This hurts the Bills in a few different ways:
- They are game and half behind the Patriots in the AFC East. The Bills play the Bucs this week while the Patriots get a rest. - The Patriots record within the conference makes teams chasing them be a game up because they have at least a two game lead in the tie breaker against every team in the AFC. - The Bills knew what was coming and still took it in the face. This will sit in the minds of the defense as the weather when they meet next time will change the dynamic. Yes, the Bills offense will be able to open up more but it also will include the Patriots actually throwing the ball. If the Bills couldn't stop them with 11 in the box, what happens when their is only 6 or 7 in the box? - Bills HC Sean McDermott has a tendency to throw hissy fits and act like a dick when it doesn't go his way and it was on display last night, especially during his post game comments. - The Bills are soft, which is an odd thing to say when you remember how tough the Jim Kelley era Bills were. The Bills are designed to beat the Chiefs, not 4 yards and cloud of dust teams like the Patriots or the Colts. Who makes a warm weather team in Buffalo? - The Bills have to heart about this until the next game with the Patriots and it could cause them to lose focus. Windy conditions plus rookie quarterback plus strong pass defense equals throwback football. That’s the equation the New England Patriots’ coaching staff decided on ahead of its primetime matchup with the Buffalo Bills in Week 13, and it worked. The Patriots beat the Bills 14-10, thanks in large part due to their commitment to running the football: offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels called a run on 44 of 47 non-kneel-down plays; New England ended the day with 230 rushing yards on those 44 carries for an average of 5.2 yards per attempt. It was no secret that the Patriots would rely on their running game to beat the Bills in the two teams’ pivotal AFC East matchup. Not only would it allow New England to move some pressure away from quarterback Mac Jones, Buffalo also showed some weaknesses versus the run two weeks earlier against the Indianapolis Colts. All of that in combination with the weather created a perfect yet utterly predictable storm. The rookie gained 78 yards on a team-high 24 carries. He was joined by fellow backs Damien Harris and Brandon Bolden, who added 111 and 28 yards to the equation. Harris also scored a 64-yard touchdown, with Bolden adding a two-point try on the very next snap. All three of them had productive games on a day that saw Mac Jones drop back to pass just three times. “Those guys were productive,” said head coach Bill Belichick on Monday. “They ran hard. They ran with good pad level. They got some extra yards after contact. That’s important, too. That’s what a back needs to do. We need to block the play for however many yards we block it for and, hopefully, the player with the ball can add onto that. I thought they did a good job of that. They made some tough yards. The Patriots were not perfect on the ground or dominating quite the way the final stat-line made it look like. They did see nine of their runs result in a loss of yardage. They had more effective games running the ball this season. However, they did not care: they stuck to the plan. All of that did not come as a surprise for the Bills’ defense. The problem, from their perspective, was that they simply could not do anything against the Patriots’ power running game — at least consistently enough. “Once they got the run game going, we knew they were going to be running the ball a lot. And then from there, it was just getting into negative situations,” Buffalo safety Micah Hyde said. “They’ve got good backs. They were running downhill, mixing up a little bit on us and whatever was working for them they were going right back to it. Five yards here and there, broke a few for some first downs. In the second half we were able to get off the field and make some stops. It was just unfortunate.” Even though they made their stops, the Patriots’ continued willingness to run the ball created opportunities. The Bills were unable to make positive plays consistently enough, and also had to play a game they were not used to playing: New England using big personnel — they used a sixth offensive lineman on 61 percent of their snaps, easily the highest number this season — forced Buffalo away from its standard nickel look. The Bills faced a tough decision, therefore. Keep nickel cornerback Taron Johnson on the field, or insert an inexperienced backup linebacker to add some size. With nominal LB3, A.J. Klein, on the Covid-19 reserve list, Tyrel Dodson took the field whenever Johnson came out. The Patriots took advantage of his presence, and of Johnson being outmatched against a player like offensive lineman Michael Onwenu or fullback Jakob Johnson. As a result, New England was able to assert its will in the running game. The Bills won their battles, and at the end of the day held the Patriots to their lowest output since Week 3. However, they still lost the war.
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The New England Patriots are releasing four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore, with a source telling ESPN's Adam Schefter that the sides could not agree to terms on a restructured contract.
