Tag Archives: Tom Brady

Gerald McCoy Interested in the Patriots

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Sources tell Boston Sports Extra that recently released Gerald McCoy is open to the Patriots because of a potential reunion with Michael Bennett, and money isn’t an issue.

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times mentioned this as a possibility yesterday, but it has been confirmed.

Adam Schefter also mentioned the Patriots when he reported the news of McCoy’s desire to play for a playoff team.

Adding Gerald McCoy to the Patriots would break the NFL. McCoy would be the last piece to a defense that already has more it’s fair share of talent. With a top tier secondary and a scary front seven, McCoy would help make this defense top five in the league.

Adding to an already loaded defense

Running the ball against this front seven with Gerald McCoy included would be next to impossible, and he would provide some outstanding pressure on the inside.

Much like the run game, passing against a secondary spearheaded by Stephon Gilmore is no easy task either. Then add an improved pass rush this offseason, and not only will it be hard for opposing quarterbacks to find open receivers, but it will be hard to find them in a finite amount of time.

Mutual interest

Point being, without Gerald McCoy, this defense is pretty good. With Gerald McCoy, this defense is great. Some could argue that the one hole we have remaining on this defense is Defensive Tackle. The need is there for him, and the Patriots were interested in him earlier this offseason.

McCoy, now on the tail end of his career, may still have plenty left in the tank, yet he has never had a chance to win in Tampa Bay. Now a free agent, he would like to sign with a contender for a trophy.

The Patriots specialize in signing players of his description. Ones who are willing to take less money than they could in order to go for a ring.

Money

So what’s the holdup? Well, money is the holdup.

McCoy is expected to demand a price tag close to $6 million per year. The Patriots have near $3.4 million in total cap space, and that does not include the signing of Danny Shelton and the contract extension of Brandon King. Those deals are undisclosed to this point, perhaps in an effort to find the money to sign McCoy.

Creating space is possible

Coming up with that money should not be difficult. Some people have painted it up to be impossible. It really is quite simple.

Let’s go through all the ways that the Patriots could clear some cap space for Gerald McCoy, or just clear out some money in general.

1 . Trade Marcus Cannon

As was mentioned in a previous article, trading Cannon is a distinct possibility after the draft. And it would free up a little over $4 million in cap space alone. Getting a pick in compensation for a player with a diminishing role, with an expensive contract, while he just came off one of his strongest seasons in his career seems to make too much sense.

Proposed trade: Marcus Cannon for a 2020 fourth round pick and a 2020 conditional seventh rounder

2. Rework and craft new deals

Tom Brady, Dont’a Hightower, Devin McCourty and Kyle Van Noy could all see their contracts restructured. This is assuming that Brady, McCourty, and Van Noy all sign on for at least another year, as they are all in contract years.

Hightower makes the most sense for a restructured contract. To clarify, a restructured contract does not mean the Patriots are taking money out of his contract. It simply means that some of the money gets pushed to another year in the deal to count against that year’s cap space, opposed to this year’s.

3. Potential Cuts and Trades

Three players that could be on the bubble are Maurice Harris, Elandon Roberts, and Jonathan Jones.

In this loaded receiving group, Harris is certainly on the outside looking in. Unless he impresses during camp, he may find his roster spot get turned back into money that Belichick can spend. In other words, get cut.

Roberts and Jones both played well during the playoffs last year, however, turned in largely inconsistent and poor play during the regular season.

Roberts does not seem like a Mayo-type Linebacker. And the addition of Jamie Collins makes Roberts redundant.

Jones finds himself stuck in a competitive Cornerback group. With Gilmore and Jason McCourty both being veterans, Jones’ veteran presence becomes less significant. Joejuan Williams and JC Jackson should also take on a big role in this group. With Jones competing with them, and the special teams unit looking all filled out, his cap hit may not make sense. Releasing him would create $3 million in cap space.

If the Patriots are truly interested in Gerald McCoy they should make it happen. McCoy has interest in joining them, and his presence would be a disruptive force on the Defensive Line. Seems about time to book those tickets to Miami for February 2, 2020.

Rounds 4-7: Scouting Reports on Patriots Later Round Picks

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Now let’s take a look at some of the later round picks by the Patriots. These picks, although not as flashy, solidified some positions with question marks.

The Patriots certainly solidified the offensive line, at least for now. With Cajuste and Frohodlt, the Patriots now could very well contend for one of the best offensive lines in the league. Even with Trent Brown leaving for Oakland.

