Tag: new england patriots football

Former Georgia star Richard Seymour named to Pro Football Hall of Fame

Former Georgia Bulldog star defensive end Richard Seymour has been named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Former Georgia Bulldog star defensive end Richard Seymour has been named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Seymour will be inducted to the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, this summer as a member of the class of 2022.

Seymour was picked with the No. 6 selection of the 2001 NFL draft. Seymour helped the New England Patriots win three Super Bowls. He finished his NFL career with the Oakland Raiders from 2009-2012.

Richard Seymour totaled 57.5 sacks in his 12 season NFL career. Seymour additionally racked up 498 tackles including 98 tackles for a loss. He was named All-Pro three straight times from 2003-2005. He was named to the 2000s all-decade team.

New England Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour during his first career Super Bowl. USA TODAY Sports

The 2001 first-round pick played on some incredible defenses for the New England Patriots. Seymour consistently made himself available to play. Seymour played in 12 or more games during 10 years of his NFL career.

Seymour was a great leader for the Patriots. He was disruptive as a defensive end and a defensive tackle. He did not fall off after he was traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2009. Seymour finished his NFL career being named the Pro Bowl seven times.

Richard Seymour played college football with Georgia from 1997-2000. He recorded 9.5 sacks and 223 tackles during his career with the Bulldogs.

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Former Georgia Bulldog signs with Patriots

The New England Patriots have signed former Georgia Bulldogs defensive back DJ Daniel ahead of the NFL playoffs.

The New England Patriots have signed former Georgia Bulldogs defensive back DJ Daniel ahead of the NFL playoffs. The Patriots are adding Daniel to their practice squad.

Daniel, 23, is an undrafted NFL rookie. The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Daniel this offseason following the draft, but cut him on Aug. 17. Daniel played football at Georgia Military College before transferring to UGA for his final two collegiate seasons.

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back DJ Daniel  reacts after a pass break up against the LSU Tigers in the 2019 SEC championship game. Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Daniel had a great day on Jan. 10. His Bulldogs won a national championship, and the Patriots signed him to their practice squad.

Daniel played in 21 games in his career at Georgia. The former cornerback totaled 51 tackles and nine pass deflections during his time with the Bulldogs.

Practice squads are larger in the NFL due to COVID-19. Additionally, practice squad players can be added to the active roster easier than in the past.

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Watch: Patriots RB Sony Michel jukes pair of defenders

Former Georgia Bulldogs running back Sony Michel has looked good so far for the New England Patriots this preseason.

Former Georgia Bulldogs running back Sony Michel has looked good so far for the New England Patriots this preseason. Michel battled a quad injury and missed time last season. Michel finished with only 449 rushing yards in 2020, but averaged an impressive 5.7 yards per carry.

Michel is a key player for the New England Patriots. If he can stay healthy, the Patriots should have one of the better stables of running backs in the NFL.

Michel turned heads against the Philadelphia Eagles with some moves after he hauled in a pass from quarterback Mac Jones.

Michel can still stop on a dime and accelerate quickly. He’s a lock to make New England’s roster.

Michel and New England dominated Philadelphia in a 35-0 victory. Michel finished with seven rushes for 34 yards and hauled in four passes for 37 yards.

The Patriots have a very talented backfield that has looked strong throughout the preseason. Former Alabama Crimson Tide running back Damien Harris, the expected starter, scored a touchdown early in the contest.

Rhamondre Stevenson, New England’s fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma,  followed his impressive preseason debut with a two touchdown performance against the Eagles. Lastly, J.J. Taylor had 12 carries for 93 rushing yards and scored a touchdown.

New England Patriots running back Sony Michel is stopped by Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Tarron Jackson and linebacker Alex Singleton. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Overall, New England looks set at running back. Sony Michel may be the Patriots’ top pass-catcher of the group.

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New England Patriots center David Andrews’ contract details revealed

The New England Patriots have re-signed center David Andrews to a team-friendly contract.

