***OFFICIAL*** 2012 Patriots Off-Season Thread (1 Viewer)

[Berniebezzo]

At pats camp today.Ask questions I'll answer when i get home.

Can you talk about how Brandon Llyod was being used, was he being used on deep routes, or was he being used on shorter and intermediate routes. How would you classify the chemistry between him and Brady.

 

[KGB]

Notes from day 3.

1 branding Lloyd is the real deal. Had the best play of the day with a 30 or 40 yarder in double coverage. He was blanketed and not only caught the ball but kept his balance and was able to keep going. Caught everything thrown to him as far as i could tell.

2. Welker. I was worried about him being pissy and not giving it his all. Not a problem. Ran hard EVERY play. Missed a couple of balls but no worries.

3. Gronk caught everything thrown to him. Left practice for about an hour but returned and was fine. Got hit in the face or something.

4. Stalworth. Lots of opportunities , lots of drops. Looked like crap

5. Patrick Chung returning punts

6. Ridley looked good. Vereen not so much. The undraftedrookie 22. Last name starts with a B, looked good. None looked great.

 

[KGB]

At pats camp today.Ask questions I'll answer when i get home.

Can you talk about how Brandon Llyod was being used, was he being used on deep routes, or was he being used on shorter and intermediate routes. How would you classify the chemistry between him and Brady.

His big catch was the only long ball thrown that i saw. They looked to be on the same page. This will not be ocho part 2.Highly draftable. I think he played wr1 down the right side all practice. Med and long routes.He will be a great wr2 for fantasy imo

 

[Faust]

Brady's enthusiasm, new weapons, familiar OC bad news for rest of NFL

By Jason La Canfora | CBS Sports NFL Insider

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tom Brady's world is shrinking. Each year it seems he grows more famous, more of a crossover celebrity beyond the mere football sphere, and -- today at least -- he seemed perfectly fine with it. For while so much has changed for Brady since 13 years ago, when he was a gangly, awkward, sixth-round pick just hoping to make the team, there is still a refreshing normalcy to the routines of yet another training camp surrounded by so many familiar faces.

The man's every move is fodder for the gossip pages and "entertainment" web sites, and there is no real escaping that reality. So, when images of him leaping off a ledge in Costa Rica emerged on the Internet, it was going to come up as he met the media at New England Patriots' training camp for the first time. He knew it. And the media knew it. When you attain a level of international fame that Brady and his model wife have, it comes with the territory.

"I thought about making the Olympic diving team," Brady said cheekily about the "cliff diving" video, before acknowledging that "it's getting harder and harder" to find some privacy in a world where every phone is a portal to the Internet. But Brady gets it. When you are the face for major global brands, and have the kind of appeal he has, and, well, look like Tom and Gisele, and you live a jet-setting life in the offseason, you're going to show up in People magazine from time to time.

So the relative drudgery of training camp is welcomed. Brady is driven as ever, excited to work with new targets like Brandon Lloyd and energized by the return of old friends like Jabar Gaffney and Donte' Stallworth. He seemed genuinely fired up to detail the first few days of camp, still trying to get his legs under him. As a true disciple of Bill Belichick, he espouses that the closest thing the NFL has seen to a dynasty in quite some time still ain't accomplished much of anything yet and that an offensive arsenal that looks as dangerous as any in the league are just names on a training camp roster right now.

"We're nowhere near where we need to be," Brady said.

Once again, Brady will be celebrating a birthday at training camp, turning 35 on Friday. He could vividly recall, when asked Friday, who caught his first pass ever in an NFL preseason game (receiver Sean Morey), and what it felt like to be in San Francisco for that game, so close to home, with childhood heroes like Jerry Rice and Joe Montana around. He hasn't lost that aw-shucks sensibility, or his rabid competitiveness.

"I still feel like a young kid out here trying to earn a spot," he said.

Brady was only a few plays -- a missed connection with Wes Welker, in particular, in the Super Bowl -- from winning another ring. Again, on paper, the cast around him looks improved. There have been injuries and some shuffling of the offensive line, which is uncommon in these parts. But in Lloyd, Brady has a legitimate deep threat to scare safeties, something he's lacked since Randy Moss' form waned several years ago. And his devastating tight end combination is only getting better (with solid veteran Visanthe Shiancoe added to the group for good measure). And Welker returns.

