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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL: 1. Challenging change: One of the reasons Bill Belichick has traditionally promoted from within on his coaching staff is valuing continuity, and players not having to learn a new system with every change. Offensively, that resulted…

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL: 1. Thornton’s fit: Given the most recent chapter of the Patriots’ shaky history selecting receivers early in the draft — when they whiffed on N’Keal Harry at the end of the 2019 first round — the…

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL: 1. Parker’s place: The red zone was a primary emphasis through the first four days of training camp, and it quickly became clear that veteran receiver DeVante Parker is a big part of the Patriots’ plans….

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL: 1. RG III’s take: One of the NFL’s more compelling 2022 storylines will be how quarterback Mac Jones is affected by the Patriots’ new-look coaching staff. Bill Belichick hasn’t named a coordinator or playcaller to fill…

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL: 1. Mac’s deep ball: Spring practices are the appetizer to the main menu, and quarterback Mac Jones and the Patriots’ offense provided a tasty preview of what they hope to be cooking in 2022. The main…

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The question of who calls the plays for the New England Patriots‘ offense lingers, but when it comes to who has taken ownership of the unit on the field, receiver Jakobi Meyers is emphatic. It’s quarterback Mac Jones. “Has he taken control of the offense? That’s a…

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL: 1. Mac’s edge: Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in March that quarterback Mac Jones was “respectful of coming in as a rookie” last season and that he believed Jones “has a little more edge that we’ve…

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL: 1. Same ol’ Bill: Bill Belichick at 70 years old. Same as it ever was. There were several takeaways from the media’s first look at Patriots spring practice last week, but perhaps nothing rates more significant…

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL: 1. Happy with Zappe: One of the more compelling moments of ESPN’s broadcast on the third day of the 2022 NFL draft came when the Patriots selected Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe late in the fourth…

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots are in the fourth week of their voluntary offseason program, and veteran wide receiver Nelson Agholor already notices a difference for himself. “Everybody runs certain routes, but the route tree [here] is a little different than what I’ve ran before,” he said. “Now…