Tom Brady is continuing to make the New England Patriots a big deal during the offseason. A few weeks after missing voluntary workouts with the Patriots, Brady was a no-show on the first day of OTA's. Elite NFL players miss OTA's every season, however, Brady is one of the few that maintained a consistent presence in May. Certainly, Brady is upset with the way he has been treated. Still, Brady plans to be on the field when training camp starts in July.
Patriots’ QB Tom Brady will not be at the opening of the teams’ Organized Team Activities today, per a source, continuing his absence from the team’s offseason program. Today is the start of the Patriots’ voluntary OTAs, which Brady regularly has been a part of in the past.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 21, 2018
Brady has a number of new receivers to work with
The Patriots overhauled plenty of skill position players in 2018.
They traded Brandin Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams, and Danny Amendola signed with the Miami Dolphins in free agency. Cooks and Amendola combined for 126 receptions last season. They were the No. 2 and No. 3 reception leaders behind Rob Gronkowski. Interestingly enough, Gronkowski wrestled with the idea of retiring after last season ended. However, Gronkowski seems to be back in the mix for training camp. He also did not show up for the start of OTA's.
A contract restructure with Rob Gronkowski is currently being worked on. If it has incentives like last year, per NFL rules it can't be done until May 24th (1 year from when he restructured his last deal). That’s a date to keep an eye on. Patriots third OTA is also on May 24th
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) May 21, 2018
In fact, Gronkowski may have a new contract by the end of OTA's.
Therefore, it makes sense for him to make an appearance in a couple of days. He will be joined by Cordarrelle Patterson and Jordan Matthews in the passing game. Last season, the Patriots acquired Phillip Dorsett from the Indianapolis Colts in a trade. Although he didn't provide much offense in 2017, Dorsett should be a valuable contributor this season.
If not, Kenny Britt should become a valuable player for the Patriots on the perimeter. The Patriots also selected Braxton Berrios in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Each one of these receivers would really do well if Brady was taking part in OTA's. Instead, they will need to find some rhythm during the summer months.
The Patriots do have some pieces returning
At least Brady will have a few more familiar faces if he decides to return. Julian Edelman missed all of the 2017 season with an ACL tear in August. The year anniversary of his injury will come weeks prior to the start of the 2018 regular season. Will Edelman return to form next season? That remains to be seen. Edelman is one of the best route runners in the NFL from the slot position. He relies on quickness and timing. Therefore, it's interesting to see Brady not working with other receivers that also need to figure out their pace of play with the AFC Champions.
Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell are the final two pieces to the passing game in the upcoming season.
Mitchell missed the entire season and didn't make an impact. However, he caught 32 passes during his rookie season in 2016. Meanwhile, Hogan caught 34 passes last season.
The Patriots finished with a (13-3) record last season. They were one possession away from winning the Super Bowl. It was Brady's fumble that finally turned the tide in a back and forth game. Although Brandon Graham's sack was the biggest play of the game, the Patriots still feel that the coaches made some decisions that put them in a position to lose. That may be the reason why Brady has not shown up to any team activities.
