2012 Training Camp Thread
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ROFL
He's new covering the Pats.
Ah.
Perhaps we should extend him an invite to come hang out on The Planet to get up to speed.
#1. TFB's birthday is Aug 3. Zuri needs to check his facts 
Mike Rodak @mikerodak
The Patriots have by far the fewest rookies (13) on their roster of any NFL team, and the fewest in New England since at least 2007
The Patriots have by far the fewest rookies (13) on their roster of any NFL team, and the fewest in New England since at least 2007
They also have 16 "new" FA vets, 17 if you count Ballard (claimed).
30 new players. popcorn
This is a very good primer for the Patriots' TC that covers pretty much everything about the squad, the players, the competition, rookies, FA signings, UDFAs, the bubble watch, etc. It's slide show format but in this case the volume of info fits the ss format quite well. There's a lot here, iow.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...mplete-2012-nfl-preseason-training-camp-guide
http://espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp12/story/_/id/8194468/five-truths-nfl-training-camp
Five truths about training camp
It's a cold, calculated process; those trying to make rosters have little control
Originally Published: July 24, 2012
By Andrew Brandt | ESPN.com
9
23
7
EMAIL
PRINT
Challenges Facing Saints
Adam Schefter discusses the strange coaching situation in New Orleans.
Tags: Saints Coaches, Adam Schefter, Joe Vitt, SportsCenter
NEXT VIDEO
Saints Open Training Camp
After the longest offseason of any major sport, NFL teams finally gather this week for training camp.
And because of the new CBA and more mandated time away from the facility, the 2012 NFL offseason looked more like the 2011 locked-out offseason than prior offseasons.
Any questions?
Have a question for Andrew Brandt? Connect with him here. He may answer your question in a mailbag column.
With the hope and anticipation of a new season upon us, here are five cold, hard and inconvenient truths about training camp.
1. Many players in camp have no chance of making the team
Teams have most of their depth chart and final roster established well before camp opens. Sure, there will be a couple of tweaks, but absent of a sustained impressive performance through camp and a scout or coach standing on the table for a prospect, odds are minimal.
Sadly, many players have no chance of making the team no matter how well they perform, and that may be due more to the position they play than how they play it. When a team sets its final roster, it examines its scheme and determines its numbers for the final 53: five or six receivers, three or four running backs, etc. These numbers ultimately determine final roster spots as much as or more than performance.
2. Cutting the roster is a cold and impersonal process
A player usually finds out the team is "going in a different direction" in a short phone call. In Green Bay, I heard Reggie McKenzie, now general manager of the Raiders, call hundreds of players and say, "Sorry, big fella, but we gotta let you go." In the flash of a few seconds, players realize their dream is deferred or ended.
The call sets in motion steps to purge the player from the roster quickly and expediently: locker nameplate is removed, personal items boxed, playbook taken, forms executed with trainers (to avoid lingering liability for the team) and travel arrangements made. Most players barely get a moment with their position coach; coaches have already moved on to preparing for the next practice. The business of football moves at warp speed.
3. Draft position and money matter
We would like to believe that the best players will make the team regardless of draft position or the size of contracts. And there are a few nice stories of undrafted free agents overcoming the odds and making rosters every year.
However, the reality is that there are reputations at stake here, and I don't mean reputations of players. Scouts and general managers want their draft picks to pan out; those players are given much more latitude than players not drafted or acquired by the current regime. Front offices want their player acquisitions to succeed; these players are given every benefit of the doubt.
This can exacerbate clashes between personnel staff and coaches. Scouts think one player should be playing and coaches like another. Debates can become heated, even physical. This happens every year in every training camp.
4. Labor Day means a lot less labor
The NFL labor force is reduced by approximately 35 percent on Labor Day weekend. There are 90 players on the field in late July, but that number is reduced to 53 in September. Hundreds of jobs are lost on the weekend celebrating jobs.
The sad part -- and this is the former agent in me coming out -- is that most released players have done everything the team asked them to do: work hard in the offseason program, take reps in practice, play in preseason games, etc. Simply, they had very little chance of making the team when they signed and there was little they could do to change that equation.
5. Injuries matter … a lot
I spent more time in training camp with our medical staff than I did with our football staff.
Although players train during the offseason -- some more than others -- there is no accurate simulation of training camp practices and players finally going "live." Thus, there are countless muscle strains and sprains -- hamstrings, ankles, hips, glutes, calves, knees, etc. -- early in camp. And when injuries to backups occur, the chain reaction means more reps for starters, whom coaches are trying to keep fresh. This was when I would sign "camp bodies" (players to eat up reps so "real" players wouldn't wear out).
When a fringe player suffers an injury, contract managers, as I was, are told to "get him out of here," as he is taking up valuable resources from staff. I would then start the injury settlement process; haggling with the agent about how many weeks of pay the player was due.
