Last night Devin McCourty announced that he is planning on coming back for the 2019 season. Having the smartest, most tenured and respected player on your defense who is also the vocal leader back is always great news, but there was more to his proclamation that he isn’t retiring.
For starters, I’d have to assume that also means his brother Jason will be back with the Patriots next year. A free agent, I cannot foresee a situation where Jason goes elsewhere after playing and winning a Super Bowl with his brother while being a serious contributor. Maybe Devin takes a pay-cut so they can bring Jason back, even though he likely won’t be a hard bargainer.
Secondly, when you listened to what he said, you got a look at how these tenured Pats players think. We always say Bill looks for players that have an incredible football IQ and genuinely love the game of football. Devin said that he came back not just for the ring, but for the chase. To go through all of the preparation day in and day out that can get you to the ring. That is the voice of a man who loves football.
And if you were to get an honest answer from some of the other guys, past and present, that were on the team for a while- guys like Dont’a Hightower, Vince Wilfork, Tedy Bruschi, etc- they would tell you the same thing.
The program that has been installed and perfected over the last 18 years is the closest thing you will get to a systematic approach to team building in professional sports. Getting a group of men to buy in to a system that makes the team better requires special individuals doing extraordinary things.
With team after team labeled as the supposed conqueror of the evil empire in New England- from Pittsburgh to Baltimore and Denver- falling by the wayside after a couple years of sustained success, you get an appreciation for what this organization has been able to build.
As glad as I am McCourty is back, it’s good to know that this well oiled machine has a proven system that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon.
Bowles' Blog 