Patriots links 6/18/26: Can Will Campbell step up in Year 2?

TEAM TALK

• Patriots Unfiltered: Minicamp leftovers, team/league buzz, offseason topics. (2 hours)
• Patriots Catch-22: 3 up/down from mandatory minicamp, around the AFC East. (2 hours)

LOCAL LINKS

• Sara Marshall emphasizes that the challenges Josh McDaniels has incorporated into Drake Maye’s training to make him an even bigger threat at QB in Year 3.
• Evan Cormier relays Michael Felger laying out how the great “Drake Maye contract guilt trip” has begun.
• Ethan Hurwitz tells us everything Patriots teammates said about Drake Maye at minicamp.
• Ethan Hurwitz’ Patriots 2026 TE Preview: Hunter Henry can build off career year.
• Sara Marshall explains how top free agent signing Kevin Byard III is already playing like a franchise great.
• Dakota Randall finds the Patriots are expecting big things from second-year edge rusher Elijah Ponder.
• Evan Cormier mentions the Patriots are still ‘managing’ Christian Barmore after 2024 blood clot scare.
• Aaliyan Mohammed notes Gabe Jacas has been working out with former Colts LB amid contract holdout.
• Doug Kyed’s Patriots Mailbag: How long will Gabe Jacas contract situation drag out?
• Jerry Thornton writes how in typical Massachusetts fashion, Foxboro is now trying to shake down Mr. Kraft, and he’ll see them in court.
• Ethan Hurwitz finds eight former Patriots stars have been nominated this year for the College Football Hall of Fame‘s Class of 2027.
• Lucas Mast relays Tom Brady naming his top 5 Tom Brady cards from his career.
• Graham Wilker reports former Pats CB Joejuan Williams is set to begin his coaching career with the Commanders.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (CBS Sports) Nine second-year NFL players under pressure to step up after rough rookie seasons. OT Will Campbell included. /click for commentary.
• Brad Gagnon (Bleacher Report) Every team’s most important 2nd-year player to watch in 2026. Patriots: OT Will Campbell.
• Bradley Locker (PFF) How new WR A.J. Brown can unlock another dimension in New England’s offense.
• Aaron Schatz (ESPN) Final offseason moves for 32 teams: Trades, signings, more. Patriots: Extend Christian Gonzalez.
• Tyler Sullivan (CBS Sports) How good (or bad) can it get? The best- and worst-case scenarios for every NFL team in 2026. Patriots Best-case: Despite a tougher schedule, the Patriots continue to pile up wins in the AFC. Worst-case: The tougher road in 2026 proves New England was a product of its schedule last season and reveals the Patriots are still a couple of steps behind the AFC’s elite teams. /Gross. The schedule all over again. Click for more unimaginative commentary.
• Moe Moton (Bleacher Report) Early bold predictions for the 2026 NFL trade deadline. Raiders trade Edge Maxx Crosby to the Patriots.
• Eric Edholm (NFL.com) NFL teams, players who will redefine the narrative in 2026: Giants, Joe Burrow to flip script. No Pats.
• Albert Breer (SI) NFL Mailbag: How Mike McDaniel can get Justin Herbert in the MVP conversation; Plus, the Eagles’ future with Jalen Carter, the Cowboys’ with CeeDee...