New England Patriots: Morning Coffee at MusketFire.com: Tuesday 9/8/15

Nov 3, 2013; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback

(12) calls out a play against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second half at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Steelers 55-31. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Grab your coffee the sports section in your archaic newspaper. Don’t bother going anywhere else online for your New England Patriots news, analysis, and opinion.

Here at MusketFire.com we have your Morning Coffee with all the vital information you need to stay on top of all the Patriots’ going-ons in the time it takes to enjoy your first cup of joe:

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

The New England Patriots are just two days away from defending their Super Bowl title on Thursday Night Football when they kick-off the 2015 NFL regular season with a prime-time game with Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

We know Tom Brady is going to play so the marquee Brady-Ben Roethlisberger quarterback match-up is on.

We know Rob Gronkowski is opening a season healthy for the first time since the 2011 season. How did he do that season? Oh, he only caught 90 passes for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns. This season he has a legitimate second tight end to line up on the other side of the offensive line for the first time since Aaron Hernandez went off the rails following the 2012 season.

TWEETING TWITS:

So the big news on Monday was the NFL “disrespecting” New England quarterback Tom Brady by leaving him off their tweet about Super Bowl 50. The league twitter account included Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, and Andrew Luck from the AFC and Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Carson Daly Palmer.

Yup, Carson Palmer as a Super Bowl favorite and the reigning Super Bowl MVP does not make the cut. The NFL took down the tweet, but even if was supposed to be a subtle dig at Brady, the league’s twitter staff probably did not expect the backlash they received from the New England fanbase.

It has been a rough seven months, NFL. You do not want to &@*% with New England Patriots fans after this offseason!

PRACTICE NEWS: PRACTICE SQUAD NEWS:

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots center Bryan Stork (66) in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

With the only news from practice the continuing absence of starting center Bryan Stork, the news focused instead on the practice squad.

Wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins returned to New England and is on-call if needed for the next six weeks until Brandon LaFell is healthy. If Chris Harper gets hurt and the Patriots promote Thompkins to the active roster they would will be back to their 2013 receivers with Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Aaron Dobson, and Thompkins.

Joining Thompkins on the practice squad was tight end Asante Cleveland, guard Chris Barker, tackle Blaine Clausell, wide receiver Nathan Palmer, defensive tackle Jimmy Staten, outside linebacker Xzavier Dickson, inside linebacker Darius Fleming, cornerback Dax Swanson, and safety Brandon King.

Clausell was cut by Baltimore and he is an undrafted free agent from Mississippi State. Palmer was a surprise signing and could be the most tenuous. I thought Jalen Saunders would hold down a spot on the practice squad but he landed in Chicago on the Bears’ practice squad. Impressive linebacker James Morris and former fourth round draft pick offensive tackle Cameron Fleming could still wind up on the practice squad.

According to reports, former running back Jonas Gray is set for a workout with the Tennessee Titans. Returning to the Patriots’ practice squad looks unlikely for the bruising back.

OK, I need a second cup of coffee now. Come back tomorrow for another dose of Morning Coffee at MusketFire.com. However, be sure to check out the daily poll below before you move on to the next great article here.