After 24 Seasons As The Patriots' Head Coach, Bill Belichick Is Finally Done & Jerod Mayo Takes Over

 

    It has been quite a whirlwind week for the New England Patriots. After finishing up 4-13-their worst season since 1992 (!)-on Sunday, we waited around until Thursday morning when reports finally surfaced that arguably the greatest head coach in NFL history (Bill Belichick) was out as the Pats head coach. A few hours later that morning, New England owner Robert Kraft and Belichick had a brief but cordial press conference where they took no questions. They "mutually agreed to part ways" and a few hours after that, Kraft returned for a solo press conference where he talked a little more in depth and actually answered a few questions from the media. Fast forward to yesterday morning when linebackers coach Jerod Mayo was hastily named the new head coach of the Patriots. 

    Just like when Tom Brady left the Pats-albeit in much different circumstances-no matter who replaces Belichick has impossible shoes to fill. In case you forgot, under Bill's watch (and Brady's unparrelled success), New England went to nine Super Bowls and won six of them. I am confident that we will never see a run like that with any other NFL team for the rest of our lives, no matter how long that we live. With that said, at 71 years old and with no playoff wins since Brady left, it was clear that the Patriots needed a new voice in charge. There is no question that he can still coach at a high level but he had been an awful GM thus undercutting his ability to win on the field. Furthermore, surrounding himself with his kids, friends, friends' kids and other assistant coaches that had been with him forever, it was obvious that Bill did not have to answer to anybody besides Kraft once in a while which is not a good thing. He made it clear at the final press conference that he still wants to coach-it is not like he has any other hobbies or interests in his life-and depending on where he ends up next, he could certainly do well. Granted, he probably won't win a Super Bowl like Brady in his first season post-Patriots. 

    On the surface, there is plenty to like about Mayo (37) who is now the youngest head coach in the NFL. He is also the first black head coach in franchise history, he won a Super Bowl with the Pats and was a captain for seven of his eight years as a middle linebacker on the Patriots-the only NFL team that he ever played or coached for. The scary parts are that he has never been a head coach at any level, how much does he know or care about offense while he automatically got this promotion written into his contract last season. With huge names like Mike Vrabel, Pete Carroll, Jim Harbaugh and Nick Saban all surprisingly available, Kraft didn't have any second thoughts of opening up the process a little bit more? Things change quickly in life, why were they so anchored to Mayo? 

    Belichick's greatest gift that he left to the Patriots is the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Like he said in his final words at Gillette Stadium, the NFL is all about players and as their record indicated, the Patriots currently have a million holes to fill on both sides of the ball. However, if they can draft well and spend money in free agency, there is no reason why the team cannot be a fringe playoff contender as soon as next season if many things go right. Still, Buffalo and Miami are not going anywhere anytime soon and even the lowly Jets finished with three more wins than the Patriots this season so it will be an uphill climb to relevance let alone contention for the once model club in football. 

    This entire miserable season and basically the four years since Brady left has been a daily reminder that as Patriots fans, we had it so good for so long. Tom having success right away with the Bucs-one of the great loser franchises in sports before then-coupled with Belichick running the Pats into the ground had put an end to any question as to who was more important to the dynasty-Brady or Belchick. It has been easy to kick Bill when he has been down these last few crappy seasons but make no mistake, at his peak he was right there with any other head coach in American sports history. He was the perfect leader for Brady and the Patriots for all those years, until he was not anymore and no doubt it was harder and harder to relate to new generations of players that were so much younger than him. Regardless, we must thank Bill for all the wonderful moments in the past 24 years. There will never be another extended period of dominance like that in any of the major professional sports in the U.S. 

With Judon & Gonzalez Likely Out For Rest Of The Season, Bill Belichick Brings Back J.C. Jackson

    By any measure, Sunday's game at Dallas (3-1) could not have gone much worse for New England (1-3) as they got embarrassed 38-3-the worst loss of Bill Belichick's head coaching career-in front of a national TV audience. It was so gross that I did not feel like writing about it afterwards since how many different ways can you get the obvious point across that they suck? The pain from that debacle will last for a long time since the two best players on the Patriots-defensive end Matthew Judon (bicep) and cornerback Christian Gonzalez (shoulder)-each suffered what seem to be season-ending injuries that will both require surgery. Facing a brutal 1-3 start for the third season in a row, Belichick worked the phone lines and came up with a cornerback that we all know very well: J.C. Jackson. This morning, LA traded Jackson to New England along with a seventh-round pick in 2025 for a sixth-round pick in 2025. Sweetening the deal for Bill is the fact that the dopey Chargers are paying almost all of his salary ($9.33 million) for the rest of the season with the Pats only on the hook for $1.5 million. 

    Back in the good old days when the Patriots were one of the best teams in the NFL every season (you know, because they had Tom Brady), a move like this would be universally lauded. Instead, this is a frustrating move now for a couple reasons: 1) I understand that New England's defense just lost two standout players but Bill spends way too much time and money on that unit to begin with while he completely ignores the offense. 2) If the Chargers did not pay most of Jackson's money, is there any chance that Belichick would pull the trigger on this deal? Nope, because he loves cheap deals more than actual talent which is totally backwards if you want to win championships. Jackson is still only 27 years old and in his sixth season in the league (4 in New England and 2 in Los Angeles) but he has become the latest poster child for a guy that rightfully cashed in on a career season (he was an All-Pro his last season with the Pats and second in the NFL with 8 INTs) but he has done nothing since then.

    He ended up only playing seven total games with the Chargers after hurting his knee in Week 7 last season and in Week 3 a few weeks ago, things got so bad that he was a healthy scratch. After accumulating 25 interceptions as a Patriot and becoming an unlikely star who was undrafted out of Maryland, he only snagged one pick with LA. His monster deal in free agency-5 years, $82.5 million-runs through 2026 so you can bet that no matter what, New England will not want to pay that so he will probably be gone from Foxborough once again when this miserable season comes to an end. It is also troublesome that Belichick only appears to be interested in hiring coaches (Bill O'Brien) that he has already worked with or getting players that have previously played for him. If you only surround yourself with familiar faces and players that nobody else wants, how are you supposed to grow and gain new knowledge? 

    For this and many other reasons-quarterback Mac Jones had the worst game of his life against the Cowboys-the Pats are clearly at another pivotal moment in their franchise history. They host the Saints (2-2) on Sunday (1, CBS) at Gillette Stadium. New Orleans' quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder) is banged up so even if he plays or if goofball Jameis Winston is the starter, this should be a winnable game. However, other than the Jets, it is tough to favor New England against anyone else at the moment. They have so many holes on their roster which was mediocre at best to start the year. Judon was a legitimate Pro Bowler and Gonzalez looked like a steal and an early favorite for the Defensive Rookie of The Year. They are in such rough shape that we all hope that Jackson starts on Sunday after only being back here for a few days. Have you seen fellow cornerback Myles Bryant try to play football? Even if the Patriots win a rock fight against the Saints, it is hard to see them getting the requisite nine or ten wins that it will take to reach the playoffs this season.

Moral Victory Crew (Pats) Lose Third Straight Opener-25-20-To Eagles With TB12 At Gillette

 

    Like any reasonable person, my expectations for the Patriots are very low entering the 2023 season. They look far more destined for last place in the loaded AFC East (the toughest division in football?) instead of a much needed return to the playoffs. This afternoon at rainy Gillette Stadium, they put forth a decent effort but predictably fell short against the more talented and deeper Eagles 25-20. The fact that Tom Brady was in the building for a halftime ceremony only underlined the main point: this team is far away from their glory days and sadly, they do not appear to be getting any closer to the level of say a team like Philadelphia which lost in last season's Super Bowl to Kansas City. Sure, New England's new/old offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien is a marked improvement over head coach Bill Belichick's lackey Matt Patricia but it is tough to win when you spot a quality opponent a 16-0 lead in the first quarter. 

