NFL Notebook: Tom Brady's influence looms large among new generation of quarterbacks

This week in the NFL Notebook, a look at how the Patriots have a fluid situation in their backfield, some stories about Danny Amendola from his college coach Mike Leach, the latest mock draft roundup and a list of the important Pro Days set to take place over the next month. But first, let's start with the unprecedented impact Tom Brady is having on a generation of quarterbacks.



1. Tom Brady has clearly left an imprint on the young quarterbacks who are part of this year’s draft, but after talking with some of their coaches, it’s clear Brady’s impact goes beyond simple imitation of No. 12. While quarterbacks of year’s past have been role models when it comes to things like footwork, technique and quarterbacking style, Brady has become more than that to this year’s class. In large part because of the rise of the TB12 Method, the Patriots quarterback has crafted a lifestyle brand that these young signal-callers are hoping to follow. It’s more than just looking to imitate Brady’s playing style. These youngsters who were in elementary school when Brady won his first title now look to soak up every piece of the evolutionary process. Previous generations of young quarterbacks wanted to throw like Dan Marino or run like Michael Vick. Now, this new group isn't content with wanting to play like Brady. They want to live like him. They want to work on their pliability. They want to try the diet. The simple truth is that there’s been no other quarterback who’s ever been in a position to have such a wide-ranging influence on an entire generation of young signal-callers like Brady has right now. It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out with this year’s class, and whether or not another Brady is out there. But the one thing we do know is the Patriots’ quarterback is in a spot where he has unprecedented influence on a whole generation of signal-callers, both on and off the field.

2. At the combine this week, a bunch of those quarterbacks discussed the possibility of playing behind Brady and/or for the Patriots.

Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph on the possibility of playing with Brady: “That’d be obviously pretty darn cool. To learn from one of the best of all time and a football mind like Tom, and to be able to soak some of that knowledge up, some of that wisdom, would be a great opportunity.”

Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta on the prospect of being drafted by the Patriots: “I spoke to a couple of (Patriot) scouts. I’ve talked to pretty much all of scouts (from different teams) though. That’s one of those things that you can’t really think about one team drafting you or buy into any of that. Because you really have no idea. The team that drafts you might end up being the team that didn’t even talk to you much. So I’m just controlling what I can control and just hoping for the best.”

Lauletta on the possible comparisons between him and Jimmy Garoppolo: “I’ve watched him quite a bit. I definitely see some similarities. He’s obviously an FCS guy. He has quick feet. He’s accurate. He’s an outstanding leader from the soundbites I’ve seen. As a QB, you have to be a great communicator, and Jimmy is a great communicator. It just seems like he has a mojo to him, a little bit of a swagger to him, that is infectious. He’s a player I’d love to model my game around.”

Louisville’s Lamar Jackson on what it would be like to be Brady’s backup: “I’d look like a little kid. I’d be trying to learn as much as I could. I’d be asking a lot of questions, like, why did you do this? Or what’s your footwork on this? A lot of questions.”

Western Kentucky’s Mike White on his obsession with Brady: “You could say it’s pretty accurate. I really enjoy watching his film. The way he operates and the way he plays the game of football is unbelievable. It shows how he wins all the time. I’ve tried to emulate my game after him. Whether I do or I don’t is up to your guys’ interpretation, but I just like watching his film because of the way he beats a defense before the ball is even snapped and how he’s constantly getting his offense into the right play. They’re never in a bad play with him because he’s always super prepared and he knows what he’s getting before the ball is even snapped. It’s a pleasure watching him play.”

3. In an offseason where there could be plenty of change for the Patriots’ backfield, it’s clear Dion Lewis and his camp still stand to benefit. One league source indicated this week that the market has continued to grow for Lewis, but at the same time, there are precious few specifics out there when it comes to money, at least until the start of the "legal tampering period" later this month. Needless to say, Lewis’ situation remains fluid as free agency approaches later this month. One other note: a league source says Mike Gillislee, who has one more year left on his deal, is “expecting” to return to New England. But at the same time, that same source indicates the veteran is completely cognizant of the “unpredictable” nature of the situation when it comes to the rest of the league, as well as how quickly the Patriots have traditionally cycled through backs.