Gilmore said goodbye to Patriots fans in a tweeted statement Wednesday. "We enjoyed so much success together and you have been an incredible inspiration for my individual achievements," Gilmore wrote. "... To Mr. Kraft, the coaches, and the organization thank you for providing me with this platform and allowing me to be part of greatness. Most of all I want to thank my teammates who lined up next to me every Sunday with one goal in mind." The Patriots were roughly $54,000 under the salary cap and now will find themselves with an additional $5.8 million in cap space. Gilmore had a $7 million base salary in 2021 in what was the final season of his contract. Gilmore was eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list after Week 6, and the market for the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year is expected to be robust. Multiple teams are expected to be interested, and Gilmore should be recovered from his quad injury in the coming weeks. The 31-year-old Gilmore will be remembered for, among other things, helping seal the Patriots' Super Bowl LIII victory with a late-game interception of Jared Goff. Gilmore underwent surgery for a torn quad in December. He had been around the team, participating in daily meetings and attending home games, while also publicly expressing displeasure with his contract. He was playing on the five-year, $65 million contract he signed with the Patriots in 2017 as an unrestricted free agent. His base salary of $7 million this season is below market for a player of his caliber but was a result of the team advancing him $5 million of his 2021 earnings in the 2020 season. Gilmore had skipped the Patriots' mandatory minicamp in June because of the contract. At one point, he tweeted a picture of the top-10 highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL based on average annual salary -- a list he wasn't a part of -- and wrote, "Oh ok." "I just want what I'm worth, however that plays out. Every player should be paid what they're worth. That's just how it is," Gilmore told NFL reporter Josina Anderson in July. "Hopefully we can find some common ground and get it situated." The Patriots have J.C. Jackson and Jalen Mills as their starting cornerbacks, with Jonathan Jones as a top option in the slot. Joejuan Williams, a 2019 second-round pick from Vanderbilt, is fourth on the depth chart. The Patriots also acquired 2021 fifth-round pick Shaun Wade from the Baltimore Ravens in an early September trade, but he has yet to be active in a game. One of the many reasons the San Francisco 49ers traded up to the third overall spot in this year's NFL draft was their belief that the New England Patriots could trade up to No. 3 and beat them to Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, league sources told ESPN. San Francisco wanted to position itself to select a quarterback for the future and believed there were multiple worthy candidates. But the 49ers also were concerned that the Patriots would leapfrog them in the draft and position themselves to select Jones before San Francisco could. The 49ers considered the well-documented relationship between Bill Belichick and Nick Saban and knew that New England was doing legwork on the quarterback prospects in the draft. The Niners also believed at the time that Jones was the prospect the Patriots identified as their potential quarterback of the future. This belief contributed to the Niners completing the late-March trade that sent three first-round draft picks to the Miami Dolphins to move up to the No. 3 spot, which gave them the opportunity to draft Jones or any other quarterback they deemed worthy in that slot. San Francisco ultimately decided Trey Lance was its preferred quarterback, and Jones wound up with New England at the 15th pick anyway -- without the Patriots having to surrender any additional compensation. Jones will start New England's season opener Sunday against Miami, while Lance will serve as San Francisco's backup to Jimmy Garoppolo against the Detroit Lions. My Thoughts: To me, this just makes the 49ers move seem more desperate. They initially wanted the guy who is more NFL ready in Mac Jones but they gave in to pressure to grab the guy with more potential in Trey Lance. Potential is great, but with someone like Jones you know what you are going to get and can build your team around that skill set. Former NFL wide receiver David Patten, who won three Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots, was killed in a motorcycle crash Thursday outside Columbia, South Carolina, according to Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford. He was 47. According to South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Nick Pye, a motorcycle driver -- identified by the coroner as Patten -- crossed the median, causing a crash involving two other cars. One of the cars' drivers was also taken to a hospital with undisclosed injuries. The crash remains under investigation by the highway patrol and the coroner. "I am heartbroken by the news of David's passing," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. "He was a devout Christian who followed his passion following his football career and founded his own ministry. David transitioned from an undersized and understated wide receiver to a powerful and passionate preacher. In New England, he will always be remembered as a three-time Super Bowl Champion." Patten played for five teams over a 12-year NFL career but is best known for his four seasons with the Patriots (2001-04), including two iconic catches to help New England capture its first Super Bowl win during the 2001 season. He hauled in an 11-yard touchdown from Drew Bledsoe during the Patriots' 24-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game and followed that with a leaping 8-yard touchdown reception from Tom Brady in the second quarter of the Super Bowl. It was New England's lone offensive touchdown in the 20-17 win over the Rams. When he retired during Patriots training camp in 2010, Patten described his time with the Patriots as the highlight of his career. "It breaks my heart to hear of David's tragic passing at such a young age," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in a statement. "I am grateful to have coached David. He is an essential person and player in Patriots history, without whom we would not have been Super Bowl champions." The New England Patriots finished out the preseason with a 22-20 win on the road against the New York Giants. And while we’re all happy that the preseason is finally over, there was quite a bit to take away from this game, so let’s get into it.