    It got better from there as the Pats cut it to 16-14 Eagles at halftime and they were down 25-20 late in the fourth quarter with multiple chances to steal a victory but they could not take advantage of Philly actively trying to give the game away to them. Just like in the past few years, New England is better at finding ways to lose and/or beat themselves rather than winning like they used to quite often when Brady was a Patriot. It is undoubtedly a huge season (his 3rd in the NFL) for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (35-of-54 for 316 yards, 3 TDs, INT) as the team can fully assess if he is a true franchise quarterback or just an average player that is inherently replaceable. On paper, his numbers looked very solid but the interception was a pick-6 by Philly's star cornerback Darius Slay that went for 70 yards and gave the Eagles an early 10-0 lead. 

    We worry about New England's lack of playmakers on both sides of the ball these days, they have nothing close to Philly's excellent wide receiver duo of A.J. Brown (7 catches, 79 yards) and DeVonta Smith (7 catches, 47 yards, TD). Pats receiver Kendrick Bourne (6 catches, 64 yards, 2 TDs) did flash his ability that was largely stapled to the sideline (for whatever goofy reason) last season. While he is not a true No. 1 WR, he has good chemistry with Jones which should mean something. New England figures to be a solid running team but they are not going to beat many teams when they combine for a pedestrian 76 yards rushing like they did today. In his Patriots debut, Ezekiel Elliott (7 carries, 29 yards; 5 catches, 14 yards) had a costly fumble that directly led to Smith's five-yard TD catch from Eagles star quarterback (and Mac's old buddy from Alabama) Jalen Hurts (22-of-33 for 170 yards, TD; 9 carries, 37 yards rushing) that made it 16-0 Eagles (Jake Elliott missed the PAT after earlier hitting a 32-yard field goal). If New England is going to be any good in 2023, they need another huge campaign from running back Rhamondre Stevenson and his outing today could best be described as uneven: he was completely bottled up running the ball (12 carries, 25 yards rushing) but he somewhat made up for that with six catches for 64 yards which included New England's longest play of the day-a 32-yard catch and run that was all thanks to his elusiveness and speed in the open field.

Pats tight end-and newly elected captain-Hunter Henry finally got them some points with his nine-yard touchdown catch from Jones late in the first half. Rookie kicker Chad Ryland added the point after for his first career point in the NFL. New England got the ball back before halftime and cashed in with Jones' best throw of the day: a 19-yard dart to Bourne in the end zone that coupled with Ryland's second PAT cut it to 16-14 Philadelphia at the break. Elliott is one of the best kickers in the league and he showed off that ability with a 56-yard field goal in the third quarter followed by 48 (off the goal post and in) and 51-yard kicks in the fourth quarter which put the Eagles back in front by two scores (25-14). Bourne once again answered the call with another clutch snag-an 11-yard touchdown catch where he got his feet down inbounds in the back of the end zone. The Pats went for two points and appeared to convert it when Mac ran it in but that was of course called back for holding. Their second shot at it obviously ended with an incomplete pass. 

    Safety Jabrill Peppers gave the Pats a chance to win it late in the fourth quarter when he forced a fumble by Hurts that was recovered by cornerback Marcus Jones. New England turned it over on downs on that drive but they surprisingly got one final chance to win it after Philly made the stupid decision to throw it (incomplete) on 4th-and-2 from midfield. Mac's arm will never be elite and that really shows up in tight contests like this where he cannot complete throws that top level NFL quarterbacks have to be able to routinely make. He is also not nearly athletic enough like a Hurts to make up for that glaring weakness. Being smart, tough and a a good teammate only gets you so far at the toughest position in sports. On the bright side, New England's first round pick this past spring-cornerback Christian Gonzalez looked very legit in his first NFL game. He had five tackles, two assists, a sack (!!!) and a pass deflected. Most importantly, he bounced back from a few mistakes and did not shy away from competing against some of the best receivers in the league. 

    Things do not get any easier for the Pats though as they host the Dolphins (1-0) back at Gillette Stadium for Sunday Night Football (8:20, NBC). Miami beat the Chargers (0-1) 36-34 in a track meet this afternoon on the West Coast. Mac faces another Crimson Tide pal Tua Tagovailoa (466 passing yards, 3 TDs) who went crazy against LA along with his top target-wide receiver Tyreek Hill (11 catches, 215 yards, 2 TDs) who is still probably the most explosive wideout in the NFL. Tua has missed plenty of time in his young pro career due to injuries but he has never lost to the Patriots and Miami is expected to be a playoff team again-if he can finally stay healthy-this season. Regardless of who they have played, an 0-2 start for New England would be pretty grim since both of those games were at home where you have to find a way to win at least one of them.

One Of The More Underrated Patriots During Their Second Dynasty-RB James White-Quietly Retires

 

    There is a reason that the NFL is sarcastically said to mean Not For Long instead of National Football League. Unless your name is Tom Brady or you are a kicker or punter, your career even if you are very good will probably be over before you know it. We were reminded of that ever-present theme this morning as Patriots running back James White retired after three Super Bowl titles and eight seasons in the league-all here with New England. During both of their dynasties, the Pats have been blessed to have some brilliant pass-catching running backs like Kevin Faulk, Shane Vereen, Danny Woodhead and White. Of those guys, Faulk (who is rightfully a Patriots Hall of Famer) seems to get most of the attention. I believe that White also deserves to get plenty of love too since he had some excellent seasons with Brady as well. 

    There is no greatest comeback in NFL history-when New England famously rallied from a 28-3 halftime deficit against Atlanta in Super Bowl 51-without White who probably should have been named the Super Bowl MVP instead of Brady. He scored 20 points all by himself (3 TDs and a 2-point conversion) in the second half and overtime combined including the winning touchdown run to memorably clinch it in the extra session. White was neither big (5-foot-10, 205 pounds) nor exceptionally fast, hence why he lasted until the fourth round of the NFL Draft in 2014 when the Patriots snatched him at pick #130. Still, who could have imagined what the running back from the University of Wisconsin would turn into performing in the perfect system for his unique set of skills? 

    After playing together for years, he and Brady seemed to have an innate ability to connect for just enough yardage when New England really needed it on third down. The shelf life of the average NFL running back is quite short but James managed to put together six solid seasons (14+ games) in a row after appearing in only three games in his rookie season. A brutal hip injury last season limited him to only three games and it ultimately spelled the end of his wonderful run with the Patriots. For his career, he finished with 381 catches for 3278 receiving yards and 25 receiving TDs along with 1278 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs in the regular season (95 games). In 12 playoff games, he had 59 catches for 506 receiving yards and three receiving TDs along with 146 rushing yards and five rushing TDs. 

    More than anything, he should also be remembered as a team leader (he was named an offensive captain multiple times) who also persevered through an unspeakable tragedy early in the 2020 season when his father was killed in a car accident and his mother was left in critical condition. New England has some quality young running backs right now in Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson but who knows if they'll ever be as clutch or tough as White proved to be? Looking over his stats, my favorite one is that he only fumbled four times in his entire Patriots career in 795 touches! Thanks for all the awesome memories James and enjoy retirement with your wife and kids. 

The Patriots Traded Cornerback Stephon Gilmore To The Panthers For A Sixth-Round Pick In 2023

 

    The Stephon Gilmore era as a Patriot came to a predictable but nonetheless disappointing end this morning. At first, reports said that New England was about to release him but a few hours later, he was flipped to Carolina for a sixth-round draft pick in 2023. That makes a huge difference, not! (Borat voice). Ugh, look we all knew that his days were numbered here last year once he held out and suffering a season-ending quad injury did not help matters. He began this season on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list so he never actually played a game in 2021. Still, he just turned 31 years old a few weeks ago and this is a guy who was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 so the fact that Pats head coach/GM Bill Belichick basically gave him away for nothing is a joke. 

