Patriots wide receiver Javon Baker.(Nick O’Malley, MassLive)

It looks like Eliot Wolf didn’t cut out early on Memorial Day weekend.

On Friday afternoon, the Patriots announced that they’d agreed to terms with Javon Baker, their fourth-round wide receiver from Central Florida. With Baker signing his deal, Wolf and company now have half of of New England’s 2024 Draft class under contract. Two weeks ago, the team signed cornerback Marcellas Dial, quarterback Joe Milton III and tight end Jaheim Bell.

That leaves wideout Ja’Lynn Polk, tackle Caedan Wallace, guard Layden Robinson, and of course, quarterback Drake Maye still on the to-do list. It wouldn’t be surprising if Robinson — another fourth rounder — was the next to sign, as it appears Wolf has worked from the late rounds forward to start this process.

Suffice to say, Baker’s Patriots tenure has gotten off to an entertaining start. In his introductory press conference, the rookie wideout said “I make people in wheelchairs stand up,” and he’s since claimed there aren’t 10 receivers better than him in an Instagram video. Now that he’s talked the talk, coach Jerod Mayo wants to see him walk the walk.

“Honestly, like for me, I want these guys to have a personality, I want them to feel free to talk about certain things,” Mayo said. “Look, we’ll have rules of what to talk about. But now, once he puts it out there, he has to show it every day out here on the football field. If not, he’s just a talker and you start to lose the respect of the locker room and things like that. So, he said it, he put that out there, and now you have to show us.”

Former Eagles Center Jason Kelce Intensely Defends Tom Brady on ‘Deflategate’

Getty ImagesJason Kelce

There is no doubt that New England Patriots fans have had enough of the conversation surrounding “Deflategate.” Still, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce’s recent comments might offer a refreshing perspective. During a discussion on the “New Heights” podcast hosted by Jason and his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, the proposed rule changes in the NFL came up.

In a candid moment, Jason Kelce confessed to using any tactic, ethical or not, to gain an edge on the field and questioned how much the rules on air in a football help. To emphasize his point, he referenced Tom Brady and the infamous Deflategate scandal, highlighting the lengths players will go to secure even the slightest advantage. Kelce said he doesn’t believe Brady should have been suspended at all.

“I don’t even think Tom should have gotten in trouble for deflating footballs,” Kelce told his brother. “I’m pro deflating footballs. I’ll say it. I’ll say it. I am pro-deflating footballs. … He outsmarted people. Why the (expletive) does it matter how much air is in that (expletive)? If you’re throwing it and catching it, who the (expletive) cares? We’re all mad because he had the common sense to (expletive) take a little air out so the receivers could catch the (expletive) thing. Why is that against the rules? Y’all could have taken the air out, too. You guys could have taken the air out, too. You just weren’t smart enough. So why am I getting penalized because you’re (expletive) dummies? It’s a rule, but it’s a stupid rule, though. … You’re taking away intelligence.’

Deflategate Was a Disaster for the NFL

Deflategate accused the New England Patriots of using an illegal method to deflate footballs to a level preferred by quarterback Tom Brady, who favored the grip of softer balls. The controversy erupted during an unprecedented inflation check by the NFL at halftime of the 2014 AFC Championship Game, where the Patriots decisively defeated the Indianapolis Colts 45-7. The league then embarked on an extensive and costly two-year investigation, spending over $22 million to scrutinize, prosecute, and penalize Brady and the Patriots organization.

Ultimately, Deflategate was a minor rules infraction that played no role in the Patriots’ subsequent victory in Super Bowl XLIX. At its worst, it could be viewed as a bit of a witch hunt targeting one of the NFL’s most successful franchises and a future Hall of Fame quarterback. This protracted saga, marked by its clumsiness and forgettable nature, underscored the NFL’s disciplinary standard, which requires only that an event be “more probable than not” to have occurred. Brady eventually served a four-game suspension based on the NFL’s conclusion that he was “generally aware” of the scheme.

Brady Pokes Fun at ‘Deflategate’ During Roast

The Tom Brady roast was rife with jokes targeting the low-hanging fruit of his illustrious career, and ‘Deflategate’ was a prime target. As the event drew to a close, Brady himself couldn’t resist making light of his punishment for the scandal involving the deflation of footballs. His quip about the infamous incident served as a humorous nod to one of the most controversial chapters in his storied career.

“The NFL spent $20 million and found it was ‘more probable than not’ that I was ‘generally aware’ that someone may have deflated my footballs,” Brady said. “You could have just given me the $20 million, and I would just tell you I “expletive” did it.”

Some clueless viewers and publications took the joke as Brady admitting to “deflategate.” Perhaps they are unfamiliar with the concept of roasts and jokes. Brady was implying that if the NFL was going to spend $20 million trying to prove that he did it, he would have gladly accepted the $20 million and just said he did it, even if they were suspending him for four games either way. It was a joke.