2024 Rookie Camp, OTAs, Minicamp and Summer Practices

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I've commented a couple of times that adding Drake Maye, even if he doesn't start for a while, is going to be a lift for the entire
Patriotsphere and it will come when you see him start to get some command and start layering dimes and making plays against
other NFL teams in preseason or maybe joint practices.

I'm not saying it happened at these babysteps rookie minis, but the first look I had of him throwing was the clip of him hitting Polk
downfield. It was nice enough, but it's going to get way, way better and the future will start to take a brighter shape.

This summer is going to be fun.
 
sg14 said:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbwB-D45Ukc
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BS. Baker's route is 8 yds longer than Polk's. Baker's route is a dig; Polk's is a comeback. Because Baker's stem is longer he's built up more speed. Those "choppy" steps
Baker takes do 2 things: they help slow his momentum and they trick the DB into thinking he's going to break there forcing the DB to slow and get ready to come up. But Baker
keeps going another 5 yds to make the DB turn his hips to catch up. Right there, Baker gains 2 yds of separation. Baker's and Polk's breaks show great hip sink and their drive step is flat and quick. Plus, this is just practice against air. Comparing Baker to Polk with this 1 play to draw any conclusion at all is idiotic when all Polk had to do was stop, turn and wait for the ball. They are completely different routes. Both ran their routes very well. Baker is known to be a terrific route runner. Williams is being hyper critical in his description of Baker's route, imo. I'm not taking sides, one WR against the other mind you, since I like both of these WRs quite a bit. But they are different - Polk is smooth and Baker is sudden. Both will do fine.

The problem with Keon Bell is he is too slow to stack a DB and he doesn't use the fakes necessary to gain separation during his stem. He struggled vs man in college and he will struggle even more against man coverage in the NFL. Funny thing is, you can't see that in the route he ran since no one was defending him. Pffffft to what Williams is selling in this video.
 
This a great video that compares Baker and Polk. So far in camp, Baker has played on the boundary and Polk has played from the flanker position on the TE side.

 
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chevss454 said:


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I had watched both of these a while back and recommend people watch them if they have some time. I couldn't stand Smith when he
was playing and still tend to have a hard time listening to him for any length of time, but I do respect his knowledge of the game and the
WR position so I was able to power through to hear what he thought of Polk and Baker.

I think both of these videos are worth investing some time and are mostly positive for Patriots fans, but Smith is, I believe, fair and balanced
when it comes to each rookies' strengths and also their weaknesses.

I also found that he made many similar observations to what Chevs posted on these pages before they became Patriots.

Could it be that we have radically retooled the position this offseason? There appear to be legit reasons to at least hope that might be
the case, although I'm not expecting it'll be an instant cure right out of the gate.
 
chevss454 said:

View: https://x.com/_AndrewCallahan/status/1791152437132242955
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I heard today, for the first time, that AVP has never actually called plays for an NFL team, but will be doing
so for us.

He was the OC for the Browns but Stefanski, the HC, called the plays. Allegedly. I tend to think that OCs call
all the plays for most teams, but maybe that is not so.

So, if we really suck hard on O, then I imagine this will be a bone of contention for the local media
sharks. Why would you give the keys to the car to a guy that's never actually driven before? and so forth
and so on.

This doesn't mean that I expect that we will suck hard. I choose to be optimistic because there is no reason to
think we will be as shitty as the O we've been watching for the past two seasons. I suppose my biggest apprehension after
who is the starting LT will be: why does AVP insist on an outside zone running game when our best RB, and likely offensive player, is
a running back who seems to be to perfectly designed by the football gods to run quick hitters between the tackles?

We'll see how it goes.
 
Hawg73 said:
I heard today, for the first time, that AVP has never actually called plays for an NFL team, but will be doing
so for us.

He was the OC for the Browns but Stefanski, the HC, called the plays. Allegedly. I tend to think that OCs call
all the plays for most teams, but maybe that is not so.

So, if we really suck hard on O, then I imagine this will be a bone of contention for the local media
sharks. Why would you give the keys to the car to a guy that's never actually driven before? and so forth
and so on.
Click to expand...
Eric "Still Banned from the Colorado Campus" Bienemy was the OC in Kansas City for years, but Andy Reid calls the plays.
 
Hawg73 said:
I heard today, for the first time, that AVP has never actually called plays for an NFL team, but will be doing
so for us.

He was the OC for the Browns but Stefanski, the HC, called the plays. Allegedly. I tend to think that OCs call
all the plays for most teams, but maybe that is not so.

So, if we really suck hard on O, then I imagine this will be a bone of contention for the local media
sharks. Why would you give the keys to the car to a guy that's never actually driven before? and so forth
and so on.

This doesn't mean that I expect that we will suck hard. I choose to be optimistic because there is no reason to
think we will be as shitty as the O we've been watching for the past two seasons. I suppose my biggest apprehension after
who is the starting LT will be: why does AVP insist on an outside zone running game when our best RB, and likely offensive player, is
a running back who seems to be to perfectly designed by the football gods to run quick hitters between the tackles?

We'll see how it goes.
Click to expand...

The offense will be different but fortunately Brissett already knows AVP's offense from his time in Cleveland. AVP learned the WCO from Holmgren at GB with influence from McVay and Shanahan. I don't think we'll suck but I am concerned for how long the learning curve will be for our O line for those outside zone running plays. LT is a problem until it's not.
I have this feeling that AVP will thrive as a playcaller, his imagination being free & no longer feeling hampered by a superior. Admittedly, my glass is half full.

Stefanski from 3 years ago

View: https://x.com/Jake_Trotter/status/1346863238911287302



View: https://x.com/_AndrewCallahan/status/1788554764986548585



View: https://x.com/BellinoZee/status/1754224136035967315



View: https://x.com/MoneyMaye10/status/1753190582137106920


From Lazar
 
Roberto71 said:
Cole Strange is out to at least mid-season.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I heard that this am. Unfortunate for him and for the Pats that they can't depend on the guy. The Pats have known that for a while so they drafted a G.
Time to move on if he can't fully recover.
 
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