Dallas Clark reportedly visited with the Patriots on Tuesday. (AP photo)

The Patriots had tight end Dallas Clark visit Foxboro on Tuesday, according to Shalise Manza-Young of the Boston Globe. Clark, who will turn 33 next month, has impeccable credentials — the former All-Pro has 427 catches in nine years in the NFL, including a whopping 100 in 2009. As the old core continues to be dismantled in Indy, it appears that the free agent will be the next to officially leave the Colts.

Despite Clark’s resume, on the surface, it appears to be a puzzling move — New England has two premiere young tight ends in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, and they added a veteran in Daniel Fells over the course of the offseason. But one thing worth noting is that the 6-foot-3, 252-pounder is represented by agent Neil Cornrich, who has worked very closely with Belichick in the past. How closely? Cornrich has worked as Belichick’s lawyer in the past, and has steered some relatively under-the-radar players in Belichick’s direction before, including Stephen Neal (after the former college wrestling champion was looking for a place to play professional football) and Mike Vrabel, who was working as a backup linebacker in Pittsburgh before he signed with the Patriots prior to the 2001 season.

Whether it’s Belichick doing a favor for a friend or genuine interest on the part of New England, it’s not a big surprise that the Patriots would at least bring him to kick the tires and see what he has left. If he can still play and the money is right, New England would find a spot for him. The Patriots have added wide receivers at a dizzying pace this offseason — why not an extra tight end or two? After all, Clark passes what we call the Rosevelt Colvin test: Belichick has raved about him over the years, often unprovoked. Check out this quote from Belichick on Clark from 2009:

“He’s a terrific player, very hard to defend,” Belichick said of Clark. “He pretty much can do everything that you would ask a tight end to do. He’s a great vertical receiver. He can get open on the short and intermediate routes. He’s a good possession receiver on third down and in the red area. He’s good after the catch. He does a good job blocking.”

Jake Bequette was drafted in the third round by the Patriots. (AP)

There are some overriding themes in how the Patriots attacked the 2012 draft, but above all, it appears that many of the guys they went after are versatile, maybe none more so than third-round pick Jake Bequette, a defensive end/linebacker out of Arkansas.

Bequette has played all along the defensive line as a collegian, but really made his bones on the outside. With the Razorbacks, he played predominantly defensive end in a 4-3 scheme, but he also got some extended work standing out as an outside linebacker at the Senior Bowl and the combine, and that positional versatility will likely be tested this weekend at New England’s rookie minicamp.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said shortly after New England made the pick that the 6-foot-4 1/2-inch, 274-pound Bequette (pronounced BECK-ett) might be able to play either defensive end or linebacker in the Patriots’ system.

“Jake was a very productive guy in the SEC as a defensive end in [the Arkansas] system,” Belichick said of the 23-year-old. “[He] did some linebacker stuff at the Combine and the all-star games, but he’s primarily been a productive pass rusher for Arkansas over his four years in a good conference.”

Bequette has some impressive numbers. Not considered an elite athlete, the four-year starter was a first-team All-SEC selection last season after totaling 28 tackles, an SEC-best 10 sacks — the sixth-highest single-season total in school history — and five forced fumbles despite missing three games to a hamstring injury.

He finished his collegiate career with 22 sacks (third in school history) and 13th with 31 1/2 tackles for loss. Overall, he notched 140 tackles, 24 quarterback hurries, eight forced fumbles, seven pass break-ups and three fumble recoveries in four years.
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New England's first-round picks Chandler Jones, left, and Dont'a Hightower. (AP)

Here’s a look at who will be representing each one of New England’s seven draft picks at the negotiating table:

First round
Chandler Jones: The former Syracuse defensive end is repped by the agency of Lock, Metz, Malinovic and Panos, a group that had 13 athletes selected in the NFL draft, including three in the first round. Part of their team is former NFL offensive lineman Joe Panos, a veteran who some Patriots fans might remember as being in training camp in 2001 for a few days before ultimately deciding to retire.

Dont’a Hightower: Hightower, taken with the 25th overall pick, is represented by Pat Dye, Jr., of SportsTrust Advisors. SportsTrust had 10 clients selected in the draft, according to Darren Heitner of the Sports Agent Blog, but the Alabama linebacker was their only first-round pick.

