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.
The NFL season is just around the corner. That means that training camp is in full swing and joint practices are starting up. The New England Patriots open up their 2018 title defense with a preseason game this week against the Detroit Lions. With the Patriots and Lions getting their join practices underway, let’s take a look at a few story lines to look at this week.
Bill Belichick vs. Matt Patricia
This is a classic case of the teacher versus the student in a head to head matchup. We all know that Matt Patricia was the defensive coordinator for the Patriots for two of their Super Bowl runs. Then in the 2018 off-season when the Lions came calling, Patricia took the head coaching job. Keep in mind, the Lions finished 6-10 in Patricia’s first season at the helm. Oh and by the way, his first win was against the Patriots. It’s going to be interesting to see how the dynamic pans out for these two former colleagues. Will Matt Patricia be smart and not tell Bill Belichick any secrets? Will Belichick see something in Patricia’s system that he could use for his own benefit? We’ll see once the week unfolds.
Jarrett Stidham
This is more of a headline that I’m interested in seeing unfold. Jarrett Stidham is the Patriots 4th round selection out of Auburn University. People aren’t paying too much attention to him. Tom Brady obviously signed his extension through 2021 yesterday, and Brian Hoyer is the backup. But, nobody is giving Stidham much of a chance. Think about this for a second. He was a First Team All-SEC quarterback in 2017, and played in arguably the best conference in College Football. Stidham also threw for 36 touchdowns in his two seasons with the Tigers. Could Belichick be getting Stidham ready for the future? Maybe. It will be interesting to see how Belichick utilizes Stidham throughout the preseason.
The Wide Receiving Core’s Health
One of the big questions of the entire off-season has been the Patriots wide receivers. Will they be healthy enough to be ready for the season as perform? Well right now, Julian Edelman is out with a hand injury. Demariyus Thomas has the questions of coming back from an Achilles injury. A guy like Braxton Berrios is on the fence for just making the Patriots roster. This team needs some healthy bodies at wide receiver, and they need them quickly. With a retired Gronk, the wide receivers will be depended upon more than ever for Tom Brady.
In Conclusion
There is a lot to look at between these two teams. The Patriots always win the AFC East with relative ease. The Lions are competing in a tough NFC North division with Green Bay, Chicago, and Minnesota battling it out every season. The Patriots do not play the Lions this upcoming season. Plus, there was a time last season where the Patriots lost in Detroit and people thought the Patriots were done. Maybe Belichick and company want a little payback for last season. Well…maybe not because it’s preseason. But football is back and it’s time to get technical once again. Cue up NFL RedZone!
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.
The #Patriots and QB Tom Brady are in agreement on a 2-year deal worth $70M, source said, thru 2021. He gets $23M this year, then $30M and $32M in the following years — though both sides are amenable to adjusting it if the situations warrants. It’s essentially year-to-year.
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.
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!
McGinest: “I mean, as athletes, we like to have our nucleus around us and we like to have a certain amount of talented guys. Gronk’s not here anymore. I mean, a big part of this team, this offense, for a long time. You guys had a lot of success together.”
“Does it become tougher losing that type of talent and then waiting for guys to maybe take the next step, or seeing how you gonna go in and game plan without guys like that now?”
Brady: “Yeah it’s always challenging when you have significant turnover. And I think it’s, I always say it’s like climbing a mountain, you know. And every time you climb the mountain, the next year you start right at the bottom. Right with everyone else. And you have a new group of people. You have a new group of climbers. You got different tools you can use.”
Brady continued and said, “And everyone starts at the same place and you just gotta, there’s no way to do it other than just start working your way up.”
“And that’s what we’re doing now. You can’t get to the top in two days. It’s gonna take a long, you know it’s a long year. It’s a long grind and (everyone of) the guys who make the team, they’ll have earned it. They’ll put us in our best position to be the best team we can be.
Brady also added, “So, I don’t know how that all shakes out, you know. It’s competitive, you know I’m competing everyday. The receivers are, the line is. You know it’s competitive between the defense and we’ve gotta, you know if we want to be the best team we can be, we gotta compete as hard as we can and see how that competition shakes out.”
McGinest: “And I know you never reflect and never kind of look in the past and talk about it because we’re conditioned not do. But when you’re at the ring ceremony, and you’re putting on the six rings, and you’re sitting back with the family and you are spending some quality time just not doing anything football wise. Do you kind of think about how surreal this whole process has been? And I know the story’s not done, you’re still writing it. But do you just kind of sit back and reflect of how, like, amazing this run has been?”
