Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots have ended their offseason program and now break until training camp later this month. While players are out of the facility, plenty remains to break down.
So, let’s get into this week’s #PostPulpit Mailbag.
What offensive and defensive positional groups is going to be the most fun to watch battle it out in camp? – mathblaster97
The talent and depth at wide receiver and defensive line will make those groups exciting to watch for me. A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs building their chemistry with Drake Maye while Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, and Efton Chism III battle for their roles — as well as their potential futures in New England.
Then Milton Williams and Christian Barmore start year two together while Cory Durden, Leonard Taylor III, Joshua Farmer, Eric Gregory, Jeremiah Pharms, David Blay and Travis Shaw will be competing for depth roles.
Is there any other precedent for a player doing a freelance surgery without the teams knowledge? Did it all come out copacetic for the player, contract and team at the end? – paulnewman
Under the league’s CBA, players have the right to seek second medical opinions and select surgeons outside of the organization at the team’s expense. The team must be aware of any procedure beforehand, however, and then has final authority on when the player is cleared to play.
There have been several examples over the years of players and teams differing on medical opinions.
Most notably in recent years, offensive tackle Trent Williams sought outside medical care after Washington team doctors reportedly labeled a growth on his head harmless. An outside specialist later found it to be a form of tissue cancer that required several surgeries to remove the tumor. The situation ultimately contributed to Williams forcing a trade.
As Williams’ case illustrates, relationships can often become strained during these disputes. The Jets fined and released Kelechi Osemele in 2019 after he authorized an outside surgeon to perform shoulder surgery that team doctors believed he could play through. The Saints and Michael Thomas publicly disagreed over treatment options after Thomas received a second opinion on his ankle injury and opted against immediate surgery.
The situation involving Gabe Jacas and the Patriots is somewhat different. Because Jacas had not yet been drafted when he underwent his cleanup procedure, neither he nor his representatives were obligated to follow CBA procedures and notify NFL teams. As a result, the Patriots did not provide him with the standard participation agreement during the spring, and Jacas remains unsigned as the two sides continue to work through issues related to guarantees and injury protection. At this point, however, any frustration from the Patriots side is likely with the agent due to those factors.
What would you say to Paul Perillo, who said on PU, that the Pats have Jacas’ rights secured without a contract until next year’s draft and not the game 10 marker that was stated before? – PatsHowYouDoIt
To clarify,...
