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and Analysis Contribute! FanPostsFanShotsAbout the Site List of Patriots Twitter AccountsWrite For Pats Pulpit!New User Welcome and Commenting GuideCommunity GuidelinesMastheadTopics Patriots Off-Season CoveragePatriots Opinion/AnalysisPatriots NewsPatriots Draft CoverageSportfolio ManagementPatriots NewsNew England Patriots LinksNew England Patriots links 5/24/19 - Welcome to OTAs Donald Trump Jerseys 2019 , the season of “I know it’s only practice, but...” New,36commentsDaily news and links for FridayEDTShareTweetShareShareNew England Patriots links 5/24/19 - Welcome to OTAs, the season of “I know it’s only practice, but...” Danny Etling takes the field for OTAsBob DeChiara-USA TODAY SportsTEAM TALKPatriots sign rookie WR Gunner Olszewski.Paul Perillo’s OTA Blogservations: 2019 kicks off in Foxborough. Jerod Mayo was quite vocal working with inside linebackers; Most of the coaches and virtually every player donned Bruins hats on the field; More.Erik Scalavino shares the news, notes and buzz from Thursday’s OTA practice at Gillette: Watson, Collins embrace second chances.Press Conference Transcript: Bill Belichick.Press Conferences: Bill Belichick (3.09 min. video) - Julian Edelman (6.05 min. video) - Jamie Collins (3.24 min. video) - Benjamin Watson (6.51 min. video)OTA Recap: Patriots rooting for the Bruins. (49 sec. video)LOCAL LINKS Kevin Duffy tells us what to know about Thursday’s OTA, first media viewing since January: Rookie receiver N’Keal Harry is making a solid first impression. Harry’s contested back-shoulder TD catch was one of the top plays of the day; More.Tom E. Curran shares his OTA session observations: TE Matt LaCosse looked like a very natural hands catcher; In the 11-on-11 session — which is the contact equivalent of tossing it around on the side yard at a Memorial Day BBQ — Ben Watson made a nice catch in traffic on a throw from Danny Etling; More.Evan Lazar offers ten observations from Patriots OTAs: Joe Thuney plays left tackle; Joejuan Williams, Chase Winovich round out solid showing from top rookies; More.Ryan Hannable gives his us his impressions of yesterday’s OTA session: N’Keal Harry stands out; J.C. Jackson and rookie Joejuan Williams were the DB standouts; More.Mike Dussault (PatsPropaganda) Return of the Patriots rookie eyeball test: 2019 Edition.Mike Dussault (PatsPropaganda) Tweets of note from Patriots 2019 OTA #1: Absentee list, who’s playing where, etc...Ryan Hannable emphasizes while Tom Brady’s absence from OTAs stands out, he concedes that the end game makes it worth it.Karen Guregian gives us her impressions of QB Jarrett Stidham after a first look at Tom Brady’s possible successor, and says ‘he certainly had his moments, both good and bad...’Doug Kyed reports Jarrett Stidham was imperfect, as expected, in his first NFL practice open to reporters, adding that Stidham was 6-of-13 with an INT in team drills.Kevin Duffy says there was a lot to like from rookie N’Keal Harry’s performance at yesterday’s OTA: He moves well for his size, and he clearly has a knack for winning in “jump ball” scenarios.Nick Goss points out how Rookie N’Keal Harry is following Julian Edelman’s lead: “I’ve seen myself improve on route-running already within the first three days White Stephen Gostkowski Jerseys , so I’m just going to keep listening to him and keep that same approach and that same mindset coming into practice every day.”David Latham (LastWordOnSports) Patriots Training Camp Battles: Duke Dawson vs Jonathan Jones.Doug Kyed identifies the mystery offensive player donning No. 72 as converted defender, rookie WR Gunner Olszewski out of Bemidji State.Ryan Hannable lists the Patriots OTA jersey numbers, including Jamie Collins wearing No. 8.Mac Cerullo writes that after Jamie Collins and the Patriots didn’t part on good terms, he’s taking a ‘strictly business approach’ in his return. “It’s football at the end of the day, and it’s business,” Collins said. “I come in here and handle my business just like anywhere else I go.”Mark Daniels reports Jamie Collins says he learned a lot after being traded to the Browns. He now comes back to the place