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Patriots announce their team captains

Patriots team captains announced

The Patriots have announced their team captains. Tom Brady has made the list along with David Andrews, Matthew Slater, James White, Patrick Chung, and Devin McCourty. One name that did not make the list was Rob Gronkowski and people are asking why not Gronkowski? Because of the things he pulled in the offseason. Now you can say Brady did that too but not to the extreme Gronk did. Gronk held a press conference talking about dirt bikes while OTA’s were going on. Brady was training and enjoying time with his family. Also, Brady has earned the right to be all about himself after the career he’s had, he’s the first person on the field he’s a captain because of the career and success he’s had on and off the field.

Brady has been a captain since 2002

James White is also deserving of being a captain. He’s a big part of that offense and I’m sure will have an impact especially with Edelman out the first month. Devin McCourty has always been a leader on and off the field. Matthew Slater seems like he’s always a team player and get the players fired up. He doesn’t get much playing time but his presence in the locker room is somewhat what drives the team.

Patrick Chung is well deserving of team captain as well. He brings talent to the defensive side of the ball which is somewhat weak but having him back there helps. David Andrews has always been Tom Brady’s go to as a center. Andrews was also a team captain last season. Dont’a Hightower, and Duron Harmon are no longer team captains for this season as well as Gronkowski. The speculation on whether or not Belichick wanted Brady as a captain is a waste of time to talk about. If Brady wasn’t a captain people would be calling out Belichick, now Brady is a captain people think Brady and Gronkowski should be captain together. Really a no-win situation, In my opinion, the captains are fine the way it is and Brady deserves it.

Who Would You Want at Your Side for a Bar Fight: Boston Sports Edition

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Patriots: Rob Gronkowski -By @Boston_sports18

If I had to pick a Boston athlete to win a bar fight, it’s got to be Gronk. Rob grew up in a house with four brothers, and each has gone pro. They pushed each other every single day, making Rob an absolute beast.

Getty Images

Gronk’s father had them all on a training regimen at an early age. This eventually led Gronk to become arguably the best TE the NFL has ever seen. He has incredible blocking skills and unmatched work ethic. While running with the ball after the catch, forget about bringing him down without a cheap shot to the knee. He’s known for swatting linebackers and corners off of him like annoying mosquitoes at a BBQ. Gronkowski finished one block to the point he actually threw the defender off of the field into the media section. “I had to throw him out the club,” Gronkowski said after the game. THIS IS THE GUY I WANT.

Keith Bedford Boston Globe

Besides Gronk’s football toughness, I’m pretty sure he can hold his own at the bar. He’s also good friends with WWE star Mojo Rawley, who Gronk has actually been training with. Last year Gronk even stepped into the ring. He got into a three-point stance and clotheslined another wrestler. Real or fake, Gronk is an animal and would be my top choice of Boston athletes to have in a bar fight. Tough, big and known to party. For me, this is an easy choice. It’s Rob Gronkowski.

Bruins: Zdeno Chara -By @TheBigBlue30

If I am picking any Boston sports athlete to win a bar fight, it is without a doubt Boston Bruins defenseman and Captain Zdeno Chara. At 6’9″ and over 250 pounds, Big Z is a physical powerhouse. If you follow him on Instagram, you would know how much of freak of nature the guy really is. His workouts put superheroes to shame, whether he is climbing up a 30-foot rope and back down in the blink of an eye, riding the Tour de France every summer, or shoulder pressing over 400 pounds. Chara is a physical specimen, unlike any other human being. The scary part, however, is that Chara’s physique and fitness are the least of people’s worries. His father is a former Olympic Roman Greco wrestler, which Big Z has been practicing since a young age.

On top of all that the guy is a genius. He earned a financial planning diploma from Algonquin College in Ottawa in 2015, and took classes at the University of Harvard over this past summer. There is a reason why nobody in the NHL fights Zdeno Chara. Just ask former NHL winger David Koci, who Chara beat so bad in a fight you would have thought he was making a blood donation to the Red Cross. In conclusion, if you don’t pick Zdeno Chara for a bar fight, you are just downright stupid.

