Tag: App Alert

Marqise Lee seems to be hoping for some Bill Belichick magic with Patriots

Marqise Lee seems to be hoping Bill Belichick can help him turn things around.

Marqise Lee’s injury woes came up a few times as he spoke to reporters on Wednesday during an introductory videoconference call.

Lee has recently dealt with knee and shoulder injuries, and his 2019 season was his least productive year of his career, with just three catches for 18 yards with the Jacksonville Jaguars. If he’s going to stay relevant in the NFL, the 28-year-old receiver will need to stay healthy in 2020. And he may need to fight his way up New England’s depth chart to get targets on Sundays. Even though he’s facing a competitive group of receivers, Lee liked the Patriots in free agency for obvious reasons.

“I just knew the last couple years, I didn’t really have the opportunity to go out there and do the things that I felt like I needed to do as a player,” Lee said. “And I felt like me choosing New England, just to go there this season was a sense of just trying to get back to myself. I felt, which place is a more perfect place to try to get back to yourself other than New England?”

It’s true that Bill Belichick has a track record of helping veterans find their way to production, whether they enjoy breakout seasons, like Kyle Van Noy did after getting traded from the Lions, or they return to form, like Jamie Collins did in 2019 and Patrick Chung has done in his second stint with the team. It doesn’t always work out. Dontrelle Inman, Maurice Harris, Nate Washington, Jordan Matthews and so many other receivers came looking for a resurgence in their careers — and they didn’t get it.

But Lee seems to be getting off on the right foot in New England. Amid a virtual offseason during the coronavirus pandemic, he understands, to some degree, how the team operates and he likes what he’s seen.

“Very strict, basically just all about football and handling your business,” he said. “I felt like I was a little bit off on that point with these last two injuries I had, so I just wanted to get back right on track and get everything back on point, and I feel like New England was the right place for me.”

It certainly seems that way. In fact, he already sounds like a Patriot.

“I’m the type of person who will give everything that he team needs to me to do.” Lee said ”Whatever they need me to do at the end of the day is what I’m willing to do regardless of what it is. That’s my main focus. I haven’t had the opportunity to really stay healthy in the league so my main focus right now is really just staying healthy.

“I’m just here. They need a body, a healthy body, I’m here to rock out.”

Lee joins a depth chart of receivers which includes Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Mohamed Sanu, Damiere Byrd, Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski, among others. Byrd is the only other veteran who joined in free agency, and though the team added a few interesting undrafted free agents, namely Miami’s Jeff Thomas and Auburn’s Will Hastings, they did not draft a receiver. Lee seems like a natural fit in the offense, with versatility to operate inside the slot and outside the numbers. If he can develop rapport with the team’s top quarterback, he has a shot to be a contributor in 2020.

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Why Brian Hoyer is unlikely to serve as the Patriots’ starting QB

Will Brian Hoyer be the starter?

The New England Patriots added a quarterback to the depth chart on Sunday, but perhaps they didn’t add a starting quarterback. It’s fitting that in free agency, Bill Belichick allowed Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, to leave. And in exchange, Belichick welcomed Brian Hoyer on a one-year, $1 million deal.

Belichick is the king of anticlimax in the offseason, with a habit of signing unexciting or unknown players in free agency and then trading back in the draft. But he also converts boring offseasons into exciting regular seasons, which is why it’s hard to be a skeptic, even in an offseason when Belichick seems OK with swapping Brady for Hoyer, a journeyman whose career has included two stays in New England (2009-2011, 2017-2018).

The reasoning for signing Hoyer is simple: He’s an established veteran who knows how to run New England’s system. Maybe he’s not the most physically gifted or clutch quarterback. But he’s a serviceable backup, who has the potential to be a full-season starter in a pinch. From a salary cap standpoint, the Patriots are, indeed, in a bind. They were running out of cap space even before free agency started when they decided to re-sign Matthew Slater, Devin McCourty and Joe Thuney (franchise tag) while retaining Jason McCourty on a contract option. That left little money to spend on quarterback. So the Patriots are sticking with what they know: Jarrett Stidham, Hoyer and Cody Kessler. At least for now.

That’s likely to be the pecking order during training camp (if we have one during this COVID-19 pandemic). Hoyer may push Stidham for the starting job, but considering the Patriots preferred Stidham in 2019 — with Hoyer getting cut — it’s easy to imagine Stidham winning the job. Kessler may be able to push Hoyer in the role — Kessler’s starting statistics are arguably on par with Hoyer, and perhaps Kessler has dealt with more adverse conditions with the Jaguars and Browns.

Surely, the Patriots will open competition for the three quarterbacks. Hoyer is, most likely, an insurance plan against an injury to or a regression from Stidham. There is a chance the Patriots can land a veteran cap casualty like Andy Dalton and Cam Newton, who would save their teams big money, if cut. Maybe once they hit a saturated quarterback market, the Patriots could swoop on one of them. For now, however, the Patritos are probably content with the mix of experience and talent they have.

