Tag Archives: Tom Brady

Tom Brady Will Be Ready To Dominate This Season (@steveA1127)

Leave a reply

Tom Brady Has Entered The Building

Via hubwav

Tom Brady has reported to training camp early. The GOAT is coming off an interesting offseason in which he skipped all of the voluntary workouts. Brady has been spending more time with his family and training his own way with Alex Guerrero to be ready for the season. He is likely very happy that Josh McDaniels is back and also that no quarterback on the roster is a threat to take his job. There was question if Brady would holdout because of a contract. But that isn’t happening and he’ll be ready to go.

Retire A New England Patriot?

Via Boston Herald

Brady wants to end his career with the Patriots and Robert Kraft is making sure that happens. The 2019 season will likely be his last, judging by his candid remarks in an interview with Oprah. The “playing until 45” guarantees was a tactic to keep Jimmy Garoppolo at bay and for the fans to celebrate. It’s more realistic to suggest that Brady will be retiring when his contract is up after the 2019 season. He’ll have one year with Josh McDaniels as the head coach.

18 Years Has Flown By

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) ORIG FILE ID: 508481337

When Brady was drafted back in 2000, he was out of shape and told Kraft the this will be the best decision the organization has ever made. Eighteen years later, Brady has lived up to his word. Drafting Brady 18 years ago was indubitably the best decision the organization has ever made. Brady has won five Super Bowls and helped turn the Patriots into a dynasty for 18 years. He’s made his own brand, started a family, and traveled the world to visit fans everywhere. Brady’s ego may have gotten in the way recently, but that was only because his job was at stake. Once Brady went to Kraft about playing until age 45, Kraft ensured that Garoppolo would be traded.

Brady played much better after Garoppolo was drafted and won two Super Bowls. As his career is coming to a close sooner rather than later, let’s enjoy the last years of Brady in a Patriots uniform and forget the ugly along the way.

Jimmy Garoppolo On His Time With The Patriots

Leave a reply

Jimmy Garoppolo Discusses His Time In New England

(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Jimmy Garoppolo recently had an interview with Bleacher Report. Throughout the whole interview, Garoppolo sounds a lot like Tom Brady. Garoppolo talked about the competitiveness between him and Brady. There were times after practice when Brady and Garoppolo would play the bucket game, which consists of landing a football in a trash can in the back corner of the endzone. Garoppolo told Bleacher Report ” There would be days where one of us would win and you wouldn’t talk to the other for a little while,” Jimmy says. “We’d be fine the next day, but it was one of the best things for me. We would push each other and we got two Super Bowls out of it.”

Like I’ve said before, Tom Brady got better after Jimmy Garoppolo was traded. In three seasons, Tom Brady completed 65.1 percent of his passes. Brady threw for 97 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Tom Brady maintained a quarterback rating of 103.1 while in his late 30’s. Brady declined to be in the interview by Bleacher Report. Jimmy Garoppolo was hurt the Patriots traded him but excited at the same time that he’d get a chance to start somewhere.

“WE GOT ALONG, BUT THERE WERE ALWAYS TIMES WHERE WE WANTED TO KILL EACH OTHER.” -Garoppolo, on his relationship with Brady

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Garoppolo discussed his relationship with Tom Brady, saying “The competitiveness between the two of us was very similar. If I’m playing my best friend in one-on-one basketball, if we are both into it, by the end, we are going to hate each other. That’s how it is. All the good competitors have that. We got along, but there were always times where we wanted to kill each other. It was a healthy, competitive relationship.”

At the end of the day, only Jimmy Garoppolo could steal Tom Brady’s job.

The Road Ahead For Jimmy G

Garoppolo was asked if he thought he was better than Tom Brady. He answered, “It was always a quiet confidence, I would never speak that. You believe in yourself, that’s the best way to put it. You have to pick your battles, but I had belief in myself that I could do certain things, and it’s always worked out pretty well. It will always be in me, that drive that comes from my dad telling me that someone is always working harder, that I’m always in last place and I need to catch up to someone else.”

