I found out earlier today that there is a league rule preventing teams from hosting fan events in competing markets—meaning the Raiders and Saints wouldn’t be able to open practices to fans (the Cowboys are grandfathered in).

We’ll see what they negotiate with the LA teams.

As far as the structure goes, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo and the new EVP of player personnel will both report to ownership. The EVP of player personnel is expected to final say on the 53, as well as oversight on the cap, analytics, etc.

(A very different structure than before.)

I updated this ... brain fart.

It's EVP of Player Personnel (I said football ops).

The Patriots completed interviews with ex-Carolina cap chief Samir Suleiman and Eagles exec Brandon Hunt today. Also, they did register the job title with the league office (Eliot Wolf remains a strong candidate).

That title: Executive Vice President of Player Personnel.

Fwiw: This screenshot is from Bob McGinn's draft series at Go Long a year ago. golongtd.com/p/part-1-wrte-…

🎯🎯🎯

(In my experience people in the media decrying these reports are often the ones who don’t have access to this kind of information. The information, though, is usually commonly known among teams and—while there are exceptions—almost always accurate.)

I gotta step in on this argument—The Antonio Gates point being made is dumb. He was an elite HS football recruit. Went to Michigan State to play both. Nick Saban told him he couldn't. So he transferred to Kent State to hoop.

Always was considered more suited for football.

This makes sense business- AND football-wise. Getting out of the Vegas heat will be great for players. And the Raiders have a massive fan base in LA—and that facility is set up to host crowds.

So now, the Raiders, Saints, Cowboys, Rams and Chargers will camp in/near LA.

I graduated in the summer, and don’t remember who spoke at my commencement. But if I’d graduated that spring, I’d have had the sitting president of the United States during the war with Afghanistan as my speaker.

This is not that.

Officially official ✍️

The Patriots are holding interviews with Eagles exec Brandon Hunt and ex-Panthers exec Samir Suleiman off-site in Boston, rather than at Gillette Stadium. One twist to all this: Hunt and Suleiman worked together in the Steelers personnel department from 2013-19.

The Patriots’ post–Bill Belichick front office is finally taking shape, Albert Breer writes si.com/nfl/2024/05/07…

The Patriots are interviewing Eagles director of scouting Brandon Hunt for their primary football executive position tomorrow in Foxboro, per sources. It’s the first known external interview New England has conducted for the job.

Taking ANY and ALL questions for the 5.8 Mailbag NOW …

And for what it's worth, sources at the league office have indicated to me that the Patriots haven't yet satisfied the Rooney Rule, which requires two in-person interviews with external candidates for the job.

The Patriots reached out to interview Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray for their primary football executive position, per sources, and Gray politely turned them down.

Eliot Wolf's the expected hire, but New England still has to satisfy NFL rules on interviews.

Really interesting tidbit—Joe Burrow said he couldn't find another QB who had the wrist injury he did. He talked with offensive and defensive linemen and linebackers that had it, but emphasized that those guys don't need the mobility in the wrist that he does.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow on his recovery from wrist surgery, and where he's at heading into spring work: 'The wrist has good days and bad days, just like the knee did ... We'll be smart about it.'

Says when it feels good, he'll throw.