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Tom Brady announces he’s leaving the Patriots

Replacing Tom Brady will be the hardest thing Bill Belichick has ever done.

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The most iconic athlete in Boston sports history is leaving New England. Quarterback Tom Brady announced on Twitter on Tuesday that his “football journey will take place elsewhere.” He’s leaving the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick.

It’s not yet clear where he’s going. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Chargers have inquired, per NFL Network.

“To all my teammates, coaches, executives and staff, Coach Belichick, RKK (Robert Kraft) and the Kraft family and the entire organization,” Brady wrote on Tuesday morning. “I wanted to say thank you for the past twenty years of my life and the daily commitment to winning and creating a winning culture built on great values. I am grateful for all that you taught me — I have learned from everyone. You have allowed me to maximize my potential and that is all a player can ask for.”

He will go down as the greatest Patriots player of all time and, perhaps, the greatest NFL player of all time – the G.O.A.T. He’ll likely be the last player to wear No. 12 for New England.

He finished his Patriots career with six Super Bowl wins, four Super Bowl MVPs, three NFL MVPs and 14 Pro Bowls. His six Super Bowl wins are the most by an NFL player. He won three of them in his final six seasons with the team. At 42 years old in 2019, he was also the oldest quarterback in NFL history to complete a full season. It seems he’ll push that record another year.

On the career passing list, Brady is currently second in yardage (74,571), second in completions (6,377) and second in touchdowns (541). New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees leads all three categories.

New England has two quarterbacks on the roster: Jarrett Stidham and Cody Kessler. New England drafted Stidham, 23, in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft — he spent his rookie season as the team’s backup. Kessler, 26, joined the team midseason in 2019 and served as the third-stringer. The Patriots are his fourth NFL team since the Browns drafted him in the third round of the 2016 draft.

Of course, Bill Belichick will be thorough in pursuing all options at quarterback. The Patriots have the 23rd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, when they could identify one of this year’s top college prospects. They could also look to free agency, where they might see Marcus Mariota, Ryan Tannehill and Philip Rivers, among others. And finally, there will be the trade market, where New England could pursue the Bengals’ Andy Dalton or the Panthers’ Cam Newton.

But replacing Brady will be the hardest thing Belichick has ever done.

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Patriots explain why they franchise tagged guard Joe Thuney

Patriots explained why they franchise tagged Joe Thuney.

The New England Patriots made the decision to place the franchise tag on left guard Joe Thuney on Monday. The tag, which will be worth $14.781 million this upcoming season, gives the Patriots a few options going forward. They can keep him and pay him that hefty sum for the season, try and work out a long-term deal to lower his cap number for the year, or find a partner that’s willing to trade for him.

It appears that New England is looking to keep their consistent left guard for the time being.

“Joe has been a model teammate and an essential element to our success since joining our team in 2016,” the Patriots said in a statement released Monday. “Utilizing the franchise designation allows both sides more time to try to reach the goal of a long-term agreement.”

If that quote is to be believed, then the Patriots are looking to keep together an offensive line that is rock solid when healthy. That could be to protect Tom Brady or any quarterback that takes the reins.

The quote could also be viewed as bargaining, so another team feels they have to offer more to pry him away from New England. They could be using this move and statement to recoup the second-round pick the Patriots traded for Mohamed Sanu.

Thuney was a third-round pick in 2016 coming out of North Carolina State. In his four seasons, he has started every game; missing less than one percent of offensive snaps. Thuney has helped the Patriots win two Super Bowls and earned a Second-Team All-Pro nomination last season.

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Patriots expected to franchise tag G Joe Thuney

A surprising move.

The New England Patriots are expected to place the franchise tag on guard Joe Thuney, his agent Mike McCarthy announced Monday.

Thuney was slated to enter unrestricted free agency, but the franchise tag will hold him to the Patriots on a one-year deal worth roughly $14 million. The Patriots can trade Thuney, and perhaps they tagged him with the intention of doing so, in the event they want to steer him away from the AFC East. Last season, a handful of franchise-tagged players (Dee Ford, Frank Clarkand Jadeveon Clowney) were traded.

That said, they may be happy to retain him, as he was one of the team’s best players over the last few years. He has rarely missed a snap since earning a starting role in his rookie season in 2016.

Thuney is a two-time Super Bowl champion and he was a second-team All-Pro in 2019. He also earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors in 2016.

 

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Report: Bill Belichick and Tom Brady spoke by phone this week

The latest on Tom Brady’s deal.

Contract negotiations are underway — sort of.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick spoke to quarterback Tom Brady on Tuesday about his expiring deal, according to multiple reports. The conversation wasn’t particularly productive, per NBC Sports Boston. It did not go well, according to the Boston Herald.

Brady’s contract is set to expire on March 18 when the 2020 league year begins. At that point, he will be free to negotiate with all 32 NFL teams. It would be the first time he’s ever hit free agency. The tampering window opens on Match 16. And until that point, the Patriots have exclusive negotiating rights to Brady.

