Heard on John Clayton show that teams are having a hard time getting players to attend. Pete Carroll is calling his players.
Schedule has 2 days on , one day off then the third day. Seems weird.
The 2021 Patriots' Preseason Camp
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Heard on John Clayton show that teams are having a hard time getting players to attend. Pete Carroll is calling his players.
Schedule has 2 days on , one day off then the third day. Seems weird.
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They have a lot to learn. BB uses training camp bonuses for a lot of players. He wants them to attend and pays them to attend.
Trent Brown, for example, has a $500K training camp bonus.
spacecrime
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Three Things to Watch for at Patriots OTAs from Evan Lazar
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHljrKy0UJI
spacecrime
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Jeff Howe on things to watch for in spring training QBs:
There’s a seemingly endless scroll of things to watch Thursday as the New England Patriots open the doors for practice at Gillette Stadium.
It’s the first of six scheduled spring practices in front of the media and the initial opportunity to assess the retooled roster. They’ll also open voluntary organized team activity practices to the media June 4 and 10 as well as mandatory minicamp June 14-16.
Let’s run through a list of 56 things to watch over the course of these six practices, but it’s also important to keep a couple factors in mind. First, consistency is key. Thursday marks the Patriots’ third practice of the week, and seven of their 10 OTA practices will happen behind closed doors.
As such, trends are more significant than anything that happens in one practice. For example, if a certain running back commands the most reps Thursday, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the locked-in starter. It could just signal it’s his turn in the rotation. But if something becomes a trend – strong or poor performances, or remaining in a specific spot on the depth chart – that’s worthy of more stock.
Second, attendance is largely unknown. The Patriots have stated a number of players have decided to skip the voluntary practices, but it’s unclear who is in that group. Plus, it’s not uncommon for players to miss a day for personal reasons. And if anyone is injured, the Patriots have historically taken a conservative approach in the spring, opting for rehab over field time.
Again, just keep those things in mind as you read through here. Some of these questions might not get answered Thursday or even in the coming weeks, but they’re pressing topics now and through training camp, which opens July 28.
2. However, Jones is going to compete. He’s going to have a sound understanding of the offense, and he’s got the necessary accuracy to deliver the ball over the middle of the field to Smith, Henry, Agholor, Bourne and Jakobi Meyers. Then again, where is Bill Belichick starting Jones? It’d be a fairly significant surprise if he’s the No. 2 option at this stage. But is he No. 4? And if so, can he climb that ladder this spring? Belichick doesn’t ever make it easy on the rookies, but he’s also never selected a quarterback in the first round.
3. Will the Patriots see the Jarrett Stidham from 2019 or 2020? He was terrific throughout his rookie offseason, but Stidham had a nightmare four-day competition against Newton last year in training camp, marred by interceptions and a hip injury. It’s unclear what the Patriots have planned for Stidham beyond Labor Day – keep, trade, try to sneak onto the practice squad, whatever. But at minimum, they’d like him to play well enough to have every option on the table.
4. Brian Hoyer was surprisingly re-signed this month. He’ll be a valuable mentor to Jones – not that Newton wouldn’t be, but keeping Hoyer might give Newton more freedom to solely focus on starting and winning games in the present. As for the question of why not just hire Hoyer as an assistant coach? Hoyer said a couple years ago that he had no interest in coaching after his career. Sometimes, that changes after players have been out of the game for a few years, but I’m not aware of any change in heart at the moment.
5. The quarterback reps will be a major juggling act for the coaching staff, particularly as it relates to dispersing reps among four players. They’ve typically preferred to divvy up the reps between two quarterbacks – even in 2016, Jacoby Brissett didn’t get any first-team reps until Week 3 when he pressed into starting action. Last summer, they had a fairly even split among Newton, Stidham and Hoyer through four practices but ultimately prioritized Newton in the condensed schedule. Will Newton monopolize the reps in the coming weeks? Will there be a fair dispersal? Will the fourth QB be at a severe disadvantage? This will be telling for a number of storylines.