Oh, and offensive wizard Josh McDaniels, who returned to the fold late last season after two years as Denver's head coach and one as the Rams' O-coordinator, is back pulling all the strings and working with a group of players, Lloyd included, he knows very well. McDaniels sees an even better quarterback in Brady than the one he left in 2009.

"Every year, Tom gets better," McDaniels said. "And every year Tom goes through different experiences and he can't help learn from it, process it and he doesn't forget it. He's one of those unique players who can learn from a situation and then apply it going forward consistently, even if it doesn't come up that much. He can go back to it and remember it. He gets better every day and works so hard to do that, that he can't help but change for the good. And I think that really forces the rest of our guys to do the same thing."

For McDaniels, the opportunity to come back to this stellar organization, and work for his mentor in Belichick and reunite with Brady was too good to pass (if he shines as brightly as I expect, McDaniels also will be set up quickly for another head coaching shot).

"I don't think you have the opportunity to coach a player like Tom many times in your career," McDaniels said. "I was very fortunate to have a chance the first time. We have a very good relationship. Obviously, he's a guy that you enjoy coaching, and he's challenging to coach because he's so capable of understanding the game at an elite level that it makes you want to work extremely hard, which I think we all want to do anyway. It's good to be back here."

McDaniels will serve as the fulcrum in the Brady/Lloyd vortex, a combination that has the potential to be potent. Lloyd knows the system well from playing for McDaniels in Denver, but struggled mightily earlier in his career with attitude problems and jelling with coaches and teammates. Lloyd wasn't in much of an expansive mood after this practice, saying the on-field chemistry isn't there yet.

"It just takes time," he said.

Brady is clearly tickled by the possibilities, and twice today Lloyd brought the crowd to life with acrobatic catches in drills, but he too allowed there is a ways to go.

"[Lloyd] wants to be a big part of this offense," Brady said, "and I want to help him a big part of this offense."

I fully expect McDaniels to make that happen, and he's also uniquely qualified to understand Lloyd, who quickly wore out his welcome in San Francisco, Washington and Chicago before saving his career in Denver, where he became a league-leading receiver.

"When I first met Brandon in 2009, I had an open mind and he had an open mind," McDaniels said. "We all go through different phases in our lives and our career, and when I had an opportunity to meet and get to know him, he's a really good person. I enjoyed being around him.

"He's intelligent and he cares about his job and what he does out there and how he relates to his teamamates. He really tried to adapt to what we're doing and it's not our offense that makes him a good player, he makes himself a good player. He could fit into a lot of systems. We're fortunate to have a relationship to where he can help us win here."

This could be a magical season for Lloyd, Brady, McDaniels and the rest of this organization. It wasn't that long ago the Pats flirted with perfection, they should be better on defense, and their division is hardly formidable. Many expect them to run away with the AFC East, in fact, and, ho hum, see Brady hoisting that Lombardi Trophy yet again come February.

But Brady realizes this is anything but the norm for most. It's been a luxury to spend his entire career here with one head coach, staying in a place where, when other may leave (be they McDaniels or Gaffney or Stallworth or others) they quite frequently long to come back.

"I love playing quarterback for this team," Brady said. "It's a great responsibility to have, and I appreciate it every day. ... My life is pretty much built around that."

Camp Rumblings: Nick Caserio, director of player personnel, said there was no update with guard Brian Waters, who has not reported, and injured linebacker/defensive end Andre Carter.

Both veterans shined for the Pats last season. Waters' absence could be contract-related, in the second year of a team-friendly deal. Carter is coming back from season-ending quad surgery but told me recently he is making good progress, running more than 2 1/2 miles on the beach. Many expect Carter to eventually re-sign here, though numerous teams would have interest in the pass rusher.

• Recently signed TE Shiancoe, who joins what was already the league's best tight end group, has impressed teammates and coaches already with the tremendous shape he is in.

• The Patriots are still carrying an open roster spot, with 89 players here and the roster limit at 90.

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

I believe tim and pat will be broadcasting from pats camp sunday noon est, maybe, on sirius - nfl

also, lol belichick

love that dude

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

I believe tim and pat will be broadcasting from pats camp sunday noon est, maybe, on sirius - nfl

if you don't have sirius go to their site and click 'listen online' and I think there's a free week trial you can get with just an e-mail -- no cc req

 

[captain_amazing]

I'll be at the Pat's training camp tomorrow - if anyone wants me to observe something specific, let me know before 8AM ET tomorrow, and I'll make sure to do so and post back.

