PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Training Camp

Tweets of Note: Patriots Training Camp Practice #8

by

The Patriots held an intra-squad scrimmage today and Tom Brady tore it up to say the least. Brady has been as focused and hyped as we’ve ever seen him in training camp this summer. He also spoke briefly with the media after practice, marking his first statements since accepting the four-game suspension for maybe being aware that some of his ballboys probably weren’t running a deflation scheme.

Here are some Brady-centric tweets that stood out today:

[Read more…] about Tweets of Note: Patriots Training Camp Practice #8

Tweets of Note: Patriots Training Camp Practice #7

by

The dog days of training camp are here. Guys are in and out of practices, making it difficult to know just who’s actually injured and who’s just being managed. But the good news is that one week from today we’ll get our first preseason game and things will really start to take shape.

Here are the tweets that stood out today:

[Read more…] about Tweets of Note: Patriots Training Camp Practice #7

Report from Kevin Faulk’s HOF Induction and In-Stadium Practice Notes

by

I attended the Kevin Faulk Patriots Hall of Fame induction and ensuing practice inside Gillette Stadium to cover it for us here at Pats Propaganda. This was my second time attending one of these inductions (the first being for Tedy Bruschi in 2013), so I went in with certain expectations for the event, and they were all met.

The Krafts really do go all out to help the fans and important players in team history connect and pay tribute to each other. They are model ownership, and other franchises should really take note. The red carpet, players from every era of Patriots football (the earliest players this time were from 1966), cheerleaders carrying out every Super Bowl trophy wearing white gloves ala Philip Pritchard (the keeper of the Stanley Cup), gun salutes from the minutemen, Bob Kraft himself presenting the players and putting the red jacket on them. Both this occasion and the Bruschi induction had fans spilling out as far as there was a viewpoint in all directions. Just a great environment.

A photo posted by @leojwhite on

Kevin’s speech was very direct, paying tribute to everyone in his life that helped him along the way…friends, families, teammates, coaches, ownership, etc. Not much in the way of stories from him, which seemed to be very fitting based on everyone else’s testaments to him during the ceremony.

After the speech, Bill Belichick came out and said some nice things about Kevin. Belichick rarely gets too candid or passionate about anything, so it’s great to see when it does happen, as it did here.

Following Belichick’s tribute to Kevin, there was a bit of a quick story time with other players that played alongside him. One of the striking things was that most of the other players on stage with him were defensive players, as they actually all worked against each other in practice every day and helped make each other great at what they did, and all constantly paid tribute to each other’s roles in drills, whether it was pass protection (Bruschi), or pass coverage (Willie McGinest and Ty Law). Patrick Pass was up there as well and discussed learning from Kevin. Ty Law also told a story about Kevin’s rookie year involving a little bit of hazing, in which the two of them and a few other players were at a bar doing copious amounts of shots, though Kevin wasn’t aware that he was the only one actually drinking liquor, everyone else had shots of water. Funny stuff.

Tom Brady showed up in a Faulk jersey and spoke as well! First time he has visibly been a part of any of these inductions, you could tell they had a great relationship.

A photo posted by @leojwhite on

Following the ceremony, there was practice inside of Gillette Stadium.

Here are some quick notes from my observations there:

-It was all helmets and shoulder pads, so there wasn’t much in the way of contact, but a lot of passing in 11 on 11s still occurred.

-Gronk. Gronk. Gronk. Seriously, Gronk. I’ve seen him in camp for many years now. This is the best and fastest I’ve ever seen him look (and it’s not even close). If the Patriots chose to run their offense in a way to make it happen and everyone stayed in good health, he could go for 2500 yards this year. Obviously, they won’t run it that way…rest of the NFL: you could be in some serious trouble.

-The Patriots appear to have three legitimate quarterbacks on the roster. Jacoby Brissett was exclusively working with guys that are likely to be fringe players, but his accuracy, delivery, and decision making looked like he is built for NFL success. Jimmy Garoppolo no longer has the throwing form of Uncle Rico, but lost nothing on his quick delivery or accuracy with the change. Tom Brady is Tom Brady.

-Among the standout guys working with Jacoby Brissett’s group in 11 on 11s were fellow rookies Malcolm Mitchell, DJ Foster, and Devin Lucien. Darryl Roberts was over there as well on defense. I couldn’t really get a good look at Kamu Grugier-Hill because of where he lined up most of the time, but other reports were that he looked solid on that end. I think some of those guys were over there to get in reps instead of rotate or to keep building playbook knowledge.

