Tag Archives: Patriots

Prime Candidates for the Patriots Defensive Coordinator Role Next Year

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There hasn’t been a defensive coordinator since Matt Patricia left for the Lions roughly two years ago. This year Bill Belichick will once again take the role of defensive play-caller while he continues to search for the perfect person for the job. Here we will look at the most likely candidates to have the role of defensive coordinator.

These are ranked by likeliness, not by who would be the best in the role.

5. Brian Flores

Belichick is VERY picky when choosing a new defensive coordinator. To even be considered you must have some experience with the Patriots system. That moves a lot of candidates off the table. But say that Flores struggles with coaching a terrible Dolphins squad and gets fired by the offseason. Belichick would not be afraid to bring him back. Flores was solid with the Pats the year prior as the defensive assistant, so he knows what it takes to be the defensive coordinator. He also has been with them for 15 years in different capacities. He knows what it takes to be successful for the Patriots, and Belichick will not hold the fact that Flores left against him.

4. Greg Schiano

Yes, he resigned before he was even hired last year because he wanted to spend time with his family. But the way I see it, is this was just a break before he gets back into coaching. He wants to evaluate the Patriots defensive talent to see if he has enough to work with so he doesn’t get another Buccaneers situation. Plus any successful football coach won’t retire until they are very old. The game will pull them back in just like it did with Scarnecchia. Schiano is a long time friend of BB. He is also a successful coach when given talent. While his short experience in the NFL wasn’t pretty, it was with a horrid Buccaneers team. Schiano is a solid option for the role, and definitely one one Bill’s radar.

3. Bill Belichick

While it would be a first for him to have play calling duties for three straight years, it is not impossible. He needs a D-coordinator that he can trust, and who better than himself. We know he won’t rush into any decision, so he may take another year if he strikes out of options. In the years Bill has been the play-caller the Patriots defense has been top notch. He has had three stints as the Patriots defensive play-caller, and he has been able to diminish the damage of losing crucial D-Coordinators like Pees and Patricia. I mean, just last year he managed a defense which is arguably responsible for their Super Bowl win. Bill might be the most likely option for defensive coordinator next year. The Pats will be more than fine if he is.

2. Matt Patricia

Is this surprising to anyone that he is on the list? He was with the Patriots for six years, leading a top ten defense to a championship twice. In 2016 his defense was the best in the entire NFL. He is a man who, like Belichick, gets the most out of his guys. Unfortunately for him, his tenure with the Lions isn’t going to well. His defense was average at best, and his offense was horrible. In my opinion Patricia, like McDaniels, is not cut out to be a head coach. I don’t think many would be too surprised if, after a second bad campaign, he gets fired and runs back to the Patriots. He can take the defense almost exactly the same as he left it and continue right where he left off.

He has shown some joy and skill in developing young players into stars, so Winovich, Bentley, and J.C. Jackson would be a project that could lure him back to the Pats. It would be putting it nice to say that he has struggled in his short time with the Lions, so perhaps it is time to go back to what he knows best: leading the Patriots defense to another ring.

1. Bret Bielema

You may be a little confused here with my #1 choice. I was too at first. But I researched past Belichick hirings, and this would be the most Belichick-like choice possible. Dean Pees, former Patriots defensive coordinator from 2006-2009, starting in college before joining the Pats as a position coach. When Mangini left, Pees took over and was pretty successful. Pees had a defense ranked top five in three of his four years, and of course was the DC during the undefeated run of 2007. Oh yeah, and don’t forget he only was a coach for two years with the Pats before getting the job. Bielema has followed that path up to this point. I believe that the only reason Belichick didn’t give him the job this year is because Bielema is relatively new to the Pats organization. But this year would mark his second with the club, the same amount of time as Pees had before becoming coordinator.

But Belichick is already preparing for him to become the new DC. Just this year he moved to defensive line coach from his consulting position, now marking him as a defensive coach. He was widely successful in college, at one point he was even considered for coach of the year in 2010. He was fired in 2017 because he couldn’t turn a bad Arizona team into a contender, but in the Pats’ case they already are contenders. Bielema may be a surprising pick, but Belichick has already started grooming him to be the next Patricia.

This could be Tom Brady’s last season playing football

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It’s been a great 20 year run

The contract extension that Tom Brady signed was just an $8 million raise for this season. The extra two seasons will be void and he will become a free agent after the 2019 NFL year. Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston had hinted Brady may hold out from all football activity had a deal not been met. Robert Kraft gave him a raise and Brady signed the deal. He’s also been looking at houses in Connecticut and New Jersey with his wife Gisele. He also wants to put his kids in schools in Manhattan, after putting his house on the market yesterday in Brookline we can assume this could be it for Brady playing football.

