Category Archives: New England Patriots

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

Patriots: 5 Training Camp Moves the Patriots Should Make

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patriots.com
patriots.com

As training camp creeps closer, you can see the long days of summer start to wane and autumn is on the horizon. With that, the much maligned New England Patriots start their defense of their much earned, yet much (unjustly) scrutinized title defense. With 90 players on the team, coaches and GM’s are trying to decide who makes the cut and who doesn’t. After observing the first few days of camp, these thoughts about shaping the roster come to mind. Although they might seem drastic, I believe it makes the most sense to make the best Patriots roster available.

  1. Patriots trade G/T Jordan Devey to the San Diego Chargers for RB Danny Woodhead. With RB James White trying to step up in departed RB Shane Vereen’s shoes, the results so far have left some to be desired. Although he faces competition from veterans Dion Lewis, Travaris Cadet and Brandon Bolden, the importance of the “Passing Back” in this offense can’t be understated (see Vereen’s performance in the Super Bowl). Woodhead is 30 and carries a bigger contract (2.5 million), but he knows this offense and has Brady’s trust. He could be a stopgap for a year while White gets a little better and allows Bolden to return to his better suited Special Team role. Devey’s chances of making the team are slim to none with the additions of Tre Jackson and Shaq Mason. The Chargers need offensive line depth and Devy’s size (6’7, 315) can allow him to play both tackle and guard spots for San Diego. With Donald Brown, Brandon Oliver and Melvin Gordon all in the backfield with Phillip Rivers, Woodhead could be the odd man out. I see this as a win/win.
  2. Patriots sign G Evan Mathis. This is a no-brainer to many. He’s the best free agent available and gives the Pats a veteran leader in the place of Dan Connolly. With Ryan Wendell still hobbled and Jackson and Mason being rookies, Mathis can step in at either guard spot and dominate. Although he is 34, he was one of the best guards in football last year, if not the. Although he’s still in high demand from several teams, the appeal to play for a perennial playoff team might bring him up to the North East. If his asking price is too rich for the Pats, then they will pass. The depth inside beyond the rookies is Wendell, Josh Kline and Caylin Hauptmann. I’m not sure any of these guys can step up and be a steady performer if one or both of the rookies start to falter.
  3. Patriots trade DT Chris Jones to the Oakland Raiders for a 2016 6th round pick. With the free agent addition of DE/DT Jabaal Sheard and the 4 rookie Defensive Linemen added in the draft, the need for the pass rushing DT is pretty slim. With the loss of a 1st rounder due to Deflategate, it would be smart to unload players that have a slim chance of making the roster to needy teams. Even better unloading them to teams that will probably yield the Pats a higher pick in the said round. The lack of DL depth in Oakland is troublesome and Jones could provide a better interior pass rush than Stacy McGee or Dan Williams, the current two Defensive Tackle starters. Jones had 6 sacks in 2013 (3 in 2014) as a sub defensive tackle and can provide more depth.
  4. Patriots trade S Duron Harmon to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a conditional 2016 5th round pick and 2017 conditional 7th round pick (both picks go up a round if playing time is met). See the trend? Harmon has a lot of talent that hasn’t seen the field much in the past two seasons. He’s a zone safety that has a skill set more similar to Devin McCourty. With Jordan Richards and Tavon Wilson both playing better as of late, Harmon could take the spot for another position of need (or in Belichicks case, another linebacker or running back). With one year remaining on his deal, they might hold onto him for another year. But the fact that he isn’t an impending free agent could be reason to get more compensation. Getting this compensation for Harmon is a mutual win/win and Tampa has been a favorable trade partner in recent years (Mankins, Casillas). Harmon can compete for reps immediately at FS with Chris Conte (ugh) and Keith Tandy. This might be considered a high price for Harmon, but with his untapped potential and being around some of the best in New England, he could be a player Tampa can build around.
  5. Patriots sign DT/DE Red Bryant. Why add another defensive linemen? If you’re a Patriots fan, then you know that’s a redundant question. Bryant is massive (6’5, 325) and can play both defensive end and tackle. Although he isn’t much of a pass rusher (4.5 sacks in the past 7 seasons), he’s very stout against the run and could be an upgrade over former teammate Alan Branch. At 31, he’s not going to demand a long term deal and could be a nice veteran leader across the line that lost its biggest voice with the departure of Vince Wilfork.
AFC, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, NFC, NFL, San Francisco 49ers

