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Patriots Mini-Camps Start Today, Wide Receivers In Focus :Pats Pub

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Patriots Mini-Camps Start Today, Wide Receivers In Focus :Pats Pub

Thorough breakdown from Steve Balestrieri on the wide receivers headed to Pats camp. If nothing else, the Pats need progression from this group. One of last year’s rookie HAS to make a year two jump to take this offense to the next level. If they don’t we could be seeing a heavy dose of Brandon LaFell, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

We just don’t need another year of over-relying on Edelman. If Dobson progresses, it would make for a nice foursome of him, Edelman, Amendola and LaFell as the primary guys.

Do you think that one of the reasons Brady has struggled with the deep ball is because he doesn’t trust the person he’s throwing to like he did moss

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Well it’s certainly not hard to trust a player like Moss who is arguably the greatest vertical receiver in the history of the game. I don’t think the deep ball has ever been a strength of Brady’s, but of course the collection of receivers he’s had certainly don’t have that strength either.

Last year in the AFCCG he tossing up a long one to Matthew Slater of all people. You’d love to be able to challenge the deep part of the field and we’ll always see the Pats take shots from time to time to keep defenses honest. Hopefully Dobson can develop and stretch things vertically a bit.

But I don’t think the Pats view the deep ball as an integral part of a successful attack. Their offensive success over the last decade despite near-continuous turnover bears it out.

The most important thing is playing to Brady’s historic strengths – reading the defense and making the right throw on the money.

I constantly hear that the top CB’s shut down half the field, can you explain how that is so when to me (someone who doesn’t get the x and o’s) it just looks like they are covering one receiver. So I don’t get how one receiver taken out the game takes half the field

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I think terms like these get a little too generalized when really shutting down half the field might be more applicable to some one like Richard Sherman than Darrelle Revis. 

Sherman tends to stay on his side of the field, while Revis (or Talib) might more often find themselves following a single receiver wherever he lines up. So Sherman might “shut down half the field” while Revis might “shut down the opposition’s top target”.

Both are somewhat hyperbolic, but the general idea is the same, that a cornerback is so good passes can’t be thrown at them.

Patriots Found Upside in Georgia Tech Do-It-All Jemea Thomas | NEPatriotsDraft.com – 2014 NFL Draft

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Patriots Found Upside in Georgia Tech Do-It-All Jemea Thomas | NEPatriotsDraft.com – 2014 NFL Draft

Good in-depth read on Jemea Thomas from Oliver Thomas at NEPatriotsDraft.com. The thing about versatile defensive backs in New England is that you never know who might be starting by the end of the season. Of course, with the top of the depth chart stacked with talent you certainly don’t hope Thomas ends up playing a vital role.

But there are spots where he could make an impact like third safety or at nickel corner (star).