Daily news and links for Monday.

Another Conference Championship weekend is in the books (Oh, Detroit…). Only Super Bowl LVIII remains of the 2023-24 season. As we’re all too keenly aware, it’s also another playoff run without the Patriots. It’s been five years since New England won the championship, culminating a straight run of three Super Bowl appearances in a row and winning it twice. But reaching that rare peak came at a price.

The piper is now being paid. The key architects of the two dynasties are gone and the rebuild without them is in full construction mode. The coaching search has expanded, but yet to be fully fleshed out. In the meantime, in-house free agents will be left in limbo for a little while longer — The legal tampering period ahead of free agency begins [wink-wink] Monday, March 11th at midnight.

In the rubble of the lost season, a handful of players proved themselves worthy for Jerod Mayo and the collaborative to build the new team around. Linebacker Josh Uche is one of them. Unlike some ridiculous storylines parading through social media lately, these are the fun kind of debates to have while we wait.

TEAM TALK

• Mike Dussault talks about the report that the Patriots are staying in-house, naming DeMarcus Covington as the next Defensive Coordinator.
• Evan Lazar analyzes the top Patriots-related storylines at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama this week.
• Throwback Highlights: Patriots 2003 AFC Championship win over Colts. (1.20 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Mike Reiss shares some quick-hit weekend thoughts: What would the Patriots get if they draft QB Drake Maye at No. 3? Coaching follow-ups; Belichick’s motivation; Mayo leftovers; More.
• Andy Hart’s Sunday 7: Better late than never for Nick Caley? More.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Sunday Patriots News: Which free agents should return?
• Mark Daniels goes inside the fall of Mac Jones: How a once-promising Patriots QB unraveled.
• Nick Faria (Patriots Country) 5 Cornerstone Patriots for new coach Jerod Mayo.
• Geoff Magliocchetti (Patriots Country) Patriots Priority: Free agent Michael Onwenu is perhaps the most valuable of New England’s plethora of free agents.
• Karen Guregian suggests that along with drafting one of the top QB prospects, the Patriots need to add an experienced veteran to the QB room.
• Taylor Kyles’ Patriots Coach Tracker: Tracking all Patriots-centric coaching news.
• Andrew Callahan reports the Patriots offensive coordinator search expands to nine candidates.
• Mike D’Abate sees the Patriots looking to the future, while prudently embracing the past, by positioning Nick Caley atop their list of offensive coordinator candidates.
• Phil Perry breaks down what to expect if New England hires an OC from the Sean McVay coaching tree. Is it time to ‘modernize’ the offense?
• Chris Mason talks about the Patriots interviewing 49ers TE coach Brian Fleury for the team’s OC position, noting his Ernie-Adams-style title in Miami and fascinating resume.
• Conor Roche tells us 5 things to know about DeMarcus Covington who will be the Patriots’ first defensive coordinator since 2017.
• Scott Zolak gives us his list of the top 5 memorable Patriots AFC Championship games.
• Dakota Randall NFL Rumors: Malik Cunningham is struggling, apparently dealing with the same issues in Baltimore that he dealt with in New England. /You spelled “Harbaugh failed to develop him” wrong.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Staff (ESPN) 49ers-Chiefs: Super Bowl LVIII predictions, picks, odds.
• Gilberto Manzano (SI) Championship Week winners and losers: 49ers have unfinished business against Chiefs.
• Jason Reid (Andscape) Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is back in the Super Bowl and can’t ever be counted out.
• Bryan DeArdo (CBS Sports) Chiefs make Super Bowl LVIII: Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and Kansas City all make history after beating Ravens.
• Martenzie Johnson (Andscape) For Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, there are no more excuses; Until Jackson plays better in critical games, the Ravens will continue to fall short.
• Nick Shook (NFL.com) What we learned from 49ers’ win over Lions in NFC Championship game.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Dan Campbell: “I understand the scrutiny I’ll get” for fourth-down decisions.
• John Breech reports the NFL was forced to briefly pause the AFC championship game because officials had spotted a drone in the area.
• Charean Williams (ProFootballTalk) Reports: Patriots assistant special teams coach Joe Houston leaves for Florida.
• Albert Breer (NFL.com) Coaching notebook: Examining Seahawks’, Commanders’ HC vacancies; popular coordinator candidates.
• Matt Verderame (SI) The NFL’s 50 most influential teams: More than 2,300 teams have competed in the 104-year history of professional football, yielding a list filled with dynasties, upstarts, history-makers and innovators. Counting down from 50-41.
• Jimmy Traina (SI) This is the end of Kevin Burkhardt–Greg Olsen … or Is It?
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Men charged with assault, battery prior to fan’s death at Dolphins-Patriots game plead not guilty.

BELICHICK

• Jerry Thornton continues his Belichick’s Greatest Hits series: No. 15 Mona Lisa Vito – No. 14 Doug Flutie’s dropkick.
• Conor Roche relays Mike Reiss on how Belichick is reportedly handling the search for his next job. “Those familiar with Belichick’s thinking relay that he believes having no job is a better result than a job that wasn’t the right fit.”
• Jonathan Jones (CBS Sports) Bill Belichick’s next coaching job? No team wants to give him full control now, but don’t count out 2025. However, several sources expect Belichick to take a job on television in 2024.
• Jordy McElroy (PatriotsWire) 3 most likely paths for Bill Belichick, if he doesn’t coach in 2024.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Apparently shut out for 2024, will Bill Belichick find a seat in 2025?