Brady: “I think yeah, I think for all of us. I mean, if we all look back at our life we can’t imagine, you know, how far we’ve come. You growing up in Southern Cal and me growing up in Northern Cal, I never imagined playing one year of pro football. You know, it was a dream to play, to be the starting quarterback on my high school team, and then I tried to do everything I could to start for Michigan. And then I got here, and I was like, ‘Man, I’m gonna work just like I worked before to try and be the starting quarterback for the Patriots.’”
Brady also said, “And I think that’s the approach I still take, you know. Nothing is given in this game. And in a team sport if you’re not the best, you gotta give the pedestal to someone else. And I gotta prove that I’m the best to myself. I gotta prove that I’m the best to my teammates and coaches so I can earn the respect of those guys.”
There was more to this interview but this was the portion McGinest posted on his Twitter.
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
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.
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.
As football season fast approaches, so does fantasy season. For the Patriots, their fantasy options seem a little more scattered than everyone is used to. The departure of Gronkowski and suspension of Watson leaves a gap in the position. Injuries also bring with them questions on who will be ready to go by the team’s first game. When it comes to picking up a Patriot for your fantasy roster, great consideration must be taken.
Best picks
Julian Edelman
Heading into this season, Edelman will surely be the receiver with the most catches and fantasy points for the Patriots. Currently he is out with a thumb injury and is expected to miss most of camp. Edelman being out is not much of a concern when it comes to him being on the field week one. Expect him to not only be back, but back to solidify his Super Bowl 53 MVP title.
In both PPR and Standard fantasy leagues, Edleman is a solid choice and will contribute great numbers each week. Chances are he will remain available through the entirety of the first round and second, but if you’re trying to establish a strong wide receiver duo, plan accordingly.
James White
The Patriots did a good job of utilizing White and Michel in the back field last season. White will be participating in camp and with the possibility of Michel’s injury impacting the start of his season, White will obviously share more of the RB responsibility.
While there are other running backs that will be snatched before White, he is a great second back to keep in mind. Last season he had 87 receptions for 751 yards, and 94 rush attempts for 425 yards. He maintains solid numbers that will surely contribute to any good RB duo.
Tom Brady
There is not much to be explained here. Brady is consistent, and that is why he has six Super Bowl rings. The man’s numbers are not always top of the fantasy leaderboard, but he is reliable in almost any game and for many rosters this season, that is enough.
Mid-Round
N’Keal Harry
Grabbing a rookie early is (almost) always a nerve-racking move. Harry’s film doesn’t lie, the kid is bound for great things in New England. However, given that this is the former Sun Devil’s first year in the league, fantasy-wise, you should not put all your eggs in this basket.
Drafting Harry as your second WR or someone to rotate in is the better choice. Being behind Edelman, he is surely not going to be Brady’s favorite target from the jump. Give the kid some time to adjust to the league, and the points may start to reel their way in.
Sony Michel
Most know by now that Michel is out on PUP for what looks like most of training camp, if not more. Michel had a breakout rookie season rotating in with White, which makes him a quality second back. If he comes back from injury in top shape, he could be a good guy to have on your team.
What might be the threat to Michel’s RB-2 status in fantasy and on the Patriots roster may not be an injury, however, it may be the guy up next.
Damien Harris
The Patriots third-round 2019 draft pick is a solid back from Alabama. Harris is undoubtedly using Michel’s injury as an opportunity to try and snag that RB-2 spot. Michel missing from camp might be the chance for Harris to show Belichick and McDaniels what he can do.
This also creates an opportunity for Harris to show fantasy drafters what he can do. It seems unlikely at the moment that Harris is going to replace Michel under any circumstance, but then again, anything is possible in the NFL. Harris is a kid to keep your eye on this training camp because he might just surprise you.
Other guys to keep in mind
Benjamin Watson
With the departure of Gronkowski, the tight end spot blew wide open. Veteran Ben Watson came out of his brief retirement to sign with a team newly in need of some big-man help. The pros of a veteran tight end is the experience, but the cons is the wear and tear on the body.
Watson is a risky take because he will be serving a four game suspension to start the season for a substance violation. It seems likely that he will be utilized when he is back, but the question becomes how much and how often?
Phillip Dorsett
A reliable guy, but by no means Brady’s favorite target, Dorsett might be a late round guy to think about. Dorsett has come up clutch in many situations and proven a solid man in the WR-3 spot. If you’re looking for a receiver to keep around on your bench, he might be a good choice.
Matt LaCosse
With Watson’s suspension to start the season, tight end Matt LaCosse might slip into the first spot on the roster. He’s 26, played on a few different teams, but has not seen the results that Patriots fans would hope for in a starting guy.
