Morning sports update: Chris Long thinks the Patriots are trying to ‘spin’ Tom Brady’s departure
"If they were serious, I think they would've gotten something done."
The Patriots continued what has been an eventful offseason on Wednesday, trading Duron Harmon to the Lions in a deal that sheds salary while swapping draft picks:
Compensation on a trade reported earlier in the week: The #Lions acquired DB Duron Harmon and a 2020 7th-round pick (No. 235 overall) from the #Patriots for a 2020 5th-round pick (No. 172).
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 19, 2020
Tom Brady is still expected to sign with the Buccaneers, though no deal has been formally agreed to yet.
New England also has reportedly signed defensive tackle Beau Allen.
Chris Long’s thoughts on Tom Brady and the Patriots: Former Patriots defensive lineman Chris Long, who helped New England win Super Bowl LI, joined SportsCenter on Wednesday night to weigh in on the Brady’s decision to join the Buccaneers.
One thing he disagreed with was the Patriots’ version of the Brady narrative.
“New England’s trying to spin it now, the ‘state TV’ a little bit, that ‘Tom left us.’ If they were serious, I think they would’ve gotten something done.”
Long’s reference to “state TV” is possibly a reference to the comments made by Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who spoke in a plethora of interviews following Brady’s announcement that he was leaving New England on Tuesday.
“If he wanted to be here, we would have put a deal together,” Kraft said following Brady’s decision.
Trivia: Before he was quickly traded to the Celtics, what team originally drafted Rajon Rondo?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: The team that drafted Rondo didn’t feel like they needed him because their point guard was the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player.
More from Boston.com:
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- 3 things to know about Beau Allen
- Meet Jarrett Stidham, Tom Brady’s possible successor
- NBA commissioner: League will consider many ideas if play can resume
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- Flame arrival faces calls for Tokyo Olympics to be delayed
- The marquee March Madness matchups that could have been
- Rob Gronkowski set to host WrestleMania
A billboard near Gillette Stadium
:
On a billboard about 1 mile north of Gillette Stadium this morning. pic.twitter.com/yWQZz4Iurf
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 19, 2020
According to Michael Irvin, Bill O’Brien compared DeAndre Hopkins to Aaron Hernandez:
.@michaelirvin88 shared shocking details surrounding the relationship problems between Bill O’Brien and DeAndre Hopkins. pic.twitter.com/mr33pvpfxC
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 18, 2020
Hopkins weighed in later on Twitter, saying the story was “being blown way out of proportion.”
https://twitter.com/DeAndreHopkins/status/1240304023267205120
On this day: In 1995, Michael Jordan played his first game with the Bulls after returning to basketball following his first retirement and subsequent attempt to play professional baseball.
Classic rewind: Here are some highlights of Bill Russell winning the 1955 NCAA Championship against 7-foot-3 Wade Halbrook of Oregon State.
Trivia answer: Phoenix Suns
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