Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your day:
—It’s combine week, and we’re going to get you everything you need to know from a Patriots’ perspective. A few things we’ll be hitting on over the next few days: With New England likely looking for some help on the defensive side of the ball, how do the linebackers look, particularly our favorite, Alabama’s Rashaan Evans? Are there some developmental quarterbacks worth keeping an eye on as mid- to late-round possibilities? And who will stand out in the 3-cone drill, our favorite way of measuring just how interested the Patriots might be in a wide receiver or defensive back?
—I still believe Rob Gronkowski is a Patriot come July 2018. One thing I do know: I heard multiple folks suggesting on Tuesday that Tom Brady’s jab at his own team about having to play better after the regular-season opener against the Chiefs was aimed in part at Gronkowski. Nothing could be further from the truth. The handful of guys I talked to in the locker room put it on the team. There was no one in there singling out Gronkowski after that game, either on or off the record, and to suggest otherwise is patently untrue.
—Getting a lot of good feedback from folks on the QB series we’ve run over the last week or so. We’ve talked to the head coaches or offensive coordinators of several quarterbacks who might interest the Patriots — Kyle Lauletta, Luke Falk, Mike White and Chase Litton. We’ve got some more on the way sooner rather than later.
—Smart move for the NFL to think about changing the rule to allow head coaches to be hired during the playoffs, even if their teams are still alive in the postseason. It’s come up before, but been shot down. Now, they’re going to call it the Josh McDaniels Rule. Speaking of McDaniels, good line here from our buddy Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus.
--Happy Birthday, Ryan Allen. May your year be filled with punts downed inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
Now, on with the links...
1. Luke Falk is looking to follow in Tom Brady's footsteps. Love this quote from Washington State coach Mike Leach on Falk and his feeling toward Brady. “The stuff you read about Luke and (Tom) Brady, I mean, I suspect most of it is true. What’s the saying? If you have a choice between truth and legend, print the legend? Anyway, that legend of Brady, that’s something to aspire to if you're a QB. And Luke has definitely done that.”
2. Miguel brings it in the latest edition of his weekly mailbag.
3. I had a Tuesday afternoon Q&A. It was epic.
4. Western Kentucky quarterback Mike White also has a thing for Brady. Would he be a fit if the Patriots are in the market for a quarterback? "He's obsessed with Brady," Hilltoppers coach Mike Sanford said with a laugh when I asked about White.
Extra Point(s):
WATCH: Danny Amendola on free agency: "we'll see what happens...I definitely want to be here...to tell you the truth I don't want to leave but it's a business.... I've learned that the hard way" #patriots pic.twitter.com/f70UY9nJ3I
— Yianni Kourakis (@YianniKourakis) February 28, 2018
Our awesome @NFLResearch team figured out which offenses would have been hurt the most in 2017 if DPI was a 15-yard penalty pic.twitter.com/G07OgbyVEG
— David Ely (@David_Ely) February 27, 2018