Finally, injury waivers -- demanding players waive their legal rights if released with a pre-existing injury -- are common in camp. Although occasionally a top-tier player may have a waiver -- Peyton Manning has an injury waiver in his Broncos contract for injury to his C-6/C-7 cervical spine fusion "and related pathologies" -- these onerous clauses are usually imposed on players with no leverage.
My enduring thought from my more than a decade around training camps is always the following: so many players, so few jobs. It's a cold business.
Five truths about training camp
It's a cold, calculated process; those trying to make rosters have little control
Originally Published: July 24, 2012
By Andrew Brandt | ESPN.com
9
23
7
Challenges Facing Saints
Adam Schefter discusses the strange coaching situation in New Orleans.
Tags: Saints Coaches, Adam Schefter, Joe Vitt, SportsCenter
NEXT VIDEO
Saints Open Training Camp
After the longest offseason of any major sport, NFL teams finally gather this week for training camp.
And because of the new CBA and more mandated time away from the facility, the 2012 NFL offseason looked more like the 2011 locked-out offseason than prior offseasons.
Any questions?
Have a question for Andrew Brandt? Connect with him here. He may answer your question in a mailbag column.
With the hope and anticipation of a new season upon us, here are five cold, hard and inconvenient truths about training camp.
1. Many players in camp have no chance of making the team
Teams have most of their depth chart and final roster established well before camp opens. Sure, there will be a couple of tweaks, but absent of a sustained impressive performance through camp and a scout or coach standing on the table for a prospect, odds are minimal.
Sadly, many players have no chance of making the team no matter how well they perform, and that may be due more to the position they play than how they play it. When a team sets its final roster, it examines its scheme and determines its numbers for the final 53: five or six receivers, three or four running backs, etc. These numbers ultimately determine final roster spots as much as or more than performance.
2. Cutting the roster is a cold and impersonal process
A player usually finds out the team is "going in a different direction" in a short phone call. In Green Bay, I heard Reggie McKenzie, now general manager of the Raiders, call hundreds of players and say, "Sorry, big fella, but we gotta let you go." In the flash of a few seconds, players realize their dream is deferred or ended.
The call sets in motion steps to purge the player from the roster quickly and expediently: locker nameplate is removed, personal items boxed, playbook taken, forms executed with trainers (to avoid lingering liability for the team) and travel arrangements made. Most players barely get a moment with their position coach; coaches have already moved on to preparing for the next practice. The business of football moves at warp speed.
3. Draft position and money matter
We would like to believe that the best players will make the team regardless of draft position or the size of contracts. And there are a few nice stories of undrafted free agents overcoming the odds and making rosters every year.
However, the reality is that there are reputations at stake here, and I don't mean reputations of players. Scouts and general managers want their draft picks to pan out; those players are given much more latitude than players not drafted or acquired by the current regime. Front offices want their player acquisitions to succeed; these players are given every benefit of the doubt.
This can exacerbate clashes between personnel staff and coaches. Scouts think one player should be playing and coaches like another. Debates can become heated, even physical. This happens every year in every training camp.
4. Labor Day means a lot less labor
The NFL labor force is reduced by approximately 35 percent on Labor Day weekend. There are 90 players on the field in late July, but that number is reduced to 53 in September. Hundreds of jobs are lost on the weekend celebrating jobs.
The sad part -- and this is the former agent in me coming out -- is that most released players have done everything the team asked them to do: work hard in the offseason program, take reps in practice, play in preseason games, etc. Simply, they had very little chance of making the team when they signed and there was little they could do to change that equation.
5. Injuries matter … a lot
I spent more time in training camp with our medical staff than I did with our football staff.
Although players train during the offseason -- some more than others -- there is no accurate simulation of training camp practices and players finally going "live." Thus, there are countless muscle strains and sprains -- hamstrings, ankles, hips, glutes, calves, knees, etc. -- early in camp. And when injuries to backups occur, the chain reaction means more reps for starters, whom coaches are trying to keep fresh. This was when I would sign "camp bodies" (players to eat up reps so "real" players wouldn't wear out).
When a fringe player suffers an injury, contract managers, as I was, are told to "get him out of here," as he is taking up valuable resources from staff. I would then start the injury settlement process; haggling with the agent about how many weeks of pay the player was due.
Finally, injury waivers -- demanding players waive their legal rights if released with a pre-existing injury -- are common in camp. Although occasionally a top-tier player may have a waiver -- Peyton Manning has an injury waiver in his Broncos contract for injury to his C-6/C-7 cervical spine fusion "and related pathologies" -- these onerous clauses are usually imposed on players with no leverage.
My enduring thought from my more than a decade around training camps is always the following: so many players, so few jobs. It's a cold business.
The Giants had 4 laptops stolen from TC filled with the playbook, player assessments, coaching points and the like. I'll go look on Ebay. I'd love to see that stuff.
Wiggs tells us what to look for at TC:
http://www.jermainewiggins.com/what-to-look-for-at-patriots-training-camp/
What to look for at Patriots training camp.