Talent, Brains and Money can be an elusive package in the NFL

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Now former San Fransisco 49ers star linebacker Aldon Smith was yet again arrested, this time for a DUI, the third DUI he has gotten since entering the league. As I’m writing this I just got the alert on my phone that the 49ers have released Smith, this makes me question how dumb some of these NFL players and athletes could be in general. You have guys like Aldon Smith, Josh Gordon, Justin Blackmon and of course Aaron Hernandez who are throwing away millions of dollars because of the stupid decisions they’re making. These guys are living the dream, making millions of dollars to play football, what could possibly be better than that? Well apparently to some of these guys going out getting high, shooting people as well as other dumb things there doing, has a higher priority.

Makes you also question how these guys made it this far and if they were just kept being passed on because of their talent and never disciplined for issues before the NFL. Did everyone just turn their backs when these guys were in high school and let them do as they pleased because of their talent? Could some of these guys have been changed and not made the mistakes they did had they been punished and had tighter rules when they were younger? A good thought, but something we’ll never know.

via usatoday.com
via usatoday.com

Aldon Smith was the 7th overall pick and finished second in defensive rookie of the year voting, he looked like he was gonna be a pro bowler year after year and could have been a force in the league. He was then arrested for now three separate DUIs, and for joking about having a bomb at an airport, another just purely stupid move. After his second DUI, Smith entered a rehab facility which seems clear he didn’t take very seriously. When you’re given an opportunity to get help when you need it, you take it and hope you can not only save your career, but also save yourself from going down an even worse path. After his release from the 49ers, his career is almost sure to be over at the age of 25.

via cbssports.com
via cbssports.com

Another guy throwing his career away is Josh Gordon. Gordon bounced around college because of suspensions due to substance abuse problems and hardly played. Gordon was still selected by the Browns in the second round of the supplemental draft and ended up missing time in his rookie season because of his drug use in college. Gordon also missed time during his second season for a substance abuse violation, and again was suspended. When Gordon returned he went on to be the best receiver in the NFL even with missing 14 games. Entering his third season Gordon was suspended yet again for substance abuse, this time originally for the season, which ended up being reduced to 10 games. You think that maybe, just maybe, Gordon would learn from this, nope. Gordon was suspended for at least one year after testing positive for drinking alcohol, which he could not do after being placed in the leagues substance abuse program. Gordon was a complete stud during his very brief NFL career and is now in question if he will ever play again. I loved Gordon on the field and was pulling for him to change his ways off the field. Even with my fandom of Gordon I don’t feel bad for him at all, he could have changed his off-field ways, he was in the leagues substance abuse program after three different substance abuse incidents, and after constant suspensions he just didn’t learn. Apparently weed is more important than playing football and making millions to Gordon. Have fun selling cars again in Cleveland Josh, hope you were good at it because it looks like that is going to be your future, not the NFL.

via profootballtalk.com
via profootballtalk.com

Like Gordon, Justin Blackmon has faced many suspensions due to substance abuse problems. Blackmon was suspended 8 games in 2013 because of failed drug tests and after not learning was suspended the whole season in 2014 for substance abuse and currently faces an indefinite suspension. The Jaguars general manager recently said he doesn’t expect Blackmon to play in the NFL again. 25 years old, and out of the NFL because of weed, not talent which Blackmon had all the talent in the world, not injuries which tend to happen to players, but for smoking weed. Go back a few years and say Blackmon and Gordon would be among the top receivers in the NFL at this point in their careers and almost on one would disagree, tell someone the two would be out of the league and people would be shocked. I don’t feel bad for Blackmon just like I don’t feel bad for other players I mention, he didn’t love the game and rather would live the way he wanted, smoking weed and doing whatever else he wanted to do which didn’t involve football. The last that was seen of Blackmon he was not nearly in the playing shape he was and by the looks of it he has no desire to play in the NFL again.

