New England Patriots links 8/28/18 - O-line looks fine; WR depth thin; Trey Flowers ready for Week 1 TEAM TALKGame Preview: Patriots at Giants. Series history Youth James White Jersey , tale of the tape, memorable matchups.Patriots announced that they have signed three players: RB Kenneth Farrow, WR K.J. Maye and RB Khalfani Muhammad.Andy Hart reports the Patriots signed Shaq Mason to $50 million extension.Erik Scalavino shares some practice notes and locker-room buzz from Monday at Gillette: Sony Michel, Marcus Cannon at practice.Paul Perillo talks about how Cyrus Jones seems to be finding his footing, as he begins his third year with the Patriots.Paul Perillo posts PFW’s late-season 53-man roster projection. Riley McCarron makes it.Press Conference: Bill Belichick (12.47 min. video)WEEI Patriots Monday: Tom Brady - James White - Bill Belichick.LOCAL LINKSMatt Dolloff spotlights 16 players with something to prove this Thursday night.Mark Daniels reports Shaq Mason could’ve waited, hit the open market and cashed in with the highest bidder. Instead, he knew Foxboro was the place he wanted to be so he cashed in with the Patriots.Kevin Duffy hears from Shaq Mason on the state of the O-line after his extension, “Those are my guys. We all feed off each other, make each other better. We all go out every day and put our best foot forward.” /Did he steal that from Welker?Andrew Callahan tellsus the Patriots offensive line is well positioned for years to come.Mike Reiss points out the unusually thin level of WR depth while projecting the 53-man roster and thinks the Patriots almost have to make a move at the position.Mike Reiss thumbnails some wide receivers the Patriots could possibly target.Karen Guregian pitches in with her own search around the league for potential wide receiver targets.Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Six wide receivers the Patriots could target to bolster thinning group.Michael Hurley points out three plays from Tom Brady that should help ease concerns about the weak spot at receiver.Doug Kyed tells us what the Patriots offense could look like in the first four weeks of the season.Devon Clements (PatriotsWire) Phillip Dorsett seems to be breaking out just in time.Adam London wonders if the Patriots should consider this hypothetical trade for Golden Tate.Matt Dolloff finds Trey Flowers is not worried about his contract, despite an apparent lack of progress.Ross Gienieczko observes Trey Flowers is already playing the role of knowledgeable veteran with just three years of experience under his belt, and he has the resume to back up that status.Ryan Hannable says it’s been a slow summer for Trey Flowers, but adds it seems like Flowers does expect to be on the field Week 1 against the Texans.Mark Farinella profiles journeyman offensive lineman Ulrich John, in the mix for a depth spot on the roster.CBS Boston highlights Bill Belichick addressing Eric Decker’s retirement, the Patriots receiving depth and more.Nicole Yang relays former Michigan QB Brian Griese’s impressions of young Tom Brady. “All of us in the locker room thought he was a going to be this surfer dude.”Andrew Lykins (BostonSportsExtra) Robert Kraft should be in Canton. /I agree.Ian Logue (PatsFans) Patriots Notebook: Patterson leading in key stat; Ninkovich makes case to ditch turf.Michael Hurley reviews new book www.newenglandpatriotsteamonline.com , (Mark Leibovich “Big Game: The NFL in Dangerous Times,”) that provides a behind-the-curtain look at the inner workings of the NFL. 1. Roger Goodell is not a popular man.Robert Alvarez (PatsFans) Fitzy presents “Brady Sunday”(2.20 min. video) Ryan Hannable is immensely relieved that Bill Belichick ‘finally’ addressed Alex Guerrero’s role with the team. /Already known he wasn’t part of the organization.Dave Brown serves up some big answers to the most important Alex Guerrero questions. /as always, with a generous side of snark.Tom E. Curran explains that in the last few tumultuous years, Tom Brady realized being nice, accommodating, committed and diligent off the field had gotten him . . . what? So now, he’s doing things his way.Jerry Thornton (BarstoolSports) Tom Brady hangs up on WEEI again. /Forgot about the Globe accusing Brady of stealing from Best Buddies.NATIONAL NEWSDarin Gantt (ProFootballTalk) Sony Michel back on the practice field.Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Tom Brady on receivers: Certain things haven’t worked out.Conor Orr (SI) Ten people, places and things that will define the NFL in 2018. 8. Patriot drama. “Have all the wounds created over the past decade healed, or was the departure of Belichick loyalist Matt Patricia a sign of things to come?” /Oh puh-leeeze.Danny Kelly (The Ringer) Predicting the NFL’s passing, receiving, and rushing leaders in 2018. Passing leader: Phillip Rivers. /?Danny Heifetz (The Ringer) The Chargers are an AFC competitor hiding in plain sight. /Can’t talk Chargers history, without the Pats (heh heh).Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Shaq Mason lands five-year extension in New England.Charean Williams (ProFootballTalk) Patriots sign Kenneth Farrow, K.J. Maye, Khalfani Muhammad.Judy Battista (NFL.com) Nine reasons to hope or worry from NFL preseason action.Gregg Rosenthal (NFL.com) Preseason Week 3 winners/losers: Phillip Dorsett in the ‘Going Up’ column.Bucky Brooks (NFL.com) AFC Preseason Week 3 grades. Patriots B+.Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) No solution yet in the anthem policy negotiations.Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) NFLPA representatives New England Patriots T-Shirt , owners meeting today to discuss anthem issues.Jay Rigdon (Awful Announcing) Tom Brady hangs up on WEEI interview rather than talk about Alex Guerrero. “All Brady had to do there was confirm the obvious report and say he wasn’t going to expand on it, and that would likely have been that.” /Except, ”that” never would have been that. From one second to the next, Robert Edwards’ life was changed forever. Before he jumped up to defend a pass in a four-on-four flag football game leading up to the NFL’s 1999 Pro Bowl, he was a star in the making: the New England Patriots had drafted him with the 18th overall selection just ten months earlier and he immediately had an impact on a team that had to replace lead running back Curtis Martin, who had left for the New York Jets.Serving as the Patriots’ new top option in the backfield, the Georgia product saw action in all 17 of his team’s games that season and quickly showed why a first-round pick was invested in him. Edwards touched the football 346 times during his rookie campaign, by far the most on the team, gained 1,507 yards and scored a combined 13 touchdowns on the ground and through the air. In short: he was pretty good in 1998.So good, in fact, that the NFL sent him to Hawaii to participate in the lead up to the Pro Bowl. No, he was not picked to actually play in the game, but as one of the season’s outstanding rookies New England Patriots Hats , the league invited him to partake in the so-called “Rookie Beach Bowl” alongside other top draft picks like the Indianapolis Colts’ Peyton Manning or the Oakland Raiders’ Charles Woodson. Woodson, in fact, was on the same team as Edwards.Just like the Patriots’ back, he too jumped up to defend Charlie Batch’s pass intended for wide receiver R.W. McQuarters. Woodson and McQuarters got back up, Edwards did not. He landed awkwardly and did not feel any pain right away — the pain would come later. After he was carried off the field under applause and placed on a buffet table for initial evaluation. The pain started in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.Edwards had not only torn three ligaments in his left knee — the ACL, MCL and PCL — and partially tore his LCL tendon as well, he had also suffered major nerve damage. On top of all this, and most serious of all his injuries, he had sliced the artery in his left leg. That is when the then 24-year old was told that his leg might have to be amputated if the blood flow was not sufficiently stopped or the sutures in his artery did not hold.His dream of playing football again was over either way, according to the doctors, and even if his leg was saved the injury might still severely impact his ability to walk in the future. One year into Edwards’ professional career, it was all but over again. Except that it was not: not only was his leg saved and he was able to walk again, Edwards also returned to the gridiron two years after his gruesome injury.In the summer of 2001, he attempted a comeback with the Patriots but a groin injury suffered during training camp set him back again. Ultimately New England Patriots Hoodie , New England — now no longer led by Pete Carroll but by Bill Belichick — moved on and released its former first-round pick with an injury settlement. “This in no way detracts from the remarkable accomplishments Robert has achieved through two years of dedication and commitment,” said Belichick at the time.“He has our lasting respect and admiration and his story will always be an inspiration to everyone. We just reached the point where we ran out of time,” continued his statement issued by the team. In March of the following year, a month after New England won its first ever Super Bowl, the Miami Dolphins gave Edwards another chance at continuing his NFL dream — one that actually worked better.He made Miami’s roster as a change-of-pace back and appeared in 12 games during the 2002 season, touching the football 38 times for 233 yards and a pair of touchdowns. While it was not the same level of production, it was still a tremendous accomplishment three years removed from a serious injury. After leaving Miami, Edwards would go on to continue his career in Canada before stepping away from football for good in 2008.Looking back, Edwards’ career was one of untapped potential but also one of perseverance and strength — an inspirational tale of overcoming the odds. However, it also is still a relatively fresh wound in New England’s memory on its 20th anniversary. With the Pro Bowl coming up later today, it serves as a reminder of just how quickly the NFL dream can die and how athletes are not the superhuman beings they are oftentimes portrayed to be.