Garoppolo came off just like a younger Brady, who felt he was in last and always played as the underdog. Five years from now, it seems very likely that Jimmy Garoppolo will be the best quarterback in the NFL and the Patriots will be kicking themselves for letting him go.

Tom Brady Had A Say In Bringing Back Josh McDaniels (@steveA1127)

Leave a reply

The Bizarre Offseason

Courtesy of Jim Rogash

There is no question that this offseason for the Patriots has been the most bizarre offseason in 18 years. It began immediately after the Super Bowl up until Tom Brady skipping OTA’s. It was reported last week by Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal that Belichick is upset that Robert Kraft is intervening in football decisions. Then, it was reported by Karen Guergian of the Boston Herald that Brady had a say in bringing back Josh McDaniels.

Brady Overstepping His Boundaries?

Guergian wrote “As for Belichick, he is reportedly irritated because he believes Brady tugged on (owner) Robert Kraft to make moves (Jimmy Garoppolo, Josh McDaniels) which ultimately forced Belichick’s hand.  My sources confirm Brady had a hand in bringing McDaniels back at the 11th hour, after the latter was headed to Indianapolis to be the Colts coach.”

In my opinion, this will be Bill Belichick’s last season with the Patriots and he’ll retire. Once Belichick found out Brady had a say again in a football decision, it was all over from there. Belichick is now preparing the team so it’s decent when Josh McDaniels takes over next season as the head coach. Josh McDaniels needed to know what his status was going to be with the Patriots before he came back. Once McDaniels found out he’d be the successor , the right decision was to come back to Foxoborough.

The End is Near

This also gives Tom Brady a year under Josh McDaniels before he too retires. There’s no way Brady is playing until age 45. While Brady is excited to begin his 18th season on the Patriots, posting on Instagram that he’ll play until age 45 is for the fans. In reality, he’s likely going to retire at the end of the 2019 NFL season. Enjoy the final two years because the end is coming sooner rather than later. Go check out his interview with Oprah if you don’t believe me.

Julian Edelman Will Not Appeal His Suspension

Leave a reply

Julian Edelman Won’t Take Further Action

(AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Julian Edelman will not take any further action and appeal his four-game suspension. He will be out for the first four games of the season. This is a blow to the Patriots offense to begin the year with the loss of Amendola. Tom Brady will have to rely on other players to step up and make plays. Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell, and Rob Gronkowski will have to be key parts to the offense to begin the year. Julian Edelman was popped for a PED substance following the injury to his torn ACL. Alex Guerrero came to the defense of Edelman and said it had nothing to do with his treatment at TB12.

Julian Edelman Will Be Missed

The schedule for the Patriots in September is against the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and Miami Dolphins. Julian Edelman won’t take the same road Tom Brady took during his deflate-gate suspension. Julian Edelman has been working out with Tom Brady privately this offseason in the practice field house. Edelman did attend the OTA’s this offseason in an attempt to start off on the right foot after missing all of last season.

Bill Belichick can’t be happy Edelman will be missing the first four games, but like always, will do what’s best for the football team. With training camp beginning Thursday, we’ll catch the first glimpse of everyone on the practice field behind Gillette Stadium. Everyone is expected to be there and Brady will supposedly be there early as well. Rob Gronkowski will also be there early.

Julian Edelman Will Be Ready To Go In Week Five

Julian Edelman is a loss, but I would have him serve the suspension at the beginning of the season rather than in December. It’s still a mystery what Edelman tested positive for because the NFL won’t release that information. Whatever it was that got him suspended, he’ll be ready to go in week five.

From 2000 To Today: A Dynasty In Peril? (@steveA1127)

Leave a reply

2000 Was A Great Year In New England

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR_PDDCZkss

I was eight years old when Tom Brady was drafted in 2000. When the Patriots drafted Brady in the sixth round pick (199th overall), nobody outside of New England thought this run would last 18 years. The Patriots have won five Super Bowls and have been to eight of them from 2001-2017. From the beginning, Robert Kraft has let head coach Bill Belichick run the football operations. From letting players go no matter how good they are, Belichick always has said he does what’s best for the team, not for an individual player (except for Brady).

