On Tuesday, newly retired tight end Rob Gronkowski celebrated his 30th birthday.
To celebrate the occasion, social media shared highlights from Gronk’s career on and off the field.
On Instagram, Gronk’s girlfriend Camille Kostek and Julian Edelman each shared their own birthday wish posts.
PThe Patriots brought in free agent WR Dontrelle Inman for a visit and despite the player reportedly having offers from four other teams on the table has agreed to sign with New England.
Inman, 30, has plenty of experience. After having gone undrafted after the 2011 draft, played two years in the CFL and won a Grey Cup with Toronto. He also played with the Chargers, Bears, and lastly with the Colts. He appeared in nine games with Indy in 2018 and had 28 catches for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns. He added eight more catches for 108 yards and a touchdown in the Colts two playoff games.
His best season was in 2016 with the Chargers where he caught 58 passes for 810 yards and 4 touchdowns. Like many of the new additions to the Patriots receiving corps, Inman brings good size at 6’3, 205 pounds.
Inman got positive reviews from Colts head coach Frank Reich who also worked with Inman with the Chargers for his work ethic, leadership, and his football I.Q. Added in midseason, he developed good chemistry with QB Andrew Luck and he quickly became a trusted target in the Colts offense.
In the final four games of the year for the Colts, Inman notched 17 catches for 231 yards and three touchdowns. He locked down the Indy #2 WR position behind T.Y. Hilton
After the Patriots jettisoned Bruce Ellington earlier this week, bringing Inman in on a one-year deal makes sense. We mentioned a few times this week, that we could see an additional veteran WR being added to the team would make sense and Inman will have an opportunity to create a role for himself.
He now joins Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Phillip Dorsett, Demaryius Thomas, Josh Gordon, Braxton Berrios, Jakobi Meyers, Xavier Ubosi, Ryan Davis, Maurice Harris, Damoun Patterson and Matthew Slater as the current wide receivers in the offense.
How they plan on using him as of yet is unknown but they have brought in plenty of players who can compete. Especially with Thomas coming off a serious injury and probably is not going to be ready for the season and with Gordon being indefinitely suspended
Terms of his deal are not known yet.
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Listen to our Patriots 4th and 2 podcasts on blog talk radio as Russ Goldman, Derek Havens and myself from PatsFans.com discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis.
The 2019 off season continues to be happy living for Super Bowl LIII MVP Julian Edelman.
On Instagram Wednesday, Edelman shared a cute photo from a day at Fenway Park with his daughter as she took in her first baseball game.
A Patriot for 10 years and counting, Edelman remains a vocal supporter of Boston’s other professional sports teams and athletes.
Looks like he’s raising his daughter to become the latest member of Red Sox Nation.
With the 2019 NFL Draft in the books, the Patriots have added 10 players via the draft and the first group of undrafted free agents. Look for some movement among those, as those positions, at least initially tend to be in flux for the first week to 10 days after the draft.
The roster as it currently stands has 88 players, fullback Jakob Johnson is an international gateway program player and doesn’t count against the 90-man limit. He’ll be on the practice squad once the season starts.
At first glance, the team has a deep, strong, solid base, especially along the offensive line and at cornerback. Players in bold are draft picks. So, how is the team shaping up post draft? Let’s look at each position and where they may need to still look to add more depth this spring.
Quarterback: (4)
Tom Brady
Brian Hoyer
Jarrett Stidham
Danny Etling
Four quarterbacks are probably going to be one too many, even if Tom Brady decides to skip the voluntary workout OTAs. Etling would be the odd man out, they just invested a draft pick in Stidham, who along with Hoyer should see a ton of work this spring. This position is set for the year
Running Back: (5)
Sony Michel
James White
Rex Burkhead
Brandon Bolden
Damien Harris
With the addition of Harris, this takes an already good group and makes them better. Injuries last year hurt this position. So, the only question is, will they keep all five? Bolden was brought back for STs but can fill in with the odd carry here and there. Very solid, and versatile group of backs here.
Fullback: (2)
James Develin
Jakob Johnson **International Gateway Player** Doesn’t Count against 90 player limit
Johnson doesn’t count against the limit and should be on the practice squad in September. Develin is extremely valuable.