via bleacherreport.com
via bleacherreport.com

And of course the most well-known idiot on this list, Aaron Hernandez. All us Patriots fans as well as the rest of the country know his story and his legal trouble. Hernandez was convicted and given a life sentence for the murder of Odin Lloyd and still faces a double homicide charge stemming from a 2012 incident. After news of Hernandez’ arrest in the Odin Lloyd incident, Hernandez was released by the Patriots and then other news and incidents from his past began to slowly come out. From him taking a selfie with a gun during his time at Florida, to bar fights, to gang related activities from his time in high school combined with drug use, Hernandez was a thug off the field with all his issues.  Hernandez had all the talent in the world on the field and had all the problems in the world off of it. After just having a baby and a new $40 million contract, you would think Hernandez would give up his old ways and change his life, apparently not. Hernandez is a sociopath and all he knew was his street mentality and was apparent he didn’t wanna change for anything and its who he was, giving up his family, football career, a $40 million contract at the age of 23 and his life.

via sportsonearth.com
via sportsonearth.com

No one will ever know the reasoning these guys have to do what they do, act how they act, and know whats important to them in life. The are all guys who were given many opportunities to change their lives and change who they are. Rehab through the league or separate rehab are and were all options to these guys. Johnny Manziel entered rehab after the end of last season because he knew his drinking and parting would have led to a quick end of his career. Johnny now seems to be on the right path, only focused on football and competing to be the Browns starting quarterback for the 2015 season. I hope Manziel has that all behind him and is focused solely on football, though I loved Johnny Football and the college party boy swagger he brought to the field being a college kid myself, I hope and would rather see Manziel as a successful NFL player.

These guys gave up the American dream, just about everyone including myself will never understand why and what is important to these guys, and they now have to live with their decisions which have changed all their lives for the worse.

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

Dominique Easley And Chandler Jones Will Make Or Break Patriots Defense

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Questions surround the Patriots defense going into the 2015 season, and almost all of them come from the secondary. With the loss of Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, and Kyle Arrington the cornerback depth chart is thin and will for sure be a work-in-progress throughout the summer and into the start of the regular season.

Also, at the safety position, Devin McCourty will be under heavy scrutiny given his expensive new contract in which the team basically chose him, over Darrelle Revis. Next to him, Duron Harmon is a wild card, and you can’t expect much from Patrick Chung and Tavon Wilson in the passing game. The old cliche is that you can fix a weak secondary, with a good pass rush.

That is something that Patriots fans have been harping on all offseason long, and I understand the optimism. The front seven is bursting with young talent and athleticism, but some players have yet to break out and really help make the Patriots front seven an elite unit. In 2015, they have no other choice but to make that leap, due to the fact that the defense needs to be carried by the front seven.

Chandler Jones has been one of Bill Belichick’s more overrated first round picks. In his three seasons he still hasn’t become that constant pass rusher that he was drafted twenty-first overall to be in 2012. Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia have used him in multiple ways, and he has yet to truly find his spot.

bookofbelichick.com
bookofbelichick.com

Early on he played as a 4-3 defensive end with his hand in the dirt, and that did not pan out well leading to injury. Early last season Jones transitioned from a stand up player that would drop back into coverage, to a 3-4 defensive end. He was ineffective at both positions. In coverage he was much to slow, and inside in the 3-4 he was way too over matched physically.

His toughness has certainly been a question mark at times, especially during September of last season. In addition, when he went down with injury, the team proved that they can be just fine without him when they brought in Akeem Ayers to essentially take over his role.

Jones biggest issue has been his ability to stay on the field. He missed six games last year with a hip injury, and it has been reported that he had surgery in the offseason. Nevertheless, he has been on the field during every training camp practice with the first team defense.

In previous seasons, when healthy Jones has been on the field for about ninety-five percent of the defensive snaps. With the addition of Jabaal Sheard, Jones may be able to rest and stay more fresh on Sundays. This, along with Bill Belichick placing Jones in a better role as a stand up edge player in a 4-3 set, could lead to him finally making the leap to an elite pass pro-level pass rusher. He has the potential to be a fifteen sack player.

Dominique Easley is for sure a player that will need to heavily contribute in order for the Patriots front seven to be an elite unit. After a non-existent rookie season, fans were hoping to see a fresh legged Easley during training camp. This was not the case as he began camp on the physically unable to perform list.

He returned on day number three of camp, and has been in attendance every day since then. However, the team is taking it easy with him, not throwing him into action right away. Most of his reps are coming with the second team. On Thursday, he saw some time with the first team squad and he impressed, blowing right through the line untouched at one point.

