PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Search Results for: patrick chung

Re-Assessing Patriots Draft Needs

by

Patriots Draft Needs - make things easier for Brady and Gronk.With the biggest splashes of free agency (likely) over, it’s a good time for us to be re-assessing the Patriots draft needs. As always, the Pats fill pretty much every major hole on their roster in free agency, even if it’s just with a temporary space holder, so that they won’t have to reach in the draft for a position.

While there remains some concern about the running back position, where I’m not sold on Donald Brown making it out of training camp, the biggest holes at middle linebacker (Shea McClellin) and wide receiver (Chris Hogan) have at least been solidified for camp. Doesn’t mean those positions won’t be targeted in the draft, but there’s a level of comfort now. Martellus Bennett put the Pats over the top as far as their need for a second tight end was concerned, and Jonathan Cooper makes the competition at guard look like one of the hottest camp battles we’ll see.

Patriots Draft Needs: Late-March Edition

Here’s where I think the Pats have the biggest needs for the draft, and a reminder that the draft is about the long term, not the immediate.

  1. Tackle – This isn’t an overreaction to the AFC Championship game, but both Marcus Cannon and Sebastian Vollmer‘s contracts are up after this season. Vollmer is closing in on the end of his career so this could be it for him. Really, I think as long as Nate Solder stays healthy the Pats would be fine along the offensive line this year as is. But what we need for the future is to groom the next right tackle, preferably someone with a little more athleticism so that they can also back up the left tackle spot and do it better than Cannon did last year. This is a critical need.
  2. Wide Receiver – Hogan fits what the Pats do pretty well and I’m excited to see how he assimilates. If he can be Brandon LaFell circa 2014 the Pats will be fine this year. But what could truly take this offense to another level is the addition of a rookie wide receiver who can take some of the heat off of Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman. I know everyone wants that tall, speedy deep threat, but I just don’t think that’s a realistic option with how this offense functions now. Give me another shifty, quick guy who knows how to get open and make plays with the ball in his hands and the Pats will have better insurance at the “Z” spot than they had last year. Of course it’s not crazy to think a rookie who has a great camp could unseat Amendola at final cuts.
  3. Running back – This is to be part of a rotation so it’s not like they’ll need to trade up into the mid-second round to get someone who can make an impact. They need an early down pounder who doesn’t lose yardage or cough up the ball. Honestly I’d take a Benjarvus Green-Ellis though you’d like to find another Stevan Ridley. Either way, that’s the element that’s missing from the backfield group right now, and that’s true even if LeGarrette Blount returns.
  4. Defensive Tackle – Is this a huge need? No. But this draft class is packed with good Patriots fits so that makes it a position to watch. And really, you always need guys for the trenches. With the kind of high-end value that is in this draft, the Pats could very well take a defensive tackle for the third year in a row with their first pick and it wouldn’t surprise me.
  5. Safety – The Pats lost Tavon Wilson so of course they need to reach on another second-round safety that everyone had going in the sixth round. But seriously folks, with Patrick Chung‘s injury history I’m interested to see how Jordan Richards looks in the preseason. He could be thrust into an important role. And with the ever-evolving defense there’s always a need for big, tough guys who can run.
  6. Linebacker – This is Bill Belichick, he will never pass up a linebacker and though I like McClellin, both Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower are free agents next year. We all assume both with be re-signed, but I wouldn’t mind a little insurance. And a run-stopping thumper in the middle could fit in nicely.

Of course every other position is certainly a possibility no matter how stacked the Pats look. And I’m sure they’ll add somebody one way or another at every other spot on the roster, but those above are the areas that are truly vital to maintaining dominance for the near future.

Under-the-Radar Patriots To Watch This Summer

by

With a collection of free agents already solidifying most of the roster, I’ve been focusing on a few under-the-radar Patriots to watch this summer. Obviously there are still plenty of personnel to be added that will affect these guys and how they fit into things, but right now here are some guys who could emerge into significant roles or finally fall off the roster.

