DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,240
- 53,425
Jeremy Hill looks damn good so far
-----The Official New England Patriots 2018 Season Thread - (14-5) - 6 Time Super Bowl CHAMPS!!!
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by DeadsetAce,
- Start date
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,240
- 53,425
very different half 
offensively...Hill, Lucien, Patterson, and Webb looked good. Gillislee looked alright but still seems like a short yardage goal line guy.
defense there wasn't too much to take away in the 2nd half. wanted to see more from Sam. Duke Dawson, too. more as in, more situational play and more plays from them overall.
offensively...Hill, Lucien, Patterson, and Webb looked good. Gillislee looked alright but still seems like a short yardage goal line guy.
defense there wasn't too much to take away in the 2nd half. wanted to see more from Sam. Duke Dawson, too. more as in, more situational play and more plays from them overall.
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,240
- 53,425
now we're talking....
Last edited:
- Dec 27, 2014
- 35,524
- 78,113
Any official word on Dorsett? Apparently he had a pretty bad looking no contact injury.
My sister saw Decker's wife at Target in North Attelboro/Plainville. Said (in a heterosexual way) she was looking
My sister saw Decker's wife at Target in North Attelboro/Plainville. Said (in a heterosexual way) she was looking
Last edited:
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,240
- 53,425
Dorsett should be OK based on what i heard. would be smart to not play him tomorrow, though. no need to push it.
Decker's wife is nice. he needs to fix his hands, though. hear he's been dropping EVERYTHING in practice
Decker's wife is nice. he needs to fix his hands, though. hear he's been dropping EVERYTHING in practice
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,240
- 53,425
Price & Bedard pick the winners for the Patriots’ 2018 training camp awards
ByChristopher Price
Posted on August 15, 2018
(ADAM RICHINS FOR BSJ)
The Patriots 2018 training camp is done. Fourteen practices are in the books as New England begins to set the stage in earnest for the regular season. Consider this the capper on camp — 13 awards for what we’ve seen sitting on the hill for the last two-plus weeks.
The envelope please…
Comeback Player
Price — WR Julian Edelman: A year after tearing an ACL, the receiver has been running and cutting without an issue since late July, and doesn’t appear to be limited at all. There was a brief moment Monday where everyone held their breath after he got tangled up with Eric Rowe at the end of a crossing route and stood off to the side flexing his knee afterward, but it didn’t appear to be a big deal. He’s been relentless in his approach this summer, and while he said the other day he doesn’t quite have his “football legs” underneath him, he looks well on his way toward returning to elite status after his four-game suspension. He gets the nod ahead of Dont’a Hightower, who has been (interestingly) moved around a lot over the course of the summer. Wouldn’t be surprised if we see some added versatility to Hightower’s game come the regular season.
https://d2lzcnyuvtotl1.cloudfront.net/uploads/2018/08/*******s_Pats_080918_Richins_114_1285-800x533.jpg
Vince Valentine and Ja’Whaun Bentley (Adam Richins for BSJ)
Bedard — DT Vince Valentine: There aren’t a whole lot of nominees considering that guys like Antonio Garcia, Shea McClellin, Malcolm Mitchell, Harvey Langi, Marcus Cannon and Nate Ebner never made it back or barely returned. So that really leaves Valentine, Edelman, Hightower, Cyrus Jones and Derek Rivers. With Edelman and Hightower, I’ve seen them at their heights and they’re not there yet. Rivers looks like the same guy he was early last year — doesn’t really stand out, but has potential — and Jones has barely returned. So I’m going with Valentine, who has been out there every day and done a nice job and just might be the guy who got Malcom Brown traded out.
Best defensive rookie
Price — LB Ja’Whaun Bentley: A late push from the Purdue product cemented his status as the best first-year defensive player this summer. The linebacker was trending in the right direction all summer long, but he arrived with a flourish in the first preseason game of the year with a team-leading six tackles, two of them for a loss, and a quarterback hit. Since then, he’s been a pretty regular presence with the starting defense, and figures to have a role in any defensive game plan the Patriots have this season. Beats out Ralph Webb, J.C. Jackson and Duke Dawson.