-The closest comparison I can make for Malcolm Mitchell that most people could gravitate to is when you’re playing varsity football, and see the first couple freshman practices of the year, and see that one guy that stands out so much that you think “oh wow, he might get some varsity snaps this year”. He was clearly the best player in that whole group. He needs to work on his sideline awareness (a few one-foot-in grabs), but his routes were tight, he was very quick, he went after the ball, and his hands were like glue.

-DJ Foster was lining up all over the place, more than any other runningback on either end of the field. Slot, split out wide, behind the quarterback under center, next to the quarterback in shotgun. He was running swings, screens, and wheel routes from behind the line, and gos, slants, and Z-outs when on the line. He could be the real deal if he’s a solid ball carrier as well. He and Darryl Roberts had great battles whenever lined up across from each other, but Foster was torching everyone else that was put on him.

-I said very nice things about my expectations for Devin Lucien last week. I’m going to simply say that I hope he’s somebody that shows up big time in games, because I wasn’t incredibly impressed by him in practice, unfortunately.

-As far as the bigger named talent and the people with them go, Jamie Collins looked strong in coverage, particularly on one pass breakup against James White. If he can get as strong in pass coverage as the rest of his game is, the Patriots will need to resign him before he wins Defensive MVP.

-Deandre Carter saw a lot of balls thrown his way in 11 on 11 with the first teamers. He’s building trust with both Tom and Jimmy, and that can’t be good for players deeper down the roster or currently injured receivers not at practice.

–Aaron Dobson seems to be having another “can he put it all together like this on gamedays and stay healthy?” camp, for the fourth consecutive year. I already feel like this is quite a dead horse, but I’d love to see this story end in a new way. He looked good.

-College highlight films of Cyrus Jones give the impression that he is a very Tyrann Mathieu-like player, so I’m excited to see him in full pads and full contact. He was certainly solid…but if his game is as chippy as it seems, you can’t really break that out in athletic shorts.

Overall, it was quite a fun day of revisiting football memories and getting excited for a potential future. I am certainly ready for preseason action to start!

Tweets of Note: Patriots Training Camp Practice #6

by

After an off day yesterday, the Patriots were back at it in full pads today. One significant injury addition is Donald Brown, who was seen talking with trainers on Monday night and was absent today. With Dion Lewis still out on PUP, and LeGarrette Blount being eased back from a hip injury this leaves the two RBs we limped to the finish with last year (White & Bolden), Tyler Gaffney, who’s missed his first two seasons with injuries and undrafted rookie (who’s primarily a pass-catcher) DJ Foster.

My worries about the running back position are well-documented and I hoped that maybe Donald Brown could revive his career, though I wasn’t expecting it. Now that Brown is out the lack of healthy depth is pretty glaring. I sincerely expect at least one more addition at the position and probably more over the course of the season.

Anyway, here are the tweets that stood out from today’s practice:

 

Happy Bday, Tom. I guess. 39. One away from 40. Can we give him Benjamin Button disease now please?

Mitchell continues to show up. My biggest hope is that he can stay healthy, because missing any practice time at this point could really set him back. With Chris Hogan now nursing an injury, Mitchell’s reps should only increase. Really excited to see him play next week.

Kuhn’s been showing up a lot in the early days, getting plenty of reps with the top unit next to Brown. He was under the radar this offseason, but is an experienced pro and could carve out a role for himself.

Don’t think anyone will be complaining about Cannon taking a back seat.

Generally most of us saw it as Jones vs. Roberts for the fifth spot and so far that’s played out. Long way to go still.

Good to have the big man back.

Another real surprise is just how solid Thuney has been. Those are two really good defensive tackles, both with different styles. Thuney stopping both of them is really noteworthy. I’m excited about the rookie.

Rep report!

10 Patriots Training Camp Off-Day Notes

by

We’re five training camp practices into the 2016 Patriots season and while we’re far from knowing anything definitive, we can start to get a sense of how things are shaping up for this campaign. Here’s 10 thoughts on what we’ve seen so far.