    Many of us have started to question Bill's ability to coach in today's modern NFL but don't get me started on his numerous shortcomings as a GM. The scary part is that Gilmore was the team's best player and the closest thing they currently have to a No. 1 cornerback is J.C. Jackson who is going to be a free agent after this season so is there any doubt that he will soon be gone too? Gilmore had four mostly great seasons as a Patriot: he made 13 interceptions (11 in the regular season & 2 in the playoffs) and scored two touchdowns, he went to three Pro Bowls, was named an All-Pro twice and most importantly was a key part of their last Super Bowl title in 2019 vs. the Rams. Not only does he basically get to go home now (he grew up in Rock Hill, South Carolina) but he will supposedly return in Week 7 when he's eligible to get back on the field and he wants to play out the year on his current deal-something that he had no interest in doing here. 

    This is yet another star player for the Pats that got run out of town for having the audacity to want to be paid what he is actually worth. Haha the nerve of that guy! The problem now is that without Tom Brady the greatest quarterback in NFL history on his side, Belichick is going to have a hard time attracting top free agents like Gilmore (who was signed after spending his first five NFL seasons with Buffalo). New England was a mess last season and finished 7-9 as they missed the playoffs. This season, rookie quarterback Mac Jones has looked promising but the fact is that they have started 1-3 so it is going to be an uphill battle to get into playoff contention. If the team continues to slide into mediocrity, what will be the draw to come here? Our crappy weather or mediocre home stadium and facilities? Bill completely bungled one of his few really valuable assets that he had left. He should have traded Gilmore before last season, instead he is left with almost nothing in return for a guy who pretty recently was a top player in the league. 

In The Most Hyped Regular Season Game In NFL History, The Bucs Squeaked By The Pats 19-17

 

    The most anticipated regular season game in New England sports history took place tonight at Gillette Stadium as quarterback Tom Brady and his Buccaneers (3-1 overall, 1-1 away) returned for a showdown with his former head coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots (1-3 overall, 0-3 home). What was expected to be a complete blowout by the Super Bowl champs from Tampa Bay actually turned into a nailbiter but in the end they held on for a 19-17 victory as New England kicker Nick Folk's potential go-ahead 56-yard field goal with 55 seconds left in regulation hit the left upright and bounced harmlessly away. With the win, Brady (22-of-43 for 269 yards) became the fourth QB in NFL history (joining Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Drew Brees) to beat all 32 teams. 

    It is not even close to a hot take to say that Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones (31-of-40 for 275 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) outplayed Brady by a noticable margin, the problem was that the home team had a pair of turnovers and allowed three more sacks (4-1) while the more talented Bucs were way better on third-downs (9-of-19 vs. 2-of-9), ran 20 more plays (74-54) and possessed the ball for almost eight additional minutes (33:55-26:05). Moral victories are useless in professional sports but this felt like one of those rare occasions where the Pats earned plenty of respect by the way that they performed. However, they will need to carry it through the rest of the season to make it really mean anything. It should be easy to get up for a huge game like this, the question is if they can similarly be ready to go say next Sunday afternoon (1, CBS) at Houston (1-3) who got blasted 40-0 earlier today by Buffalo (3-1) and look like they are in the discussion for the worst team in the league. 

    All week we wondered how New England's suspect defense would slow down Tampa's lethal offense and it turns out that a couple of unexpected factors played into that: the absence of former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (punctured lung, fractured ribs) was a big loss for the Buccaneers particularly in the red zone (where they settled for five field goal attempts, four of which they made) along with the fact that it poured for most of the night. With basically no running game (a total of eight carries for -1 yard), Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had to get extra creative and he did with nine different guys catching passes from Jones while they also successfully ran two trick plays that Tampa had no chance to stop. Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers had a game-high eight catches (for 70 yards on 12 targets) along with a pair of throws for 45 yards, did you know he was a quarterback at NC State? Brady did not find as many guys as Jones but the difference was the caliber of players that TB12 has on his new team: wide receivers Mike Evans (7 catches, game-high 75 yards), former Patriot for a second Antonio Brown (7 catches, 63 yards) and Chris Godwin (3 catches, 55 yards) would all be the No. 1 receiver on the Pats or many other clubs. Running back Leonard Fournette (91 yards rushing, 47 yards receiving) was Tampa's best player all game, who saw that coming? 

    Patriots owner Robert Kraft had to enjoy seeing all the money that he spent in the offseason on free agents finally come together in the same contest as New England's tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith each caught a touchdown from Jones while wide receivers Kendrick Bourne (5 catches, 58 yards) and Nelson Agholor (3 catches, 55 yards) both went over 50+ receiving yards. Meanwhile, linebacker Matt Judon (4 tackles, 3 assists, sack, 2 tackles for loss, 2 QB hits) continued to be the best defensive player for the Patriots and it's not even close. Unless you are a weatherperson with a gambling problem, I doubt that many people took the under for this matchup but that quickly came into view with a 3-0 first quarter in favor of Tampa (thanks to a 29-yard field goal by Ryan Succop). Jones and Co. put together an awesome drive (11 plays, 74 yards, 6:21) in the second quarter that ended with a 11-yard touchdown catch and run by Henry (his first score as a Patriot) then a point after by kicker Nick Folk. Succop hit a 44-yard field goal with 13 seconds left in the first half but the Pats shockingly led 7-6 at halftime.

    You kept waiting for Tampa Bay to turn it on and leave New England in their dust but it never happened. Bucs running back Ronald Jones II ran for an eight-yard touchdown late in the third quarter which along with Succop's PAT gave the Buccaneers a 13-7 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Once again, the Pats wrestled back the lead with a pretty drive (7 plays, 77 yards, 3:32) capped off from a one-yard catch by Smith and another PAT from Folk. Tampa marched down to the red zone once again but New England's defense held them to a 27-yard field goal by Succop that gave them a slim 16-14 lead. Folk hit the exact same chip shot field goal to hand the Patriots their final lead of the game at 17-16. After missing a 36-yard field goal very early in the second quarter, credit to Succop for nailing a 48-yard field goal with 1:57 left in regulation. Jones brought his team to the 37-yard line with 59 seconds left before Belichick opted to attempt the 56-yard kick rather than try to get a little more yardage (he had 1 timeout left). 

    It is the first time since 1995 that the Patriots have started 0-3 at home and they currently sit tied with the Dolphins (1-3) and Jets (1-3) at the bottom of the AFC East. Most importantly, they have to prove that this performance was not a fluke and they can play much better than they did against Miami in the season opener or last week against the Saints (2-2), two frustrating and puzzling losses. There is still hope left in this season (that sounds silly to say after four weeks) but that might all disappear if they lose to the Texans who saw their own rookie quarterback Davis Mills throw four interceptions in today's loss as they gained a total of six first downs in the entire game and 109 total yards. With Deshaun Watson sitting out while they sort through all his troubling allegations, Houston is in full tank mode so the Pats need to do something that they could not do last season: win in Houston and get this season back untracked. 

The Cam Newton Era Is Thankfully Over Now For The Pats With Mac Jones Being Named The Starter

 

    The 2021 NFL regular season hasn't even begun yet but the Patriots made a huge decision this morning that hopefully brings many more wins and excitement to the franchise both this year and in the near future after last year's complete flop in our first taste of life after Tom Brady. Out of nowhere, quarterback Cam Newton (who had started all three preseason games this summer) was released meaning that rookie Mac Jones will be the starter when the team opens the season a week from Sunday (September 12) at Gillette Stadium vs. the Dolphins at 4:25 p.m. New England head coach Bill Belichick proved that he can still be as ruthless as an old school mob boss since we thought that he was Cam's biggest fan left in the world. It turns out, not so much as the 15th overall pick from Alabama will become the first rookie quarterback to start for the Pats since Drew Bledsoe many moons ago in 1993. 