Easley has a very unorthodox set of skills. His mixture of speed, power, and physicality really is unmatched to any Patriots defensive player in recent memory. He is not exactly an interior pass rusher or space eater, nor is he an edge setter that can get to the quarterback.

If his knees can hold up this upcoming season, Easley needs to be what he was labeled coming out of the University of Florida. He needs to be a,”disruptor.” Collapsing the pocket, creating lanes for blitzing linebackers, and plugging up space to block running lanes is what he was drafted to do. He was dubbed as a top ten talent if he did not get injured in college, and after a fully healthy offseason Patriots fans should expect to see that talent emerge at the pro level this year.

In the end, Chandler Jones and Dominique Easley are the two players that will make or break the Patriots defense in 2015. The front seven is going to need to carry the load because of the lack of talent in the secondary. The team has lacked an edge rusher since Willie McGinest departed in 2005, and Chandler Jones was drafted to be just that. This may be his last chance to prove he can be that in a Patriots uniform.

patspulpit.com
patspulpit.com

Dominique Easley needs to help fill the void of Vince Wilfork in the middle. Without Vince, there is a lot of space left barren at the core of the defense. Easley needs to prove he can stay healthy and show that aggressive nature that he shows on the practice field often. It is safe to say both Easley and Jones need to show some nastiness in 2015.

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

NFL: Worst. Circus. Ever.

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featured image: Google search  

 Earlier this week the Tom Brady appeal hearing transcript was released. Inside a number of things came to light but mostly character details regarding those involved in this three ring circus.

NFL: Goodell Makes Money For Owners
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell source theganggreen.com

For instance, we learned Troy Vincent is incredibly ignorant when discussing the deflation of footballs due to atmospheric conditions. Apparently Roger Goodell has terrible hearing for a man his age and will often request those he’s questioning to repeat answers a number of times. We learned that Tom Brady has no idea what a soft football feels like, just the overall texture of the ball itself. We were made aware that it is perfectly acceptable for the NFL to pay Ted Wells to conduct an “independent” investigation because, by golly, somebody has to pay him. Let’s not forget that Lauren Reisner, Ted Wells’ deputy, actually assisted the NFL during the hearing by cross examining Tom Brady. Clearly everything here is on the up and up.

There was a whole bunch of ridiculousness on the NFL’s part and more specifically Roger Goodell during this appeal process, however, Tom Brady did not come out unscathed  either. Brady insisting he did not know much about football psi prior to the October 2014 over inflation fiasco game against the New York Jets , seemed disingenuous at best. How could a man who spends so much time preparing a football not have any idea how much air he prefers inside said football? There is no legitimate proof of wrong doing in this situation but even the most ardent supporter of Brady must realize he knows how he likes his footballs.

It wasn’t all bad for Tom, although the cellphone destruction was a little bit odd on the date that he planned to meet with Ted Wells but it was hardly the proverbial “smoking gun” the NFL wants you to believe they have. Dumb and suspicous? Sure, but all it does is give the rest of the country outside of New England more reason to hate Brady, not clear evidence that he did something wrong. Quite frankly, given the release of his emails this past week, it’s no shock Brady destroyed that phone. The Peyton Manning themed email claiming no.18 had maybe “two years left” and Brady claiming to have “seven or eight years left”, I’m sure has caused him a slew of backlash.

It was particularly interesting that discipline was never implied by Ted Wells when Brady refused to hand in his phone. Patriot lawyers told him not to do so, but Tom said if he knew trouble could come due to this he would have absolutely had handed it in. Wells agreed he never told Brady that there would be discipline for this particular lack of cooperation. Roger Goodell must have had trouble hearing that.

Brady stating that he did not know Jim McNally’s name until deflategate makes total sense. As told in the transcript, Brady signs things all the time and there’s always lots of people in the locker room. It’s quite easy to believe that he would know Jim McNally’s face and not his name.
Roger Goodell at one point claimed that part of his decision to uphold Brady’s suspension rested on the unusual fact that Brady and Jastermski spoke quite a bit after the AFC Championship game. Brady gave sound reasoning for this, stating that the Super Bowl was two weeks away and also that the world was suddenly discussing the Patriot’s deflated footballs! Roger was unsatisfied with this answer. The Commissioner clearly entered this without already having made up his mind.