4. In that same vein, while we talked about the Patriots meeting with Georgia running back Sony Michel, there’s also some discussion about Nyheim Hines as a mid-round possibility for New England. The North Carolina State product checks in at 5-foot-9 and 197 pounds — as a collegian, he proved himself to be a multidimensional threat, having run for 1,399 yards on 258 carries and adding 89 catches for 933 yards, all in three years for the Wolfpack. Hines, who grew up as a Patriots fan (his father is from Connecticut), said his versatility has sparked a natural conversation about him as a potential Patriot. “I have heard that comparison about the Patriots a lot," Hines told reporters this week in Indy after he had an informal meeting with New England. “Media, fans, agents have said it. [The Patriots] and the Chargers, I have heard those two a lot. Seeing the way Tom Brady and (Bill) Belichick use the running backs — James White, Dion Lewis. I grew up a Patriots fan, so I watched it really closely, even now. I kind of knew what everyone is seeing and talking about with the Patriots and Chargers.”



5. A lot of meeting talk this week at the combine. Two important things to note: One, I've been told on multiple occasions over the years that prospects have connected with the Patriots, only for a member of the New England brass to tell them "Don't tell anyone we met with you." And two, Doug Kyed of NESN made note of the fact that no quarterbacks said they've met with the Patriots -- as Doug said, without Josh McDaniels present in Indy, that certainly makes a lot of sense. That could ultimately lead to New England using more of its pre-draft visits on quarterbacks that it initially anticipated.

6. Scary situation for Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, who was diagnosed Saturday at the combine with a heart condition, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. A projected first-round pick who went to Xaverian Brothers High, it was revealed the 6-foot-2, 269-pound Hurst will not go through combine drills and will undergo further testing. Arguably the most talented New England-based prospect in this year's draft, his father Maurice was a former Patriots cornerback.

7. We talked to Washington State coach Mike Leach earlier this week about Luke Falk and whether or not he’d fit with the Patriots. Leach has a history with a few guys on the New England roster already, as he coached Danny Amendola, LaAdrian Waddle and Wes Welker at Texas Tech. Leach said he's received untold numbers of late-night phone calls from Amendola, who was usually in the midst of ping-pong matches with buddies Chris Long and Sam Bradford. “They’d pass the phone around. I’d be going about my business, and the three of them would be making sure I’d know who was winning at ping pong,” Leach said. “Their girlfriends would be bored out of their gourd.” Leach, who said Amendola reminded him of a raccoon or a badger — “because he’s smart and resourceful, but he can also turn and snap on you if you’re not careful” — shared two stories about Amendola when he was at Texas Tech worth passing along:

a) “One time we had a practice that was dragging. Danny dropped a ball, some other guys had issues, and I had been ripping everyone. Anyway, on the ball Danny dropped, he got so mad, he punted it over the fence, and it went out into the parking lot. I lose it. ‘I’m not having an equipment guy go get that blankety-blanking ball. You go get it!’ He looks angry — I mean, he didn’t like it when practice dragged either. He turned to the fence and just shot up that thing like a raccoon. He just scrambled up the fence, flung himself over and tossed it back. The whole place was just quiet.”

b) “There was this one time where his ankle was just in horrible shape, but he was finding a way to play anyway. He was almost superstitious about not going in the training room. He always believed that nothing good ever comes out of there. He was limping around and playing, but was really slow. He had a break or a sprain or something. I finally had it: ‘Danny, you get your ass in the training room.’ He wasn’t happy. He limped to the training room. The first door of the left, when you entered our building, was the training room, and the meeting room is the next room on the left. He walked into the training room, and I went into the meeting room. As I go I there, I see him slip in the back door of the meeting room. He hadn’t talked to anyone in the training room and just quietly tied to play it off like nothing had happened. I don’t know how Bill does it now up there in New England when Danny gets hurt. They must chain him to the trainers’ table. He’s one of the toughest guys I ever coached.”

