Brady ends talk about Guerrero
PATRIOTS NOTEBOOK
FOXBORO — For the second time this summer, Tom Brady ended an interview when questions about Alex Guerrero popped up.
Speaking with WEEI’s Kirk & Callahan yesterday morning, Brady declined to discuss Guerrero’s expanded travel privileges. Guerrero was on the team’s flight to Carolina for Friday’s preseason game. He’ll be allowed to travel with the team during the regular season, a source told the Herald.
Asked what changed from last season, Brady said, “Yeah, I’m not getting into all that.”
When the question was rephrased by host Kirk Minihane, Brady responded, “I said I don’t want to get into it. Everyone knows, it is well documented the work he and I do together.”
Minihane then asked if Guerrero was on the sideline for the game in Carolina.
“Yeah, all right guys,” Brady said. “Have a great day. I’ll talk to you later.”
The topic came up during Bill Belichick’s press conference. Similarly, Belichick sidestepped the inquiry.
“Yeah, look, we’re not going to get into our staff responsibilities and all of that,” Belichick said. “I mean, we’d be here for a week talking about that, so we’re not getting into that.”
Earlier this summer, Brady walked out of a press conference after a Guerrero-related question. The star quarterback was asked if he had a reaction to people who linked Guerrero to Julian Edelman’s four-game PED suspension.
“I have no comment,” Brady said. “That’s just ridiculous. I’m out. See you guys.”
Guerrero, who has long been Brady’s body coach and business partner, is not a member of the Pats staff. He works at the TB12 center in Patriot Place and has treated many players over the years.
Getting back in action
Rookie running back Sony Michel returned after missing 12 straight practices. Michel, the team’s second first-round pick out of Georgia, appeared to be limited in practice.
Veteran offensive tackle Marcus Cannon also returned. Like Michel, Cannon had missed 12 consecutive practices.
Neither player has appeared in a preseason game.
Offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn, who reportedly suffered a torn Achilles against the Eagles, linebacker Harvey Langi, tight end Ryan Izzo and offensive lineman Luke Bowanko were absent yesterday.
Respect for retired Decker
The writing was on the wall for Eric Decker after the Patriots’ third preseason game. Decker didn’t get any snaps with Brady and the firstteam offense, an indication that he faced long odds to make the team. Two days after the loss to Carolina, Decker announced his retirement via an Instagram post.
“He’s had a great career,” Belichick said yesterday. “I have a lot of respect for Eric going all the way back to when we talked to him coming out of Minnesota, and when Josh (McDaniels) drafted him (in Denver), and to Tennessee, and the Jets and so forth. I enjoyed working with him. Again, I really have a lot of respect for him, what he did. I think he’s decided to retire from football so we wish him well and appreciate what he did.”
New faces show up
The Patriots added three players to the 90-man roster, signing running backs Kenneth Farrow and Khalfani Muhammad and wide receiver K.J. Maye. This provides depth to thinning positions for the final preseason game.
Maye was with the Patriots for the entire 2017 training camp. He was waived as the team cut its roster to 53 players.
Farrow entered the league in 2016 as an undrafted free agent with the Chargers. He made the initial roster and took on a regular role late in the season. As a rookie, Farrow posted 73 yards from scrimmage in a Dec. 11 game against the Panthers.
The 5-foot-7, 174-pound Muhammad was picked in the seventh round by the Titans in 2017. He spent his rookie season on the Tennessee practice squad.