Roger Goodell is a desperate man and has chosen Tom Brady as his scapegoat and virtual “get out of jail free card” for the Ray Rice scandal that went so horribly wrong for him. Overall these transcripts help us to learn that the entire appeal process was a gigantic circus with our beloved commissioner of the NFL as the ring leader or was he the clown?

AFC, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, NFL

NFL: Game On: The Brady vs. Manning Rivalry Continues

 featured image: USA Today 

GLENDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 01 : Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates holding up the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX February 1, 2015 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tom Brady
GLENDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 01 : Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates holding up the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX February 1, 2015 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tom Brady

Amidst the rubble of court documents, emails, and newly released material regarding the never ending Deflategate controversy, an interesting email sent from Tom Brady has emerged. In the message, sent just a week before the Patriots rout of the Broncos in week 9, Brady seemed to have no doubts he will outlast veteran quarterback Peyton Manning. Brady is quoted as saying “I’ve got another 7 or 8 years. He has 2. That’s the final chapter. Game on.”  

Ever since Brady and Manning faced off against each other in 2001, every game has been a fight for the title “Greatest of All Time.” Each has their own obsessive fan base, ready at a moment’s notice to list every reason why their QB is the better of the two. It’s no doubt, then, that Brady sees Manning as his biggest competition. For nearly eight months the sports world has wrestled over Tom Brady’s legacy and whether Deflategate is enough to topple it. To Brady, it seems, Manning is the only one able to cast that large of a shadow over his career.  

Statistically speaking, Brady should be worried. Throughout his career Peyton has thrown for more touchdowns, more yards, and higher quarterback ratings than Brady. Manning’s numbers are undeniably better across the board, with his record setting four NFL MVP awards showing just how great of an individual player he is. Head to head, however, is a different story. Out of 16 games played between the two greats, Brady has won 11 of them–nearly 70%. Add to that four Super Bowl rings and three Super Bowl MVP’s and Tom easily evens the contest. 

Peyton calling it quits in two years would be huge for Brady’s sake in the competition. In fact, the idea isn’t unfounded. Manning’s multiple neck surgeries of 2011 and his recent troubles with his right quad and throwing arm leave many wondering how much more the signal caller has in him. Decreased passing numbers over the last two years could also indicate the future hall of famer is finally in decline. In New England, however, the current Super Bowl champion’s numbers have been on the rise as of the last few years.

When it comes down to it, these next few seasons will be critical for both quarterback’s legacies. How Brady handles the current controversy surrounding him will become a defining moment, four game suspension or not. In Denver, training camp attendees are reporting Peyton’s arm is as strong as ever. Receiver Demaryius Thomas has even claimed “it seems like [Manning] has more zip” on his passes. From the sound of it, Manning may have a lot more than two seasons left in him. Sixteen matchups later and no clear cut winner, Tom has poured some much needed fuel on the fire for the Brady versus Manning saga. It may be a decade before a consensus is ever reached on the where the two greats rank, but there is no doubt that both players have more than earned their place in the halls of Canton.

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

NFL: Deflategate, How Many Lies Does It Take To Punish An Innocent Man??

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With the release of Brady’s appeal hearing transcripts (all 10+ hours and 457 pages worth) it appears that the advantage is swinging in Tom’s favor.

Let me first start off by saying I haven’t read the transcript in its entirety, however I will gather together all the facts I have from there and the whole debacle as it has unfolded so far.

On the night of the AFC Championship game referee Walt Anderson first claimed to have used the “logo” gauge (Which read .3-.4 psi. higher than the “non-logo” gauge) when checking game balls prior to the game. Then Wells re-interviews Anderson later, getting him to say he wasn’t sure about which gauge he used. That way Wells gains an advantage to come to the pre-determined conclusion that the balls must have been deflated by Patriots personell. (Wells gets to subtract .4 psi)

During Brady’s appeal, Wells vehemently stood by the the character of Walt Anderson and the integrity of Anderson’s recollections of the procedures performed on the game balls that evening. Even though Anderson originally said he used the “logo” gauge, Anderson must have got that part wrong, so Wells just goes with the second interview where Anderson wasn’t sure, and assumes he used the “non logo” gauge. (Lie #1)

