The Sports Xchange
NFL Team Report – New England Patriots – INSIDE SLANT
The Patriots plan to sign quarterback Tim Tebow, ESPN reported Monday.
Tebow is expected to take part in the Patriots’ mandatory minicamp Tuesday, according to the report. He will work out as a quarterback, although there is no indication how the Patriots plan to use Tebow.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was the Denver Broncos head coach when the Broncos drafted Tebow in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Just last week, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick strongly denied a published report that claimed he “hated” Tebow as a player.
Belichick, who is close friends with Tebow’s college coach Urban Meyer, was responding to a Yahoo! Sports report that claimed there was “no chance” the Patriots would sign the out-of-work quarterback. Citing a source, that report said Belichick “hated” Tebow as a player.
“I wouldn’t get into the probability of us pursuing any free agent,” Belichick said at the time, breaking form in entertaining any conversation about a player not under contract with the Patriots. “Every single player has strengths and weaknesses but regardless of that, for anyone to have represented that is the way I feel about Tim Tebow is completely untrue, baseless and irresponsible. It is unfortunate that something so inaccurate was reported.”
Belichick covets what he has described as tough, smart, versatile football players.
Tebow’s last NFL start came while he was with the Broncos in a lopsided playoff loss in Foxborough to the Patriots following the 2011 season.
Tebow, 25, was released by the New York Jets in April following a season as a backup to Mark Sanchez.
He played in 12 games for the Jets last season and completed 6 of 8 passes for 39 yards.
Tebow had a 7-4 record in 11 regular-season starts for the Broncos in 2011, completing 46.5 percent of his passes and rushing for 660 yards.
The Broncos beat Pittsburgh in a first-round playoff game that season when Tebow threw a game-winning touchdown pass in overtime. Denver lost in the next round to New England 45-10, when Tebow completed just 9 of 26 passes and rushed for 13 yards.
–There are generally only a handful of occasions when the media is allowed access to assistant coaches in Foxborough, and Tuesday’s OTA practice behind Gillette Stadium was one of them. While all the position coaches as well as the coordinators were made available, New England’s longest-standing assistant is always an enticing option for the local media.
Dante Scarnecchia is as thoughtful and incisive as any coach there is. He’s as old school as they come, choosing to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible while displaying fierce loyalty to his players whenever necessary.
A little more than a year ago, one such example manifested itself. It came during training camp when the Patriots were in Tampa for some joint practices before their preseason game in August. The offensive line, Scarnecchia’s area of expertise in New England since 1999, had come under fire due to some inconsistent play early in the preseason and the veteran coach had heard just about enough criticism of his young left tackle, Nate Solder.
Solder replaced mainstay Matt Light at the position and in just his second season was being relied upon to fill the void. Scarnecchia’s spirited defense of Solder was a highlight of the 2012 season, and not coincidentally it preceded Solder’s emergence as a more than capable successor to Light.
With that in mind, Scarnecchia was asked about Solder’s development and how comfortable the former first-round pick looks as he’s set to enter his third season.
“He’s played a lot of football but he’s not very satisfied with where he is at this point,” said Scarnecchia, who is ready to begin his 30th year with the Patriots. “He’s driven to be a better player and to improve himself physically. He has a great work ethic and is a very smart guy and those things will serve him very well. He has goals I’m sure for this year to play at the highest level he possibly can. He’ll be fine.”
Scarnecchia enjoys this part of the offseason where teaching and learning are essential elements of team success. Although the starting line projects to return intact, Scarnecchia is without tackle Sebastian Vollmer (knee) and guard Dan Connolly (shoulder) for OTAs, but that just provides more time to do what he loves most.
“I love OTAs and minicamps and all that in the spring because I think you really have a great opportunity to develop hopefully what will be a strong foundation of technique and footwork and doing the things in run and pass protection that we like to do,” he said. “We only have a couple of team periods and the rest of the time we go (off on our own) and play with all these little toys. I really like this time of year. I like teaching the game. It’s going all right.
“(The injuries) give us a lot of opportunity to work the guys that are practicing right now. We have some young guys with our second group so we have to bring them along as fast as we can.”
For a team that’s undergoing a major overhaul at receiver and in the usually elite passing game, as well as injuries to its top playmaking tight ends, Scarnecchia’s offensive line could be a point of continuity in 2013. He returns all of his starters from a year ago and most are as healthy or healthier than they were at this point last season.
So while quarterback Tom Brady gets used to new targets and the offense needs to prove it can remain elite in the post-Wes Welker age, the men in the trenches should be ready to do their jobs.
And if they’re not, it sure won’t be the fault of one of the most unique and experienced assistant coaches in the NFL who continues to do his job the way he’s always done it.