1. D’Angelo Ross makes the most of his start in the secondary: Every preseason, you have a player who comes out of nowhere and jumps onto the radar. Sunday night, it was Ross, who got the start at slot corner with Jonathan Jones being banged up. Ross played extremely well, showing his toughness and willingness to tackle, and also picking a pass off in the end zone. Ross has been on injured reserve and the practice squad and is now fighting for a 53-man roster spot. Whether or not last night was enough to earn him that spot is still unclear, but people certainly know his name after his performance. 2. New England’s pass rush looks dominant: The pass rush appears to be formidable this August. Matthew Judon and Josh Uche have both had a fantastic preseasons, but they are not alone. Chase Winovich has consistently been getting after the passer, and rookie Ronnie Perkins and Christian Barmore have flashed at times, too. The front seven is very deep for the Patriots this year, and it seems that they are going to use their athletes to get after opposing quarterbacks more than they have in past years. This defense is going to be a lot of fun to watch. 3. Why it’s Cam over Mac: The daily question in New England is: Who should the Patriots start at quarterback this season? Well, Bill Belichick may have said in his postgame press conference that there are some tough decisions to make, but for yet another week, the head coach’s actions speak much louder than his words. Once again, Cam Newton got all of the work with the first-team offense, and Mac Jones only came in with the backups. Belichick said that Cam was the starter when Mac was drafted, and nothing he has done since gives any hint that is going to change. 4. Gunner Olszewski is not yet an NFL wide receiver: Olszewski once again showed that he is simply not ready to play receiver at the NFL level. When he gets separation, he is unable to catch the passes thrown his way, and has not come through in any high-leverage situations this preseason. Is it possible that the first-team All-Pro returner doesn’t make the roster this year? I think it is. It’s unlikely, but I do think that there are other options to return punts and kickoffs. 5. At kick returner: Speaking of returning kickoffs, seeing rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson return kicks is painful. It reminded me of when Brandon Bolden would be back there for the Patriots. Interestingly enough, Stevenson is wearing the same No. 38 that Bolden wore back then. I’m not sure who is going to return kicks for New England, but I vote for anyone other than Stevenson or Bolden. 6. A near-perfect night for New England’s kicker competition: Nick Folk and Quinn Nordin both kicked on Thursday night, and it was a perfect night all around until Nordin missed a 54-yarder. The undrafted free agent has not shown the ability to be consistent this offseason, so it might be tough to justify keeping him over the veteran in Folk, who was incredibly consistent last season. I’d still love to see the rookie make the team because of his big leg — and his piercing blue eyes don’t hurt either. Belichick, who is usually unwilling to take chances with special teams, will probably end up keeping Folk. But I’m hopeful Nordin can sneak onto the practice squad. 7. Decisions are looming on the roster bubble: The preseason is a time for players to make a name for themselves. Some have made strides to do that, and others have shown that they simply don’t belong on the 53-man roster. Michael Jackson is a great example of the latter. He is constantly getting beat, and simply isn’t an NFL cornerback. There are others, however, who have made a name for themselves in a positive way. Defensive tackle Akeem Spence has gotten a ton of playing time this preseason, and overall played decent. Defensive back Joejuan Williams looks like he played well enough to lock up a roster spot. I mentioned Ross already this article, but he certainly made a push on Sunday. Yodny Cajuste went from the roster bubble to the swing tackle this offseason, as he has consistently been the best linemen in the second unit. High-priced free agent Henry Anderson looks like he might be on the D-line bubble right now, just based on snaps, so we’ll see what happens with him. And finally, Bill Murray is a guy who has done everything he can to make this team on the interior. The William & Mary product has played special teams, running down on the kickoff and the punt team. Whether it’s going to be enough for these fringe roster guys to push out someone else for a roster spot remains to be seen, but there are a handful who have at least made the decisions difficult these next few days. 8. First impression left by cornerback Shaun Wade: The Patriots acquired Wade via trade earlier this week, and the cornerback was out on the field after only one practice with the team. Wade did get pushed to the ground on the final Hail Mary, but had played pretty well up to that point. The rookie fifth-round pick from Ohio State had shown a willingness to be physical in the run game, and had done a pretty good job covering, as well. It’s unlikely that the Patriots would trade two selections for Wade and then cut him, so I expect him to make the roster. And while he certainly won’t be starting any time soon, he showed some promise last night. 9. J.J. Taylor continues to flash at running back: I feel like every week we’re talking about one or more of New England’s running backs. This week, it’s Taylor. Stevenson continued to run hard, and made some nice moves in space, but Taylor is the one who really flashed last night. He showed some real burst with the ball in his hands, and continuously made defenders miss. Taylor looks to be carving out a role for himself, and is making a case to be a Rex Burkhead-type back this season. The Patriots’ running back room is incredibly deep, and I’m confident that whoever is in the game has the ability to make a big play on every snap. The speed that Taylor showed really stuck out. He’s a guy who deserves a shot to make some of those big plays this regular season. 10. Devin Asiasi getting up to speed at tight end: Asiasi, the third-round pick from last spring, certainly wasn’t in danger of being cut. But we really hadn’t seen much from the tight this preseason. He made a few very nice plays on Sunday, including a nice back-shoulder grab thrown by Jones. Asiasi looks to be the third tight end on the roster and, if the preseason finale was any indication, he should be ready to step in and contribute whenever his number is called. The tight end position is notoriously hard to adapt to in the NFL, and Asiasi finally seems to be getting the hang of it. The New England Patriots have settled compensation grievances with Antonio Brown and Aaron Hernandez over the past week, which creates notable salary-cap space for the team, league sources told ESPN. The Patriots had owed wide receiver Brown $9 million, and as part of the settlement he will instead receive $5 million, per sources. The settlement is notable, as some experts viewed the Patriots' chances of recouping any money as low. The Patriots gave Brown a $9 million signing bonus on Sept. 7, and half of it was to be paid on Sept. 23, three days after they cut him. The other half was to be paid in January. In addition to that $4 million credit on the Patriots' cap, the club received a $2.55 million credit after settling a long-running compensation grievance with the late Hernandez, per sources. The salary-cap space is significant for the Patriots, who have been tight to the league's limit. Earlier this week, prior to restructuring the contract of running back Rex Burkhead, the Patriots were down to less than $500,000 in space. The club now has $7.79 million in room under the salary cap. Greg Bedard is one of the best writers of Patriots news. The following is from his Boston Sports Journal which has some of the best writing on New England sports if you are interested.