    Ultimiately, Newton's time here was short and pretty bizarre from start to finish. He was a late addition in free agency last summer and he started every game but one (when he had Covid-19) as New England sputtered to a 7-9 record. In the offseason, the Pats spent a ton of money to upgrade many parts of their mediocre team including two new high-priced tight ends (Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith) with the purpose of breathing some life into New England's predictable high school style offense. By all accounts, at 32 years old Cam seems like a great guy but the basic observation that quickly appeared last season-that he simply cannot throw the ball anymore-did not magically change in 2021. The fact that he is still not vaccinated yet and recently missed five days of practice after not following protocol for Covid-19 did not help his cause either in my humble opinion. We wish him well in his future endeavors but we are also extremely thankful not to have to watch him slog through another miserable year of turning the ball over and making critical mistakes that led to more losses for the Patriots. 

    Mac Jones should serve as a breath of fresh air in many ways for a fanbase that wants something to be positive about: he's only 22 years old (!!!) and he comes with Nick Saban-one of Belichick's best friends and most trusted allies-seal of approval. There were five quarterbacks drafted in the first round this year and while nobody would consider Jones to be the most electrifying or talented of that potentially special group, his main attributes (being smart, well prepared and making the correct reads) should mesh well with Belichick's club. He might never be an NFL MVP like Newton was in 2016 but at this moment, it was clear to everyone that Jones should give them a better chance to succeed from day one than Cam. In turn, it also gives fans a little boost of faith that Belichick has not competely lost his mind and he was not stubborn enough to keep running Newton out there again and again for some silly reason. 

    With all the rosters around the league being cut down to 53 active players today, there were a few other notable moves made by the Patriots: star cornerback Stephon Gilmore will start the season on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list as he continues to rehab from quad surgery meaning that he is out for at least the first six weeks while undrafted rookie kicker Quinn Nordin beat veteran Nick Folk for the starting job. New England has more than a full week of practice left before the season-opener and you know that Belichick will make good use of all that extra time to get guys like Jones and Nordin up to speed. Don't forget that beginning with this season, there is an additional game in the regular season making a winning record like 11-6 or 10-7 something that the Pats should be realistically aiming for along with a playoff spot after missing the postseason in the cursed year of 2020. 

Adios To The Other GOAT-Adam Vinatieri-Who Also Should Have Been A Patriot For His Whole Career

 

    I am old enough to remember when the Patriots once employed the greatest player in NFL history at his respective position. Yes of course I could be talking about Tom Brady but in this case, I'm referring to Adam Vinatieri who kind of announced his retirement from the NFL this afternoon on the Pat McAfee Show. There have been plenty of great kickers in the NFL but I am pretty certain that nobody will ever have a resume that matches a guy from South Dakota State that went undrafted and once played in NFL Europe before catching on with the Pats. He won four Super Bowls (3 with New England and 1 with Indianapolis that we won't talk about), was a three-time All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowler.

    Much like Brady, Vinatieri's longevity and durability-granted kicker isn't the most physically demanding position in football-are legendary. He didn't play in 2020, but even so he played in 24 seasons in the NFL which is insane. He was 47 years old in 2019 when he last appeared in 12 games for the Colts. He also made kicking a little cooler which is hard to do for such a specialized role that is usually so isolated from teammates except for the long snapper and holder. He was tough (check YouTube for his tackle of Herschel Walker on a kickoff in Adam's rookie season) and he could throw the ball on the rare trick play (like the sweet touchdown pass that he threw to Troy Brown in 2004). 

    His records are endless: he's the NFL's all-time leading scorer (2673 points), he made the most field goals (599), had the most postseason points (238) and hit the most overtime field goals (12). More than anything though, he was incredibly clutch. His kicks in the blizzard against the Raiders in the 2001 playoffs are some of the greatest plays in any sport that I've ever seen. He had last second game-winning field goals in New England's Super Bowl upset over St. Louis that season followed by two years later, he did basically the same thing in another Super Bowl victory this time against Carolina. Finally, he capped his Patriots career with a field goal and three extra points in their Super Bowl 39 win vs. Philadelphia. All three of those Super Bowls were three-point wins by the Pats which was not a coincidence. 

    After playing for 10 seasons in New England, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick thought it was time to go with a younger kicker (that sounds loosely familiar) so they drafted Stephen Gostkowski (a fine kicker in his own right who also won 3 Super Bowls with the Pats but no Vinatieri). Adam left in free agency for the Colts where he would play for 14 seasons. In his first season in Indianapolis, they won their lone title under Peyton Manning as they beat the Bears in the Super Bowl (he had 3 field goals and 1 extra point) in the 12-point win. Through it all, Vinatieri never showed any ego and appeared to be the nicest guy in pro sports. He is a lock of the century to reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2025-the first year that he's eligible to go in. Not bad for a quiet guy from South Dakota.

The Patriots Kept The No. 15 Pick In The NFL Draft & Used It On Alabama Quarterback Mac Jones

 

    For the first time in his very long NFL head coaching career, Bill Belichick finally used a first-round draft pick to select a quarterback. Tonight, the Patriots had the No. 15 pick and rather than trade up, trade down or use it on a nameless lineman, they kept it which paid off as Alabama quarterback Mac Jones slid to them at just that spot. I have my doubts regarding whether Jones will make much of an impact in the National Football League but at this point, I'm ready to give anyone besides incumbent Cam Newton a shot at QB this season for the Pats. Jones became the seventh Crimson Tide alum to be selected by the Pats since 2010-hello Nick Saban-and the first quarterback taken by the Patriots in the first round since No. 1 overall pick Drew Bledsoe way back in 1993. 

    I would still love to see New England try and swing a trade with San Francisco that would bring Jimmy Garoppolo back here but at least this shows that Belichick has some semblance of a plan for the team's future at the most important position in sports. This was thought to be a draft class deep with talented quarterbacks and most teams seemed to think so as four other guys (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance and Justin Fields) all went before Jones was picked by the Pats. Jones is a throwback in terms of style: he's a big, slow dropback passer that will rarely choose to run the ball. In many ways, he's a very poor man's Tom Brady. Still, I hope he gets some time to develop before he's thrown in there when Newton inevitably plays terrible. As for Jarrett Stidham, don't expect him to be seeing the field much at all this season (not like he did in 2020 even when Cam struggled mightily) if all goes well.  

    Jones led Alabama to a national championship last season, granted he was throwing to the Heisman Trophy winner (DeVonta Smith) and another wide receiver (for a few games at least before he got hurt)-Jaylen Waddle-who were both Top-10 picks tonight. Until recent years, Alabama QBs have not had a ton of success in the NFL but with Tua in Miami and Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia, that narrative appears to be changing for the better. With all the money that they spent in free agency this off-season, New England has made a concerted effort to ensure that 7-9 doesn't happen again in 2021 (please note that this season will have 17 regular season games so that final record is now impossible to attain). Jones seems genuinely excited to play for Belichick and if you can have success under Saban, you at least should know what to expect from Belichick who has a quite similar prickly personality. Even if Mac Jones never does much of anything for the Patriots, this was a calculated risk that they had no choice but to make. Roll Tide!

Farewell To The Ultimate Patriot-Julian Edelman-Who Announced His Retirement This Afternoon

 

    You knew that this day was coming soon but it was still a sobering moment on a chilly Monday in April when I saw the news that Patriots wide receiver 34-year-old Julian Edelman was retiring from football. Selfishly, I hoped that he would play for another season or two with the Pats but with all the injuries that he's suffered over the years from playing such a brutal sport, who could blame him for getting out while he can? When I thought about it for a little while, I came to the conclusion that not only was the three-time Super Bowl champion and one-time Super Bowl MVP (who has the second most catches and receiving yards in NFL postseason history) the best receiver in Patriots history but he's also the most relatable and fun player that they've ever had at least since I became a devoted fan in the 1990s. 

