Andrews wants to be a big part of turning it around
four thoughts on the patriots ahead of what will be a busy week...
1. center David Andrews took some time this offseason to think about his career but ultimately decided to return for his 10th nfL season.
“It’s not much about loving the game,” he said Thursday.
“I’ll be 65 years old still loving the game. But it’s just making sure I can do all the things I need to do to prepare and be ready to go on sunday.
“I took some time, got away, and spent some time with family — much needed. And that desire was still down in there, to want to get up and go train and do all the things I need to do and take care of myself. That was still there.”
Andrews, who turns 32 in July and is under contract through the 2024 season, said he sat down with coach Jerod mayo and expressed excitement about being part of the change in regime. As a multiyear captain and now the longest-tenured patriot, Andrews said he wants to be part of the process in getting the team back on track.
“It’s kind of like being a part of a new organization but not,” he said. “It’s still home. I love football and love the schematics of it, so getting to see another system and another side to it has been really fun for me and challenging.”
Last season, Andrews was almost always the first person to address the media after games. His leadership will remain an asset, as the patriots navigate changes in head coach, offensive coordinator, quarterback, and scheme.
Andrews was the only patriot in 2023 to be on the field for 100 percent of the offense’s snaps. Although he missed the 2019 season because of a pulmonary embolism and four games in 2020 because of a thumb injury, Andrews has maintained a reliable presence on an offensive line that has been shuffled quite a bit in recent years.
He stressed the importance of taking care of his body in order to keep playing at this stage in his career.
“I used to make fun of matthew slater for things that he did, like, ‘slate, you don’t need to work out for three hours.’ You start to realize that the threehour workout, an hour of it is trying to make sure your body is right and taking care of that stuff,” said Andrews.
2. Two-day rookie minicamp starts friday, with saturday’s session open to the media. The fact that reporters are allowed to attend practice is a change from the Bill Belichick era.
mayo is scheduled to speak with the media saturday, as are six of the eight draft picks.
saturday’s practice, though not expected to last long, will provide the first opportunity to see third overall pick Drake maye in action. Asked what maye can do to establish himself as a leader and earn the respect of the veterans, Andrews said, “coming in, working hard, and trying to do all the right things. There’s all the cliché things. They are clichés, but they’re clichés for a reason. A lot of it works.”
Andrews still remembers his rookie year when offensive lineman sebastian vollmer would ask him why he wasn’t at the facility at 6 a.m. Andrews told him he was trying to get some sleep because he had stayed late the night before. But the conversation prompted Andrews to start showing up at 5:45 a.m.
“I just wanted him to know I was there and I was putting in the work,” Andrews said. “I think all those things are always important. A guy that comes in and works hard.”
With no live contact permitted, rookie wide receivers Ja’Lynn polk and Javon Baker will supersede offensive tackle caedan Wallace and guard Layden Robinson on the watch list.
3. On Wednesday, the nfL will release the 2024 schedule.
Outside of divisional opponents, the patriots are slated to host Houston, Indianapolis, seattle, and both Los Angeles teams. They will also travel to Arizona, Jacksonville, san francisco, Tennessee, cincinnati, and chicago. The Jaguars or Bears game has the potential to be played in London.
Based on opponents’ win percentage from 2023, the patriots are tied for the eighth-toughest strength of schedule (.512).
most sportsbooks set new England’s over/under win total at 4½.
4. The patriots have begun conducting interviews for their vacant “primary football executive” position, but de facto general manager Eliot Wolf remains the favorite to earn the job.
Eagles director of scouting Brandon Hunt and panthers director of player negotiations and salary cap manager samir suleiman are the two known candidates. The pair would be enough to satisfy the nfL’s requirement that teams conduct in-person interviews with at least two external diverse candidates for any gm opening.
Three other candidates — Bills director of player personnel Terrance gray, Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown, and cardinals ex-vice president of player personnel Quentin Harris — declined requests for interviews.
The timing of the search is perplexing because owner Robert Kraft already bestowed significant power upon Wolf. Wolf, while holding his director of scouting title, had the final say on draft selections and also managed new England’s $100 million in salary-cap space.
Hiring someone to supplant Wolf would make little sense for others reasons, including that he played a role in hirings and already reformed the organization’s prospect grading system. Even if the patriots hire someone to join their personnel department, Wolf is likely to maintain his current responsibilities.