Shortly after witnessing Brett Favre‘s surprise retirement announcement on March 6, 2008, in the Lambeau Field Atrium, I had a conversation with a longtime NFL executive. At the time, there were rumors about Favre butting heads with Packers management — namely, Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy — that basically forced Favre into retirement. But all we were left with was Favre’s tear-lined face and his words from the dais, which seemed heartfelt and genuine. “I’ve given everything I possibly can give to this organization, to the game of football, and I don’t think I’ve got anything left to give, and that’s it,” Favre said. “I know I can play, but I don’t think I want to. And that’s really what it comes down to.” Even with follow-up questions, Favre convincingly stuck to his line that it was just time to move on. But knowing some of the chatter behind the scenes — mostly about Thompson (similar to Bill Belichick in his lack of sentimentality when it comes to his roster management) and Favre — and, most importantly, the unshakeable iciness between Deanna Favre, Thompson and McCarthy — they were all seated right next to each other off to the side of Favre, but they could have been miles away — there had to be more to it than Favre just being done with football. That uncomfortable tension is what I was discussing with the NFL executive. “There’s one thing you need to remember with these guys,” he said in referencing the NFL’s great QBs. “It always ends badly, and they blame everyone else for it.” And he was right. Soon enough, things got messy off the field between the Packers. Friends of Favre were sniping at Thompson, McCarthy and team president Mark Murphy behind the scenes. They didn’t do this for Brett. They didn’t tell him this. It’s their fault he’s not a fault Packer anymore. He didn’t want any of this. Sound familiar? As we’ve come to learn in recent weeks, Tom Brady isn’t an exception to this. He’s not special or different. He’s just like every other great, future Hall of Fame quarterback who wound up finishing his career in another uniform. We’ve now reached the stage of the fallout of his departure to Tampa where people are starting to air Brady’s grievances. Of course, all this chatter behind the scenes is missing one thing … any blame on Brady’s behalf. (Hmm, I wonder why that is.) We’ll get into a little history lesson, and then show what’s really at the heart of all this, and Brady’s part in it. The same thing happened with Dan Marino. His final three seasons in the NFL were marred by constant tension with Jimmy Johnson, who wanted to take the offense away from the trigger-happy Marino. It did not end well, with a 62-7 loss to the Jaguars in the playoffs. In Marino’s heart, he knows that he needs Johnson. In Johnson’s heart, he knows he needs Marino. Johnson isn’t getting ready to trade Marino, cut Marino or ask him to retire. But their combination is tenuous, built on a foundation of Marino’s fragile legs and piled high with huge expectations by all involved, including fans. Marino could have added trust to the foundation. He could have said he not only understands what Johnson is doing, he agrees with it completely. He could have said he knows he’s not going to play forever and that Johnson has to keep an eye on the future. He didn’t. Instead, Marino smiled slyly and took momentary glee in watching Johnson stew. Marino was being human, doing what prideful people often do when they are hurt or uneasy. You don’t think Belichick and Johnson, his fishing buddy, have discussed Marino and Brady? Joe Montana said he mentally left San Francisco during the middle of his final season with the 49ers (sound familiar?) before behind traded to the Chiefs. “I knew I was leaving part way through last season,” Montana said. “My mind was made up. “I could see they were trying to make the change. . . . Otherwise they would have given me a shot right from the beginning, that we could compete.” Terry Bradshaw and Chuck Noll had a similar relationship to Brady and Belichick — Bradshaw complained for years that Noll rode him too hard and wish he would have been traded at some point. You could see Brady giving a similar interview about Belichick at some point. Then there was Favre, whose final years were similar to Brady’s. Thompson was hired in 2005 when it became apparent Mike Sherman couldn’t be the coach and GM. Thompson promptly came in and released Favre-favored linemen Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle, and safety Darren Sharper. Thompson drafted Aaron Rodgers in the first round before going 4-12. In ’06, Thompson fired Sherman, a Favre enabler, and replaced him with McCarthy with the edict of taking the offense back from Favre. In ’07, Thompson failed to trade for Randy Moss — which Favre pushed for behind the scenes — and drafted a bust at defensive tackle 16th overall. “I just want to win; maybe I see things the wrong way,” Favre said at the time. “I don’t want to ruffle any feathers and I want people to respect me. Sometimes I think it’s hard for them to let Brett go. They might think that we pay him a lot of money, but he still gives us the best chance to win. I’ve never been told that, but there are times when I wonder if I’m the odd man out here and they just don’t know how to tell me.” Favre had a tremendous ’07 season as the Packers reached the NFC Championship Game. And then he retired. The only real exceptions to this in modern times were John Elway and Peyton Manning, but those were special circumstances — not to mention they retired after Super Bowl victories. Elway bought into the conversion of the Broncos into a running team whose identity was the zone blocking scheme and Terrell Davis — and not Elway. Manning’s neck injuries made his Indianapolis exit a moot point — that could have gotten really uncomfortable — and then Elway was there to make sure Manning’s interests