New England Patriots links 6/13/25 - Why optimism abounds heading into NFL dead zone

Daily news and links for Friday.

TEAM TALK

• Patriots will officially unveil a statue of Patriots Hall of Fame QB Tom Brady outside of Gillette Stadium on August 8, 2025 before New England’s preseason game vs. the Washington Commanders. (1 min. video)
• Highlights: Top 5 moments from Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame Ceremony. (4 min. video)
• Highlights: Players sign T-Shirt on last day of minicamp as they break before Training Camp kicks off. (1 min. video)
• Patriots Unfiltered: Final minicamp thoughts, looking ahead to Training Camp, offseason talk. (2 hours)

LOCAL LINKS

• Chad Finn is trying to temper his optimism for the 2025 Patriots, but the vast upgrade in coaching competence makes it challenging to heed those pleas for caution.
• Sara Marshall mentions how Mike Vrabel just broke a Jerod Mayo “hands-off” pattern that frustrated Patriots fans.
• Michael DeVito doesn’t expect QB Drake Maye to fall into the sophomore slump trap.
• Doug Kyed reports undrafted free agent standout Efton Chism plans a slot receiver deep dive over the summer.
• Keagan Stiefel lays out why he’s buying stock in DeMario Douglas. New England is reintroducing a familiar offense, and Douglas should be uber-productive playing in it.
• Karen Guregian talks about how Keion White is in a better place with the new coaching staff.
• Jerry Thornton relays Keion White throwing some obvious shade at the Jerod Mayo era in New England, “Now I feel like I have a coach.”
• Danny Jaillet talks about how DT Christian Barmore is doing extra homework, including studying four linemen, in preparation for the 2025 season.
• Jordy McElroy notes Marte Mapu changes position and he is now officially listed as a linebacker for New England.
• Mark Daniels gives us his 10 top takeaways from the Patriots five open practices. ‘As the spring went on, Maye showed less of those bad habits that got him in trouble in the first two weeks. In the final three open practices, the quarterback completed 77% (37-of-48) of his passes with one interception.’
• Jordy McElroy identifies 5 standout players at the Pats’ final minicamp practice.
• Matthew Schmidt spotlights how New England still lacks depth at the cornerback position, particularly when it comes to defending the slot.
• Sara Marshall says Mike Vrabel could join elite company with a successful first season as the Patriots head coach.
• Mike Rosenstein explains why Will Campbell was named by CBS Sports among NFL rookies with the most to prove
• Brian Hines presents his 53-man roster projection to see where he sees the roster, heading into the summer break.
• Graham Wilker puts together a way-too-early Patriots 53-man roster prediction includes surprising cuts.
• Alex Barth takes a look at what role analytics will play in Mike Vrabel’s approach with the Pats.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Patriots to unveil 12-foot Tom Brady statue at Gillette Stadium on August 8.
• Jeffri Chadiha (NFL.com) The First Read: Nine...