Second round
Tavon Wilson: The Illinois defensive back lists Integrated Sports Management as his agency. ISM has repped a few former Patriots, including Shun White and Kyle Eckel.

Third round
Jake Bequette: The defensive lineman out of Arkansas is represented by Athletes First, a group that had 13 clients taken in the NFL draft, including four in the first round. Athletes First is an extremely well-known agency around New England, as they represent several current Patriots, including Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez, Nate Solder, Shane Vereen, Zoltan Mesko, Ryan Mallett and Brian Waters.

Sixth round
Nate Ebner: As of right now, Ebner’s representation is not known. Ebner is a defensive back and former rugby star out of Ohio State.

Seventh round
Alfonzo Dennard: The cornerback out of Nebraska is also repped by Athletes First. If Waters does return and both Dennard and Bequette stick, that would make 10 players from Athletes First on the New England roster, far and away the largest number for any agency.

Jeremy Ebert: Ebert, a wide receiver from Northwestern, lists Priority Sports as his representation, a group that had 13 players taken in the draft this month, according to Heitner.

Daniel Fells has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Patriots. (AP)

On the surface, the idea of the Patriots adding another tight end after the phenomenal seasons of both Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez seems odd. But the Patriots have traditionally carried either at least two tight ends and a fullback on their roster or a third tight end who is primarily a blocker, and that will be the role that Daniel Fells will play in New England.

Fells, who reportedly reached an agreement with the Patriots (per the Boston Globe) is a 28-year-old undrafted free agent out of Cal-Davis. The 6-foot-4, 252-pounder played five seasons in the league — three with St. Louis, one with Atlanta and one with Denver. Last season with the Broncos, he had 19 catches for 256 yards and three touchdowns, a year after a 41-catch effort with the Rams.

Don’t expect him to be catching many passes in New England, as he will be used as a blocker, which will likely create two shifts in personnel away from the 2011 team: one, this will serious cut into the playing time of fullback Lousaka Polite, and two, on several instances last season the Patriots utilized Nate Solder (or another tackle) as an extra tight end in heavy sets. Expect Fells to step into those roles going forward.

Brandon Lloyd (AP)

The addition of wide receiver Brandon Lloyd helps the Patriots’ passing game on a number of levels: it provides quarterback Tom Brady with another option outside the numbers, the receiving corps gets slightly younger, and it gives the New England offense something it has been missing since Jabar Gaffney left following the 2008 season — another pass catcher who is not a tight end who can be counted on for 50 or so receptions a season.

The 30-year-old Lloyd, who has averaged 74 catches a season the last two years, has been connected to the Patriots throughout the free agent process for several reasons, not the least of which included his well-known fondness for Josh McDaniels, the New England offensive coordinator who had worked with Lloyd in Denver and St. Louis.

McDaniels helped turn Lloyd the 6-foot, 188-pound receiver from a statistical JAG who never topped 30 receptions over the first seven seasons of his career into a stud who has averaged 74 catches a season the last two years. In all, with McDaniels as the St. Louis offensive coordinator, Lloyd had 51 catches for 683 yards and five touchdowns last year in 11 games with the Rams. That’s on the heels of 77 catches for 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2010 with Denver, a portion of which happened in McDaniels’ final season as head coach of the Broncos. (McDaniels coached 12 games that year in Denver.)

It’s not just as a deep threat — Lloyd represents a serious upgrade across the board for the New England passing game. Per the chart that was whipped up by Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus (left), Lloyd’s numbers in both the intermediate and deep routes the last two seasons are impressive, and will provide a serious boost to the Patriots’ offense.

Last season, the Patriots ran lots of sets with two tight ends and two receivers, and so with Lloyd in the fold, it will be interesting to see how the Patriots approach negotiations with veteran free agent wide receiver Deion Branch, another outside option. In addition, veteran Chad Ochocinco is another wideout who faces an uncertain future now that Lloyd is on the roster.