“I’m not concerned about keeping it fresh. I’m concerned about them getting the message,” the man they call Scar said. “Some of them have heard it a long time. A long time. But it ain’t changing. We have to play a certain way. We have to play with a lot of passion and energy. None of that is changing. Relative to the number of guys coming back, I don’t think that means anything to us. You have to prove yourself every day in this league. If you don’t, if you’re not willing to prove yourself every day and (you’re) complacent, it will be a (butt)-kicking of astronomical proportions. None of us want that.”
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NFL Team Report – New England Patriots – NOTES, QUOTES
–Patriots head coach Bill Belichick strongly refuted a published report that claimed he “hated” Tim Tebow as a player.
Belichick, who is close friends with Tebow’s college coach Urban Meyer, hadn’t responded to the Yahoo! Sports report that there was “no chance” for the Patriots to sign the out-of-work quarterback. Citing a source, that report said Belichick “hated” Tebow as a player.
“I wouldn’t get into the probability of us pursuing any free agent,” Belichick said, breaking form in entertaining any conversation about a player not under contract with the Patriots. “Every single player has strengths and weaknesses, but regardless of that, for anyone to have represented that is the way I feel about Tim Tebow is completely untrue, baseless and irresponsible. It is unfortunate that something so inaccurate was reported.”
–Running back LeGarrette Blount was a 1,000-yard rusher his rookie year for Tampa Bay in 2010, averaging five yards per carry. After a couple of lesser seasons, he is trying to recapture that stride with the Patriots.
Blount followed that 1,000-yard year with a less impressive, though still productive, 781 yards in 2011. Then the Buccaneers drafted Doug Martin last season, and Blount saw his opportunities on the field plummet.
He rushed just 41 times for 151 yards. This offseason, Tampa Bay traded the 26-year-old Blount to New England in a swap of running backs. The Patriots sent Jeff Demps and a seventh-round draft choice to the Bucs.
In his first extensive discussion with reporters as a member of the Patriots, Blount was asked Tuesday if he was surprised by the trade. He smirked as he paused to find the right words.
“Uh, I mean … I really don’t pay too much attention to it,” he claimed. “If it happened, it happened. If it didn’t, it didn’t. I’m just here to play football. I love the game and this is what I want to do, whether it’s here or anywhere else.”
So does that mean he asked to be dealt out of Tampa?
“Uh … next question,” he replied with a big smile and a laugh.
Blount’s playfulness seemed to suggest that he’s grateful for the fresh start in New England, even if he’s not quite yet at the point where he feels secure in his new job.
“It’s coming along, everything is new, especially for me,” he said of learning the Patriots offense. “I’m going to continue trying to learn as much as I can while we’re here. You have to do a lot of studying. As long as you stay in your playbook and just keep up with everybody else as OTAs go along, I’ll be good.”
–Meanwhile, injuries and incompletions were the theme of the Tuesday workout behind Gillette Stadium as the Patriots held another OTA session that was open to the media.
Under sunny skies and warm but breezy weather, the offense struggled with dropped passes and too many other balls that simply fell incomplete as the passing game failed to get any consistency going, almost regardless of the personnel doing the work.
Several players also came up lame with a variety of injuries during the morning session.
Tight end Jake Ballard, cornerback Alfonzo Dennard and running back Stevan Ridley all suffered injuries during the practice session.
Ballard limped to the sideline after making a nice catch on a pass from quarterback Tom Brady. He was favoring his left leg, which is a concern because that’s the same leg on which he suffered an ACL tear that kept him out last season.
However, trainers appeared to be focusing on the ankle rather than the knee, and Ballard was able to get up and walk back to the sideline under his own power. Ballard was expected to take reps for Rob Gronkowski, who will undergo back surgery.
Dennard injured his left shoulder at the end of practice and was carted off the field for further examination. Coach Bill Belichick even came over to talk with Dennard before he was taken away, making the injury appear serious enough for the head coach’s attention.
–Five players not seen on the practice fields who are currently on the Patriots’ 90-man roster for Tuesday’s OTA workout included wide receiver Julian Edelman (foot), running back Brandon Bolden (undisclosed injury), linebacker Brandon Spikes, guard Nick McDonald and tight end Rob Gronkowski (arm/back). Spikes is reportedly working out on his own in Florida, and is expected to be at the mandatory minicamp in Foxborough next week.
Those players on the field but in some form of rehabilitation from previous injuries/surgeries included wide receivers Mark Harrison (foot) and Josh Boyce (foot), safety Duron Harmon, cornerbacks Devin McCourty (shoulder) and Nate Ebner, guard Dan Connolly, tackle Sebastian Vollmer (knee) and tight end Aaron Hernandez (shoulder).
