Healthy Wynn finally shows promise
Left tackle added muscle in offseason
To this point in Isaiah Wynn‘s career, the word “should” has shaped his every move.
As a former first-round pick, Wynn should grow into a quality starter.
Finally recovered from his latest injury, Wynn should play soon.
Now in his third season, Wynn should contribute to one of the NFL’s best offensive lines.
Slowly, the 23-year-old has finally begun to leave those shoulds behind by confirming the potential the Patriots have seen in him since Day 1. He started by converting excess body fat into added muscle this offseason, his first unclaimed by some form of rehab. Wynn is noticeably stronger after what he called a necessary physical change.
“I just got a chance to really just focus on building up my strengths and building up the places I may have had an injury and just continue to build off that,” he said Wednesday.
Through two weeks of the regular season, a more powerful Wynn has yielded just two pressures, taken zero penalties and leveled up as a run blocker. Cam Newton is one of the best protected quarterbacks in the NFL thanks to him and the Pats’ four other starters. Because of the individual potential Wynn has realized, the high hopes for an offense line expected to carry the Pats’ offense are now being met.
“Isaiah is a good player, does a lot of things well,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “He’s a very athletic player with very good playing strength and leverage. He’s got good feet, and he’s a smart kid and he really takes well to coaching and making adjustments and those kind of things. So, it’s good to have him out there and hopefully he can continue in his development.”
Wynn shared with reporters he’s studied Cardinals offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum, who’s made a long career of protecting blind sides. Like Beachum, Wynn stands at just 6-foot-3, but makes up for his size with refined technique and leverage. Now stronger, Wynn can better anchor down against power rushes, which may have driven him back in the past.
It’s a similar path his line mate, left guard Joe Thuney, once followed. Thuney is now regarded as one of the NFL’s best at his position, and together with Wynn, may soon form one of the league’s best left sides.
“They have a good feel for each other there and work together well on a lot of different combinations and adjustments and things like that they have to make. Those two guys really help each other,” Belichick said of Wynn and Thuney. “They’re both good players and they help each other as well.”
‘Slam Newton’ impresses Gruden
In the spring of 2011, Raiders coach Jon Gruden first came to know Newton.
Back then, he was a burgeoning prospect destined to become the No. 1 overall pick and Gruden worked as an NFL analyst at ESPN. In the weeks leading up to the draft, they sat down and watched film together for a TV special. During those hours, Gruden hit Newton with a nickname, just like the quarterback would do for countless future teammates in the NFL.
Four days out from their head-tohead battle Sunday in Foxboro, Gruden revisited those days and dusted off his old nickname.
“I call him Slam, Slam Newton,” Gruden told reporters via conference call. “That was the nickname I gave him. He’s a power forward playing quarterback. He’s oversized for the position. He’s gifted so much athletically, it’s incredible what he’s accomplished and how his durability’s been.”
Gruden added he’s glad to see Newton back to full health. Over two weeks, he’s been at the controls of a new Patriots offense that has also impressed Gruden, given how short the team’s marriage to Newton has been. After rushing for 217 yards in their season opener, Newton and the Pats threw for 397 last weekend at Seattle.
“Cam looks like he’s the usual Cam. He’s a threat to do a lot of different things. It’s a credit to the Patriots,” Gruden said. “I think it’s a real credit to their coaching staff to be able to change gears that fast, that well. I guess you expect that from the Patriots’ coaching staff, but he’s impressive, and the way they’ve changed gears is very impressive.”
Slater still cheering for Gostkowski
Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater is accustomed to seeing Stephen Gostkowski hit gamewinners.
It’s the uniform Gostkowski wears as he does it nowadays that Slater must adjust to.
In his second game kicking for the Titans last weekend, Gostkowski hit a 49-yarder to edge the Jaguars with less than two minutes left. It was a rebound performance for the former Patriot, who went a dismal 1-for-4 in his Week 1 debut with Tennessee. The Pats released Gostkowski this offseason after a hip injury ended his 2019 season prematurely, and they planned on drafting his successor.
The 36-year-old has now made half of his six field goal attempts and 4-of-6 extra points.
“He’s someone who really showed me the ropes here, him and Larry Izzo kind of showed me how to be a pro. So I’m very thankful for my time with Stephen,” said Slater, who called Gostkowski a close friend. “I played 12 years with him, I’ll always be rooting for him — whether it’s as a Tennessee Titan or just a dad coaching his sons. He’ll always have a fan in me.”
The Patriots and Titans are not scheduled to meet this season.
Nick Folk, the Pats’ current kicker, is 1-for-3 on the season after missing one kick each of the past two weeks. Fifth-round rookie Justin Rohrwasser remains on the practice squad after a subpar training camp.