This is why the Patriots brought back Matthew Slater.<\/p>\n
If there’s a player inside the locker room that has been the voice of reason and perfect temperament, it’s the 11-year veteran and special teams captain out of UCLA. He signed a two-year, $5.2 million contract extension with the Patriots on March 20 after testing the free agent waters with – of all teams – Pittsburgh. He got $1 million for signing and $1 million guaranteed.<\/p>\n
Obviously, Tom Brady has been the unquestioned leader on the field and throughout the Gillette Stadium facility while players like Devin McCourty, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Duron Harmon and Dont’a Hightower have provided leadership by example.<\/p>\n
But only Brady and Stephen Gostkowski have been on the roster longer. And with all due respect to the Patriots outstanding kicker, only Brady carries more weight as a voice of reason.<\/p>\n
A voice of reason is EXACTLY what the situation calls for now as stories swirl about the level of dissension come out of Foxboro, led by the non-reporting this week of Tom Brady and Gronk to the voluntary offseason workout program.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019ll say this, those are two men that are more than capable of speaking for themselves, so I certainly wouldn\u2019t want to be out of line in attempting to speak for them,” said Slater. “This is a voluntary program. Every year, guys have different things that come up, whether it\u2019s family issues, personal issues, things come up. The guys that are here, we\u2019re going to do what we can to work hard and come together and take this thing one day at a time, and that\u2019s really all I can say about that. I certainly don\u2019t want to put myself in a position where I feel like I can speak for those two guys.”<\/p>\n
So how is conditioning going on Day 2 of the voluntary program?<\/p>\n
“You name it, we\u2019re doing it,” Slater told reporters Tuesday. “Moses Cabrera has a great vision for what we\u2019re doing here as a team. He has a plan that he thinks about year-round and he\u2019s always tweaking that plan. I think we\u2019ve seen some tweaking that\u2019s already happening, and I think he\u2019s going to continue to make adjustments and do whatever he thinks is best to get this football team physically ready to go. I think it\u2019s upon \u2013 as players, we have to take it upon ourselves to make sure that we\u2019re buying in, doing what we\u2019re asked to do and try to take the coaching and try to get better.”<\/p>\n
Think about that answer for a moment. He doesn’t tear down what Brady, Gronk and apparently many other Patriots are doing with Alex Guerrero. Instead, he shines a glowing and positive light on the man who is currently on the Patriots payroll and has put in work with him and other Patriots, strength and conditioning coach Moses Cabrera.<\/p>\n
Was he serious about his trip to Pittsburgh?<\/p>\n
“(It was) a unique experience, but that\u2019s the nature of the National Football League \u2013 free agency and that process,” Slater said. “I\u2019ll just say I\u2019m excited to be back, thankful to be here. It means a lot to me that I\u2019m able to continue my career here, and I\u2019m thankful for the belief that the ownership, coaching staff and teammates that they\u2019ve shown in me. So, (I’m) excited to be back.<\/p>\n
“I have a lot of respect for all the teams around this league because I know how hard it is to do what we do, and I certainly have a lot of respect for teams that we\u2019ve competed against, coaching staffs that I\u2019m familiar with \u2013 nothing but respect for them and their players, their organization, their ownership across the board. But, again, I\u2019m very thankful and humbled to have the opportunity to continue to play here.”<\/p>\n
Contrast that with the comments of Julian Edelman, Nate Solder and Danny Amendola, who have gone on the record saying Bill Belichick is remarkably hard to play for, and we’re not even including the Malcolm Butler drama. Then there’s Brady and Gronk and their collective subtle salvos fired in Belichick’s direction.<\/p>\n
Slater, instead, comes out talking about humility and honor in the name of the Patriots shield. No wonder Belichick loves the guy on his team.<\/p>\n
“Certainly, it is challenging,” Slater said. “It\u2019s the National Football League, though. I think if it was easy then a lot more people would be able to do it. It\u2019s tough, it\u2019s very difficult and I don\u2019t think that\u2019s just unique here. I think every place is tough. This is a very competitive league with some of the best athletes in the world. There\u2019s a premium put on winning wherever you are. Everyone wants to win and have success, and everybody\u2019s going to be judged off of whether or not they\u2019re winning. That\u2019s what it comes down to. I don\u2019t think that this place is unique in that regard. I think every team in this league is on a quest to win and have success, and that quest is not an easy one.”<\/p>\n
Does he think Belichick is tougher than other coaches?<\/p>\n
“I certainly wouldn\u2019t be able to speak to that because my experience as a professional has only been here in New England, thankfully,” Slater said, adding that it was hard to see Solder, Amendola, Butler and Dion Lewis leave.<\/p>\n
“Certainly from a human standpoint and personal relationships that I have with all those guys, it\u2019s unfortunate that your relationships are going to have to change,” Slater continued. “Certainly, those relationships are not going to end, but you understand from a business side of things, business is business and things happen. That\u2019s just the nature of the National Football League. So, I wish those guys nothing but success except when we have to play against them, but I\u2019ll be rooting for those guys. I have a tremendous relationship with those guys and am so appreciative of what they\u2019ve meant to me personally over the course of my career.”<\/p>\n
Slater was given the chance to look forward on Tuesday, looking forward to the speedy Cordarrelle Patterson joining special teams and the offense.<\/p>\n
“Absolutely. I\u2019ve been a fan of his for a long time,” Slater said. “He\u2019s a very unique returner with what he\u2019s able to do. The guy is really gifted, that young man. We\u2019re excited to have him, excited to get on the same page and hopefully have some success. But that success is going to be built throughout the course of the offseason. It\u2019s not going to happen overnight. We\u2019re going to have to work at this thing one day at a time and try to put ourselves in good position moving forward.”<\/p>\n
Then he was asked about something near and dear to his heart, and the thing that’s kept him in football this long: The Kickoff, something that the league is considering eliminating.<\/p>\n
“Look, I\u2019m a player rep, and nobody cares more about player health and safety than the players, than the men that are out there on the field putting their bodies on the line,” Slater said. “That being said, we understand we\u2019re playing football. To take away the kickoff, I really think it would be tragic. I really think, like I said, you\u2019re changing the fabric of the game that we all love to cover, report on, that we love to play, coach, and I think it\u2019s very disheartening to continue to have this brought up. I understand, look, people are concerned with the long-term health and safety of the players. But as I said, no one\u2019s more concerned than the men that are actually out there doing it, and if we\u2019re OK doing it, I don\u2019t understand why we have to continue to look for alternatives, continue to push. Those are just my thoughts on it. As you can tell, I feel strongly about it and would love to continue that dialogue throughout the course of the season.”<\/p>\n
Would he be in the league now if the kickoff wasn\u2019t a part of the game when you came into the league in 2008?<\/p>\n
“No,” Slater said, adding that if the NFLPA asked him to support keeping the kickoff for jobs, he’d have to consider it.<\/p>\n
“I honestly would take my union hat off when answering this question,” Slater said. “Look, you take jobs from some guys and it gives other guys an opportunity. I understand that. I think we\u2019ve got to think long and hard before you remove a play like this because you\u2019re changing football.”<\/p>\n
Maybe the Patriots should consider letting Slater in on the meetings with Brady, Belichick and Robert Kraft. Couldn’t hurt at this point.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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