in 30 games and starting six during the 2020 season, while logging a career-high 60 tackles on defense.
Langi is also a solid special teams contributor, playing 55 percent of the snaps compared to 45 percent on defense as a linebacker.
A well-rounded player, Langi is the latest new addition to a remade defensive front that features a variety of players young and old that will be competing for roles. Other free-agent linebacker additions include Kyle Van Noy, Matt Judon, Raekwon McMillan and LaRoy Reynolds, while rookies Ronnie Perkins and Cameron McGrone were also drafted. Langi s experience with the Jets and versatility will benefit him, especially given his previous stint in New England which should help him jump right back into things.
Opt-outs return: 5
Coming off a 7-9 season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008, the Patriots needed an upgrade. Their financial flexibility (and aggressiveness) helped them do it. One team official opined that the result should allow the franchise to get back to a foundational principle of competition at all spots, which wasn t the case last season.
Here is a position-by-position snapshot of the roster:
Belichick made it clear, before he was even asked, that Newton is the starting quarterback. That doesn t mean Jones, the 15th overall pick, can t make a legitimate run for the job. It just seemed to be Belichick s way of taking some pressure off him. It shouldn t take long in training camp from the standpoint of the football coming out on time and in rhythm to see if Jones has a realistic chance to be a Day 1 starter.
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For the first time in a long time, there was a new team at the top of the AFC East in 2020. The Buffalo Bills successfully took their first division title in 25 seasons, as they swept the field with a perfect 6-0 mark and advanced to the AFC title game in the playoffs.
Now in 2021, Buffalo goes from being the hunter to the hunted. Although their closest pursuer was the 10-win Miami Dolphins, the Bills blew them off the field in and win-and-in game in Week 17 using mostly reserves in the second half of a 30-point beatdown.
Nevertheless, head coach Sean McDermott will be quick to remind his players that every year is different and some of Buffalo s division rivals have already gone to great lengths in free agency to close the gap between themselves and the defending AFC East champs.
2020 stats: 5 games (5 starts); 26 tackles (2 tackles for loss); 0.5 sacks
Size: 6007, 234 lbs, 77 1/2 wingspan, 32 1/8 arm, 9 1/4 hand
Workout numbers: 20 bench press reps
Expected round: 3rd
: N/A
Strengths: If you had to draw an inside linebacker from scratch, chances are he would look pretty similar to McGrone. He has some good size to play the position and also offers the range teams want from their off-the-ball personnel. McGrone is a fluid lateral mover capable of making plays all over the field, who also possesses the instincts and football intelligence to recognize plays and attack down the hill versus the run.
In general, he showed some good development in this area and became a better processor through his college career at Michigan. This also is on display when used as a pass rusher from the second level: McGrone knows how to time his blitzes and find holes in the offensive line to get into the backfield, and also has shown an ability to shed blocks and take advance
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV, which was the ultimate prize of the 2020 NFL season, but the New Orleans Saints actually won the NFC South for the fourth season in a row. The path to a title defense in 2021 would be significantly less daunting if the Buccaneers could break the Saints stranglehold on the division crown. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons with a new coaching staff and a potent offense and the Carolina Panthers with a core of young standouts will be trying to do the same.
As such, in advance of free agency, we re reviewing the four teams in the NFC South in terms of where they stand at six different areas on the depth chart. Which teams have the deepest position groups and got the best results in 2020? Which face potential free agency losses? Which might be targeting a certain spot in the 2021 NFL Draft?