Celtics: Marcus Smart -By @jackbuffett_

If I’m picking one player from the Celtics to have my back in a bar fight, I have to choose Marcus Smart. No matter what situation I’m getting into, if he’s on my side, he’s going to fight. Doesn’t matter how many guys, how big, how menacing, Smart will challenge each and every one of them. Ever seen an altercation during a Celtics game? Every time, without fail, Smart is either the one causing it or the first one to a teammate’s defense. It also helps that Smart is the most all-out hustle player on the team, so I’d assume he’d take the same attitude in a bar fight. Smart is an incredibly passionate player. Some players on the court are always emotionless- that’s never him. No matter what he’s doing, he’s going to get super into whatever that activity is. It also helps that Smart is built like a tank at 6’4″, 225 pounds, and absolutely ripped. If I get one phone call to fight some guys at a bar, it’s to Marcus Smart.

Red Sox: Joe Kelly -By @_porchie

BOSTON, MA – APRIL 11: Tyler Austin #26 of the New York Yankees fights Joe Kelly #56 of the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning at Fenway Park on April 11, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

If I were to pick any Boston Red Sox player to be on my side in a bar fight there would only be one option. Joe Kelly would totally have my back! Did you see not only the way he taunted Tyler Austin, but throw him down and was ready to beat him down. If it wasn’t for Aaron Judge that man would probably not be alive right now! He has the fire and intensity that I would want in my corner 100%. That’s why my pick is Joe Kelly.

Claude Dielna Working Out | Photo Credit | Claude Dielna

Revolution: Claude Dielna -By @Marbies3762

While Claude Dielna is only 6’0″ tall and only weighs 190 pounds, he can pack a punch. Anyone who follows him on Instagram knows when he isn’t at practice he is in the weight room. There are plenty of taller guys on the Revs that could be good picks as well, but none are as good as Claude. He has a much different work mentality than everyone else on the team. When he leaves practice, he trains at home. If he isn’t playing in a game, he is training. When Claude goes to Chipotle, he orders double meat. Every game he plays, he out muscles and throws guys to the ground. In a bar fight, there’s no doubt that Claude would go off. The guy is jacked. Without a doubt, when it comes to bar fights, he’s the guy I want by my side.

Tom Brady Doesn’t Care What People Think

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Tom Brady Silencing the Drama

The final episode of Tom V Time has told us one thing. Tom Brady doesn’t care what anybody says. He’s playing until he’s 45 and that’s it. Brady also confirmed that he hasn’t been having fun playing football and that every team has issues. However, the drama around the team according to him has been blown out of proportion. Also, when he doesn’t win a Super Bowl, he gets frustrated just like anyone would. The greatest quarterback of all time is frustrated with the nonsense rumors surrounding the team. He put away any doubt that he isn’t ready for this season and wants to play until he’s 45 years old.

Five More Years

Will he last until 45 playing in New England? My opinion is yes, as long as Robert Kraft keeps him here and keeps him satisfied with the people around him. It’s Tom Brady and everybody else. He is and always will be bigger than the whole team. He didn’t like how the situation with Garoppolo was going to happen. We’ve heard it a thousand times. Belichick wanted to keep both quarterbacks but the money wasn’t there to keep both. Brady is also promoting his TB12 brand. By playing until 45 he can get people to learn his product and train like him so they can feel younger, too.

Brady has felt different since Garoppolo was traded. However, his determination hasn’t changed about wanting to play. He really put all the drama to bed so the main focus can be football. With the season starting on Sunday, Brady’s timing of releasing this five minutes of talking about the nonsense was to put away any doubt. Brady will not stop playing at the end of his contract.

I must admit I was wrong. Kraft would do whatever he can to keep Brady so he retires a Patriot. Playing until 45 is going to be hard to do. But Brady thinks he can do it. I say go for it, but draft a backup just in case he takes a hit and he’s out. Brady will be Brady. He will do what’s best for him which is doing something nobody has done before. That is to play at a high level at the age of 45.

What Have We Learned from the Patriots’ Preseason?

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The Pats are always expected to make it to the “Big Game”—and this year is no exception.

The Patriots’ training camp began on July 26. Everything we’ve learned since then, including the four summer matchups, has given us certain insights into what we can expect for the coming year. Here are a few of our observations and predictions.

Tom Brady remains the NFL’s living legend.

Brady is all good…

Even at the age of 41, the team’s MVP quarterback seems to be in good form, which is an absolute necessity if the Patriots want to maximize their chances of reaching the Super Bowl again this season. The Pats’ second preseason game was a rematch of last year’s championship face-off against the Philadelphia Eagles. Brady shepherded his team towards a definitive 37-20 win, and he looked great doing so. As Brady has gotten on in years, a primary concern has been the inevitable deterioration of his passing strength. But his preseason performances made it clear that he can still whip the pigskin like a rocket when he has to. Brady also had a decent performance in New England’s strange matchup against the Panthers.