When the Patriots balls were measured at halftime, after being in the officials locker room for 4 minutes (not enough time to effect the psi coming from 40-50° outside temp.) the lowest ball measures 10.9 psi on the ” logo” gauge, when you add in the ideal gas law which predicts a 1.0-1.2 psi drop (from Exponent inc. Findings) that would make a corrected reading of 11.9-12.1 psi on the LOWEST balls psi measurement! (There were only 3 balls that fell outside the range, other 2 were higher)

This led Wells to ignore the science (buried in the footnotes) Because the findings were not conclusive enough to prove someone had tampered with the balls after inspection. (Unless you can get Anderson to say he may have used the “non logo” gauge) Then you can justify charging your client millions to get to a pre-determined conclusion.

Leak #1: Getting public opinion on your side

The NFL office leaked information to Chris Mortensen that 11 of the 12 balls were 2 psi below minimum of 12.5 psi. (None were – a blatant lie) lie #2

Wells also tells Brady during investigation that he (Brady) will not suffer any disiplinary action for not turning over his cell phone.  And, of course, we all know that was one of Goodell’s two points for upholding his suspension. (Lie #3 on side of prosecution, in case your keeping score)

Wells also testified that a text conversation between Jim McNally and Jastremski was about “inflation” of footballs after the Jets game and it was interpreted by his (crack) legal team as being about “deflation” (yep 5 million dollars for this) Seriously? (Lie #4)

Let’s get to my last point from Wells’ testimony. He said he conducted the investigation pursuant to the “policy on the integrity of the game, and enforcement of competitive rules.”  That’s the other reason for Goodell upholding the suspension. Problem is that the players are not privy to those rules, nor are they bound by them, they are given to Owners and not players. So that’s lie #5 for the league. (There’s many more, I just picked those 5)

Leak #2:  Make Brady Look Bad

Bonus lie #6 stemming from league leaking Brady “destroyed” his cell phone instead of turning it over. Leaking it that way would lead you to believe the line of investigation they had all along, this was not an “Independent” investigation. NFL employees do not “wordsmith” drafts of “Independent” investigations.

Brady also did not get a “fair” investigation either, “fair” finds all the facts to come to a conclusion, it doesn’t “pick and chose” to support a pre-determined conclusion.

#ExonerateBrady

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

Evaluations From Day Seven Of Patriots Training Camp

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The Patriots wrapped up their seventh practice of training camp Thursday afternoon, and it was much more lively than Wednesday nights in-stadium season ticket holder practice. The players were in full pads, and much of the absences were the same as they have been throughout camp, with a few new additions.

Julian Edelman missed his third straight practice with what is believed to be an ankle injury. In addition, Aaron Dobson missed practice for precautionary reasons with a hamstring injury. Also, the team signed two new players, tight end Mason Brodie who stands at 6-7, and tackle Mark Asper. Harlan Gunn was released after only a few days on the roster. Here are my evaluations and observations from Thursday’s practice.

patriots.com
patriots.com

Wide Receivers Emerge Without Edelman: With Julian Edelman now absent for the past three practices, other wide receivers such as Josh Boyce and Chris Harper have had their chances to get quality reps with Tom Brady and the first team offense. For Josh Boyce, many people have written him off for making the roster, but he has impressed so far this camp.

Boyce was targeted multiple times by Brady, and made a nice grab over Logan Ryan at the start of practice. If he can add solid receiving ability to his repertoire along with his kick returning, he could be a solid contributor to the offense.

Chris Harper was a player that for the first time received decent reps with Tom Brady on Thursday. At 5-11, 175 pounds, height is not Harper’s strength, but he can fly. Harper is getting good reps returning kicks and punts. Many believe that he was brought in specifically for this reason. However, on Thursday he showed his down field speed during eleven on eleven drills. Brady targeted him deep, but he lacked the ability to fight for the ball in the air, resulting with a pass breakup from Darryl Roberts.

Travaris Cadet Winning The Battle For Third Down Back: As training camp moves along, we can begin to see who is winning the individual position battles that we focused so heavily on leading into camp. It is probably safe to say that Travaris Cadet is winning the battle for third down running back.

