Brady, yes; Gronk, no
We’re not likely to see much of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady until opening day. We won’t see any of his buddy and standout tight end, Rob Gronkowski, whose battered body caused him to retire.
It’s a big blow for the soon-to-be 42year-old Brady, who somehow manages to overcome such obstacles.
“Yeah, it’s the first time in a long time and he was such a great player for our team,” Brady says of Gronk. “I think like any season, things are different and we’re going to have to adjust differently and teams are going to play us differently without him. We’ve seen it even when he’s been on the team.
“That’s got to be a position of strength even if it’s not one player but multiple players doing different roles. There were times in my career before that where we had similar approaches. No one’s going to make any excuses for our offense, we’re going to do everything we can to be the best we can be, score every time we touch the ball, and the tight end position’s a big part of our offense and those guys are going to have to do a great job for us.”
Those guys include veteran Ben Watson, who also was ready for retirement before opting to come back to New England. But Gronk’s absence is the most critical difference for last season’s champions.
Coaching carousel
When the spinning stopped, new head coaches landed in Tampa, Miami, Green Bay, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Arizona, Denver, and New Jersey.
Bruce Arians, Buccaneers: One of two hires with previous head coaching experience (Adam Gase is the other), Arians is charged with developing the talent and instilling maturity in Jameis Winston.
Brian Flores, Dolphins: For a while, it looked as if Miami was ready to tank this season as it reorganizes from top to bottom. But this is not the worst roster in the league. Still, Flores has to prove a Belichick protege can succeed as a head coach.
Matt Lafleur, Packers: Aaron Rodgers isn’t the easiest superstar passer to work with, so keep an eye on the transition in Cheesehead Land. The offense should be pretty good if A-rod is healthy.
Zac Taylor, Bengals: Good luck, Zac. The Bengals have the weakest talent group in the AFC North, with even their stars such as A.J. Green and Geno Atkins carrying big question marks.
Freddie Kitchens, Browns: The idea here is that Kitchens, QB Baker Mayfield and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will blend their skills and personalities to create a dynamic offense. And, yes, a winner on the shores of Lake Erie. Of all the new hires, Kitchens might be under the most pressure.
Kliff Kingsbury, Cardinals: Perhaps the strangest hire of this group because Kingsbury had a mediocre record at Texas Tech and was fired. But he specializes in the kind of offense top draftee Kyler Murray favors, and he is innovative.
Vic Fangio, Broncos: A career assistant
Who are those guys?
New addresses for veterans now with the Jets, Browns, Raiders, Broncos and Jaguars on offense could have huge impacts. Defensively, the Cowboys, Chiefs, Cardinals, Rams and Redskins made major moves.
Le’veon Bell, Jets: Bell will get plenty of work as a runner and receiver, and is critical to turning Darnold into a dangerous quarterback – and the Jets into a contender.
Odell Beckham Jr., Browns: If the histrionics and selfish attitude disappear, Beckham could link with Mayfield for the best pass-catch combination in football.
Antonio Brown, Raiders: If the histrionics and selfish attitude disappear, Brown might make Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock look very wise with this trade.
Joe Flacco, Broncos: Flacco gets a fresh start in the Rockies, but his receiving group is very questionable.
Nick Foles, Jaguars: The most intriguing move of the offseason. Foles was perfect for Philadelphia’s offense, and the Jaguars want to be more of a running team.
Earl Thomas, Ravens: Baltimore gets a somewhat battered player who should become a leader in the secondary and locker room, and will never give less than his all.
Frank Clark and Tyrann Mathieu, Chiefs: Had the Chiefs boasted any sort of defense in ‘18, they probably would be NFL champions. Now, they can boast a little bit, with Clark supplying a pass rush and Mathieu playmaking everywhere.
Terrell Suggs, Cardinals: This is likely Suggs’ last stop in a Hall of Fame-caliber career. He might get a lot of sacks, but the end game is the Cardinals won’t contend even if he does dominate blockers.