… and so is the offensive line

For the third season in a row, Joe Thuney, Shaq Mason, and David Andrews will start on the interior. Trent Brown will hold the left tackle position that he dominated during training camp. After missing out on most days of camp, right tackle Marcus Cannon has finally returned to practice. Because the team has lost first-round pick Isaiah Wynn for the entire season due to a torn Achilles, tackle depth has become the only open issue. However, LaAdrian Waddle is a suitable substitute, in case Cannon is required to sit out a few games.

The Patriots’ top picks will fail to deliver

Ever since 2014 and Dominique Easley, New England has failed to receive the benefit of its bargain from its top-pick players, and it seems that this will once again be the case this season. Adding insult to injury (pun intended) to the loss of Wynn, first-rounder Sony Michel participated in only three padded practices in August, and second-round cornerback Duke Dawson is likely to start the season on the injured reserve list. Furthermore, at the time of writing, Cyrus Jones—the second-round pick in 2016—is expected to be cut imminently.

Who will return punts for the Pats?

Let’s face it, New England needs a punt returner. Danny Amendola left to join Miami’s squad. And, regardless of how good he is at returning kickoffs, Cordarelle Patterson has never fielded punts at the pro level. As such, no one from the current roster seems to stand out as the “go-to” punt returner.

Julian Edelman is one possibility, but remember that he’s not only been suspended for the first four games, but will also be returning in the fifth week as a 32-year-old player who has just had major knee surgery. The end result is that New England is forced to keep certain players solely for the purpose of having a punt returner—for example, cornerback Cyrus Jones and receiver Riley McCarron, who shared this duty over the summer.

The team’s 15-year UDFA streak will continue with J.C. Jackson

Rookie cornerback J.C. Jackson is the team’s only hope for adding an undrafted rookie to the roster for the 15^th straight year. Jackson finished the preseason game against the Giants with two interceptions of deep passes from Kyle Lauletta, which earned him a congratulatory handshake from Coach Belichick. It’s fair to say that Jackson was the most productive playmaker in the secondary throughout the preseason.

The Pats will start the season employing “running-back-by-committee”

Because of both outside need and injuries, New England will begin the season with a slate of players to fill the running back position, and they might have to do so for the entire year. To compensate for their lack of depth in wide receivers, the Pats will use more two-back sets, but their top candidate to play all three downs (Sony Michel) is a rookie who just missed most of training camp.

Furthermore, Sony Michel and Rex Burkhead are in bad shape, and Brandon Bolden is mainly a special teams player. They can put James White to work, but not on every down. Mike Gillislee and Jeremy Hill could also possibly make it into the rotation.

Tom Brady Opens up About His Future in the NFL in Exclusive Interview

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Tom Brady has accomplished more in his career than any NFL player could even dream of. The MVP still wants to keep going strong.

Going into this season he and the Patriots have 8 Super Bowl appearances, 5 wins, and have been to 7 straight AFC Championship games.

BRADY STILL HUNGRY FOR MORE

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Brady is 41 years old, the reigning MVP of the league, but believes he has more to accomplish. Tom sat down for an exclusive interview with TB12’s Sports Therapy Center. Key takeaway-he doesn’t sound like he’s satisfied.

”I still feel like I have a lot to play for, a lot left to do in my career, and a lot left in the tank.”

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE MOTIVATING HIM TO WANT MORE?

Tom Brady has always used motivation to keep himself going through the years. Being picked 199th in the draft has been a key driving force that has fueled his success. Now being 41 he has a new motivation to add to his legacy.

”It’s motivating me to finish the right way, by being healthy and playing at a championship level.” Brady goes on to say, “we’ve (the Patriots) have come a long way to get to this point, and doing everything I can to keep that going and continuing to forge into uncharted territory for as long as we can is a big motivator for me.”

Tom Brady HAS VERY HIGH STANDARDS

(Staff Photo by Nancy Lane)

Every NFL team has different expectations and standards. All teams want to win the Super Bowl, of course. Most teams are looking to win their division. New England is the same way, the only difference is that they have higher standards.

New England and Tom Brady have been historically great in this incredible run, and Brady wants to keep the standards they have set over the years going.

Brady adds more in his sit down with TB12s Sports Therapy Center, saying “I want to help our team build on the standards we have set over many years”.

The MVP and his team have set the bar other teams are striving for. Brady wants to separate himself and his team even further from the pack. He also wants to set a new standard for future athletes. He’s showing people that anyone can play longer than previously thought.

