Safety can’t follow Rodney Harrison's lead
Players handle their leadership roles in different ways. Some, like former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, are loud, in your face, and constantly bringing it on the field.
That was his style when he helped lead the Patriots to two of their three championships.
Others are in the quiet, lead-by-example category. Former Patriots defensive tackle Richard Seymour comes to mind in that group.Here’s the question: Can a player change his leadership style? Can he take on a different personality?
That’s what Harrison suggests needs to happen with safety Devin McCourty for the Patriots to achieve the desired goal. Following Ty Law’s recent Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Patriot Place, Harrison asserted that McCourty had to take control of the secondary, even if that means getting in teammates’ faces.
He said that is the key to making the defense truly come of age.
“I just think he has to step outside his comfort zone,” Harrison said. “Sometimes that’s what it takes.”
Or, it can work in the reverse.
If Seattle coach Pete Carroll suddenly turned into a tough-talking, disciplinarian, would anyone buy that?
McCourty, apprised of Harrison’s remarks, doesn’t see himself stepping out of character and taking on that kind of persona.
McCourty respects Harrison, and appreciates his opinion, but believes the in-your-face style was Rodney’s deal. And while players certainly responded, it’s just not McCourty’s way.
“I’ve always said the key is to be you. If I’m in here yelling and screaming, and doing those things, that’s not me. The guys are going to laugh at me,” McCourty told the Herald after Wednesday’s combined workouts in Richmond, Va., with the Redskins.
“These guys know me as a player. We’ve been here working hard. I’m going to continue to lead the guys the way I’ve been doing it and not worry about what Rodney Harrison says, or someone else says. I think my goal is, listen to the coaches, do what we need to do, and try to have a good team and a good secondary.”
It is Harrison’s view that for the Patriots secondary to ultimately click, and reap the benefits of all its new parts, McCourty must step up and take charge of the lot. Even though McCourty hasn’t shown those types of leadership skills, Harrison believes the veteran safety has it in him to do so, and that is the key to making it all work.
Does McCourty even feel it is his secondary, or that he must claim it as his, as Harrison suggests?
“I know he’s passionate. He was part of this team. He did great things here. That’s his opinion,” McCourty said of Harrison. “But I’m not really into, ‘This is my secondary. I run things.’ Who cares, as long as we’re winning and playing good defense?’’
McCourty’s teammates have seen the fifth-year safety evolve. But that evolution hasn’t included any abrupt changes in personality. McCourty leads, he’s just not the most demonstrative guy.
“He’s very quiet. He leads by example,” safety Patrick Chung said of his teammate. “He just makes plays, does what he has to do. That’s how it is with him. Sometimes when things get competitive, suddenly things might happen. Everybody’s different. Everybody has a crazy side. It’s just a matter of how much crazy you got in you.”
On the crazy meter, McCourty doesn’t register very high. When things happen in games, he doesn’t flip that switch. McCourty doesn’t have a gear for “crazy.”
Duron Harmon, who appears to have a leg up to be the other starter at safety, has known McCourty for awhile, given their Rutgers ties. He also describes the veteran safety as the quiet, cerebral type.
“He leads in all types of ways. he leads with his words. But more times than not, he leads by example,” Harmon said. “He’s a great football player, he does almost everything right to the tee, and all you can do is watch him, and try and learn from him.”
Harmon identified McCourty as the quarterback of the secondary, the man who puts him in the right position when needed.
“When I can’t get right, he’ll get me right,” Harmon said. “He’s a quarterback like that. That’s just him.”
Will it make a difference if McCourty’s not the kind of take-charge quarterback Harrison envisions? We’ll see.
Gaffney a ‘great pickup’
We caught up with NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock, one of the foremost draft gurus in the media, to get his take on running back Tyler Gaffney, whom the Pats picked up on waivers from Carolina late last month.
The former Stanford star, who played baseball his junior year, won’t play this season after undergoing knee surgery. Mayock indicated he had a “third- or fourth-round” grade on Gaffney, who ultimately went in the sixth round of this year’s NFL draft.
“I thought it was a great pickup off waivers, because he’s going to have a chance to make this team (in 2015),” Mayock said. “He’s a powerful downhill guy. He ran faster than people thought. If I remember correctly, he ran in the low 4.5s. So he’s a 235-pound back that ran in the low 4.5s, has great hands, and can pass protect.
“To me, that sounds like a guy that would appeal to the New England Patriots because he’s so versatile.”
Reed lauds Pats’ Easley
Redskins tight end Jordan Reed played with Patriots first-round draft pick Dominique Easley at Florida.
He missed not seeing his former teammate in Richmond when the teams engaged in joint practices. While the rookie defensive lineman has yet to take part in training camp as he continues his rehab from ACL surgery, Reed couldn’t have given a better endorsement to Easley.
“They’re getting a great player who has a lot of passion for the game,” Reed told the Herald Wednesday. “He’s a good pass rusher and a good run stopper. He’s the whole package. He’s one of my good friends. He’s just a great guy.” . . .
Considering that the Seahawks led the league in pass-interference penalties last season, and they’ve been accused of testing the limits of the rule book, it’ll be interesting to see how they fare with the new focus on defensive holding, illegal contact or interference
Naturally, Carroll has had the defending Super Bowl champs working on adjusting to the emphasis.
Carroll said his players were comfortable with the changes.
“We’re not fighting or resisting the changes that are here,” Carroll told the Seattle Times. “We’re trying to adapt and go with it.”
Jets TE Amaro struggling
Rookie tight end Jace Amaro, who many thought was on the Patriots’ radar during the draft, has had some difficulty making the grade with the Jets thus far.
The Texas Tech star, who caught 106 passes last year in college, has struggled big time with Gang Green. His camp has been punctuated by drops and problems learning the offense.
It’s been so bad, both quarterback Geno Smith and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg have taken turns yelling at him over his route-running mistakes.
“His expectations are high and so are ours for Jace,” Mornhinweg told the New York Post. “His challenge is, (and) he’s going to be a fine player, how quick he can get that thing done. So that’s his challenge.
“Steve Hagen is the tight end coach and (is) working hard with Jace (on) just very basic things —
terminology and first two steps and how we’re getting in and out of things and all the different routes.” . . .
On the flipside, someone having a great camp is Bengals rookie cornerback Darqueze Dennard, cousin of Patriots cornerback Alfonzo Dennard.
Bengals radio play-by-play man Dan Hoard tweeted that Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said Darqueze Dennard was “the best rookie corner I’ve seen.”
That’s pretty high praise for the first-year corner out of Michigan State.
Chung strikes a chord
Chung Changing Lives, an organization founded by the Pats safety and his wife Cecilia, in partnership with the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center Inc., is hosting its second Jam Session at the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston next Sunday at 6:30 p.m. The session showcases the musical talents of its Summer Music Academy for Real Teens, which is a free, six-week intensive music program for teens that enables them to develop their music skills.
“It’s the end of the six-week camp. It’s the final product. The kids get to perform on stage. It’s going to be fun,” said Chung, who was raised by two professional musicians.