Tyler Gaffney – The Pats swooped in and snagged Gaffney during the 2014 preseason after the Panthers tried to sneak him onto IR. He sat out 2014 and then got injured in training camp and missed all of 2015 as well. But one interesting tidbit about Gaffney was his appearance at the top of the Pats’ depth chart if you caught a peek at the wall of one scene as Nick Caserio walked into his office. Maybe it meant nothing. Or maybe it meant the Pats have/had high hopes for the Stanford grad. As of right now there’s still a big need at running back, one that Gaffney could theoretically fill, if he can stay healthy for the first time in three years.

Nick Caserio Patriots Depth Chart

Aaron Dobson – At this point no one is expecting much out of Dobson and for good reason, the last two years he’s ended up on IR and even when he’s on the field his development has stagnated after a promising rookie campaign where he grabbed 37 catches and four touchdowns. But Dobson has some skill and size, and is now entering his final year in New England. This is likely the last chance he has to save his football career, if not in New England, perhaps somewhere else. But he’ll need to put some great tape together during the preseason and should get plenty of chances to show if he can contribute anything at last.

Trey Flowers – With both Rob Ninkovich, Chris Long and Jabaal Sheard entering the last year’s of their deal, the Patriots are going to need Tre Flowers, Geneo Grissom and Rufus Johnson to step into a significant role at some point. Flowers looked like the most promising of the group last preseason. We saw some of Grissom during the season, often as an interior rusher before he got some DE snaps, but his home position remains a little unclear to me. Sheard should be extended, but Ninkovich is fast approaching the end of the line. Unless the Pats draft a defensive end this season, Flowers should get every chance to show if he has the potential to step into a starting role.

Trey Flowers Sack

Jordan Richards – Richards was a surprise safety selection last year, chosen way before anyone thought he should be, but I thought he had some excellent flashes during spot work last season. He showed good instincts and tackling ability. Now, with Tavon Wilson gone, Richards should step into a more significant role on special teams at least. And he could be a Patrick Chung injury away from a starting role on defense. Is he ready for that kind of jump? It’s a vital role in the defense in their regular package, one that includes major run support and plenty of coverage responsibilities usually against tight ends. He could be thrust into the fire if injuries strike.

Chris Long and Eric Weddle (Maybe) Visiting Patriots

by

Couple of interesting visits being reported today, with veterans Chris Long and Eric Weddle taking a tour of Gillette Stadium and possibly working out for the Patriots. Neither position, defensive end nor safety, are among the top needs for the Pats, which makes the possible additions of these two players interesting.

Note – Tom E. Curran just tweeted this so take the Weddle visit with a grain of salt:

Let’s start with Long. Look, I don’t see how anyone could ever say no to a second overall pick who is just turning 31 in 11 days known for his high motor. There’s no question that Long’s production dipped last season, but you can never ever have too much pass rush in this league. How would Long potentially fit? Well, it’s certainly a log jam with Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones and Jabaal Sheard atop the depth chart, with second-year players Tre Flowers and Geneo Grissom, along with Rufus Johnson in the mix.

Long has spent his career going forward, not dropping into space, something the Pats do like to do with their defensive ends at times. However, in a sub pass rusher role, where he could be moved around while also having his snaps managed a bit away from running downs, it could make sense schematically. After eight long seasons with the Rams, Long might be rejuvenated playing for a team like New England, and even a two-year deal would give the Pats a tiny bit of security with Ninkovich, Jones and Sheard all entering the last years of their deals.

As always, it will likely just come down to money, but Long is just the kind of situation where you can’t rule out him taking a low-end offer to have a shot to play with the big bad Patriots.

As for Weddle, it’s a little harder to see the fit as ideally he’d play Devin McCourty‘s free safety role. Still, Weddle can do it all on the back end and is as smart as they come. Again, the Pats are pretty set with their top three safety rotation from the last two years, with second year player Jordan Richards filling in from time to time.

So you have to wonder how Weddle would fit. Would he allow McCourty to stay at free safety at all times instead of using him in tight end coverage from time to time? Those were the snaps Duron Harmon would come on and cover the back end. Or would he compete directly with Patrick Chung for the strong safety spot who primarily plays in the box and covered tight ends on early downs? Chung is coming off his best year as a pro and is signed through 2017 with very manageable cap hits. Weddle is also three years older than Chung.

