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While fantasy football owners have already baked his four-game suspension into his value this summer, Tom Brady spoke to the media today for the first time since dropping his legal fight against his punishment for Deflategate, and he said he’s trying as best he can to put it behind him.
“It’s just personal, and I’ve tried to move on from it,” Brady said. “I try to focus on the positive, being here with my teammates and getting better. You don’t want to go out and do anything but be a great example for your teammates.”
Asked how he’ll handle being away from his teammates when the season starts, Brady said he isn’t sure.
“I’ll deal with that when it comes,” Brady said. “I could have a plan, change the plan, I really don’t know.”
When asked if he feels anger toward “the powers that be” about his suspension, Brady gave a non-answer. But he denied a reporter’s observation that he appears more fired up than usual for this training camp.
“I’m pretty much the same. I’ve been the same way for a long time,” Brady said.
As Profootballtalk.com suggests, the Patriots hope they’ll still have the same Tom Brady this year. Starting in Week 5.
Until then, they'll have Jimmy Garoppolo. And they'll still have Rob Gronkowski. And barring unforeseen setbacks, Julian Edelman (currently on the PUP list as he returns from foot surgery) and Dion Lewis (on PUP in his return from a torn ACL).
And according to head coach Bill Belichick, they might have the best overall receiving depth in recent memory.
Belichick recently told Sirius XM NFL Radio that he thinks the battle for spots on the 53-man roster will be as or more heated than any other in his time with the team.
"I think our competition at receiver is good, it's probably as good as it's been since I've been here," Belichick said. "All of those guys are capable at whatever it is. They have different styles at different positions — slot guys or outside guys — but whatever it is, they're very competitive and capable players that, I think, have a lot to offer and are going to be very competitive. Obviously, we can't keep all of them, but it should be a good battle. They all have skill." Reported by Profootballtalk.com
Edelman and Danny Amendola (also currently on the PUP) would seem to be secure in their roles at the top of the depth chart and Chris Hogan seems a good bet to join them. If that’s the case, Nate Washington, fourth-rounder Malcolm Mitchell, Keshawn Martin and the others would be trying to provide other skills to add to the mix.
Of course, any discussion of receiving targets in New England has to include Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett.
Belichick called them “kind of interchangeable” in terms of the things they can do in the passing game and thinks they’ll put pressure on defenses, which would help the Patriots offense during and after Brady’s suspension.
Garoppolo will be under center at Arizona, vs. Miami, vs. Houston and vs. Buffalo.
What can we expect from him during that span?
Belichick seems to be confident in the youngster's development.
"I think he's shown a lot of development," the coach recently said. "Quicker recognition and reading of the defenses, more awareness of what's happening on the defensive side of the ball, better communication, better understanding of the offense -- really everything."
But Garoppolo doesn't have experience.
He played 159 snaps last preseason and finished 61 of 80 for 554 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Getting the football out on time was an area of inconsistency at times. Overall, the Patriots believe they can be competitive with Garoppolo.
But that doesn't mean they'll rely on him the same way they rely on Brady. And don't overlook the importance of having a running game is that much more significant to help minimize the pressure on Garoppolo and keep defenses honest.
Given that, the value of having a guy who can pick up those tough yards in a pinch is magnified even more. Can LeGarrette Blount still be that guy?
He's going to have to prove it before the season starts or else Belichick might have to find someone else. That's especially true if Lewis still isn't quite 100 percent. "I'm going to do whatever Bill needs me to do to make sure we're successful," Blount told the Boston Herald when asked if he was prepared to carry more of a load. Reported by the Boston Herald
Running backs coach Ivan Fears basically said last week that the Patriots were putting the ball in Blount’s hands and it was up to him to sink or swim.
“I want to see the LeGarrette I know that can be a dominant player when he’s playing up to his stuff. I want to see him get back to that. He’s been hurt. He’s been away from us. There’s a lot of opportunity there for him. Let’s see what he can do,” Fears said. “There’s gotta be some consistency to his play. There’s got to be production. ...”
Blount carried the ball 165 times for 703 yards with six touchdowns in 12 games last year. He wasn’t quite as good as he was the year before, but neither was the blocking up front. Whatever the case, Blount has much to prove before we should start buying in. That said, don't overlook him -- especially in best-ball formats.
As for Gronk, Edelman and Lewis?
Gronkowski is being drafted as he's always been drafted. Assume he'll be gone well before the second round ends. Lewis is going as you'd expect as well while Edelman's ADP is down a bit -- perhaps more due to his own health issues (and the concerns they engender in fantasy owners) than due to the QB situation.
Meanwhile, what can we expect from Brady upon return?
According to NFL.com, the veteran superstar went a perfect 25 of 25 during the Patriots' scrimmage, as his Blue squad dominated Garoppolo's White squad.
In addition, Brady could be getting some star-studded help when he works out during his suspension. According to former teammate Kevin Faulk, he expects Brady to reach out to both Wes Welker and Randy Moss, the receivers who helped him form some of the most dominant offenses in NFL history.
"He's definitely going to work," Faulk said. "There's no doubt in my mind. He's probably going to do the same regimen he's been doing for the last how many years he's been playing football, stay in that routine, and yes, I'm almost positive Wes Welker is going to be here. He probably will reach out to Randy (Moss), and Randy will come because Randy's in still good shape. Real good shape."
The move makes sense for several reasons.
Welker and Moss are still in incredible shape and are two of the more cerebral players Brady played with on offense. Both are familiar with the playbook and won't force Brady to go outside of the Patriot family for help.
While suspended players or hold out players often struggle to replicate the finer points of practice during their time away from the field, bet on Brady doing everything he can to return with minimal rust come Week 5.