Bedard — LB Ja’Whaun Bentley: Again, not a whole lot of nominees. Trending toward a starting spot over Elandon Roberts. Really came out of nowhere during the exhibition. I think the coaches would say the same thing because he went from not being noticeable to being in the mix as a starter.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Best offensive rookie
Price — OT Isaiah Wynn: Not a lot to choose from here, but we’re going to take the first-round pick out of Georgia. He ran into a mountain of a roadblock in the form of Trent Brown when it comes to getting snaps at left tackle, but he has seen snaps as the backup left tackle, as well as plenty of work at right tackle and right guard. He’s not going to make the Pro Bowl as a rookie, but carving out that versatility is an excellent first step for the youngster. It’s also important to note there is a real possibility of some shuffling along the offensive line between now and the start of the regular season, and Wynn’s versatility could come into play sooner rather than later. Ralph Webb and Ryan Izzo finish just behind Wynn.
Bedard — TE Ryan Izzo: Wynn is certainly the most talented rookie and has the best chance to stick, but I think Izzo has played the best of all the rookies, with Webb and JC Jackson close behind. Izzo sticking wouldn’t be a total shock — solid hands and a good blocker.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Best newcomer
Price — OT Trent Brown: The left tackle stepped neatly into the void that was left open by Nate Solder, and has done really well to this point in the summer. I’m going to be interested to see what happens if he continues on this ascent (he’s a free agent after this season), but for now, he looks worthy of being Brady’s protector for 2018. Just barely beats out Danny Shelton.
Bedard — OT Trent Brown: Have a feeling Shelton will be the better newcomer when all is said and done, but there’s no question Brown has been better to this point. From what we’ve seen so far, he’s going to be better than Solder, who make about $22 million this season. Brown will make $1.9 million this season.
Most consistent player, defense
Price — CB Stephon Gilmore: There are a few guys on the defensive side of the ball who are more important (like Hightower, for example), but the corner was consistently the best and steadiest defensive presence for New England since the start of camp. We’ve said this on several occasions, but he certainly looks primed for a big year.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Bedard — DT Lawrence Guy: I could have easily gone with Gilmore, which was a good pick by Chris, but after his poor preseason opener, I’m going with the Guy — pun intended — who does the dirty work and gets little credit. He’s just a good football player and is the same day in and day out.
Most consistent player, offense
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Price — RB James White: Talk about a security blanket. White was already going to have a huge role in the 2018 offense, regardless of Edelman’s status. But the fact that Edelman will be out for the first four games and the steady hand White has displayed to this point in the summer only underscores his importance. It wasn’t a huge surprise he was a regular this summer when it came to the Tom Brady’s Circle of Trust. But really, when it came to offering a consistent and steady option, he was there for whatever quarterback was under center. Not sure he’s going to surpass the franchise record for most catches in a season by a running back (77, set by Tony Collins in 1986). But if he stays healthy, he’s going to come pretty close.
Bedard — OT Trent Brown: White is a really good pick and I agree with everything Chris said about him, but Brown was the team’s best pass and run blocker in camp and the importance of his position is obvious. I shudder to think how we’d be viewing the Patriots if Brown was a flop and we were deciding between Wynn and La’Adrian Waddle to block Brady’s blindside. Wynn has completely taken the biggest question mark entering camp and make it a non-issue (right now). That’s amazing.
Most memorable moment
Price — When Brady punted the ball into the stands late in Monday’s practice, it was a “What The Hell?” moment that caught many by surprise. Was he frustrated by the offense? His own misfires? The fact Danny Amendola is in Miami? Brady said Tuesday it was simply a byproduct of his own approach. “I think I’m generally frustrated,” he said. “Generally, frustrated would be a very typical term for me out here. So I think there’s a lot to do and a lot to get done, and hopefully we can have the urgency.” Brady takes this award ahead of Phillip Dorsett, who went down late in Tuesday’s practice and had to be helped to the medical tent. It turned out to be no big deal, but the heightened level of concern around his situation drives home Dorsett’s importance when it comes to a smaller receiving corps. We’ll also toss in Joe Thuney for barfing multiple times in practice earlier this week.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Bedard — Two things from Mr. Kenny Britt, my Rutgers brother who is either going to be the next Randy Moss or he’s going to get cut soon and never be heard from again. A couple of firsts for Patriots players as far as I can tell. First, he took the field with a pair of headphones on (see photo above). I mean … what does he do with them once he’s on the field? Does he just hand them to somebody? Who does he think he’s playing for? Have never seen that before. And then, while the entire team was hard at work with 11-on-11 team drills, Britt walked off the field as part of his rehab and then … stopped in front of the family section to play with his kids on the field for about five minutes. I almost wanted to walk down there and save Britt from himself, which seems to be needed on a daily basis. Good luck with that.