Wide Receiver: (13)
Julian Edelman
Josh Gordon (suspended)
Demaryius Thomas
Phillip Dorsett
N’Keal Harry
Matthew Slater
Bruce Ellington
Maurice Harris
Braxton Berrios
Damoun Patterson
Jakobi Meyers UDFA
Xavier Ubosi UDFA
Ryan Davis UDFA
Edelman and Harry begin the season as the #1-2 WRs on the roster, Dorsett as the #3. The team brought in Ellington and Harris earlier this spring. Demaryius Thomas will probably begin the year on PUP and we don’t know when we’ll see Gordon again.
Fans have been gaga over Berrios since last spring, now we’ll get to see if the optimism there is justified. Of the UDFAs, Meyers is intriguing and had a lot of production at NC State. He has good size at 6’2, 203 but doesn’t run well (4.63 time in the 40). Ubosi is also big (6’2, 217) and averaged 23.9 yards per catch but isn’t fast either (4.58 in the 40). Davis is a slot guy who caught 69 passes but most were extended handoffs.
With questions around both Thomas and Gordon’s availability this season, they’d do well to bring in another veteran to help take the heat off their top two. Or perhaps the team feels that Ellington (23 catches for the Lions) or Harris (28 catches for the Redskins) can add something to the offense.
Tight End: (6)
Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Matt Lacosse
Jacob Hollister
Stephen Anderson
Ryan Izzo
Andrew Beck UDFA
Everyone, including here, expected the team to address tight end in the draft and probably early. But they didn’t draft one, only adding UDFA Andrew Beck from Texas. Beck is known more for his blocking than pass receiving (28 catches, 281 yards 2 TDs in 2018) as is Ryan Izzo.
The team is hoping Austin Seferian-Jenkins can find his game here in New England. Newcomer Matt Lacosse had 24 catches for the Broncos last year. Hollister has shown flashes but can’t stay healthy.
Will the team add another veteran tight end (the hype is on Kyle Rudolph) or decide that for 2019, they’ll be content with the production they can get from the current crop and keep them inside as blockers and put the onus elsewhere on the roster?
Offensive Line: (18)
LT Isaiah Wynn
LG Joe Thuney
C David Andrews
RG Shaq Mason
RT Marcus Cannon
OL Ted Karras
OT Yodny Cajuste
OL Hjalte Froholdt
OL Brian Schwenke
OL James Ferentz
OT Cole Croston
OT Cedrick Lang
OL Jake Eldrenkamp
OT Ryker Mathews
OT Dan Skipper
OT Tyree St. Louis UDFA
OL Tyler Gauthier UDFA
OL Calvin Anderson UDFA
Huge positional group here. They draft Wynn to be the LT last year but he got hurt in camp. All the other starters return. They drafted Cajuste to be the RT of the future and he’ll be the swing tackle this year, backed up by Croston…right now.
Draft pick Froholdt is an intriguing guy who can play guard or center and may push Karras as the top interior backup. It is going to be tough to evaluate all of these guys this spring/summer. The roster should be set unless Wynn isn’t ready to go and then they may opt for another veteran tackle.
Defensive End/Edge
(7)Michael Bennett
John Simon
Deatrich Wise
Chase Winovich
Derek Rivers
Keionta Davis
Trent Harris
After losing Trey Flowers in FA, the team brought in Michael Bennett and just added Michigan’s Chase Winovich who brings the good speed and athleticism needed for the edge. In their scheme, he was kind of their ”designated pass rusher” opposite the TE on the weak side. He should get starter reps early. Simon and Wise and solid contributors.
What do the Patriots have in Rivers? It is Year 3 so, the time is now and the clock is ticking on him, Davis and Harris. They are essentially playing for one roster spot.
Interior Defensive Line: (7)
Lawrence Guy
Mike Pennel
Adam Butler
Byron Cowart
Ufomba Kamalu
Frank Herron
David Parry
Lawrence Guy is an underrated solid player. The Patriots picked up Pennel to solidify the middle and he’ll be a two-down starter. Butler is a good contributor. Cowart, the big kid from Maryland is a potential 5th round steal. He was highly regarded but flamed out in Auburn before having a really good season for the Terps. He and Kamalu have the versatility to play inside or outside.
Depending on how the young guys develop, they may later opt to bring in another veteran. Allen Bailey is still out there.
