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Mike Reiss
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Fast-hit ideas and notes across the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Williams’ approach: It appeared extensive receiver Kyle Williams had an necessary choice to make final December.
He had one recreation remaining in his faculty profession, however with Washington State within the midst of a training transition and greater than 20 teammates instantly getting into the switch portal, the query was: Would he play within the Vacation Bowl?
To Williams, nevertheless, there wasn’t a call to make — he was at all times taking part in.
Such a mentality appealed to the Patriots, who chosen Williams within the third spherical of the NFL draft (No. 69 general) and challenge him as a speedy, versatile complement to veteran free agent signees Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins and high slot possibility DeMario “Pop” Douglas, amongst others.
“When your greatest participant places his foot down and says, ‘That is necessary, we have to do it,’ and he is the primary one to step out on the sphere, there’s loads of energy in that,” stated former Washington State coach Jake Dickert, who was employed as Wake Forest’s coach earlier than the Vacation Bowl.
“I clearly did not get to see that one all over, however figuring out the coaches that had been there, he was one of many catalysts for the kind of effort and power that group performed with. He earned it, and also you do this by way of a ton of motion. He additionally knew the worth he may create for himself. He went on the market and folks noticed each step of the way in which, ‘This man loves ball. He loves taking part in. He loves his teammates.’ To do this, I feel, is an enormous stamp on the character piece of Kyle Williams.”
Williams totaled 10 receptions for 172 yards and one landing within the Cougars’ 52-35 loss to Syracuse — not the Vacation Bowl outcome he hoped for, however a efficiency that helped uplift an undermanned group in a aggressive recreation.
“As an individual, you are not going to get a lot better. We had a chance to get him at a very pivotal time in his life, and he simply developed a lot with us,” Dickert stated. “He wanted Pullman, Washington, as a lot as we wanted him.”
Williams transferred from UNLV to Washington State in 2023, partially to play with quarterback Cam Ward. The receiver’s reference to Ward additional elevated his soccer profession — Dickert famous Williams “can actually run, wins within the launch part of the route and is an amazing over-the-top deep-ball catcher” — however there was additionally one thing necessary evolving behind the scenes.
“Rising up in L.A. and going to a different huge metropolis in Vegas, there’s some magical half to going and doing one thing actually uncomfortable — 30,000 [population] Pullman, Washington, and never having loads of issues that you simply’re conversant in rising up. I simply suppose he found himself as a person,” Dickert stated.
“I feel that’s what will make him achieve success within the NFL, as a result of he’s used to doing uncomfortable issues — rising, studying and getting higher.”
In two seasons at Washington State, Williams totaled 131 receptions for two,040 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Final season, his 1,198 receiving yards had been the eighth most within the FBS, and his 14 receiving touchdowns had been fourth behind Nick Nash (16), Travis Hunter and Jeremiah Smith (15). Williams’ 14 catches on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield tied for fourth.
Requested to explain his type of play shortly after the Patriots drafted him, Williams stated, “Versatile, game-changing and electrical.”
In three seasons at UNLV, he had 117 receptions for 1,568 yards and 9 touchdowns. Williams had been a key recruit at UNLV in then-coach Marcus Arroyo’s first-class.
“The character and work ethic are the issues that stick out essentially the most — a small-school man in inner-city L.A., actually under-recruited, type of a needle in a haystack,” stated Arroyo, who’s at the moment in his second season as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Arizona State.
“There have been a pair youngsters that had been outliers that I believed had some actually good ability units, however greater than something, had been powerful and beloved soccer. Kyle was proper on the high of the listing. … He went to [three] totally different [high] colleges — was nonetheless the very best participant, by no means actually stated a nasty factor about altering colleges, his hardships rising up. I knew we had a man who was going to take each second, each breath, to be taught it and attempt to turn into the very best he may.”
Arroyo believes that makes Williams a perfect match for the Patriots’ tradition, which he first grew to become conversant in as an assistant below Dick Tomey at San Jose State from 2005 to 2008 (Tomey coached Patriots Corridor of Famer Tedy Bruschi at Arizona) and later whereas teaching at Cal (when the Patriots chosen working again Shane Vereen).
Arroyo shared his reply to these within the NFL who requested him about Williams main as much as the draft.
“These guys need to know, ‘Are they blue-collar guys who present up early and keep late? Will they be team-oriented? Are you going to have to fret about them off the sphere?’ These are those I used to be capable of reply dramatically, and stand on the desk and say, ‘This man is all soccer, he comes from nothing, put himself in place to make the NFL.’
“I can not say sufficient good issues in regards to the human, the individual, the work ethic. In that regard, that is the place all of us need to begin — somebody who loves ball and needs to work his butt off.”
