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ESPN’s Dana Jacobson interviewed Patriot Ben Watson on July 8th
video
DJ: For more on the Patriots we welcome in Tight End Benjamin Watson. Benjamin, it’s like the most asked question and probably answered; to you how has Tom Brady looked so far between the OTA’s and mini camp?
BW: Definitely, Tom’s looked great. He works really hard; he’s a great leader on our team. He’s definitely poised to come back and have a great year. But like we say in New England you got to take it one day at a time and every day is different, every year is different. So I know he’s looking forward to being out there and we’re looking forward to having him back.
DJ: There was an interesting quote from Randy Moss, I don’t remember the exact words but he basically said this offense could be better than 2007 – even scarier I think were the words that he used. It was record setting back then; how good do you think this offense can be this year?
BW: I think we can definitely be as good as the work we put in. Again every year is different. You know 2007 was 2007, which was a great year, but this year we’re always looking to improve, always looking to get better and better in what we do and that’s why we’re out there. If we didn’t want to get better we wouldn’t be out there.
DJ: So far you putting in more work than maybe you did in 2007? Which would lead one to believe that this year could be better?
BW: I think a key for us is the fact that we have some guys who have been there for a while, some guys who have been in the system. We’ve had some great new additions with Taylor, with Joey Galloway coming. And we’re looking forward to getting out there in training camp, and getting it done.
DJ: You obviously can have a great battle at running back, you just mentioned Taylor joining that backfield. Maroney is already there; Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, and everybody got a chance last year because of injuries. How heated has the position battle been already?
BW: It’s not been too heated yet, when training camp comes that’s the time to compete. Just going through the mini camps, going through the OTA’s, is a time when you learn the system, when you get your feet back, doing football drills and stuff like that. But training camp is a time when the competition will heat up, the preseason games. That’s when the coaches will make their decisions on whom to play when and where.
DJ: The first three picks in the draft were all defensive picks. Give us some idea of someone on the defensive side of the ball that we should be watching as training camp nears.
BW: It’s kind of hard to tell in mini camp. The rookies, basically their job is to learn the system, to keep their mouth shut, and to just learn what to do and get out there, and then in training camp they get a chance to get out there and hit people. But definitely in mini camp the safety Chung has done a good job back there picking up the system and he’s flying around to the ball. It will be interesting as always to see in training camp how that goes.
video
DJ: For more on the Patriots we welcome in Tight End Benjamin Watson. Benjamin, it’s like the most asked question and probably answered; to you how has Tom Brady looked so far between the OTA’s and mini camp?
BW: Definitely, Tom’s looked great. He works really hard; he’s a great leader on our team. He’s definitely poised to come back and have a great year. But like we say in New England you got to take it one day at a time and every day is different, every year is different. So I know he’s looking forward to being out there and we’re looking forward to having him back.
DJ: There was an interesting quote from Randy Moss, I don’t remember the exact words but he basically said this offense could be better than 2007 – even scarier I think were the words that he used. It was record setting back then; how good do you think this offense can be this year?
BW: I think we can definitely be as good as the work we put in. Again every year is different. You know 2007 was 2007, which was a great year, but this year we’re always looking to improve, always looking to get better and better in what we do and that’s why we’re out there. If we didn’t want to get better we wouldn’t be out there.
DJ: So far you putting in more work than maybe you did in 2007? Which would lead one to believe that this year could be better?
BW: I think a key for us is the fact that we have some guys who have been there for a while, some guys who have been in the system. We’ve had some great new additions with Taylor, with Joey Galloway coming. And we’re looking forward to getting out there in training camp, and getting it done.
DJ: You obviously can have a great battle at running back, you just mentioned Taylor joining that backfield. Maroney is already there; Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, and everybody got a chance last year because of injuries. How heated has the position battle been already?
BW: It’s not been too heated yet, when training camp comes that’s the time to compete. Just going through the mini camps, going through the OTA’s, is a time when you learn the system, when you get your feet back, doing football drills and stuff like that. But training camp is a time when the competition will heat up, the preseason games. That’s when the coaches will make their decisions on whom to play when and where.
DJ: The first three picks in the draft were all defensive picks. Give us some idea of someone on the defensive side of the ball that we should be watching as training camp nears.
BW: It’s kind of hard to tell in mini camp. The rookies, basically their job is to learn the system, to keep their mouth shut, and to just learn what to do and get out there, and then in training camp they get a chance to get out there and hit people. But definitely in mini camp the safety Chung has done a good job back there picking up the system and he’s flying around to the ball. It will be interesting as always to see in training camp how that goes.
