Patriots just working hard...at blocking out noise

FOXBOROUGH — Vince Wilfork is gone. Darrelle Revis is gone. Brandon Spikes was barely back here before he is now gone. Malcolm Butler is in Bill Belichick’s doghouse. Tom Brady is in Roger Goodell’s doghouse. Someone is one Jimmy Garoppolo bad snap away from being the starting quarterback.

But, the Patriots are just taking it one day at a time, trying to get better, focusing on the guys that are here.

If any team and any coach can block out the external noise, it is the Patriots and Belichick.

“We’re just concentrating on today, not really talking about the past – not last week, not last year,” Belichick said when asked about Brandon Spikes’ car being involved in an accident last weekend, a possible hit-and-run. “We’re out here working on stuff today and we’re getting stuff done.”

Speaking to the media after Thursday’s optional team activities workout on the practice field behind Gillette Stadium, Belichick was asked if he had a response to a report by the Boston Herald that Butler was held out of the first two weeks of workouts for disciplinary reasons.

Belichick’s response: “No.”

Asked if it was good to have Butler back on the field for Thursday’s workout, Belichick replied:

“Been out there. Everybody that’s out there is working hard. Guys that aren’t out there, we hope we get them back soon.”

Butler was equally reticent.

“Just back out here with my teammates and trying to get better,” he said. “Trying to get better for this season.”

What about the report that he was not allowed to participate in workouts since they began May 26 after missing a flight to New England?

“I really don’t have a comment about that,” Butler said. “Just glad to get back out here, back participating and getting better. Just trying to get better. That’s all.”

Does he agree with his alleged punishment?

“I’m really not going to get into that,” he said. “No comment on that.”

The Super Bowl saviour has a chance for an increased role this season at cornerback. Can he take advantage of that opportunity?

“This is a big opportunity,” Butler said. “I don’t want to mess up so I’ve got to prepare myself the best way I can. So that’s what I’m going to do.”

The Patriots noise-blockers have become standard equipment in the Gillette Stadium locker room. They will certainly need them this season. After a tumultuous offseason in which Deflategate became part of our lexicon and NFL poster boy Tom Brady took major body blows to his once-sterling image, the Patriots will be hearing the noise from the first snap of their Aug. 22 preseason game at New Orleans – their first appearance outside of New England – until the end of the season, whenever that may be.

But if any team can block out the cacophony surrounding them, it is the Patriots, the only team this millennium with back-to-back Super Bowl titles.

But Belichick isn’t looking back.

“There are a lot of players that are on this team that weren’t on that team last year, so we don’t have to worry about last year,” Belichick said. “Talk about today, talk about tomorrow. It’s a new season.”

“The great thing about football is every year’s a new year, it’s a new season, it’s a new start,” said defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. “So for us it’s an opportunity to get back out on the grass and get rolling. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been in the league a long time, a short time, if it’s your first year, whatever it is. That’s the fun about football is being outside and being on the grass and playing with your teammates.”

Brady is scheduled for a showdown with Roger Goodell on June 23, when the NFL commissioner hears the quarterback’s appeal of his four-game suspension. Brady has not spoken to the media since May 7 at Salem State, the day after the Wells Report on Deflategate was released. To those around him, though, he’s the same ol’ Tom.

“He’s the same Tom Brady I’ve always had a chance to coach at this time of the year,” said offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels. “He’s working extremely hard. He has a great attitude. He’s had a very good spring. He’s a positive influence on our offense and our team. He’s doing everything he can each day to get better. Nothing different from any year I’ve had the opportunity to work with him in the past.”

The Patriots will need to maintain that kind of equilibrium and tunnel vision this season if they are to repeat. Because the noise is getting loud.

Maureen Mullen can be reached at mmullen@itemlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MaureenAMullen.