Despite the speculation of retirement, Tom Brady is talking like he’s looking for another ring, if not more before he hangs it up. If I were a betting man I would gamble on Tom Brady playing until he’s 45. He will only continue to prove people wrong and set new standards, like he has since he came into the NFL. He will go out the same way.

Rob Gronkowski Will Make Jalen Ramsey Eat His Words

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Jalen Ramsey Giving The Patriots A Reason To Destroy The Jaguars in Week 2

Jalen Ramsey isn’t afraid of talking about his opinion about other players around the NFL. The latest remark Ramsey made was about Gronk. He flat-out said Gronkowski isn’t very good. He elaborated and claimed that Tom Brady makes Gronkowski better than he is. Yes, Brady can make a superstar out of an average receiver or tight end, however, Gronkowski isn’t an average tight end. Gronkowski is the best tight end in the game when healthy. The five-time Pro Bowler has 76 touchdowns and 7,179 yards in his career. He may like to party and have a good time but when it comes down to business he works hard to get open for Brady.

Gronkowski Will Be Responding to Ramsey’s Comments On The Field

September 16th is when the Patriots play the Jaguars. With Edelman out expect Gronkowski to put on a show. Not only to live up to the incentives but also to shut Ramsey up on the field. You know Gronkowski has heard what he said and is ready to get as many yards as possible. Gronkowski and the Patriots do their talking on the field and don’t really feed the media too much of anything about an opponent. Ramsey has only been in the league for three years. He’s had one interception and only been to one Pro-Bowl. Sure, Jacksonville has a great defense. But the mouth on Ramsey could get him in trouble with the Jaguars and other teams coming after him on the field. For Gronkowski, you know he wants to be matched up with him once they play the Jaguars.

If Ramsey was retired and he wasn’t facing the Patriots in week 2 then it would be different. It’s not giving the Patriots a reason (Gronk especially) to literally destroy you on the field. It’s a stupid take regardless. Gronkowski works hard and puts the time in. Ramsey should win a Super Bowl first before he starts talking about the best tight end in the game.

Trey Flowers’ Future as a Patriot

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Amidst the hectic chaos of the NFL cut downs two seismic events rocked the landscape. Aaron Donald completed the largest contract extension ever for a defensive player on Friday, August 31st. Then football fans woke up to the news that Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack is a Chicago Bear. We all expected another mega-contract signing to follow. While I waited for confirmation of the financial terms of these, one of my thoughts was “What does this mean for the Patriots’ chances of re-signing defensive end Trey Flowers?”

The contract details proved to be earth shattering for non-quarterbacks in a way that resets the market economics. Donald signed a six-year $135 million dollar deal with $87 million guaranteed. Khalil Mack received a slightly richer deal at $141 million for six years with $90 million guaranteed. These deals truly reset the defensive line market and will affect contract negotiations for years to come.

I’m not saying that Trey Flowers will be signing this kind of deal for the Patriots anytime soon. Mack and Donald were selected with the #5 and #13 pick overall in the 2014 draft and Flowers was drafted in the fourth round at #101 overall. Flowers has 13.5 sacks and 107 tackles through largely two seasons of work and both Mack and Donald have more than doubled that through four full seasons. What it does is force the contract values to rise with each new signing. The bar at the top has risen and the middle class and high-middle class rises with it. Trey Flowers can expect to sign a deal in that middle class area. The question becomes- are the Patriots willing to offer one to their best defensive lineman since Chandler Jones?

The Patriot Way

Chandler Jones. Many will point to him and fellow Patriot Jamie Collins in their argument that the Patriots are a cheap team in contract negotiations. This is false in many ways which I will not get into here. That’s for another time. They have a very rigid sense of the internal valuation of a player’s skill set and are not willing to go beyond that very often. In the event that they feel they will not be able to negotiate a contract that matches the team’s expectation with the player’s, they will seek to get maximum return on a departing player. Whether this means trading for draft assets or players or allowing them to leave in free agency.

Will they do this with Trey Flowers? His contract expires following the end of this season and with reinforcements along the line he could see his impact rise. This would put him in line for a major payday. Jason Pierre-Paul, Stephon Tuitt, Everson Griffen, Calais Campbell, and Danielle Hunter have all signed deals that have averaged just under 15 million per year. The franchise tag for defensive ends was $17.1 million. Demarcus Lawrence and Ezekial Ansah will play out the season under it. This all points to an explosion of contract value for young pass rushers.

