The Adam Jones Show: Patriots Hoping Thompkins, Boyce Can Step Up In Second Season
BOSTON (CBS) - We're now less than two weeks away from the start of training camp, so to help us preview that 98.5 The Sports Hub's Rich Keefe welcomed Zuri Berry from Boston.com to talk Patriots.
Tom Brady was recently voted by his peers as the third best player in the league in 2013, a season in which he was throwing to three rookies, Michael Hoomanawanui, James Develin, Matthew Mulligan and Austin Collie -- not to mention Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski, who were in-and-out of the lineup all year with injuries.
Julian Edelman was Tom Brady's only reliable target last season, and Rich Keefe wonders if this year will be any different. Keefe thinks Brady might be being asked to do too much with so little at this stage of his career.
Berry on Brady's weapons:
"That's going to continue to be a storyline all the way through the beginning of the year, and that's mostly because they didn't bring in another tight end and there was no significant upgrade at wide receiver, although I believe Brandon LaFell will provide something different. He will shore up what Aaron Dobson certainly could not produce last year. I think there's a certain bit of hope, or at least expectation with the team that somebody like Danny Amendola is going to live up to what he was signed for, and somebody else like Kenbrell Thompkins or Josh Boyce will step up as that fourth, fifth guy. There's still high expectations for these younger guys. You can see why they were a little hesitant to bring in some new bodies in those particular areas."
Will Brady's weapons include Texans WR Andre Johnson, who reportedly wants out of Houston?
"There's so many factors that would have to go into something like that. Every time I've said, 'The Patriots have no chance whatsoever' they end up getting the guy, a la Darrelle Revis. So I'm not going to say no entirely, but I just don't see the Texans letting their grip loose there. He's their guy and they want to make sure it works out. Johnson is in a difficult situation to finagle his way out. It's possible down the road he ends up in New England, but I just don't think it happens right now."
On Darrelle Revis:
"He will allow the defense, specifically the safeties, to take more chances. If you look at the first four games of the season Brandon Browner is going to be out. He's a press corner. He's a huge guy and is supposed to be the other possible Pro Bowl corner of the group. When you have Browner out and you have to play Kyle Arrington or Alfonzo Dennard for the first four games, you're going to be just as good on the other side. The secondary is not going to have that tremendous drop off. With Revis there's less to worry about."
Listen below for the full discussion, including Berry's take on the lesser-known defensive additions like Will Smith and James Anderson:
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