 

[ponchsox]

I'll be at the Pat's training camp tomorrow - if anyone wants me to observe something specific, let me know before 8AM ET tomorrow, and I'll make sure to do so and post back.

Let us know what's going on in the Patriots backfield and how Ridley looks.

 

[Run It Up]

I'll be at the Pat's training camp tomorrow - if anyone wants me to observe something specific, let me know before 8AM ET tomorrow, and I'll make sure to do so and post back.

Hows Gronk running?Hows Patrick Chung look?Mccourty at S or CB?Chandler Jones looking good?Thanks man, wish I lived closer.

 

[captain_amazing]

Ridley looks OK. He is still playing with the first team offense. He had some nice breaks out of the backfield, and had a few moments where he displayed his elusiveness, especially between the tackles. However, another times he was less impressive - one of these unimpressive moments in particular stood out during a 1-on-1 drill. The drill involved offensive players holding footballs avoid or break a tackle within confines measuring roughly 5 by 15 yards. Ridley went up against Chung and was easily and quickly brought down. Overall, I have no doubts that Ridley is still considered as the "lead" back in their RBBC (especially since neither of the other RBs really stood out), but I can't imagine that he has much of a lead on the others.

Hows Gronk running?Hows Patrick Chung look?Mccourty at S or CB?Chandler Jones looking good?Thanks man, wish I lived closer.

Gronkowski is running fine. He appeared to be 100%. I thought Chung had one of the best practices out of all of the players - in addition to the takedown of Ridley during the 1-on-1 drill mentioned, he also made a few other great plays during a passing drill and 14-on-14 work. Specifically, during the passing drill a WR and DB would line up wide 1-on-1. Chung went up against Hernandez on his first bout, and prevented him from advancing far from the line of scrimmage. McCourty is playing CB - not once did I seem him line up as a S. Jones also looked good, but I unfortunately didn't get to see as much of him. However, I will note that Jones is much bigger and taller than I expected. He is like the "Gronkowski" of the defense, in that his physique really stands out among all of the other defensive players.One other note - there were separate on the field "scuffles" that turned into team brawls. It really didn't seem to be much of anything, but it seemed worth noting.

 

[Monsters of the Midway]

I'd Iike to reiterate the awesomeness of this board. Not only do we have knowledgeable folks, they attend practices AND solicit questions then report back to the group. Awesome stuff imo

 

[Faust]

Time to adjust expectations for Chandler Jones

Posted by Greg A. Bedard August 3, 2012 04:53 PM

FOXBOROUGH -- As the Patriots concluded their second stretch of practices on Friday before an off day, I had one unshakable thought: Chandler Jones is a starter, and I don't really foresee that changing.

While other players (Rob Ninkovich, Jermaine Cunningham and Trevor Scott) come and go at left defensive end, Jones has been consistently on the right side the second week of camp to the point that he's now running with the first and second teams on that side.

To me, that means they are trying to cram in as much as possible so Jones will be ready for the season.

Entering training camp, the expectations for Jones -- even within the Patriots -- were for him to start as a situational player and possibly evolve from there.

But two things happened: Jones entered camp much stronger than most anticipated, and his pass-rush moves are much more advanced that your typical early-entry, first-round pick.

Put those things together, and you have a player capable of playing every down. I think his ability to hold the point of attack has even surprised the Patriots.

Jones has absolutely shown that potential and his play has dictated that he get, not only a shot at the starting job, but the job for now.

That being said, if Andre Carter returns, I don't know how that changes things. Perhaps Jones slides back to a situational role. That would have to play out and would be contingent on Carter's health.

But you can only deal with the players you have, and right now Jones is the clear leader at the end/linebacker hybrid Elephant position on the right side of the Patriots' defense.

 

[Faust]

Text size – + Practice rundown #8

By Greg A. Bedard, Globe Staff

FOXBOROUGH – Here’s a rundown on what went on at Patriots’ practice on Friday.

ATTENDANCE PLEASE

Reserve/did not report: RG Brian Waters.



Physically unable to perform: LG Logan Mankins (knee), RT Sebastian Vollmer (back), OT Markus Zusevics (unknown), TE Daniel Fells (shoulder), TE Jake Ballard (knee), DT Myron Pryor (shoulder), WR Jeremy Ebert (hamstring).



Red jerseys: WR Matthew Slater (shoulder), S James Ihedigbo (shoulder).