101. YONDY CAJUSTE, OT

WEST VIRGINIA 

Yondy Cajuste said in interviews that West Virginia ran some Patriots plays in their offense. That might be one reason Belichick liked him so much. With Marcus Cannon getting older by the day, Trent Brown leaving, and Isaiah Wynn rehabbing from a gruesome achilles injury, it is no secret the Patriots needed to address the tackle position early. Cajuste is the quintessential Trent Brown replacement pick. He is a large man who will play the swing tackle role that we saw Trent play last year. This pick and the selection of Hjalte Froholdt indicates to me that if Isaiah Wynn’s achilles looks good to go, the Patriots will trade Joe Thuney or Marcus Cannon with no hesitation. Thuney is in the last year of his contract and Cannon is probably in the last year the Patriots could trade him. If Cajuste is solid and Wynn impresses, Patriots could flip either one at their max value for a defensive lineman or tight end. 

What he does right:

-Wins with his length

-Balanced, well-framed stance

-Good hand technique 

-Very powerful player, overwhelms rushers at times

-Good body awareness 

-Does little things really well

-Displays strong football IQ

-Good functional athleticism 

-Scrappy, angry player, is a bully on the line

-Strong effort and hustle

Some nuances in his game:

-Can look flat-footed against faster rushers on the edge

-Too many gaps of time of sliding feet in protection 

-Not bendy, not flexible 

-Struggles immensely at lateral redirection 

-Has been ejected for some fights 

Pro comparison: Jermon Bushrod

Instant impact: Will fight for starting tackle job, depends on Wynn’s health

Grade: B

118, HJALTE FROHOLDT, OG

ARKANSAS 

This pick spells out Joe Thuney insurance. As mentioned before, Joe Thuney is in the last year of his contract and he will get paid big bucks. Hjalte is by no mistake one of the better guards in this year’s draft. Belichick figures he will draft Thuney’s replacement now and then get another third round comp pick for letting Joe leave. Hjalte will not have an immediate impact on this team unless one of our guards or David Andrews gets hurt. He will spend year one mostly learning from his colleagues and coach Scar. He will probably compete with Ted Karras for that swing guard role. 

What he does right:

-Very solid in pass protection 

-Good footwork, suitable for both guard and center 

-Sturdy, wide base

-Can anchor vs power

-Sees twists and blitzes from mile away

-Under control on the move 

-Effective puller

-Flexibility 

-Moves well at 6’5, 300

-Good athlete 

Some nuances in his game:

-Hand placement needs lots of work

-Leverage and drive can improve 

-Not overly physical

-Never creates movement at point of attack 

-Lacks power and tenacity 

-Poor mental processing 

Pro comparison: Sean Harlow

Instant impact: Will compete with Ted Karras for swing guard spot

Grade: B

133. JARRETT STIDHAM, QB 

AUBURN

Well, I personally wanted the Patriots to draft Brett Rypien, but after doing some more investigating Jarrett Stidham’s game grew on me a little more. A very solid quarterback when he has the time to throw, he throws a great ball. Jarrett received a bad rap at Auburn for their terrible offense, but the people he had around him were really to fault for their poor performance and production. If Jarrett had some better guys around him, he would have been in the conversation with Haskins, Jones, and Grier. While I do not think Stidham is the answer in a post-Brady world, he might be able to develop himself into a starting quarterback in the NFL. This, however, would take a lot of work.

What he does right:

-Good decision-maker when given the opportunity 

-One of the best in class at going through progressions

-Can run the option game, RPOs 

-Nice display of anticipation, more at Baylor than Auburn (was previously at Baylor) 

-Great touch on his footballs 

-Looks off safeties, pump fakes

–Low interception numbers, safe with football 

-Good footwork 

-Strong in play-action game

Some nuances in his game:

–Ran a very prototypical college offensive scheme, will need to adjust to Patriots scheme and make more complex reads at next level. Year one might just be studying film and the playbook.

-Never asked to throw into tight windows, all routes and plays were simplified under offensive scheme

-Struggled when throwing into those tight windows, which was every blue moon

-He folds under pressure, which was frequent at Auburn 

-Had limited opportunities to impress scouts, failed when had the opportunities

-Average arm

-Not prepared for NFL, although sitting behind Brady is exactly what he needs, according to scouts

-Hard evaluation because both offenses (Baylor and Auburn) did not put all his skills on display

-Loses accuracy when putting any force on his balls 

-Not great poise 

Pro comparison: Matthew Stafford

Instant impact: A year or two learning playbook, watching film, listening, and intense 1 on 1 work

Grade: C

159. BYRON COWART, DL

MARYLAND 

Byron could play either play defensive end or defensive tackle, which is why he is listed as a DL. Many evaluators believe he will play more on the interior than on the edge at the pro level. Belichick loves defensive lineman who can move all over. Trey Flowers moved all over the line, Michael Bennett does that as well. Cowart by no means appears to be an answer to any big questions surrounding this line but he does posses some skills and flashes of ability that would indicate that he can be a contributor to this line. Much like Stidham, Cowart is another player who requires a lot more coaching and being placed into this system is the best news for him. 

