Getty Former New England Patriots special teamer Nate Ebner.
In a recent survey from the NFLPA, the New England Patriots facilities drew massive criticism from players but one former member of the organization doesn’t know where the complaints are coming from.
Former Patriot Nat Ebner recently appeared on 98.5 The Sports Hub and didn’t understand why the organization was being criticized.
“I think it’s funny that we’ve come to a time where we’re taking surveys on how everybody feels about facilities,” Ebner said. “A weight’s a weight, man. You lift a weight, and you work hard — that’s what it’s all about. I think that’s crazy to be quite honest with you. But I was in New England for eight years, longer than most, and I can’t think of one complaint. … I don’t know, I don’t see it.”
Ebner continued saying that the fact that New England won Super Bowls shows that the facilities were just fine.
“For me, I thought it was great,” Ebner added. “They had everything I needed. From a physical standpoint to improve myself and my strength and my speed, great coaching. … The people in the building are what matters. The material stuff… like I said: A weight’s a weight. I had everything I needed. I think all the Super Bowls speak for the fact that we had what we needed to get it done. So, I don’t know. But I loved it there. The people treat you well. I can’t say enough about Mr. Kraft and Bill (Belichick), and just the whole organization.”
New England Patriots Players Believe the Facilities Need Updating
According to the first-of-its-kind survey by the NFLPA, Patriots players believe that the facilities in New England need to be updated.
“The player respondents’ feedback from our survey described the club’s facility as old, dated and in need of renovation,” New England’s portion of the survey read. “The staffing of the current facilities was also flagged as an issue in need of improvement, specifically in the weight room and training room. The player respondents’ indicated that facilities and operations at the Patriots can use a refresh. Given the results, it is understandable that only 64% of players believe club owner Robert Kraft is willing to spend the money necessary for upgrades, ranking him 26th in this category.”
New England Patriots Release All-Pro Punter Jake Bailey
After previously signing Bailey to a four-year $13.5 million deal which made him the highest-paid punter in the NFL according to Spotrac. New England ended up releasing the punter prior to the start of free agency.
Bailey’s played in only nine games this past season due to a back injury. He was designated to return from injured reserve and started practicing in December but was never activated to the 53-man roster and was even suspended for the final two games of the season. This resulted in Bailey filing a grievance against New England.
“While Jake Bailey was on (injured reserve), he never missed a single treatment, meeting or practice” Bailey’s agent Doug Hendrickson wrote in a statement. “He was hoping to come off IR to play last weekend, but Jake was informed he was being suspended these last two games. This comes as a surprise given his full participation during injury reserve. We have filed a grievance to fight this unknown suspension.”
Bailey was a fifth-round draft pick by New England in 2019 and earned All-Pro honors in 2020. He played in 58 consecutive games until he suffered the back injury. With Bailey no longer on the roster, the Patriots currently have no punters under contract for the 2023 season.