“I battled with him in Baltimore and he was one of those guys we had up on the board, to always account for.
Judon has played 85% of the defensive snaps, is fifth on the team with 32 tackles and leads the club with 14 quarterback hits, according to the team’s stats.
Barmore’s pressure: For all the attention that Mac Jones has received as the Patriots’ first-round pick and starting quarterback, not to be overlooked is how second-round pick Christian Barmore is coming on at defensive tackle.
Eyes on Odell: With the Browns releasing Odell Beckham Jr., and the likelihood that no team claims him on waivers due to his $7.5 million salary, the Patriots wouldn’t be true to their core beliefs if they didn’t explore the possibility of bringing him aboard.
Gilmore on Jakobi? Rhule said cornerback Stephon Gilmore will likely play only on third down, as he’s not at a point physically to be on the field for every snap.
And Smith compared the situation to a horse race, saying it’s a big group but ultimately some will drop back, and the Patriots don’t want to be one of those teams. Along those lines, how big is Sunday’s game against the Panthers? According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Patriots would improve their odds of qualifying for the playoffs to 62% with a win, and their odds would drop to 39% with a loss.
By the end of last season, some might have wondered if the Patriots were regretting their choice, after Chinn led all 2020 rookies with 117 tackles and Dugger had 64 in a part-time role.
Stidham decision due: How valuable is a third quarterback on the game-day roster? We’ll find out how Belichick answers that question this week, as the deadline arrives to place Jarrett Stidham on either the 53-man roster or injured reserve.
Snow day: Panthers defensive coordinator Phil Snow told the story last week of how he was in his office early one morning at Arizona State in 1996 when there was a knock on the door at 6:15 a.m.
Their father, former Patriots assistant to the coaching staff Michael Lombardi, described it as a “hard day.” The last time the Lombardis were on opposite sidelines was the 2019 season finale when the Dolphins upset the Patriots, costing New England home-field advantage in the playoffs.
That includes Patriots-Panthers — a 32-29 New England win in XXXVIII, which still holds the Super Bowl record for most points scored in the fourth quarter .