Here’s the bottom line, the Pats have given plenty of former star veterans from shitty teams a chance to come and compete for jobs, even when there isn’t a clear fit. Rodney Harrison, the last safety to make the jump from the Chargers, is a great example. With two talented guys like Long and Weddle, if you can make the finances work, it’s a no-brainer to add them to the squad and see how it all plays out.

Both players will undoubtedly have a number of teams interested, many of which will pay more than the Pats will. But we have the Patriots winning tradition going for us and you can never rule out players wanting a real chance at a ring.

 

To the Patriots Free Agency Whiners

by

Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski celebrate a touchdown.

Why doesn’t every team win 12 games every year?

Another year of Patriots free agency, another year of the sad sack Patriots free agency whiners about their approach. You’d think after nine years of blogging about the team and being on social media so much that I’d be used to it. Or maybe that after 15 years of Patriots domination the whiners would be silenced a bit, but on they go, undeterred because the Pats didn’t go out and spend on a big name.

Here’s the misconception about free agency — it’s actually a benefit not to have to spend a billion dollars on a player who has never done anything for your team, without any guarantee that they will ever do anything for your team. We see it year in and year out. The shitty teams that can’t draft or can’t win enough to maintain any kind of stability have to go out and find talent, because they believe talent wins games. Or at the very least, they need to win games and win them quickly to keep their jobs.

I think the Patriots have proven that yes, you certainly need talent in some spots, especially quarterback, but teams win games, not talent. Look at the Colts last year. Talented quarterback. They go out and surround him with a spending spree of free agents and what happens? A couple injuries here and there, the new guys never click and everything else just falls apart, including that talented quarterback.

So while teams are out spending a ton of dough on guys who had one or two good (not even great) years for other teams under other circumstances, teams like the Patriots can focus their resources on the things that do win games — BUILDING A TEAM.

Patriots Free Agency Whiners Forget it’s About 1-53

Health is as big a factor in a Super Bowl winning season as just about anything else. The 2014 Patriots only had one significant injury loss — Jerod Mayo. The 2015 Broncos were largely healthy as well, except for the number father time did on Peyton Manning and his neck/arm/etc. What happens when that guy you’re paying $20 million a year gets hurt? Or has a bad year? The next man up is certainly making less than he should be, and is likely an after thought in the team-building equation.

Can that guy step in and do the job that Rob Ninkovich has done since coming over as a free agent afterthought in 2009? Or that Patrick Chung has done since his return as a free agent afterthought? Or Jabar Gaffney? Or Danny Woodhead? Or Mike Vrabel? Or Roman Phifer? Or Antowain Smith? Yes, the list goes on and on and the same people who could’ve cared less about those acquisitions at the time could care less about the same under-the-radar signings that are happening now.

How quickly Patriots free agency whiners forget Mike Vrabel was one of the best Patriots under-the-radar acquisitions.Players like those are why the Patriots can have an injury-riddled season like 2013 or 2015 and still not only win the division, but host a playoff game and go to the AFC Championship. Because they are a strong and deep team filled with 53 guys who all buy in, who all want it and who are all ready to step in and “do their job”.

It’s not a handful of highly-paid top end guys who are magically still playing their balls off even though their net worth is approaching $100 million, while surrounded by underpaid but over-performing and unbreakable back ups and role players.

I think a lot of spoiled Patriots fans lose sight of how special this run is. How hard it is to consistently win in the salary cap era. Not to mention when you’re doing it without almost ever having a draft pick in the top half of the first round, where all the special rookie talent is usually snapped up.

Some might want to put it all on Belichick and Brady, as if you could put 21 morons out there and they’d somehow figure out a way to pull out 12-win season after 12-win season. But that’s not the case.

And it goes back to Scott Pioli’s quote, “We’re building a team, not collecting talent.”

Or from Belichick himself, “This is a football team. It’s not a bunch of guys in the same jersey running around out there. This is a football team. And for 60 minutes you’re gonna have to deal with all of us and it’s gonna be a long night.”

Free agency really is for losers if you think you’re going to buy your way to year in and year out Super Bowl contention. Internal player development, drafting well and rounding out your depth with solid and under appreciated free agents is for winners.

Pats Posits: Let the Free Agency Games Begin!!

by

The new league year starts Wednesday, but things are already underway with the “legal tampering period” which should make for a bunch of deals getting into place ahead of time. For the Patriots, the new is starting to finally trickle in with restricted free agent signings.