    By now, we all know the familiar story: Edelman was a quarterback at Kent State and then a completely unknown seventh-round draft pick by New England in the 2009 Draft. I'm pretty sure that for awhile he was just insurance for when Wes Welker got hurt but soon after playing special teams and even occasionally cornerback, he got his chance to make a big splash in 2013 when he recorded his first of three 1000-yard receiving seasons. With the greatest quarterback of all-time Tom Brady at the helm, slot receiver for the Patriots had become a coveted position over the years: starting with Troy Brown, then Welker and finally Edelman. They each had their own immense skills but give me Jules any day (and for the record I own a Brown jersey) for his combination of toughness, smarts, skills and propensity to make his biggest plays in the biggest games. 

     Anyone who was lucky enough to be a Pats fan when Brady was employed in New England (that still hurts to say) and winning six Super Bowls will always love him but TB12 for all his brilliance on the field is not exactly the first person you'd want to spend a few hours with at a bar or in a social situation. Not so with Edelman who famously dabbled in the night life himself and eventually had a child with a supermodel as well just like his best friend Tom. His performances at the Patriots Super Bowl parades were legendary and his occasional troubles off the field proved that he was mortal like us and not the superhumans that we think the NFL is filled with every week.

    He was super versatile too which made him a favorite of New England head coach Bill Belichick from day one. He could still throw the football once in a blue moon on a trick play and he was a huge part of three championships here: in 2015 vs. Seattle, in 2017 vs. Atlanta (when he made one of the greatest catches in NFL history) when he was fittingly named MVP and in 2019 against the Rams. When you consider that he's listed at 5-foot-10 and 198 pounds, his career numbers are remarkable: 620 catches for 6822 yards, 36 TDs and 413 yards rushing in the regular season; 118 catches for 1442 yards (only trailing Jerry Rice in both categories), five touchdown catches along with 81 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown in the playoffs. If that's not enough, he had four punt return touchdowns in the regular season; two forced fumbles and 21 tackles (16 solo tackles and five assists) in the regular season; a forced fumble and three solo tackles in the playoffs; 128 passing yards (6-for-6!) and one touchdown in the regular season; a 51-yard touchdown pass in the playoffs. 

    He's a lock to be in the Patriots Hall of Fame in four years and who knows what the next chapter holds for Edelman but whatever he ends up doing, it'll be fun to watch. He has personality for days and seems like a genuinely decent guy that loves watching many other sports plus has tons of interests outside of football and self-promoting on his top-notch social media accounts. Julian is the rare pro athlete that you can truly look at and say that hard work, dedication and effort turned him from a fringe NFL player to one of the best receivers of his era. I think it's fitting too that unlike Brady or Rob Gronkowski for instance, he never played for any other NFL team besides the Patriots. Talk about a perfect match between a player and a crazy fan base-that he both understood and respected better than most, particularly for a guy from California. For those and many other reasons, there will never be another Julian Edelman in Foxborough.

My Worst Fear Has Come True: Cam Newton Is Returning To The Pats For Another Awful Season

 

    If you had any doubt left in your heart of hearts, Patriots head coach/GM Bill Belichick has officially lost his mind. The final damning proof came this morning as reports emerged that quarterback Cam Newton is re-signing with New England: a one-year deal worth up to $14 million (with $6 million tied to incentives regarding NFL honors and the playoffs that honestly he won't come close to reaching). Make no mistake, Newton will be the starting quarterback this fall with the Pats. Belichick is notoriously cheap so there is no way that he would pay a backup QB that type of money. Keep in mind that Cam has never been a backup probably his entire life so you think he's going to embrace that transition? Please, get real. 

    All we could hope as fans of the Patriots was that last season's 7-9 misery (while Tom Brady and the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl in his first year there!) would serve as a bridge to a brighter future for New England. They would sign someone better in free agency, trade for a guy and draft a promising young QB while they were at it. Nope, instead we are forced to pretend that last year didn't happen (which with Covid-19, don't we all wish that it did?) and perhaps with a full off-season, a slight upgrade in weapons (still impatiently waiting on those), perhaps Cam can resemble an NFL-caliber signal-caller and not a player whose best years are far behind him and should probably retire before he suffers another serious injury. 

    Newton went 7-8 as the starter for the Patriots last season (he missed one game with Covid) and his numbers tell the whole pathetic story: he threw for 2657 yards with eight touchdowns (8!) and 10 interceptions. Always known more for his running ability than throwing ability-which is totally shot at this point-he rushed for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns but he also fumbled five times. Cam will turn 32-years-old in May which doesn't seem old by NFL star quarterback standards these days but don't forget how much of a pounding he's taken his whole career based on his playing style and huge size.

    The timing of this move somehow turned out to be even more painful since it came on the exact same day and basically at the same hour that Brady agreed to a four-year extension with the Bucs that voids to a one-year extension that will keep him in Tampa through the 2022 season. Tom has famously outlasted all his peers and with today's events, you have to wonder if he'll still be excelling in the NFL while his old head coach is forced to retire after multiple losing seasons in a row. That's not hyperbole, think about it. If the Patriots keep going down this road to mediocrity and irrelevance, you have to think that at some point the Krafts will have to step in and take grandpa's car keys away from him. Seriously. For a man that always preaches team first and that winning is the only objective in everything that he does, Belichick proved once and for all that what he cares about most now is someone that will be his lackey (Newton) vs. a much more talented person that would dare to challenge his infinite wisdom (Brady). Ugh, I'm going to need many beers to drown out this terrible feeling on what should be a great day-it's 60+ degrees and sunny in Massachusetts in mid-March.

Without Further Ado, Let The Trent Brown Back With The Patriots 2021 Reunion Tour Commence

 

    For the first time in months, we woke up to positive news today involving the Patriots. They re-acquired massive offensive tackle Trent Brown from the Raiders and all it took was a fifth-round draft pick in 2022 sent to Vegas in exchange for the biggest guy in the NFL (6-foot-8, 380 pounds!) and a seventh-round draft pick in 2022. Brown only played in New England for one glorious season but it was a great one as he started every game in 2018 when the Pats won the Super Bowl against the Rams and he was named to the only Pro Bowl of his career. As anybody with half a clue could predict, he quickly bolted in free agency to the highest bidder which turned out to be the Raiders: four years, $66 million contract.

    The truth is that Brown was probably about to be straight up released by Las Vegas any day now but with that said, it's still nice to see New England make a move rather than wait for that to happen where they would have to sift through the discount rack with every other NFL team. To say that Brown's brief time (2 years) with the Raiders was bumpy would be generous. He only played in 16 games combined for the Silver and Black: 11 in 2019 and down to five in 2020 due to a variety of injuries plus multiple trips to the Covid-19 list. We all know head coach/GM Bill Belichick's obsession with a good deal and he certainly got one here with Brown's restructured one-year contract only worth up to $11 million which will likely feature a ton of incentives that he won't reach.

    Clearly signing an offensive lineman isn't going to move the needle too much for Belichick and the Pats who both desperately need some good publicity but all we can hope is that signing Brown is perhaps a sign that the Patriots are ready to fortify even more one of their few areas of strength (the offensive line) which in turn will help a new quarterback-whoever that may be. With his monstrous size, Brown is naturally great in pass protection assuming (a big if with him) that he's in better playing shape but you'll remember during that awesome postseason that New England turned into a power running team and he was instrumental in that aspect too. I won't bore you (or myself) with a deeper dive about offensive linemen but this also likely signals the end of guard Joe Thuney's time in Foxborough; he played under the franchise tag last season but they are not expected to do that again as the price would increase by three million dollars from $14.7 million to $17.7 million in 2021.

