Tag Archives: Danny Etling

Can New England Find Success In Another QB-Receiver Transition With Etling?

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The Patriots are at it again and developing within. Last year’s seventh round draft pick out of LSU, Danny Etling, is making the transition from quarterback to wide receiver. 

There has been success in similar transitions before. Julian Edelman was a quarterback-turned-wide receiver. Edelman, however, made the transition before the draft, not into his professional career. 

So what can be expected from Etling as receiver? Well, for starters, his speed and size is promising.

At 6 foot 3, Etling posted a 4.76 40-time at the combine in 2018. He was in the top five for quarterbacks at the combine, coming in at number four.

His height also give him the slight advantage over a 5 foot 10 Edelman and Phillip Dorsett. However, rookie receiver N’Keal Harry stands at a slightly taller 6 foot 4.

Working alongside the likes of Harry and Edelman will be to Etling’s advantage in this situation. You have a once quarterback-turned-receiver in Edelman who will understand the ins and outs of the process. This will likely offer the most valuable guidance. Not to mention, Edelman is a top receiver in the league and reining Super Bowl MVP.

The best advice for Etling heading into this new avenue will be to stick by Edelman’s side as much as possible. There may not be a better teacher for the kid. 

Harry will be another man Etling will want to learn from if he is to ever get on the receiver rotation. This rookie’s film is impressive itself, but getting the chance to watch him work will be worthwhile for Etling’s transition.

With one year already in the New England system, Etling has another advantage in knowing how this offense operates. Understanding the playbook from a quarterbacks perspective has to give him a slight mental edge. Now, it is a matter of his feet and hands catching up to the challenge.

New England sees the benefits in successfully transitioning Etling to receiver. They can develop a guy that already has some good qualities, like speed and size, and make him a player taylor-made for their system. If successful, this could add good depth to the receiver rotation.

Chances are Etling will not see the field this year as a receiver. As the season goes on and he continues to develop, next year may be his time to get some regular season reps. Right now, Etling should focus on putting his nose to the grindstone and impressing in practice.

The Patriots have a pretty solid duo in Edelman and Harry, a tandem that seems to be a solid bet for the next few years. Dorsett sits at number three, and if Etling impresses in the next year or so he could be competing to take that third slot. But really, any spot on that rotation will be a move in the right direction for him.

It is going to be a hard transition without a doubt, but not impossible. Certainly, it will be interesting to see if Etling can live up to the challenge and find himself on the roster as a receiver.

Sophomore Snapshot: The Good, the Bad, the Incomplete

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Training camp has opened and the season is fast approaching. The 2018 Patriot draft class has some good, some bad and some incompletes. This sophomore snapshot gets you caught up ready for your first preseason game.

The Good

Aug 9, 2018; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley (51) tackles Washington Redskins running back Byron Marshall (34) during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

J.C. Jackson

The biggest surprise from the rookie draft picks came from an undrafted defensive back! A day two talent that fell due to off the field questions and some poor testing shined for the Patriots. As part of the top rotation in the backfield he has impressed with his speed and physicality, even against bigger wide receivers and tight ends. His aggressiveness caught up to him and he began acquiring penalties in the playoffs, and his usage began to dip. Has a real shot at taking the next step and being the number two option at cornerback, opposite Gilmore on game day.

Ja’Whaun Bentley

When training camp broke in 2018, the defense looked like it had a new wrecking force playing at linebacker. In the first three games he amassed more statistics than most rookie linebackers do all season. He collected a single interception, pass defensed, tackle for loss, and a QB hit. Bentley also had nine solo tackles and five assisted tackles. A torn biceps landed him on injured reserve prior to week 4, otherwise the Bentley legend could have grown. He goes into 2019 being the top option behind Dont’a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy. While he does have some competition from Elandon Roberts and reacquired Jamie Collins, he easily could never leave the field.

Trent Harris

What does a team do when a pro bowl defensive end leaves in free agency? You have his replacement ready to go the next year. Most expect Dietrich Wise to step in take the next step. I for one am jumping on the Trent Harris train for this. His impressive preseason in pressuring the quarterback, and season long stint on the practice squad, will prepare him for a bigger role on the defense for the 2019 campaign. Don’t be surprised when you hear his name called again and again this year. The time is ripe for the next great defender on the Patriots.

