Patriots new RT Morgan Moses
Getty
Patriots new RT Morgan Moses
One of the things that has been impressive about new Patriots lineman Morgan Moses throughout his 11 years in the NFL has been his ability to stay healthy. He was a third-round pick in 2014, and by 2015, he was Washington’s everyday starter at right tackle, a job he held for six years, before moving on to the Jets and Ravens. Moses played every game for eight straight years, and has played 14 games in each of his last two NFL seasons.
When he signed with the Patriots he was asked for his keys to staying healthy.
“You know, obviously being in the trenches, you’re always going to get banged up,” he said. “Last year I dealt with a knee injury from Week 3 on, and just sleeping in the hyperbaric chamber, getting up early mornings, 5:00, to go into the facility to make sure the trainer sees you doing your thing.
“Obviously not every day you’re going to feel well to be able to do everything, so watching that tape and obviously being a guy that’s going into year 12 I’ve never been scared to ask a younger guy, Coach, what can I do better?”
But, it turns out, there was a bit more to fixing that Week 3 injury than the hyperbaric chamber. Moses also had knee surgery.
Morgan Moses Sat Out Some of OTAs
That was a tidbit Moses dropped this week during Patriots’ OTAs, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Moses was not a full participant in on-field drills.
Moses, Reiss wrote, “shared that he is returning from offseason knee surgery. That explained why he didn’t participate in full-team drills during practice. ‘Just pacing things out,’ he said.
“Moses, 34, played through a knee injury last season, which he initially sustained in a Week 3 win over the Patriots. As for why he elected for surgery and continuing his career, he said it comes back to his love of football and learning. ‘I still enjoy the grind and being with the guys,’ he said.”
Indeed, the Patriots do value Moses’ upbeat attitude and the veteran leadership he can provide a youngster like No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell. But make no mistake, the Patriots need a solid, healthy campaign from Moses on the right side, where he will line up next to Michael Onwenu.
Patriots Leaning on Veteran Leaders
But Moses will have help in creating culture, as the Patriots also brought in top free agents like defensive lineman Milton Williams and cornerback Carlton Davis, who have won Super Bowls, as well linebacker Robert Spillane and pass rusher Harold Landry.
Moses said adding veterans to a group headed by Mike Vrabel is a formula for success.
“You don’t need a miracle to win football games,” Moses said. “You just need the right people in the building. Obviously with Coach Vrabel here, we’ve got the right people. Our owner is an amazing owner, and then obviously we’ve got the right people here. CD won a Super Bowl; Milton just won a Super Bowl. They’re going to bring knowledge of the game on how to bring longevity through those weeks of week 18, 19, 20 when it hurts, when people want to tap out, how to keep going.
“It’s important for us to be able to learn from one another, and everybody has different qualities. Robert, he told — eight years in the league as a free agent without a tryout, and he comes in here and now he’s 140 tackles two years in a row. That doesn’t happen overnight. That’s preparation. That’s dawg. That’s brotherhood. That’s mentality.”