Brady and Belichick’s relationship was in a good place heading into the offseason, even with the quarterback’s contract set to expire. However, there’s a chance these negotiations could strain their relationship, especially after their reported spat in 2017. Belichick is a notoriously tough negotiator. Retired linebacker Ted Johnson spoke about his interaction with Belichick while talking contracts, which might ring true,

“When I first was being coached by Bill and had my first kind of issue with my contract, Bill reached out to me personally which usually does not happen. I was like, ‘Woah, OK, I have an agent.’ He was like, ‘Yeah I was going to call him,’” Johnson said, via on NBC Sports Boston’s “Arbella Early Edition.”

“… It is hardball, he doesn’t care, he will use the stats against you, and won’t factor in all the things that went into those poor stats. He’s not going to blow you away with an offer. He’s going to make you sweat it out and make you think, ‘Do I really want to leave what I’m comfortable with, or stay here and take less than what other people would offer?’”

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NFL announces time, day of Patriots’ playoff game vs. Titans

Looking at when the Patriots will play this weekend.

The NFL announced the time and day for the wild-card round of 2019 NFL playoffs during Sunday Night Football. That, of course, included the New England Patriots’ matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

Patriots will kick off against the Titans on Saturday night at 8:15 p.m. at Gillette Stadium. If the Patriots win, they travel to Kansas City to play on Sunday, Jan. 12 at 3:05 p.m. against the Chiefs. Because the Patriots are the top seed for the wild-card round, they automatically get the Kansas City if New England advances to the divisional round.

Here’s a look at all the necessary information for the wild card matchups and the divisional round. It looks like Saturday will feature the AFC matchups while Sunday will showcase the NFC matchups.

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Bill Belichick shares brief reaction to Antonio Brown’s workout with Saints

Belichick doing Belichick things.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn’t have much to say about receiver Antonio Brown logging a workout with the New Orleans Saints on Friday. Brown has posted on social media to confirm he met with the team, which intended to do its due diligence on Brown, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Brown has been a free agent since the Patriots released him on Sept. 20 amid allegations of rape and sexual assault in a civil lawsuit. He also sent intimidating text messages to a separate accuser, who said Brown sexually harassed her. As the Patriots were Brown’s last employer, his workout led to a question at Belichick’s press conference on Friday.

“Focused on Miami,” Belichick told reporters. “Doesn’t really have anything to do with us.”

Belichick has no interest in engaging in discussion around the erratic veteran wideout.

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Jon Jones out and Julian Edelman active for Week 16 vs. Bills

Edelman and Jason McCourty will play.

The New England Patriots will not have cornerback Jonathan Jones, who was ruled out on Thursday for the team’s game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on Saturday in Week 16.

Though they were listed on the injury report, receiver Julian Edelman (knee/shoulder), cornerback Jason McCourty (groin) and linebackers Jamie Collins (shoulder) and Ja’Whaun Bentley (knee) will be active. McCourty’s presence on the gameday roster is a surely welcome addition, as he missed Week 15 and may take a large number of snaps in the slot, where Jones predominantly played.

Here’s a look at New England’s inactives beyond Jones:

QB Cody Kessler
RB Damien Harris
TE Ryan Izzo
OT Korey Cunningham
OL Jermaine Eluemunor
DT Byron Cowart
CB Jonathan Jones (groin)

Here’s a look at the Bills’ inactives.

The Patriots kick off against the Bills at 4:30 p.m. ET.

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Bill Belichick feisty with reporters amid questions about videotaping investigation

“Do not have anything to add. Do not have anything to add.”

Patriots coach Bill Belichick had little to add to what he’s already said about the NFL’s investigation into New England’s production team filming the Cincinnati Bengals’ sideline in Week 14.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Belichick said the Patriots’ football operation had “no involvement. Zero.” The team released a statement this week that said the Patriots.com production team inadvertently filmed the sideline, as they did not know it was against the rules. The content team was doing a video feature on the day-to-day life of an advanced scout, and wanted to get b-roll footage of what that scout was watching, which is against NFL rules.

Belichick fielded a question about what the scout, who surely knew filming the sideline was a violation, was doing during the videotaping.

“He was doing his job,” Belichick said. “That’s what we all try to do. … I just answered the question. That’s it. We have no involvement in it.”

Belichick then grew more frustrated with the line of questioning. He later interrupted a reporter and said: “Do not have anything to add. Do not have anything to add.”

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With the Patriots, this violation is particularly complicated. They were punished in 2007 for the Spygate scandal when New England was video taping opponents’ sidelines to help steal signals during games.

The difference between 2007 and 2019 is dramatic, however. Teams now indicate significantly less from the sideline than ever, with coordinators relaying plays through headsets (rather than with hand signals). That technological development has made it so that little can be gleaned from a recording of a sideline.

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