Linebacker: (8)
Kyle Van Noy
Dont’a Hightower
Ja’Whaun Bentley
Elandon Roberts
Christian Sam
Brandon King
Calvin Munson
Terez Hall UDFA
The team made no moves here other than bringing in Hall as an UDFA. The top three from last year (Van Noy, Hightower, and Roberts) return. Bentley impressed in the early going before getting hurt and Sam is an athletic type who was hurt in camp. King is a LB in name only. He’s a ST ace.
They should be set here unless the injury bug starts to hit.
Cornerback: (8)
Stephon Gilmore
JC Jackson
Jason McCourty
Jonathan Jones
Duke Dawson
Keion Crossen
JoeJuan Williams
Ken Webster
This is the deepest position on the team with eight (8) viable players who can step in and play. The top four were the stalwarts from last year’s Super Bowl run. Crossen played a bit, Dawson was a 2nd round pick who got hurt and never saw the field.
They obviously liked Williams and moved up for him. Webster is an athletic freak who tested extremely well at the Combine. They can’t carry eight corners, so the obvious thought is they’ll try to trade some of these guys rather than just release them.
Safety: (8)
Devin McCourty
Patrick Chung
Duron Harmon
Obi Melifonwu
Terrence Brooks
Nate Ebner
A.J. Howard
Malik Gant UDFA
The Patriots didn’t add any during the draft and signed Gant as an UDFA. The top three return and now we’ll see if they can get out of Melifonwu. Again, barring injury, this position is set for 2019.
Special Teams: (4)
K Stephen Gostkowski
LS Joe Cardona
P Ryan Allen
P Jake Bailey
The team re-signed Gostkowski and Allen but moved up in the draft to select Bailey. He and Allen should battle it out as the #1 punter. He has a strong leg and led the nation in hang time. He can also kickoff and serve as an emergency field goal kicker.
The initial roster here and we must remember it is only the end of April looks pretty strong and barring health concerns, they should be in really good shape come September.
The thinking here is they could really use another WR and TE but they set themselves up very well with an extremely solid draft in 2019. They’ll tinker with the roster and constantly look at ways at improving the team. As we’ve said many times, the team you see in April won’t look like the team you see in September.
But for the start of OTAs, the roster is looking pretty solid.
Follow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at [email protected]
Listen to our Patriots 4th and 2 podcasts on blog talk radio as the writers Russ Goldman, Derek Havens and I from PatsFans.com discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis.
The Patriots stayed put in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft and with the 32nd selection took N’Keal Harry, WR from Arizona State.
In selecting Harry, this is the first time the Patriots drafted a wide receiver in the first round since the days of Terry Glenn, back during the Bill Parcells era. He has long arms and uses his catch radius and body positioning to always seem to get open. He’s a threat for big yards after the catch (YAC) and while not a burner in the 4.3 range, he has good speed. He will immediately become a matchup issue for opposing defenses because of his size, physicality, and athleticism.
In our final pre-draft podcast on Patriots 4th & 2, Derek Havens and I had Harry mocked to the Patriots with the #32 pick.
The pick should have brought a big smile to the face of Patriots QB Tom Brady, he gets a big (6’2, 228) physical wide receiver who was extremely productive in college. In 37 career college games, Harry caught 213 passes for 2889 years and 22 touchdowns.P
Patriots Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio told the Patriots media after Round 1, the team was getting phone calls about moving back but decided that selecting Harry was the better option. Caserio said that Harry is, “a big, strong receiver with good hands … good with the ball after the catch.” Harry after being selected, spoke to the Patriots media and to the NFL Network and stated he thought his home state team the Arizona Cardinals would take him at #33 which may have convinced New England to stick with the pick and take him.
Within the Patriots system, Harry seems to be a tremendous fit. He can attack zones in the short to intermediate area and presents a big target with the ability to high point and win contested passes and those in traffic. Those quick slants that Brady likes to throw and did with Josh Gordon will quickly become a specialty with Harry. He has strong hands and is a tough run blocker.
He’s arguably one of the top three WRs in the draft and the Patriots just got him. Adding him to the mix with Julian Edelman, Phillip Dorsett, Demaryius Thomas and possibly Josh Gordon in the future just made the cupboard a lot less bare in the meantime. After Edelman, he’s already the best receiver among the WRs and TEs on the roster.