Robert Kraft Has Grown Close To Tom Brady

Via Boston Herald

Robert Kraft is like a father to Tom Brady and would never let Bill Belichick trade him.  However, things in Foxborough started to shake a little when Tom Brady’s play started to slip and Belichick was looking towards Tom Brady’s successor. From 2010-2013, Tom Brady threw 134 touchdowns and 35 interceptions. In 2014, Bill Belichick made a pick at quarterback and selected Jimmy Garoppolo. Belichick said at a press conference after they drafted Garoppolo, “We know what Tom’s age and contract situation is. I don’t think you want to have one quarterback on your team. I don’t think that’s responsible to the entire team or the organization.”

Tom Brady Played Better After Garoppolo Was Drafted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axj4FVhkoL8

That is when Tom Brady really shifted into gear with preparation. He knew how he got his job and didn’t want the same to happen to him. The power struggle probably started in 2014, when Belichick drafted Jimmy Garoppolo. Tom Brady threw 129 touchdowns from 2014-2017 and only 26 interceptions. Brady also would lead the Patriots to two Super Bowls victories and have the greatest comeback in Super Bowl History, down 25 points.

Every Relationship Has Tension

At the start of the 2017 NFL season, Brady was really pushing his TB12 brand. Brady was also saying he wanted to play until his mid 40’s. Meanwhile, Belichick was planning for the future of the franchise, preparing for the next quarterback to fill Tom Brady’s shoes. Belichick wanted to do what was best for the football team – moving on from someone, regardless of how much they mean to the organization. However, what Belichick fails to realize is that Tom Brady is bigger than the team. He’s earned that right to stick around based solely on how many championships he’s won.

Belichick Likes To Do What’s Best For The Team

However, when you play for Bill Belichick, he doesn’t see it that way. He wanted to go with Jimmy Garoppolo to be set for the next decade. But when Brady reportedly went to Kraft and asked to trade Garoppolo, that’s when Belichick really got upset. Kraft shipped Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers, which prompted Belichick to talk very highly of Garoppolo during the immediate press conference. That is when Tom E. Curran first reported a rift, even before ESPN did in January.

The Transitions Are Coming, From Ownership To Players

Kraft said before the Super Bowl last season that in every relationship, there’s going to be tension and that people aren’t always going to agree on things. Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal wrote last week that relations between Kraft, Belichick, and Brady have still not been worked out. Belichick is upset that Kraft is getting in the way of football decisions. Between trading Garoppolo to bringing back McDaniels and almost trading Gronkowski, Belichick is likely not too happy. Bill Belichick has traded every possible weapon that could help Brady.

I still believe Belichick is retiring at the end of the season, which is whyJosh McDaniels was brought back. McDaniels needed to be assured that the head coach position would soon be his. This conversation surely took place.

Brady Hinting He Will Be Reporting To Training Camp Early

Via Patriots Instagram

Since Jimmy Garoppolo has been gone, Brady has talked about spending more time with his family and has skipped all offseason voluntary workouts. All of the “in denial” Patriots fans will say that the voluntary workouts aren’t important. Yet, Brady has attended them for 17 seasons and nobody said that it wasn’t a big deal in those years. Tom Brady has hinted he will be reporting to Patriots training camp on Sunday four days early. All of his vacations are over and it’s back to work for the almost 41-year-old quarterback.

This year begins the 18th season between Belichick, Brady, and Kraft. It’s been a great ride for the last 18 years and this one might be the last we see these three in the same building together. Brady, like I’ve been saying, will likely play out his contract and retire after the 2019 season. In 2020, Josh McDaniels will have a brand new team to work with and try to bring more championships to Foxborough for the next decade.