  1. Shea McClellin has continued to work as defensive end, while Rob Ninkovich has continued to see time at linebacker, which makes me wonder about the Pats depth at linebacker. It was one of the priority areas to fill this offseason as I saw it, especially with Jerod Mayo retiring. Jonathan Freeny struggled to get off blocks as the middle linebacker in fill-in duty last year and I’m not too psyched about seeing more of that. I thought McClellin would slide right in at linebacker, the position he seemed to settle into the last two seasons in Chicago. I’m sure things will be fluid with how the linebackers and defensive ends play, but if the Pats start getting gashed on the ground, you wonder what their regular personnel will look like, whether it’s a 4-3 or 3-4, both of which you’ll see at times.
  2. I’m really trying to warm myself up to the fact that Donald Brown could be a significant part of the team’s plans early in the season, at least until Dion Lewis returns to the fold. Along with MLB, RB was one of the biggest needs I saw this offseason and I really wanted to attack both spots in the draft. Rich Hill had this piece on Brown which made me feel a little better about him. I just don’t want to see the offense end up as one-dimensional as it was at the end of last year and there isn’t much more depth this year even at this point.
  3. I’m trying to contain my snark on Aaron Dobson because there really would be nothing better than seeing him live up to his draft status and add an element of size that the offense could use on the outside. But here’s the thing — I never thought Dobson fit the Patriots offense. Look at the receiver who have been successful in this system. If they’re not small, shifty and instant open, they’re physical with reliable hands. Dobson doesn’t really fit either of those molds. He’s a good red zone target, where his success in practice is showing up, but I need to see more of him in the open field. If he’s catching the ball with his hands (something Tom E. Curran said he still wasn’t doing earlier this week) and not immediately falling down after making catches in the preseason we could be on to something.
  4. DeAndre Carter has been this year’s little guy who’s just making plays and I’m excited to see if he can light it up in game, especially if he’s getting extended snaps with Tom Brady. Either him, Keshawn Martin or Chris Harper should be groomed as potential Edelman/Amendola replacements with a roster spot. And with Martin missing some time with an injury the door appears to be open if Carter can show something.
  5. Chris Long has been getting lots of time as an interior rusher. It seems clear how things are shaking out at defensive end, as Sheard seems like he’ll slip into the RDE spot for Chandler Jones, while Ninkovich and perhaps McClellin see time at the other spot. Long will take the role Sheard had early last year as the top designated pass rusher. Perfect role for Long at this point. He can ease into things, worry less about injury since his run defense snaps are limited, and focus on what he’s done best over his career — getting after the passer. I continue to believe the pass rush will be better this year with this main trio of DEs.
  6. The rookies are earning a ton of praise, with Joe Thuney, Cyrus Jones and Malcolm Mitchell leading the way. But don’t rule out Ted Karras at right guard either. After Jonathan Cooper went down, Karras got significant reps there, though Josh Kline saw time with the 1s last night. Shaq Mason is being eased back too and will be in the mix. Thuney however seems like he just might be a lock to step into the starting left guard spot ala Logan Mankins as a rookie in 2005. Jones has shown up well in the kick and punt returns and that will take some heat off of Edelman and Amendola in that regard.
  7. Reports have been up and down on Chris Hogan, who suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday and was not seen on Monday. I’ve seen everything from Hogan being a perfect fit to others saying he might not make it on the field in two-receiver sets. Certainly any time he misses doesn’t help, though the belief is that his injury is nothing significant. Overall it’s a little disconcerting that the Patriots two prize offseason free agency signings aren’t exactly showing up like we thought they might. Still early of course, but I’ll have eyes on both Hogan and McClellin all preseason.
  8. Gronk and Bennett have looked unstoppable for good portions of training camp so far and that’s what we really expected. Now we just hold our breath and pray both have full healthy seasons in them. If they both have 19 games in them, look out because records will be falling. Even if one of them misses some games here and there the offense should still be in pretty good shape. But what it’s all about is having those two guys feeling good in early February. Not sure who could stop them if they do.
  9. Not much mention of Tre Flowers, Rufus Johnson and Geneo Grissom yet. All three should get significant looks as far as the long-term health at the defensive end position. At least two of them should make the team, though Grissom is the only one who plays special teams. That helps his chances to make the team, but muddies how much we can project of him in the defense. In that regard, Flowers could be the heir apparent should anything happen to the top three guys. These are three important players that I’ll have a microscope on in preseason.
  10. Kamu Grugier-Hill has been drawing a lot of praise, but he also falls into that category of not being quite sure what his ceiling in the defense is. Sure, he will probably end up a significant special teams player and those are important, but I’m more curious what his role is on defense. Is he Patrick Chung? Or is he truly a linebacker?

Hello Injuries: Patriots Wounded in the Trenches

by

Bright Spots

The first day of camp was extra special for Patriots left tackle Nate Solder. It was the first time he was able to share a football field with his son Hudson. Both father and son have battled extensive health issues in the last year. Seeing Dad in uniform and Hudson present certainly made the first day of practice special.

