Running backs coach Ivan Fears on the Patriots: ‘There’s a hell of a lot of excitement going around’

Ivan Fears isn’t one to pull punches. He’s not much for delivering the usual coach-speak when talking about his players, or the team. The Patriots longtime running backs coach tells it like it is.

That’s why it was interesting to hear the enthusiasm he voiced not just for the personnel in his room, but the offense, and team as a whole.

Clearly, there’s a buzz emanating from the Patriots, and it’s not just from the outside. It’s on the inside, too.

Asked if all the new players added between the draft and free agency have brought a greater level of excitement for how much better the offense could potentially be from last year, Fears didn’t exactly give a Belichickian answer. He didn’t put a lid on any hype.

Instead, he stoked it.

“Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Not just with our room. We’re starting with a lot of guys who know how to play and we’ve just added some young bodies. But you look at what we’ve added on the rest of the roster, there’s a hell of a lot of excitement going around,” Fears said via Zoom call with reporters Thursday. “That’s evident out there in practice. Guys are having a hell of a lot of fun. They’re working their butt off. They’re learning.

“All the new faces we’ve got, they’re learning and we need all this time to get them ready for training camp so we can actually mold ourselves into the team we need to be.”

And that team is a far cry from the 7-9 version that finished out of the playoffs.

Last season was a struggle on so many levels, even for the coaching staff. But with an actual offseason, and plenty of upgrades across the board, the Patriots coaching staff sounded, for the most part, upbeat about their prospects even at this early stage.

Linebackers coach and defensive signal-caller Steve Belichick was “very excited” about all of the new additions on defense, singing the praises of linebackers Matt Judon and Kyle Van Noy, who returns after a year away.

Tight ends coach Nick Caley couldn’t have sounded more enthused about now having Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith in his room, and how “passionate” and “driven” both of them are to play football.

And, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels also acknowledged all the work Cam Newton has put in, and how he has a better grasp of the offense and terminology heading in this year, compared with last.

That doesn’t mean Newton won’t have competition for the starting job, namely from rookie Mac Jones, but it was a tacit acknowledgment McDaniels had seen improvement.

But none were more positive about the Patriots prospects than Fears, who is in his 25th season with the Patriots, and 46th overall season coaching.

While cautioning there was still “a lot of work to do” and cracking in his inimitable fashion — “this is shorts and T-shirts … if they don’t look good, we got problems. We gotta lotta problems” — Fears struck an optimistic tone throughout his 15-minute session with the media.

Specifically, he was over the moon about fourth-round draft pick Rhamondre Stevenson, and getting to fit him into the mix.

“The thing we like about the kid, he’s a big kid. He’s got great feet, great athletic ability,” said Fears. “He seems to be a smart player … if he can make the transition from what he was doing at Oklahoma to here, the guy has got a hell of a future for himself.”

Fears said Stevenson, who is 6 feet, 230 pounds, reminds him of former Patriots back LeGarrette Blount, who won two Super Bowls with the Pats and led the league in rushing touchdowns during the 2016 season.

“(He has) that kind of body, that kind of athletic ability. He’s probably a better pass receiver than even LeGarrette was,” said Fears. “This kid has got pretty good hands. There are a lot of doors open here. We’ll see what sticks to him.”

Translation: If Stevenson puts in the work, and gets up to speed with the offense, he’ll be in the mix, and contribute to one of the best units the Patriots will put out on the field.

But, as Fears cautioned, nothing is going to be handed to Stevenson just because he looks the part.

“We’re not going to give him a free ride,” said Fears. “He’s going to have to earn everything he gets. If he doesn’t earn it, he gets to watch. That’s what happens. This is going to be determined by him, not by a committee.”

Once again, Fears telling it like it is.

After being a part of all six championship teams, and knowing how hard it is to maintain sustained success, Fears likes the direction the Patriots are headed in 2021.

Overall, big picture-wise, looking around at what he sees on the field after an offseason spent re-loading, Fears feels the buzz.

“Excitement-wise? Yeah, you just gotta see how hard these guys are working,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to tell you about it and show it to you but (the new guys) are doing an awful lot to learn our system and get ready for the season. That, to me, is exciting. Really exciting.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/34IkrZZ