were taking care of in Denver. Troy Aikman retired due to concussions. Almost universally, the NFL executive was right: it almost always ends badly with a great QB, and the quarterback ends up blaming everyone else. You never hear them say, “Yeah, the coaches put me in a great position and I just failed to come through.” There’s always something else. There’s always some drama. So Tom Brady Sr. himself was right when he told the New York Times Magazine in 2015 that, “It will end badly.” He just left off the part where his son’s part of it will be ignored. Not that I don’t think Brady isn’t right to feel the way he does in many respects. His departure from New England could have been avoided: If Belichick just gave him an earned five-year extension in the 2017 offseason … If Belichick didn’t bust his chops over Alex Guerrero … If Belichick just gave Brady a few more real weapons to work with the past two years instead of hoarding all the additions and depth on the defense … If Belichick paid Brady his worth, especially after so many years of sacrificing for the team. It all could have ended differently. Those are real and true gripes on Brady’s behalf. This stuff about Brady’s input being ignored in the gameplan, or Brady feeling that he was being phased out is just complete and utter nonsense. Do I think it’s being said by Brady’s camp, and/or people who want Belichick and his coaches to be made out as the bad guys in all this? Absolutely. But it’s straight out of the Favre Family playbook — all we’re missing is phone calls from Mississippi area codes, and Scott Favre and agent Bus Cook calling media members out of nowhere. Brady’s people just should be saying: “Tom was really worn down by everything with the Patriots the past couple of years — it was unnecessarily hard — nothing was really going to change, so he just decided to try something new.” That’s really what all this amounts to. Like I said, some of it is legit. But some of this was also just in Brady’s head. Belichick definitely helped to put those thoughts there, but the slights were invented by Brady. The downward trajectory came after the Atlanta Super Bowl, as we’ve chronicled many times before. Brady was riding high after that triumph. Go listen to his podcast with Peter King from Montana after that — the “answers to the test” podcast. Brady sounds like he’s ready to play another 10 years at a high level. He’s pumped. He’s ready to conquer everything. There’s no hint at skipping OTAs. Then it was all downhill from there. No contract extension. Jimmy Garoppolo is not traded and won’t be dealt for four first-round picks. Brady asking questions about where the loyalty is, where his security is. Garoppolo is traded, but Brady still wants that extension, that security. He’s told his security is in San Francisco. The Eagles Super Bowl and Malcolm Butler. Rob Gronkowski is nearly traded. Drew Brees can get two years guaranteed but Brady only gets incentives. Another contract negotiation goes nowhere … that’s it, Brady’s done unless Belichick changes his tune. He doesn’t. Hello Tampa. This stuff about Brady lacking input into the gameplan? Nonsense. What about Brady’s belief that he’s being phased out of the Patriots offense? In his increasingly paranoid head. Here are Brady’s average pass attempts per game in later years: 2014: 36.4 (Super Bowl win) 2015: 39.0 2016: 36.0 (Super Bowl win) 2017: 36.3 2018: 35.6 (Super Bowl win) 2019: 38.3 So Brady was done with the Patriots because he attempted his most passes since ’15? That’s being phased out? That’s the offense becoming less Tom-centric? Sure looked like they relied on him more than ever, it’s just he wasn’t given the horses to run with. This stuff that you’re hearing — he felt he was being phased out, Josh McDaniels was no longer his buffer, Brady lacked the same input — is what you get from an aging athlete, who has always been worried about being replaced, seeing ghosts. Brady was so deadset on being the one to orchestrate the final years of his career, that he was paranoid about Belichick beating him to the punch. What you won’t hear from Team Brady is that Brady largely checked out in 2018 after the loss to Pittsburgh and hated how the offense pivoted to a more run-based attack. Brady probably hated the Rams Super Bowl gameplan as well and how it only produced 13 points. Was Brady being phased out in ’18? Was the offense becoming less Tom-centric? Of course not. The Patriots were trying to win football games with what they had on hand. And it worked … so I guess we won’t hear any public complaints about that season. Of course there was Brady no longer showing up in the offseason, which meant that the quarterback was no longer the hardest worker on the team — a mantra for Belichick teams. There were disagreements with the strength and nutrition staffs as TB12 creeped more into Gillette. Tom The Patriot was now Tom The Business Man/Patriot. Closer to the field, there was general unhappiness with how Belichick allowed the offensive coaches at the positions most central to Brady’s success — tight ends and receivers — to be staffed by neophytes (Nick Caley) and those with divided attentions, especially on gameday (Joe Judge). Brady was also dissatisfied with the Antonio Brown decision, the personnel approaches at receiver and tight end, and what he was surrounded with by the end of 2019. Brady has a right to be upset about most if not all of that. The Patriots’ offensive approach the past two years basically devolved into, “Josh and Tom will figure it out.” Belichick was right in 2018. He was terribly wrong in ’19. In Brady’s mind, 2020 wasn’t going to be all that different. Here’s where Brady is wrong. All of this was not some vendetta against him. It was not all designed at pushing Brady out the door and making him expendable. It was just … football under Belichick. Same as it’s always been. The Patriots didn’t