Off The Pike with Brian Barrett NFL Combine Primer With Mike Kadlick. Plus, a Breakout Candidate for the Sox.
Feb 24, 2026
Mike Kadlick, SI Now and CLNS Media NFL analyst, joins to break down the NFL combine and New England’s offseason priorities. They debate edge rusher and receiver fits, Will Campbell’s OL future, protecting Drake Maye, and whether a Maxx Crosby trade makes sense. Short takes on combine prospects and what the Pats must do to avoid a post-Super Bowl stumble.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Suárez Is A Pitch-To-Contact Stopgap Starter
- Ranger Suárez projects as a soft-contact, pitchability starter rather than a high-K arm, and the Sox intentionally signed that profile.
- Suárez generated elite soft contact last year and the team praised his arsenal diversity despite a shaky spring outing.
Red Sox Experimented With Suárez's Arsenal At Spring Training
- Suárez used spring training to expand his usage of rarely thrown pitches, possibly to create more swing-and-miss.
- He mixed four-seamers, changeups, curveballs, sinkers, cutters and increased slider usage relative to 2024 percentages in his start.
Sustained Defensive Investment Prevents Super Bowl Hangover
- To avoid a post-Super Bowl decline like the Bengals, the Patriots must keep investing in defense while building around their QB.
- Additions like Carlton Davis, Milton Williams and rookie Craig Woodson show defensive investment that offsets offensive focus.