The New England Patriots re-signed center David Andrews to a team-friendly contract. Andrews, a former undrafted player out of the University of Georgia, agreed to a four-year, $19 million deal with $6.5 million guaranteed and additional incentives.

The New England Patriots have spent a lot of money in NFL free agency this offseason, but they’re saving money when compared with the market for David Andrews.

According to Spotrac, Andrews will be the NFL’s 17th highest paid center in 2021. Andrews is more than worth the money he will be paid. The former Georgia star has won two Super Bowls with the Patriots.

Andrews chose to stay in New England over the Miami Dolphins, who were his other top suitor. If New England’s offensive line can remain healthy, it will once again be the Patriots’ strength on offense in 2021.

New England has added targets, such as tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry to help quarterback Cam Newton. The Patriots should be improved in 2021, especially on offense.

Spotrac provides more information on the breakdown of Andrews’ backloaded contract:

https://twitter.com/spotrac/status/1373306339112411136?s=20

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Patriots sign former Georgia OL David Andrews to lengthy deal

The New England Patriots are signing center David Andrews, a former Georgia Bulldog, to a lengthy contract.

The New England Patriots are continuing their NFL free agency spending spree and are re-signing center David Andrews, a former Georgia Bulldog. Andrews is 28 years old and has played for New England since 2015.

Bill Belichick and the Patriots are reloading their roster. With the return of David Andrews, New England should have a formidable offensive front next season. Andrews went undrafted, but has gone on to win a pair of Super Bowls for the Patriots. Andrews has started 69 career games in his NFL career.

The former Georgia star has served as team captain in New England and is one of the leaders on the team. Andrews’ contract is a four-year deal. Andrews re-signed with New England over the Miami Dolphins.

David Andrews missed the 2019 season with blood clots in his lungs after winning a Super Bowl in New England during the previous year.  Andrews helps New England’s offensive line stay cohesive as a unit, so his return will be huge for a Patriots team that has been aggressive in NFL free agency.

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Best potential Matthew Stafford trade destinations

What are the best trade destinations for Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford? New England Patriots? San Francisco 49ers? Indianapolis Colts?

The Detroit Lions are looking to trade former No. 1 overall pick Matthew Stafford. Before coming to Detroit, Stafford played quarterback for three seasons at the University of Georgia.

Now, Stafford is looking for a new home. The problem is he carries a $33M cap hit for the 2021 season, so teams must have a large amount of cap space to trade for him.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Lions are already seeing a fair amount of interest in Matthew Stafford.

Here are the best trade destinations for Matthew Stafford among the most likely contenders:

Report: Patriots RB Sony Michel placed on IR

Former Georgia Bulldogs running back and current New England Patriots RB Sony Michel may be placed on Injured Reserve with a quad injury.

Former Georgia Bulldogs running back Sony Michel has been placed on Injured Reserve with a quad injury. Michel is a key player for the New England Patriots. In fact, he had his first 100 yard game of the season last week against the Oakland Raiders.

The IR this season is only three weeks long, so teams have more flexibility than in previous seasons. Fortunately for Michel, the injury is not expected to be season-ending.

Michel was already expected to miss tonight’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Former Alabama Crimson Tide running back Damien Harris is expected to play tonight after missing several games to start the NFL season. Harris should assume some of Michel’s carries.

Rex Burkhead, J.J. Taylor, and James White will takeover some of Michel’s additional carries in his absence. The Patriots will be without Cam Newton when they face Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the news of Michel’s quad injury:

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New England Patriots without former Georgia Bulldog OL

The New England Patriots will be without starting center David Andrews, a former Georgia Bulldog, following his thumb surgery.

The New England Patriots will be without a key offensive lineman this Sunday as they face the Las Vegas Raiders at home in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Starting center David Andrews, a former Georgia Bulldog, is listed as out ahead the game.

