Tag Archives: #AFCEast

Bill Makes his Move

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News broke on Monday about a potential blockbuster trade (for the Patriots at least). The trade will send All-Pro and troubled wide receiver Josh Gordon of the Cleveland Browns to the New England Patriots. This just proves that good things come to those who wait. Patriot fans have been clamoring for reinforcements for the pass catching corps since before the start of training camp. The final straw in the Josh Gordon fiasco was drawn when reports that the team felt that he was less than truthful in regards to an injured hamstring he suffered. Cleveland’s GM John Dorsey decided that enough was enough.

A Rocky Beginning

Josh Gordon’s time in the NFL has been fraught with suspensions and substance abuse. Suspensions from the Baylor football team for various marijuana-related offenses led to declaring for the Supplemental Draft in 2012. The Cleveland Browns selected him with a second round bid. He instantly became one of the most talented individuals to ever be selected that high. But great talent comes with great responsibility. As the accolades and NFL receiving records piled up, so did the arrests and suspensions. Then it all came crashing down with a season long punishment in the 2015 season. Gordon had racked up over 2700 yards and 14 touchdowns in less than 3 full seasons of play. The Browns franchise went 16-32 and actually flirted with a .500 record in the 2014 season. Since then they’ve won four games, count them 1 – 2 – 3 – 4.

 

With alternating news of a new drug violation, reinstatements and rehab stints it appeared that a corner had been turned. Was Gordon ready to fulfil his potential and become a dominant force on the field? The news just prior to the 2018 camp was that he was going to miss the beginning weeks due to an ongoing need for addiction recovery therapy. Once he showed up he appeared to be ready to help the Browns make some noise in the rugged AFC North. If he could regain the form that led to the nickname of “Flash”, the Browns could perhaps rack up some wins under John Dorsey’s leadership. Alas, it was not to be. In a quick, but confusing series of events, Josh Gordon suffered a hamstring injury. This quickly led to accusations of untruthfulness and breaches of trust. Finally, the Browns announced that they would be releasing him unless they could find a suitable trade.

The Patriots Wade In

 

When the 2018 training camp broke and the season began, the Patriots wide receiver position was unsettled to say the least. Injuries, retirements, suspensions and plain ineffectiveness all contributed to a huge unknown at that position. The first two games of the season did nothing to assuage nervous fans. With under 200 yards receiving to all wide receivers through two games, Bill Belichick made his move. It is reported that the Pats are sending a 5th round pick to the Browns in exchange for Josh Gordon and a conditional 7th round pick. They have officially thrown their hat into the circus ring that is this mess.

The Outlook

Color me cautiously optimistic. This is a low risk move. The fifth rounder is peanuts and the conditions attached to the seventh are most likely attached to the number of games played. Gordon is making a very low salary for the next two seasons due to the suspensions. He has to know he is on his very last NFL lifeline. If he messes up here it is highly unlikely that anyone will take the smallest chance on him again. A successful tenure with the high profile Patriots and a Tom Brady led offense will set him up for his first payday. Either with the Patriots or not, he can rehab his image. And maybe, just maybe set himself up for catching the winning pass in a Super Bowl.

 

All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise.

Be sure to check out other great articles for all your favorite Boston sports teams on Bostonsportsextra.com

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Ten Patriots That Need to Have the Eye of the Tiger: Part 1

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Who’s got the eye of the tiger?

The thrill of the fight…

 

Heading into the 2018 training camp for the New England Patriots, there are 90 hungry men vying for 53 roster spots. Who wants it? Who has what it takes? Training camp is the place for answers to these questions. The Patriots’ quest for a sixth championship begins with the start of the regular season.

In the first part of this series we take a pre-training camp look at which Patriots have the most to prove. We’ll take go deep into each position’s depth, contract details, and likelihood of making the roster. We’ll apply my scientific Shakeup Factor to let you know how critical it is for them to make the roster. 

10. Jeremy Hill, RB

The veteran running back signed with New England late in free agency. If he wants to make the team, he will have to show that fire that he possessed in 2014. As a rookie he rushed for over 1100 yards. However, Hill is recovering from an ankle injury that ended his 2017 season and has very little money guaranteed.

Shakeup Factor: 1.5

This is all gravy! If he returns to form and produces well. There is no downside here if he doesn’t make the team.

9. Jordan Richards, DB

This was one of Belichick’s more head-scratching picks. When he selected the Stanford Cardinal in the second round, nearly everyone else had the player as a day three pick. Richards’ ups and downs have been numerous. And the moments have been trending towards more downs.

Shakeup Factor: 1.8

It would be disappointing to see another premium draft pick not pan out. However, the CB/DB position is one of the deepest on the team. He does face some stiff competition. Will he rise to the challenge?

8. Ryan Allen, P

We are witnessing the very rare and mysterious left-footed punter competition. Allen needs to fend off the young Corey Bojorquez in order to secure his place on the team. Can Allen take his game to the next level and solidify his spot? Don’t forget he took the job from the Zoltan in an epic puntoff.