Trey Flowers as a Pass Rusher

If Trey Flowers dominates again this season and the Patriots are comfortable, could they actually entertain the thought of trading the budding young star? The 2 first round picks that the Raiders received in the swap will certainly give them pause. Jamie Collins was traded in a surprising bye week trade to the Cleveland Browns. The team has re-stocked the pass rush with young Derek Rivers returning and signing veteran Adrian Clayborn. Now mind you, I am not advocating this course of action, but it is a possibility. We have seen Belichick remove a player that in the short-term could cause pain for the long-term gain. Collins, Jones, Moss, and Seymour have all found themselves packing their bags very quickly when the situation warranted a move.

If the young pass-rusher takes a step forward and sees his value increase, he will definitely be looking at a market that will pay him upwards of $15.5 million per year. Can the Patriots afford this? A rough estimation shows that they have over $168 million allocated for just 44 players. It shows that the organization will have to be frugal and cautious in their financial dealings. The proclivity for Belichick and company to adopt a year to year approach also supports a wait and see approach.

What can we expect?

The ball is in Trey Flower’s court. I’m sure some rough numbers and desires have been exchanged and both sides know where the other stands. You can expect that if he has a stellar year and meshes with the new personnel you’ll see his dollar figure rise with each sack. For me that increases the likelihood that we see him walk in free agency. I plan on enjoying this season and hope every member gets to be fitted for a shiny new ring before that happens.

All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise. All contract figures came from Spotrac.com

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

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Who Should the Patriots Bring Back to Their Practice Squad?

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Roster cuts were yesterday, and there were many surprises including the cut of Marquis Flowers. However, provided they make it through waivers, who should the Patriots re-sign to their practice squad?

Photo Courtesy of Pats Pulpit

QB – Danny Etling

Danny Etling wasn’t spectacular by any means in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Giants besides one amazing 86-yard touchdown run on a read option. The Patriots knew he would be a project when they drafted him. Belichick has given the kid high praise for his work ethic, and the Patriots should definitely continue to groom him.

UPDATE: The Patriots signed Etling to their practice squad.

RB – Ralph Webb

Webb has impressed in the preseason. He can be a nice asset to have if God forbid one of the running backs gets injured.

UPDATE: The Patriots signed Webb to their practice squad.

WR – Riley McCarron

The Patriots really like McCarron. He is a great player to have on a team with only three wide receivers on its active roster. Like Etling, he has a great work ethic and is willing to do anything the team asks of him.

UPDATE: The Patriots signed McCarron to their practice squad.

LB – Harvey Langi

Langi made a splash last year before getting injured. The Patriots really like the kid and will definitely sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers.

SIDENOTE: The fact that he, along with Eric Lee and Marquis Flowers, was released shows how much the team’s front seven has improved.

UPDATE: The Patriots signed Langi to their practice squad.

DE – Trent Harris

“Toolbox” Trent, as nicknamed by his Miami teammates, isn’t the flashiest player by any means. He has been called too slow and too small to make an impact. He is proving his doubters wrong by making an impact early and often in games. His nickname is what it is because Harris has a variety of moves and a high football IQ to beat defenders. He racked up several sacks over the preseason games and has the ability to play both end and linebacker.

OL – Cole Croston

Croston, like Langi, had made the team last year as an undrafted free agent. He can play every position well and can provide quality depth.

UPDATE: Croston cleared waivers.

Offensive Lineman: Post-Cut Looks

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With the uncertainty of roster cut day behind us, we now turn towards prepping for Week 1. The Patriots are a team that believes in churning the bottom of the roster. The cuts and the signings are all about improving the team. There are several reasons for this. They have certain needs that change from week to week. Players don’t progress as expected. Injuries cause vulnerabilities at various positions. Players become available that the coaching staff views as an upgrade.

With the Texans game coming up in a few short days the coaching staff is working furiously to quickly evaluate all the names that have become available across the NFL. Taking a quick look at the New England roster I noticed one major need. The offensive line has just seven members remaining. Marcus Cannon, Trent Brown and LaAdrian Waddle are the tackles and Joe Thuney, David Andrews, Shaq Mason, and Ted Karras fill up the interior. This is slightly thin given past history. The Patriots normally carry 8 on the roster and activate 6 or 7 for game day. An injury or two to this group will compromise the offense and endanger Tom Brady.

The Patriots will undoubtedly seek to get some of their own cuts onto their practice squad. Cole Croston, Matt Tobin and James Ferentz have provided depth in the past and I expect them to get first look at the beginning of the season. The Patriots may be turning towards veterans that are on the free agent market or waiver pickups.

