Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your Monday. Grab your coffee and let’s get to it.
Monday marks a return to football for the defending Super Bowl champions.
Well, sort of. Let me explain.
This week marks the first week teams with returning coaches can start their offseason workout plans. That means the Patriots' veterans will be allowed back in the building this week under the watchful eye of the strength and conditioning coaches. Here are the rules for what can and can’t happen during Phase One, per the NFLPA:
•Limited to strength and conditioning activities (“dead ball”); only strength and conditioning coaches allowed on field.
•90-minute max on the field.
•Clubs can only specify two hours for players to be at the facility.
•Players choose the other two hours for weights, etc.
Now, on with the links…
1. My weekend notebook tackles a bunch of different topics, including how the Patriots’ pre-draft focus is starting to sharpen throughout the month. In addition, we look at some New England-based players who could hear their name called on draft weekend, visit with a former Patriots’ cornerback who has made quite a name for himself in his post-playing career, speculate on the release date for the 2019 regular-season slate … and much more.
2. Miguel’s latest salary cap recap measures the financial impact of the additions of Austin Seferian-Jenkins, as well as the new deals for Patrick Chung and Stephen Gostkowski.
3. Greg put together an absolutely epic weekend Q&A that ran the gamut. Well worth checking out here.
Defensive starters during Patrick Chung's Patriots debut on Sept. 14, 2009:
- Ty Warren
- Vince Wilfork
- Jarvis Green
- Tully Banta-Cain
- Gary Guyton
- Adalius Thomas
- Jerod Mayo
- Jonathan Wilhite
- Leigh Bodden
- Brandon Meriweather
- James Sanders
Now signed through 2021.
— Oliver Thomas (@OliverBThomas) April 14, 2019