7. Sony Michel missed time in each of his previous three offseasons due to surgery, so his availability could go a long way toward his development.
8. Ditto for Damien Harris, though his missed time has happened in both training camps. Still, his presence would be a boost.
9. The screen game last season was inconsistent due to Newton’s accuracy issues. His lack of passing chemistry with James White in training camp seemed to foreshadow those woes, so let’s see if there’s an effort to improve that now.
10. Rhamondre Stevenson was dubbed by his Oklahoma coaches as a high-end pass blocker and route runner, so we’ll see how that translates to the NFL (though not so much in the blocking aspect right now).
11. Don’t forget about J.J. Taylor. If he shows out, the Patriots could conceivably move Stevenson into Brandon Bolden’s special teams role.
12. If the Patriots go the traditional fullback route, it’s Jakob Johnson against Dan Vitale.
13. Otherwise, if the Patriots feel the need to get creative, they could utilize Dalton Keene as an H-back, splitting him between tight end and fullback the way he was at Virginia Tech. It’s not ideal to roster four tight ends, but if they do, they might prefer to do it at the expense of a full-time fullback. Otherwise, the Patriots might have to trade Keene or Devin Asiasi, and there’s no reason to think they’d recoup either’s third-round price tag from 2020.
There’s a seemingly endless scroll of things to watch Thursday as the New England Patriots open the doors for practice at Gillette Stadium.
It’s the first of six scheduled spring practices in front of the media and the initial opportunity to assess the retooled roster. They’ll also open voluntary organized team activity practices to the media June 4 and 10 as well as mandatory minicamp June 14-16.
Let’s run through a list of 56 things to watch over the course of these six practices, but it’s also important to keep a couple factors in mind. First, consistency is key. Thursday marks the Patriots’ third practice of the week, and seven of their 10 OTA practices will happen behind closed doors.
As such, trends are more significant than anything that happens in one practice. For example, if a certain running back commands the most reps Thursday, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the locked-in starter. It could just signal it’s his turn in the rotation. But if something becomes a trend – strong or poor performances, or remaining in a specific spot on the depth chart – that’s worthy of more stock.
Second, attendance is largely unknown. The Patriots have stated a number of players have decided to skip the voluntary practices, but it’s unclear who is in that group. Plus, it’s not uncommon for players to miss a day for personal reasons. And if anyone is injured, the Patriots have historically taken a conservative approach in the spring, opting for rehab over field time.
Again, just keep those things in mind as you read through here. Some of these questions might not get answered Thursday or even in the coming weeks, but they’re pressing topics now and through training camp, which opens July 28.
Quarterbacks
1. It’s Cam Newton’s job until proven otherwise. The Patriots went into the offseason believing Newton could improve with more help around him, and it’s indisputable that help now exists with the additions of Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. But the team also knew Newton would have to make his own improvements with his reads and accuracy. Perhaps both come with a normal offseason. If Newton puts together a series of strong performances in the coming weeks, he’ll build a solid cushion between himself and Mac Jones.2. However, Jones is going to compete. He’s going to have a sound understanding of the offense, and he’s got the necessary accuracy to deliver the ball over the middle of the field to Smith, Henry, Agholor, Bourne and Jakobi Meyers. Then again, where is Bill Belichick starting Jones? It’d be a fairly significant surprise if he’s the No. 2 option at this stage. But is he No. 4? And if so, can he climb that ladder this spring? Belichick doesn’t ever make it easy on the rookies, but he’s also never selected a quarterback in the first round.
3. Will the Patriots see the Jarrett Stidham from 2019 or 2020? He was terrific throughout his rookie offseason, but Stidham had a nightmare four-day competition against Newton last year in training camp, marred by interceptions and a hip injury. It’s unclear what the Patriots have planned for Stidham beyond Labor Day – keep, trade, try to sneak onto the practice squad, whatever. But at minimum, they’d like him to play well enough to have every option on the table.
