Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your day:
--To get everyone caught up on what happened so far, here's what we know: Malcolm Butler (Titans), Dion Lewis (Titans) and Danny Amendola (Dolphins) have all signed elsewhere in free agency. The Patriots have retained special teamers Nate Ebner, Brandon King and Brandon Bolden. And when it comes to their own free agents, the biggest name left -- Nate Solder -- is still on the market, but reportedly narrowing his options.
--Tweeted this out yesterday, but it bears repeating in this forum: Here's a quick timeline of some of the most impactful free-agent signings in recent Patriots history:
• In 2001, NFL free agency started March 2. Mike Vrabel signed on March 13.
• In 2003, free agency opened on February 28. Rodney Harrison signed on March 13.
• In 2009, Rob Ninkovich didn’t sign until Aug. 2.
• In 2012, Julian Edelman was re-signed after almost a full month on open market.
• Lewis signed a reserve/futures contract on Dec. 31, 2014.
I understand that there are different years and different circumstances at play here, but I think you guys understand what I’m trying to say here.
—Loved watching Butler play. Said it many times over the last few years as a sign of respect: He was clearly a pain-in-the-butt to line up against. I’ve covered the team since 2001, and I’m not sure I can recall a defender bring the same level of manic intensity to the field on a snap-to-snap basis over an extended period of time other than maybe Tedy Bruschi or maybe Junior Seau. He went at it like rent and food were on the line every play, even in situations where nothing was on the line. He got beat, sure. But it was never because he was going anything less than full speed. You never questioned his effort. It’ll be interesting to see if the money changes his approach to things. My guess is no, as he didn’t change his style after he went from UDFA to Super Bowl hero.
--As for Lewis, he was a fun guy to cover because there was also some of that with him as well. Small guy with a big chip on his shoulder. I loved writing this oral history of him and his progression from forgotten man to feature back just before the Super Bowl. It included a bunch of quotes from teammates and former coaches, and while there were a lot of good ones, this was my favorite from Patriots' running back coach Ivan Fears: “You have to give him all the credit in the world, because he did the work. Every injury he had, Dion would be in there. He’d be in there and it’d be a holiday. I’d say, ‘Aren’t you going away?’ He’d say ‘No.’ Everyone is leaving? He stayed. He worked. He worked endlessly to get himself healthy. I mean to the point where I would be worried about him. I’d say ‘Boy, you need a damn life. You need to get out of this building.’” Still say that trying to tackle him in 2017 was like trying to tackle a puff of smoke.
--Amendola was one of the most self-aware guys on the Patriots roster. When he arrived in New England, he was completely cognizant of the knock on him -- that he couldn't stay healthy. His Patriots' career had a bumpy start -- asked to replicate Wes Welker's production, it didn't always come together for him in the early going. Roughly midway through the 2014 season, as he was continuing to struggle and find his place in the Patriots' system (and when a lot of people were advocating for him to be traded), he enjoyed a bit of a breakout game against the Lions where he found some success as a returner. A few days after that, he was standing with me and a couple of other reporters who were asking him about that. He confessed quietly that it finally felt good to be able to find a way to help the team. It was a small moment, but it was also a peek into what drove him.
--One other thing that needs to be said -- the Patriots not only lost two important offensive pieces, they also lost their primary kick (Lewis) and punt returners (Amendola) from 2017 on Tuesday. Going to have to address this offseason as well.
On to the links…
1. Lewis got a sizable deal from the Titans, which will mean that the Patriots have a chance to have eight different leading rushers in the last 11 years come next season.
2. Amendola leaves New England with a remarkable legacy of dependability, as well as an impressive resume when it comes to big games.
3. Butler landed a sweet new deal with the Titans, ending one of the most eventful four-year careers in Patriots' history.
4. Ebner is the latest New England special teamer to land a new deal with the Patriots.
5. Miguel delivered a terrific mailbag.
6. Miguel’s also has a look at the state of the Patriots' finances at the start of free agency.
7. Greg’s opened up his grade book and broke down the New England offense. Incredibly in-depth stuff here.
8. I had a Tuesday afternoon Q&A. It was epic.
9. I talked Patriots with my buddy Matty Boutwell in Maine.
Extra Point: This is a really funny story from one of the funniest guys to ever play in New England. A worthwhile thread.
Tom Brady chugging beer story...
Day after Christmas 2010, week 16, we absolutely smoked the Bills and clinched the AFC East. This was one of the rare occasions while I was with the Patriots where I got playing time (starters benched in the 4th, we lead by 31)...
— Rich Ohrnberger (@ohrnberger) March 13, 2018