Bill Belichick isn't going to tell you much anything about Antonio Brown. But ask him about childbirth, and he's downright chummy.
The New England Patriots have had two players -- linebacker Kyle Van Noy in Week 1 and running back James White in Week 3 -- miss games this season while their wives have given birth. Belichick was asked about this unique situation Monday on WEEI's "Ordway, Merloni & Fauria" radio show and gave a legitimately funny response. "Must have been some post-Super Bowl celebrations," Belichick said. " ... We're really pumping 'em out." Yes, Bill Belichick actually said that. Belichick's timing on that zinger is a little off -- we're only seven months removed from the Patriots' Super Bowl LIII win, which is a little early for an "victory babies." But the Patriots head coach has been understanding about his players' family matters. Belichick shouted out both Van Noy and White in the Patriots' locker room after New England won without them, and insisted to reporters Tuesday that absences due to major life events are a non-issue. "I don't think that's ever been an issue," Belichick said. "I've always talked about it with the player. It's not like it's a surprise. It's something that there's certainly a lead-up period to and communicate about it. Depending on the time, the situation, the circumstances and all that, you take everything into consideration." So, while he can deliver daggers to reporters about questions he doesn't like, Belichick isn't a total Grinch, especially when his players expand their families. https://www.yahoo.com/sports/bill-belichick-gave-quite-one-193139999.html
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New England Patriots left tackle Isaiah Wynn reportedly will miss at least the next eight weeks due to a foot injury he suffered in Sunday's win over the Miami Dolphins.
Per ESPN's Field Yates, Wynn is being placed on injured reserve and will be eligible to return to games after Week 9. Wynn was removed in the second quarter and ruled out for the rest of the game with a foot injury. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Wynn was diagnosed with turf toe and was initially considered week-to-week. By being placed on injured reserve, Wynn won't be allowed to practice for six weeks. The earliest he can return to game action will Week 11 when the Patriots take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Until Wynn is able to return, the Patriots will likely use Korey Cunningham at left tackle. They also have veteran offensive lineman Marshall Newhouse on the roster for depth. Wynn was New England's first draft pick (No. 23 overall) in 2018. The former Georgia star missed his entire rookie campaign due to a torn Achilles he suffered during the preseason. He started each of the team's first two games this season. During Sunday night’s matchup between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Josh Gordon will play his first regular-season game since December. Sure, countless players – including those on the Patriots – are returning from longer absences due to injuries. But Gordon’s trip back to the turf at Gillette Stadium has been complicated.
During training camp, he returned from an indefinite suspension, which has consumed the better part of the last four seasons. That suspension is, in part, the result of his battle with mental health issues and addiction. While he hasn’t yet spoken with the media since joining New England, his teammates and coaches seem pleased with his presence. “Yeah, Josh has worked hard,” Bill Belichick said during a press conference on Friday when asked if he was excited for Gordon to get a chance to play. “He’s created an opportunity for himself. But, you know, I’m excited for our entire team. We’ve got a lot of guys — everybody’s worked hard, put a lot into it. It’s time to start playing. It’s time to see where we’re at. “This is what you put in all that time in the offseason (for). Training camp and OTAs and all the other things that go into it — this is what it’s for: starting regular-season games. So I think we’re all ready to go — or will be Sunday.” Because the NFL didn’t reinstate Gordon until Aug. 16, the receiver played in just the fourth preseason game with rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham starting. Gordon looked rusty, but still managed two catches on six targets for 30 yards while drawing a defensive pass interference call worth 35 yards, which set up a Patriots touchdown on the following play. That performance came after an offseason when he couldn’t be in contact with the team, but he still logged a private workout with Tom Brady this offseason. During the quarterback’s weekly appearance on WEEI’s “Greg Hill Show,” Brady discussed what it’s been like to have limited work with Gordon while accommodating newcomers like receiver Demaryius Thomas. “We’re not a finished product,” Brady said on radio Tuesday. “We won’t be that way for a long time. We’re going to try to build every single day. Like everything else, the more you do it, the more you’re together, the more you can anticipate, the more you can have confidence and trust in one another. That’s what we’re trying to get to.” The good news is that Gordon was a quick study of the Patriots offense in 2018. That’s not always true for veteran receivers. This season, receiver Dontrelle Inman, a five-year veteran, couldn’t earn first-team reps in training camp and request his own release. Receivers Eric Decker, Nate Washington, Reggie Wayne, Chad Ochocinco and so many others have struggled with the offense. Gordon finished his first season with 40 reception for 720 yards and three touchdowns. His 18 yards per reception — and his big frame at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds — were impressive, and could be important as the Patriots try to establish a vertical threat after the retirement of tight end Rob Gronkowski. Belichick’s controlled optimism is a good sign for Gordon as he attempts to take an increased role in 2019. https://patriotswire.usatoday.com/2019/09/06/patriots-bill-belichick-josh-gordon-created-opportunity/ Demaryius Thomas is headed back to the New England Patriots, according to a Monday report by ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Thomas will ink a one-year deal after first-round pick N'Keal Harry was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury. The 31-year-old wide receiver was released by the Patriots on Aug. 31 while trimming down to the final 