SUSPENSION LESSON, FROM TOM TO JULES
QB wants buddy to turn negative into a positive
Tom Brady had a pretty good idea what was flashing through Julian Edelman’s mind when the wide receiver made his way out of Gillette Stadium one last time, heading out to serve his fourgame suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances.
Thanks to Deflategate, Brady took that same walk in 2016. As with Edelman, Brady wasn’t allowed to practice or visit the stadium.
Edelman said on Tuesday he had a tough week leading up to the suspension and indicated Brady was “very helpful” on how to handle being away. Given that, I caught up with the Patriots quarterback for a few moments at his locker last week and asked about what advice he might have passed along to his close friend.
Part of Brady’s message came from what he learned and experienced on that journey. He thought it was important for Edelman to turn the negative into a positive and use the time away wisely. That’s what he did after being banished in wake of the ball pressure scandal.
“I just hope he uses the time to his advantage. I mean, if he can use it to his advantage it could be a good benefit,” Brady said. “I hope he spends the time preparing and doing the things he needs to do. He knows he has all of my support. He’s like a brother to me.”
Brady spent training camp two years ago practicing with the team, just like Edelman, before cutting away for the four weeks. He wasn’t coming back from ACL surgery and trying to regain his old form like Edelman, so there’s a different dynamic at work.
But with his reputation taking a major hit, Brady was driven to come back and be better than when he left. And was he ever. Brady produced one of his best seasons in the league, which is saying a lot. His 28 touchdowns against just two interceptions set an NFL record for TD-to-INT ratio (14.0), and his 112.2 passer rating was the second-best of his career.
“I tried to stay ready. I had (training) camp. And I played in the last preseason game against the Giants,” he said. “And then I
was just focused on continuing to do what I needed to do so I was ready when I came back. But I also got a chance to do some things that I never had chance to do, too.”
Things like seeing his parents out on the west coast. His mother Galynn was in the midst of treatment for breast cancer, so his time out there was an unexpected lift for the family. He also took his wife Gisele Bundchen to Italy for what he described as “a late honeymoon.”
“I’ve never had a September free like that,” Brady said, “so I ended up using it in different ways. But in the back of your mind, you know what’s ahead. You know what you gotta do. I just tried to make sure I was ready when I got back, and I’m sure Jules will, too.”
Brady made sure he had a plan in place, with workout partners and people he was throwing to on a regular basis at a field near his Brookline home, in order to stay sharp. That routine was important. Edelman also has a plan, but declined to share what it entails with the media.
Brady also tried to keep his whereabouts a mystery, and indicated he wasn’t in touch with the players very much during the four weeks. He wasn’t forbidden from talking with his teammates, but opted to keep a distance.
“I didn’t want to be like a big burden on anyone. So I really didn’t talk to anybody,” he said. “I knew everyone had their work to do. You can talk to people. You just can’t talk much football.”
The four weeks away was thought to be a football purgatory for Brady, who was completely healthy while the team was playing games with Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett under center. The team went 3-1 in Brady’s absence, and the time away ultimately proved beneficial for him.
He thinks the same will happen for his favorite target, who will be eligible to return when the Pats host the Colts for a Thursday night showdown on Oct. 4.
“It’ll give him a chance to get away, and take advantage of the time,” said Brady, “just try to get his body as best as he possibly can, and get his mind right.”
The 32-year-old Edelman, who failed a drug test for a PED that hasn’t been identified, said Tuesday he put himself in this spot and simply has to deal with the consequences. Brady, who appeared to be railroaded with an excessive penalty by the league, ultimately survived.
“Yeah,” he said, “we all got through everything.”
To the tune of a fifth Super Bowl title, coming from 25 down to beat the Falcons.
“I know,” he said, smiling at the memory. “Hopefully we can do something special this year. That’s what we’re hoping.”
He’s a Wynn-er
Offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia had the offseason, training camp and one preseason game to get a handle on firstround pick Isaiah Wynn before a torn Achilles ended the rookie’s season.
Scar’s initial impression?
“It was all very favorable. The guy is tough as hell. He’s explosive. I think he has a bright future,” Scarnecchia said on Tuesday. “We still believe he has a bright future. He’s going to heal up really good. We’re going to look forward to him being out there next spring in OTAs.”
Will Wynn still be around and involved in the meetings with the linemen during the season?
“You have to. He’ll be around being treated. So we want him in there listening to what’s being said so we don’t have to re-start this whole thing,” Scarnecchia explained. “He’s a bright kid, he’ll get it. But the more you’re here, the better you’re going to know what’s going on.”
Scarnecchia also talked about the continuity of his three inside players on the line — Joe Thuney, David Andrews and Shaq Mason — and the importance of that time together.
“They understand what’s to be expected of one another, they’re also working really, really well together,” said Scarnecchia. “And, as it goes, Joe, in his interaction with Trent (Brown), that’s getting better . . . Less mysteries over there.”
Along with blocking, communication is a key component with line play.
Speaking with Thuney last week, the left guard agreed he and Brown, firmly entrenched as left tackle, are making strides.
“We’re constantly talking back and forth,” Thuney said. “It’s getting a better feel for what he’s seeing, what I’m seeing. I think it’s going well. There’s still a lot of room to grow. We can always do better, working together on blocks.”
Decreasing value
There’s been some chatter about the length of preseason and regular-season games. Dallas owner Jerry Jones pitched a twogame preseason with an 18-game regular season, claiming it would improve the safety of the game for the players. Having a longer regular season is something that’s been tossed around.
Hard to believe more regularseason games would improve safety. Naturally, the players aren’t in favor.
Rob Ninkovich, however, offered a view about shortening the preseason during an appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio last week with hosts Brian Custer and
Brady Quinn.
The former Patriots linebacker wasn’t opposed to two games for injury reasons.
“If you’re a first- or secondyear guy that’s young and hasn’t played much, you need to go out there and you need to play and you need to experience that live contact and tackling,” Ninkovich said. “If you’re in your third, fourth, fifth ... anything beyond that and you’re an actual football player, and you’ve played in a lot of big games, or just played in 16 regular-season games, you don’t need to play in any (preseason) games . . . . What’s the risk and reward? What’s your reward for going out there in the third preseason game and having an injury that takes you out the rest of the year?”
Ninkovich pointed to Jaguars wide receiver Marqise Lee, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Jacksonville’s third preseason game.
“They lost a receiver who I thought was going to have a big year,” he said. “It’s just not worth losing those guys . ... Those two games should be for the younger guys who haven’t played yet or they’re still learning the game. The starters, the guys that are experienced veterans, they really don’t need it. They can just get out there and play.”
Bill Belichick dodged the topic last week, saying it didn’t matter what his opinion was, he was just trying to coach a football team.
No Superman needed
While expectations are high for several of this year’s rookie quarterbacks, namely third overall pick Sam Darnold with the New York Jets, second overall pick Saquon Barkley is supposed to help rescue the New York Giants sagging offense at running back.
Reggie Bush, a running back taken No. 2 in 2006, offered some words of wisdom for Barkley last week at a NFL Network season kickoff event.
“You can still find different ways to be effective,” he said. “Every running back wants to rush for 100 yards every game, but he doesn’t have to do that. He doesn’t have to be Superman. He just needs to be effective because he has so many other weapons around him. I think the sooner he can understand that, the better he’ll be able to play.”
The combination of Barkley, $98 million man Odell Beckham Jr. and tight end Evan Engram should give Eli Manning a formidable trio for starters.