What he does right:

–Explosive for a man of his dimensions 

-Powerful 

-High ceiling

-Shows promise as a 3-technique player 

-Good lateral ability, nice quick movement for a big man 

-Violent tackler 

-Powerhouse, stout

-Sheds blocks well

-Has potential to be a solid bull-rusher 

-Good pad level

Some nuances in his game:

-Consistency, flash in the pan type player, technique holds him back from more consistent play

-Technique is very weak 

-Football IQ is lacking

-Low floor

-Needs a lot more coaching 

-Struggles at coming hard off the edge 

-Attacking with hands can become more consistent 

-Underachiever, was a number one prospect coming out of high school 

-Has had it rough, apparently had off the field family issues during time at Auburn, ugly transfer 

-Tight hips

Pro comparison: Willie Henry 

Instant impact: Depth player, mostly developmental project 

Grade: C

163. JAKE BAILEY, P

STANFORD

So, fans were infuriated with this pick. The reality is that Ryan Allen is a pricey punter on a one year deal, and any opportunity to save some money for close to the same production is something Belichick jumps on. Will Bailey beat Allen out for the job? Eh, we don’t really know. However, this right footed punter is very talented and could very well take Allen’s place next year.

What he does right: 

-Very strong leg, had an 84 yard punt last year 

-Flips the field 

-Great hang time, lead NCAA with hang time in 2018 

-Good direction 

-Can handle kickoff duties as well 

Some nuances in his game:

-Touch

-Can sometimes put too much on his kicks, high number of touchbacks 

Pro comparison: Andy Lee 

Instant impact: Practice squad for year one 

Grade: B

252. KEN WEBSTER, CB 

OLE MISS 

This pick is very much similar to the selection of Keion Crossen last year. Similar skill set, falling down draft boards for similar reasons, and getting drafted in a similar spot to the same team. Webster got off to a great start at Ole Miss, but injuries plagued his college career. He never really was the same player at Ole Miss, but if he could encompass some of what he had there in the pros, he can be a solid contributor in the NFL that much like Crossen is put in for different specific assignments. He will certainly be someone to keep your eyes on during camp.

What he does right:

-Great speed and explosiveness 

-Physical 

-Redirects receivers in man and zone coverage

-Handsy player

-Great at coming up and covering the run 

-Athletic

-Recovery speed

-Aggressive, gritty 

-Upper body strength 

Some nuances in his game:

-He is impatient in press coverage, press is not a strong suit

-Spacing 

-Field awareness 

-Football IQ is below average, pays price for mistakes rooted out of lack of awareness and understanding

-Inconsistent technique, especially at line of scrimmage 

-Struggles to stay square 

Pro comparison: Keion Crossen

Instant impact: Will battle to make team, could contend with Crossen for last cornerback spot

Grade: C+

Alex Guerrero thinks Brady can play until 50

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Could Tom Brady play until the age of 50?

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – NOVEMBER 27: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates with trainer Alex Guerrero after defeating the New York Jets with a score of 22 to 17 at MetLife Stadium on November 27, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

The question remains can the greatest quarterback play until he’s 50? Brady is playing until 45. He’s confirmed that numerous times. But his trainer Alex Guerrero sees the quarterback playing until 50. Even if Brady was able to, there’s no way Gisele would allow him to keep playing past 45. He’s accomplished so much more than anyone, but the winning never gets old. He cemented his legacy with winning his fifth Super Bowl, and the sixth was just gravy. Just this week he posted to social media a picture of him taking confetti from the Super Bowl out of his helmet. He then wondered if he kept confetti from past Super Bowls. He keeps trolling the NFL, and it’s glorious.

The no drama offseason

This off-season is a lot quieter than last year. Also there’s a lot less drama. Brady and Belichick seem to be on the same page about doing what’s best to win now. They don’t want to plan for the future too much when they both have limited years left realistically. Brady doesn’t need high talent to be successful, just look at the no names they have singed this year. His current receiving crew makes last years look great, and it was average.

Alex Guerrero’s access to the Stadium is still limited, but players can go to TB12 for treatment if needed. Guerrero is blowing smoke talking about Brady playing until he’s 50. He knows when Brady will hang it up, and his main focus will be on his TB12 brand. He still has a good four years left unless there’s a major drop off. I don’t see him hanging it up in the next two years. All he cares about is winning, he doesn’t care if its Chris Hogan out there, or Bruce Ellington, as long as they can help the team win they’ll be fine. Brady will not play until 50 though. His kids are getting older and he probably wants to spend more time with them he’s already accomplished being the greatest of all time.