The longshot who caught your eye
https://d2lzcnyuvtotl1.cloudfront.net/uploads/2018/08/*******s_Pats_080918_Richins_67_1135-jackson-800x533.jpg
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Price — CB J.C. Jackson: The undrafted rookie out of Maryland picked off Brady earlier this week, and added a pair of pass breakups during the same practice. Basically, even though the odds initially appeared to be against him, he hasn’t backed down from anyone since he arrived this spring. The back end of the cornerback depth chart remains muddled, but Jackson has certainly made his case to be included when it comes to the 53-man roster. The only question? If there’s a roster squeeze, has he played too well to be snuck through to the practice squad? At this point, that’s probably the case.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Bedard — RB Ralph Webb: Got off to a very slow start to camp, but he’s taken off in the past week as he’s understood what is going on. Reminds a little bit of former Giant Dave Meggett in his stature and running style in the open field. Wonder if Belichick sees it the same way…
Biggest Surprise
Price — TE Jacob Hollister: It’s not a huge surprise, but the second-year tight end caught everything that was throw at him over the course of the summer. He’s not going to knock off Rob Gronkowski when it comes to the starters’ job, but he’s going to get significant snaps this season for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is the fact Edelman will be out the first four games, and he’s going to be one of a few guys who is going to be asked to pick up the offensive production.
Bedard — Brady’s light workload: You figured after the Summer of Tom’s Contentment that Belichick would make up for lost time — which was needed with this group of receivers — and ramp up the reps to get everyone caught up with TB12. Instead, Brady went almost a week-and-a-half with barely any competitive reps. It was likely a health thing, but you have to wonder how that sat with Belichick. The Patriots look to be pretty far behind with the pass game.
Biggest Disappointment
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Price — RB Sony Michel: We’re not necessarily putting the blame on the rookie’s performance. It’s more of a case of attendance. He certainly had plenty of good moments over the course of the spring, and had a memorable catch-and-run in the early days of training camp. But an inability to get on the field after Aug. 1 because of knee issues and an occasionally underwhelming summer overall got us to this point. Maybe he’s capable of flipping the switch when he returns to action? He was an electric performer in college once he got cranked up. But to this point, it’s been a less-than-impressive summer for the first-round pick out of Georgia.
Bedard — RB Sony Michel: Like Chris said, it’s not his fault — the Patriots knew about his knee — but with the way his camp was going, he was still going to be in this spot even before the injury. This was a major disappointment in this camp, so Michel gets the nod over Britt, Decker, M. Brown and Shaq Mason.
Best player of camp (and no, you can’t pick Tom Brady because he wasn’t)
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Price — TE Rob Gronkowski: There were a lot of possibilities here, including Brown, Gilmore and White. I’ll just say this — when he’s been out there and a full-go, it’s hard not to pick Gronkowski. I know this summer has seen a muted (relatively) Gronk, but if you’re just looking at the bottom line, he’s been really impressive. Yeah, the offseason was a messy one. And there were some things he shouldn’t have done. But when it comes to the on-field work, he remains in a class by himself.
Bedard — OT Trent Brown: He was just completely dominating from the first day of camp. It’s hard to overstate how much of a development he was. I mean, he went from being in a competition to being perhaps the surest thing on an offensive line full of returners. What a coup and feather in the personnel cap of Belichick and Nick Caserio. We’ll get into exactly how they were gifted a starting left tackle some other time…
Biggest takeaway of camp
Price: Maybe we’re just focusing on the reduced workload of the quarterback for much of the offseason. But the tamped-down intensity — at least compared to many Patriots’ training camps in year’s past — has left me with less of a real handle on this roster at this time of year than I’ve had in many years.
You like to think you know what you have with the likes of Brady, Edelman, Gronkowski, Hightower, Gilmore and Devin McCourty. Their track record suggests that as long as they stay healthy, that core should be good enough to make them a final four team at the very least. Right?
But there are big-picture questions about whether or not the middle class of this roster can help get them over the top, just because we’ve seen so little of them in real football situations. Part of that is because of the absence of padded practices, which turned out to be a really good measuring stick for this team heading into the regular season.
Ultimately, because of the practice restrictions, everyone steps off the ledge and into a certain unknown at the start of the season, including the Patriots. It’s no secret New England often looks at the first few weeks of the regular season as an extension of the preseason when it comes to personnel moves and combinations. But with the way the summer has unfolded in Foxborough, it’ll be interesting to see how the approach this summer impacts the product when the regular season rolls around.