4. Brian Hoyer was surprisingly re-signed this month. He’ll be a valuable mentor to Jones – not that Newton wouldn’t be, but keeping Hoyer might give Newton more freedom to solely focus on starting and winning games in the present. As for the question of why not just hire Hoyer as an assistant coach? Hoyer said a couple years ago that he had no interest in coaching after his career. Sometimes, that changes after players have been out of the game for a few years, but I’m not aware of any change in heart at the moment.
5. The quarterback reps will be a major juggling act for the coaching staff, particularly as it relates to dispersing reps among four players. They’ve typically preferred to divvy up the reps between two quarterbacks – even in 2016, Jacoby Brissett didn’t get any first-team reps until Week 3 when he pressed into starting action. Last summer, they had a fairly even split among Newton, Stidham and Hoyer through four practices but ultimately prioritized Newton in the condensed schedule. Will Newton monopolize the reps in the coming weeks? Will there be a fair dispersal? Will the fourth QB be at a severe disadvantage? This will be telling for a number of storylines.
Running backs
6. Let’s not overly dramatize this group for now. There’s simply very little to assess with the running game during non-contact practices.7. Sony Michel missed time in each of his previous three offseasons due to surgery, so his availability could go a long way toward his development.
8. Ditto for Damien Harris, though his missed time has happened in both training camps. Still, his presence would be a boost.
9. The screen game last season was inconsistent due to Newton’s accuracy issues. His lack of passing chemistry with James White in training camp seemed to foreshadow those woes, so let’s see if there’s an effort to improve that now.
10. Rhamondre Stevenson was dubbed by his Oklahoma coaches as a high-end pass blocker and route runner, so we’ll see how that translates to the NFL (though not so much in the blocking aspect right now).
11. Don’t forget about J.J. Taylor. If he shows out, the Patriots could conceivably move Stevenson into Brandon Bolden’s special teams role.
12. If the Patriots go the traditional fullback route, it’s Jakob Johnson against Dan Vitale.
13. Otherwise, if the Patriots feel the need to get creative, they could utilize Dalton Keene as an H-back, splitting him between tight end and fullback the way he was at Virginia Tech. It’s not ideal to roster four tight ends, but if they do, they might prefer to do it at the expense of a full-time fullback. Otherwise, the Patriots might have to trade Keene or Devin Asiasi, and there’s no reason to think they’d recoup either’s third-round price tag from 2020.
spacecrime
Well-known member
Wide receivers
14. Although the deep ball element has always been part of Agholor’s game, he became a certified deep threat last season with the Raiders, averaging 18.7 yards per catch. He has eight career touchdowns of at least 40 yards. How will the Patriots incorporate that element, and how will Agholor split his time between the slot and boundary?15. Bourne has prototypical quickness to thrive in the slot, but the timing and accuracy must be there from the quarterback to make it work. This will be a vital element with Newton.
16. Meyers’ jump last season was no fluke, and his chemistry with Newton was obvious. The outside attention has understandably shifted away from Meyers due to the offseason additions, but it wouldn’t be much of a shock if he is Newton’s favorite target in practice.
17. N’Keal Harry’s scholarship has run out. He is going to have to earn his spot on the 53-man roster in the coming months. Consistency in practice will be the first step toward that result.
18. Gunner Olszewski was a deserving All-Pro punt returner, but he hasn’t developed much of an offensive role. While the same could be said for Julian Edelman early in his career, Edelman showed big-time potential in his occasional offensive snaps. So let’s see if Olszewski can make a jump as a receiver.
19. Tre Nixon has elite speed. He ran a laser-timed, 4.38-second 40-yard dash at a Nike camp as a sophomore in high school. He has also been spending upwards of 16 hours per day at Gillette Stadium since reporting to the team. Consider the seventh-round pick a legitimate contender to make the 53-man roster.
20. Isaiah Zuber, Kristian Wilkerson and Devin Smith are all returning from the 2020 practice squad as darkhorse candidates to make the roster.
