Some picked-up Patriots pieces:
Patriots get $20k credit on James Morris. When the Patriots released rookie free-agent linebacker James Morris after just four days with a "failed physical" designation, it was noted that Morris had initially signed a contract that included $20,000 in guaranteed money. Not a bad total for just four days of work. But the Patriots have since received a $20,000 credit on their salary cap and the guaranteed money was not paid to Morris, per official salary data. It is unclear why that is the case.
Vrabel settles into NFL coaching ranks. Former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel, now in his first year as Houston Texans linebackers coach, sat down with ESPN.com Texans reporter Tania Ganguli and touched on a number of topics in a one-on-one interview, including what he learned from Bill Belichick. "[He] may not come across as high energy, [but] he puts a lot of energy in. He’s not going to be out there rallying the troops and firing them up, but he’s going to be very direct, to the point, honest about his evaluations as a player. The one thing you can appreciate about each coach [I played for] is his consistency. ... Now I’m going to try to do the same thing."
Brady's throws to the left in focus. Tom Brady's personal throwing coach, Tom House, spoke with Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal and highlighted a few areas of focus this offseason. One area is throws to Brady's left, which House said became less accurate over time. "As the season progressed he was having issues with his front side when he threw to his left. Most people wouldn’t even notice or care, but he’s such a perfectionist, he was missing by 6 inches to a foot instead of being dead on,” House told Daniels.
With Brady, going to be tough for AFC East foes. ESPN.com NFL senior writer John Clayton files his weekly NFL mailbag, and the final question touches on the AFC East and why the Patriots have dominated.
Similar to Brady's 'window', Denver asks same question with Manning. One of the hot-button questions in New England is how many years Brady will play. They're asking the same questions in Denver about Peyton Manning, and Denver Post beat reporter Mike Klis thinks another three years is reasonable. In 2012, the Broncos used a late second-round pick on quarterback Brock Osweiler and his contract expires after the 2015 season. In 2014, the Patriots used a late second-round pick on Jimmy Garoppolo and he will ultimately sign a four-year deal.
Gronkowski a comeback candidate. Chris Wesseling of NFL.com puts together his top-10 list of the best "comeback player of the year" candidates for 2014, and tight end Rob Gronkowski lands high on the list -- at No. 2.
Amendola gears up for second season with Patriots. With more experience in New England, receiver Danny Amendola believes it sets the foundation for better things, Glen Farley of the Brockton Enterprise writes.