    You also wonder what this means for tackle Marcus Cannon who opted out from last season but he is expected to return to play this year and center David Andrews who will probably be signed to an extension sometime soon. Brown was never a big-time prospect coming out of the University of Florida since he was drafted in the last round (7th, 244th overall) in 2015 by the 49ers. He played in 31 games for San Francisco over three seasons before he was flipped to the Patriots along with a fifth-round pick (linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley) for a third-round pick (safety Tarvarius Moore) to San Francisco. As you can see, Brown made a boatload of money and became a household name (haha work with me on this) thanks to his one season here. Judging by his social media posts today on Twitter and Instagram, he seems excited to return but without Tom Brady as a teammate, we'll see how long that lasts for. Bottom line, it's nice to see the Patriots do something after being inactive for so long while plenty of other teams around the league make moves to improve their club-what a crazy concept after a a terrible 7-9 campaign! It's also refreshing to see a guy that's played for the Patriots in recent years want to come back when other notable guys lately (Brady and Rob Gronkowski) want nothing to do with Bill or the franchise anymore. 

Tom Brady Is Not Human But You Already Knew That Since He Just Won His Seventh Super Bowl

 

    It's oddly reassuring in a world where very few things have gone right in the last 11 months that 43-year-old quarterback Tom Brady can change teams for the first time, go to a league doormat and still somehow deliver a Super Bowl title in his first year with the Buccaneers. The first team to ever host the biggest single game in sports capped off a masterful postseason with their best effort yet as they blasted the defending champion Chiefs 31-9. I can't imagine that New England head coach Bill Belichick had the stomach to watch this entire contest since Brady (21-of-29 for 201 yards, 3 TDs) threw all his touchdowns in the first half and they were all caught by other former Patriots: two to tight end Rob Gronkowski (team-leading 6 catches, 67 yards) and one to degenerate receiver Antonio Brown. From there, the Bucs cruised to a 21-6 halftime advantage and eventually their first Super Bowl crown since 2003. Brady continued to extend his own mind-boggling records with his seventh title and fifth Super Bowl MVP award to boot. Haha but is that elite though?

    Plenty of people believed that Tampa could pull out a close win but absolutely nobody saw this defensive domination coming from the home team as they forced Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes into the worst game of his brilliant pro career: 26-of-49 for 270 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs. Here's a great stat: Mahomes is 6-0 in his young postseason career vs the rest of the NFL & 0-2 vs Brady who also knocked him off in the AFC Championship Game in Kansas City two years ago. The scary part for the rest of the league is that A) Brady confirmed after the game ended that he'll be back for at least another season and B) the Buccaneers' roster is stacked and mostly pretty young so they are not going anywhere anytime soon. For all the great things that Belichick has done with the Pats, letting TB12 go is quickly tearing up the charts for one of the worst decisions in pro sports history. Did I mention that the Brady victory tour returns to Gillette Stadium next season for what should be an insanely anticipated game? Fingers crossed that fans can be safely allowed back in the stands by then.  

    Brady has long been the greatest football player in history (don't bother debating that fools) but now he's entering even more rarified air with this title that nobody could have predicted before the Bucs started rolling in the postseason and knocking off three former MVPs (Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Mahomes) along the way. He will rightfully be included in discussions with Michael Jordan for the best professional athlete that has ever lived. If you wrote a book or screen play about Tom Brady's life, it would be hard enough to believe but this new Tampa Bay chapter makes it simply incredible. If there were any stragglers left, it also settles the two pertinent questions that we always wondered about: 1) could TB12 win elsewhere?; 2) Who was more important: him or Bill? Finally, say it with me folks: he is not simply a systems quarterback. 

Deciding To Let Tom Brady Leave In Free Agency Should Forever Haunt Bill Belichick & Robert Kraft

 

    This is typically a space reserved for me to focus on the Patriots, Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox. However, given what happened today in the 2021 NFC Championship Game, I simply had to add my two cents to all the hot takes that you'll inevitably be bombarded with over the next two weeks. Quarterback Tom Brady (20-of-36 for 280 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs) helped lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 31-26 win over Aaron Rodgers (33-of-48 for 346 yards, 3 TDs, INT) and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. At age 43 and with a new team (that's been a joke for much of their existence), Brady has reached his record 10th Super Bowl where he'll meet superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes (29-of-38 for 325 yards, 3 TDs) and the Kansas City Chiefs who didn't have much trouble with the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game, 38-24 tonight at Arrowhead Stadium. The Bucs have earned this via three consecutive playoff wins on the road and would you believe that Super Bowl 55 will take place at their home stadium-Raymond James Stadium-on Sunday, February 7 (6:30, CBS). Tampa will be the first time in NFL history to ever appear in a Super Bowl that's on their home field. 

    It was not always pretty in Brady's first season with the Bucs and how could it be given that he changed teams after being with the Patriots for 20 years plus we're still in the middle of a pandemic. After heading into their bye week with a disappointing record of 7-5, Tampa Bay hasn't lost since then as they won the last four games of the regular season and they have gotten more impressive with each playoff victory. No matter how little we knew about the real story, it was obvious the last few years in New England that TB12 was done with head coach Bill Belichick's impossible to please attitude along with the general misery that permeates around the so-called greatest coach in league history. One year into the divorce, it's clear who the true winner is: Brady of course since he's one win away from his seventh Super Bowl title while Belichick has been sitting at home for weeks now (much like the rest of us) after a utterly disastrous 7-9 campaign. 

    We had always wondered who was more important to the Patriots' dynasty: Bill or Tom? Well now we have a resounding answer since Pats owner Robert Kraft reportedly wanted to keep Brady for his entire playing career (something which I would always balk at except in this very unique case) but Belichick was done with Tom. In his place, he assumed that he could pick any veteran quarterback off the scrap heap-in this case Cam Newton-pay him basically nothing and still somehow finish with his customary winning record, AFC East title and a trip to the playoffs. The reality of life without TB12 was harsh though as Newton regressed week after week and the team went 5-9 against teams other than the hopeless Jets. Meanwhile in Florida, with a complete boob for a head coach (Bruce Arians) and a talented but flawed roster that went 7-9 last season, Brady has remarkably managed to change their whole operation in less than a year on the job. 

    After a spectacular first half this afternoon where the Buccaneers led 21-10 at the break following Brady's 39-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Scotty Miller with one second left, he struggled in the second half. Still, Tampa's defense did just enough to hang on as the team reached the Super Bowl for the first time since 2002. The ironic part about this whole mess for the Patriots is that while TB12 appears to have a few more good years left in his ageless body, they remain without any sort of concrete plan for what to do at quarterback moving forward and as we've seen time and again, that's always a recipe for disaster in the NFL. You are all welcome to root for whomever you want but I really don't understand the stubborn Patriots fans that refuse to cheer for Brady after all the joy that he brought to our collective lives. 

Seriously, I get the frustration with tight end Rob Gronkowski (1 catch, 29 yards) riding Brady's coattails to another Super Bowl after he weaseled his way out of here and fake retired for a year, but Tom didn't ask for this ending. New England made a fatal mistake by underestimating Brady's ability to still get the job done at a high level with new coaches and teammates not to mention in a different division and conference, etc. It goes without saying that I'll be pulling for Brady and the Bucs to finish this out on top. Not that he needs more motivation at this juncture but I feel like a Bucs Super Bowl crown would fully send Belichick into orbit and force him to finally spend more money in free agency than Bill the (terrible) GM typically prefers to do. It would be the ultimate kick in the pants to the Patriots to watch Brady make more history without them. He will be just the fourth QB to start a Super Bowl with two different clubs. Not that there's any reason to debate it but Tom is the greatest player in NFL history and for the record, this is the fourth time in the past five seasons that he's reached the Super Bowl and three of them were in his 40s (something that nobody else has ever done a single time). He was quarterback of the last team to win back-to-back Super Bowls-the 2004 and 2005 Patriots-and now he'll try to prevent KC from repeating as champions. Talk about a juicy matchup for Super Bowl 55, the league couldn't have scripted it any better if they tried. 