The Bad

Sep 30, 2018; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back Sony Michel (26) and running back James White (28) warm up before the start of the game against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Duke Dawson

What does it mean when a team gives a prospect every opportunity to get on the field and make an impact and he can’t even be active for a game? I don’t know either, but it’s not good. Numerous reasons conspired against the highly-touted second round pick. A hamstring injury landed him on the injured reserve at the beginning of the season. But unlike most of his fellow rookies, the Patriots used one of its IR activation spots on him. He could never crack the game day roster the rest of the season due to a healthy secondary that was playing well. With that disappointment behind him he needs to be ready and compete for playing time. Cutting Dawson prior to opening day is unlikely, anything else can happen. Change of scenery trade, another IR stint, or being inactive all season will be extremely negative to his career path. No one wants to see another Ras-I Dowling or Cyrus Jones happen.

Sony Michel

I debated placing Michel in the incomplete. He ultimately lands in the bad due to the chronic nature of his health problems and the competitiveness of his position. Michel had a very good rookie year and a perfect postseason run on the way to a Super Bowl ring. How could six regular season touchdowns, six postseason touchdowns and over 1250 rushing yards land him in the bad? Two knee surgeries, two knee injuries and multiple missed games and practices will do it. The Patriots also drafted a potential backup/replacement in Damien Harris. This is in addition to returning running backs in Rex Burkhead and James White. All of this paints a clouded picture of the second year back’s future.

Danny Etling

Oh Danny boy! I wish things could be turning out differently. When the Patriots drafted Jarett Stidham in the fourth round, Etling’s path to a regular season spot became nearly impossible. He spent his rookie season on the practice squad. The plan is to compete with veteran Brian Hoyer for the backup spot. Winning that battle is becoming imperative post-draft. The Patriots will likely carry three quarterbacks on the active roster this year, as stashing Stidham on the practice squad is very risky. This would make Etling’s potential spot on there that much more unlikely. I hope he can make it. If not we’ll always have the fourth preseason game.

The Incomplete

Georgia offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn (77) looks to block Florida defensive lineman Cece Jefferson (96) in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Isaiah Wynn

The New England Patriots have had an uncharacteristic period of instability at the important left tackle position recently. In 2017 Nate Solder was the starter, in 2018 it was Trent Brown. There will be a different player protecting Tom Brady’s blind side in 2019. The favorite is the second year player from Georgia. This could be more of a rocky transition than with Brown. Wynn is coming off one of the worst injuries in football. The torn Achilles he suffered in the second preseason game is reportedly healed as he avoided the PUP list to open camp. Is he suitable for the left tackle position in the NFL? As long as Tom Brady is back there and Dante Scarnecchia is teaching the group they will be ready on game day.

The Injury Squad

When you have a team that finishes the season as the second seed and dominates the playoffs enroute to a third Super Bowl appearance in four years you could expect some contribution from its rookies. This is a team that saw five of its rookie picks hit the IR before the season began. Included were Braxton Berrios, Christian Sam and Ryan Izzo. All are expected to hit the ground running and make some noise if they want to secure their roster spots this season, and the years to come.

Thank you for reading this article written by Andrew Lykins. You can find the rest of my work over at https://bostonsportsextra.com/author/@alykins32

You can find many other fine articles on all Boston sports at Bostonsportsextra.com
My mind resides at twitter under @ALykins32

All statistics were found at https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ unless otherwise noted.

LFG for the 7th Ring in 2019!!

Rookie Number Prognostication: Part 1

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What is in a jersey number? They are the printed numerals that are on a player’s jersey. A quick means of identifying that player on the field. The individual is easily recognizable so that yardage, catch, penalty, or score is tallied correctly.  But they are so much more than that. Certain generations of New England Patriots fans can remember moments and envision number 12, 87, and 3 on jerseys. Older fans have memories of 78, 57, and 73 when remembering both heartbreaking moments or fantastic triumphs. Still, others will fondly recall number 20, 89, and 79 especially when beginning a sentence with, “Remember that game…”

Will a young child today recall a time when #5, #29 or #34 made the game-changing play?

