Speaking for the first time at the Patriots’ minicamp
Adidas Evander Kane Jersey , Tom Brady could have had plenty to talk about had he waited a few hours.
Instead, reports broke later Thursday that one of the New England quarterback’s favorite receivers, Julian Edelman, could be suspended for violating the league’s performance-enhancers policy.
Brady, who turns 41 on Aug. 3, said he never considered retirement during his time away from the team; he did not attend optional workouts. He was not available to address an ESPN report, using unnamed sources, that Edelman, who missed the 2017 season after tearing his right ACL in a preseason game in Detroit, is facing a four-game suspension.
Edelman was the last player on the field for practice and later could be seen having a long talk with Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
According to the report, the 32-year-old Edelman is appealing the suspension, saying he had passed ”hundreds of tests” in the past. If the suspension stands, he would miss a home game against Houston, at Jacksonville and Detroit, and home against Miami.
The league does not release information on suspensions until they are announced.
Edelman spoke Tuesday and was asked if it was difficult not to push himself to make a faster recovery.
”Yeah, I mean, everyone’s a competitor
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The Patriots’ wide receiver group had already taken on a new look minus Danny Amendola (free agent, Miami) and Brandin Cooks (traded to Arizona). The loss of Edelman would thin the position even more. Malcolm Mitchell, who also missed last season with knee surgery, has yet to return to the field.
The depth chart candidates without Edelman would have one proven veteran in Chris Hogan, plus Mitchell, Kenny Britt, Cordarrelle Patterson, Jordan Matthews, Phillip Dorsett, Riley McCarron, Braxton Berrios and Cody Hollister. Special teams captain Matthew Slater has also lined up at the position, and Patterson generally is a kick returner rather than a wideout.
Brady spoke for less than four minutes.
”It’s obviously important for everybody and our coaches do a great job of getting us ready,” he said. ”Just some personal reasons for me (skipping voluntary workouts), but I’m here now and focused on what I need to do
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Amid reports of a rift in the organization involving himself, coach Bill Belichick and Kraft, Brady said his relationship with Belichick is, ”great. We’ve always had a great relationship.”
”I’ve been here for a long time and I love this team and I love this organization and I love playing quarterback for him,” Brady added. ”I loved it last year and I’m having a lot of fun now, so that’s obviously what’s most important to me.”
He refused to speak about any possible reworking of his contract.
”I’ve never talked about my contract,” he said. ”I’ve never brought up money, I think for a lot of reasons that I’ve said over the years. Those things are personal.”
Brady labeled his offseason following the Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia as ”good.”
”I always try to figure out different things I need to do in the offseason to prepare myself and be the best I can be,” he said. ”Obviously, I evaluate last season and things I can do better. I don’t think this offseason was any different for me. I thought about the things I need to do and focused on those things so I can be the best I can be when training camp comes.”
NOTES: Red Sox vice president Tony La Russa was a visitor at camp. ”We’ve been friends for a long time. It’s always good to see Tony,” said Belichick. . TE Dwayne Allen was clearly hobbling after practice. . Belichick stepped in and was mad at his offense, ordering the group to run a lap around the field. Brady, who could be heard yelling an obscenity after the previous play, then hit Rob Gronkowski with the next pass. . Matthews dropped a long throw from Brady. . Thursday was the third and final day of the mandatory camp, with four optional days set for next week.
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Blake Bortles got a stark reminder Tuesday of how Jacksonville's season ended three months ago.
Bortles was in the quarterbacks meeting room when offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett flashed a picture of the Gillette Stadium scoreboard from Jan. 21, 2018.
Jaguars 20
http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-ed-dickson-jersey , Patriots 17, with a little more than 5 minutes to play in the AFC championship game.
"It's kind of like, 'Man, that sucks. I can't believe we blew that,'" Bortles said. "That will probably always be in the back of our minds as we missed that opportunity to go play for a Super Bowl. But I think it just gives us that much more motivation to get there again and go win it."
The Jaguars began their offseason program this week still thinking about how close they came to upsetting New England and getting to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.
Jacksonville led 20-10 early in the fourth quarter before fading down the stretch.
Coach Doug Marrone cautioned his team about focusing on the past or anything that might happen in the future. But players made it clear the 24-20 loss in New England still stings and will serve as a driving force over the next nine months.
"The bar has been raised; the expectations are different," Bortles said. "To be able to go through the season we went through last year, the camp that we went through and kind of see everything that happened, I think guys are coming back this year with a totally different attitude and kind of a hunger to reach that final game and go win it."
Jacksonville has reason to be optimistic.
The Jaguars return 12 of the top 14 players on a defense that ranked second in the NFL, added one of the league's most coveted free agents in guard Andrew Norwell and kept their entire coaching staff intact.
"You have to start back at ground zero and then build," veteran defensive end Calais Campbell said. "The reset button is something you have to hit regardless if you were terrible or if you were good. It doesn't matter. Just got to start over from the beginning and earn the right to make it to be a successful team."
Even with so much carry-over from 2017, Marrone plans to take a similar approach during the offseason. He wants his players to get in the best shape possible now, which should help them get through a grueling training camp later.
"I'm always one of those guys, 'Hey, let's be where our butt is,'" Marrone said. "In other words, let's be in this moment right now. I think that when you're grabbing toward this future and you looking beyond you're going to miss all the small things that you need to build a foundation.
"Last year, we kind of wrapped it in a box and put it there. There are lessons that we've learned from it. We appreciate that. We appreciate the season. We appreciate what's gone on
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Jacksonville (10-6) won the AFC South for the first time in franchise history last season, but top executive Tom Coughlin and general manager Dave Caldwell didn't treat the roster like it was even close to being set.
They let receiver Allen Robinson, cornerback Aaron Colvin, guard Patrick Omameh and backup quarterback Chad Henne walk in free agency. They cut tight end Marcedes Lewis, receiver Allen Hurns and running back Chris Ivory. And they brought in five free agents, including new starters Norwell, receiver Donte Moncrief and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
Now, the Jags are essentially starting over 鈥?even with that loss to the Patriots still lingering.
"There's one team out there that's defending champs. That's the Philadelphia Eagles," Marrone said. "Before we even get to division, playoffs, whatever it may be, first game of the year, whatever it may be, we've got to take all these steps, OK, before we get there. If we put our sights on those right now we're going to miss something here in the beginning building this foundation."
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