— James Develin announced that he’s returning to the Pats on a new one-year deal. This likely saved the Pats some money by not having to tender Develin. Now, coming off a broken leg, Develin has a chance to prove he’s back to form and can help re-establish a Patriots ground game that was murdered by attrition in 2014.

— Justin Coleman, coming off an impressive rookie season in the slot, Josh Boyce and tackle Cameron Fleming have been tendered as well. Wasn’t sure if Boyce would be back, but Coleman and Fleming were locks and help round out the depth. Brandon King is also in discussions to return, likely under a tender offer. Rufus Johnson, LaAdrian Waddle and Kevin Hughes are the only RFA/ERFA’s left that we haven’t gotten word about.

— Logan Mankins announced his retirement which once again shows the Pats are usually right on with their “one year early rather than a year late” personnel philosophy. Mankins is one of those all-time Patriots players who somehow managed to have his career span the exact time frame Belichick and Brady went Super Bowl-less, 2005-2013. It’s too bad Mankins never got a ring in New England, but he’s still one of the best maulers of all time. Playing on a torn ACL in 2011’s Super Bowl might just embody everything Mankins stood for in New England.

— The Pats also picked up Rob Gronkowski‘s $10 million option ensuring Gronk stays with the team through 2019, though another extension seems certainly likable at some point in the next couple years, depending on how healthy Gronk stays. He’s missed just two games the last two seasons, if he keeps up that pace he’ll own pretty much every tight end record in the books.

— Eric Weddle thinks he’d be a good fit with the Pats and as much as I love the player it’s hard to see how he’d fit in New England with Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and Duron Harmon, with Jordan Richards also in the mix. Yes of course Weddle and McCourty would be probably the best safety combo in the league, but they’re not paying Chung to sit on the bench at this point, so I really don’t see it happening.

Patriots 2016 Draft Fits Emerging

by

Dont'a Hightower Patriots 2012 Draft Pick

Dont’a Hightower, one of the Patriots best draft picks.

In recent years I’ve been kind of burned out on the draft. It’s just so much speculation about an endless number of players, of which 10 might actually be taken by your team, and of those maybe two to five actually make an impact. Yes, there’s not much else to do during the offseason than looking for Patriots draft fits, but talking draft on twitter can be a full contact sport so I tend to keep my draft research and thoughts mostly to myself and really I think it serves me well to come to my own conclusions before I start comparing what I think to everyone else.

It’s even harder to really lock in on the draft before free agency even starts. What are needs right now might not be in a few weeks, or other areas where we think the Pats are set could suddenly become glaring needs with an unexpected release.

But this year I feel really good about the jump I’ve gotten on this year’s crop of prospects and already have a number of players who, regardless of need, are excellent fits for the Patriots.

The big issue I see with this year’s draft class is the depth of the defensive tackles and defensive ends. Neither are major areas of needs for the Patriots, but both are vital positions that you can really never have too much talent or depth at. If we’re still looking at the Patriots not drafting until the end of the second round, their potential pick will be extremely influenced by just how many of the DT and DEs are off the board.

And really, there’s so much talent there that if there’s a delay in the run on those players, I don’t think we can rule out taking a DT for the third-straight year, despite the needs elsewhere.

Patriots Draft Fits

The position that I’ll be most eagerly watching are the tackles. After the combine last week a number of players stood out with their athleticism and that’s just what I think the Patriots need. If I had to custom build a tackle for the Pats first pick it would be an athletic right tackle who can also play on the left side.

Jason Spriggs from Indiana is one to watch and hopefully he falls. He hit on all 10 of the Pats desired measurables per Doug Kyed of NESN. Only thing about him is that he might be destined for left tackle, and those guys go faster than those for the right side even though the difference has been slowly eroding.

An under the radar tackle is Willie Beavers of Western Michigan, who played the left side in college but has the traits to play just about anywhere on the line. Only knock for him is that he doesn’t quite have the ideal size, measuring in at 6’4″, but still weighs 324.