Bill Belichick allowed the 2018 Patriots rookie class to don their permanent numbers just prior to the first preseason game of this year. In years past rookies weren’t assigned numbers until at least the end of minicamp. This was seen as a motivational tactic to have them earn a roster spot. Of course the NFL saw something that Belichick was doing and put a stop to it. And naturally when getting told not to do something that is different and to get in line, he handed out the rookies numbers starting in the 50s. The NFL has rules regarding which positions can wear certain numbers. So everyone knew what was going on.

People began weighing in on what numbers they should get. There is a trend on social media and among football analysts about who will have a great career based upon their number. These takes are backed up by insane reasoning, including how good the number looks on a certain body type, if an all-time great around the NFL had worn it, or if it was one of the numbers that the mysterious TV show Lost featured. I will dive right in and add my thoughts on the Patriots rookie class. I will not be using any of those criteria. Instead, I will base their future New England greatness on how prestigious the previous wearers of that number were, or if there is room for someone to make his mark on the numeral. And there may be a few wild cards thrown in, as you’ll see below.



Danny Etling No. 5.

It’s amazing that on a team as storied as the New England Patriots that there is a single digit number with as little wear as this one. Etling shares the number with other Patriots such as Greg Davis, Pat O’Neill, and Fred Steinfort. In fact, the only ones I recognized was Shayne Graham, when he filled in for Gostkowski in his injury-shortened 2010 season, and Kevin O’Connell for a single season.

Greatness Verdict: Yes!! Patriots greatness awaits #5 and Danny Etling. No one has yet impressed the fan base wearing that number. And a youthful first name will propel him to what will undoubtedly multiple Pro Bowls!


Corey Bojorquez — No. 7

It was nearly the same single digit wasteland as #5 until I remembered that Jacoby Brissett wore this for his cup-of-coffee stint in New England. Why does this change the destiny of the number? When Brissett inevitably reaches free agency and steals the starting job from Baker Mayfield or Josh Allen he will lead his new team to Super Bowl glory. Aside from Charlie Gogolak, John Huarte and Hugh Millen, no one else held the number for more than a single season.

Greatness Verdict: Not this kid. Unfortunately with the dual strikes of being an undrafted punter and following in Brissett’s footstep it will not be Corey that we remember the 7 for on the Patriots


Braxton Berrios — No. 14

At first glance you could say that he has a shot at claiming this number. Brandin Cooks, Tom Yewcic and Zoltan Mesko are some of the more familiar names to put in that number. However, you simply cannot compete to a guy that played for 16 seasons at the games most important position. If not for injuries, Steve Grogan may well have his number retired and an underdog Super Bowl Victory under his belt.

Greatness Verdict: Almost, but not quite. For every Welker and Edelman that go on to make a name for themselves there are a dozen more slight, slot receivers that never do. And the added pressure of reminding fans of a painful Super Bowl memory doesn’t help.

Sony Michel — No. 29

Now we are getting into the critical numbers and players for the New England Patriots. The jersey number selection is becoming important in determining a players ultimate success. No. 29 has been worn by some young prospects (Shane Vereen, Sterling Moore), and some veterans on short stints with the Patriots (Chris Hayes, Myron Guyton). One of the greatest names ever for a football player ever in Earthwind Moreland as he spent a year wearing it in New England. Here’s where it gets interesting. Recent fan favorite LeGarrette Blount wore it for three seasons. Being a veteran journeyman that won his Super Bowl and moved on. That to me says that the number is ready for a home-grown running back to hang that number up.

Greatness Verdict: This one is easy. It will be in the rafters when Sony Michel hangs his cleats up. Having a fantastic name and being the perfect new age running back. He can be a featured name in the Patriots as they transition from the Brady Belichick Era to a possible Etling and Michel Era.


JC Jackson — No. 34

We have a dilemma here. This is an undrafted player that can be a star. Made some mistakes in college and one of the most professional teams in the NFL is willing to give him a chance. The only problem I see is that he chose a number that is filled with decent role players. Tebucky Jones, Sammy Morris, Prentice McCray, Ron Sellers, and Shane Vereen. The most notable name is the Boston Patriots DB Chuck Shonta. An eight year career in the 60s that saw him intercept QBs 15 times is not great but okay. There is a huge risk in wearing this number because as a CB it appears that its best times were in eras past.