Tight ends
21. How will the Patriots deploy Smith and Henry? Are they interchangeable or better suited for certain roles? The passing game needs to drive through that pairing.22. Just a prediction, but Devin Asiasi should have a slight edge on Keene for the third spot on the depth chart due to draft position and his performance in the season finale against the Jets. Whether Asiasi and Keene are competing for a spot won’t be prevalent until August, but neither will want to fall too far behind the other in case there’s only one job between them.
spacecrime
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Offensive line
23. The Patriots already answered one question this offseason by picking up Isaiah Wynn’s fifth-year option for 2022, but they’d probably like him to stay healthy for the first time in his career. If that ever happens, he’ll be a terrific left tackle. The guess here is the Patriots didn’t lock in Wynn’s $10.4 million salary for 2022 to play him at guard, so Wynn is probably set on the blind side.24. But who is the backup? They could flip Trent Brown from right to left tackle. Or Justin Herron could be locked into the No. 2 spot for continuity.
25. Mike Onwenu said Tuesday he has played both guard and tackle this offseason. As a rookie, he started at both guard spots and right tackle. By keeping right tackle as an option, does that mean he is simply Brown’s backup, or are they flipping Brown between both tackle spots?
26. All of this versatility is fun and all, but it creates about 72 extra things to watch for this OTA preview. Answers are always welcome.
27. Sixth-round pick Will Sherman started at left and right tackle at Colorado, and he also practiced at both guard spots. Not too dissimilar from Herron a year ago, it’s hard to know where the Patriots prefer Sherman.
28. The interior trio of Onwenu, David Andrews and Shaq Mason should be set with Ted Karras as the top backup for each spot. But is there room for anyone else to make a push such as Sherman, James Ferentz or Alex Redmond?
29. Yodny Cajuste, a third-round pick in 2019, was once viewed as the heir to Marcus Cannon’s job. Now, with zero games played through two seasons and plenty of tackle depth, Cajuste will need a terrific offseason to make the roster.
Defensive linemen
30. The Patriots are built to deploy a 3-4 base defense, and they’ve got some prototypical big fellas to take the interior spots with Lawrence Guy, Henry Anderson, Davon Godchaux, Christian Barmore and Byron Cowart. Each should conceivably be able to play all three interior spots, but is there a favorite to play nose tackle?31. Related, will Carl Davis, Akeem Spence or Bill Murray make enough of a push to play nose tackle? They won’t take the aforementioned group’s roster spots, but it seems possible that someone from this group could win a job as a pure nose tackle.
32. Deatrich Wise should get a chance to play defensive end in a three-man front. His more natural role has been in four-man alignments, but the Patriots clearly had a plan by re-signing him. He won’t be a full-time three-down player, but Wise should at least be in the mix on early downs.
Outside linebackers
33. This position should be a strength once again with the signings of reigning two-time Pro Bowler Matt Judon and Kyle Van Noy, who was the Patriots’ best pass rusher in 2019. Not only that, but they’ll be much more responsible on the edge against the run, which shouldn’t be discounted after the defensive woes last season.34. Josh Uche should be a lightning rod this season if he can stay healthy. He showed some dynamite flashes and was easily their best pure pass rusher in spurts as a rookie, but he was held back by a couple ankle injuries.
35. Statistically, Chase Winovich was the Patriots’ best pass rusher last season, and it wasn’t even close. He could very much benefit by playing behind Judon and Van Noy in a specific role.
36. Anfernee Jennings isn’t as much of a pass rusher as a stout run defender at the point of attack. He should be in the mix to rotate with Judon and Van Noy on early downs. Another possibility, the Patriots could kick Van Noy inside with Dont’a Hightower on early downs with Jennings and Judon on the edge.
37. And then there’s Ronnie Perkins, who was the heart and soul of Oklahoma’s defense for the past two years and a rusher who was consistently productive against Big 12 competition. Perkins could be a major steal as a third-rounder.
38. The Patriots have so much pass-rushing talent on the edge and with Hightower in the middle that they could come up with some incredibly creative packages. Third-and-15? Just throw six of these outside linebackers onto the field in front of five defensive backs. At minimum, the rotation will keep them fresh throughout the season. If they can keep their top rushers from playing more than 60 percent of the snaps, as the 2013 Seahawks famously did it, this group will have the energy to get after it every down.