2020 Goes Out With Another Boston Sports Shocker: Zdeno Chara Will Be A Capital In 2021

 

    This one really hurts. Much like the world burning to the ground all around us, 2020 has been nothing short of a nightmare for Boston sports fans too as the year started with Red Sox superstar Mookie Betts getting traded to the Dodgers where he promptly helped them win their first World Series title since 1988. Next, the greatest quarterback in NFL history left the Patriots as Tom Brady signed a free agent deal with the Buccaneers. Things have been a little bumpier for TB12 than Mookie but heading into the final week of the regular season, Tampa (10-5) has already clinched their first playoff spot since 2007 and they are playing their best football of the season while the Patriots (6-9) have quickly turned into a punchline. If those things weren't enough, the guy who was truly the heart and soul of this city (particularly since David Ortiz retired)-defenseman Zdeno Chara-today signed a one-year deal worth $795,000 with the Capitals. WHAT. THE. FUCK. 

    Since NHL free agency opened in September this year due to the pandemic, the more time that dragged on, it didn't take a genius to figure out that Zee wanted to return for his 15th season as the Bruins captain but B's GM Don Sweeney and the front office were done with him. Before this news came out today, there had been rumors about Chara retiring and getting a player personnel type job with the club right away. Well it turns out that he still wants to play and while you won't find me arguing that he's anything close to the guy that was a six-time NHL All-Star or Norris Trophy winner (for best defenseman) in 2009, I believe he has a valuable role on any team by virtue of his peerless leadership not to mention his willingness to teach and support others around him.

    Even in one of the best hockey markets in the U.S., the Bruins had become almost irrelevant in the late 1990s and early 2000s. When they spent money for once and signed Chara in 2006 (immediately making him the captain) along with center Marc Savard in free agency, the team's fortunes slowly started to turn for the better. The greatest travesty of this whole situation is that he only won a single Cup in Boston. This wasn't a Ray Bourque situation where he would never win here so they did another Bruins legend a solid by shipping him off to the Avalanche where he could parachute in for a Cup run. Boston beat Vancouver in seven games in 2011 for that lone Stanley Cup then fell to the loaded Blackhawks in 2013 (6 games) before choking on their home ice in Game 7 vs. St. Louis in 2019. You'll remember that was the time that Chara broken his jaw in Game 4, then had surgery to wire it shut and played in Games 5-7 like a complete savage. We'll probably never know but I truly believe if they had won it against the Blues, it would have been the perfect time for him to retire on top. 

    Now, the future Hall of Famer that will someday have his No. 33 retired in the TD Garden rafters, plays for one of Boston's toughest rivals who happens to be in their temporary division during this bizarre 56-game regular season that starts two weeks from tonight. Ugh. It obviously wasn't about the money for the Bruins or Chara since he's playing for barely over the league minimum salary. I don't fault Boston for wanting to move on and see what else they have in the pipeline in terms of younger left-shot defensemen. With that said, you're telling me that he couldn't have been dropped down to the third defensive pairing? The whole timing of it is weasely on Sweeney's part too since they couldn't have told him he wasn't in their future plans when they returned from the bubble rather than lead him on for months only to bail at the last second. Instead, he has to go to a new team after he became an institution here for all the right reasons. 

    Anyone who has been around professional hockey players will tell you that most are incredibly down-to-Earth, funny, hard-working and smart human beings. Don't get me wrong, of course I love Brady but let's be real: the guy lived in a Chestnut Hill mansion then got the hell out of here whenever the Patriots' postseason was over. I don't blame him and he also did tons of great charity work (Best Buddies) while he was here but there is no comparing him to Zee in that regard. Chara lived close enough to the Garden that he could bike to work which he did from time-to-time. For a guy from rural Slovakia, he fit in and understood the passion (and general insanity) of what makes this area great when you are winning and very tough to deal with when you and/or your team are thought to be underperforming.

    Selfishly, I'm bummed that I won't get to cover him anymore day-to-day although truthfully this season figures to be just dinky Zoom calls with the media. For the past eight seasons, I had the privilege of going to Bruins games which included access to the dressing room and press conferences. I could talk for days about all the great people I met and incredible memories that I have collected along the way. People on the outside always want to know who is hard to deal with but honestly in hockey locker rooms, that is extremely rare besides the occasional (and completely justified) language barriers. Chara always stood out for more for than just the obvious reasons: his absurd size (the NHL's tallest ever player at 6-foot-9). He is incredibly honest and thoughtful and win or lose, he would always talk for a long time. This guy was drafted by the Islanders in 1996 (3rd round, 56th overall) and made his NHL debut with them the next season. Like Brady, he currently plays with many guys that could be his kids, that's how wide the age gap can be when you are still playing professional sports at age 43. His work ethic remains unparalleled: the Bruins always have a fitness test in training camp and despite all his other duties (he and his wife have three kids including twins), he always showed up in phenomenal shape. 

    The two sides of Chara are fascinating as well: on the ice, he is one of the scariest players in league history given his strength and the punishment that he can hand out all on his own. Couple that with the gentle giant persona that he is off the ice, for example handing out treats to homeless shelters from Mike's Pastry on Thanksgiving and going above and beyond in terms of hospital visits and connecting with sick children and people that can get so much joy just from being around him for a few moments. Center Patrice Bergeron is a lock to be the next captain of the Bruins and he will no doubt be a great one but there will never be another Chara on a Boston team for as long as we live. He is such a unique person with countless skills and abilities that extend way beyond playing hockey at the highest level. Thanks for all the wonderful memories Zee, we can't wait to see you in the Hall of Fame wearing the black and gold spoked-B. 

Pats Don't Let The World Ending Stop Them From Breaking Social Media By Signing Cam Newton

I haven't written anything on here for over a month since A) you probably didn't know this but there hasn't been any professional team sports in America from mid-March until yesterday (when the NWSL-National Women's Soccer League-kicked off their tournament in Utah) during the global pandemic and B) there really hasn't been anything worthy of a post for way too long. Thankfully, we all got a bit of respite from our collective misery as the news broke tonight that the Patriots have signed Cam Newton to a one-year deal worth a little over a million dollars (veteran's minimum) that with incentives can reach a maximum $7.5 million dollars.

If for nothing else, this was a taste of the good old days for Pats fans. You know, when talented but troubled (Randy Moss, Corey Dillon, Rodney Harrison, Darrelle Revis, etc) veterans came here and revitalized their careers through a combination of winning and Bill Belichick doing his best to gloss over all their flaws. Lately when we think of New England, we have night terrors of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski choosing to go to the Buccaneers which will never sound right while we had to grudgingly accept that the dynasty was finally over after all those unforgettable years.

Don't get it twisted though, I'm not a Cam Newton fan at all. I think that he is undoubtedly one of the biggest bozos in sports. I can't even pretend that he has much left since coming off of two shoulder injuries and a foot injury, he only appeared in two games last season for the Panthers and was unceremoniously released by the only team that he's ever played for in the NFL after being drafted No. 1 overall out of Auburn in 2011. That surprising move happened at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in America but it might as well have been 20 years ago given how the last few months have aged us all in dog years.

Hell, I'm not even convinced (who could be?) that there will be an NFL season this fall and winter. Still, this was a classic Belichick move because there is basically no risk to him or the team while the possibility of a huge reward from an ultra-motivated former NFL MVP (in 2015) who led his team to the Super Bowl that season (where he of course epically choked). He's also a three-time Pro Bowler and he was once an All-Pro. The anointing of the completely unproven Jarrett Stidham as Brady's replacement has been laughable from both local and national media alike to the many Patriots fans who lost their objectivity three or four Super Bowl wins ago.