8. How is the rest of the AFC East shaping up to this point in the offseason? Glad you asked.

a) Jets: Sounds a lot like New York is going to try and be an active player in the quarterback market. The Jets have roughly $90 million in cap space and there are some interesting names out there, including Kirk Cousins, who figures to be their first choice. If none of the free agents appeal to them, the fact that they’re picking sixth overall could mean that one of the elite QBs in the draft could be available. Then, they could invest somewhere else, and add a second-tier quarterback, maybe an A.J. McCarron, and go heavy on potential free agent offensive pieces to put around him. But the Cousins chase is first and foremost for everyone in North Jersey right now.



b) Bills: Buffalo added depth in the secondary with the addition of veteran cornerback Vontae Davis. The Bills have some interesting decisions to make in free agency — Buffalo has 18 players set to become unrestricted free agents. Two players who might intrigue Pats fans: linebacker Preston Brown or defensive tackle Kyle Williams? Brown has already expressed an interest in playing in New England (per a report from the Boston Herald), while Williams has always struck me as a Belichick-type of guy. Williams has carved out a niche as a fan favorite in Buffalo, especially in the wake of the Bills’ postseason appearance last year, but he could be on the open market sooner rather than later.

c) Dolphins: Miami made waves on Friday by trading for pass rusher Robert Quinn. The 27-year-old Quinn had 8.5 sacks for the Rams last season, and if he’s in the lineup next to Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake, the Dolphins’ could have another impressive defensive front. But Suh’s contract is a problem. There’s a belief Miami could try and trade or release him between now and the start of the season. Add in their decision to franchise tag Jarvis Landry and allow him to seek a trade, the offseason is off to an eventful start in South Florida.

(One other thing worth noting when it comes to the rest of the AFC East -- the Jets, Bills and Dolphins will all have new offensive coordinators in 2018.)

9. Here’s the latest look at what some of the nations; pundits believe the Patriots will do at the end of the first round.

CBS Sports: LB Harold Landry, Boston College
Pete Schraeger, NFL Network: RB Sony Michel, Georgia
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Media: OT Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame
Bucky Brooks, NFL Media: CB Isaiah Oliver, Colorado
Charley Casserly, NFL Media: DT Harrison Phillips, Stanford
Walter Football: OT Kolton Miller, UCLA
Dan Kadar, SB Nation: CB Carlton Davis, Auburn
SI.com: LB Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State
Danny Kelly, The Ringer: LB Leighton Vader Esch, Boise State

10. After the combine, the next stage in the pre-draft process is Pro Days. Here’s an updated look at all of the major Pro Days around the country — look for Belichick, Dante Scarnecchia and the rest of the coaching staff out on the trail over the month of March:

Alabama and Colorado (March 7); Auburn (March 9); Washington (March 10); Oklahoma (March 14); Oklahoma State, UCLA and Virginia (March 15); N.C. State and Tennessee (March 19); Florida State, Penn State and South Carolina (March 20); USC, Boston College and Georgia (March 21); Notre Dame, Stanford and Ohio State (March 22); Michigan (March 23); Arkansas (March 26); Texas A&M (March 27); Florida, Mississippi State and Texas (March 28); UCF and Louisville (March 29); Boise State (April 3); LSU (April 4).

11. File this one under “Where Are They Now?” In my search for more information on Toledo quarterback Logan Woodside, I discovered that former New England cornerback Hank Poteat is now a cornerbacks coach for the Rockets. The popular Poteat, who just turned 40, played for the Patriots from 2004 to '06, and distinguished himself as a smart and tenacious competitor. After his playing days, Poteat has steadily climbed the coaching ladder over the last five years, going from Pitt (2013-2014) to Kent State (2015-2016) to Toledo. (In 2016, Poteat coached a pair of All-MAC cornerbacks for the Golden Flashes in Najee Murray and Jerrell Foster.) It’s good to see a decent guy like Poteat have coaching success.