Not participating: CB Alfonzo Dennard (hamstring), LB Tracy White (unknown), FB Tony Fiammetta (unknown), TE Visanthe Shiancoe (unknown), DT Jonathan Fanene (unknown), FB Spencer Larsen (unknown), OT Matt Kopa (leg).



Returned to practice: S Nate Ebner, C/G Nick McDonald (no team), WR Brandon Lloyd (no team), WR Deion Branch (no team), CB Will Allen, DE Jake Bequette.

INJURIES

Newly signed OG Derek Dennis couldn't be in pads so he wasn't participating in practice, but he still left via a cart for some reason.

Dan Koppen and Dan Connolly both needed trainer assistance during post-fight laps. both returned.

DRESS CODE

Back in full pads.

TOP PLAYS

[*]Jabar Gaffney turned around twice before hauling in a deep pass from Brian Hoyer over S James Ihedigbo off a trick play. A great catch.

[*]DE Rob Ninkovich always stands out after a little rest. He was back after missing some time with an undisclosed ailment and then absolutely took it to RT Marcus Cannon on the first play of team drills. Cannon couldn’t handle the mix of speed and power.

[*]Undrafted DE Justin Francis steamrolled LT Nate Solder onto his back during a one-on-one rep thanks to an unbelievable speed rush. Don't think Solder knew what hit him.

THUMBS UP

It didn’t take Dont’a Hightower to assert himself as the team’s starting strong-side linebacker, and that was expected. Now it seems clear that fellow first-round pick Chandler Jones is in command at right DE – he’s filling both the first- and second-team roles to, apparently, accelerate his learning process. Jones has absolutely deserved that spot after demonstrating surprising strength at the point of attack, and very advanced pass-rush moves. At this point, Jones is far from being just a role player.

THUMBS DOWN

Devin McCourty is not off to a good start in camp. After enduring a rough sophomore campaign, McCourty has been average so far and then had a really rough time on Friday. He was consistently beaten during red-zone coverage drills, and it looked even worse because he wasn’t turning his head around to spot the ball. McCourty needs to start picking it up or else Sterling Moore – who has shown the best ball skills by far – could earn a shot at lining up with Kyle Arrington and Ras-I Dowling.

SUPERLATIVES

Dropped passes: Brandon Lloyd, Aaron Hernandez, Britt Davis

Nice catch: Gaffney, Wes Welker, Davis.

Fumbled: None.

Interceptions: None.

ONE-ON-ONES

One man’s opinion on how the offensive and defensive lines matched up in one-on-one drills (our favorite part of camp). Records shown indicate wins-losses-draws.

Standouts -- Offense: Ryan Wendell (1-0-1), Darrion Weems (1-0-1). Defense: Vince Wilfork (3-1-0), Rob Ninkovich (1-0-0), Justin Francis (1-0-0)

Struggled -- Offense: Dan Koppen (0-2-0). Defense: Trevor Scott (0-1-0)

Decided victories: Wilfork 2 (vs. Koppen, Robert Gallery), Ninkovich (vs. Marcus Cannon), Francis (vs. Nate Solder).

[*]Wilfork must have been a little ticked that Dan Connolly handled him in Wilfork’s opening rep because not only did the nose tackle take more reps than anyone (four), he took his frustration out on Koppen, Thomas and Gallery. And Wilfork used three different techniques -- club, rip and then bull rush -- to dominate his opponent. Basically, when Wilfork doesn’t want to be blocked, he won’t be.

[*]Koppen has now lost nine-straight reps, and wound up on the ground in two-on-twos.

[*]Ninkovich made Cannon look bad blowing right by him with an inside move. It was Ninkovich’s first one-on-one rep since July 28.

[*]Solder did a very nice job to stuff Chandler Jones on the first snap, but Solder got pancaked by Francis on the second.

[*]Not sure what has happened to him, but Scott looked terrible against Kyle Hix. Scott has gone 1-3-1 in one-on-ones since starting 2-1-2 for a mediocre total of 3-4-3 so far.

[*]Cunningham easily lost his one rep and has dropped three-straight since starting 4-3-1.

ODDS AND ENDS

[*]Once again, TE Aaron Hernandez and QB Tom Brady stayed after practice to work on handoffs. Hernandez got one during practice.

[*]Brady was also working on his mechanics. He’s been slightly off the past two sessions. Looks like he’s just not staying closed long enough.