Interior options

This isn’t as pressing of a need as Thuney, Mason and Andrews seem to be healthy and ready to go this season. Ted Karras has been an intriguing option for previous seasons and seems to have the trust of the coaching staff.

Zane Beadles

Zane Beadles – a 6 ft 4 inch veteran entering his 9th season. He has played for the Broncos, Jaguars, and 49ers. Primarily a guard, he has filled in at tackle and that versatility could intrigue the coaching staff. He last played in San Francisco with Trent Brown and could provide some leadership and familiarity.

Travis Swanson – A center/guard player who last played for the NY Jets. He would be an option to provide depth for Andrews. Being a former member of the Jets can only help as well. He is a little lighter at 6 ft 5 in and 312 pounds and has had trouble staying healthy.

Jeremiah Poutasi – Another guard with tackle experience. He is a little younger so they will have to claim him on waivers or sign him if he makes it through. He spent the offseason with the Denver Broncos and is 6 ft 5 and 330 pounds.

Nico Siragusa – One of my favorite prospects in the 2017 draft. The Ravens selected him in the 4th round and he suffered a knee injury in his rookie season. He’s worked his way back and may still need some time but has good speed and movement at 6 ft 4 in and 330 pounds

Tackle options

Austin Howard

Austin Howard – He should be on everyone’s radar, if only to see why he played so poorly. He was a sought after free agent when he signed with the Colts. He is a big guy at 6 ft 7 in and 330 pounds and could provide depth and competition for Waddle.

Antonio Garcia – Perhaps a year away with another team could have renewed the Patriot’s interest in Garcia. The team has been primarily concerned with his health and weight following his cut after his rookie season. New England could reconsider and see if he has improved with a claim.

Cyrus Kouandjio – Still 25 years young despite having 4 seasons under his belt. He was drafted by the Bills in the 2014 draft. He is 6 ft 7 in and 325 pounds. Cyrus could provide some size and speed behind the starters.

Chad Wheeler – Despite being and undrafted free agent and on the smaller side. He managed to play his way onto a bad NY Giants offensive line last season. The 6 ft 7 in Tackle prospect could get looks despite being sub 310 pounds.

With the Patriots coaching staff scouring the roster cuts and waiver wires they will be looking at more than just these names. Hopefully whoever they pick up will be able to help the team this season and beyond. Championship teams are built many ways, and the Patriots have mastered all of them.

All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise.

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The 2018 NFL Season is a week away

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Patriots Season Begins A Week From Today

Here we go it officially is one week until the start of the 2018 NFL season. The weather will start to get cooler and the smell of football will be in the air. The Patriots and the rest of the NFL cut their roster to 53 yesterday. The Patriots open the season against the Houston Texans next Sunday. The most notable cuts made on Saturday was RB Mike Gillislee, QB Danny Etling, Cyrus Jones, LB Marquis Flowers, RB Brandon Bolden, and WR Riley McCarron. All the drama in the offseason has been pushed aside after Brady and Gronkowski have restructured their contracts. Now it’s all about the actual game itself finally.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today

We’ll see the offense run without Edelman for September

As we look into the regular season we start with this month as Edelman will be out the first four games. Talks of getting a receiver are pretty quiet around New England about adding one. But knowing Belichick you never know what he has up his sleeve. Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, and Cordarrelle Patterson will have to step it up. Tight end Rob Gronkowski wants to play as much as possible to reach those incentives so he can make his money. Except James White to lead the running back position, along with Rex Burkhead, and rookie Sony Michel when healthy.

Patriots Initial Roster Includes Just 52 Players, Three Full-Time Receivers

Photo Courtesy of NESN

On the defensive side, Jason McCourty seems to have made the team. There was speculation whether or not he would because he played Thursday night in the last preseason game against the Giants. Stephon Gilmore will be the cornerback who had a great training camp this year. Jordan Richards finally is off this team and was traded Friday to the Atlanta Falcons. All of the bad defenders from the Super Bowl are off the team to begin the 2018 season. From Richards who again is on the Falcons to Johnson Bademosi who’s now playing for the Texans.

The Patriots as long as they still have Brady they’ll be good. We’ve been saying that for along time now. Edelman will come back in October ready to go and be a contributor to the offense. I expect Sony Michel when he is healthy to be a full force in the running game. Coming out of college he was being compared to Dion Lewis I’d like to see him be explosive out of the gate for the Patriots. Overall it should be a fun exciting year and another division win. A first-round bye and a chance at another Super Bowl.