Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your day. Grab your coffee and let’s get to it:
--Off the top, here are four quick thoughts to get you ready for Thursday, including Julian Edelman spending time with Alex Guerrero, updated workout news and thoughts on our first meeting with Jordan Matthews later on Thursday. But first, a big thanks.
--Boston Sports Journal passed 8,000 subscribers on Wednesday, which is amazing. Every one of you -- from Mr. Quindazzi, who was with us from Day One, to those who signed up this week, from the month-to-month folks all the way up to the lifetime diehards -- is great. Thank you so much for your investment and faith in this locally-based site. It's been awe-inspiring to see the subscriber count climb higher and higher. We recognize the fact that you fork over your hard-earned money for premium content, and we wake up every day with a pledge to deliver it on a consistent basis. Whether it's the Q&A’s, the reporting, the late nights, early mornings and extra phone calls trying to get that one last little bit of information for you guys, it's all worth it. You guys are the best -- thanks.
--We're going to get a chance to talk to Matthews Thursday. This is a guy who hasn't caught a pass yet, but he's certainly made a good first impression. There was the fact that he took what appears to be a below-market rate to sign with the Patriots. There was this super-enthusiastic Twitter post. And then, there's a willingness to meet with us jokers in the media a few days after signing. It's early, but he's starting his New England career on a good note.
--Edelman shared an Instagram video Wednesday of him getting worked on by Guerrero. That's interesting for a few reasons, especially in the wake of the recent report Rob Gronkowski was "chastised" for seeing Guerrero. (That was more about the overall training approach than just getting a rubdown, but still...) It's important to note Edelman has expressed some level of skepticism in the Guerrero method before (in "Tom vs. Time"). But it was still noteworthy, even for the simple fact that the receiver -- who was out all last year because of a knee injury -- is back in the area in advance of the offseason workout program, which starts Monday.
--According to reports, the Patriots spent some quality time over the last 36 hours with Texas offensive tackle Connor Williams and Western Kentucky quarterback Mike White.
Now, on to the links...
1. The league released the preseason schedule for 2018, and for the Patriots, it looks an awful lot like the one we’ve seen the last few years. Joint practices with the Eagles? Yes please. I mean, it'll be bananas from a media perspective, but it'll make for a fun few days in Foxborough.
2. There are some really good reasons why the Patriots put Princeton quarterback Chad Kanoff through a private workout the other day. One of those is his accuracy -- his offensive coordinator says Kanoff is so “unbelievably” accurate that it’s laughable. An intriguing prospect.
3. Cordarrelle Patterson had some interesting stuff to say on “Good Morning Football” on Wednesday, but the biggest takeaway is that he might be more of a part of the passing game that we initially thought.
4. Patterson is also campaigning to keep kickoffs part of the game.
5. Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report says the Patriots are the team that is “most interested” in Lamar Jackson. I’m not sure how you can measure something like this, but if New England is truly thinking about Jackson, it’ll make draft weekend all that more interesting.
6. Gregg Rosenthal looks at the to-do lists for the Patriots and Rams for the rest of this offseason. For New England, that includes finding a left tackle and a pass rusher, as well as re-igniting “the spark with Tom Brady.”
7. When it comes to the offseason, Edward Lewis wonders if anyone else in the AFC East has made enough gains to surpass the Patriots.
8. Get to know more about Matthews, who is a cousin of Jerry Rice.
9. Dion Lewis said the Patriots had interest in bringing him back, but he "had to do what was best" for him and his family.
10. So it looks like Dez is done in Dallas. Is this the first step in the master plan that Greg laid out the other day?
Extra Point: Hmmm...
? Look at Tom Brady’s comment. Allow me to keep my small hope alive — Lamar Jackson to #Patriots.@ezlazar @cpriceNFL pic.twitter.com/jeJj4KBA5G
— Matt Marcantonio (@mattmarcantonio) April 12, 2018