become a run-based team to become less Tom-centric. They did it because, as always, that played to the strength of the team. You can’t throw it 50 times a game with players who can’t beat anyone in man coverage. You can’t scheme players open by going to shotgun empty — you need the run and playaction to make it work. McDaniels was “no longer Brady’s best buddy and became more aligned with Belichick” because McDaniels works at the pleasure of the head coach, and that’s the way it has always been. If Belichick says to run it twice on 3rd and 6 at the opponent’s 40, McDaniels has to run it twice. While McDaniels installs each gameplan, Belichick gives notes to each side of the ball on how best to attack that week’s opponent based on the Patriots’ personnel. The Patriots’ offensive plan has to fit in the overall attack plan for that week’s opponent. Were the Patriots more conservative on offense the past two seasons? Of course they were. Not to phase out Brady, but because that’s what the personnel — misfires on offense while the defense became strong — dictated. Not all that dissimilar to the Patriots’ first dynasty. The Patriots took a hit on their coaching staff because, with three Super Bowl wins in six years, their coaches were getting better opportunities and raided like never before. Did Belichick give the offense inexperienced coaches to stick it to Brady? No, Belichick has always preferred to coach up young coaches. In case Brady didn’t notice, the defense was in the same boat with Bret Bielema, DeMarcus Covington and Mike Pellegrino. In short, Patriots business was being done as Patriots business has always been done. The only difference? You had an aging quarterback, obsessed with not having Belichick call the final play of Brady’s Patriots career, pushed to his limit because he was only offered year-to-year contracts. All this other stuff is nonsense. But it makes sense. Brady is an all-time great quarterback. It always ends badly for them, and it’s always someone else’s fault. ____________________________ NICKEL PACKAGE 1. Congratulations to Richard Seymour for his election into the Patriots Hall of Fame. While Bill Parcells should definitely be in for what he did for this franchise, Seymour was just a spectacular player at a crucial position for Belichick’s defense. Count Seymour as one who learned that it’s business and never personal with Belichick. “At the end of the day, the amount of respect I had for Coach Belichick and still have to this day – there’s a difference between business and your personal life. Personally, it was always a ton of respect,” Seymour told reporters. “Coach Belichick, he would always send a Christmas gift to the kids and little things like that. In terms of the business side of it, I mean, that’s just the business side of the NFL. We saw that this year with all their guys. So, that’s a part of it. I don’t have any hard feelings or anything like that. That’s just a part of the way the NFL works. So, it may have seemed like it was some tension or something, but in my mind, it’s no hard feelings. We talk and we see each other. He’ll shoot me a text. I was down there when the team was here in Atlanta for the Super Bowl. I was with the team. So, all is well. ” 2. The Patriots haven’t had much success as far as receiver reclamation projects in recent year, but Marqise Lee could be an exception because he’s largely a year removed from his knee and shoulder injuries in Jacksonville. “It’s been quite difficult with the knee injury and coming back with the shoulder injury,” Lee said this week to reporters. “It’s been difficult, but it’s been a task in which I’ve quite enjoyed as far as knowing myself. After these certain injuries, you’ve got some people who get down on themselves and tend to want to shut it down. For me, it’s kind of like a motivating factor. I just want to see where I’m at at this point. It will be good to get out there and play football, which I feel like I haven’t played in the last couple years. I’m just ready to get at it.” 3. Lee had some overlap with new Patriots assistant QB coach Jedd Fisch in Jacksonville. “Coach Jedd was a great, great coach down in Jacksonville for me as far as when I first got there, just teaching me the things I need to be as far as a player,” Lee said. “Even when he left, he stayed in communication, just making sure I stayed on top of things for the first couple years. It’s kind of motivating for me or a little helpful for me to actually know that he was on the team. It gave me a little relief not going to a team and not knowing everybody. At least I had the opportunity know somebody. I haven’t really gotten the chance to really communicate because of the coronavirus or things like that, but I’ve been hopping on Zoom with him a couple times throughout the group, spoke to him, things like that and he just gave me some tips as far as helping me as I’m going through it.” 4. I was somewhat excited to hear that the NFL was floating a plan to incentivize the hiring of minority head coaches and GMs. But a few spots in the third round? Really? Talk about throwing the bare minimum at the problem. If you really want to make NFL teams seriously consider more minority candidates — which is really the aim of the program — float moving a few spots in first round. 5. Knowing Aaron Rodgers a bit, I think he gave his real feelings on the drafting of Jordan Love and was realistic about the possible end of his Packers career (if Love is even a good player, which is far from a given) in his first comments to the media. Rodgers may be a bit of a diva and often overlooks his own responsibilities when the team struggles, but usually shoots you straight on his feelings. New England Patriots fullback James Develin announced his retirement from football on Monday, citing "unforeseen complications" from a neck injury that sidelined him for the majority of the 2019 season.
