Pats focused without stars
FOXBORO – To the surprise of no one, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on Tuesday quickly shot down any discussion related to Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski – two All-Pros who weren’t present on the second day of OTAs.
“I’m not going to talk about the people who aren’t here. Guys who are here are improving, they’re working hard and those are the guys we’re going to focus on,” said Belichick prior to a two-hour practice that definitely featured a different tenor given the noticeable absences.
Eventually, Brady and Gronkowski will join Julian Edelman, Devin McCourty, and Matthew Slater and the rest of the New England players on the practice fields located behind Gillette Stadium. Until that day happens, let’s take a page from the Boston Celtics and shine the spotlight on the players who are in the fold and not harp on those who are off the grid.
If Brady was present for Tuesday’s voluntary practice, chances are veteran backup Brian Hoyer and rookie Danny Etling would not have been sharing the quarterback reps. Presumably, Brady would have received the lion’s share with Hoyer and Etling fighting it out in true second-string fashion.
“I’m looking at it as a great opportunity to be the guy who’s in-charge of the huddle. For quarterbacks, there’s nothing quite like going up against the defense, especially a good one like ours. They’re going to make you think on every play,” said Hoyer, who’s in his first off-season in his second go-around with the Patriots. “I get to know the guys who were here last year a little bit better and get to know the new guys, too.” With Brady not in the picture for the time being, Hoyer and Etling have a golden opportunity to build an even better grasp of the offense. There’s one less QB mouth to feed … one less signal caller to try and make sure he’s getting enough chances to stay sharp and get on the same page with the intended pass catchers. Right now, it’s Hoyer and Etling’s ship to guide. Perhaps the experience they’re being afforded at the moment will prove valuable down the road – in an in-case-of-emergency- break-glass sense, of course. Instead of worrying about Brady’s whereabouts, let’s toe the Belichick line as it relates to who’s wearing a helmet and a red practice jersey. “I’m focused on the guys that are here and those are the guys who we’re working with,” Belichick said. Hoyer has nine seasons of NFL experience under his belt. For a first-year player like Etling, the kind of hands-on training he’s getting can only help to accelerate his acclimation to pro football. “It’s been a fun time to learn and continue to progress, but I’m trying to take it one day at a time, one meeting at a time, and one snap at a time,” said Etling, a seventh-round pick out of LSU. “I’m trying to learn the system and become the player I want to be. It’s going to take a lot of hard work, but the main thing is becoming more consistent.” Etling wore No. 58 on Tuesday – he said his first football number was 28. On the team-listed depth chart, he’s listed as the third-string quarterback. With no Brady, Etling is serving as Hoyer’s backup. “You’re learning how to be a pro and what’s going to be asked of you. What am I supposed to do?” Etling said. Etling was pressed whether he’s had any communication with Brady since getting drafted. Like avoiding a stiff pass rush, he did a good job of stepping away from the pressure. “It’s really hard to get accustomed to a new team and learning everyone’s names. I’m just focused on getting to know everyone,” Etling said. “I know that Tom is a pretty great quarterback, probably the greatest of all time.” Etling did elaborate when asked about his working relationship with Hoyer. “He’s been great so far. He’s pulled me aside and offered helpful advice on how to operate the system and become more consistent,” Etling said. Hoyer and Etling did get bites at the first-team apple on Tuesday, mixing in passes that were on the money – Hoyer hit backup tight end Jacob Hollister in the back of the end zone – and passes that overshot their intended target by plenty. Regardless of how Hoyer and Etling fared – Edelman didn’t participate on 11-on11 or 7-on-7 drills, so there’s one primary target that would have helped either QB’s quest to own the upper hand against the defense – remember this is their time to shine. After all, the Patriots’ offseason show waits for no one. Not even for Brady.