Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your Thursday. Grab your coffee and let’s get to it.
--On the personnel front, the Patriots cut Jordan Matthews loose and added free-agent fullback Henry Poggi. We've written a lot about Matthews, but when it comes to Poggi, this is what the team said about him in its release: "Poggi, 23, was originally signed by the Oakland Raiders as a rookie free agent out of Michigan on May 7, 2018. He was released by the Raiders on June 22, 2018. The 6-foot-4, 257-pounder began his college career as a defensive lineman, before moving to tight end and then to fullback. During his college career, he appeared in 44 games with 17 starts – four at tight end and 13 at fullback." Sounds like a versatile guy.
--No Bill Belichick presser on Thursday. Practice will kick off at 9:15 a.m. on the fields behind Gillette Stadium, and is scheduled to run until 11:15 a.m. It's supposed to be a steamy one on Thursday, so make sure you dress accordingly. As always, if there’s a question about practice and weather, you can verify practice times by calling 508-549-0001 or by visiting www.patriots.com/trainingcamp.
Now, on with the links...
1. So what do the Patriots do now when it comes to the wide receiver position? The good news is there are a few halfway decent/intriguing veterans who are still on the market as free agents. I've written about the possibility of Eric Decker, but in this column, Greg is pushing for the Patriots to add someone on the boundary. Is Dez the answer? We shall see.
2. If there's a potential injury to Marcus Cannon -- and by the way he was walking coming out of practice on Wednesday, there's a chance that he could be dinged up a bit -- it could set off a chain of events that could impact almost everyone else along the offensive line. Even if he isn't injured, honestly, there's a lot that could still happen up front. I explain why in this piece here.
3. I take a look at New England's decision to part ways with Jordan Matthews, and what it might mean for the long term in Foxborough.
4. Greg has his usually detailed practice report from Wednesday's session here, one that included a really good day for the likes of Tom Brady and Deatrich Wise, as well as the fact injuries are starting to become an issue.
5. Our Live Coverage page had you covered from start to finish on Wednesday as well. Love that mid-90s hip-hop and R&B got its due on Wednesday with some Montell Jordan, Naughty By Nature, and Tag Team at practice.
6. Mike Reiss was part of Rob Gronkowski's post-practice press conference on Wednesday, and the tight end says he's seen Brady change over the years. "I would say, probably back in the day, he was probably a little more on you if you didn't get it right, a little bit more in your face," said Gronkowski. "But he's going on 41 now, I feel like he backed off on that a little bit, which is nice. He used to be mean to me."
7. In the latest edition of his "Long Shots" series, Phil Perry looks at wide receiver Riley McCarron.
8. We've been at this a long time, and so we've noticed a few underrated Belichickisms over the years. One of them is "Nobody works harder than ________." That saying appeared for the first time this summer Wednesday, when Belichick used it to describe Derek Rivers and Wise. Zack Cox of NESN details the long list of "Nobody works harder than_____" candidates the last few years.
9. The AFC East team best equipped to challegne the Patriots? LaDainian Tomlinson says it's the Bills. “To me, if anybody has a chance of beating the Patriots, it might shock you a little bit, but I’m going to say the Buffalo Bills,” Tomlinson said. “The Buffalo Bills can be a scary group of guys because of what they offer on defense. They play a physical style of football on defense. But also offensively, they can get it done. The have weapons on the offensive side of the ball. I’m not sure Miami is there yet.”
10. Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com has a good look at Belichick as he opens the 2018 season, a story that includes this passage: "Time can feel warped when it comes to these Patriots. The first Is the Dynasty over? articles came in January of 2010, after a blowout playoff loss to the Ravens and some rare doubt the team would even make the playoffs the following season. One of the team's most innovative, surprising offenses emerged the following season, setting the table for seven straight AFC Championship appearances this decade, where the only constants were dramatic roster reconstructions."
Extra Point: The Camera Guys do it again...
?BREAKING NEWS?
?Guys Exclusive
Gronk dishes on his 1st ?
Thanks, @RobGronkowski? pic.twitter.com/qk69vG3CEi
— The Camera Guys (@NBCSCameraGuys) August 1, 2018