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.
Good morning! We're getting ready for some Friday Night Lights, as New England takes on Carolina in the third preseason game of the summer for both teams.
--Greg is going to be on the scene for BSJ Friday night in Carolina, while I'll be blogging and handling Live Coverage from BSJ HQ. (Greg will also be doing a Q&A on Friday night before the game as part of our coverage.) Looking ahead, the Patriots will be off on Saturday, but we're scheduled to get Bill Belichick on a conference call sometime Saturday morning.
--For the record, dating back to 2005, Tom Brady's averages for the third preseason game of the summer: 12 games (one DNP), 13-for-20, 170 yards, 1.4 TDs, 0.5 INTs, 1 sack, 37 snaps. In terms of expectations vs. the Panthers, that sounds about right.
[democracy id="15"]
--The Patriots have played the Panthers six times in the third preseason game of the year. They've gone to the Super Bowl in four of those same years, and won it three times (2004, 2014, 2016).
--Happy Birthday, Ja'Whaun Bentley -- 22 years old. May it be filled with plenty of tackles.
--For what it's worth, given the state of their health, I'd be shocked if we see any one of these guys vs. Carolina: RB Sony Michel, RB Rex Burkhead, S Nate Ebner, LB Harvey Langi, OT Marcus Cannon, and TE Ryan Izzo.
Now, on with the links...
1. I lead things off with a look at 10 guys who need to have a good outing against the Panthers. Some are on the bubble, while others should feel more secure but simply need to display the consistency needed to succeed in the NFL. Either way, they should get plenty of chances Friday.
2. Greg plays matchmaker, connecting the Patriots and Lions on a possible preseason trade that seems to make an awful lot of sense for both sides.
3. As a sidebar to that piece, I take a look at Belichick's favorite trade partners, as well as some of the teams he's most likely to deal with if he makes a move this summer.
4. Alex Guerrero was on the plane with the Patriots Thursday as they made their way to Carolina for Friday's game.He's also been around a lot this summer. Does that signal a potential thaw in the relationship between Belichick and Brady? Maybe.
5. Following up on the trade talk, Phil Perry explains why Belichick is unlikely to make a trade within the AFC East.
6. Troy Brown says Dez Bryant isn't the type of receiver the Patriots should be going after. "I just don’t think he runs the type of routes the Patriots want from a receiver right now," Brown said. "That’s the kinda guy they’re trying to find, but I just don’t think they should waste their time on Dez Bryant. He’s not as explosive as he used to be.”
7. Rob Ryan -- yeah, that Rob Ryan -- thinks Dez would work in New England.
8. Mike Reiss has the story behind Julian Edelman and his yellow practice shirt.
9. Via David T. Foster III of the Charlotte Observer, here's who to watch for when it comes to the Panthers on Friday. The Panthers are going to start two rookies in the secondary against New England, including first-year corner Donte Jackson. “I feel good,” said Jackson when asked about the possibility of facing Brady. “It’s going to be a life-changing moment, but it’s going to be fun. ... (Brady is) one of the best to ever play the game. I’ve been watching him since I was a kid. It’ll be cool to get out and play against him. I know I’ve been watching him for a long time.”
10. Old friend Matt Lengel -- one of the nicer guys I've ever come across in the game of football -- is bidding to make the Texans roster. The former New England tight end has impressed Bill O'Brien: "Tough guy, really good guy, fun guy to coach," O'Brien said of Lengel, who played some college football at Northeastern. "Hard-working guy, just brings a lot of good work ethic and toughness to the position."
This is Monday at start of Patriots practice and Kenny Britt can’t finish the drill. That’s how it went up to today. When the Patriots ? leaves the station tuff to catch up! Will they make a ? for Dez ?♂️. Doesn’t seem like a fit ? pic.twitter.com/N7OHgdg8b4
— The Camera Guys (@NBCSCameraGuys) August 22, 2018