The upside to LaCosse is that he is joining one of the most solidified offenses in the game. If he can learn the system well, connect with Brady but be the big man up front when needed, he might find his place in New England. He is not a guy to fight for, just someone to think about in the later rounds of your draft.
While Bill Belichick and the Patriots always seem to find a way, there should be some reason for concern with the future of this team. A bad draft next year would be detrimental to the future of this team and here is why:
In 2020 and 2021 several premiere players on the Patriots’ offense and defense will see their current contracts expire. The Patriots will have many key pending free agents coming up. Pending free agents are the last thing a team with a desperate need for a tight end wants to hear.
Tom Brady will be a pending free agent after this season and David Andrews will be in 2021 Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Notable 2020 free agents: Tom Brady, Kyle Van Noy, Joe Thuney, Devin McCourty, Josh Gordon, Jamie Collins, Ben Watson, Adam Butler, and many more
Notable 2021 free agents: David Andrews, Dont’a Hightower, James White, Michael Bennett, J.C Jackson, Duron Harmon, Lawerence Guy, Stephen Gostkowski, Rex Burkhead, Deatrich Wise and more
Some of these players will obviously be resigned, however, some will not and will go to other teams.
Safety Concerns
Honestly, McCourty’s days look numbered, and he even contemplated retirement during the week leading up to the Super Bowl.
Devin McCourty during Opening Night for Super Bowl LIII Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
“Yeah man, if we win a Super Bowl, I don’t know what else can top that.”
Devin McCourty during Super Bowl media week
Devin McCourty has always been a key piece to this defense and the team, however, he is on the wrong side of thirty and has the second-highest cap hit among safeties this season.
Unless the then thirty-two year old safety wants to sign on to a pretty sizable cash reduction in comparison to years prior, McCourty might find himself being forced to call it quits.
The other safety up for a new contract soon is Duron Harmon. Much like McCourty, he also plays a big role in the Patriots’ secondary. Losing him would not bode well for the Patriots, and would leave a pretty large hole in the secondary (especially if McCourty is gone by this time too).
New England will try really hard to resign both players. Harmon will probably be a harder one to accomplish, as the 2021 cap might restrict the Patriots from offering a desirable deal.
The last and final thing to mention before naming the potential solution to this issue is that Chung, much like McCourty, also is aging. He is coming off shoulder surgery and a bad arm injury that he sustained in the Super Bowl. Many question marks surround his future going forward.
Solution at the Position:
Xavier McKinney of Alabama Photo: Stuart McNair, 247Sports
Three big names to watch this season at the safety spot are Grant Delpit of LSU, Isaiah Simmons of Clemson, and Xavier McKinney of Alabama.
McKinney should be, by far, the most realistic name when the season is all set and done. Delpit currently projects to be a top ten pick and Simmons does not stand far behind.
For the sake of realism here, Xavier McKinney is the guy to look at.
Xavier McKinney: Some compare him to former Giants, now Redskins’ Landon Collins. McKinney plays strong safety for the Tide and, in some eyes, was the Tide’s top safety last year. Even over NFL draftee Deionte Thompson, who many had going in the first round, but fell out due to size concerns.
McKinney will now be the leader of that Nick Saban secondary, and his skills will be on full display. Pay close attention to his intelligence and athleticism on the field. These are traits that New England convets.
Another standout trait McKinney has is his footwork. His feet are on another level, which goes to show just how much time he puts into his game. Good footwork does not come easy ,and takes a lot of time to perfect.
McKinney’s press coverage is air tight. He is a gym rat. Only has 3% body fat (DK Metcalf’s was 1.6% for reference). His versatility and potential are also key traits of his too.
All this leads me to think that Xavier McKinney could not only play strong safety in New England, but could really fill the void of Patrick Chung’s inevitable absence in a few years.
Defensive End is Destined to be a Problem
In the 2021 offseason Deatrich Wise, Michael Bennett, and Derek Rivers will all see their current contracts expire. This will be problematic as there is no way the Patriots would be able to afford signing all three of these pass rushers.
Bennett would demand at least $4.5 million at 35 years of age.
Wise has a chance to secure the bag with good play over the next two seasons Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
Deatrich Wise’s market is yet to be seen. The pass rusher seems set for a breakout season, and might increase his market dramatically over the next two seasons.
Derek Rivers should focus on making the team first, however, he has the potential to make somewhere around $3 million (if he actually pans out, which is a big if).
Things could really go haywire in 2021 if all three, more importantly Wise and Bennett, do not return. So who can be our pass rusher across from Chase Winovich?