New England, which is 1-1, nearly pulled off an improbable comeback against the Seattle Seahawks last week. Their comeback effort was partially due to their offensive line, who played excellent in defeat.

In fact, Cam Newton was sacked only once in 44 pass attempts at Seattle. The Patriot line consistently gave Newton time to throw deep despite being in numerous obvious passing situations.

The Raiders don’t feature a particularly intimidating pass rusher either. Las Vegas only has one sack on the season.

David Andrews, per Fox’s Jay Glazer, has a broken thumb and has had surgery to correct the issue. He broke his thumb on his snapping hand, so he’ll have to either learn to snap with the other hand or sit out several more contests.

Andrews missed the 2019 season with blood clots in his lungs. He may look to return following New England’s bye week, which is Oct. 19. Andrews helps New England’s offensive line stay cohesive as a unit, so his presence will be missed this week and possibly next week against Kansas City.

Former Arkansas Razorback Hjalte Froholdt is the Patriots’  backup center.

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Former Georgia coach Mark Richt talks former UGA RB Sony Michel’s 2019 slump with Patriots

Patriots Wire recently spoke with former UGA coach Mark Richt about Sony Michel and is struggles as the Patriots running back in 2019. 

The USA Today’s Patriots Wire recently spoke with former Georgia football coach Mark Richt about former Bulldog Sony Michel and his struggles as the New England Patriots starting running back in 2019.

After a productive 2018 season with New England, Michel’s yards per carry dropped almost a yard to only 3.7 with 247 rushes in 2019, totaling 912 yards with seven touchdowns for the season.

Per Patriots Wire:

“Well, here’s the deal: where is Sony right now? He’s still with the Patriots,” former Georgia Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the Patriots Wire on Tuesday. “So that answers the question on whether you think he still could be the guy or not. So, they may need to block a little. They may need to let him hit the perimeter. He may have his issues too — I don’t know what he was dealing with health-wise. But if there’s space, he’ll get it and make the first guy miss and he’ll make yards after contact. He’s legit.”

The Patriots selected Michel 31st overall in the 2018 draft after four productive years at Georgia where he rushed his way to No. 3 on the Bulldogs’ all-time rushing yards list.

That makes it Hershel Walker, Nick Chubb and then Sony Michel. You won’t find better company than that.

The duo of Michel and Chubb – both recruited and signed by Richt – proved to be one of the most dynamic ever as they set the record for the most rushing yards by a pair of running back teammates in FBS history.

Richt said of Michel during that time:

“He wasn’t a huge ego guy that wanted to be the only guy. He understood the advantages of staying fresh and staying healthy throughout a game, throughout a season, throughout a career. We convinced him that, when you are on the field, what you put on tape is what’s going to decide where you get drafted and what kind of a pro career you’re going to have.”

Michel was set to compete for the starting spot this year with former Alabama running back, Patriots 2019 third-round pick Damien Harris and offseason pickup Lamar Miller.

After injuries have held Harris on IR for the next three weeks and kept Miller from making a roster spot, so it looks like it will be all Michel for at least the start of the 2020 season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Former Georgia Bulldog DL signs with New England Patriots

Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Michael Barnett has found a new NFL home with the New England Patriots.

Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Michael Barnett has found a new NFL home. Michael Barnett has signed with the New England Patriots ahead of the 2020 NFL season.

Barnett was a key fixture for the Bulldogs top ranked run defense last season. He’s not much of a pass rusher (zero career sacks at UGA). Barnett recorded 47 total tackles in his career at Georgia including 23 during the 2019 season.

This is an excellent opportunity for Barnett, who went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft. Bill Belichick is notorious for giving undrafted players a fair shot to compete.

Barnett will try to help bolster New England’s run defense. He’ll face an uphill battle trying to make the Patriot roster without any preseason games. If Barnett doesn’t make their roster, he could end on on their practice squad or find a landing spot elsewhere in the league.

Best of luck to Barnett, who is from Ridgeville, South Carolina.