Tag: patriots news

Cam Newton joining the Patriots brings this QB carousel full circle

The signing of Cam Newton by the New England Patriots brought this crazy QB carousel full circle.

The New England Patriots made waves over the weekend when they signed former NFL MVP Cam Newton to be Tom Brady’s potential replacement now that the six-time Super Bowl champion has made Tampa his new home.

Newton will look to revive his career after playing in just two games last season before landing on injured reserve. Fortunately, he’ll be playing for one of the best organizations in all of sports, and for a head coach who is destined for the Hall of Fame.

Newton signing with New England also brings this crazy QB carousel full circle.

Take a look.

For what it’s worth, I think Brady will have the biggest impact next season. He has a chance to take the Bucs to the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. That’s the biggest story.

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Report: Former Georgia RB Sony Michel recovering from surgery

Per reports, former Georgia football RB Sony Michel, now with the New England Patriots, is recovering from surgery he had this offseason.

According to ESPN, former Georgia running back Sony Michel, now with the New England Patriots, is recovering from foot surgery he had in May.

It appears the surgery was nothing too serious, according to reports. Rather it was maintenance-based to alleviate some discomfort he had been experiencing.

A first round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Michel has shared the lead back role with James White. Michel has been a big part of the Patriots offense in his two seasons, and has posted back-to-back 900+ yard seasons.

Late July is when New England is scheduled to return for training camp. Michel, though, is already in Foxborough rehabbing his foot.

Tom Brady is still a Patriots fan, and for good reason

Bucs QB Tom Brady showed his former team love on Instagram after the Patriots delivered meals to families across the New England area.

The Buccaneers made the biggest splash in free agency this offseason by landing six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady. The future Hall of Famer, who ended his 20-year run with the New England Patriots in favor of spending the latter part of his career as a pirate, may call Florida home now, but he still has lots of love for the Patriots organization and New England area.

The Pats recently posted the below message on their Instagram account, showing them working to distribute meals to families across the New England area, and TB12 was right there to “like” the post and the work the team continues to do in his former home.

Brady, himself, has been working hard to give back to the Tampa community already. He and his wife, supermodel and environmentalist Gisele Bundchen, have donated meals to families in need during the coronavirus pandemic.

And, let’s not forget Jameis Winston, who despite signing with the New Orleans Saints is still working hard to make a difference in Tampa.

Good to see teams and players giving back in this difficult time.

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Tom Brady comes to Josh McDaniels’ defense on Instagram

Bucs QB Tom Brady took to Instagram today to defend his relationship with former Patriots OC Josh McDaniels.

Tom Brady left the New England Patriots this offseason after a 20-year run, and many wonder whether his relationship with Bill Belichick had finally run its course. But now recent reports seem to suggest it was Brady’s relationship with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels that may have played a role in his decision to leave.

Per CBS Sports:

“According to Gary Myers, formerly of the New York Daily News, Brady’s ‘deteriorating relationship’ with Josh McDaniels was part of the reason why the quarterback left for Tampa Bay in free agency earlier this offseason. Myers notes that Brady was ‘worn out by Josh after all these years’ and wanted to have more input into the game plan.”

Brady was quick to come to McDaniels’ defense and condemn the report, posting the below image on his Instagram story.

I think we all owe Brady the benefit of the doubt on this one. He and McDaniels had a run of great success together in New England, culminating in Super Bowl wins and numerous winning seasons. Plus, Brady made his love for McDaniels “Instagram official.” No take backs.

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Georgia football great voted into Patriots Hall of Fame

Georgia football great Richard Seymour has been voted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame.

Former Georgia Bulldog defensive lineman Richard Seymour has been voted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. He becomes the 30th player to enter into the Pats’ Hall of Fame.

He beat out both Bill Parcels and Mike Vrabel in a fan-vote.

Taken with the 6th overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft by New England, Seymour played there from 2001-08, where he became one of the Patriots best defenders of all time. He helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls and was named to five different all-pro teams. Seymour closed out his career by spending a few seasons with the Oakland Raiders.

He was a forced to be reckoned with not just in college, but in the pros as well. The 6-foot-6, 317 pound Seymour attended Lower Richland High School in Hopkins, South Carolina, and won first-team all region honors his senior season.

Seymour played for Georgia from 1997 to 2000. In 41 games (25 starting), he finished his UGA career with 226 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, 25.5 tackles for loss and 35 quarterback pressures. He was named to the All-SEC first team in 1999 and 2000 and first team All American in 2000.

Seymour had made the final ballot for the Patriots Hall of Fame for three consecutive years, but was finally able break through this year. It has not happened yet, but Seymour is on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well. He’s been a finalist for that the past two years.

Does this stat prove the Patriots will be all right without Tom Brady?

The New England Patriots are preparing for life without quarterback Tom Brady, but they may be in better shape than people think.

While the Buccaneers have their sights set on a championship this season, the New England Patriots, for the first time in decades, face the stark reality of life without quarterback Tom Brady.

The six-time Super Bowl champion bid farewell to the only team and coach he’d known his entire NFL career, opting instead to begin a new chapter in his post-40 life, taking his talents to the Sunshine State to try and bring respectability back to the Buccaneers.

And with an offense that includes Pro Bowl receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, as well as newly acquired tight end Rob Gronkowski, the Bucs could be in great shape to make a return to the postseason for the first time since 2007.

As for the Patriots, championship expectations seem like a pipe dream at the moment. While veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer signed with the Patriots this offseason, it seems the team and head coach Bill Belichick are prepared to enter the 2020 season with 2019 fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham under center.

And while many people believe the Pats will struggle without Brady, the below stat shows they’ve had success in the past without him.

Take a look.