Regardless of what other personnel moves the club makes going forward, Lloyd projects as one of two outside receivers for the Patriots in 2012, and his ability as a deep threat will only serve to help fellow receivers Branch (if he does return) and Wes Welker (and if he is healthy, newcomer Anthony Gonzalez). Tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez also figure to benefit on short and intermediate routes when it comes to the inclusion of Lloyd.

Deonte Thompson catches passes at Tuesday's Pro Day. (AP)

In the midst of all the free agency whirlwind, it’s easy to forget that it’s only one part of the team-building experience — the big colleges continue to showcase prospects at their Pro Days. And at Tuesday’s Pro Scout Day at the University of Florida, reps from the Patriots reportedly had their eye on ex-Gator wideout Deonte Thompson.

This story in the Palm Beach Post details Thompson’s Pro Day, including the fact that his 40 was between a 4.23 and 4.33, as well as the news that the receiver was later flagged down by a Patriots’ scout who was apparently trying to set up a meeting.

At Florida, the 6-foot, 200-pound Thompson caught 101 passes for 1,446 yards and nine touchdowns. After a 38-catch season as a junior, he slipped to 21 receptions for 264 yards and one touchdown as a senior.

Quarterback John Brantley, running back Chris Rainey and defensive tackle Jaye Howard were among those who joined Thompson at the workout. (In addition, cornerback Janoris Jenkins also made an appearance after being kicked off the team following his second marijuana-related arrest. Jenkins finished his college career at North Alabama.) The workout drew NFL scouts from 24 teams and one head coach, Jacksonville’s Mike Mularkey.

In the past, the Patriots have drafted more than their share of Gators, including Brandon Spikes, Jermaine Cunningham, Chad Jackson and Aaron Hernandez.

Wes Welker got the franchise tag from the Patriots. (AP)

A decade or so ago, when the Patriots hit a guy with the franchise tag, it was usually the first step in the eventual dissolution of the relationship — like one person telling the other: “We have to talk.” Tebucky Jones, Adam Vinatieri (the second time around), Asante Samuel and Matt Cassel all weren’t around Foxboro soon after they were hit with the franchise tag. In the case of Vinatieri and Samuel, they eventual left via free agency, or as a trade chip like Jones and Cassel.

But when the last two players — Vince Wilfork (in 2010) and Logan Mankins (in 2011) — were hit with the franchise tag, it was seen as part of the negotiation process. Neither individual was particularly happy about it, but it was done as a way of extending the negotiating window between the player and the team. And in both cases, despite some early acrimony, both players ended up signing big new deals with the Patriots.

When it comes to Welker, early indications are that his situation is a lot closer to the latter than the former. The wide receiver, who is expected to receive a roughly $9.4 million contract as the result of the tag (the league has yet to officially announce the tag numbers), has a very good working relationship with the franchise since he signed a five-year, $18 million deal prior to the start of the 2007 season. That was reflected in the overall optimistic tone of the statement issued by the franchise shortly after the news became official: “Wes Welker is a remarkable football player for our team and has been a vital component to our offense and special teams since we traded for him in 2007. Utilizing the franchise designation allows both sides more time to try to reach an agreement, which is the goal. Wes remains a contractual priority and we are hopeful that he will remain a Patriot for years to come.”

When it comes to Welker, despite the fact that he’s been wildly underpaid when compared to his output against other receivers (no one has caught more passes over the last five seasons), he has never publicly feuded with management. In addition, his representation (Athletes First) has had a very good working relationship with the Patriots: This was the agency that helped make Drew Bledsoe the richest player in the history of the league with a 2001 contract. They also represent several current members of the roster, including tight end Aaron Hernandez, running back Shane Vereen, offensive lineman Nate Solder and punter Zoltan Mesko.

So if/when Welker and the team can reach a long-term deal, what sort of numbers are we talking about? Reports indicate that the two sides have been working together to find some common ground for some time — a Boston Globe report says the Patriots offered Welker a two-year, fully-guaranteed contract for $16 million during the 2011 season, which was declined. Now, if the team did decide to franchise him for back-to-back seasons, he would get the equivalent of a two-year deal worth roughly $20 million.

Ultimately, early indications certainly appear that a four-year deal worth $8 million to $9.5 million annually would be about right, especially when you consider the market and Welker’s production. One analyst offered this as a model, which seems to make a lot of sense.