Brady Theory’s Debunked With Facts-Part 1

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Tom Brady theory’s or “myths” claiming he’s not a great QB make me laugh, so I’ve compiled the first edition of Tom vs Truth. I am a fan, yet I am using facts to end these ridiculous claims.

They Love you Until they Don’t

Once upon a time Tom Brady was America’s golden child, beating the greatest show on turf put him on the map. Fast forward to the present day and many things have changed. Six Super Bowl wins, multiple MVPs and a supermodel wife has had the country turned against the GOAT. Let’s start with these theory’s about TB12.

“Tom Is A Product of the Patriots System”

Haters across the country can’t stop calling Brady a system QB. While every team has a system, and 3/4s of the teams using the same style. Why aren’t they playing in February? The answer is Tom Brady. We know his skill, so let’s look deeper. Brady has had numerous Offensive Coordinators. In the beginning it was Charlie Weiss. Charlie’s offenses in NY and NE before Tom Brady were ranked 12th, 5th, 19th and 25th. Compare those numbers with a very green, backup QB in Tom Brady. Charlie’s 4 years with Tom his offenses ranked 6th, 10th, 12th and 4th. This is what I call the Brady difference. Weiss left after 4 years with Brady to coach Notre Dame, ending with a record of 41-49.

McDaniels Makes Brady

Josh McDaniels makes Tom Brady Great. Well no, not at all. He has had success with Tom just like Weiss, but without Brady his numbers declined drastically. Working with Brady, Josh McDaniels offenses have been incredible. The worst those two finished was 10th in points and 11th in yards. Every other season with Brady, New England’s Offense was ranked top 3 in points, with one top 5 finish. McDaniels in St.Louis and Denver running the same system, ranked 20th, 19th and dead last at 32nd. (Brady Difference.)

Bill O’Brien in 2011 must’ve been the reason Brady and the offense was 3rd in points scored right? I don’t think so, since leaving the Pats O’Brien’s offenses in points scored rank 14th, 21st, 28th, 17th and 11th. Quite the drop off without Brady under Center. So if you say “System QB”, I say it’s the Brady difference.

Well What About Bill Belichick? “He makes Tom Brady”

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick stands alone as the greatest HC, he must be why Brady’s so great

First let me say that while Bill is the best coach of all time, that didn’t really start until Brady came into the mix. In Cleveland Bill went 35-55, along with 5-11 his first year in NE without Tom. There’s that Tom Brady difference again.

2008 Same Team No Brady

But Matt Cassel went 11-5 when Brady was hurt

This argument often made by haters really grinds my gears: “If Brady is so good then how did Matt Cassel go 11-5?”

Well let’s break it down. The 2007 and 2008 teams had the same roster minus Donte Stallworth on offense. In 2007 Tom Brady and his offense set records for TDs, Rec TDs and points scored. The team went 18-0 only to lose the SB just missing the perfect season. The 2007 offense with Tom had a 315 point differential, compared to Cassel’s team dropping 214 points all the way down to a 101 point differential. So the same team, with different QBs went from the best offense ever, to average and missing the playoffs.

2007 Brady- 4,806 yards, 50 TD/8 INTs with a 117 Passer rating along with MVP honors.

2008 Cassel- 3,693 yards, 21 TD/11 INTs with an 89 passer rating with the same offense. (Brady Difference)

In 2010 Matt Cassel made the playoffs and the Pro Bowl with KC. He was no stiff, throwing 27 TDs to just 7 INTs, which was the second best ratio in the league that year. Who could’ve been number 1 I wonder? Tom Brady of course, as he won the only unanimous MVP in league history. Sorry to say again but the Brady Difference is quite obvious in this popular theory among haters.

“Tom Isn’t Good without a Great Defense”

The Patriots had a very good defense in Tom’s early years, and certainly was a huge factor in the first 3 Super Bowls. People say Brady was carried by his defenses, which is not the case. From 2001-2004, with Brady coming in as a backup, he put together 10 4th quarter comebacks and 15 game winning drives. The numbers seem to show he did his part and then some, but that’s not what the haters want you to think.

Brady led the NFL in TD passes in 2002, so it’s not a reach at all to say the Patriots may have not won those Super Bowls without Tom Brady. For example, in Super Bowl 38 the Pats defense gave up 29 points to the Panthers. A young QB named Tom Brady going up against a fierce defense threw for 354 yards, 3 TDs and his second clutch SB game winning drive. Without Brady things could’ve been a lot different that day.

Jumping ahead to Patriots Defenses that weren’t as talented. The four year stretch from 2010-2013, New England’s defense was never better than 25th in total yards allowed. But again Brady in 2010 won MVP and got the #1 seed. 2011 the Pats were back in the Super Bowl despite being 31st in yards against, and that’s due to Tom Brady. In 2012 and 2013, Brady and the Pats went back to the AFC Championship but lost. Some people think going as far as possible in sports and losing is worse than not making the championship game at all. Ridiculous.

