MCCOURTYS TELLING FANS TO PREPARE FOR ‘RAW FOOTBALL’
Patriots’ dynamic duo have trepidation about season
Given all the restraints on training camps, and with no preseason games, the McCourty brothers believe football in the early going won’t be all that special.
In their final “Double Coverage” podcast before the start of training camp this week, both Devin and Jason
McCourty talked about the new NFL and impact of all the precautions needed to move toward a season.
“For the fandom, it’ll be good to see teams figure out timing and matchups on the fly. It should make it into a more raw football product, and better defensive game,” said Jason, adding: “More raw, is roughly a way to put it, but it’s probably not going to be as good of a product early on.” Translation: Sloppy. Devin McCourty said he understands the logic behind canceling preseason games, because of the quick turnaround and trying to get the players ramped up physically before the season.
At the same time, he also feels bad about the early casualties, with players already getting released.
“You hate to see so many young guys not get an opportunity,” said Devin. “You’re seeing teams cut down from 90 to 80 guys, and you’re seeing guys get released who never really got an opportunity because of the pandemic.”
The Patriots record-setting streak of consecutive seasons of having an undrafted rookie make the roster (it’s currently at 16 in a row) is certainly in jeopardy.
“It kind of (expletive deleted) seeing it, especially for us,” said Devin. “You’re looking for the next guy that’s undrafted, the J.C. Jacksons, the Malcolm Butlers, the David Andrewses … the guys that come in undrafted that no one thinks about. The next thing you know, they’re starting and playing in the biggest games of the year. It is tough to watch some of these young guys get released before stepping in the building.”
With the guidelines, it’s going to be difficult for all first-year players, particularly rookies, to come in and make an impact right away, much less make the team.
“It’s a process that we all have to go through, whether it’s a young rookie coming in, or somebody like Dev who’s been in the system,” said Jason. “The truth of the matter is … all of us haven’t played football since the last game of the season last year. So it’s going to be an acclimation period for all of us. Obviously, for young guys right now, this is a tough year to come into the NFL. Not only are there not going to be any preseason games to get into the groove of things, but you had no spring, you haven’t been to the facility or the stadium. So you have no idea where anything is inside the building. You probably have no idea where you’re going to live. So there’s just so many variables going on.”
Players started reporting Monday for COVID-19 testing, which is ongoing this week. During the show Sunday night, Jason McCourty expressed concerns about players being responsible, and doubts about the season taking place.
“I’m not going to lie, for me as a fellow player, I go on social media and it makes me very nervous to think there will be a season,” McCourty said. “Because I’ve gone on social media and seen guys posting a video in a nightclub, and it’s just like, ‘Yo, we’re attempting to play football. That’s not going to be OK.’ You see guys working out in one city on a Monday, working out in another city on a Tuesday and another city the next week, and it’s just like, ‘Dang, if they’re working out here, here and here, that means you have to be traveling and you come across however many people.’
“Or you see a guy posting pictures and there’s hundreds of (people), whether it’s anywhere. So for me, it is nervewracking. Those are the things that, for me, make it nervous to say, ‘Are we going to be able to have an entire season?’ Because small things like that go a long way. … Because it only takes one person testing positive, you come into the building, and that thing will spread like wildfire.”
Added Devin: “Hopefully we can get this thing running, and not have to stop, and actually have a full season. We’ll see how it all kind of plays out.”
Unlike several other sports, football players won’t be locked inside a bubble. Still, they need to realize they can’t be running around from place to place.
Said Jason: “I think the hope is the guys will take the responsibility on themselves to make sure we’re trying to do as much as we possibly can to stay away from other people and not do certain things and make sure we’re protecting one another.”
No fans
Asked about the possibility of not having fans, or just a minimal amount, the McCourtys said it would be odd, and something else to get used to.
“It won’t be the same. It’ll impact everything, the energy, the sound, the noise and stuff in the stadium,” said Jason. “It’ll be an adjustment that everyone has to get used to.”
The brothers mentioned probably not being able to do charity events, a long-held staple of players in conjunction with the Patriots charitable foundation. No pictures with fans.
“The reality is, player-fan interaction for the 2020 season is going to be very minimal,” said Jason. “Something as simple as charity events guys do year-in-and-year out, probably won’t be able to happen.”
Newton adapting
Neither McCourty sounded all too concerned about Cam Newton being able to adjust to the “Patriot Way.”
“The Patriot Way is just coming in, and doing what’s asked of you. And just going out there, and doing whatever you feel is necessary to win football games. That’s what it’s about,” said Devin. “I think that’s what New England is about, winning football games. And Cam’s a veteran guy. He’ll adjust. That’s what usually happens.”
Sky’s the limit
Will Jackson beat out Jason McCourty for the outside corner spot opposite the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore?
That’s going to be one of the more interesting position battles during camp when the players actually get out on the field.
It was also interesting Sunday night to hear McCourty not being shy about pumping up the volume on Jackson. “I tell him all the time, I think he has the potential to be … when you talk about some of the best corners in our game, I feel like he’s right there, and he’s only scratched the surface of how good he could possibly be as a corner,” said Jason. “I believe a ton in J.C., so I think sky’s the limit for him.”
Hightower’s son born
Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower was a guest on the podcast, sharing that he and his fiancee welcomed a baby boy on July 16. While Hightower spends a lot of the offseason in Tennessee, he indicated the baby was delivered in Massachusetts.
Hightower was asked if he had picked up any new hobbies while being quarantined during the pandemic.
“We’ve been locked in the house, but it’s been good for us. We’ve been cooking a lot together … and I got into an herbal garden. That’s my thing. I got some basil growing for us, and some rosemary.”
Safety Patrick Chung, also a guest on the show, said he built a huge deck during the quarantine.
Brady unhappy?
Devin McCourty said reports of the former Patriots quarterback being unhappy last year in New England were unfounded.
“I’ll tell you don’t believe everything you read,” said the Pats defensive captain. “People I think create narratives that aren’t always true. Guys leave in free agency every year … I just think it’s a business. Things happen. Things go on. There’s timing for everything.”
Kiss Adams goodbye
The Jets traded their AllPro safety to Seattle, who in turn sent three draft picks, including a pair of No. 1s, along with safety Bradley McDougald, to New York in exchange for Adams.
The McCourty brothers were happy to see Adams out of the division, but were also intrigued by how it went down.
“Once Jamal Adams said the stuff he said about Adam Gase, it was only a matter of time before the trade was going to happen,” said Jason McCourty. “I know fans may not like it, but at the same time, I love to see a guy say, ‘you know what, I don’t want to be here, and I’m going to force them to trade me.’’’