A clip is making the rounds in the aftermath of last night’s ESPYs that
Womens Cyrus Jones Jersey , even without context, will do nothing to kill the growing belief that retired Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is destined to
emerge from retirement this year.Talking with Saints quarterback Drew Brees on
the red carpet, Gronk at one point says, “Yeah, I’m coming back.” He laughs
(more like squeals) after saying it, and so beyond not being able to tell what
he’s referring to, it’s also impossible to tell whether he’s simply being
sarcastic.Amid plenty of hints and clues regarding the possibility that
Gronkowski could return, the strongest came (in my view) when Gronk said this to
Rich Eisen last week: “I mean I can’t really say how I’m going to feel about it
when the games start rolling around and everything.”It reminded me of Brett
Favre’s April 2008 visit to David Letterman, when the
then-retired-for-the-first-time Favre blurted out the clearest indication of the
annual unretirements to come: “I think when training camp gets close
http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-tom-brady-jersey , I will — something’s bound to happen.”It feels even more inevitable that
something’s bound to happen with Gronk. One key question that remains unanswered
in all of this is whether, if/when something does happen, Patriots coach Bill
Belichick will welcome Gronkowski back with open arms.Eleven years ago, the
Packers didn’t want Favre back. In March, Belichick declined to comment on
“hypotheticals” related to Gronkowski. There’s a chance Belichick, as a matter
of principle, won’t slay the fatted calf for a prodigal son who simply wanted to
avoid the offseason program, training camp, and/or the first half of the regular
season.That hurdle won’t become relevant
Brandon Bolden Jersey , however, until Gronkowski decides how he’s going to feel when the games start rolling around and everything. But if Gronk wants to
play and Belichick isn’t willing to disrupt the existing team vibe and/or to set
a potentially bad precedent by accommodating him, maybe Gronk will end up
catching passes from someone else.Maybe even the guy he was talking to on the
red carpet last night. Related: Michael Bennett reacts to getting traded to New
England"While the draft is naturally stealing the spotlight at this point in the
NFL offseason, the college players added are only one part of a team’s roster
construction. For the New England Patriots, this process also included acquiring
a veteran defensive lineman via trade to bolster a position group undergoing
significant changes due to the departures of 2018 starters/top rotational
options Trey Flowers and Adrian Clayborn.Shortly before the start of free
agency, the Patriots traded a fifth-round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles
for Michael Bennett and a seventh-round selection. Earlier this week, Bennett
joined FS1’s First Things First to talk about getting the opportunity to play
for the reigning world champions. And by the sound of it, the 33-year-old is
appreciative of being given a chance to play for the most successful dynasty the
NFL has ever seen.“I think it’s a great opportunity,” Bennett said when asked
about his thoughts on coming to New England. “One
Womens Dont'a Hightower Jersey , I get to play with Tom Brady, Devin McCourty and all these great guys — Dont’a Hightower — guys that have been in
great situations, guys who know about ‘team,’ and I just want to learn about
leadership and want to learn about how to build a team and fit in and how to do
all these different things. And I think they do a great job at that.”“Bill
Belichick also, he’s the Jedi when it comes to defense, when it comes to team
and organization,” the three-time Pro Bowler continued. “Being a young business
owner and a father and all these different things, it’s a great opportunity to
learn from somebody like Bill Belichick how to organize your organization and
how to be the leader and have that message that people follow all the
time.”Bennett will not only get a chance to learn from the NFL’s premier head
coach, but also is expected to see considerable playing time on a defense that
has lost some key contributors from year’s past. Apparently
http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-jonathan-jones-jersey , this is a key selling point for a player that restructured his contract shortly
after arriving in New England.“I felt like at this point I wasn’t at the stage
in my career where I wanted to be a backup,” Bennett answered when asked about
his desire to leave Philadelphia after only one year with the club. “I wanted to
be in the game consistently, because I was still making high-impact plays. If
you look at the numbers, I was still at the top of my game. I wasn’t looking to
be third-string or something like that.”In New England, Bennett will likely get
a prominent role atop the club’s defensive edge rotation alongside returning
veterans Deatrich Wise Jr. and John Simon as well as third-roudn rookie Chase
Winovich. “I always feel like it was a good fit for me,” said Bennett. “Being on
that team, I thought was a good fit for me, understanding how Belichick uses his
players on defense and giving them matchups and different things like that — I
thought it was a great opportunity.”Bennett also was asked about his impression
of the club as a whole and what separates it from the rest of the league. His
answer speaks volumes about the culture and image the Patriots under head coach
Bill Belichick have created over the past almost 20 years. “Every time you watch
anything it’s always ‘do your job.’ Everybody does their job to win, nobody’s
greater than the whole — everybody does what they’re supposed to do
Rex Burkhead Jersey ,” he answered.“That’s why they don’t always have the best players on defense or the best players on offense, when you talk about
statistics or numbers, but they always have the players that make the big plays
at the big moment because they are doing their job,” Bennett concluded. Now, the
veteran will join the ranks of those other players he is talking about — and
potentially do what his brother Martellus also did: bring home a championship
from the stint in New England.
