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.
--Busy day on the transaction wire for the Patriots, who put Ja'Whaun Bentley and Rex Burkhead on injured reserve and added DE/OLB John Simon and officially announced the return of running back Kenjon Barner.
--Still trying to find out more about Simon. Greg reached out to a Houston source, who said this about the former Texan: "Tough, overachiever, hard nosed, good motor, not a great athlete nor most explosive but instinctive, competitive, locates the ball."
--Danny Amendola talked a little Wednesday about what it’s going to be like this weekend. Here are a few highlights:
What are your thoughts on going back to Gillette Stadium this Sunday? “I’m going to be on the other side of the field. That’s it.”
Do you think there’ll be any emotions seeing your brothers on the other side, guys you fought with for five years out there? “Emotions ... I play with a lot of emotion every game. I have a lot of friends on every team, so this won’t be really much different. I’m familiar with a lot of people in the organization. I’m excited to get up there.”
How would you describe the lessons that you learned about what it takes to win during your time in New England? “It takes a lot of preparation. It takes a lot of film study. It takes a lot of experience, knowing what to do, knowing what not to do, situational football. Some of the things I learned there I’ll carry with me forever. What I’ve learned most is how to prepare for a game, what goes into the weekly routine leading into a game and sticking with that mold. I’m just using my preparation skills against them now. (laughter)”
Anything else besides that you learned and two rings that’s going to be dear to your heart a little bit from your time there? “Maybe I’ll look at all that stuff after I’m done playing, but right now it’s just all about preparation and getting ready for the game, getting ready for a good opponent, an opponent that plays really hard. They’re well coached. I’m just going to continue to prepare this week.”
Will you share an embrace with Tom Brady before the game? “Before or after. I mean, he’s got a lot of things to do to get ready for the game as well. Through the whole organization, they have a lot of great people there. I can’t sit down and talk to all of them, but I’m going to just focus on the game and whoever I get to hit or handshake, that’s fine with me.”
Thursday’s schedule
12:30 p.m.: Media availability at practice
3:45-4:30 p.m.: Approximate time for player availability (locker room) and Devin McCourty media availability (media workroom)
Now, on with the links...
1. Greg delivered an exhaustive breakdown of the loss to the Lions where he hammered the Patriots' lack of skill up the middle of the defense.
2. You can argue about Rob Gronkowski's overall loyalty to the organization, but over the years -- including last Sunday -- it's clear you can't argue with where he stands when it comes to his feelings for Tom Brady.
3. Video: Gronkowski explained Wednesday why his brother Chris doesn't speak for him.
4. Video: Matthew Slater talked about the state of the team after two rough games, and also discussed the potential of his locker neighbor Sony Michel.
5. I got some good one-on-one time with defensive tackle Malcom Brown the other day, and we talked about how he feels, the state of the run defense, and whether or not this team is capable of turning things around.
6. Our Patriots' Notebook has a ton of stuff, including some good news from Trey Flowers when it comes to his availability this weekend.
7. Wednesday got off to a rollicking start when the Patriots put Bentley and Burkhead on IR and picked up Simon.
8. Phil Perry says Sony Michel is about to be The Man.
9. Am I the only one intrigued by the thought of Jeremy Kerley in New England?
10. Do the Dolphins have some more trick plays up their sleeve this weekend?
Extra Point:
A nice tribute for @FarinellaMark from Patriots’ public relations staff, noting Mark’s 41 years covering the Patriots. Best of luck to Mark. pic.twitter.com/AS65lNWp19
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 26, 2018