Former Patriots front office man Michael Lombardi called Harry “a beast with the ball n his hands.” Harry’s comments make him seem like a perfect Patriot. “I play with a lot of passion. Whenever that ball’s in the air, I’ll sacrifice anything to go get it,” he said to the media after being drafted. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help the team win. Anything coach wants me to do — whether it’s on special teams, offense, anything — I’ll do it.”
And it should be noted, Harry ran back a punt 92 yards last fall against USC.
It was nearly midnight by the time the Patriots made their selection during round one of the 2019 NFL Draft and Bill Belichick, as usual, made it interesting.
With the 32nd overall pick, the Patriots selected a wide receiver, taking Arizona State standout N’Keal Harry to close out the first round Thursday night. Harry is a big target. He’s 6’2″, 228 pounds, which would give Tom Brady a big young target who with his size is a great addition. He’s an inch taller than Malcolm Mitchell, who was the last early round selection they grabbed back in round four back in 2016. Mitchell was 6’1″, 200-pounds and had a solid rookie season before injuries ultimately spoiled his seemingly promising career.
The fact Belichick made the move is telling, with the team clearly trying to inject some youth and talent into the offense after losing Rob Gronkowski to retirement this offseason. Harry’s addition now gives the Patriots some speed, with the rookie having run a 4.53 40-yard dash during the NFL combine.
But one of the things that has stood out in his scouting reports is the fact he’s a strong kid, coming away on the right side of quite a few contested passes during his collegiate career, as well as the ability to break tackles and be elusive once he has the ball in his hands. He’s also got terrific quickness, which as we know from players like Julian Edelman, is certainly an an attribute that is key in this offense.
It was the first time the Patriots had taken a receiver in the first round since 1996 when the team selected Terry Glenn back during then Patriots head coach, Bill Parcells, tenure. Parcells was reportedly against the selection after then general manager Bobby Grier and owner Robert Kraft overruled Parcells on the pick for Glenn and it sparked the end of Parcells’ tenure.
The move worked out well for the Patriots, who went on to finish 11-5 that season and earn their first Super Bowl appearance since 1986 that season, which ultimately ended with a loss to the Green Bay Packers. Parcells then departed to the New York Jets that offseason.
Needless to say, it’s an interesting pick and one that fans can hope will make an early impact this season. The last time a young player made a difference in the offense, the season ended with a Super Bowl championship. While it’s a little early to think that far ahead, it doesn’t change the fact that Harry’s selection will likely add a little more optimism looking at New England’s offense heading into the 2019 season.
It didn’t take long for Tom Brady and Julian Edelman to turn the page to 2019.
The Super Bowl champion duo were spotted at the Boston College indoor practice facility working on passes and routes together on Tuesday.
Check out the video shared by BC’s recruiting director and assistant director of player personnel Joe Sullivan of a Brady deep ball to the Super Bowl MVP.
Brady later caught up with BC’s football team, notably Tyler Vrabel, the son of Mike Vrabel.
Monday marked the 15th anniversary of the death of Arizona Cardinals safety Pat Tillman.
Tillman played four seasons with the Cardinals from 1998-2001 before choosing to walk away from football to enlist in the United States Army.
In the months following the September 11th attacks, Tillman enlisted in May 2002.
Tillman served during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and with the US Army Rangers in Afghanistan in 2004.
On April 22, 2004 Tillman was tragically killed in a friendly fire incident.
New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman paid tribute to the former NFL player turned soldier on Twitter.
Tuesday night the Boston Bruins squared off against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the National Hockey League’s first round playoffs.
In an effort to help push the Bruins to victory, members of the Super Bowl champion Patriots voiced their support throughout the night.
Things kicked off when Julian Edelman was named a Bruins fan banner captain before puck drop.
Edelman wasn’t finished, he later chugged a beer while shown on the TD Garden jumbotron much to the delight of the fans.
After the game, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy jokingly thanked Edelman for helping fire up the crowd.
Throughout the tight contest, a few other Patriots tweeted out their Bruins reactions.
The Bruins went on to win the game by a final score of 5-1 to advance to the second round against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Bruins series win marked the eighth consecutive playoff round victory for a Boston sports team dating back to the Red Sox 2018 ALDS last fall.
Who has it better than Boston?
As the 2019 offseason rolls on, a few current and former Patriots players took time out of their Easter Sunday to share how they were celebrating the holiday with their friends and families.
Check out some of the best photos shared over social media below.
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