1. Expect a lot of Clay Matthews talk this week.
The Patriots had a chance to take him in the 2009 draft, and decided to pass on the linebacker out of USC who has gone on to become one of the best pass-rushers in the league with the Packers — he had 10 sacks as a rookie last season, and has 12.5 sacks this year, good for second in the league. In hindsight, the idea of Matthews in a New England uniform is a tantalizing thought, especially for a team that has struggled to put together a consistent pass rush over the last two seasons.
“Clay is fast, quick. He’s got real good balance,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said on a conference call with the media on Tuesday afternoon. “He’s a guy with a high motor, so even at times when it looks like he’s blocked, he can still come out and get in on the play. He’s a good pursuit player, but I’d say his speed and his quickness are big assets.
“He’s a guy that’s never really out of the play. You can run away from him but he can run you down or you can run to him and it kind of looks like you might have him blocked, but he spins out of things and uses his quickness and his athleticism to get out of tight situations, stay alive and make plays. So, [he’s] a good football player.”
It was clear the Patriots at least had an interest in Matthews for several reasons, not the least of which was that his father played 19 seasons in the NFL — three of which were for Belichick in Cleveland in the 1990s — and Belichick would later say he was “lucky” to have the chance to coach the elder Matthews. Before the 2009 draft, I spoke with the father (as well as the son’s high school coach, Charlie Wegher) about the possibility of the son playing for Belichick and the Patriots.