where it started with a business-like focus that he hopes will serve him well.Mike Reiss talks about how Ben Watson targeted two of his former teams - Pats and Saints - when having second thoughts about his retirement.Tom Keegan finds Ben Watson not afraid to speak his mind.Doug Kyed relays Dontrelle Inman’s simple reason for signing with the Pats: “I like winning. It’s one of those things like being part of a winning organization, you want to try to help the team win.”Evan Lazar takes an initial swing at a 53-Man roster projection: Patriots have challenging cuts ahead of them.Doug Kyed addresses his Patriots Mailbag: Who will emerge as New England’s top TE option?Jim Hackett attempts to rank Tom Brady’s all-time best receivers and finds it’s not as simple as it sounds.Adam London NFL Rumors: Patriots among six teams interested in Gerald McCoy.Darren Hartwell NFL Rumors: Patriots in consideration to host 2022 NFL Draft in Boston.Nick Goss mentions how several players and coaches showed their support for the Bruins by wearing B’s hats at practice.Michael Hurley suggests that with his new contract, Julian Edelman can become the second-most important player from the Patriots Dynasty.CBS Boston notes Julian Edelman gives a shoutout to Boston as ‘the best sports city in the world.’Foxboro Report: Reunion season in Foxboro with Watson, Collins, & Bolden. (6.12 min. video)Patriots All-22 Podcast: Evan Lazar and Adam Kirkjian discuss Patriots OTAs, Edelman extension; More. (48 min.)NATIONAL NEWSVinnie Iyer (Sporting News) Patriots depth chart 2019: New England makes another reload look easy.Terez Paylor (Yahoo! Sports) Here’s why earning Tom Brady’s trust won’t be easy for Pats’ promising No. 1 pick.Charean Williams (ProFootballTalk) Julian Edelman “not going anywhere” after signing extension.Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Benjamin Watson: Gronk’s retirement not a factor in decision to play again.Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Jamie Collins was surprised to hear from Patriots.Gregg Rosenthal (NFL.com) 2019 NFL season: One key homegrown player for each AFC team. Patriots: Sony Michel.Albert Breer (SI) Game Plan: Why Robert Kraft has a good chance at avoiding suspension from the NFL; More.Will Brinson (CBS Sports) 2019 NFL Season Win Totals: Patriots continue to be a safe bet, but two other AFC East sleepers will emerge.Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports) Here are five second-year players who could emerge as stars in the upcoming season.Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) NFL players supposedly will compete in 40-yard dash tournament.Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Bucs, Ndamukong Suh agree to one-year, $9.25 million contract.Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) It’s just a matter of time before Scouting Combine exits Indianapolis.Darin Gantt (ProFootballTalk) Combine changes could lead to longer stays for players.Analysts (NFL.com) Debate: Which NFL head coach has best chance to win his first Super Bowl?NFL Total Access (NFL.com) Steve Mariucci’s best and worst moves of the 2019 offseason. (2.04 min. video)Dan Patrick Show (YouTube) Chris Long talks retirement, marijuana in the NFL & More, with Dan Patrick. (9.23 min. video)EXTRACURRICULARMike Florio (ProFootballTalk) California Senate passes bill that would allow college athletes to earn money.Report (1053TheFan) Tony Romo loses appeal of lower court ruling in Fan Expo lawsuit against NFL. From the first day of training camp in August until deep into the NFL schedule, you hear it. Doesn’t matter what city a team represents or who is coaching and playing for it, the bromide is the same.Win the division.For many fans Stephen Gostkowski Jerseys 2019 , just seeing their team sneak into the playoffs provides hope that a championship could be on the immediate horizon. Sorry, folks, but it rarely works out that way, especially recently.Sure, it was a significant step for the Colts to turn around their season and get a wild-card spot. And for the Seahawks to reach the postseason in a rebuilding year.They were steps, not leaps. Winning the division is becoming a necessity for getting to the Super Bowl.