The Patriots will hold a retirement press conference for former center David Andrews on Monday at 3:30 p.m., the team announced Wednesday.

Andrews, 32, was released by the Patriots in March after 10 seasons with the organization. He signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia in 2015 and went on to start 121 of 124 games played including Week 1 of his rookie season.

The 6-foot-2, 300-pound offensive lineman started three Super Bowls with the Patriots, winning two during the 2016 and 2018 seasons. Andrews’ Super Bowl LI win came against his hometown Falcons. His next championship, Super Bowl LIII, came in his hometown of Atlanta.

Andrews missed the 2019 season with blood clots but returned for the 2020 season. He was placed on injured reserve four games into the 2024 season and missed the rest of the season.

The eight-time captain and fan favorite was still weighing his future options as recently as April. He spent time at the University of North Carolina, assisting his former head coach, Bill Belichick, with their football program this spring.

The Patriots signed Garrett Bradbury in free agency and selected Jared Wilson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Georgia to replace Andrews. The team also has Ben Brown, Cole Strange and Wes Schweitzer as options at center.

Vrabel reacts to Diggs video

Before the Patriots took the field for their second open spring practice, head coach Mike Vrabel was asked for his reaction to a viral video involving star wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

The video, which surfaced on social media earlier in the week, appeared to show Diggs sharing a clear plastic bag containing an unknown substance with several bikini-clad women on a boat.

“It’s something that we’re aware of,” Vrabel said Wednesday. “Obviously, we want to make great decisions on and off the field. We’re hoping that with our time here on the field today, that when we don’t have a script and we’re on the call periods, that we’re making great decisions. The message will be the same for all our players, that we’re trying to make great decisions. Any conversations that I’ve had with Stefon will remain between him, I and the club.”

Asked whether he expected Diggs, who is recovering from a torn ACL, to practice Wednesday, Vrabel replied: “Not if he’s not here.” Pressed about whether the wideout was present, Vrabel added: “You guys will find out in a minute. But no.”

Diggs also did not participate in the Patriots’ first organized team activities practice that was open to reporters last Tuesday, but he did take the field later last week, according to photos shared by the team. All OTAs are voluntary for players.

“Everything that we’re going to do is we’re going to coach the guys that show up at 8 a.m.,” Vrabel said. “The ones that say, ‘Hey, I’ve got a situation, we’ll be here at 8:05 a.m.,’ we’ll coach those, as well. This is a voluntary part of our offseason program. Every player that’s not here, which there aren’t many, have been in communication with me and their position coaches.”

Asked whether he’s spoken to Diggs since the video surfaced, Vrabel said he talks to his players “every single day, the ones that are here and the ones that aren’t.”

“The timelines and the prognosis (of Diggs’ recovery) and everything, we’re working hard to get him back and to be ready to go,” Vrabel said. “When he’s here, we’ll coach him and we’ll have him ready to go.”

Diggs was the top offseason addition to a retooled New England receiving corps. Before a knee injury cut short his lone season with the Houston Texans last October, he recorded six consecutive 1,000-yard receiving campaigns for the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills, making the Pro Bowl in four of those. The 31-year-old caught 47 passes on 64 targets for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games with Houston in 2024.

“He’s going to bring that dawg,” third-year slot receiver DeMario Douglas said last week. “He’s probably the one who brings out that attitude in the (receiver) room. We’ve got a lot of quiet right now in the room, but I feel like he’s going to bring that dawg out.”

Boutte on roster battle

More than two dozen Patriots players were jettisoned from New England’s roster this offseason. Kayshon Boutte knows he could have been one of them.

The third-year wide receiver on Wednesday said he was aware his name appeared in trade rumors during the leadup to the 2025 NFL Draft.

“I mean, I heard about it, but I tried not to really put too much time into that,” Boutte said. “It was just a lot of people just sitting behind phones, typing. It’s got nothing really to do with me.”

After playing sparingly as a sixth-round rookie in 2023, Boutte became a full-time starter last season, finishing with 43 catches for 589 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games. His yardage total ranked third among Patriots pass-catchers behind tight end Hunter Henry and Douglas.

“Once you’ve been on the field, you get momentum, more confidence,” Boutte said. “It’s just getting a feel for how everything goes, you know? That’s just as much motivation as I need for next season. I made a couple plays last year, but it’s always the goal to make more plays the next year and the next year.”

New England’s 2024 receiving corps was arguably the NFL’s worst, however, and the LSU product is not guaranteed a roster spot following the offseason additions of Diggs, Mack Hollins and third-round draft pick Kyle Williams. Douglas, veteran Kendrick Bourne and underwhelming 2024 draftees Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker also return, with small-school standout Efton Chism III headlining the team’s crop of undrafted rookies.

“We’ve got a lot of (receivers) — 12 guys,” Boutte said. “At the end of the day, it’ll probably be six of us, if we’re being honest. So every day’s another opportunity to get better and be great. We all know we’re in competition, but it’s up to us at the end of the day.”

Still a young player at 23, Boutte is looking to use these practices to strengthen his connection with quarterback Drake Maye.

“(Last season, I had) 589 yards, three touchdowns. Everybody’s got goals on being 1,000-yard receivers and stuff like that, but it starts with days like this,” he said. “Just working with the team, getting on the same path as Drake. As long as we’re on the same page, everything else will take care of itself.”

Vrabel suggested Boutte’s conditioning will be an important factor in his bid for a roster spot.

“I think that he’s gotten in better shape as we started to go on to the OTAs, and I think that’s really started to help him as we stack plays together,” the head coach said. “In the game, you don’t just take a play on and just come off and then go back and forth. Hopefully, you can string together four or five plays as we work down the football field. So, I think that he’s working to do that. I like his attitude. I enjoy his willingness to continue to improve and maybe do some things a little differently.”

Extra points

Safety Jabrill Peppers, who was acquitted of assault charges in January, said he’s “just happy it’s over with and I get back to doing what I love to do.” Peppers’ legal saga caused him to miss eight straight games in the middle of last season. “It was a learning experience,” he said. “I learned a lot from it.” … The Patriots’ next practice in front of reporters is scheduled for next Monday.