Phillips poised to take out opposing tight ends
Has limited the Patriots’ group during training camp
FOXBORO — During the early days of training camp, Adrian Phillips could have been called the Patriots’ version of “The Terminator.”
That’s because he spent most practices eliminating tight ends.
Just ask Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith.
Both were healthy early on, and neither of the Patriots big-money tight ends could do much when Phillips was matched up against them.
The 5-11, 210-pound safety all but erased them.
“We’ve been competing, man,” Smith said of Phillips following practice. “Maybe he’s a smaller guy … some safeties are 6-2. But he plays strong, he plays big, and he’s a competitor.”
Smith, a chiseled 6-3, 248 pounds, did manage a couple catches off Phillips on Tuesday with the safety parked up in his grill. But mostly, it’s been a struggle. Smith said it’s made him a better player going up against Phillips during the competitive reps.
As for the defense as a whole, Bill Belichick’s crew will be even harder to crack if Phillips takes that act to the regular season.
While the Patriots don’t have to face the NFL’s premier tight ends — Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Darren Waller — during the regular season, they’ll still see their fair share of top players at the position.
Rob Gronkowski will be an interesting matchup in Week 4 when the former Patriots star returns to town, along with Tom Brady. He was a force for Tampa Bay during the Super Bowl.
Think Belichick won’t want to shut down Gronk?
Then there’s Mike Gesicki, who will be a tall order Weeks 1 and 18 when the Patriots face the Dolphins. Super rookie Kyle Pitts, who many considered the best player in the 2021 draft, will also test the Patriots defense Week 11 in Atlanta on a Thursday night.
Having Phillips, and what he brings to the table, gives Belichick the type of versatile chess piece he craves for his defense. While he was forced into more of a linebacker role last year, Phillips will be much freer to roam the secondary in 2021.
He has basically taken on more of a Patrick Chung role. He’s the team’s moneybacker, a safety who can play in the box, and also cover people, namely tight ends.
Patriots Hall of Famer Rodney Harrison, a safety Belichick moved all over the defense during the early championships, also sees the impact Phillips could have marking tight ends. Harrison thinks he’s a perfect fit for the Patriots defense.
“I love Adrian Phillips. I loved him when he was with the Chargers. I felt like he never really got the respect that he deserved, on the level of the type of player he was, because he was so versatile, and so unselfish, and so team-oriented,” Harrison said. “It wasn’t a surprise to see Bill (Belichick) go out and get a guy like that, who can play inside, can play safety, linebacker and do all the different things.
“The professionalism, the example he sets, I think he’s going to continue to grow into this defense, and I think he’s going to be a big part of what they do this year.”
With Devin McCourty and Kyle Dugger also in the safety stable, the Patriots are in good shape at the position.
Harrison, who provided pointers to Dugger during the offseason, sees Phillips as a good in-house player for the second-year defensive back to emulate.
“Kyle Dugger has grown, because he’s been around Adrian Phillips. When you’re around a pro, you can’t do anything but catch what that pro is doing,” said Harrison. “If you’re a young guy, and you see Adrian Phillips, who’s been in the league seven, eight, nine years, and you start watching him, and see the enthusiasm he has on the field, the enthusiasm he has in the meeting rooms … that’s contagious. And Kyle is just absorbing everything Phillips brings.”
Speaking with Dugger on Monday, the second-year safety said he’s learned from both McCourty and Phillips in terms of how to evaluate plays pre-snap, with respect to what indicators and tendencies to look for.
Diagnosing plays is such a big part for any defender, but safeties in particular. Then there’s Phillips, who brings that, along with many other intangibles. Dugger has taken plenty from hanging around the veteran.
“Just the way he attacks. He has a very aggressive mindset,” Dugger said. “He always makes sure to let me know that being aggressive is almost always a good thing. So just as much as I can be, being aggressive. He’s a very smart player as well. So the way he uses different situations and tendencies is really good.”
Phillips, who led the team with 109 tackles last season, will put that aggressive mindset to even better use this season working against rival tight ends.
Said Smith: “He’s a dawg, you know what I mean?”