In 2017 the defense was ranked 29th. Brady and the offense once again were back in the Super Bowl. Bill Belichick shocked Pats nation by benching Malcolm Butler. The defense got shredded by a backup QB, giving up 41 points. Even in defeat Brady put up historic numbers, throwing for 505 yards with 3 TDs with no INTs.

My conclusion on this theory about his Defenses is that Brady always has done his part to win games and make it to the AFC Championship or Super Bowl. I don’t see him being carried by anything, like the haters do. Another interesting stat: In 17 seasons the Pats Defense was statistically better than the offense only 3 times. In 9 of those 17 seasons with Brady as the starter, the defense was ranked 20th or worse in yards allowed. Defensive “myth” shut down with facts.

“Joe Montana Never Lost in the Super Bowl”

Key Number here is 4

The debate over Montana and Brady has many factors. Joe Montana was the Greatest ever in my eyes, up until Brady’s comeback in Super Bowl 49 against the Seahawks. Since Brady tied Montana with 4 Super Bowl wins, he has gone to 3 straight Super Bowls and won 2. The real crime here is the loss to the eagles. Brady had the best Super Bowl performance of all time.

Some people say Brady can’t be better than Montana because Joe cool never lost in his 4 chances. The fact of the matter is that every athlete would tell you getting to the Championship and losing is better than not making it there at all. As we all know, Brady’s been to 9 Super Bowls with 6 wins. Let’s not forget the amount of Hall Of Fame players Montana had on both sides of the ball. He also had a coach in Bill Walsh who came up with an offense no one had ever seen before. It took years for teams to adjust to this new style of football, a great coach and system that Montana thrived in.

Brady on the other hand did not, and still doesn’t have anywhere close to the number of Hall Of Fame players Joe had. The comebacks alone in Super Bowls favor Brady, having 6 in 6 wins. And did his part in the losses too, by getting the lead, only for the defense to break at the end.

Montana has been bounced twice in the divisional round, twice in the Wild Card and three times in the NFC Championship. Montana in 11 seasons has gone one and done in the playoffs 4 times.

The GOAT Tom Brady in 16 playoff runs is 13-2 in the divisional round, 2-1 in the WC round and 9-4 in the AFC Championship. Brady in 16 seasons has gone one and done just twice in the playoffs.

Is 4-0 better than 6-3 in the Super Bowl? If you’ve never played sports then maybe you’d say yes. The ultimate goal of any athlete is to go as far as you can. That is something Brady’s done better than Montana. Doing so with less talent, an offense that has been seen before (unlike the 49ers), all while getting better with age. Brady wins this round, the numbers don’t lie.

“Montana Played in a Tougher and Better Era”

Again, not taking anything away from Joe Montana, I’m just telling it how it is. Sure the rules for QBs have changed over the years, but Brady played in a tough era of football himself. Rule changes to help offenses didn’t make an ounce of a difference until 2011. QB numbers didn’t go up or benefit Brady for an entire decade. From 2000-2011 only two players had a season with great numbers, Brady in 2007 and Manning in 2004. Since 2011 pretty much every QBs numbers are inflated like never before.

Defining the toughness of different eras contains a few different things:

Free Agency -Montana played when teams didn’t change and Hall Of Fame players typically stayed together. Brady has had a revolving door of players throughout his entire career, mostly castaways who were turned into Champions.

Defensive players -Tom Brady has played and shredded some of the best defenders and all time defensive units and coaches. The 2000 Steelers and Ravens, 2003 Buccaneers, The LOB Seahawks were no match in the Super Bowl, 2015 Broncos, 2017 Jags, the two Giants Super Bowl teams and the 2018 Rams. Just think of the players on those teams, and how if it weren’t for Brady most of them would have Super Bowl rings.

Geography – Joe Montana Played in a sunny warm climate, while Brady’s been playing in the Northeast. Freezing temperatures, snow and rain in a division where he plays in Boston and New York. No problem for #12.

This is the first of my 3 part Myth Busting Brady Hate. Next up will be topics like “The AFC Least”, “Deflategate, “Brady has no records” and my personal favorite: QBs like Rodgers, Marino, Brees and Manning being on Tom Brady’s level. Starting to feel like I’m writing a book, so these next topics plus more will be coming out soon. Hope you Pats fans can use some of these facts when arguing with Brady hating friends.

Potential Patriots: AJ Brown

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1996 was the last time the Patriots drafted a receiver in the first round.

Terry Glenn, a 5’11, 195 pound, Ohio State prospect, was selected with the seventh pick in the 1996 draft and went on to catch 90 passes for 1132 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Mutual Interest

Now, the Patriots are reportedly eyeing an Ole Miss prospect and he is eyeing them right back.