Cadet is not as bulky as I had previously anticipated, but he seems to be the best option in the passing game. When you see him up close he looks like a slot receiver. On Thursday, he made a nice catch down the sideline from Tom Brady. He has shown the ability to run the wheel route very effectively, beating outside linebackers with his speed. Cadet can be used in the slot, much like Shane Vereen. The only question I have concerning him now is his pass blocking ability.

Patriots.com
Patriots.com

Miscellaneous Notes: Tom Brady took over the majority of the reps on Thursday, going 21 for 28 during eleven on eleven drills, with Garoppolo going 12 for 16 with an interception to Tavon Wilson who has impressed this summer.

Furthermore, Danny Amendola has been getting a lot of good reps with the absence of Julian Edelman. He is breaking free from defenders and making some very impressive catches. It should leave fans with confidence if Edelman were to miss significant time. Edelman is, “day to day” according to head coach Bill Belichick.

Lastly, media reports indicate that Brandon LaFell is walking around without a walking boot.

I will not be attending training camp over the weekend, so stay tuned next week for more updates from camp.

Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, NFL

New England Patriots: Five Things To Look For

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(featured photo: Benny Sieu-USA Today

Green Bay vs New England – It’s An Exhibition Game

New England Patriot fans, have you highlighted August 13 on your calendar? That’s the date the Patriots play their first “exhibition” game. I know King Roger doesn’t like the word “exhibition”, but I don’t like Roger Goodell and, really, when the game doesn’t count…it’s an exhibition! Pre-Season Game…give us some credit for knowing that’s a sham title to make fans think its a real contest.

The NFL may charge full price and force season ticket holders to buy tickets, but they can’t change the facts (although Mr. Commissioner is trying to do that to Tom “Terrific”)…and the fact is: teams play back-up and unknown undrafted free agents and most of the players you see in game #1 will never see the light of a real NFL game.

New England Patriots vs Green Bay Packers

Now that I have that off my chest…the game is at Gillette Stadium against the Green Bay Packers, with kick-off scheduled for 7:30. Despite all the garbage going on with that other issue (last time it will be mentioned in this column) it will be nice to actually see some football, even if we only know 10% of the players that will hit the field.

Here are a few things to look for this Thursday:

Jimmy G at 2015 Training Camp
Jimmy G at 2015 Training Camp (Keith Nordstrom/New England Patriots)
  1. Obviously focus will be on who looks good at QB for the Pats. Tom Brady may get in a series or two, but everyone in the stadium is looking to see if Jimmy Garoppolo is ready to take the helm “if needed” when the real season begins. If not (heaven forbid), who will step up?  It has been reported that they have released Matt Flynn, leaving no one to back him up. Right now Brady & Garoppolo are the only QBs on the Patriots roster, so don’t be surprised when they grab a body (any body will do) to have a back-up available.
  2. There’s a lot of competition at the various running back positions. This game will allow some of the lesser known RB’s to show their stuff. Some players to keep an eye on include: #39 Travis Cadet, #36 Tyler Gaffney, #35 Jonas (the Colt buster) Gray, #28 James White (looking to show he can fill the big shoes left by Shane Vereen’s departure) & #33 Dion Lewis. Don’t expect to see much action, if any, from LeGarrette Blount or Brandon Bolden.
  3. The development of Jake Bequette as a TE should be worth a look or two. In fact Arkansas’ A.J. Derby and Kansas’ Jimmay Mundine will be fighting to show what they have to other teams, since the chance of being on the Patriots opening day roster are slim and none. Michael Hoomanawanui had a rough year in 2014, so he could be on the bubble, especially with the signing of Scott Chandler.
  4. …and then there’s Corner Back.  There are a bunch of bodies fighting to be the next “island” in the Patriots secondary.
  5. There’s been a lot of talk about the defense, but keep your eye on the offensive line. There could be a major shift this season and these are the “unknowns” who keep the QB healthy. If you aren’t cursing them out, they’re doing their job! Players to watch include Tre’ Jackson & Shaq Mason.

    Tre' Jackson Is Worth Watching (printinterest.com)
    Tre’ Jackson Is Worth Watching (printinterest.com)
There’s more, but if you are at the game or watching on TV those five should make it worthwhile to stay awake for the entire game. If not, don’t worry…it’s only an exhibition (yawn). Coaches are just hoping no one gets hurt.
Follow me on Twitter @SnowdonBob
 
New England Patriots, NFL

NFL/Tom Brady Transcripts Released

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Tom Brady’s camp took a step up to the plate to pre-empt the NFL offices by submitting the transcript of his meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell. The fact Brady’s camp was willing to make the entire document available speaks volumes for their confidence that he is innocent of all charges.