[*]WR Wes Welker is unstoppable in the slot in one-on-one matchups. And CB Kyle Arrington wasn’t doing a bad job. Welker’s just that good.

[*]Moore is the best perimeter corner in drills to this point.

[*]Rookie S Tavon Wilson had his first rough practice of camp. He had a tough time in coverage, but did run over FB Eric Kettani while blitzing.

[*]TE Rob Gronkowski is nearly back to his form from last season. His one weak area in camp to this point, blocking, was much better on Friday both in one-on-one drills against linebackers, and in team drills.

[*]Alex Silvestro (against Niko Koutouvides), Tyler Urban (Aaron Lavarias) and Bobby Carpenter (Hernandez) delivered pancake blocks in TE/LB one-on-ones.

[*]Edelman and Hernandez each muffed a punt.

[*]DT Kyle Love is having a very good camp to this point. Scouts like Brandon Deaderick’s talent level more, but it’s not even close as to who’s the better player at this point.

[*]Shane Vereen had his best running day of camp. Very nice vision and showed not hesitiation.

[*]After getting run over by Francis in one-on-one, Solder was whipped by Jones and Marcus Harrison during the two-on-two “game” drill, where two linemen work in tandem against two offensive linemen.

[*]Undrafted OG Jeremiah Warren has been on a steady decline since a strong start. He has talent, but he’s really struggling.

[*]Gallery tossed Deaderick to the ground.

[*]Saw Ninkovich line up at DT and Wilfork DE on one rep but Connolly had it figured out with Cannon.

[*]Brady got a birthday present: his first two-minute drill touchdown of camp to Edelman along the back line.

[*]It looked like Jerod Mayo, whistle in hand, was running the two-minute drill to end practice following the two fights.

[*]Patriots were back to the offense line of Solder, Thomas, Wendell, Connolly and Cannon. It’s been their best line by far.

[*]With Ninkovich back, Scott and Cunningham were dropped down the depth chart at LDE. Francis is the third-string RDE behind Jones, who is in both spots.

SCHEDULE

Saturday: No practice

Sunday: 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday: Practice time TBD

Tuesday: 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. (joint practice with New Orleans Saints)

Wednesday: 10 a.m. with Saints

Thursday: 7:30 p.m. game vs. Saints

Friday: No practice.

 

[Faust]

Camp Observations: Day 9

By Field Yates | ESPNBoston.com

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Patriots' practice in Friday's heat was highlighted by two more full-team fights, but it was also the team's final practice of the week before a day off on Saturday. Here are some observations from the full pads session:

Mayo receives the whistle. After a second scuffle between players, head coach Bill Belichick called the team together for a huddle. Upon the conclusion of his remarks, the players remained united for a continued huddle before getting back on the field for a final few minutes of work. The offense and defense worked against each other in a full-field two-minute drill, and for at least part of it, linebacker Jerod Mayo was using a whistle to signal the end of the plays. The 26-year old adopted a coach-on-the-field role of sorts, as it appeared the drill was run entirely by the players. The coaches largely stood pat on the sidelines. This could be a case where the players, not satisfied by what had just happened, took it upon themselves to finish practice on the right foot. If such was the case, that’s terrific leadership from Mayo, amongst others.

Williams practicing hard. Count defensive back Malcom Williams, a 2011 seventh-round draft choice, amongst the hardest-practicing Patriots. From a skill set standpoint, he appears to have good short area quickness, power for his size, and toughness. His shot to make this roster will come through special teams contributions.

Setting the edge. The tight ends worked against a group of defensive ends in a drill that mirrored an edge-setting situation. The takeaways: Rob Gronkowski remains overpowering, and looked confident on his surgically repaired ankle; Aaron Hernandez isn’t the biggest or strongest guy, but he put in a competitive effort; defensive end Aaron Lavarias showed solid strength to lock out.

Muffed punts. On back-to-back plays, Julian Edelman and Wes Welker muffed punts off the foot of Zoltan Mesko. In the case of Edelman, credit Sterling Moore – who had aligned as a gunner on the opposing punt team – for the distraction. Moore flew down the field, and Edelman’s attention was briefly diverted to measure up how close Moore had closed in on him. Welker, meanwhile, was late arriving to a ball kicked near the sidelines, and it redirected off his lower body out of bounds.