Gronkowski Will Be At Training Camp (@steveA1127)

Leave a reply

Training Camp Begins Next Thursday

(Foxborough, MA, 01/13/16) Wide receiver #11, tight end #87 Rob Gronkowski, and quarterback #12 Tom Brady warm up for Patriots practice at Gillette. Wednesday, January 13, 2016. Staff photo by John Wilcox.

Training Camp begins next week and Rob Gronkowski will be reporting on time according to ESPN. First of all, as long as Tom Brady is playing quarterback, Gronk will be looking for his passes.   There really wasn’t a question that Brady would be back this season. The retirement rumors and his contract issues about money were true. However, he needed to think about his future and hold tight for Brady’s so-called decision. After the dirt-bike press conference nonsense, he had a meeting with Belichick where Belichick gave him an ultimatum. Gronkowski then got his act together and posted a video that he was getting ready for the 2018 season.

It’s not known if Gronkowski got a new contract or not. He’s set to make $9 million dollars this season. For comparison, Jimmy Graham tops the NFL tight-end salary list,  making around $10 million. Gronkowski has complained about his contract throughout the off season, alluding to his worth. Without a contract for Rob Gronkowski, when Brady retires after the 2019 season the star tight end will either play for another team or retire himself.

Gronkowski Will Be Playing As Long As Tom Brady Is The Quarterback

  Via USA Today

Gronkowski deserves a pay raise making him the highest paid tight end in the NFL. He’s probably the greatest tight end to ever play the position. With next Thursday’s training camp start, the vacation will be over and football season will be right around the corner. It will be interesting to see how Gronkowski interacts with Belichick on the field. Keep in mind that Gronkowski is a TB12 client, so he’ll be getting treatment there too to optimize his fitness.

This isn’t fake news:  Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal reported that a trade for Gronkowski was possible, according to an AFC e

[contact-form][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Website” type=”url” /][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea” /][/contact-form]

xecutive. But with Gronkowski be committed to the 2018 NFL season it’s clear he’s playing for Tom Brady, Robert Kraft, and the fans.

Eye of the Tiger: Part 2 of Patriots Training Camp

Leave a reply

This is Part 2 of the 10 Patriots with the most to prove heading into training camp. To read the first five Patriots visit Part 1.

Who’s got the eye of the tiger?

The thrill of the fight…

Heading into the 2018 training camp for the New England Patriots, there are 90 hungry young men vying for 53 roster spots. Who wants it most? Which player will fight off challengers for a roster spot? Training camp is the place to find answers to these questions. The quest for a sixth championship begins with the start of the regular season. There is lots of work to be done in that time.

For your pre-training camp look at which Patriots have the most to prove, we have dived deep into the roster and dissected position depth, contract details, and likelihood of making the roster. Of course, we will apply the highly scientific Shakeup Factor to let you know the potential impact if these players do not make the team.

Elandon Roberts, LB

Roberts has performed admirably for a sixth round pick. He has started for the bulk of two years with the Patriots and won a Super Bowl while playing in another. However, his limited coverage abilities have been exposed and the Patriots may be looking for younger, better replacements.

Shakeup Factor: 4.8

He has definitely fallen short of being the “best linebacker in the Draft.” But Roberts has made a very positive impact and replacing his snaps will have to come from Hightower or some of the unproven players on the team.

 

Mike Gillislee, RB

When the Patriots signed the restricted free agent from Buffalo, many thought that he would turn into the next big thing at running back. It didn’t quite work out that way. In fact, he was not even active for a good portion of the later part of the season. With just under 2.2 million in cap space, it seems unlikely that the team will allow the Gillislee experiment to continue.

Shakeup Factor: 5.2

The SF number takes into account the likelihood that Jeremy Hill will get cut as well. It seems logical that the two big backs are battling for one roster spot. If Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead, and James White are ready to shoulder the load, then it could be that the Patriots don’t keep another RB at all. This logic is surprising, but not unthinkable.

 

Phillip Dorsett, WR

Trading away a young, cost-controlled quarterback that had already shown he can win games as a rookie would normally result in shockwaves. The Patriots trading Jacoby Brissett for a lackluster Phillip Dorsett was only the second highest QB trade they completed last season. After a year of limited impact, Dorsett has a good foundation and could make more noise this year in the crowded group of receivers. But it will be a dogfight for the speedster to make the team.