Greatness Verdict: Not wearing this number! JC Jackson may be the next good undrafted cornerback, but not wearing #34. It saw its best days when double bar helmets and Pat the Patriot were things.

 

Look for Part 2 very soon when I dive into the rest of the Patriots rookie class.

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

Patriots Training Camp Preview: Quarterback

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With Patriots training camp approaching on July 26th, there are many different players on this team from last year. The Pats acquired four guys from trade, fifteen from free agency, and nine from the NFL Draft. They also lost nine players from trade and free agency and had three players retire.

In this new series, I will be looking at every player from each position leading up to training camp. For this part of the series I will talk about the most important position on the field: Quarterback. Quarterback has been the most consistent position for the Patriots since 2001. Ever since Tom Brady got his first start in 2001, the Patriots had only had four Quarterbacks start for them (Bledsoe, Cassel, Garoppolo, Brissett). The Patriots are bringing in three QB’s to training camp this year.

Tom Brady #12 (2000-Present):

Tom Brady is entering his 19th season for the Patriots where he has had a very successful career. He is a 5-time Super Bowl Winner, 3-time NFL MVP, 4-time Super Bowl MVP, and 13-time Pro-Bowler. Brady for his entire career has had 66,159 pass yards, 488 TD, 160 INT, and a record of 196-55-0. One of Tom’s MVP’s seasons came last year where he amassed 4,577 pass yards, 32 TD, and 8 INT.

He led the Patriots all the way to the Super Bowl where the ultimately came up short to the Eagles. Tom has been one of the main reasons as to why the Patriots are consistently in the Super Bowl.

Brady, who will be 41 at the start of the season, has shown no signs of slowing down yet. Expectations for him are still very high. Every year, it is expected that the Patriots will win a Super Bowl and it is expected that Brady will lead them there.

The verdict is that Tom Brady will 100% be on the Patriots 2018 roster.

Brian Hoyer #2 (2009-2011, 2017-Present)

Brian Hoyer was the Patriots backup QB for the last half of the 2017-2018 season. He began his season in San Francisco where he started six games. Hoyer went 0-6 in those six games and had a stat line of 1,287 pass yards, 5 total touchdowns, and 4 INTs. He ended up getting released by the 49ers after San Francisco traded for former Pat’s QB Jimmy Garappolo.

After getting released by the 49ers, the Patriots signed him for the rest of the season due to only having one QB on the roster. This would be the second stint in New England after being drafted by the team in 2009. Hoyer was part of the 2011 Patriots that went on to win the AFC Championship. Brian has only appeared in eighteen games in his four years with New England with him, and a stat line of 328 pass yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 INT.

Once he left the Pats in 2011, he had a very solid few seasons in Cleveland. In his first year for the Browns, he started three games and went 3-0 with 615 pass yards, 5 TD, and 3 INT. He then started 13 games for Cleveland where he had a record of 7-6 and 3,326 pass yards 12 TD, and 13 INT. His next season would come in Houston under his former offensive coordinator, Bill O’Brien. He had his best statistical season where he had a record of 5-4, 2,606 pass yards, 19 pass TD, and 7 INT. This would be his last season in Houston though. He then had an uneventful season in Chicago and then went to San Francisco.

Brian Hoyer is a very solid option as a backup quarterback to Tom Brady. He has been in the league for a long time and has some quality experience as a starter. Overall, Hoyer will most likely be the backup to Tom Brady for the upcoming season.

Danny Etling (Rookie):

With the 219th pick in the NFL Draft, the New England Patriots select Danny Etling, QB, LSU. With all the rumors going around about the Patriots selecting a quarterback early to be the predecessor to Brady, they waited all the way until the seventh round. Etling was kind of a surprise pick with him not being rated higher than a lot of undrafted QBs.