2. Larison’s assure: Of the 17 undrafted free brokers the Patriots agreed to contracts with, UC Davis working again Lan Larison has one of many richest offers as he obtained $175,000 in assured cash. That displays how the Patriots possible had competitors from different groups to land Larison, a twin menace who completed his faculty profession with 641 carries for 3,634 yards and 41 touchdowns, and 127 receptions for 1,626 yards and 10 TDs.
Nearer to residence, Boston School offensive lineman Jack Conley additionally had different suitors, as his contract with the Patriots contains $110,000 in assured cash.
The Patriots’ three-day rookie minicamp begins Friday.
3. Maye works forward: Quarterback Drake Maye stated one among his targets this offseason is to grasp the verbiage of coordinator Josh McDaniels’ offense, particularly working forward of his teammates in that space to allow them to look to him with assurance and keep away from a scenario the place he may say, “We used to name it this [in the old offense], however now it is this.”
The objective, Maye defined, is to “simply attempt to change the lingo utterly, revert to the brand new approach, and do not converse up to now.”
4. Diggs’ impression: Whereas Diggs remains to be rehabbing from a torn ACL in his proper knee, veteran tight finish Austin Hooper appeared stunned at what he has been capable of do in the course of the group’s voluntary offseason program.
“Vitality, man. He is a freak. You may see him already with the explosion, the change of path, the highest finish [speed]. It is like, ‘Dang, it should be good’,” Hooper stated.
In the meantime, Maye shared that Diggs was on his fantasy group in highschool and that now he is excited to throw to him as a teammate.
5. Vrabel’s chest pad: One constant a part of Mike Vrabel’s teaching type is how he places on a chest pad and engages gamers on the line of scrimmage, which included first-round decide Will Campbell now-famously knocking him on his bottom in a predraft exercise in Louisiana. Vrabel stated that is a method he can really feel a participant’s energy.
Just lately signed edge rusher Okay’Lavon Chaisson smiled whereas explaining that there is a profit to Vrabel’s strategy for gamers: There aren’t many roles during which staff can blast their boss.
“Whenever you get an opportunity to place your fingers on him, you need to reap the benefits of it and get a great strike in,” he cracked.
6. They stated it: “Once I acquired the provide sheet from the Raiders, I am sitting down with my spouse, tearing up, and I am like, ‘Is that this actually occurring? I have been reduce six occasions.'” — restricted free agent linebacker Christian Elliss, reflecting on the two-year, $13.5 million deal that the Patriots matched from the Raiders and what it represented in his profession journey together with stops with Minnesota, San Francisco, Philadelphia and New England
7. Ashby intel: The Patriots made Vanderbilt’s Julian Ashby the primary NFL long-snapper drafted since 2021 once they chosen him within the seventh spherical (No. 251), and sources conversant in the matter stated Ashby had non-public exercises with 9 groups earlier than the draft, together with one with the Patriots in Nashville that Vrabel was a part of alongside one other scout and particular groups coordinator Jeremy Springer.
Ashby additionally had a predraft go to with the Bears in Chicago. So as an alternative of getting to compete with different groups to signal Ashby as an undrafted free agent, the Patriots moved forward with drafting him.
With the releases of LS Joe Cardona and C David Andrews, and Deatrich Sensible Jr. and Jonathan Jones departing as free brokers, the 4 longest tenured Patriots are now not with the group.
New longest tenured gamers: S Kyle Dugger, OLB Anfernee Jennings, OL Mike Onwenu … from 2020. pic.twitter.com/YdwlYC0NXK
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) April 30, 2025
8. Cardona’s goodbye: When long-snapper Joe Cardona was launched early final week after 10 years with the Patriots, he made the rounds inside Gillette Stadium to say goodbye to varied group staff with whom he’d developed a connection over the previous decade. A part of that included Cardona, who was choking up at occasions, becoming a member of a gathering of the Patriots’ content material group to say thanks.
“In my 30 years right here, we have by no means had a [released] participant come up and do this,” Fred Kirsch, writer and VP of content material, stated on the “Patriots Unfiltered” present.
9. Patriots unite: It stated one thing in regards to the influence late tight finish Don Hasselbeck had on Patriots gamers from all eras that his memorial providers late final month included the presence of former teammates equivalent to quarterback Steve Grogan, guard John Hannah, receiver Stanley Morgan and middle Pete Brock, to more moderen gamers equivalent to Matt Cassel, Matthew Slater and Nate Solder. The displaying touched the Hasselbeck household, particularly contemplating providers had been held in Nashville.
10. Do you know? Since 2000, the Patriots have chosen two gamers from the identical faculty within the draft 17 occasions — most lately this 12 months with LSU offensive sort out Campbell (first spherical) and edge rusher Bradyn Swinson (fifth spherical).