Solution at the Position:
Patriots’ fans can hope and pray all they want that Iowa defensive end A.J Espensa can fall later in next year’s draft. Unfortunately, much like Grant Delpit, this seems very unlikely. Yetur Gross-Matos, right now, seems more realistic at the defensive end position and should be an extremely intriguing prospect to watch this football season.
Yetur Gross-Matos: He earned first defensive team Big-10 honors last season as a sophomore. His size is pretty prototypical for an edge defender (6-5, 265 pounds). Matos looks to become the next first round defensive lineman out of Penn State since Jared Odrick in 2010.
The most impressive skill of Gross-Matos’ is his quickness. Not too long ago, he ran a 4.52 forty-yard dash. That would have ranked third among all defensive lineman in this year’s NFL combine.
A really impressive stat from last season was his twenty tackles for a loss. Gross-Matos proved to be a disruptive force last season in University Park and will only continue to grow this season.
His jump off the ball is very nice and his change of direction skills are very solid as well.
He still hasn’t proved to be a fantastic pass-rusher, and his success really relies on how well his jump off the ball was. However, expect him to improve on those weak spots this season and keep a close eye.
Victor Dimukeje of Duke Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
*Note: For a more mid-round prospect, watch out for Victor Dimukeje out of Duke. Pro Football Focus likes him a lot and so should you. Really good defender for Duke.
Tight End Still Pressing Need
Ben Watson, Matt LaCosse, Ryan Izzo should be good enough to get by this year. However, next season Ben Watson will probably retire again. Even if he somehow finds his way onto the roster again, tight end should be a position to address early.
Ben Watson back in Patriots’ gear for the first time since the 2009 season Credit: Nancy Lane/Boston Herald
Naming a tight end out of this class is really hard. Almost all of the tight ends are different and have their own trademark ability.
Albert Okwuegbunam of Missouri is currently the top tight end prospect in this class. However, his ability has really been hyped up, and he might not be the top prospect come next April.
Grant Calcaterra of Oklahoma is certainly intriguing. He plays a lot like Evan Engram. Unfortunately, he blocks a lot like Evan Engram too.
This John Mackey Award candidate Jacob Breeland might be the best fit in New England Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
The most complete tight end might just be Jacob Breeland of Oregon.
Breeland is a 6’5, 248 pound deep-threat tight end with strong hands and elite athleticism.
He played receiver in high school (just as Grant Calcaterra did) and he has brought those receiver-like skills to his job as tight end of the Oregon Ducks.
With Gronk now gone, the Patriots will lose one of the greatest red-zone threats in team history. While Breeland certainly should not be expected to replace Gronk per say, a 6’5, receiver-like body would defiently help pick up the pieces in the red area.
Another thing that makes Breeland extremely valuable is his speed and size combination that can so easily create mismatches for opposing defenses. We all know that Belichick, Brady, and McDaniels are experts in this area and having a guy like that could certainly serve them well.
Breeland appears to be a much stronger blocker than both Grant Calcaterra and Albert Okwuegbunam. That really tipped the scales in his direction.
A strong season by him would really seal the deal for him being the favorite tight end target for next year’s NFL Draft.
FEBRUARY 5, 2019 – BOSTON, MA: New England PAtriots Tom Brady waves the Super Bowl trophy and salutes the fans on Boylston St during the rolling rally. (Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki/DigitalFirst Media/ Boston Herald)
Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time, there’s no question about that. But imagine if he had a podcast, what would it be like? What kind of guests would he have on besides the obvious people like Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, and Bill Belichick. Even the Krafts are an obvious guest on his podcast. It would be the most downloaded podcast in the U.S., beating all the rest. What would they talk about? Football, the TB12 Method, being 41 and feeling like 25? All those and more topics would be interesting.
A Tom Brady Podcast full of Guests
Brady would, of course, keep the podcast classy but also hopefully give an inside scoop of the Patriots locker room and balancing family with football. We saw that during his Tom Vs. Time documentary on Facebook Watch how he did that, but that was only a snippet. The guests he would have on from former players and coaches to current players and coaches would be really cool. Even some Hall Of Fame players too. What would really be cool is if he had Joe Montana on it since that was who Brady looked up too.
Brady has done so much in his career that if he ever did his podcast at a charity event to raise money, tickets would be sold out in a matter of minutes. He could also have different athletes from this city on his podcast like Red Sox legend David Ortiz. Now that would be epic and Boston Sports porn! Brady would not only win on the football field, he would win on the airwaves too.
Finally, the fans could call in maybe and submit questions to the show. He could answer as many as he could. Overall a Tom Brady podcast would be out this world, and a great post-career move decision on his part.
