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Jarrett Stidham now stands where several others have before

in Maps Discussion Tue Aug 20, 2019 5:10 am
by zhangzk • Farseer | 137 Posts | 1370 Points

FOXBOROUGH Josh Allen Jersey , Mass. (AP) — as a possible successor to Tom Brady as quarterback of the New England Patriots.But like nine other drafted signal-callers before him, Stidham knows it’s best to concentrate solely upon making the football team first and worry later about what his role may be when the ageless Brady finally decides to hang up his cleats.“It’s a tremendous opportunity to learn under him and (backup) Brian Hoyer,” said Stidham, the Auburn quarterback selected Saturday by the Patriots in the fourth round of the draft.“To be in the same room with those guys and to learn from them, it’s going to be great and I’m really looking forward to it.”Stidham, a two-year starter at Auburn, was the 133rd overall pick, 66 positions higher than Brady’s selection in 2000.Since then, the Patriots have drafted Rohan Davey, Kliff Kingsbury, Matt Cassel, Kevin O’Connell, Zac Robinson, Ryan Mallett, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett and Danny Etling.Of them, only Cassel had any significant playing time with the Patriots Jawaan Taylor Jersey , playing most of the 2008 season after Brady, who will be 42 in August, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opening game against Kansas City.The Patriots also signed Hoyer, their current backup, as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and brought him back to the team in 2017 after brief tenures with six other NFL teams.“I don’t think I feel any pressure,” Stidham said. “I’m sure everybody wants to be as good as Tom Brady someday, but I’ve got to take it one day at a time. I’m going to work as absolutely as hard as I can to make sure I can do whatever it is to help this organization out.”Nick Caserio, the Patriots’ director of player personnel, came away impressed with Stidham after a lengthy meeting with him at Auburn’s pro day.“He’s a smart kid, pretty mature, picks things up well,” Caserio said. “So we’ll see how it goes. He’s going to transition into a system that’s a little bit different in terms of play-calling and some of the other things he’ll be asked to do here. But he’s an impressive kid.”The Patriots made 10 selections in all over the three days, engineering seven trades, including three with the Los Angeles Rams, whom they defeated 13-3 in the Super Bowl.WHO THEY GOTAlthough they did not address the hole at tight end left by the retirement of Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots appeared to find several players they expect to contribute immediately.At the top of that list would be their first-round pick, wide receiver N’Keal Henry of Arizona State Josh Oliver Jersey , whose 6-foot-3 size and productivity should help the Patriots stretch the field if suspended veteran Josh Gordon is not reinstated by the league.Vanderbilt cornerback Joejuan Williams, taken in the second round, will have the chance to flank Pro Bowl veteran Stephon Gilmore, while seventh-round pick Ken Webster of Mississippi could add depth.Yodny Cajuste of West Virginia and Hjalte Froholdt of Arkansas bolster the Patriots’ offensive line, Cajuste potentially at right tackle, while defensive linemen Chase Winovich of Michigan and Byron Cowart of Maryland could fill vacancies created by free-agency departures.Jake Bailey of Stanford, the first right-footed punter selected in Bill Belichick’s 20 drafts in New England, will challenge recently resigned veteran Ryan Allen.SURPRISE MOVEThe Patriots selected Alabama running back Damien Harris in the third round, 87th overall. Harris joins a talented position group that includes Sony Michel and James White, but his addition may put the oft-injured Rex Burkhead at risk. This may have been the Patriots’ only “best athlete available” pick of the first two days.HOW THEY DIDThe true measure of a draft isn’t always apparent immediately, but the Patriots appeared to take an effective, targeted approach to fill needs at receiver, cornerback, and the offensive and defensive lines. But other than recent free-agency signee Austin Seferian-Jenkins, the Patriots have not replaced the offensive productivity of Gronkowski at tight end.WHAT’S NEXTAny discussion of the Patriots’ remaining needs for 2019 has to include consideration of the 2018 draft. Several 2018 selections are returning from the injured reserve list and are expected to compete for positions the Patriots didn’t address in this draft.Included among those are: tackle Isaiah Wynn, cornerback Duke Dawson, linebackers Ja’Whaun Bentley and Christian Sam Deandre Baker Jersey , wide receiver Braxton Berrios, and tight end Ryan Izzo. Otherwise, the Patriots’ staff will look to add several undrafted free agents over the next few days. CINCINNATI (AP)The Bengals have a chance to move into contention in the AFC North, but it’s a long road back. And it starts in Pittsburgh. Cincinnati (2-3) plays four road games in the next five weeks, a stretch that will either set them up for a run at the playoffs or leave them so far behind that they’d need a Steelers collapse to give them a chance. ”This game means a lot,” safety George Iloka said. ”Let’s not take that out of there – it means a lot.” A loss Sunday at Pittsburgh (4-2) would leave them 2+ games behind the Steelers for the division lead, a daunting margin to overcome. Coach Marvin Lewis broke with his just-one-game approach and acknowledged that it could be a pivotal week in the Bengals’ season. If two teams tie for best record in a division, the top tiebreakers are head-to-head results and best record in division games. Pittsburgh is 2-0 in division games, including wins at Cleveland and Baltimore. The Bengals are 1-1, including a home loss to the Ravens in their season opener. A win by the Steelers on Sunday would not only solidify their hold on first place, but add to their advantage in the tiebreakers, too. ”For us, it’s a big football game being on the road and in the division,” Lewis said. ”It’s one that can get us back to .500 on the season, so it’s really important.” The Bengals went 5-3 on the road in 2014 and 6-2 in 2015. They slipped to 2-6 on the road last season, including a win in Cleveland. This season, they’re 1-1 on the road http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/oshane-ximines-jersey , including a win in Cleveland. They lost at Green Bay in overtime. Games in Pittsburgh have added significance, given the hard-edged history to the rivalry. The Steelers have won 12 of the past 15 in the series, with two of Cincinnati’s wins during that stretch coming at Heinz Field – 13-10 in 2012 and 16-10 in 2015. ”When you see Pittsburgh, we have a history,” cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick said. ”A lot of things went bad before on the field.” The Bengals have been playing catch-up since their 0-3 start. They’ve never reached the playoffs after opening a season at 0-3. No NFL team has done it since the 1998 Buffalo Bills. Their chances depend upon how they do in the next five weeks: at Pittsburgh, home against Indianapolis (2-4), at Jacksonville (3-3), at Tennessee (3-3) and at Denver (3-2). The previous time the Bengals had a stretch of four road games in five weeks was 2014. They won all the road games – at New Orleans, Houston, Tampa Bay and Cleveland. Their home game was against the Steelers. Pittsburgh won that one, 42-21. PACMAN SIDELINED: Cornerback Adam ”Pacman” Jones was held out of practice Thursday because of a bad back, injured in the Bengals’ most recent game against Buffalo. Jones had practiced on a limited basis Wednesday because of the injury, which leaves his availability for the game at Pittsburgh in question. RECEIVERS LIMITED: Receiver Tyler Boyd missed practice again as he recovers from a knee injury. Rookie receiver John Ross was limited because of a knee injury, an indication he won’t be available for Pittsburgh. GOOD TO GO: Quarterback Andy Dalton (ankle) and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (shoulder) fully practiced for the second straight day. —

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