Tom Brady won’t play for another team

If Tom Brady was to leave football after this season nobody would blame him. He’s been to nine Super Bowls, won six, he’s accomplished more than any other quarterback in the league. He’s not going to move to New York and play for another team that isn’t going anywhere. His wife wants him to retire anyway, and I don’t think she’d want him to leave the family in New York while he goes and plays for a bad team. Nobody is going to invest a lot in a 43 year old quarterback at that point. He’s got his post-football plans set with TB12 and promoting that.

Bill Belichick believes in Brady but also likes to plan for the future of the franchise. Brady would never say before the season this is it for him. He wouldn’t want the distraction that it would come with. When David Ortiz announced he was retiring it was a distraction because it took the focus away from the team and on Ortiz’s retirement. Brady and the Patriots would say nothing until the conclusion of the season.

Finally, Robert Kraft would never trade Brady to another team. That is obvious. They probably made a deal that this would be the last season for Brady and to go out winning another championship. After that, he can focus more on his family and promoting TB12.

Tom Brady will officially retire a Patriot

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New contract for Tom Brady

Tom Brady has signed a two year $70 million contract extension with the Patriots. The 42-year-old, who just had a birthday, will be 44 when his contract is up. That the greatest NFL Quarterback of all time will retire a Patriot. Brady’s been the counterpart to Bill Belichick for the organization for 20 years and counting. When you think of the Patriots you always think of Belichick and Brady. He gets an $8 million raise this year then $30 and $31 million the following years.

Getting the deal done puts this away for two years. Now they can concentrate on football. No more questions about a new contract for Brady, or finishing his career in New England. There was no way Robert Kraft would let him finish it anywhere else anyway. He’s the face of the franchise in so many ways, and I don’t think he would want to play anywhere else. He loves it here between the team, community, etc. It would be crazy for him to leave.

Brady will end his career with the Patriots

The only time there was a concern was when the Patriots had Jimmy Garoppolo, who was supposed to be Brady’s replacement. But Brady had different ideas kicked it into gear and won two Super Bowls. Garoppolo was then traded and Brady has won another one. Seems like they chose the right guy. At some point, though, they have to get ready for post-Brady. But for now and a couple more years it’s all Brady.

What makes Brady different from any other Quarterback in the game is his attitude, and turning an average Wide Receiver into a great one. He’s won Super bowls with all kinds of talent on the offensive side. From Troy Brown, Deion Branch, Julian Edelman, and Rob Gronkowski, he’s done it with all types of talent at the receiver position. Ty Law was just inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, the first from the early 2000s Super Bowl teams. Someday you’re going to see Tom Brady at the podium wearing a gold jacket for the career he’s had, and will continue to have.

Belichick and Carroll: What The Coaching Gap Looks Like

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Six-time Super Bowl Champion. Sixteen division titles. A 225 win record and 19 seasons in New England. Put it all together and you get Bill Belichick.

The facts don’t lie. Belichick is one of the most successful coaches in the NFL ever. Heading into his 20th season, the next best coach in the league has a tough task trying to match up.

So who falls number two behind BB in the standings? According to NFL.com analyst Elliot Harrison, it belongs to Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.

Carroll’s head coaching career began in 1994 with the New York Jets, three years after Belichick took his first head coaching gig in Cleveland. His first shot was short-lived, however, and Carroll was off to San Francisco the following two seasons as a defensive coordinator.

In 1997, Carroll replaced Bill Parcells as the head coach of the New England Patriots. That first season resulted in an AFC Divisional Game appearance. In his next two season, the Patriots would finish fourth in the AFC East.

After the 1999 season, Patriots owner Robert Kraft had a decision to make. Should he stay with Carroll or take a chance on another guy? The decision was to fire Carroll and hire Belichick and, well, the rest has made history.

Next, Carroll took the head job at USC. He spent nine seasons with the Trojans. They won four of five Rose Bowl appearances, among other Bowl games.

So what separates Carroll from Belichick? Well, numbers don’t lie.

In six NFC Divisional Games, Carroll has lost four. He has only one Super Bowl ring. The Seahawks made two consecutive Super Bowls, losing in their second appearance in 2014 to, you guessed it, Bill Belichick.

On the positive end, what makes Carroll number two is his production each season.

Throughout his nine seasons in Seattle, Carroll’s Seahawks have finished first in the NFC West four times. They have only missed the playoffs twice in his tenure.