The Patriots famously went 11-5 in 2008 after Brady went down in Week 1 against the Chiefs with a torn ACL (though they missed the playoffs). Backup Matt Cassel, a former seventh-round pick, filled in and finished the year with 3,693 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 270 yards and two scores. His solid year helped him earn a hefty contract from the Chiefs the following offseason.

That’s not to say Stidham will have the same success, but it shows that the Patriots organization is built to withstand the loss of any player, even its quarterback.

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Former Brady teammate warns Bucs not to get caught ‘Brady-watching’

Former Patriots LB Tedy Bruschi had some words of wisdom (or warning) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The NFL announced that it will release its full 17-week schedule next week, despite the uncertain future surrounding leagues around the world in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Perhaps no NFL team is more anxious (and hopeful) for a 2020 season to start on time than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have been the major story this offseason after landing quarterback Tom Brady in free agency and then swinging a trade for retired tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Brady’s arrival in Tampa will hopefully bring with it an end to a Bucs-playoff drought that’s stretched more than a decade. The Bucs haven’t been to the playoffs since 2007 and haven’t won a postseason game since their Super Bowl XXXVII victory following the 2002 season. But having a six-time Super Bowl champion like Brady under center brings with it immediate championship expectations.

But, as former Brady teammate Tedy Bruschi warned, Bucs players will have to stop themselves from “Brady-watching.”

Bruschi, who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and played with Brady from 2000 to 2008, spoke about the mindset some of Brady’s old New England teammates tended to fall into if they dropped a pass or gave up a touchdown late in the game.

Per Bruschi (via ESPN):

“They need to get over Brady-watching. Because they get to the sideline and all of a sudden it’s like, ‘It’s OK, Tom will bail us out.’ That’s what I call Brady-watching. I’ll be watching that early on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, if they’re Brady-watching or if they feel themselves as a team that everything is important, and not just when that guy right there is under center and everything is gonna magically happen.”

Bruce Arians is going to have to manage expectations with this team and remind them they haven’t accomplished anything as a group. What Brady (and Gronk) did in New England has no bearing on how the Bucs will do this season.

Bucs fans are welcome to Brady-watch until they’re blue in the face. But the players? Not so much.

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Flashback Friday: That time Wes Welker cost Tom Brady a Super Bowl

Take a look back to Super Bowl XLVI, when Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker cost his team a Super Bowl title.

Next season, Tom Brady will be looking to win his seventh Super Bowl title when he takes the field as the new quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Brady ended his historic 20-year run with the New England Patriots this offseason, opting instead to end his NFL career with another team. Brady led the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances, including six wins, during his time in New England, but, he could’ve easily had seven Super Bowl titles were it not for an ill-timed dropped pass by former Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVI against the New York Giants.

Leading 17-15 late in the fourth, New England was driving down the field, looking to put the game away. On second down at the Giants’ 44-yard line, with 4:06 remaining, Brady looked deep to Welker, who was wide open down field.

Welker inexplicably dropped the pass, which would’ve given the Patriots a first down in the Giants’ red zone with time winding down. New England could’ve gone for the touchdown score or run the clock down and kicked a field goal, but the drop eventually forced the Pats to punt. The Giants would score a game-winning touchdown on the ensuing drive, crushing Brady’s chance at ring number four.

While Brady made up for that loss by winning three more Super Bowls down the road, there’s no question that loss to the Giants stings. It was New England’s first trip back to the big game since their undefeated regular season in 2007. They lost Super Bowl XLII back then to the same Giants, crushing their chance at an 18-0 season.

Brady certainly has the talent around him on the Bucs to make a run at perfection again in 2020, but I’m sure Tampa Bay would happily settle for a playoff berth for the first time since 2007.

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Former UGA C David Andrews cleared to play for Patriots in 2020

Former Georgia football center David Andrews announced that he’s cleared to play for the New England Patriots following blood clots.

Things are going to look different in New England next season, but at least the Patriots will have team captain and four-year starter David Andrews back at center.

After missing 2019 with blood clots in his lungs, Andrews, a former Georgia Bulldog, announced on Instagram that he has been cleared to play in 2020.

“I know 2020 has affected everyone in ways we couldn’t have imagined prior,” Andrews said. “But with the draft over the next few days a lot of dreams are gonna be realized for a lot of players entering the league. During this time there has been a lot of time for reflection on the past, present and future. As to the future I’m excited that I’ll have the opportunity to play the game I love again. When and whatever the nfl season looks like I’m just thankful that I’ll be able to get back to competing with my teammates and coaches. Go pats.”

The Patriots running game was hurt by Andrews’ absence last season. Sony Michel, another former Dawg, saw his average yards per carry drop nearly a full yard from 4.5 to 3.7 without Andrews creating holes for him to run through in 2019.

Andrews used the first day of the NFL Draft to announce that he’d been cleared. If you remember, Andrews was one of the great stories of the 2015 NFL season. After going undrafted, the Patriots quickly picked up the Johns Creek, Georgia native.

Before we knew it, Andrews was hiking the ball to the greatest quarterback in NFL history and became a two time Super Bowl champion.

He had started 57 regular-season games and nine playoff games before missing the 2019 season.

Tom Brady thank Pats Nation in touching Instagram video

Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady shared a video on his Instagram account thanking Patriots fans for their love and support over 20 years.

Tom Brady may be a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers now, but the future Hall of Fame quarterback built his legacy with the New England Patriots over the past 20 years.

Brady’s stint with the Patriots is the stuff of Hollywood stories. A sixth-round draft pick who came in to replace injured starter Drew Bledsoe early in the 2001 season and eventually went on to lead the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances and six titles before he left New England this offseason.

While Brady won’t be suiting up for the Pats next year, he still has lots of love for the Patriots and their fans, evident by this video he posted recently on his Instagram.

Take a look.

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