Shakeup Factor: 2.5

This is punting we talkin’ about. While Allen has been solid, reliable, and accurate he hasn’t established himself as a top guy. And let’s not forget that there was a grand total of one punt in the Super Bowl, and it wasn’t from the Pats’ guy.

7. Eric Lee, DE

Sometimes the Patriots treat the rest of the AFC East like it’s their minor league farm system. It seemed like a minor move when they grabbed the practice squad player from the Bills in November. And after his first two games with the Patriots, it looked like armed robbery had taken place. Over two sacks and an interception will make you sit up and notice. His production tailed off down the stretch and suffered some miscues. Lee needs to make these corrections and claw his way up the depth chart in order to make the squad next season.

Shakeup Factor: 3.4

Starting to get into temblor territory here. Pass rush is at a premium and he displayed some ability in that area. The defensive front is always in flux with the Patriots and the best guys will play more. Lee aims to be that guy.

6. Cyrus Jones, CB / PR

Fumbles will kill your career on the Patriots faster than Super Bowl confetti falls. Faster than Tom Brady’s anger when you run the wrong route. Faster than… You get the picture. In ten games during his rookie season he dropped five and recovered two. Ask Stevan Ridley for directions to BB’s doghouse. Still, when he wasn’t coughing up the ball to opponents, he showed a flash on returns and looked pretty good on defense. Then he suffered a knee injury in the 2017 preseason. Classic make or break season for the young guy.

Shakeup Factor: 3.9

The potential is there. He just needs to put it all together and stay healthy. There is lots of competition in the DB room that will make it difficult. Needs a standout camp and preseason and for good reasons.

Look for Part II coming soon…

All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise.

Be sure to check out other great articles for all your favorite Boston sports teams on Bostonsportsextra.com

Follow me on Twitter @ALykins32

On The Defensive: Who is Brian Flores?

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photo cred. – www.nbcsports.com

Who is Brian Flores and where did he come from?

Brian Flores grew up in the housing projects (Brownsville) in Brooklyn, NY. Brownsville is one of, if not, the toughest areas to grow up in around the country, excluding Chicago. Growing up, Flores and his siblings saw things that kids his age should never have to witness. If you ask Flores it made him into the fearless man/leader he is today.

Flores began playing football around the 8th grade and quickly turned himself into quite the defensive back/running back. Not only was Flores a heck of a player on the field, but in the classroom he was an exceptional student who scored a 1,140 on his SAT. Good grades along with his skills on the field helped him get accepted to Boston College. While at Boston College, Flores was the teams second leading tackler. In 2003, he missed the bowl game and a chance at being drafted due to torn quadriceps.

 

photo cred. – www.medium.com

How Flores became a Coach/Patriot:

In 2004, the Patriots hired Flores as a scouting assistant within the organization. First, lets backup to before Flores being hired and the process of landing a job in the NFL. After his college and playing career ended, Flores desired a position as either a coach or a GM in the league.

According to Flores, “[He] sent a letter to EVERY team in the NFL and the Patriots were the only team to write back”. Not only did the Patriots see something other teams didn’t, but Belichick must have had a tremendous amount of faith in the potential of this guy. Flores was then brought in for the 2004 season as the scouting assistant.

In 2008, Flores work ethic did not go unnoticed as he was then named the teams scouting coach. Two years later in 2010, they noticed his work ethic and again he claimed the title as special teams Assistant. As usual, Flores was quick to climbing the ladder and the name of assistant offensive and special teams coach was given to him.

On the Defensive:

In 2011, Flores was back on the side of the ball where he belonged, the defensive side. He was named the defensive assistant for Belichick and the Patriots and once again his hard work paid off. In 2012, he was named the safeties coach where he held the position until 2016. In 2016 he became the Patriots linebacker coach and held that title until now. After Matt Patricia left to become the Lions head coach, Flores was named the defensive coordinator/play caller for the 2018 season. Flores will be under the wing of Bill Belichick until the 2019 season when Flores can take over. With Flores running the defense it looks like we will see more hybrid 3-4, 4-3 defenses but only time will tell.

High praise and recognition:

What Flores is doing isn’t a fluke and he has been noticed and recognized by other coaches and players. So much so that Flores who was relatively unknown in 2004, became a finalist for the Arizona Cardinals Head Coaching position. Luckily for the Pats, he ultimately came up short. Here is what veteran LB David Harris had to say about his coach:

“Even though he’s only a couple years older than me, his depth & knowledge of football is outstanding. He knows not just linebackers, he knows entire defenses, he knows the offense as well. He is definitely an up & coming coach in this league. Everybody was happy for him even being considered for a coaching job. I think eventually he will be an outstanding coach.”

High praise coming from a veteran guy like David Harris who has been around this league for quite sometime. Another quote from Jeff Howe (Patriots beat writer for the athletic), is one I found intriguing:

“Patriots players hoped Flores would get this promotion. They LOVE him, this will be well received in the locker room.”

Final Take:

With Bill and Flores in the 2018 season, the adjustment on defense will be interesting to see. Also with new additions via free agency and the draft, this season will be fun to watch. The excitement is high as many fans are eagerly waiting to see what Flores can do.