53-man roster. The four-time Pro Bowler suffered a torn Achilles in December as a member of the Houston Texans, which led to the team cutting him in February with a failed physical designation. He was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list on Aug. 20 while still with the Patriots. In Feb. 2011, following his rookie season with the Denver Broncos, Thomas tore his Achilles during a workout and returned in six months. Prior to the Broncos trading Thomas to Houston on Oct. 30 last season, he tallied 9,055 yards and 60 touchdowns on 665 receptions in Denver—including five consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 yards receiving. By rejoining the Patriots, Thomas will be vying for targets alongside Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon and Phillip Dorsett. New England Patriots receiver N'Keal Harry has reportedly been placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the news Monday, noting Harry has dealt with the injury all summer. He is expected to return during the season. Harry was the No. 32 overall pick of the 2019 NFL draft. The Patriots hadn't selected a receiver in the first round since Terry Glenn in 1996. Head coach Bill Belichick apparently would have taken Harry even higher if given the opportunity. "When I talked to Coach Belichick the night that he drafted N'Keal, (Belichick) told me, 'Man, we were so fortunate that he was still there,'" former Arizona State head coach Todd Graham said, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic. "They were so glad he was still available. They had him graded a lot higher than where he was taken in the first round." Harry showcased his skill throughout his career at Arizona State, totaling 213 catches, 2,889 receiving yards and 22 receiving touchdowns in three years. He topped 1,000 yards in each of his last two years. He is now trying to continue to play at a high level in the NFL while catching passes from one of the best quarterbacks in history. With Harry sidelined, Phillip Dorsett and the newly re-signed Demaryius Thomas should receive more playing time and targets. Josh Gordon will also become an even more important part of the Patriots offense. People really need to stop bringing up Tom Brady‘s age as a factor when it comes to Bill Belichick and the Patriots’ quarterback situation.
I mean, have you been paying attention? Saturday’s cut down to 53 players — to finish off the entire offseason, really — was just the latest example of how Belichick — rightly (up to this point) or wrongly — doesn’t care about age anymore. It’s obviously just a number. The Belichick that everyone grew up with — the ruthless, take-no-prisoners-when-it-comes-to-the-roster-and-cap Hoodie — is gone. In fact, he’s been long gone for a while. What we have now, in addition to Chill Bill at practices, is Velvet Bill when it comes to the players he surrounds himself with — he’s looking for comfort all the way, baby. I wonder if he walks around One Patriot Place in off-hours in a velvet jumpsuit like George Costanza. This has to be the biggest takeaway from this offseason and this cutdown: The oldest team to ever win a Super Bowl … will be even older this season. So much for all that excitement about two good-looking draft classes hitting this roster. At this point, it looks like only Sony Michel (who only got the job last year because veteran Jeremy Hill got hurt) and IsaiahWynn (almost by default) will have major roles (until the inevitable injuries strike). A lot of other teams — including some recent Super Bowl winners —would have let high-priced veterans go and force-fed bigger roles for rookies and second-year players like Damien Harris, N’Keal Harry, Chase Winovich, Byron Cowart, Ja’Whaun Bentley, J.C. Jackson, Joejuan Williams, Keion Crossen, Duke Dawson, Christian Sam and Andrew Beck. But not Belichick with these Patriots. Might as well call them the Over The Hill Gang. Of course, many things can happen (players could get put on IR to return) in the next week, and this is far from the Final 53, but the Patriots’ regulars on offense, defense and special teams had an average age of 27.7 last season. This season’s regulars project to have an average of 28.7. And that’s even before they possibly bring back players like Demaryius Thomas and Dwayne Allen (you know this is happening). And, really, if they add anyone … at this point, do we really expect that player to be younger and displace a veteran? Belichick has basically eschewed going younger in many places that he could have:
Obviously there needs to be a lot of caveats thrown in here, the biggest being that we don’t know what the injury situations are for a lot of these players. That may have forced a lot of decisions. But there was probably some wiggle room, which Belichick tossed aside (pending more roster moves). Is Belichick’s Jurassic Patriots plan the right move? It certainly was last season, even if the team barely scraped out a bye by the end of the regular season, had to escape Kansas City with a thrilling victory, and was tied 3-3 with the Rams in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. And there are obvious reasons why he’s made some of these decisions. I mean, why wouldn’t you keep most of the defense from last season as-is since it was playing so well and looks even better this season? And the only reason why the defense was able to morph into that amoeba defense — which won them the Super Bowl — was because they had so many smart veterans on defense. And we all know that the Patriots’ passing game with Jedi Brady is no place for the young and weak-minded. But … really … there’s not even a little room for a few young up-and-comers anywhere, while giving them experience to lead the next group and saving a few bucks at the same time? You can’t still be good in the core with some young and cheaper legs getting in on the eating? Sure feels like The Hoodie would have done that back in the First Ring Dynasty. Now, draped in velvet and surrounded by all his poker buddies, Belichick is pushing all his chips to the middle on his Over The Hill Gang, trying to cement the Second Ring Dynasty as being even better than the first. This hasn’t changed any of my thinking that this team is going to the Super Bowl — at the least. But I don’t think a handful of moves aimed at getting a little younger and cheaper would have changed that thinking. Is Belichick right again? He usually is. |
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