JULY 20, 2012 BY WIGGY LEAVE A COMMENT
With training camp right around the corner, as a Patriots fan what are some of the things you should look for durning camp. First off you should understand that championship teams are built in training camp. The reason why training camp is so important is because you get to see if guys that look like world beaters in mini-camp & OTA are the same guys with the pads on the NFL/training camp saying(it’s time to separate the men from the boys). All so you should look at the one on one drills it’s a great way to gauge how players handle the individual battles even though football is the ultimate team sport, there are individual battles players must win to be successful. Watch how players break the huddle to see if they are making ME(mental errors) do they have to be told where to line up, a good way to gauge a players football IQ. In team drills such as passing drills (7 on 7), running drills (9 on 7) and 11 on 11 drills watch their tempo are they flying around to the football making plays, not making ME. What that shows is that they are reacting and can think on the fly a good sign that when the live bullets are flying (a real game) they’ll be able to handle the speed of the game. With rookies you want to see how they handle the pressure of being around the vets and coaches, rookies need to be sponges out there and soak everything up because it’s very intimidating for rookies especially when your head coach is Bill Belichick. Theses are just a few things to look for if you find yourself making a trip to Gillette to go watch training camp also if you ya boy come say hello.
http://www.jermainewiggins.com/what-to-look-for-at-patriots-training-camp/
What to look for at Patriots training camp.
JULY 20, 2012 BY WIGGY LEAVE A COMMENT
With training camp right around the corner, as a Patriots fan what are some of the things you should look for durning camp. First off you should understand that championship teams are built in training camp. The reason why training camp is so important is because you get to see if guys that look like world beaters in mini-camp & OTA are the same guys with the pads on the NFL/training camp saying(it’s time to separate the men from the boys). All so you should look at the one on one drills it’s a great way to gauge how players handle the individual battles even though football is the ultimate team sport, there are individual battles players must win to be successful. Watch how players break the huddle to see if they are making ME(mental errors) do they have to be told where to line up, a good way to gauge a players football IQ. In team drills such as passing drills (7 on 7), running drills (9 on 7) and 11 on 11 drills watch their tempo are they flying around to the football making plays, not making ME. What that shows is that they are reacting and can think on the fly a good sign that when the live bullets are flying (a real game) they’ll be able to handle the speed of the game. With rookies you want to see how they handle the pressure of being around the vets and coaches, rookies need to be sponges out there and soak everything up because it’s very intimidating for rookies especially when your head coach is Bill Belichick. Theses are just a few things to look for if you find yourself making a trip to Gillette to go watch training camp also if you ya boy come say hello.
This is the 3rd mention today I've read about the importance of watching 1 on 1 drills in TC for the defensive and offensive lines. I guess I know what I'll be watching this weekend with special interest.
Hello, can anyone give me some advice on trainging camp? I'm taking my 2 boys this weekend (6 and 14) and there hoping to try and get a couple autographs. So my questions are. Should we get there really early? Do we need to be in a certain spot? Is one place better then another? Or is it going to be crazy and chances are slim to none of getting autographs? I want to let them know up front if its a long shot. Thank you for any info
Pats signed DT Tim Bulman who is a Boston College grad from '04. Now up to 90.
http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-...man?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Another camp body.
http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-...man?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Another camp body.
PatsFanLisa
No filter
Hello, can anyone give me some advice on trainging camp? I'm taking my 2 boys this weekend (6 and 14) and there hoping to try and get a couple autographs. So my questions are. Should we get there really early? Do we need to be in a certain spot? Is one place better then another? Or is it going to be crazy and chances are slim to none of getting autographs? I want to let them know up front if its a long shot. Thank you for any info
The players usually sign after their practice has ended, and they'll look out for kids first. Try to get the boys down as close to the field as possible once you know practice is about to break, and tell them to be patient.
If you're going over the weekend, be prepared...it will be crowded. There are bleacher seats and grass. Personally, I like sitting on the grass, but bring a blanket or something to sit on. And plenty of water and sunscreen if it's sunny out.
Good luck. Hope your kids get that autograph!
Hello, can anyone give me some advice on trainging camp? I'm taking my 2 boys this weekend (6 and 14) and there hoping to try and get a couple autographs. So my questions are. Should we get there really early? Do we need to be in a certain spot? Is one place better then another? Or is it going to be crazy and chances are slim to none of getting autographs? I want to let them know up front if its a long shot. Thank you for any info
They usually sign autographs at the end of practice. Typically a different group each day will be tasked with it. The chances aren't great but possibly a little better than slim. Be as close as you can to the field as practice ends, for the best chance.
@GregABedard: Guard Brian Waters did not report to the Patriots today, according to two league sources.
McDonald to PUP
Spikes passed his physical.
Spikes passed his physical.
The release of Addai is a good sign to me that the Pats have confidence in Ridley, Vereen and Woodhead as well as AHern who lined up in RB. Also, it leaves room for an xtra player like another TE (Fells & Shiancoe instead of just 1 of them).
16-0patsfan
Active member
some how it will be blamed on the patspopcorn
Does anyone think Faulk might...never mind.