Another long time Patriot reappeared out of retirement in hope of improving the offensive line. Dante Scarnecchia is back and he brings extensive coaching experience in the trenches. There will be some tight position battles and Scar will be in charge of improving the unit that protects Brady.

Rookie offensive guard Joe Thuney has come into camp and captured attention immediately.  Jeff Howe and other members of the media cited his strength engaged with defensive opponents and his finish on every play. Since Thuney is a strong fundamental offensive lineman he can potentially work on playing tackle in addition to guard. Many suspect that is already the plan.

First Impressions

The first offensive line group consisted of Solder-Thuney-Stork-Cooper-Cannon. During camp these starting groups are subject to change every day. There will be injuries and various reasons that cause the first group to fluctuate.

Joe Thuney and Jonathan Cooper are favorites to win the starting guard job according to some Patriots analysts. Sebastian Vollmer and Nate Solder as expected to return to their starting roles at tackle. The center position is up for grabs between David Andrews and Bryan Stork.

 

Tackle Health

The main positional weakness of the offensive line in 2015 still remains; it’s not injury. It’s the tackles that protect the edge of Brady’s pocket.

Nate Solder has returned to practice. Sebastian Vollmer has not. Solder tore his biceps in week five of this past year and was placed on the season ending IR. It appears that the big money tackle has recovered from his injury. Solder’s cap hit in 2016 is $10,322,666.

Sebastian Vollmer’s situation is concerning. At age 32, Vollmer has opened camp on the PUP list. If he is not activated by the end of camp, Vollmer misses the first six weeks of the season. The right tackle enters 2016 on the last year of his contract with a cap hit totaling $5,208,334. There is no heir apparent at right tackle. It is unlikely Vollmer is resigned in New England at his age.

Marcus Cannon returns after a highly criticized campaign in 2015. He was simply ineffective throughout his season. If Thuney cannot capture a starting guard role, it’s very possible that he beats out Cannon as the swing tackle.

Cameron Fleming, LaAdrian Waddle, Keavon Milton, and Kerbyson Kyler are also listed as tackles for the start of camp. Fleming and Waddle will battle on the bubble with Cannon. Fleming offers more cap flexibility than Cannon ($4,100,000 lower) and has played both sides of the line.

The Patriots will likely only keep a total of three tackles on their active roster. Solder and Vollmer are locks if healthy. The battle for third will likely feature Cannon, Waddle, and Fleming. Milton and Kyler appear to be long shots.

Strength at Center

One of the most interesting position battles of the offensive line is likely at center. Bryan Stork and David Andrews have both been outstanding in the majority of their starts. There has been mixed signals so far as to who would take over reigns when both players were healthy.

Stork’s health appears to be hindering his ability to battle for the position. Andrews returned to Patriots camp and captured the off-season conditioning award from the coaching staff. His play has also been strong since Stork dropped due to an unspecified issue or injury in an early practice.

At some point the Patriots will have to make a decision at this position. Right now it appears the goalposts are narrowing with Stork’s absence. Andrews is taking all of the work with the ones, putting in the dirty work as Stork continues to miss time.

Crowded, Injury Riddled Group of Guards

As mentioned before, Thuney and Cooper were mentioned as favorites to win a starting guard role. There are several other guards battling for the position including Shaq Mason, Tre’ Jackson, Josh Kline, Ted Karras, Chris Barker, and Jon Halapio.

Usually a team only keeps nine offensive linemen on a game day roster; right now the Patriots have nine offensive guards in camp. Thuney, Cooper, Kline, Jackson, Mason are the linemen with the highest probabilities of landing on the roster.

The hype for Jonathan Cooper would not last long. He would be carted off with a right foot injury in one of the first practices. Cooper is apparently battling plantar fasciitis. This situation may be related to his condition according to Ian Rapoport. Cooper was a high draft pick and has experienced an injury riddled and disappointing career. He was acquired in the deal that sent Chandler Jones to the Cardinals. If he cannot get back to health his career may come to a premature end.

When Cooper dropped out due to injury rookie Ted Karras was promoted to the first offensive line group. In my draft analysis Karras appeared to be a lineman who needed a season of practice squad work. He is a tough player but not yet fundamentally sound. Much like any other NFL rookie at this point.