Develin, 31, who was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2017, overcame long odds to break through in the NFL. After playing on the defensive line at Brown University, he joined the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League and Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz of AF2 (the minor league of the Arena Football League) before signing with the Cincinnati Bengals' practice squad for the final five games of the 2010 season. He spent 2011 on the Bengals' practice squad, and after the Bengals released him on Aug. 31, 2012, the Patriots signed him to their practice squad the next day. Develin earned a brief promotion to the Patriots' roster late in the 2012 season before finding a permanent spot the following season. Overall, he played in 81 regular-season games (29 starts), as well as 14 playoff games (six starts). He was part of three Super Bowl championship teams, with his contributions especially notable in the 2018 season, when the Patriots turned into a power running team late in the season in a stunning transformation. Patriots coach Bill Belichick often lauded Develin's versatility and said in a statement Monday that he was one of the most respected players the Patriots ever had. "In football, there are a lot of tough, unselfish and dependable people who bring positive leadership on a daily basis, but the name James Develin represents those qualities at an elite level," Belichick said in a news release announcing Develin's retirement. "A tribute to the impact James had on our success, of the five seasons in which he appeared in every game, we won three championships. Any team would be fortunate to have a James Devlin type on its roster, but the reality is he is a rarity and we are very fortunate he was a Patriot." Develin took to social media Monday to thank the Patriots organization for his many seasons with the team. Safety Patrick Chung was one of the first to reply to Develin's Instagram post. "You're a great man, father and husband. Going to miss you on the field,'' Chung wrote. "Keep being you and you'll be successful in anything you do my man.'' The Patriots have used the fullback as much as any other team in the NFL under coordinator Josh McDaniels. This offseason, they agreed to a one-year deal with former Packers fullback Danny Vitale and selected Virginia Tech H-back Dalton Keene in the third round of the NFL draft, which foreshadowed Develin's time on the field coming to an end. A native of Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Develin was widely respected in the Patriots organization. While he spent the 2019 season on injured reserve, he remained around the team in a coaching-type capacity, traveling to road games in a rarity for those in his situation. The Patriots had opportunities to land so-called impactful players, according to the draftnik community, up and down this weekend’s draft, and they almost universally passed. Instead, they selected players with positive traits that they think, obviously, will translate into contributing to their team concept. It’s very much on-brand for the Patriots and Bill Belichick. Their track record over the past 20 years certainly is a testament to the success of that approach. But some of their rivals decided to go the other way. Teams like the Ravens, Bills and Dolphins took their swings at bigger names in this draft and executed their plans. No one is saying one approach is better than the other. You’d be a fool to call this Patriots draft, the first of the post-Tom Brady era, a failure. You’d be equally as foolish to say the Ravens, Bills and Dolphins knocked it out of the park and are on their way to supplanting the Patriots. No one knows anything. But it’s fair to say that this draft, perhaps more than any other, will be a great referendum three years down the road, when we know which players succeeded or failed. Because there were some pivotal moments when the teams diverged. There will be a lot of scoreboard-watching off of this draft. Some of the pivotal decisions that will be monitored: First round Patriots trade out of No. 23, passing on, among others, LBs Kenneth Murray and Patrick Queen, C Cesar Ruiz, QB Jordan Love, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Ravens draft Queen at 28. Dolphins draft CB Noah Igbinoghene at 30. Chiefs draft Edwards-Helaire at 32. Discussion: Murray will be watched closely because he went in the Patriots’ spot to the Chargers. New England traded down, in part, because it used a second-round pick on Mohamed Sanu. … Queen will be more of a direct comp because he’s playing for the Ravens, and also since Patriots safety Kyle Dugger is similar size as a box player. … If David Andrews is not successful in his comeback from health issues and Ruiz is an instant starter on a good Saints team, that would be interesting. … If the Patriots have to defend the Chiefs in the postseason and Edwards-Helaire is a weapon, that will be remembered. Second round Patriots draft S Kyle Dugger 37th overall and pass on DE Yetur Gross-Matos (Panthers), TE Cole Kmet (Bears), WR/TE Chase Claypool (Steelers). They also take DE Josh Uche 60th overall, passing on OLB Julian Okwara (Lions) Ravens draft RB J.K. Dobbins. Bills draft DE A.J. Espenesa. Dolphins draft DT Raekwon Davis. Discussion: The Patriots passed on Gross-Matos and Epenesa — at a position they obviously wanted to address by taking Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings later — to go with a box safety where they currently have numbers. They’ll see Epenesa twice a year with Buffalo. … Adding Dobbins to the Ravens’ backfield could make them even tougher to defend. … Davis has the ideal size and scheme fit (Alabama) for the Patriots’ system and