AJ Brown, a 6’0, 226 pound receiver of Ole Miss has already met with the Patriots and has briefly referenced his wish to land in New England on his Twitter account.

Brown communicating his interest in playing in New England with none other than Tom Brady himself.

Combine and Traits

Brown ran a 4.49 forty-yard dash, benched 19 reps on the bench and had a 36.5 inch vertical leap in the NFL combine in Indianapolis.

His good athletic ability and good size is just a small part of the picture with AJ Brown.

Brown demonstrated that he is not only a talented big slot receiver at Ole Miss but also an excellent playmaker.

When watching AJ play, it is not hard to realize that he was actually the best receiver at Ole Miss.

However, he constantly found himself overshadowed by this mystical creature of sorts named DK Metcalf.

Metcalf will be long gone before our 32nd pick in the draft, however, Brown should be available.

If this is the case, the Patriots should immediately jump to pick a receiver in the first round for the first time in 23 years.

The Kind of Player He Is

He may not exactly be the best at getting separation at the next level, which is something Belichick looks for. However, Brown’s physicality and pretty good speed allow him to win battles for the ball when covered.

Brown is a quick processor, has a high football IQ, and should have the smarts to grasp a playbook that others have struggled with in the past.

Could Help Heal Some Wounds Caused By Gronk’s Departure

Having a smart target on the field will be beneficial to the Patriots offense with Gronk leaving for retirement. Gronk’s smarts was one of his most valuable traits and drafting a young, big, chain-mover would help alleviate that pain.

Best Receiver in the Draft

After extensive research, I am convinced that AJ Brown has the potential to be the best receiver in this draft.

AJ’s real competition will be Hakeem Butler out of Iowa State. A familiar face to Brown, DK Metcalf out of Ole Miss, will also challenge this title.

Evaluation

Brown has a proven track record to as a powerful runner with great vision, great blocking, and good elusiveness.

Brown can easily adjust to the football on the ground or in the air. He can catch in traffic. He can run good routes.

Brown really does not possess many weaknesses in game film.

Besides the questions of being able to consistently separate, Brown is a very strong prospect.

He could end up being either the second or third receiver in the Patriots offense. A trio of Edelman, Brown and hopefully Josh Gordon would be very strong.

Boldin Comparison

Comparisons to Anquan Boldin are pretty reasonable and realistic. Those who have said so made sure every knew Brown has more speed than Boldin ever did.

AJ Brown is a safe pick. He can be a leader for the team and a primary target for Brady and predecessor quarterbacks. Cross your fingers that AJ Brown slips to the 32nd spot in this month’s draft.

Bill Belichick doesn’t seem to be retiring anytime soon

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Bill Belichick looks like he’s coaching for at least five more seasons

What a difference a year makes. This time last year there was speculation that Belichick was on his way out after Josh McDaniels came back as offensive coordinator. It seemed like Belichick was grooming him to be the next head coach sooner rather than later. However, things changed once the season started. The Patriots finished 11-5 and won the Super Bowl. Now a year later people have the total opposite mindset. Belichick is going nowhere. I even wrote that Belichick could be on his way out when they traded everyone in the off-season to let McDaniels have somewhat of a new team. Boy, was I wrong.

Brady will retire before Belichick retires

Brady has said repeatedly he’s playing until 45. Belichick, however, has only said he doesn’t want to coach into his 70s. Could it be possible he does coach into his 70s? I do think he will out last Brady and coach into his early 70s because he loves the game so much. Even at the owners meetings he’s always looking at ways to improve the game. He’s so passionate about the game that I really don’t see him retiring anytime soon. When he’s had enough he will hang it up. But I do believe he’d want to coach a season or two without Tom Brady.

Belichick will have to find the next quarterback after Brady retires. Which means he’ll have to either draft or trade for a decent back up soon. He drafted Jimmy Garoppolo but then traded him because Brady isn’t even close to falling off a cliff. Belichick seems to be going into this season just like he does every other season. He does what’s best for the team at that time and people can question all they want but he knows what he’s doing. Belichick isn’t retiring anytime soon.

Kyrie Irving Will Never Be The Leader Tom Brady Is

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Tom Brady will always be an example of a real leader

When Tom Brady was drafted he always wanted to be a leader. He wanted to help the Patriots be a great team for many years and play at a high level. Since 2001 he’s had the most success than any football player in history. The Super Bowl appearances and championships are insane and that’s because Brady always does what’s best for the team and never takes games off.

