{"id":42054,"date":"2022-07-03T05:00:50","date_gmt":"2022-07-03T09:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=42054"},"modified":"2022-07-03T17:42:34","modified_gmt":"2022-07-03T21:42:34","slug":"patriots-news-07-03-changes-at-linebacker-are-long-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2022\/07\/03\/patriots-news-07-03-changes-at-linebacker-are-long-coming\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots News 07-03, Changes At Linebacker Are Long Coming\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning; here are your weekly <\/span>Patriots news 07-03 <\/b>and some NFL notes this week.<\/span><\/p>\n

On behalf of us all here, we hope that everyone enjoys a happy and safe Independence Day tomorrow. And despite all of the difficulties facing our nation, it is still the best if imperfect union in the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Patriots 2022 training camp opens later this month and then football will be with us until February. It should prove to be a very intriguing season.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Martellus Bennett and Julian Edelman\u2019s Comments On Jimmy G:\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

The comments by Martellus Bennett, who played with the Patriots during the Super Bowl run in 2016, were certainly eye-openers. To be sure, Bennett has always been an outspoken player, and his comments about former Patriots QB Jimmy Garoppolo were certainly harsh.\u00a0 But what was interesting, was that fellow receiver Julian Edelman backed Bennett up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Flashback to 2016 and Tom Brady was suspended for the first four games of the season due to the \u201cDeflategate\u201d nonsense. Jimmy G. started the first two games and played very well before injuring his non-throwing shoulder in the Dolphins game. Jacoby Brissett came on before he tore the ligaments in his thumb on his throwing hand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Garoppolo practiced and was supposed to be the starter in Week 4 but bowed out at the last minute, forcing Brissett to play with torn ligaments in his thumb which rubbed Bennett the wrong way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bennett appeared as a guest on the \u201cDouble Coverage\u201d podcast with Devin and Jason McCourty and pulled no punches with his thoughts on the situation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBro, we lost two games (without Brady),\u201d Bennett said. \u201cOne of them was because Jimmy Garoppolo was being a bitch. He quit before and decided not to play right before the game. Jacoby came out and played with a f***ked-up thumb and played his heart out, but Jimmy was just being a bitch about it all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t win with a bitch for a quarterback,\u201d Bennett added.<\/span><\/p>\n

Julian Edelman backed up Bennett\u2019s stance during his own appearance on a podcast. As a guest on the \u201cI Am Athlete\u201d podcast, Edelman didn\u2019t pull any punches either.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, I don\u2019t know we\u2019re all football players here,\u201d Edelman said. \u201cSo we go into Week 4 and Jimmy was practicing and then decided not to play. Jacoby played with no ligaments in his thumb, which you can\u2019t do that as a quarterback.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of guys got mad at it. I\u2019m not going to lie, I got mad about it,\u201d Edelman added. \u201cI sacrificed my body all day long. I was taking shots for this, numbing up that, ribs, broken ribs, shoulders, Grade 3 hanging on by limbs just to play. I can understand why Marty thinks like that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With Garoppolo recovering from surgery and due a whopping $24.2 million this season, these comments can\u2019t help the 49ers if they decide to trade him as 2nd-year QB Trey Lance is expected to compete for the starting job this year.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Quick Hitters For the Patriots and the NFL:<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Deshaun Watson: <\/b>The hearing with Judge Sue Robinson is over and now the league is awaiting her decision on how long Watson will be suspended\u2026if at all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are two very, very, different opinions on how things will proceed in regards to any suspension for Watson. NFL insider Jason La Canfora believes that Watson will never suit up for the Browns, due to the sexual assault allegations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Appearing on 93.7 The Fan, La Canfora was skeptical, “I don\u2019t know if Deshaun Watson is ever going to play with the Cleveland Browns,\u201d La Canfora said. “If he is told to sit on the sidelines for a year, what more comes out during that year?”<\/span><\/p>\n

“I wouldn\u2019t not hazard a guess on how many games he starts for the Browns,” La Canfora added. “I have to see him start one before I even consider it.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Mike Florio from NBC Sports, said that he wouldn\u2019t be surprised if Watson isn\u2019t suspended at all. Posting a written and video piece, Florio explained his position.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c(1) I take all possible agendas and biases into account before reporting anything; (2) I strive for accuracy, regardless of whether the source may coincidentally have an interest in the information being reported; and (3) no narrative or agenda means a damn thing, because Judge Sue L. Robinson eventually will determine the facts and then apply the Personal Conduct Policy to them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Florio added that he spoke with several people who said that they were concerned with the public\u2019s reaction if Watson receives little to no suspension, especially since no \u201cviolence, threat, force or coercion\u201d evidence, has come to light\u2026yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mac Jones:\u00a0 <\/b>The Patriots starting QB held another throwing session with some of the team\u2019s wide receivers, this time in Carlsbad, California. While most of the players from the team are enjoying some family vacation time before training camp, Jones finished his early and hooked up with Nelson Agholor and Tre Nixon to get some extra work in.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was interesting that Agholor, who is looking for a better 2022, and Nixon who had an outstanding minicamp this spring, were joining Jones. Both are looking for a big summer to cement roster spots this season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Agholor has been the subject of trade scenarios, which would save the team nearly $9 million dollars in cap space if done. One scenario where he would be traded is if Nixon (whose spot is far from guaranteed) shows he can be a viable option in the passing game once the pads come on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But it also shows Jones is embracing that leadership role that is needed in making the big jump that many are predicting for him in Year 2.\u00a0 All three players have put the time in this offseason, so it is great to see them getting together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Patriots 4th & 2 Podcast:<\/b> If you haven\u2019t checked out our <\/span>PatsFans.com podcast, <\/span><\/a>\u201cPatriots 4th & 2\u201d, in a bit, please check it out. The three of us broke down the Patriots’ offense heading into training camp. Tune in this week as we\u2019ll do the same with the defense and special teams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Russ Francis\/Chuck Fairbanks:<\/b> The former Patriot tight end and head coach both should be in the Patriots team Hall of Fame and the fact that especially Francis isn\u2019t is an absolute travesty. Francis along with the Raiders\u2019 Dave Casper changed the game with how teams used the tight end position…this will be on our Sunday posts until it happens.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Evolution of the Linebacker Position and (for once) The Patriots Are Behind the Power Curve:<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Patriots are making a lot of changes at the linebacker position in 2022, and regardless of how many people feel about the players no longer here (ditto), it was a change that is\u2026 in essence long overdue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, with Dont\u2019a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy, and Jamie Collins gone, it leaves Ja\u2019Whaun Bentley as the senior member of the position. That is a lot of experience gone, and the transition may be rocky, at least to start.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

New England, under Bill Belichick, has always been ahead of the power curve when it comes to trends in the NFL. But in this case, they are lagging behind the trend of how linebackers have evolved in terms of size and speed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Patriots have always coveted big, physical thumpers at the linebacker position. Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Mike Vrabel, Ted Johnson, and Roman Phifer were stalwarts in the early Super Bowl teams. Their size and abilities matched up well with Belichick\u2019s defensive philosophies that Daniel Jeremiah shared with people a few years ago.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n