Brian Flores gobbled him up. … Safeties Grant Delpit and Jeremy Chinn also went in the round. … So did receivers Van Jefferson and Denzel Mims, and QB Jalen Hurts. Not so much worried about Hurts, but Jefferson and Mims could hit, or bust. … Matt Patricia is in Detroit and will have Okwara in the same spot as Uche. Third round Patriots draft DE Anfernee Jennings 87th overall, TE Devin Asiasi 91st and trade up for TE Dalton Keene (101st). Patriots passed on OLB Jonathan Greenard (Texans, same scheme), WR Devin Duvernay (Ravens), OLB Alex Highsmith (Steelers), TE Adam Trautman (Saints), TE Albert Okwuegbunam (Broncos). Ravens draft WR Devin Duvernay 92nd right after the Asiasi pick, ILB Malk Harrison 98th. Discussion: The Patriots’ selections, especially the TEs, will be compared to Duverany, Trautman and Okwuegbunam. Trautman was a player most expected to land with the Patriots and they passed. He joins Ruiz with the Saints in what could be another explosive offense. Fourth round Patriots didn’t have a pick in this round after trading two fourth-round picks to draft Keene. Taken after 125 and 129: QB James Morgan (Jets), S K’Von Wallace (Eagles), WR Gabriel Davis (Bills), TE Colby Parkinson (Seahawks). Ravens drafted OG Ben Bredeson 143rd. Bills drafted WR Gabriel Davis 128th. Discussion: For the price of Keene, the Patriots could have had Bredeson and Parkinson/Davis. … Baltimore is looking for a replacement for Marshal Yanda at guard and Bredeson could be a key pick for them. … Patriots, who did not draft a receiver, will see David twice a season. Fifth round Patriots take the first kicker in the draft, unheralded Justin Rohrwasser from Marshall at 159. They passed on C Nick Harris (Browns), WR Quintez Cephus (Lions), QB Jake Fromm (Bills). Ravens draft DT Broderick Washington 170th. Bills take Fromm. Discussion: Obviously this all hinges on Rohrwasser. If he follows in the Adam Vinatieri and Stephen Gostkowski lineage, then the Patriots knocked it out of the park. If he’s not the answer, there will be all sorts of second-guessing regardless of what anyone else does. … Ravens got interior line help, which the Patriots didn’t draft. Sixth and seventh rounds Patriots traded up to draft OG Michael Onewnu at 182, took OT Justin Herron at 195, ILB Cassh Maluia at 204, and C Dustin Woodard in the 7th. Passed on QB Jake Luton (Jaguars), OT Jon Runyan (Packers), WR James Proche (Ravens), WR Isaiah Hodgins (Bills). Ravens draft WR James Prosch, and safety Geno Stone in the 7th. Bills draft WR Isaiah Hodgins. Dolphins draft QB/WR Malcolm Perry out of Navy in seventh round. Discussion: Prosch was being talked a lot as a possible slot player for the Patriots and he ends up going to the Ravens while the Patriots drafted two backup linemen and a special teams linebacker. Obviously that will be closely watched, and if Hodgins does anything in the division in Buffalo. … Perry was thought to be an athlete fit for the Patriots but he was grabbed by Flores. You can’t judge a draft at least until the players have three years to prove themselves in the NFL. So no one should be drawing any conclusions right now. But what we can say is the Ravens, especially under new general manager Eric DeCosta, the Bills and Dolphins certainly feel like their on the come against the reigning AFC power, the Patriots. We’re not saying the Patriots are slipping, but there’s little debate the other teams have improved their outlooks the past three seasons. There’s also no debate the Patriots are headed off into a new era, with Brady now a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. Will things change? Are the other teams ascending while the Patriots, finally, after two decades become just another team? Impossible to say. But it’s likely this draft, in particular, will go a long way toward answering that question in the coming years. Bill Belichick either just set a course for himself to sail off on a high note in the final years of his career, or he’ll be watching other teams — some very close rivals — surge past him at the finish line. As the saying goes, In Bill We Trust. I really hope these picks pan out for the Patriots because this was one of the stranger drafts I've seen from them in a while. The New England Patriots are signing former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Marqise Lee to a one-year contract, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday.
Lee became a free agent on April 20, when he was released by the Jaguars. Lee, 28, has battled injuries throughout his career and never became the game-changing player the Jaguars hoped he would be when he was drafted in the second round in 2014. He played in only six games and had three catches for 18 yards after signing a four-year contract worth $34 million with $16.5 million guaranteed in March 2018. He missed the 2018 season after suffering a torn ACL, MCL and PCL in his left knee during the preseason. The signing of Lee is consistent with an approach the Patriots have taken under Bill Belichick, identifying a once highly-touted player whose value on the open market wasn't what it previously due to injuries or other factors. Lee joins a Patriots wide receiver corps headlined by Julian Edelman, 2019 first-round pick The Jaguars drafted Lee with the 39th overall pick in 2014, and he battled injuries early in his career, missing nine games in 2014 and '15. He played in every game in 2016 and missed only two games in 2017. He re-signed with the Jaguars in March 2018 after the team was unable to reach a deal with Allen Robinson, whom they also drafted in the second round in 2014. Lee has 174 catches for 2,184 yards and eight touchdowns in 59 career games. |
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