Another player who has jumped out at me a bit is a local kid, Boston College’s Justin Simmons. Yes, he had the best three-cone time and we know what that means to the Patriots, but I also think he’s a fascinating fit on the defense to develop in the Patrick Chung role. He has balance to play both free and strong safety, and though he’s a bit lanky he’s still a willing tackler. He also hit seven-of-ten desired measurables.

What’s most intriguing to me is his size at 6’2″. Being able to deal with bigger tight ends and slot receivers is becoming a key trait for strong safeties in the Pats system. Chung did an excellent job last year, but still struggled at times because he’s just not big enough to deal with guys who are 6’5″ all the time. Someone like Simmons would be an interesting tool to develop alongside Jordan Richards as the Pats look to the future at the position.

New England Patriots Gameplan: AFC Divisional Round vs. Kansas City Chiefs

by

The 2015 season is finally here!! At least that’s what it feels like, but even this week we’ve had to deal with the Chandler Jones situation and Gronk suddenly having problems with his knee again. When will it end?

Nothing is ever simple or easy with the Patriots, but somehow they usually are able to fend off all distractions and problems and put up a great fight no matter who the opponent is.

That will be put to the test this week against a Chiefs team that hasn’t beaten themselves nor been beaten by anyone else in three months. I know all the crap that Andy Reid gets for game management stuff, but he deserves plenty of credit and we know the respect that Belichick has for him.

What’s scary to me about the Chiefs is they have a lot of those elements needed to knock off the Pats. In many ways they remind me of the 2009-2012 Ravens, though I wouldn’t say they’re quite as fierce. That Ravens team knew how to take the Patriots to the limit, if not totally dominate them like the first half of the 2009 Wild Card game or the second half of the 2012 AFC Championship.

Still, the Chiefs have some injury issues of their own and that could really limit what they can do depending on who can go and who can’t.

For the Patriots it all comes down to one big SUCK IT UP FOR THREE GAMES. How seamlessly can guys like Edelman, Hightower and Vollmer step back in? Is Gronk really hobbled? 

As I’ve been saying for weeks now, we just don’t know who the 2015 Patriots really are. Well, we’re about to find out Saturday night and that’s both exciting and scary.

Here’s the gameplan to get back to the AFC Championship for the fifth-straight year.

image

Offensive Gameplan

Welcome to the great unknown. Who doesn’t have any question marks outside of Tom Brady in this offense? I can’t think of a single player that I know what to expect from.

The who-knows running backs – Steven Jackson and James White
? The walking wounded – Julian Edelman
, Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola, Sebastian Vollmer, Josh Kline? The sub par season guys – Brandon LaFell, Marcus Cannon, Bryan Stork? The rooks – Shaq Mason, David Andrews, Tre Jackson?

I can’t recall ever going into the playoffs with this many question marks and that muddies the projection of what they can and will do.

So the offensive gameplan is simple really – get back to what makes the old Patriots offense work. Edelman on the quick catch routes and Gronk up the seam. Amendola underneath. LaFell on some screens and down the sideline.

That’s what makes this offense work and they just haven’t had any of the pieces to even attempt it in a couple months.

But the true unknowns, for both us and the Chiefs, are Jackson and White. I can’t imagine Jackson running roughshod all over a very good Chiefs front, but I can see him picking up some key 3rd-and-shorts.

No, I think this is a White game in the same way Shane Vereen was under the radar in 2012 until the divisional game against the Texans and then it was like “where’s this version of Vereen been?”

White was the only player to consistently make things happen when the injuries started happening to Edelman, Amendola and Gronk. And with that trio back, things should finally open up for White in a way we haven’t seen yet.

So for all the talk of Edelman et al’s returns, it might James White who does the most damage.

Defensive Gameplan

Fundamentals. Fundamentals. Fundamentals. I can’t stress it enough. This isn’t one of those games where the Pats will live or die whether or not they get pass rush pressure. Those are the games everyone is used to in big spots.

No, this game is all about DO YOUR JOB. And with the veteran defenders we have, I feel pretty good that the defense will turn in a winning effort in this one.

Kansas City’s offense is in many ways a lot like the Patriots. They have far more gimmicks, but getting the ball to the open guy and letting him make plays is the foundation of what they do. There’s just a lot more read option, QB keepers, bootlegs, misdirection kind of stuff and that will stress an undisciplined defense.