Shakeup Factor: 5.5

Trading away a quality QB prospect for a single season of poor production from a wide receiver would be considered a bad deal by any team out there. Dorsett getting cut before the year starts would go down as one of the poorer evaluations from Bill Belichick.

 

Dwayne Allen, TE

Despite his lack of quantifiable production in 2017, Dwayne Allen made a big impact that didn’t necessarily show up on the stats sheet. As the second tight end on the depth chart, his blocking abilities were surely underestimated. Will that be enough for the Pats to keep him, especially with a 13.4 million cap hit and no dead money over the next two seasons? It doesn’t seem likely.

Shakeup Factor: 7.3

Allen has competition at the tight end spot. The Patriots signed Troy Niklas and Will Tye as veterans and reports on Jacob Hollister have been just short of glowing. Allen will have to turn in his playbook if someone steps up and shows they can block as well as be productive in the passing game. That 5 million cap space could probably be used more resourcefully than for a blocking pylon.


Joe Thuney, OG

The story of Joe Thuney is a compelling one; he was a third round offensive line prospect that won the starting job as a rookie and has started every game since. The current chapter may be coming to an end.

Thuney has struggled at times. Alongside the smaller David Andrews at center, struggles between the two can contribute to breakdowns on the offensive line. Still, there are a lot of questions to be answered. Does Trent Brown win the starting left tackle job? If Isaiah Wynn plays guard this season, do the Patriots value Thuney as a backup? 

Shakeup Factor: 8.2

The Patriots have always been relatively unconventional with their offensive line. O-line savant Dante Scarnecchia has surely gained the right to make the risky roster decisions. If Thuney is the best option, he will play. If they can get good value for him, he will get a second chance somewhere else. Regardless, the offensive line should be better for the 2018 season and help the Patriots back to the Super Bowl.

Training camp will shake the tree and the nuts will tell the story. Stay tuned.

 

All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise.

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

Follow me on Twitter @ALykins32
https://mobile.twitter.com/alykins32

Patriots Training Camp Preview: Tight Ends

Leave a reply

There are many different players on this Patriots team compared to last year. New England acquired four guys from trade, fifteen from free agency, and nine from the NFL Draft. They also lost nine players from trade and free agency and had three players retire.

In this new series, I will be looking at every player from each position leading up to training camp. For this installment I will talk about the tight ends. The tight end position has been very valuable for the Patriots since Belichick took over. They became the first team to use three tight end packages and move tight ends to wide receiver slot. This past year they gained two tight ends from free agency and added one through the draft.

Rob Gronkowski #87 (2010-Present):

Gronk is considered the best tight end in the NFL, and has been for most of his NFL career. He is entering his ninth season for the Patriots after being drafted in the second round. Rob has proven to be great, but has also had some major injuries along the way. He has not played in 16 regular season games since the sophomore season. There were murmurs of Gronk retiring after New England’s loss in the Super Bowl against Philadelphia. It escalated all the way to the Patriots exploring trades for Rob. However, Gronk will be a Patriot for the upcoming season.

Rob has shown on the field why he is so good. In Gronkowski’s rookie season he had ten touchdowns. He then followed up with an outstanding second year showing with 18 TDs, 90 receptions, and 1,327 yards. He broke the single season touchdown record by a tight end in NFL history en route to becoming a first team All-Pro. 2012 and 2013 was where Gronk missed a lot of time, participating in 18 games over the two-season span. He then came back in 2014 and 2015 with 1000+ yard seasons and 23 combined touchdowns. In 2016 he missed a lot of time again due to injury and only played in eight games. Gronkowski last season had a healthy year with him seeing the field for 14 games. He hauled in 69 receptions, 1084 yards, and eight scores.

https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/945006630113984512

Gronkowski will need to be a major piece for the Patriots offense if they want to win another Super Bowl next year. Gronk needs to stay healthy for the season, especially with Edelman’s pending PED suspension. Rob will make it to the Patriots roster, no doubt.

