Quick-hit thoughts around the NFL and with the New England Patriots:
1. Sixteen seasons later, I’m still learning things about Bill Belichick that remind me how he’s a teacher at heart. A few scouts who worked for him in Cleveland (1991-1995) relayed a story in recent weeks about how Belichick put a VHS tape in each of their mailboxes and asked each scout to write up a report of the player on the tape. This was in the pre-internet days, and Belichick -- according to the recollections of a few scouts on staff -- made up a name for the prospect: “Rodney Spinks” of “Northern State”. The tape reflected a player who was at a small school and most of the scouts didn’t have favorable reviews in their reports. But what they soon learned was that Belichick had given them a college tape of Leon Lett, who had since emerged from little-known Emporia State to become a top defensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys. Belichick, in essence, was making a point to his scouts to look deeper when evaluating players.
2. One of the scouts in the room that day recalled that Terry McDonough, now of the Arizona Cardinals, was maybe the only person who thought “Rodney Spinks” had potential in the sense that he reminded him a little bit of Lett. The story came to life this year because McDonough -- the son of late, great Boston Globe columnist Will McDonough -- called old friends from Cleveland after the 2015 draft and said he’s spent almost two decades looking for the next “Rodney Spinks” and thinks he might have found him in Delaware State defensive tackle Rodney Gunter. The Cardinals selected Gunter in the fourth round, trading up to do so. Great story, and a reminder that the grading system put in place by Belichick in Cleveland still lives on with more than one NFL franchise.
3. When the expected news was delivered Friday that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is being advised by his lawyers to reject the NFL Players Association's motion to recuse himself as arbitrator for Tom Brady's appeal, it was described to me this way by someone close to Brady: Not desirable from a short-term perspective but something that could ultimately be a good thing long-term. What that told me is that Brady is digging in for a fight and, unlike owner Robert Kraft, he's prepared for it to go the distance.
4. Count me among the believers that even if Goodell ultimately decides to reduce Brady's suspension from four games to two, as some have speculated, Brady wouldn't view it as anything close to a victory at that point. He'd likely still be inclined to pursue whatever avenues are available to him. In turn, the expectation is that the NFL will attempt to block any efforts of Brady's camp to take the league to court, so the lawyers will be busy. When I step back and consider how we got here, it is still amazing to me that Goodell has presided over a situation that has irreparably damaged the legacy and reputation of one of the greatest quarterbacks and ambassadors in the history of the game, relying on the anything-but-definitive Wells report in doing so, while failing to take any accountability from a league perspective for creating a swirling mess. It leaves a bad taste.
5. The Patriots' voluntary offseason program moves into its third phase this week, a four-week stretch that will include 10 scheduled organized team activities and a three-day mandatory minicamp (June 16-18) that is an extension of OTAs. Reporters will have access to the third OTA of this week, on a Friday, and the majority of the 88-man roster is expected to be present either on the field or rehabbing behind the scenes. The traditional photo shoot with first-round draft pick Malcom Brown is scheduled for Wednesday, and reporters will also be on hand Thursday to meet other members of the team's rookie class. Maybe, just maybe, this means we'll be talking more about actual football this week instead of underinflated footballs.
6. I might be in the minority, but I didn’t read much into Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis' remarks about the Patriots, Tom Brady and Deflategate last week, as spoken to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. In the piece, Revis made it clear he had no knowledge of anything relating to the Patriots and underinflated footballs. He also repeated what the NFL said in issuing its penalty, that the Patriots’ history was a factor in determining the punishment. Revis, who felt strongly enough about his time in New England to attend the White House ceremony with the team April 23, didn't come out and directly support Brady, and maybe that's the biggest takeaway from his remarks. But that doesn't strike me as his style anyway; he was quite crafty with his public remarks in his one season with the team.
7. If the Texans are indeed the favorites to be featured on HBO’s "Hard Knocks" program, as ESPN's Tania Ganguli reported, count me among those who will enjoy the chance to peek behind the curtain a bit at Bill O'Brien's second year as head coach. I have great respect for him. At the same time, I think it will make O'Brien's job harder than it needs to be, which concerns me from his perspective.
8. Giants starting left tackle Will Beatty tore his pectoral muscle lifting weights last week and is expected to be sidelined until at least November, which is a significant injury for the team (he has made 46 straight starts). The Giants drafted University of Miami offensive tackle Ereck Flowers in the first round, No. 9 overall, but it might be asking too much for him to step in right away. One reason to keep Beatty's recovery on the radar here in New England: The Patriots visit the Giants on Nov. 15.
9. Did You Know: The Patriots have $12.2 million in salary cap space, according to ESPN's most recent accounting of all 32 teams. That ranks as the 13th-highest figure in the league. The team's $13.7 million in dead money is the ninth-highest figure among NFL teams. And the team's $131.2 million in cash spending this year currently ranks 15th in the NFL.
10. The change to the NFL's extra point this season, which moves the ball to the 15-yard line, should provide an advantage for the Patriots when playing at home later in the season against dome/warm-weather teams. Specifically, attempts to the north end zone, which is where there is an opening in the stands, will have a higher degree of difficulty. The Dec. 20 game against the Titans, which currently has kickers Ryan Succop and rookie Mike Meyer on the roster, was one contest where this dynamic came to mind.
