A grab bag of New England Patriots-related notes from Thursday:
— Thursday’s Patriots practice was a walk-through, with players taking the field in sweats and beanies rather than shoulder pads and helmets.
Linebacker Jamie Collins rocked the same team-issued Pats gear as many of his teammates, but his practice attire also included — for some unknown reason — large plastic bags covering each of his hands.
Strange.
— Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski recently chatted with the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe about his new signature sneaker, the Nike Zoom Train Toranada Gronk, which hit stores last week.
“I’m very, very blessed,” Gronkowski told Howe. “It’s super cool. I love training, especially in the offseason. When you’re chilling, you go to the gym, and it’s perfect for activities like that.”
Read more about Gronk’s new shoe here.
— Those in the market for a good Patriots #longread should check out Dan Pompei’s piece for Bleacher Report on Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who reshaped his mindset and coaching style after failing as a head coach in Denver.
The results of change have been positive: New England’s offense is thriving even without Tom Brady, and many expect McDaniels to leave the Patriots for a head-coaching gig in 2017.
— If Bill Belichick coached hockey rather than football, he’d be a big fan of Austin Czarnik. That’s what Boston Bruins assistant coach Bruce Cassidy believes, at least.
Cassidy, who coached Czarnik with the Bruins’ American Hockey League affiliate in Providence last season, said the young forward possesses the type of versatility Belichick looks for in his players.
“As far as being a player goes, he would be, to me, that Belichick-type player that you could use in a lot of different situations,” Cassidy told reporters Thursday, via CSNNE.com. “He’s got a very, very high IQ, he’s a quick learner and very coachable. So, he’s a guy you can move around, and he can play with different players.”
The 23-year-old Czarnik is looking to land a spot on the Bruins’ opening-night roster after tying for seventh in the AHL in scoring last season (20 goals, 41 assists).
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