The “Legion of Boom” era made the Seahawks the team to beat at one point but, like any team, they’ve dealt with injuries to key players. Russell Wilson struggled with an ankle injury to start the 2016 season. To end that same season, Richard Sherman revealed he had been playing on an MCL injury. Carroll was still able to lead his team to first in the NFC West and make the Divisional Game for the sixth time.

The gap between Belichick and Carroll is large, but that is due to taking different paths. Belichick remained in the NFL throughout his entire coaching career, while Carroll spent some time in the college game.

By the time Carroll returned to the NFL in 2010, Belichick and Brady had been on a 10-year run. Carroll was starting from scratch, trying to build a dynasty that the Patriots had long-established by then.

It’s hard to say that if Carroll spent those nine years at USC in the NFL that the coaching gap would be closer. One can assume, however, that it would be the case.

As he closes in on a decade with the Seattle organization, many expect Carroll to only add accolades to his resume. Surely he will give Belichick a run for his money whenever he gets that next opportunity.

Harrison agrees with Law about the NFL HOF and says the media are Haters

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Monday Rodney Harrison will be inducted into the Patriots HOF. But right now it seems like the color of the jacket is the main topic.

Recently Ty Law, who is about to go into the Pro Football HOF, talked about Patriot players from the early 2000’s being overlooked. He may be right. But when you take a hard look there may not be many to follow him.

Here’s Ty Laws take on The HOF

Ty Law was a great player and is well deserving of the gold jacket, and he thinks there is a reason for the lack of Patriot players: The media. Ty said “It’s like we are looked at as a team, that’s it…Like there’s no players worthy of the HOF, at least from the media perspective, when it comes to the Patriots. It’s Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and everybody else, you know what I mean?”

Law isn’t completely wrong about this. Nationally, when it comes to the Patriots dominance, it comes down to the HC and QB. The Patriots machine has kept rolling for two decades, and the two constants have been Tom and Bill. That doesn’t mean Law thinks any less of his old teammate and coach. He blames the media. “You pretty much know, Tom Brady is the Greatest of all time,” Law said. “There’s no doubt about that. There’s no question about Coach Belichick. When you hear about our team, it was like to me, we have a hell of a lot of players out there who can play. You can’t do it with just two guys.”

Rodney agrees with Law

Harrison expanded on Law’s thoughts about the Patriot prejudice in the media. He talked about Patriots fatigue, and anti Patriots bias in the HOF.

“People don’t think we have ballers.” Rodney says “Ty Law was the greatest defensive back I’ve ever played with. He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen. Richard Seymour, Willie McGinest, Troy Brown, Kevin Faulk, these were bad, bad dudes. They weren’t just system guys.”

He added to Law’s thoughts on Bill and Tom, and how the media gives them all of the credit. “People don’t want to elevate us, or recognize, or acknowledge how great we are, because they’re such haters. Everywhere I go, people hate on the Patriots. So we don’t get credit. All I hear is Tom and Bill. But that’s such a lazy analysis. They don’t see what a team really is, and that’s really frustrating because a lot of guys get cheated and don’t really get the recognition they deserve.”

Tomorrow I’m hoping to get more from Rodney as he receives his red jacket

Harrison came to New England as Bill Belichick sent Lawyer Milloy to the Bills. The team didn’t like the move one bit. But once they saw Rodney’s work ethic and leadership he was quickly embraced as a captain. Tomorrow afternoon Harrison will be inducted to the Patriots HOF, and he seems to be happier than anyone before him going in. We will have you covered with the ceremony and behind the scenes interviews you can only find here. I will do my best to see who Rodney thinks is next in line for a Gold jacket.

Monday in Gillette stadium at 4:30, it’s free to the public. Rodney Harrison will be recognized and celebrated for his amazing career as a Patriot. So come on out, or you can wait to see everything in tomorrow’s article. You’ll only get to see the behind the scenes action right here, so make sure to check it out. Let’s Go Patriots!


The ups and downs so far at Patriots training camp

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First Day of Padded practice today

Patriots training camp has officially gotten underway this week with the first padded practice on Saturday. The first two days seemed like a continuation of the OTA’s with no pads, and Brady had the day off on Friday. Danny Etling went from quarterback to receiver, and we got to see rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham in action. He threw lots interceptions to start, but that’s to be expected. Sony Michel made his return to practice on Saturday, and Brady was also back on the field Saturday too.

