Patriots links 2/25/26: Develop Will Campbell, bring in OL competition

TEAM TALK

• Mike Dussault recaps Eliot Wolf discussing the offseason at the Combine.
• Patriots updated Mock Draft Tracker.
• Transcript:Eliot Wolf (Plus 16 min. video)
• Patriots Draft Countdown:Combine Day 1. Matt Smith and Evan Lazar talk with Eliot Wolf, Dane Brugler & Jordan Reid. (39 min. video)
• Patriots Unfiltered:NFL Combine: Day 1, prospects/positions to watch, team news/updates. (2 hrs)

LOCAL LINKS

• Doug Kyed tells us 12 things we learned from Eliot Wolf about the Pats’ upcoming offseason. 1. How the team will approach free agency.
• Alex Barth highlights Eliot Wolf breaking down what kinds of players the Patriots are looking for at different positions of need.
• Doug Kyed gives us 5 takeaways from Eliot Wolf’s press conference: 1. Will Campbell didn’t look the same after injury.
• Karen Guregian makes the case that even if the Pats deny the report of their interest in acquiring a left tackle, there’s no harm in shopping.
• Conor Ryan wonders if LT Trent Williams could suddenly emerge as a free-agent target for the Patriots.
• Keagan Stiefel profiles OL Thayer Munford Jr. as one of his club’s most fascinating internal free agents. Here’s why he should – and should not – be re-signed in 2026.
• Mike Reiss reports that sources close to Will Campbell say he isn’t expected to require surgery for the knee — it is more a matter of building strength back up — and is in position to be a full participant in the team’s voluntary offseason program that begins in mid-April. /No surgery is good news.
• Ian Logue’s Patriots Notebook: Wolf calls report from Jason LaCanfora, who speculated that the Patriots are among the teams eyeing Packers free agent LT Rasheed Walker “not true,” confirms major need at OLB.
• Graham Wilker points ous this year’s linebacker class may not be up to par compared to previous seasons.
• Sara Marshall suggests Stefon Diggs’ future with Patriots may be more in doubt after Eliot Wolf’s comments yesterday. /Maybe, maybe not. Deals are far apart until they’re not, or until parties move on.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Mia Fowler (NFL.com) NFL Scouting Combine: Dates, times, how to watch and more. Coverage begins  at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26 and lasts until 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 1.
• Gilberto Manzano (SI) NFL Combine Sights and Sounds Day 1: Wind chill, the Stompers app and a skincare suggestion; Plus, what Ben Johnson said about Chicago’s QB room and more from Indianapolis.
• Tyler Sullivan (CBS Sports) NFL Combine: Key takeaways, player news, what head coaches and GMs said.
• Albert Breer (SI) Players to watch at the NFL Combine include only one QB.
• Ryan Wilson (CBS Sports) Prospects who could boost their draft stock at the 2026 NFL combine: Some names you know, some you soon will.
• Gregg Rosenthal (NFL.com) Top 101 NFL free agents of 2026: Who are the best players available?
• Diante Lee (The Ringer) Power rankings. Patriots 5th: Drake Maye could become a perennial contender for MVP going forward but New England’s roster isn’t close to complete on either side of the ball…
• John Breech (CBS Sports) NFL schedule rumors: Tracking all international games that’ve been revealed.
• Eva Geitheim (SI) NFL mulling centralizing some officiating functions in New York amid CBA negotiations: Will New York gain more control over NFL officiating?
• The McShay Show (The Ringer) Combine coverage Day One: Intel and evaluating who is primed to shine in Indy. Plus, Patriots EVP Eliot Wolf.
• Bucky Brooks (NFL.com) 2026 NFL mock draft 2.0. Pats pick Georgia OT Monroe Freeling at 31.
• Charles Robinson (Yahoo! Sports) What could an A.J. Brown trade look like? A second-rounder could be achievable for the Eagles, but it may take patience.