Conversely, this should motivate Stidham as well (and don't bother mentioning the definition of a backup QB Brian Hoyer) and show him that he'll have to work extremely hard to be the Patriots starting quarterback even if they are in full rebuilding mode. It is crazy that Newton was a free agent for three and a half months before the Pats finally gave him a job. I lost count of how many Newton to the Pats rumors, stories and odds from Vegas sportsbooks that I read during quarantine before like everyone else, I rightfully moved on and focused on more pertinent subjects like you know, the world coming apart at the seams due to this horrifying epidemic and all the protests around the globe following George Floyd's tragic death.

Assuming that he ever plays a snap for the Patriots (a big if given Belichick's tendency to trade or release just about anyone in training camp), Cam will make this team way more interesting to follow. Who knows anything about Stidham or moreover, enough to make you excited to see him with far too much responsibility heaped on him in only the second year of his NFL career. Newton's press conferences are always must-see for his one-of-a-kind questionable fashion choices plus his absolutely mercurial interview style. Most importantly, you can bet that if he has any pride-or common sense-left, he will understand that this is his last/best chance to get his NFL journey back untracked. Success here would no doubt make him a star once again and not just a punch line or hey whatever happened to him type story? If he wants to be a top player in the NFL once again, the greatest head coach in the league's history and one of the best run franchises in American sports will surely find a way to get the most out of him no matter if he is here for a single season or five.

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WAIT WHAT? Gronk Comes Out of Retirement (bye bye WWE) & Gets Traded to Tampa Bay

Somehow in the crazy reality that we call 2020, the greatest tight end in NFL history (521 catches for 7861 yards and 79 TDs in 115 career regular season games; 81 catches for 1163 yards and 12 TDs in 16 career playoff games) coming out of retirement and getting traded to the Buccaneers only makes perfect sense. Yup, former Patriot superstar and future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski is leaving his brief spell in the WWE (rough week for Vince McMahon between this and the XFL folding), hawking CBD oils and hosting New Year's Eve specials along with being on "The Masked Singer" to give it one last go-around with Tampa Bay. A few years ago, Gronk famously said that he'd only play with Brady after he balked at a reported deal the Pats had in place to ship him to Siberia I mean Detroit in 2018. Now the soon-to-be 31-year-old lug gets traded to the Bucs along with a seventh-round draft pick for a fourth-round pick.

At first blush, it's alarming that all New England could get for a once in a lifetime player like Gronkowski is a fourth-round pick but then again, he last played in Super Bowl 53 (13-3 win vs. Rams). It seemed like the right time to step away from the brutal game of pro football and who would ever blame Gronk of all people because he's had countless serious injuries (concussions, knees, leg, back, arm, etc) since he was drafted by Bill Belichick in 2010 (2nd round, 42nd overall). Seeing him turn into the Shaq of football in terms of saying yes to every half-ass marketing opportunity got tiresome along with his constant hints of making what felt like an inevitable comeback like this after he waffled his way into an extended siesta.

The fact that Belichick basically ran off both the greatest quarterback and tight end will always be a painful what if for Pats fans (not that we ever have anything to complain about after 6 Super Bowl victories) especially when their eventual "Last Dance" documentary series gets put together (budding documentary directors around the country are currently writing crappy scripts as we speak). As I keep saying in these Patriots posts lately, let's just hope that there is a 2020 NFL season if only for the reason that the Bucs and Pats will each be fascinating to watch for different reasons (who does better in their first year apart-Bill or Tom). Brady joining a loaded offense with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and now Gronk is tantalizing to keep it in PG terms. Conversely, you wonder what the hell Julian Edelman is thinking right now in his lonely Beacon Hill condo on a rainy Tuesday. Likewise, there have already been rumors of Tampa trying to move on from their young tight end OJ Howard. It feels like one or both of those guys could also be flipped in the near future. Harvard alum and tight end Cameron Brate has surprisingly played better than Howard who came out of Alabama with a ton of hype but so far hasn't made much of an impact in the NFL.

At his core, there will never be another Gronk on the Pats or in the NFL in that matter in the sense that he combined singular talent with a fun-loving personality (like a human Golden Retriever). You can't help but wonder how much he has left though since at the end in New England, he was basically cooked although he did make huge catches against the Chiefs in the AFC Championship and then against the Rams. He is probably still in great shape for a normal human being but football shape is different (not to sound like your local high school hardo football coach) and he's no doubt lost a ton of weight. His act is very played out but it's impossible to hate him so therefore I'll always root for Rob (and most of all hope that he doesn't suffer anymore serious injuries). I'm too old and entrenched as a Patriots fan to ever ditch them but at least I now have an NFC team to pay close attention to for however long Brady and Gronk play there.

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In Their 1st Major Post-TB12 Move, the Pats Unveil Underwhelming Pop Warner Style Uniforms

Like a jilted lover, the Patriots are trying to move on from their storybook 20-year romance with former franchise icon Tom Brady the only way that they know how: by cranking out lame uniforms for their sheep fans to snatch up while they are locked down on quarantine for the immediate future. It's a uniform so I'm not going to pretend that laundry in the least bit offends me but the fact that they hyped up what turned out to be one (slightly tweaked) new jersey just a few days before the 2020 NFL Draft begins on Thursday night. Oh and today is Patriots' Day in Massachusetts, neat? Frankly, I'm surprised that they haven't released a cringe-worthy photoshoot with quarterback Jarrett Stidham in the new duds yet but give it some time I guess.

Debating about uniforms never ceases to put me to sleep since shocker-like pizza, ice cream or beer, everyone has their own personal preference-but I feel like at least most Patriots fans can agree that their red uniforms from 1960-1992 are pretty sweet. They've worn them a couple times in recent years since far be it from the NFL to pass up on a quick money making scheme on its mostly clueless consumers. Sadly, the loophole they are going with is that maybe they could do those next year since the helmets are a different color (white with the famed Pat Patriot old school logo) than their normal silver. The fact remains that they had their most recent combos (blue jerseys and silver pants at home with white jerseys and blue pants on the road) fittingly since 2000. What year was Brady drafted in? Oh right, way back in April of 2000. So as most millennials do on social media these days after a romantic relationship ends prematurely, they have done the only thing left in their power to do: change their look in hopes of perhaps erasing a bit of what figures to be a tough few seasons while they are average at best and their ex succeeds elsewhere (with the Bucs who until they signed Brady were basically a laughingstock for most of their pathetic existence).

The color rush uniforms (all blue jersey and pants) that New England has used the last few seasons will now serve as their home uniform while these meh white jerseys (that look like something you'd have for a created team on Madden) is their away uniform. Here's a tough question if you're gullible enough to actually want one of these right now: what current Patriots player do you choose? Think about it, an NFL jersey (assuming that it's not a knockoff that you buy at Marshalls or that you're made of money) is not a cheap investment so you want some assurance that your favorite Patriot will be employed in Foxborough for years to come. Ok cool. Julian Edelman and Stephon Gilmore are both great but in their 30s so sadly, they probably won't be here for much longer. Who else is reasonable if you don't want to be a contrarian and get some random guy (like Matthew Slater or Chase Vinovich), Devin McCourty? He's also a lovable veteran that unfortunately is sure to be on the back-nine of his pro career as well.

So yeah, sorry Krafts and the Patriots Pro Shop. You won't be seeing money from me anytime soon for these forgettable jerseys. However, if they somehow finagle their way to draft Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (they own the #23 pick in the first round so they'll have to work a trade to snag him), all bets are off. Also, if you still really want to get a Stidham jersey after seeing these I have one word for you: relax. For all we know, he'll be backing up Brian Hoyer or some other bum (Andy Dalton, Cam Newton, etc.) in 2020 or god forbid next year if this upcoming NFL season never actually happens. Get lost Covid-19.

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