Etling started his college career at Purdue where he appeared in thirteen games over the span of two seasons. In those thirteen games, he had 2,490 pass yards, 16 pass TD, and 12 INT. He would then transfer to LSU where he played two seasons. Over those two seasons, he played 24 games and had 4,586 pass yards, 27 pass TD, and 7 INT. His senior season at LSU was his best season in college. He appeared in thirteen games and threw for 2,463 pass yards 16 pass TD, and 2 INT.

Danny Etling, 23, will most likely be a project for the Patriots. He will not be a quality backup right away, but he has potential. I believe the Patriots will keep Etling on the practice squad on the upcoming season to learn from Brady and Hoyer.

The position of quarterback for the Patriots has always been the most consistent since Brady took over, and not much looks to change this year.

 

Is Danny Etling the Future?

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Patriots Sign Etling for Four Years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-cePbBqucU

The New England Patriots are trying to plan post-Tom Brady. Earlier this week they signed their seventh-round pick out of LSU Danny Etling to a four-year contract. It looks like Josh McDaniels, Bill Belichick, and the rest of the Patriots staff like what they see out of Etling. Etling is working on his mechanics with Tom Brady’s throwing coaches in California. Etling threw for 2,463 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior at LSU, while also completing 60.0 percent of his throws.

Danny Etling had a 16-7 record as LSU’s starting quarterback and finished in the top ten in school history in passing yards per game. Etling will be a nice addition to the Patriots quarterback position. It looks like Belichick will be keeping three quarterbacks on the Patriots roster for the 2018 NFL season. Etling looks like he can get the ball downfield and find an open receiver. Director of Player Personnel for the Patriots Nick Caserio spoke after they selected Etling and said, “You look at his career production and this guy didn’t turn the ball over. I think it was 16-2 this year, a low percentage. He takes care of the ball, smart, pretty accurate thrower.”

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewib47Wpwu4

Comparing Brady to Etling’s college numbers, their senior years are similar. Etling threw for 16 touchdowns his senior year at LSU. Tom Brady threw 16 touchdowns at his senior year at Michigan. Danny Etling threw two interceptions in his senior year, while Brady threw six. The two quarterbacks had similar senior years in college. I’m not saying Etling is Brady, but look where Brady got drafted and where he is now. Pretty soon we may see Danny Etling over at TB12 to get pliable.

The Patriots Will Groom Etling for Two Years

Tom Brady has two more years left and then he’s done. He knows it, Kraft knows it, and Brady’s wife knows it. Belichick, McDaniels, and Brady will groom Etling for this year. Then it will just be McDaniels and Brady in the 2019 season. Then in 2020, it will be Danny Etling’s time to shine as the starter for the Patriots.

The Future Is Now for the Patriots

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The Patriots Selected a Quarterback

The New England Patriots are planning for the future. The Patriots set a record in this draft after making eight trades. Though frustrating, they now have a lot of picks in 2019. The Patriots took a quarterback Danny Etling from LSU in the seventh round. All of the Lamar Jackson talks were false and the Patriots were eyeing Etling all along. According to Albert Breer, Etling has already been working with Tom Brady’s throwing coaches in California. Danny Etling completed sixty percent of his passes at LSU and had 16 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Etling is excited to learn from the greatest quarterback of all time, saying yesterday, “It’s an opportunity to learn from the greatest quarterback. You don’t expect anything, absorb as much information as you can and continue to keep on improving and prepare for your opportunity when it comes. You just want to watch a guy who has been so great and know how he does it. … It’s such a great quarterback room. I’m so excited to be a part of it”.

Are the Patriots Doing Some Team Building for the Future?

Nick Caserio also spoke yesterday and hinted that they were eying a quarterback: “We knew we were going to add a quarterback to our team at some point, so it’s relative to what other options we might have, relative to other positions. There’s no template like, ‘Well we’re going to take one here, we’re going to take one there.’ You just evaluate the player and we think Danny has some decent traits and some decent qualities to work with, so we’ll put him in our program and see how he does”.

The Patriots are building a team for the future. They gave Brady offensive line help, and also added a running back, tight end, wide receiver. New England also added some defensive help, too. Also, they have lots of picks in next year’s draft. Josh McDaniels’s presence in the draft room is still pretty clear to me what’s still in play. After this season you could be looking at Josh being the next head coach of the Patriots.