Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your Friday. Grab your coffee and let’s get to it.
Tom Brady turns 41 on Friday. If you're shopping for a birthday present, what do buy for the quarterback who has everything? Maybe a wide receiver (or two).
--The Patriots are set to add Eric Decker to the mix at receiver, which should deliver another layer of depth for a rapidly thinning group of pass catchers. We've written about Decker and his potential on a number of occasions -- if you haven't already read out deep dive on him from June, read it here. Basically? This is a guy who (at least on the surface) checks off a lot of the boxes the Patriots are probably looking for: versatile (in the slot and on the boundary), has played in big games, has a working familiarity with Josh McDaniels, and he's cost-effective. We shall see how it all shakes out -- hopefully, we'll get a chance to talk with Decker on Friday or Saturday.
--When it comes to Brady's birthday, because we're stat nerds, here's a look at the four quarterbacks who played at least seven games at the age of 41 and had a quarterback rating of 75 or better for that season.
--The Friday schedule has Bill Belichick in the media workroom at 8:45 a.m., with practice starting at 9:15 a.m. and running until 11:15 or so. 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. Some of the best drama in every padded practice of training camp takes place in the far corner of the practice field when the offensive and defensive linemen square off in their one-on-one sessions. In an unforgiving game, it's the most high-stakes part of camp for the big guys. I talk to two regular participants to get their take on how it all goes down.
2. In his daily practice report, Greg delivers an incredibly detailed breakdown on what happened on the field Thursday. It was a good day for both Cordarrelle Patterson and Riley McCarron.
3. My Live Coverage blog kept you updated on the steamy conditions all morning long.
4. Greg spent some quality time Thursday talking Patriots with the fellas from "Felger & Mazz."
5. Miguel has a cap roundup of the events of the last couple of days.
6. Phil Perry says that the hijinks at the end of Thursday's session -- where the offense and defense flipped sides -- is another example of the Patriots having a little (gasp) fun this summer. That's something Patterson can get with. "If you're a guy who likes to have fun, don't come out here, catch a touchdown and then be all mopey and stuff," he said. "That's what I'm trying to do, man. Embrace it. Know my role. And when I do something, try to have fun. That's what I've been doing my whole life."
7. The Camera Guys spend some quality time with Deatrich Wise and Lawrence Guy.
8. Mike Reiss writes on Bill Belichick having to occasionally do a double-take when he needs to talk to one of the McCourty Brothers. "It's hard to tell them apart," Belichick said of the twins with a smile. "Got to take a second look to make sure I'm talking to the right one if they're not in uniform."
9. Brandon LaFell? Maybe? He's a good locker room guy who knows the system and knows how to keep the quarterback happy. Certainly food for thought, at the very least.
10. A little personal note -- my family has a long history with adoption. And so when I see stories like this one, I'm pretty much always going to link to them.
Extra Point:
8/2 should be remembered as Rob Ninkovich Day. Nine years ago, the #Patriots signed @ninko50 to a one-year deal. He retired last July as one of the most impactful defensive players in recent franchise history.
— Christopher Price (@cpriceNFL) August 3, 2018