Hall Of Fame Tackle Comes To Patriots Will Campbell's Defense Amid Heavy Criticism
Hall Of Fame Tackle Comes To Patriots Will Campbell's Defense Amid Heavy Criticism originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The New England Patriots drafted Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft last season, and he had an inconsistent rookie year.
Campbell looked great at times, but really struggled in the playoffs, and his poor Super Bowl performance drew heavy criticism. The fact that he refused to speak to the media after the game did not help. However, amid all of the criticism, Joe Thomas has come out to defend Campbell .
Even before Campbell was drafted, many raised questions about his short arms, and after he struggled in the Super Bowl, those concerns rose again. “The problem in the Super Bowl had nothing to do with arm length,” Thomas said on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast. “It was the timing of his kick set and the timing of his feet as it relates to the player he was trying to block.
“It was off, and I think that was part of the injury he sustained during the year. ” Thomas is a Hall of Famer and a good authority on good tackle play in the NFL. He started 167 games at left tackle in his career and was a 10-time Pro Bowler and six-time First-Team All-Pro.
Campbell suffered an MCL injury in Week 11. He missed time, but returned to play through the injury in the playoffs. After the season, he admitted the injury was worse than the media thought, but did not use it as an excuse.