Dwayne Allen #83 (2017-Present):

Dwayne Allen is entering his seventh season in the NFL and his second with the Patriots. The Pats acquired Allen via trade in the 2017 offseason to help with the loss of Martellus Bennett. The Pats have a history of bringing in veteran backup tight ends to fit their offense, and that is what Allen was supposed to be.

Allen started his career in Indianapolis as the Colts’ third-round pick in 2012. His rookie year he had 45 receptions, 521 yards, and three TDs. The next year he missed almost entirely due to a knee injury. He came back in 2014 where he had 395 yards and eight scores. In his last season with the Colts he played all 16 games and had 406 yards and six scores. The Patriots traded a fourth-round pick to Indy for Allen and expected him to be the solid backup tight end that Gronk has always had. Allen’s season was ultimately a disappointment with him catching only ten passes for 86 yards and a TD.

https://twitter.com/CaseyBake16/status/929906514898407424

Dwayne is coming off an awful season for the Pats and will need to show something off big in training camp, or else he might not make the roster.

Troy Niklas #86 (2018-Present):

Troy Niklas was signed by the Patriots in the 2018 offseason. He signed a one year deal worth $940 thousand. Niklas has been primarily a blocking tight end in his career, which is why the Pats brought him in. He will be entering his fifth season in the NFL and his first for the Patriots.

Niklas’ first full NFL season came in 2015 where he played in 16 games and had four catches, 33 yards, and two TDs. He missed 13 games in 2016 due to injury. Troy had 11 catches for 132 yards and one score in his last season for Arizona.

Even though Niklas’ stats don’t look appealing, he has been on an NFL roster for his whole career due to the fact he has been a successful blocker. Troy will still have to fight in training camp to make the roster, but he has a good chance to make it.

Jacob Hollister #47 (2017-Present):

Hollister is entering his second season in the NFL and the Patriots. He was an undrafted free agent signing out of Wyoming after the 2017 NFL Draft. He played a larger role than a lot of people expected out of him last year.

Jacob played in 15 games last year for the Patriots. He had four catches and 42 yards last year. He also showed how good he was at catching the ball in preseason where he had 12 catches for 146 yards and a TD. Hollister only played one playoff game and he had one catch for a yard.

https://twitter.com/FilthyHits/status/895853246752804864

Jacob Hollister exceeded expectations last year when he played in 15 games. He definitely has a good chance of making the roster for the upcoming season as long as he does well in training camp.

Will Tye #82 (2017-Present):

Will Tye will be entering his first full season for the Pats and his fourth in the NFL. He was acquired by the Patriots in October of 2017 after being cut by the New York Jets. He did not play for the Patriots in 2017 and was placed on the practice squad for the remainder of the year.

Tye had his most success for the New York Giants. In his two-year stint with the Giants he had 90 receptions, 859 yards, and four TDs. He then was claimed by the Jets, where he only played three games and had four catches for 38 yards.

https://twitter.com/NFLonLive/status/676595952933838848

Will has been an extremely good blocker and has played a lot of fullback because of it. If Tye can return to his form from his Giants days, he will have a shot at making the roster.

Ryan Izzo (Rookie):

Izzo was the Patriots 250th overall draft pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He was a four-year player at Florida State University.

Ryan was more of a blocker than a pass catcher in his college career, with him not having more than 320 yards once in a season. His senior season consisted of 20 receptions, 317 yards, and three TDs. In total, he left college with 54 receptions, 761 yards, six scores, and 29 games under his belt.

Izzo will have a very unlikely chance to make it to the active roster next year. His only hope will be making the practice squad.

Shane Wimann (Rookie):

Shane Wimann was picked up by the Patriots as an undrafted rookie out of Northern Illinois. He had a solid career for NIU where he played 31 games.