39. Last season, Uche and Jennings got some occasional snaps at inside linebacker. That seemed to be more out of necessity than anything. However, Uche can absolutely be a productive blitzer from the middle of the defense, so he could be in the mix to kick inside on occasion.
spacecrime
Well-known member
Inside linebackers
40. Hightower had his best pass-rushing season in 2019, and he’ll glue this defense together when he’s back on the field.41. This is a big season for Ja’Whaun Bentley, who is in the final year of his rookie contract. He was inconsistent last season, but he also got very little help with a depleted group of defensive tackles or natural linebackers alongside him. With a heavily improved front seven, now is the time for Bentley to prove whether he can be a long-term starter or a rotational backup.
42. If Bentley doesn’t take that next step, Van Noy can move inside, or Raekwon McMillan and Terez Hall will compete for early-down reps.
43. Belichick pumped the brakes on any expectations this season for rookie Cam McGrone, who tore his ACL in November. However, McGrone tore his ACL in November as a junior in high school, was working out by May for college recruiters and on the field for his senior year. This is a much different scenario as he’s jumping from Michigan to the NFL, but it’s not inconceivable to think McGrone could be a candidate to come off the non-football injury list by midseason.
Cornerbacks
44. Stephon Gilmore and the Patriots still have to resolve some contractual business, so we’ll see when he hits the field.45. J.C. Jackson has been present and will have to handle the pressure of a contract year. He will be in line for a massive payday in 2022.
46. Gilmore and Jackson are the headliners because they’re both obviously very good at what they do and because of their looming contract situations. But there are some good cornerback storylines here that shouldn’t be overlooked. Some might play out very early depending on Gilmore’s availability at practice…
47. Myles Bryant had a terrific offseason as an undrafted rookie then split time between corner and safety during the season. So where do the Patriots view his best spot?
48. Joejuan Williams had a strong summer in 2019 as a second-round pick but hasn’t seen much live action. In 2019, it was because of the depth chart in front of him. Last season, though? One theory was it’s because he converted to safety, and the Patriots couldn’t get any lighter on the field than they already were due to injuries in the front seven? The other theory is that he just didn’t do enough to validate more playing time. And as Belichick has shown over the years, players who earn the time tend to get it, even on a rotational basis. Also, is Williams a corner or safety this season? If he’s a safety, the avenue for playing time still might not exist with the signing of Jalen Mills and the potential for Adrian Phillips to return to his natural position.
49. Michael Jackson is a physical man-coverage corner. Whoever makes the team, at whichever positions they play, this will be a good group behind Gilmore, Jackson and Jon Jones.
Safeties
50. Devin McCourty is entering his 12th season and the final year of his contract. He showed last season that he’s got plenty of good football left, but could this be the last season for a future Patriots Hall of Famer?51. Along with Uche, Kyle Dugger is a big-time candidate for the Patriots’ breakout player of the year. Physically and athletically gifted, Dugger could make a ton of plays behind a front seven that figures to wreak havoc.
52. Mills has played both corner and safety in his career. The general thinking is he could be a tight end specialist or just a jack of all trades, filling in wherever there’s a need.
53. Phillips played admirably at linebacker last season. He’s another hybrid player who should be in the mix in the box for sub packages. At minimum, he’ll be a premium special teamer with Matthew Slater, Justin Bethel and Cody Davis.
54. Sixth-round pick Josh Bledsoe was a coverage specialist at Missouri, taking on receivers and tight ends alike. Add him to the mix with Mills, Phillips and potentially Williams and Bryant. It’s possible Bledsoe, Williams and Bryant are competing for one spot, pending the determination of their positions.
Specialists
55. Nick Folk’s contract included $1.225 million guaranteed, so he has been paid to make the roster. There shouldn’t be a kicking competition in theory. Alas, undrafted rookie Quinn Nordin and Roberto Aguayo are on the roster.56. Similar question, Joe Cardona isn’t going anywhere, so why did the Patriots sign long snapper Wes Farnsworth? Guess it’s time to find out!
