NFL Notes: Season Opener, Giants, Jets

Season Opener

• According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, that the Patriots will “almost certainly” take on the Chiefs in the season opener this year.
• The Patriots are scheduled to play Falcons, but a Super Bowl rematch is considered unlikely after Atlanta complained to the NFL about having a rematch to open the season.
• Volin says that the Falcons are instead likely to open the season at home on “Sunday Night Football” to debut their new stadium.

Giants

• Jordan Raanan writes that the top three offensive linemen in this year’s draft class — Garett Bolles, Ryan Ramczyk, and Cam Robinson — either have or will visit with the Giants before the draft.
• Raanan mentions that most of the players the Giants are interested in taking with their first-round pick are “relatively clean.”
• Based on GM Jerry Reese’s history, the Giants will likely stay put at No. 23 overall, considering that he has never traded down in any round.
• Raanan says that it may not be a guarantee that Alabama TE O.J. Howard ends up being drafted as high as many project, which could leave the Giants as a team to watch.
• According to Raanan, the Giants are “lukewarm” on running backs Alvin Kamara and D’Onta Foreman.
• In regards to veteran DT Jared Odrick, Raanan says it doesn’t appear as though anything serious is going to happen with the Giants right now.
• Raanan could see the Giants targeting a replacement for Johnathan Hankins in either the second or third-round of the draft.

Jets

During a conference call last week, Daniel Jeremiah told reporters that he believes it would be a “big mistake” for the Jets to use their No. 6 overall pick on a quarterback this year for a number of reasons.

“A big mistake,” Jeremiah said. ” Three reasons: Number one, you’re basically admitting you made a big mistake taking a quarterback in the second round last year. You identify a wasted second-round pick last year. You cost yourself an opportunity to get a great player at another position at six this year, and you probably take yourself out of the quarterback market next year. … When you look at what could be available, I think it’s going to be a much better group next year than we have this year.”

• Rich Cimini believes the Jets are hoping for another situation like in 2015 when a solid player falls to them in the draft. Cimini mentions LSU S Jamal Adams, LSU RB Leonard Fournette, and Alabama TE O.J. Howard as three intriguing players.
• Cimini still thinks OSU S Malik Hooker is also in the mix for the Jets and possible UNC QB Mitch Trubisky.