Wimann is also a dominant blocker like many of the tight ends the Patriots have. He hasn’t been to special in the pass game with only 65 receptions, 635 yards, and 17 TDs. Shane is a big man though coming in at 6’4″ and 260 pounds.

Shane will have to show something in training camp if he wants to make the practice squad over guys like Izzo.

The Patriots have a lot of new faces at tight end this year which will make it hard to narrow it down for the 53 man roster.

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

Leave a reply

Who’s got the eye of the tiger?

The thrill of the fight…

 

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

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

10. Jeremy Hill, RB

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

Shakeup Factor: 1.5

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

9. Jordan Richards, DB

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

Shakeup Factor: 1.8

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

8. Ryan Allen, P

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

Shakeup Factor: 2.5

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

7. Eric Lee, DE

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

Shakeup Factor: 3.4

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

6. Cyrus Jones, CB / PR

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

Shakeup Factor: 3.9

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

Look for Part II coming soon…

All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise.

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

Follow me on Twitter @ALykins32

Trent Brown: Who Is This Guy?

Leave a reply

The Belichick strikes again!

The chicken littles came out when in force when Nate Solder left the Patriots in free agency. “How could they let him go”, and “No one on the team can replace him.” Sprinkle in a couple “You gotta protect Tom Brady!”

His Plan

So what does he do? Does he overpay for some of the other departing free agents in a panic? Does he sign marginal free agents in hopes that they stick? No, he waits. And he waits. Then when the moment and the situation is right, he strikes! Selecting Isaiah Wynn to join the team and recently resigned LaAdrian Waddle. Ok, the littles got a little quieter. “But, he’s a rookie” and “He should play guard,” joined the chorus.

 

Then Friday morning of the draft, news broke that the Patriots traded with the San Francisco 49ers to acquire right tackle Trent Brown. The internet was abuzz with the new look of the Patriots offensive line and what the position coach, Dante Scarnecchia, was going to be working with in training camp. So, who is Trent Brown? Is he going to protect the blind side? Why was he traded? Will we be hearing his name in February as a starter in the Super Bowl or a surprise cut in August?

The Man

Trent Brown was one of those nondescript draft picks, number 244 in the seventh round. If there were any remarks about the developmental prospect, it centered around how large he was for a player. 355 pounds of a tackle is both a blessing and a curse. While the weight will help to anchor and provide blocking power it can also lead to sloppy technique and lack of conditioning. His college career also was that of a young man still learning. He played at junior college Georgia Military College before enrolling at Florida. Brown would start at both tackle and guard before entering the draft in 2015

His Path

Proving that everyone’s football journey is different, Trent Brown actually started the last two games of his rookie season. He followed that up by starting all sixteen games in his sophomore season. This is an accomplishment for any player, let alone a seventh-round pick.

His Game

Are the Patriots getting a raw prospect that uses his bulk to overpower smaller opponents? If anything, the opposite. While his run blocking could use some refinement and improvement, his pass blocking is near elite. PFF graded his injury-shortened 2017 at 86.0, good enough for third on the year. Only Joe Thomas and Jason Peter graded out higher. Good company.

His Future

And consider this widely circulated quote from Von Miller. “He’s the best right tackle in the National Football League. And he may even be a top-five tackle, period, in the National Football League. There’s not another tackle who’s that tall, that big and can move the way he moves.” I’ll take it.

 

So how did the Patriots manage to score such a prize? For merely moving back two rounds they have a mountain of a man that could become an elite left tackle for the best quarterback in the NFL. The dreaded regime change. Kyle Shanahan took over the 49ers before the 2017 season. There were some rumors about toughness and ability to play through injury that will have to be monitored. The biggest factor to me is that Shanahan likes to move his tackles and guards around. Pull them for blocking assignments and get them to the second level. And while Brown is very athletic and agile for his size it still is difficult for a man his size to do the things Shanahan asks of his linemen.

 

Don’t think the Patriots acquired damaged goods or a disgruntled player. Think that they are getting a superb pass blocker that is an ascending player. If he wins the left tackle or right tackle job or some other combination of personnel, he will make his presence known.