Kyrie Irving isn’t an example of a leader

Now the opposite of a leader is Kyrie Irving. I’m talking about two different sports, but they both need leaders on the team. Kyrie has done nothing but complain and trash his teammates, but he’s supposed to be a leader? What kind of leader would say he’s taking games off in the regular season to get ready for the playoffs? A leader wants to play well in the regular season and the playoffs. Kyrie saying that he’s taking games off to rest is pretty much what his teammates will be doing since he’s the leader. Imagine Tom Brady saying that hes taking games off in the regular season to get ready for the playoffs. Monkeys would fly before that happens.

Kyrie isn’t a leader, he’s just like LeBron James, all about himself and thinking he deserves a championship. His work ethic is all about having superstars around him, not working with teammates who made it to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Brady loves the game and doesn’t need superstars to win championships. He creates superstars from average talent on offense. He just won a Super Bowl without Josh Gordon. Whereas Kyrie, all he cares about is himself playing with other superstar talent and an easy way to win a championship. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Celtics get bounced in the first round after Kyrie’s recent comments about the regular season.

New England Patriots To Retain Super Bowl Title Next Year?

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The New England Patriots just love being the underdogs. So often favorites to win on the big stage, Bill Belichick’s men strolled into Kansas City – with many backing the Chiefs to go on and represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. New England’s doubters got it massively wrong on that day and critics were wrong again in the National Football League’s showpiece game just two weeks later.

Heading into the 2019 season, New England may slip further down the projected pecking order. Tom Brady is the greatest player of all-time but age will catch up with him at some point. However, he showed no signs of slowing down last season and plenty of punters will fancy the Patriots quarterback to lead the franchise to another successful year. Write New England off at your peril; that will only fuel their hunger and desire.

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the Patriots and NFL (more competition for Patriots players in free agency creates challenge for team; Adam Humphries; wide receiver remains big need; Patriots-Browns too good for opener?; special 2018 locker room etc.). <a href=”https://t.co/Q0ambzH12v”>https://t.co/Q0ambzH12v</a></p>&mdash; Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) <a href=”https://twitter.com/MikeReiss/status/1107225444796059649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>March 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Tom Brady will be 42 years old when the 2019 season gets underway. We repeat: Brady will be 42 years old. He is playing like a 24-year-old and it would be foolish to suggest that his decline is imminent. With Peyton Manning, you could see his form deteriorate but Brady is still one of the best in the business. In those clutch situations, he gives the Patriots a clear advantage over his rivals at the quarterback position.

On paper, the AFC Conference is wide open – the gap between the Patriots and the chasing pack is now closer than ever. There are at least seven or eight contenders to win the AFC title and that enhanced competition will act as the catalyst to motivate Belichick and co. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see New England send out a real statement of intent in the early stages of the 2019 campaign.

While the standard inside the conference is improving, the same cannot be said for the AFC East. This is New England’s territory and the free sports picks will all suggest another divisional title. It is hard to see one of the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills or Miami Dolphins bridging the gap to the Patriots. At some point, New England’s rivals will turn things around but not whilst Brady and Belichick are at Gillette Stadium.

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Predicting the Patriots to win the Super Bowl is almost expected these days but reaching the showpiece fixture at 42 years old would be Brady’s best achievement. Retaining the AFC East title for the 11th year in a row has to be the primary objective but New England fans will want more than that. With time running out for both Brady and Belichick, Patriots followers will be hoping for at least one more Super Bowl crown.

The Patriots might not have the most talented roster but anything can happen when you have the greatest head coach of all-time and the greatest player of all-time on your team. If New England reaches the latter stages of the playoffs, the rest of the NFL will start to panic. When push comes to shove, the Patriots step up and prove their worth on the big stage. Watch this space, another Super Bowl berth beckons in 2020.

Can Isaiah Wynn replace Trent Brown?

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It’s no secret that the Patriots have a plethora of key free agents that will likely seek greener pastures. Trey Flowers is the big name that comes to mind, along with a majority of the receiving corps. The other large, pun intended, free agent set to cash in is offensive tackle Trent Brown.

The Patriots acquired Brown during the 2018 draft, and only swapped third and fifth round picks with the 49ers to do so. That 5th round pick ended up yielding Ja’Whaun Bentley, which could turn out to be a steal.

At the time, no one thought too much of the Brown trade, other than the Patriots got an enormous human being. With the loss of Nate Solder, Brown looked to be the new left tackle, but there was also the new first round pick to consider.

New England drafted Isaiah Wynn with the 23rd overall pick out of Georgia. The Patriots initially saw him as the potential heir to Brady’s blindside, but then Bill Belichick stole Brown from San Francisco. Wynn isn’t considered a traditional tackle, as he only stands 6’2″, which is a lower height than average. He moved around the entire line at Georgia, but definitely possesses the talent to play the tackle position well.

It looked to be a position battle going into camp, with both Brown and Wynn vying for the starting role. Brown was the more obvious choice, as he had the experience and measurements over Wynn. However, Wynn came out of college highly touted, and Belichick gave him a shot in the preseason. That shot lasted exactly one quarter.