Handling punts and kicks. A nuance to returning kicks that isn’t often talked about is how a player fields the football with his hands. Most rely on a cradle technique, allowing the ball to drop into a basket-like set-up of their arms. Although uncommon, a handful of players have the ability to field the football over their head, almost like a baseball player fielding a fly ball. In a perfect world, many special teams coaches would prefer the overhead technique – something we saw Aaron Hernandez try at least once during the walk-thru portion of practice – and here’s why: catching the ball over the head allows the player to align in a staggered stance. This prevents them from having to take a step backwards when they field the kick. Those who cradle the football require one step backwards to re-set their center of gravity. Perhaps Hernandez will attempt to continue to field kicks overhead, something former Patriot Kevin Faulk did at points of his career.

Bequette dons the visor. Rookie defensive lineman Jake Bequette, who missed practice on Thursday, returned to the field wearing a tinted visor shield on his facemask. No word on whether this is related to his absence.



Gallery struggles. Veteran offensive lineman Robert Gallery has had no shortage of reps throughout training camp, but he’s struggled. From this vantage point, his athleticism seems to have diminished sharply, and he’s getting caught high in his stance from the snap. That’s preventing him to play from a stance in which he can be mobile enough to mirror his opponent. Competitiveness and toughness have never been an issue with Gallery, but his ability to get his hands on his defender and keep up with his rush has been below average so far.



Wilfork and Francis go bowling. During one-on-ones between the offensive and defensive lines, both Vince Wilfork and Justin Francis managed to bowl over their opponents during one rep of the drill. Francis, working from the edge, shoved towering left tackle Nate Solder flat on his behind, while Wilfork dismantled Gallery from the play’s outset. We noted Francis’ pop in a previous observations post. Today reaffirmed that.

Play of the day. Reserve quarterback Brian Hoyer and veteran receiver Jabar Gaffney hooked up for the play of the day on Friday, connecting on a deep pass down the middle of the field. Hoyer faked a handoff first, then a reverse, before dropping back for an arcing throw to Gaffney, who had worked a skinny post from the offense’s left side. Gaffney gets an additional tip of the cap, as he adjusted twice on the throw, first adjusting his view to look over his left shoulder before readjusting to look over his right shoulder and cradle the ball in.

Stallworth and physical play. Receiver Donte’ Stallowrth’s speed continues to show up, and he’s been sharp throughout much of camp. One thought on defending him, however: defenders who have been able to get their hands on Stallworth and be physical at the line of scrimmage have enjoyed some success. Stallworth’s forte isn’t his ability to break press coverage.

Vereen improves. Thought Shane Vereen had his best day of camp. Decisive in his runs, and nifty in route running from the backfield.

Attendance report. Players not spotted on the field: fullbacks Spencer Larsen (unknown) and Tony Fiametta (unknown); tight ends Visanthe Shiancoe (unknown), Daniel Fells (leg) and Jake Ballard (ACL); offensive linemen Brian Waters (did not report) and Matt Kopa (unknown); defensive linemen Jonathan Fanene (unknown); and linebacker Tracy White (unknown). ... Players in T-shirts and shorts: receiver Jeremy Ebert (leg); offensive linemen Logan Mankins (ACL), Sebastian Vollmer (back), and Markus Zusevics (pectoral); defensive lineman Myron Pryor (shoulder); and cornerback Alfonzo Dennard (hamstring). ... Players remaining in red jerseys: receiver Matthew Slater and safety James Ihedigbo.

 

[Boston]

I think Greg Bedard is turning into one of the guys to really listen to when it comes to the Pats...he knows his stuff...the difference between a guy like Bedard and Reiss is that while Reiss is great for info (especially big picture info) Bedard not only gets info but really seems to have a full understanding of the game from an x and o level...

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

Physically unable to perform: LG Logan Mankins (knee), RT Sebastian Vollmer (back)

[*]DE Rob Ninkovich always stands out after a little rest. He was back after missing some time with an undisclosed ailment and then absolutely took it to RT Marcus Cannon on the first play of team drills. Cannon couldn’t handle the mix of speed and power.

[*]Undrafted DE Justin Francis steamrolled LT Nate Solder onto his back during a one-on-one rep thanks to an unbelievable speed rush. Don't think Solder knew what hit him.

[*]Ninkovich made Cannon look bad blowing right by him with an inside move. It was Ninkovich’s first one-on-one rep since July 28.

[*]Solder did a very nice job to stuff Chandler Jones on the first snap, but Solder got pancaked by Francis on the second.