Roberto71
Well-known member
Wow, you can't ask much more of a player than that to display commitment. He just has to show in now on the field.
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Hawg73
Mediocre with flashes of brilliance
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That really stood out to me as well.
I watched Nixon's highlight clips and there were certain things he did at UCF that might make him a tough cut. He
is fairly advanced with subtle push-offs to help him get open and otherwise seems to have adequate speed. I find that 4.38
40 time highly questionable. He isn't always a hands-catcher, but even when the ball hits his arms he seems to haul it in,
which is the basic idea. He looks pretty good at everything, but not outstanding at anything except his commitment to
making this team.
He has an uphill battle to make the roster this year, but you know Bill is going to give him a long look.
Hawg73
Mediocre with flashes of brilliance
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2002
- Messages
- 25,144
- Reaction score
- 11,464
- Points
- 113
- Age
- 68
- Location
- Gumdrop house on Lollipop Ln.
I notice that he didn't mention Montravious Adams and he was a guy I liked a lot in college. It seems he has had some weed issues and injuries, but was a War Daddy at Auburn and really stood out as an interior DL. His years in GB were not great, but he's got a puncher's chance if he wants it.
I believe that Spence is just another guy (not a Lawrence) and a big longshot, but Davis gave us some interesting snaps in his brief cameos last year. He's a lot stronger, but less athletic than, say, Byron Cowart who had a hard time anchoring, but flashed real ability/mobility. If we are playing 3-4 then size will be a factor with the bigger guys getting points.
Wild prediction: if Barmore wants to be a serious professional then he'll be our best guy the second the whistle blows. He's not going to need years of patient grooming just to get him
in the rotation like Wise and Cowart. The big question with him is work ethic, but......on the field? He is a wrecking ball.
I think we're going to be better, but the final rotation is just anybody's wild guess right now.
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No Gilmore or Hightower bear watching.
Gilmore held out last year wanting more money which he eventually got.
Hightower has been in the building but is reportedly considering calling it quits.
Just an FYI re Agholor - Last year he was 2nd in the league in TD receptions over 20 yds.
Gilmore held out last year wanting more money which he eventually got.
Hightower has been in the building but is reportedly considering calling it quits.
Just an FYI re Agholor - Last year he was 2nd in the league in TD receptions over 20 yds.
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2020 stats
Jakobi Meyers (age 24) — 59 receptions — 729 yards — 90.0 passer rating
Nelson Agholor (age 27) — 48 receptions — 896 yards — 8 TD’s — 113.7 passer rating
Kendrick Bourne (age 25) — 49 receptions — 667 yards — 2 TD’s — 92.6 passer rating
TD receptions ≥ 20 yards in 2020
1. Tyreek Hill - 9
2. NELSON AGHOLOR - 6
Mazz22
A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.
I have always thought Agholor was underrated. He has great speed. At times, his hands can be suspect. But I think he could be really good for us if Cam can start airing it out a bit. And obviously Jones down the road.
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BB looking spry and happy at camp today
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Lazar brings it with lots of encouraging news from today's camp open to the media
www.clnsmedia.com
Lazar: Cam Newton, Mac Jones, and Other Takeaways From Patriots OTAs - CLNS Media
FOXBORO -- The Patriots held their first open practice of the offseason program in an hour and 30-minute session on the training camp fields behind Gillette Stadium on Thursday. There were 62 players present for the voluntary workout with a slew of notable absences: Dont’a Hightower, Devin...
www.clnsmedia.com
Roberto71
Well-known member
Wow, seems like Agholor was a real standout. So much so that he is a stark indication of how bad the patriot’s WRs were the past few seasons. Cam looks good too.
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Cam's throwing motion looks good here
View: https://twitter.com/NBCBostonCraig/status/1397978819424837637
View: https://twitter.com/NBCBostonCraig/status/1397978819424837637