New England Patriots Links 8/20/15 - Ninkovich is No Saint, Still Values Time in New Orleans

TEAM TALK

• Andy Hart comes up with fifty observations from Patriots-Saints practice: Malcolm Butler struggles.
• Erik Scalavino shares some news and notes from Patriots-Saints joint practices: Players impressed with amount of work they got in.
• Press Conference - Bill Belichick (plus video).
• Patriots Today - One-on-one with Rob Ninkovich. (2.31 min. video)
• Player Interviews: Chandler Jones (3.25 min. video) and Jimmy Garoppolo (3 min. video)
• Bob Socci and Andy Hart breakdown the Patriots first joint practice with the Saints in West Virginia. (3.31 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Mike Reiss cleans out his Patriots-Saints joint practice notebook heading into Thursday's workouts: Jimmy G ended practice 2-for-2 with TDs in two-minute work.
• Kevin Duffy shares some observations from practice: Dont'a Hightower has shed the red non-contact jersey, a great sign for the Pats.
• Mike Petraglia notes the Patriots and Saints are not expecting to fight like the Cowboys and Rams: 'Competitive level is very high.'
• Karen Guregian reports old friends Drew Brees and Ben Watson catch up with Tom Brady.
• Mark Daniels talks about how the Patriots and Saints have a shared history of feuds with the NFL.
• Mike Petraglia catches up with Rob Ninkovich, the voice of reason and authority on the Patriots defense, "You have to communicate."
• Christopher Price checks in with Julian Edelman, Bryan Stork and the rest of the players who stayed behind in Foxboro.
• Christopher Price charts the offensive opportunities for Patriots skill-position players in preseason.
• Adam Bogdan (Patriots Life) 53 Man Roster Projection 2.0.
• Jeff Howe Patriots Notebook: Rob Gronkowski stronghold tightens; Aaron Dobson hasn't practiced since Aug. 5 (tight hamstring); Chandler Jones thouroughly dismantled Saints LT Terron Armstead; Neither team even came close to fighting.
• Mike Reiss notes UniWatch salutes Boston as best-dressed sports city.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Mike Triplett (ESPN) Saints' Drew Brees on Patriots, Tom Brady: 'Iron sharpens iron'.
• Nick Underhill (New Orleans Advocate) Duron Harmon viewed as one of Patriots five best defensive backs?
• AP Report (USA Today) Patriots, Saints express mutual admiration at joint practice.
• Peter King (The MMQB) 'I wouldn't change it': Darrell Bevell made the Super Bowl play call that's been second-guessed into oblivion."
• Jake Mackey (Goal Line Gazette) AFC East breakdown and predictions: Will the Patriots success continue?
• Jake Mackey (Goal Line Gazette) Will Brandon LaFell have another successful season?
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Tom Brady gives $50,000 to the Jimmy Fund.
• Luke O'Neil (Esquire) The Side of Gronk you don't see: One-on-one with the party-hardy Patriots star.
• David Portnoy (Barstool Sports) ESPN apologized to the Patriots while everybody was sleeping for making up lies about them.
• Stan Gable (Inside the Pylon) Glossary: Scramble drill. /Pats-Jets Week 7 used as example.
• Schedule (CBS Sports) 2015 NFL preseason schedule: Week 2.
• Matt Dolloff notes Bill O'Brien is teaching the Texans what he learned at the Bill Belichick school of stonewalling the media.
• Greg Gabriel (Nat'l Football Post) The process of cutting the roster.
• Nate Davis (USA Today) Will player fights bring an end to NFL's new trend of joint practices?
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) League defers to teams regarding practice-field fights.

DEFLATEGATE DUMPSTER

• Dan Wetzel (Yahoo! Sports) Deflate-gate judge hammers NFL's case against Tom Brady; 'Your Honor is spot-on,' defense crows.
• Lorenzo Reyes (USA Today) The Deflategate judge seems to take the air out of the NFL argument.
• Bob McGovern describes the one-sided smack down Tom Brady's legal team put on the NFL yesterday in court.
• Tom E. Curran notes Judge Berman seemed to commiserate with NFLPA attorney Jeffrey Kessler on 'general awareness' during final oral arguments.
• Tom E. Curran notes Judge Berman zeroes in on NFL for refusing to let Jeffrey Pash be questioned.
• Michael Hurley reports Judge Berman continues to express strong, strong doubts about the very foundation of the NFL's case against Tom Brady.
• Mark Maske (Washington Post) Tom Brady remains unwilling to accept DeflateGate-related suspension from NFL, contrary to earlier ESPN report
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Judge Berman takes aim at Brady being "generally aware" in Wednesday’s hearing.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Request for injunction could be next step in Brady case.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Wednesday’s hearing may have made Brady, NFLPA less inclined to settle.
• Mike Petraglia notes tom Brady didn't need to fight a public relations battle, because the court is doing it for him.
• Jarrett Bell (USA Today) Richard Sherman sees Deflategate double standard. /Sherman sides with Brady.
• Karen Guregian asks the obvious question, "Tom Brady is winning, so why should he settle?"
• Michael McCann (SI Now) What to make of judge's criticisms of NFL's case against Tom Brady. (2.24 min. video)
• Christopher Price reports Brady's legal team scores another win in the deflategate courtroom drama.
• Tom E. Curran reports Judge Berman is requiring Brady and Goodell to appear in court Aug. 31 if no settlement is reached before then.
• Gary Myers (NY Daily News) DeflateGate judge seems to be siding with Tom Brady, not Roger Goodell if settlement isn't reached.
• Mike Lupica (NY Daily News) Roger Goodell, not Tom Brady, the one who should be scrambling over DeflateGate.
• Michael McCann (SI) Deflategate goes back to court: Six keys to the latest hearing.
• Larry Neumeister (AP Pro32) 'Deflategate' judge says Brady suspension in jeopardy.
• Bob Snowdon (Goal Line Gazette) Judge Berman doesn't buy it.