[*]After getting run over by Francis in one-on-one, Solder was whipped by Jones and Marcus Harrison during the two-on-two “game” drill, where two linemen work in tandem against two offensive linemen.

lookin' good this year, pats!

 

[Sabertooth]

Is Vereen even worthy of a roster spot in fantasy leagues?

 

[David Yudkin]

Is Vereen even worthy of a roster spot in fantasy leagues?

Vereen was viewed as having a great day in practice the other day. No matter what appears to be going on right now in training camp, we really have no idea what the Pats are really planning on doing with their running backs. Aaron Hernandez has been taking a fair amount of snaps at running back in camp so far. The bottom line is, we just don't know much of anything. As for your question, yes I would roster and hold on to Vereen and see how this all shakes out.

 

[Raider Nation]

Robert Gallery, who entered the NFL hyped as the league’s next great left tackle but never became much more than a pretty good guard, has decided to call it a career after eight seasons.The Patriots, who signed Gallery in March, announced his retirement today.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Tony Fiammetta will miss the 2012 season due to a family issue but hopes to play in 2013

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

Tony Fiammetta will miss the 2012 season due to a family issue but hopes to play in 2013

his wife had already planned a few parties on game days.

 

[Run It Up]

Hows Gronk running?Hows Patrick Chung look?Mccourty at S or CB?Chandler Jones looking good?Thanks man, wish I lived closer.

Gronkowski is running fine. He appeared to be 100%. I thought Chung had one of the best practices out of all of the players - in addition to the takedown of Ridley during the 1-on-1 drill mentioned, he also made a few other great plays during a passing drill and 14-on-14 work. Specifically, during the passing drill a WR and DB would line up wide 1-on-1. Chung went up against Hernandez on his first bout, and prevented him from advancing far from the line of scrimmage. McCourty is playing CB - not once did I seem him line up as a S. Jones also looked good, but I unfortunately didn't get to see as much of him. However, I will note that Jones is much bigger and taller than I expected. He is like the "Gronkowski" of the defense, in that his physique really stands out among all of the other defensive players.One other note - there were separate on the field "scuffles" that turned into team brawls. It really didn't seem to be much of anything, but it seemed worth noting.

Thanks man, getting pumped.

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

Posted by Greg A. Bedard August 14, 2012 02:39 PM

Chandler Jones abused Nate Solder during a shortened one-on-one period. Jones slapped Solder's hands down and then used a club move to take Solder out of the play.

Connolly(OL) must be dealing with something because for the second-straight he didn't do much.

The Patriots need to find a way to get Julian Edelman the ball more in the open field during games. He can be electric. Edelman has had a great camp and he and Brady hooked up on a 50-yard bomb touchdown that torched S James Ihedigbo.

On the whole, the offensive line had a terrible practice. They got whipped (2-11-1) by the defense in one-on-ones, and they might have been just as bad in a two-on-two session. In team drills, we counted at least eight would-be sacks or tackles for a loss against the run. RT Marcus Cannon again had a very rough go, as did RG Nick McDonald, who was working in place of the injured Connolly.

Great day for the defense, especially for the secondary. They had four interceptions for the second straight practice, and got their hands on another five passes and broke them up. The safeties, Steve Gregory and Patrick Chung, had a terrific practice. Gregory had an interception and two pass breakups. Chung had a pick and an breakup.

Fletcher put on IR

Posted by Greg A. Bedard August 13, 2012 07:28 PM

New injuries: TE Aaron Hernandez (unknown), WR Brandon Lloyd (unknown - was stretching his groin).

Don’t call it a comeback . . . Veteran C Dan Koppen, who at times has had a very rough camp coming back from leg surgery, finally started to look more like his old self when he won all three of his one-on-one matchups. Koppen had won just one of his last 11 reps coming in.

The running backs were fairly pathetic trying to block linebackers in one-on-one drills. The only time they did anything was when the RBs faked blocking and went out on a pass route (Niko Koutouvides, Bobby Carpenter, and Mike Rivera each were made to look bad). Jerod Mayo, Rivera, and Koutouvides each used a push-pull technique that nearly left Danny Woodhead (twice) and Brandon Bolden flat on their faces. The running backs lost all their reps until the final one when Woodhead held his own against Dont’a Hightower.

McDonald got his first one-on-one reps of camp and he unfortunately drew Vince Wilfork both times and had no chance.

also

There was also an extended deceptions period, which works on misdirection runs, screens, reverses, and trick plays. Even saw Brady try to block Wilfork at one point.

