Recent comments by former Patriots defensive end Cassius Marsh are an indicator of today’s way of thinking amongst NFL players, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe writes. Marsh slammed coach Bill Belichick for taking the fun out of football in his continued quest for more championships. It seems that the “Patriot Way” is passé and not in alignment with the goals of those on the field.
One NFL agent with 20-plus years of experience told Volin that about “15 percent to 25 percent” of players truly care about winning a Super Bowl. Those at the top of the pay scale, like Tom Brady and Matt Ryan, play solely to win. The rest, however, are looking to secure their own paydays.
“1. Money. 2. Money. 3. Money. 4. Money. 5. Money,” the agent said when asked to rank the top priorities of most NFL players. “Most players don’t like win-at-all-cost, my-way-or-the-highway places. I’ve had multiple guys turn down the Patriots.”
Here’s more from New England:
- The Patriots didn’t select a linebacker until the fifth round of the NFL draft, but the return of Dont’a Hightower could prove to be the team’s biggest “addition” this offseason, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. Hightower missed the second half of the 2017 season with a torn pectoral muscle and still isn’t a full-go in practice, but he is with the team during OTAs helping the other players in his unit. The Pats also opted against signing a veteran linebacker this offseason, so Hightower’s recovery will be key to the team’s success on defense this year. Thanks to the four-year, $33.5MM contract Hightower signed with the Patriots in March of 2017, he’s under club control through 2020.
- There has been much discussion about Brady’s absence from OTAs, but his teammates do not seem fazed by it, as Volin writes. “I think he knows what to do,” quarterback Brian Hoyer said. “I don’t think we’re worried about distractions here. I think everybody here knows how to handle himself and worry about what we got to do individually, and then collectively as a team. So I don’t think so.” On Monday, Brady was spotted at the Patriots’ fantasy camp for fans, a good indicator that he’ll be on hand for practice on Tuesday.
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