NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (15-4)
New faces: WR Cordarelle Patterson Authentic Josh Manson Jersey , RB Jeremy Hill, RB Sony Michel, QB Danny Etling, DE Adrian Clayborn, OT Trent Brown, CB Jason McCourty, DT Danny Shelton.
Key losses: Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, WR Danny Amendola, WR Brandin Cooks, CB Malcolm Butler, CB Johnson Bademosi Jake Muzzin Jersey , RB Dion Lewis, OT Nate Solder, OT Cam Fleming.
Strengths: Tom Brady and Bill Belichick return as one of most successful quarterback-coach tandems in NFL history, and easily best of Super Bowl era. Brady is coming off MVP season in which he threw for 32 touchdowns vs. eight interceptions and led league with 4,577 yards passing. He’ll have Rob Gronkowski back for as long as oft-injured tight end can remain healthy.
Weaknesses: WR Julian Edelman (98 receptions in 2016, injured in ’17) will miss first four games serving suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing substance. Without him, team is thin at wideout, with Chris Hogan (34 catches last year), Phillip Dorsett (12) and newcomer Cordarelle Patterson (31 with Oakland). Malcolm Mitchell, Jordan Matthews, Kenny Britt and Eric Decker were all brought in but didn’t work out.
Fantasy Players To Watch: Brady has shown no sign of drop-off Alex Ovechkin Jersey Kids , even at 41, but loss of offensive weapons like Amendola and Cooks and 25 percent of season from Edelman could hurt value. Don’t let Edelman fall too far down draft boards just because of four-game suspension; Hogan could also be in for increased targets as de facto No. 1 wideout. Although Michel is first-round draft pick with potential, his numbers might suffer because of Belichick’s tendency to use running backs by committee.
Vegas Says: Super Bowl 6-1. Over/under wins 11.5.
Expectations: There is rarely any regular-season suspense with Patriots, who have won 10 games or more for 15 straight years, winning division in all but one of them, when Brady was injured in 2008 (and they still went 11-5). Some intrigue surrounds Brady and Belichick, who have sparred over reigning MVP’s fitness guru (who also worked with suspended Edelman), and backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who was abruptly traded to San Francisco last year at bargain price of second-round pick. New defensive play caller Brian Flores will also be adjustment. To return to Super Bowl for ninth time, they will have to all figure out way to work together.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Coach Jeff Monken and the Army football team watched the New York Giants practice and were saluted by the NFL players after the workout.
Because of NCAA rules http://www.officialducks.com/authentic-adidas-antoine-vermette-jersey , the Cadets had to watch the roughly two-hour workout sitting in the temporary stands surrounding the Giants’ three fields at the team headquarters near MetLife Stadium.
After meeting with coach Pat Shurmur, the Giants walked over as a group, waved to the Army players and threw small equipment to the Cadets. Star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. ran toward the chain link fence separating the field from the stands and climbed it, while two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning tossed gloves into the stands.
“These guys are terrific young men and at some point they may be defending our freedom, so our guys, I thought it was great, they went over there and acknowledged them,” Shurmur said.
Monken said the Cadets had planned to attend a practice last season but they had to cancel the trip when weather forced him to make up a practice at West Point. With a day off Tuesday, Monken planned the roughly one-hour trip from the military academy.
“We were thrilled to have this opportunity to come here on our day off and watch the professionals,” Monken said.
Army is coming off a 10-3 season that ended with a 42-35 win over San Diego State in the Lockheed Martin Armed Services Bowl in Texas. The Cadets open their season on Aug. 31 at Duke.
Like most coaches, Monken said his team is not ready.
“We are a long ways from ready Ryan Getzlaf Jersey ,” said Monken, entering his fifth season at Army. “If you saw us practice yesterday (Monday), you would know how far we are from ready.”
Monken and his staff stood on the sidelines and occasionally talked to Giants coaches during the workout. Being a former special teams coach, he spoke with assistant Tom Quinn. He also liked a few of the passing routes New York was running.
“We’re not a big throwing team, but we can use some of that,” he said.
If one drill caught Monken’s eye it was a scout team drill the Giants were using to prepare their defense for Cleveland.
Monken took note of the offensive personnel on the field.
“Who is in there but No. 10 at quarterback (Manning), and Beckham is over there playing receiver off the scout cards,” Monken said. “It’s great for our guys that these guys in there and giving their defense the best look, and we’re prepared to win the game. Other people don’t notice. I noticed and I certainly think our guys noticed, too.”
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