No Hernandez and Lloyd left the Patriots will just two TEs (converted DL Alex Silvestro and Tyler Urban), zero FBs and shorthanded at WR.

In addition to a poor one-on-one period, Cannon was constantly hearing it from line coach Dante Scarnecchia in team drills.

In addition to his 2-0 performance in one-on-ones, Scott had two would-be sacks during 11-on-11.

If Ridley wants to be an every-down back on this team, he is going to have to do a better job in pass protection. He whiffed on Hightower in 11-on-11, not to mention the one-on-ones.

Vereen is by far the best downfield receiver among the RBs. It’s not even close.

Belichick On Nick McDonald playing tackle in addition to center and guard: ""He played tackle in college. He has primarily played inside in the NFL ... We don't have a lot of depth at tackle. He did a great job [Thursday], with not much practice. He hadn't done it in a couple of years, went out there and really did a credible job. If he could do that, that would be very valuable to our football team."

Logan Mankins. The left guard was removed from the physically unable to perform list and took part in individual drills, though once team drills began, he was a spectator. Coming back from an ACL tear, he will be eased back into things slowly,

Posted by Greg A. Bedard August 12, 2012 08:33 PM

Hightower’s first interception came when Ridley let an easy ball go right through his hands.

Dont’a Hightower’s second interception was a beauty where he read the eyes of Brian Hoyer and then went high to snare a pass



Hernandez just about broke the ankles of CB Ras-I Dowling during one-on-ones with about five different moves. Near the end of practice, Dowling was either winded or was battling an injury because he wasn’t very competitive.

Stallworth got a lot of work as the kick returner.

RB Shane Vereen still had far less reps than any of the other backs in practice

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

Bedard on Pats vs Saints

Zoltan Mesko, P: Nobody cares about the kickers in the preseason (or in the regular season until they screw up) but Mesko started off what could be a Pro Bowl season with a punting clinic. On eight punts, Mesko averaged 47.8 yards and 45.0 net (both coverage units were outstanding). The net average would have led the NFL last year. And Mesko averaged 4.64 seconds of hang time. That’s terrific.

Marcus Cannon, RT: His statistics are a bit skewed because he played most of the game, but Cannon was overpowered much of the game with six total quarterback pressures (sack, three hurries, two knockdowns).

Terrific debut from Chandler Jones: I had Jones for five total quarterback pressures, including two holding penalties, in 14 dropbacks. He also factored into at least two stuffed runs (those of 1 yard or less). He really had Saints LT Jermon Bushrod on his heels from the first dropback (second snap). Jones's strength and leverage was terrific.

Tavon Wilson lined up all over the place

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

Mike Reiss

The Patriots play their final three preseason games in a span of 10 days, which was a topic Bill Belichick was asked about during his weekly appearance on sports radio WEEI on Monday.

Monday, Aug. 20 -- vs. Eagles

Friday, Aug. 24 -- at Buccaneers

Wednesday, Aug. 29 -- at Giants

Belichick hinted at how he will approach the compressed schedule, which also includes a set of joint practices in Tampa on Wednesday, Aug. 22 and Thursday, Aug. 23.

"It’s not an ideal schedule and it’s certainly not the way you’d want to do it. But it is what it is, so we’ll just deal with it the best we can. It’s like playing double-headers, but there is nothing we can do about that," he said on the "Big Show."

"I think the big thing is to go out there and play, and give the players a chance to recover so they can go and play again, and then give them a chance to recover so they can go play again. Playing that many games, in that short a period of time, is obviously not the ideal way to do it.

"There is nothing more important than the health of our team, and you want to recognize that and do everything we can to keep as many guys practicing and healthy as we possibly can. I’d say that will probably be the No. 1 priority relative to those games, and then evaluate the guys that are playing and see how they do."

 

[AngryPatriot]

Man, that is lame, how can they schedule it that way? At least they can rest players... I don't like the trip to England during the year either.

 

[captain_amazing]

Updated the OP with a listing of some of the relevant Patriots off-season threads.

 

[Donnybrook]

The Pats blow close to $4 Mil on Fanene. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/21/pats-send-fanene-packing-despite-385-million-signing-bonus/

Fat Albert, Chad Johnson and now Fanene. The list of free agent busts is getting longer.

 

[12punch]

Hey mojo, pats just threw 4m in the trash