“I certainly don’t take it for granted,” says Tom Brady, who’s taken the Patriots to eight Super Bowls, with five wins — all after winning the AFC East.“I know how hard it is. I just have a great deal of appreciation for my teammates and coaches that work extremely hard to put us in a position to do a great job. I think when you have a lot of perspective, like I certainly do, I realize that’s an incredibly difficult thing to do. And I’m just very grateful.”On Sunday, we have the top two seeds in each conference going at it, the Rams (14-3) at the Saints (14-3), followed by the Patriots (12-5) at the Chiefs (13-4).It’s only the fourth time since the current playoff format was adopted in 2002 that it’s happened, most recently when Denver beat Carolina for the 2015 championship.Not having a division winner in the conference title game has never occurred. Only in 2008, when No. 4 Arizona beat No. 6 Philadelphia for the NFC crown did it come close to happening.Five times in 17 seasons has the AFC championship matchup not featured the No. 1 seed, most recently in 2012 when No. 4 Baltimore defeated No. 2 New England before winning the Super Bowl. Five times in the NFC as well, most recently in 2016 with No. 2 Atlanta taking down No. 4 Green Bay.As for those wild-card squads White Matthew Slater Jerseys , every Steelers, Giants and Packers fan will remind you that their team went all the way from sixth seed to Super Bowl champ.None of those breathtaking runs was managed since 2010, and only one wild card, the 2013 49ers, appeared in a conference championship match since then. That San Francisco team was more than an outsider because, at 12-4, it tied for the second-best record in the NFC, one game behind NFC West winner Seattle.So while it could be brutally cold at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, the Chiefs coveted that top seed. That meant pushing hard to win the AFC West as the first goal, then getting the No. 1 slot.Yet, although that’s clearly an objective, Chiefs coach Andy Reid insists it can be over-emphasized. Almost everything can be.“You don’t change. It’s not what you do,” he says. “You just come in and you shoot these guys straight. I think that’s what we all want. If I have education I can share with them, I share with them, and then get yourself ready to play. All of this doesn’t necessarily matter on the game.“You eliminate those distractions, you get yourself ready to play against a good football team, and really it comes down to that when you are out there on the field. All the hype and celebrations, press conferences and all those things Matthew Slater Jerseys 2019 , once it is kickoff time you want to make sure that you have prepared yourself right.”While the Chiefs are 3-point favorites at Arrowhead — basically, that means the bookmakers see them as equal with the Patriots — they likely would have been bigger underdogs at Gillette Stadium, where New England was 8-0 in the regular season, the league’s only perfect home mark.In the NFC, well, who knows? It’s somewhat surprising the Saints are only a 3-point or so choice over the Rams. New Orleans won the regular-season matchup 45-35 in the Superdome. Its experience at this level far exceeds LA’s.And then there’s the dome factor. Several Saints players said that during last weekend’s comeback to beat Philadelphia, the noise level in the building reached unparalleled levels.The spoils of a top seed: The past five Super Bowls have been won by them.“Well, history would tell us — recent history would point to that — and then overall I think there are certain spots you want to start at the (Kentucky) Derby,” Saints coach Sean Payton notes as an analogy. “There’s some spots no one’s ever won from at the Derby. All right. But then there’s some spots that are more favorable, and I think probably seeding’s similar.“It’s not the absolute. And certainly we’ve seen teams win from a lot of different spots, fifth seed, fourth seed, and so for us our focus is taking advantage of playing another game at home. Taking advantage of the crowd noise and trying to put our best foot forward.”And make that big leap.