Troy Vincent States His Feelings (Facebook)
Troy Vincent States His Feelings (Facebook)

It will be interesting to see what the reaction of all parties involved, and the media, will be after analyzing the document. We’ll have our analyses on goallinegazette.com shortly. Meanwhile, here it is in it entirety.

https://nbcprofootballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/ex-204-appeal-hearing-transcript-t-brady.pdf

A solid night of reading for anyone!

Follow me on Twitter @SnowdonBob

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

Evaluations From Day Five Of Patriots Training Camp

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After getting the day off on Monday, Bill Belichick had his team back out on the practice field on Tuesday afternoon. A later start at roughly 1:30 p.m, the crowd from the weekend diminished drastically, leaving fans in attendance with a much better view point for the practice. The practice schedule and routine was the same as the first four days, things are just slowly picking up as the days move on. Here are my three observations and evaluations from Tuesday’s session.

Injuries Pile Up: With players hitting mostly at full speed comes the increased risk of training camp injuries. At the end of Sunday’s practice, Julian Edelman came up limping after catching a low placed ball from Jimmy Garoppolo. Edelman was on the field in full pads to start Tuesday’s practice. However, after stretches he walked into the field house next to the practice field and never returned.

In addition, halfway through the practice during individual tackling drills between defensive backs and wide receivers, Brian Tyms was rocked by Robert McClain. It did not seem to be a cheap shot, but most players do not follow through with their tackles, except for McClain who took Tyms directly to the ground. Tyms was carted off the practice field with what looked to be an upper body injury.

Also, an injury that looked to slip under the radar at the end of practice was an alleged one to Rob Gronkowski. I first noticed when the first team offense was practicing goal line drills. Gronkowski was kneeling on the side, grabbing at his lower back. There was no sign of trainers looking at his back, but during the two-minute drills at the end of practice, Gronkowski sat out. He was walking okay at the end, so try not to panic to hard Patriots fans.

patriots.com
patriots.com

Jimmy Garoppolo Has His Best Day: Throughout the first four days of training camp, Jimmy Garoppolo was underwhelming to put it lightly. Nevertheless, on Tuesday he was pretty impressive. He started practice off slow, with his first pass being intercepted by Nate Ebner. However, his passes had some very nice touch on them, particularly in red zone situations.

His first two passes in live eleven on eleven situations were beautifully placed passes, hitting Travaris Cadet and Danny Amendola in stride in opposite corners of the end zone. His decision making still needs to speed up, but overall he is slowly progressing day by day.

patriots.com
patriots.com

Miscellaneous Notes: Malcolm Butler continues to build upon his Super Bowl heroics during training camp. During the first eleven on eleven session, Butler picked off a bullet pass from Tom Brady intended for Josh Boyce in the middle of the field. Also, he certainly does not lack in confidence as he continues to chatter back and forth with Tom Brady.

Practice for sure started off very chippy on Tuesday afternoon. It started off right away during seven on seven interior drills. Jonas Gray ran through the hole, only to be absolutely leveled by Jamie Collins from the right side. Gray got up a little ticked off and the two exchanged words for a moment.

In addition, Josh Kline was getting very scrappy as well early on, and Jordan Devey looks terrible as always. Kline was blowing back Jonathan Freeny and getting good contact on Jamie Collins. Especially on Freeny, pushing him all the way back to the sidelines. Devey looked as if he were on roller skates when Zach Moore made one move on him and blew up a run play in the back field.

Josh Boyce is also raising some eyebrows so far. I completely wrote him off from making the team, but he is seeing a lot of time with Tom Brady, and Jimmy Garoppolo especially loves targeting him. Boyce continues to burn seventh round rookie cornerback Darryl Roberts, on almost a daily basis.

The Patriots will have a light practice inside Gillette Stadium for season ticket holders, and residents of Foxborough and South Walpole on Wednesday night after the Hall of Fame induction of Willie McGinest. Stay tuned for more training camp updates on Goal Line Gazette.