New England Patriots: Is there another veteran ready to retire?

Rob Ninkovich of the New England Patriots recently retired. Will another veteran follow in his footsteps?

The New England Patriots lost one of their most consistent veterans when veteran Rob Ninkovich announced his retirement at age 33 after nine years in New England and a dozen years in the NFL. Ninkovich may not have been drafted by New England, but as a scrap heap signing considered by many as a “back-up long-snapper”, Ninkovich first fought his way onto the field via special teams, linebacker, and finally two-time Super Bowl starting defensive end.

With Ninkovich gone, the defense loses its longest-tenured player on that side of the ball. While young veterans Shea McClellin and Kyle Van Noy are the most likely to take his snaps at 4-3 defensive end/3-4 outside linebacker, there is a wealth of experience which is lost with Ninkovich’s retirement. Devin McCourty is now the longest consecutive tenured defensive player and Patrick Chung–with a brief interlude in Philadelphia–ties McCourty for longest-tenured.

However, the team is not bereft of leadership on defense either. Veteran defensive tackle Alan Branch is in his eleventh NFL season and returns to provide leadership to a young defensive line. He is joined by Michigan classmate David Harris who can step in alongside Dont’a Hightower and provide veteran leadership.

WIth the loss of Ninkovich, the next question becomes who is the next veteran to depart New England? Every season it seems like there is a surprising cut or two and a veteran who fails to make the squad as age and attrition takes its toll.

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Alan Branch has seemed to be on the verge of retirement the past two or three seasons and it could be any hot a day in August where he shrugs off the pads and decides “I’m too old for this.”  Branch is not yet on the field due to being placed on the PUP list. For the veteran Branch, this should not set off any alarms as Bill Belichick has a history of giving the big, older linemen extended time off in training camp to keep them fresh for the season.

New England has free agent Lawrence Guy from Baltimore able to play at defensive tackle and second-year run-stuffer Vincent Valentine and impressive third-year player Malcom Brown at the position. Guy has had a quiet camp to date, but his versatility and ability to play anywhere across the defensive line should make him a favorite of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.

Of course, quarterback Tom Brady is the oldest player on the team at age 39 but shows no sign of slowing down and has repeatedly indicated he is not considering retirement any time soon. Instead, he has continued to set the tone in the early days of training camp bringing a tireless enthusiasm, leadership and a drive to succeed in every drill.

Kicker Stephen Gostkowski had some struggles last season but the Patriots seem content with his reliable and strong leg in the kicking game. With most kickers, a team will bring in a young kicker with a strong leg to challenge the incumbent. Instead, Bill Belichick and the Patriots have done the opposite and went for the mental boost of not bringing anyone in to compete with Gostkowski in training camp and letting him work through his yips.

Wide receivers Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman are both over 30 but neither seems ready to call it quits. Amendola faces the most competition with young receivers Malcolm Mitchell and under-the-radar player to watch Devin Lucien trying to take his snaps. Edelman is going nowhere and the Patriots are managing Amendola’s time on the practice field to keep him ready for when he is needed in the regular season and playoffs.

Amendola has saved his best play for the playoffs where he functions as Tom Brady’s security blanket. During the season, the Patriots have managed Amendola’s playing time to have him ready for the playoffs. It paid off last season as he had eight receptions for 78 yards and a key touchdown against Atlanta in Super Bowl 51. In Super Bowl 49, Amendola had five receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown against Seattle after he had two touchdown catches in the divisional round against Baltimore (per Pro-Football-Reference.com).

Linebacker David Harris is 33 years old this season but seems inspired to make a run in the postseason after surviving his decade-plus in New York. Harris has a chip on his shoulder in 2017 and seems to have no desire to step away from the game after being unceremoniously dumped by the Jets well after the free agency period.

Beyond Harris, the only other player on the roster is All-Pro special teams ace Matthew Slater. Slater is still one of the fastest players on the field (can we get him and Brandin Cooks in a 40-yard dash race for charity?) and is an integral part of the special teams. Slater has been out on the field leading the special teams unit as a team captain with his usual aggressive style of play.

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Although the Patriots have a number of veterans on offense, defense and special teams, it seems none are in position to walk away like veteran Rob Ninkovich at this time. Unless there is a new injury or a surprise release, the rest of the veterans in New England seem ready to play in 2017 and try to end the season hoisting the Lombardi Trophy following Super Bowl 52.