–Owner Robert Kraft was asked at a recent charity event about the fact that star tight end Rob Gronkowski was undergoing back surgery this month, after having already dealt with multiple surgeries to deal with an infection in his formerly broken left forearm. The owner didn’t offer much of a response regarding the health of his $55 million tight end, deferring to the player despite the fact that Gronkowski actually refused to answer questions about his health at his youth football camp earlier in the week.
“I think Rob performed pretty well on Saturday at his camp,” Kraft said. “He came down to Newtown with us (for another recent charitable event) and performed very well and I think he spoke about it, so I think he’s probably a more intelligent spokesperson on his condition than I am.”
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Better than sex.” – Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia on what it’s like when all five of his linemen perform their jobs perfectly on a single play.
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NFL Team Report – New England Patriots – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Linebacker A.J. Edds is back with the Patriots, where he played part of the 2011 season. Edds missed the entire 2012 season on injured reserve with the Indianapolis Colts due to a knee injury.
A fourth-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2010, Edds spent his rookie season on injured reserve with a knee injury. He was released by Miami on Sept. 5, 2011, and claimed off waivers by New England on Sept 7. He played in two games for the Patriots before being released and signed to the practice squad.
Edds was signed to the Colts’ 53-man roster off the New England practice squad on Sept. 28 and he played in nine games for the Colts. In March, he wasn’t tendered by the Colts as a restricted free agent.
FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.
TRANSITION PLAYERS: None.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (not tendered offers)
–CB Will Allen (not tendered as UFA).
–S Josh Barrett (not tendered as UFA).
–WR Deion Branch (not tendered as UFA).
–S Derrick Martin (not tendered as UFA).
–C/G Jamey Richard (not tendered as UFA).
–DE Trevor Scott (not tendered as UFA).
–WR Donte’ Stallworth (not tendered as UFA).
–LB Tracy White (not tendered as UFA).
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.
DRAFT CHOICES SIGNED
–LB Jamie Collins (2/52): 4 yrs, terms unknown.
–CB Logan Ryan (3/83): 4 yrs, terms unknown.
–S Duron Harmon (3/91): 4 yrs, terms unknown.
–WR Josh Boyce (4/102): 4 yrs, terms unknown.
–DE Michael Buchanan (7/226): 4 yrs, terms unknown.
–LB Steve Beauharnais (7/235): 4 yrs, terms unknown.
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
–CB Kyle Arrington: UFA; $16M/4 yrs, $6.5M SB/$9.5M guaranteed/$7.5M fully guaranteed.
–CB Marquice Cole: UFA; terms unknown.
–WR Julian Edelman: UFA; $765,000/1 yr, $50,000 WO.
–LB Dane Fletcher: Potential RFA; terms unknown.
–TE Michael Hoomanawanui: RFA tendered at 1.323M with fifth-round pick as compensation; terms unknown.
–LB Niko Koutouvides: UFA; terms unknown.
–CB Aqib Talib: UFA; $5M/1 yr.
–T Sebastian Vollmer: UFA; $17M/4 yrs, $8.5M guaranteed.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED
–WR Danny Amendola: UFA Rams; $31M/5 yrs, $6M SB/$10M SB.
–DL Armond Armstead: FA; $1.49M/3 years, $655,000 guaranteed.
–RB LeGarrette Blount (trade Buccaneers).
–T/G Kevin Haslam (waivers Chargers).
–WR Lavelle Hawkins: FA Titans; terms unknown.
–WR Michael Jenkins: FA Vikings; terms unknown.
–WR Donald Jones: Not tendered as RFA by Bills; $4.155M/3 yrs, no SB/$435,000 report/RB each year.
–DT Tommy Kelly: FA Raiders; $5M/2 yrs, $1M SB.
–OT Will Svitek: UFA Falcons; 1 yr, terms unknown.
–RB/KR Leon Washington: FA Seahawks; $1.2M/1 yr, $360,000 SB.
–S Adrian Wilson: FA Cardinals; $5M/3 yrs, $1M SB.
PLAYERS LOST
–S Patrick Chung: UFA Eagles; $10M/3 yrs, $2.285M SB/$4M guaranteed.
–DE Brandon Deaderick (released).
–RB Jeff Demps (traded Buccaneers).
–FB Tony Fiammetta (released).
–T Kyle Hix (released).
–FB Spencer Larsen (released).
–WR Brandon Lloyd (released).
–DT Kyle Love (released/non-football illness).
–DL Myron Pryor (released).
–G Donald Thomas: UFA Colts; $14M/4 yrs, $1M SB.
–WR Wes Welker: UFA Broncos; $12M/2 yrs, $12M guaranteed/$6M fully guaranteed.
–RB Danny Woodhead: UFA Chargers; $3.5M/2 yrs, $1M SB.
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