Brady Looking to connect with his new receivers

A TB12 Moss reunion

On a downside, Brady was 0-4 on 11-11s today. It’s going to take some time to get used to his new receivers. Also having Edelman out with his thumb injury doesn’t help either. However, Brady has worked out with rookie receiver N’Keal Harry before the start of camp, and we’ll start to see the connection Brady and Harry have on the field now in camp. Harry could be a factor in the red zone, though, because of his size at receiver. With Gronkowski’s retirement, the pressure may be on Harry to make the big play down there. A plus though is Brady and Moss still have it, as you can see from the video below in a flashback to 2007.

We haven’t seen Michael Bennett yet, and the Patriots are saying it’s for a personal issue. You may have to speculate if that means he’s contemplating retirement or not playing for the Patriots. Isaiah Wynn is also still easing his way into football activities. Belichick seems to be having a low key camp, as today’s practice was just over an hour long. He doesn’t want to overwork them with the pads on. Seems like a different Belichick from years past, but who’s complaining? They just won the Super Bowl.

Also on a positive side, the defense looks pretty solid. The secondary in particular is pretty solid with Stephon Gilmore, the McCourty brothers, Terrence Brooks and Duron Harmon. Patrick Chung was also out there, but is wearing a red non-contact jersey until he is fully healthy from his broken arm in the Super Bowl.

What will Tom Brady’s contract look like

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Is Tom Brady getting a new deal soon?

Tom Brady is entering his 20th season in the NFL, and in a Patriots uniform. His contract with the Patriots ends after the 2019 season and they are completely hush about it. They don’t want to talk about contracts because it can be a distraction. Brady is a very underpaid quarterback in the league and has always taken pay cuts so the Patriots can put money in other places. You will never see that from a player again. As he turns 42 in August, you have to assume the 45 range for Brady would mean a three-year contract.

Brady should get a nice contract to close out his career

Brady got the biggest ovation today as training camp started for the Patriots. Fans gathered to watch the Super Bowl champs take the field, but most of all it’s TB12. Brady has a huge impact on the fan base and organization in general, he’s done a lot for 20 seasons.

Brady’s deal should be at three years and $25 million per season. That puts him there with Drew Brees, Russell Wilson. He won’t get higher than Jimmy Garoppolo, who’s making $27.5 million, because at Brady’s age that would be stupid to pay him that much. There’s also no doubt he will finish his career with the Patriots. There’s no way Kraft will let him go anywhere else anyway.

You will never see a player take less to stay with a team as Brady has. A lot of the players only care about the money. They say they care about winning but don’t show it. Brady is the total opposite, and cares more about winning and Super Bowls than almost anything else. He does deserve a raise after winning his sixth Super Bowl title, and really deserves to go out on top. A three-year deal worth $25 million is perfect to see him hang it up at 45.

Edelman’s Training Camp Injury May Benefit the Patriots

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Julian Edelman will be sidelined for the first three weeks of training camp with a thumb injury. Edelman’s injury has caused speculation about the abilities of the Patriots receiving corp. Currently, only Phillip Dorsett has caught a pass in an NFL game from Tom Brady. However, Edelman’s injury could be a much needed kick start to the team’s passing game.

Developing Rapport

Edelman will miss the first three weeks of training camp with a reported thumb injury. (Credit: Getty Images)

With Edelman sidelined, the Patriots receiving corp for camp includes Philip Dorsett, N’Keal Harry, Braxton Berrios, Maurice Harris, and Dontrelle Inman. As previously mentioned, only Dorsett has caught passes in a game from Brady.

How is this positive?

For the first three weeks of camp, Brady needs to get on the same page with these new receivers. His ability to click with new and young receivers has been heavily criticized in recent years. The initial absence of Edelman can accelerate the development of trust between Brady and the rest of the receiving corp. Additionally, it’s a tremendous opportunity for those receivers to prove themselves as viable options in the passing game.

Back to Basics

Credit: USA Today Sports)

It’s obvious how great Tom Brady is. That does not mean he is invulnerable from criticism. Particularly, Brady has always been associated with the “favorite receiver is the open receiver” cliche. In recent memory, this hasn’t always been the case. There have been egregious forced passes to Josh Gordon and Rob Gronkowski, multiple times ignoring an open Chris Hogan on downfield routes, and perhaps the most notable moment was missing an open James White on the sack-fumble that ultimately cost the team Super Bowl 52.

Why rehash these sour moments for fans? Without Edelman in training camp, it’s a chance for Brady to revert back to that basic principle of “my favorite receiver is the open receiver.” Developing that rapport with the rest of the receivers will allow him to trust those players when they create separation or get open.

Kick Start, Not Replacement

(Credit: Getty Images)

The Patriots are not a better team without Julian Edelman in the receiving corp. His return will bolster both the passing game and run game due to his impact on defenses. His absence at the start of training camp has the chance of being a great kick start to the potential development of the rest of the offense. It’s up to the other receivers and the greatest quarterback of all time to do the rest.