That’s why the Pats got throttled last year. They were sloppy. They bit on the misdirection. They were missing tackles. They were losing contain. If that’s the defense that shows up Saturday night, it could very well get ugly once again.

But I trust that the Patriots defense will show up and play fundamentally sound because that’s who they are and that’s what Belichick has molded this defense into more than anything else.

The key player? Dont’a Hightower. The Chiefs can simply not be allowed to establish a consistent running game and Hightower is the biggest piece of the run-stopping puzzle. 

The advantage the Pats have is that they shouldn’t be forced to stop the run from their sub-package with a light box. They should be in their “regular” 4-3 defense with Patrick Chung in box because the Chiefs don’t have the kind of weapons on the outside to force the Pats into nickel and dime unless they want to be.

I see Logan Ryan on Chris Conley (or Maclin if he plays), Malcolm Butler on Albert Wilson and McCourty playing true centerfield behind them. That leaves the eight man box to deal with Travis Kelce, who I expect to be taken out of the game by a combination of Chung/Collins/Hightower and perhaps Jordan Richards on pure passing downs, and the running game.

Alan Branch, Malcolm Brown and Akiem Hicks need to be at their best as well against the Chiefs running backs, clogging the middle and not getting too far upfield.

The final piece of the puzzle is Alex Smith’s running ability. The Patriots did a great job last year in the Super Bowl against Russell Wilson, keeping him in the pocket and fogging his reads. Wilson would tuck the ball to run but there was nowhere to go. Same thing here with Smith.

If the Patriots’ defense tackles well, and plays disciplined I see the odds firmly in their favor in this game.

Five Points of Emphasis

1. Defensive Fundamentals – I’m sorry to hit this again but it’s just so critical. If the Patriots contain Alex Smith and tackle well they will be fine. If they’re over-pursuing, missing tackles and trying to do too much, they’ll play right into the Chiefs’ hands. Boil it down and this is simply winning the physical battle. The Pats have the defensive pieces to do it and I have confidence they will.

2. Open Things Up For White – We know the Pats need Edelman, but I don’t think it’s smart to think he’s going to come in, catch 10 balls and take a bunch of big hits and be that same old Jules we know and love. No, the advantage of having Edelman back, even without the ball in his hands, is that the Chiefs will have to respect him and that alone does more than Keshawn Martin would do even if he caught a bunch of passes. The trickle down effect of all the attention Gronk and Edelman will get should be that James White often gets lost in the wash. He’s very much under the radar but this could be a breakout game for him. And I wouldn’t be opposed to some Steven Jackson screen passes either. Jackson likely doesn’t have the playbook knowledge to do it all, but they need to get him some touches that aren’t just running into the Chiefs brick wall front.

3. Special Teams Play Special – We saw it last week with the Chiefs returning the opening kickoff for a TD that they have game-changing ability on special teams. And we’re all well aware of the Patriots various snafus on special teams over the season. This could very well be where the game is won or lost and I’d expect the Pats to use plenty of veterans in key spots in the kicking game to ensure a mental breakdown doesn’t happen. Remember the Jets upset in 2010 got a huge boost from the second-year Patrick Chung’s fake punt attempt. Winning the special teams battle is vital.

4. Get the Lead – The Chiefs are not built, nor do they have the depth, to mount a major comeback if they get in a hole. No, they’re designed to get the lead and keep the lead with their ball control offense. The Pats must must must come out of the gate firing on all cylinders. A slow start could be a death sentence. Win the toss. Defer. Get off the field. Put points on the board. That’s the start we want.

5. 60 Minutes – No matter what happens the one thing I know is that the Patriots will fight the entire game. There is plenty we don’t know about this team, but this is one thing we can be sure of. Whether they’re in a huge hole quick or race out to a lead, the playoffs are about playing the entire game. Last year’s divisional game against the Ravens is the perfect example. I was shocked the Pats came out so flat and get into not one, but TWO 14-point holes. Whatever circumstances that led to that were hopefully corrected this year.  The Patriots know firsthand what the Chiefs are capable of but they don’t have the same mystique the Ravens held over them. Regardless of how things unfold, it’s going to take a full game’s effort to go back to the AFC Championship.

Prediction: Patriots 24, Chiefs 13