Wynn went down playing right tackle when newly acquired Michael Bennett put too much weight on Wynn’s Achilles. He hobbled off the field and didn’t see it again for the rest of 2018, ending up on Injured Reserve. This was the case for most of New England’s rookie class, but Wynn is all set to go for 2019.

With Brown more than likely leaving unless New England breaks character and signs him to a massive deal, can Wynn fill his predecessor’s humongous shoes?

Assuming Brown does depart, the job is absolutely Wynn’s to lose. There aren’t many solid offensive tackle options on the market or in the draft (in the Pats range), so Wynn looks to be the next man up. Belichick didn’t acquire Brown until day 2, so he drafted Wynn with the starting job in mind.

There is definitely a lot to like about Wynn. He is a great lineman all round, excelling at moving around and creating holes for the running back. He was dominant in the 2018 Rose Bowl, keeping Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm protected the entire night. There shouldn’t be much worry about Wynn’s athleticism. He will do extremely well with open field blocks and leading the charge downfield.

If there is one area of concern however, it would be his ability to stand up to NFL caliber linemen. He will be dealing with players that far exceed his height and weight, which was the knock on Wynn coming out of college. The left tackle is arguably one of the most important positions, and protecting Tom Brady’s blindside is crucial at this point in his career. A 42 year old man doesn’t need to be taking hits from his backside throughout a season.

There is a lot of hope for Wynn, especially on the Patriots staff. He was the top pick for New England a year ago, and needs to live up to that in 2019. To answer the question of, “Can he replace Trent Brown?”, I believe he can. Brown was a solid player in the 2018 season, but did seem lazy at times. He wasn’t the best at keeping guys off Brady’s back, and that’s the area Wynn needs to prove himself at.

At this point, there should be no excuses for the sophomore, as he will have arguably the NFL’s best offensive line coach, the legendary Dante Scarnecchia, guiding him along the way. It will be interesting to see if they capitalize on Wynn’s athleticism in ways they couldn’t with Brown. If all goes according to plan, the Patriots will have their left tackle of the future in Isaiah Wynn.

Golden Tate would love to ‘catch a few passes from Old Tommy Boy’

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There is no denying the Patriots are depleted at wide receiver. They only have Julian Edelman signed for 2019, with Josh Gordon a restricted free agent. Assuming Gordon, and at least one of Dorsett, Patterson, or Hogan return, New England will still need another slot receiver.

Previously on BSE, we mentioned some of the potential free agent wideouts New England could target. Veteran slot receiver Golden Tate is one of the most prominent names. The former Lion is one of the premier receivers on the market, and he mentioned on Wednesday he would love the chance to come to Foxboro.

“I would love it, I would love it,’’ he told ProStyle Podcast. “That organization, they have proven to be champions year in and year out. They work hard for sure, but you know where you’re going to be at the end of the season: you’re going to be not only looking at the playoffs, but you’re looking at maybe a first-round bye with this team. You gotta admire that organization, they do things right, they’ve been doing it for a long, long, long time.’’

It has been common knowledge that Tate wants another chance at a ring before he retires. He’s mentioned that he is on the tail end of his career, and is craving another Super Bowl run. A member of the dominant 2013 Seattle squad, he already has one ring to his name. In the past, where have countless veterans gone to win a Super Bowl at the end of their careers? Three guesses.

Tate obviously makes a ton of sense for the Patriots in free agency. He is a proven receiver with playoff experience, filling up the stat sheet for the last three seasons. After a down year in 2018, and being over 30, the price could be right for New England.

The Patriots need another dynamic receiver for Tom Brady, and Tate fits that bill without breaking the bank. If the feeling is mutual between the two parties, there is a very real possibility this comes to fruition.

It also helps that New England boasts the greatest quarterback of all time, which Tate clearly acknowledges. He said this later on in the interview:

“I would definitely love being a part of something like that and catch a few passes from old Tommy Boy,’’ Tate said. “Julian [Edelman] is a buddy of mine, I’m really good buddies with him. I’ve heard good things from Kyle Van Noy, who got traded from Detroit and went there and has just been balling out since. It’s, as I said, a great organization. I definitely would not mind going over there for sure.’’

Tate is the prototypical player the Patriots go after in free agency. He is on the back end of his career, coming off a down season, and is still a productive player. He fills a huge need for the Pats, and has a ton of interest in venturing over to 1 Patriot Place. And after this interview, you can bet Julian Edelman will be recruiting Tate like crazy.

The price should be right for New England, assuming Tate wants a one to two year deal worth around five million a year. When free agency starts on March 14th at 4:00 P.M. est, look out for Golden Tate to potentially be the Patriots marquee signing.