Shaq Mason and Josh Kline have not been cleared to participate in team drills. Both are recovering from injuries from this past year. Mason battled through a knee injury in October 2015.  Kline had shoulder surgery during the off-season and Jeff Howe reported it was, “unclear when he’ll be ready to practice”. Tre’ Jackson is also still on the PUP due to injuries from last season. This leaves a total of four guards unavailable to Scarnecchia.

The Walking Wounded

When a rookie guard is your standout offensive lineman in the early days of camp it’s a testament to where the position group is as a whole. With or without Dante Scarnecchia, this group still has work to do. Kline, Mason, Jackson, Stork, Vollmer, and Cooper are not cleared as full participants for practice. This leaves two rookie guards (Thuney, Karras) playing on the first offensive line group.

Pretty much an offensive line coaches’ worst nightmare early in camp. When the group is low on bodies, more stress weighs down on the healthy players. They battle more and more in camp, and are susceptible to wear and tear.

Right now Scarnecchia is at least getting the chance to evaluate his young players. With a mass of linemen out due to injury it forces the young guys into the spotlight early in their careers. It appears Joe Thuney gets the picture. He’s played hard right through the whistle in every practice.

The Bottom Line

It’s simply too early to judge much of the play through this point in camp. Some Patriots lineman still haven’t returned from last season’s injuries.

Nate Solder appears to be the only definite starter on the offensive line. It’d be a shock if Vollmer isn’t the bookend on the right side of Brady’s pocket. Cam Fleming, Marcus Cannon, and LaAdrian Waddle battle for a third roster spot.

Guard is a mess but returning Patriots veterans should have the upper hand over Jonathan Cooper. He is already out due to injury and Josh Kline and Shaq Mason are close to returning. Rookie Ted Karras should be bumped back down in the rotation immediately. Joe Thuney has likely given himself a shot to remain with the ones due to his strong, passionate play on the line. Tre’ Jackson will also return at some point and provide further depth at the position.

It might be better for the Patriots long term if Thuney doesn’t win a starting job at guard. It would give him the opportunity to work at Tackle and potentially allow the Patriots to release Marcus Cannon. Thuney’s strong play could provide roster flexibility further down the line.

The job at center is highly contested. Right now it’s a one man job due to unspecified reasons. Bryan Stork left practice in an earlier season and hasn’t appeared since. David Andrews has been strong at center and could win the job. Stork’s injuries have begun to add up.

My early guess for the first group is Solder-Mason-Andrews-Jackson-Vollmer.

Tweets of Note: Patriots Training Camp Practice #4

by

The Patriots were back on the field in full pads and under pouring rain for their fourth training camp practice on Sunday. The injuries continue to add up, though it would appear they’ve avoided any season-enders so far.

As always, injuries are the great equalizer that no one can ever see coming. We spend all offseason wondering how certain new additions will contribute and then boom, a few days into camp and down they go. We’ll continue to monitor those situations as guys return and/or disappear.

Here are the tweets that stood out today:

 

Minor buzzkill here. Hopefully it’s nothing more than a stinger and not something like a low grade separated shoulder that’s going to linger all season.

Starting to believe Nink to LB is more than rounding our emergency depth. He played some outside linebacker in his first couple years with the Pats, so it wouldn’t be that much of a departure. Still wondering how they use him with Hightower and Collins since all seem to be more OLBs and I’m praying that Jonathan Freeny isn’t still set to play a significant role at MLB.


  Keshawn Martin better get back quick, he’s at the bottom of the 53-man as it is and Dobson and Carter are both standing out early. Stork’s inability to make it through a training camp without getting dinged is growing worrisome.

This is going to be fun this year. If the Pats get full seasons out of both Gronk and Bennett I don’t see how they’re not in the Super Bowl come February.

Excited to see Carter in preseason games. He’s going to get a ton of playing time. Dobson stood out today as well and he’s another one to see how he looks in a game. I don’t need to harp on him every day with “he looked good, but he’s looked good before and then drops the ball or falls down or gets hurt.” You get it by this point. We’ll see.

Recurring theme of the coverage from camp is how Thuney has stepped right into things and looked like he fits. Would be nice to get some consistency out of the guard spot. Since Mankins left there really hasn’t been a consistent anchor on the inside.

Mitchell was out of practice yesterday but back today, so that’s a good sign for him. He, Thuney and Cyrus Jones have all garnered positive attention from the rookie class. 

Looking forward to hearing Faulk’s speech tomorrow night and we’ll have Rick Starke there to cover it for the blog.

And lastly, late-breaking tweet…