Boston Sports Extra at Julian Edelman’s Pro Camp

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Julian Edelman held his Pro Camp Saturday

Julian Edelman held his Pro Camp for kids in Sudbury Massachusetts. Kids in grades 1-8 get the chance to catch a pass from the Patriot great. They also learn some fundamentals of the game. Even though it is $249 a person, the turnout was still a big one even on a very hot day. With the Pro Camp being held that means football is right around the corner. Training camp begins Thursday in Foxborough.

Edelman is excited for the season to start

Edelman told reporters at the camp “We had summer break, [now] you get to see all the fellas. This is where you learn your team and learn each other and become accountable for each other and work hard together and create a consistency together.”

He also has done a lot for charity

Edelman not only does he do a lot on the football field, he does a lot for charity. Right after the Super Bowl his beard was shaved on the Ellen Degeneres Show in exchange for $10,000 donation to the Boys and Girls Club of Boston. He would also donate another $10,000 for a total $20,000 donated to the Boys and Girls Club. Edelman really does a great job teaching the kids different techniques and plays that are used even on the Patriots.

Edelman did speak about a great opportunity this is for these kids to have a chance to learn the game from the best. He said, “We’re showing them some techniques, giving them little pointers that are fundamental things we do in the pros. That you still have to work on.” Each person goes to each station to learn something new, whether it be on offense or defense. It really is a fun full day of football. Kids also receive Edleman merchandise for participating.

A Reunion with Collins

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Do you believe in second chances? Can you improve on first impressions? Is it possible to go back home? Can Jamie Collins come back to the team that drafted him?

So many questions…

These are questions that the New England Patriots and linebacker Jamie Collins are going to find the answers to when training camp opens for the 2019 NFL season. Collins was unceremoniously shipped off to the Cleveland Browns late October of 2016. Coming during the bye week of a tumultuous season it provided a much needed break for both parties.

The Patriots received draft capital for an individual it was likely not to resign. The Cleveland Browns got their hands on top tier free agent, one who might not have even taken a phone call from management. The Browns quickly inked him to a four year deal.

Bill Belichick walked away from the deal as the eventual winner, as they helped turn that third round pick into Brandin Cooks, Isaiah Wynn and numerous other draft day maneuvers. Oh, and two Super Bowl rings and an additional appearance. So, that worked out ok.

What led to his exit?

Similar to Patrick Chung‘s career arc, Collins has returned a wiser and more experienced football player. During his initial stint, he won on athleticism and speed. Every fan in New England remembers his leap over the head of the long snapper to block that kick. It was his freelancing ways that drew the ire of the coaching staff and contributed to his banishment to Cleveland. His contract situation also contributed. And like so many Patriots before him, he was seeking riches that the team was not willing to part with.

Now that the Cleveland Browns shelled out the cash for him, what do the Patriots have in store for the experienced vet?

What are the Patriots getting?

Jamie Collins and Myles Garrett attempt to rush the Passer: Photo credits by Erik Drost Flickr

A versatile, dynamic linebacker on the cheap for one. His contract is an extremely reasonable one year deal that guaranteed just $250k, and up to $5 million dollars in mostly incentive based language.

Snaps for another. With Dont’a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy returning as roster locks, and second year Ja’Whaun Bentley coming back from injury, there are only three sure linebackers on the roster for week one.

KVN accounted for 90.70% of the defensive snaps, as well as an additional 125 snaps on special teams. Hightower followed him with 74.21%, and 74 snaps on defense and special teams respectively. After that was a whole lot of part timers on both units.

Collins did miss ten games in the 2017 season with a concussion and a season ending MCL tear. He bounced back in 2018 but still look a touch slow. Collins will have to prove that he is fully healthy in order to stick with the team. He will also have to show up willing to work and listen to the coaching staff. With Belichick having a greater hand on the defensive side of the ball, I doubt he will allow the amount of improvisation that Collins is capable of.

The expectations for the 2019 season?

Jamie Collins readies himself for another practice rep. Photo: Erik Drost Flickr

Collins can come in and prove his professionalism. He can get caught up with the new play book and bring his unique playing styles to the team. If the Patriots break camp with a healthy four man rotation of Hightower, KVN, Bentley and Collins, that would constitute one of the deeper and more talented units across the league.

Whatever happens, Belichick will select his guys, get them ready, and put the best game plan to win football for the 2019 season.

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 www.pro-football-reference.com unless otherwise noted.

LFG for the 7th Ring in 2019!!