NFC scout on absences of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, as well as some of Patriots' offseason pickups

Had a chance to talk with an NFC scout on Wednesday afternoon to get his thoughts on a few different Patriots-related topics, including the flap involving Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski's absence from the spring workouts to this point.


“I don’t buy into any of that (expletive),” he said when asked if there was potential concern about the quarterback and tight end not being present.

“Brady knows the system, and his arm doesn’t need any more reps. Same for Gronkowski. He’s been in that system for a long time,” he added. “As long as they stay healthy, they’ll be OK. The last thing you need at OTAs is a rookie trying to prove he can cover Gronkowski and getting him hurt, or Gronkowski running over some young guy.

“We’ve seen this a bunch of times. Remember when Le’Veon Bell sat out last year's OTAs? He ran for almost 1,300 yards. For stars, a lot of times, it’s better to stay away from it if they have to. Young players who don’t know the system or veterans trying to make the team, OK. But stars? No need.”

As has been the case for the last several years, the success or failure of the 2018 team will come down to health.

“As long as they have (Brady) at quarterback they have a shot at winning the whole thing,” he said. “They’ve left themselves vulnerable at the backup QB position, and I just don’t know if Gronkowski can stay healthy. But adding (Jeremy) Hill and (Cordarrelle) Patterson as your kick returner, that gives them more scoring options, which should be a big boost after the guys they lost.”

He also had some thoughts on four of the veterans the Patriots acquired this past offseason:

Danny Shelton: “I love Shelton. He’s a steal. He’ll flourish in that system. A really good, high-character guy. He needs an occasional kick when it comes to buying in, but once they get him in that building he’ll be motivated. He’s a player I really like.”

Jason McCourty: “In their system, to be a good corner, you have to be smart and have good ball skills. He has both. Belichick isn’t really looking for a big star — just a good second corner. This guy is a perfect fit for something like that.”

Cordarrelle Patterson: “He’ll be a fourth receiver at best. You need a limited package with him. With the new kickoff rules where you can’t get a running start in coverage, Patterson could wind up being a two- or three-touchdown guy on returns. But when it comes to offense, he’s limited. I mean, you can’t expect to put him on the field with Tom and run no-huddle. If he plays offense, he’ll have a limited package.”

Jeremy Hill: “I love him. Tough and gritty. Underappreciated in Cincinnati because he was splitting reps with Gio Bernard. He’s a strong runner — against the Jets and Dolphins, he’ll kill them. The reason he had such a hard time the last couple of years was because he was going against the Steelers and Ravens, and those defenses were stacked. The Jets and Dolphins aren’t. He’ll have a breakout year now that he doesn’t have to run into the Steelers’ defense twice a season.”

(For the record, he said he hadn’t seen enough of Jordan Matthews or Trent Brown to make a definitive statement on how he felt they might do in the New England system.)