Bedard: Similar to Price, the pace and lack of overall intensity of camp was the biggest thing I came away with. I noted it last year — with two joint practices (there was one great day with the Texans) — and the team got waxed at home in the opener and started 2-2.
This year, the pace was even slower, Brady’s workload was much less and there were no joint practices. So where does that leave us? I have no clue. Is the season lost? Heck no. I’ve learned to completely disregard the first month of the season (remember: at 2-2 I still said they would go over 13 wins) but I feel like I have much less of a handle on this team than ever before. I mean, in 2014 I took a few looks at the Patriots in camp and I said they were going to the Super Bowl, if not winning it (they won it). If you just went off this training camp, you’d say they were headed for a disappointing finish. Is that in the Super Bowl or AFC Championship Game? Will that happen? I have no clue.
ByChristopher Price
Posted on August 15, 2018
(ADAM RICHINS FOR BSJ)
The Patriots 2018 training camp is done. Fourteen practices are in the books as New England begins to set the stage in earnest for the regular season. Consider this the capper on camp — 13 awards for what we’ve seen sitting on the hill for the last two-plus weeks.
The envelope please…
Comeback Player
Price — WR Julian Edelman: A year after tearing an ACL, the receiver has been running and cutting without an issue since late July, and doesn’t appear to be limited at all. There was a brief moment Monday where everyone held their breath after he got tangled up with Eric Rowe at the end of a crossing route and stood off to the side flexing his knee afterward, but it didn’t appear to be a big deal. He’s been relentless in his approach this summer, and while he said the other day he doesn’t quite have his “football legs” underneath him, he looks well on his way toward returning to elite status after his four-game suspension. He gets the nod ahead of Dont’a Hightower, who has been (interestingly) moved around a lot over the course of the summer. Wouldn’t be surprised if we see some added versatility to Hightower’s game come the regular season.
https://d2lzcnyuvtotl1.cloudfront.net/uploads/2018/08/*******s_Pats_080918_Richins_114_1285-800x533.jpg
Vince Valentine and Ja’Whaun Bentley (Adam Richins for BSJ)
Bedard — DT Vince Valentine: There aren’t a whole lot of nominees considering that guys like Antonio Garcia, Shea McClellin, Malcolm Mitchell, Harvey Langi, Marcus Cannon and Nate Ebner never made it back or barely returned. So that really leaves Valentine, Edelman, Hightower, Cyrus Jones and Derek Rivers. With Edelman and Hightower, I’ve seen them at their heights and they’re not there yet. Rivers looks like the same guy he was early last year — doesn’t really stand out, but has potential — and Jones has barely returned. So I’m going with Valentine, who has been out there every day and done a nice job and just might be the guy who got Malcom Brown traded out.
Best defensive rookie
Price — LB Ja’Whaun Bentley: A late push from the Purdue product cemented his status as the best first-year defensive player this summer. The linebacker was trending in the right direction all summer long, but he arrived with a flourish in the first preseason game of the year with a team-leading six tackles, two of them for a loss, and a quarterback hit. Since then, he’s been a pretty regular presence with the starting defense, and figures to have a role in any defensive game plan the Patriots have this season. Beats out Ralph Webb, J.C. Jackson and Duke Dawson.
Bedard — LB Ja’Whaun Bentley: Again, not a whole lot of nominees. Trending toward a starting spot over Elandon Roberts. Really came out of nowhere during the exhibition. I think the coaches would say the same thing because he went from not being noticeable to being in the mix as a starter.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Best offensive rookie
Price — OT Isaiah Wynn: Not a lot to choose from here, but we’re going to take the first-round pick out of Georgia. He ran into a mountain of a roadblock in the form of Trent Brown when it comes to getting snaps at left tackle, but he has seen snaps as the backup left tackle, as well as plenty of work at right tackle and right guard. He’s not going to make the Pro Bowl as a rookie, but carving out that versatility is an excellent first step for the youngster. It’s also important to note there is a real possibility of some shuffling along the offensive line between now and the start of the regular season, and Wynn’s versatility could come into play sooner rather than later. Ralph Webb and Ryan Izzo finish just behind Wynn.
Bedard — TE Ryan Izzo: Wynn is certainly the most talented rookie and has the best chance to stick, but I think Izzo has played the best of all the rookies, with Webb and JC Jackson close behind. Izzo sticking wouldn’t be a total shock — solid hands and a good blocker.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Best newcomer
Price — OT Trent Brown: The left tackle stepped neatly into the void that was left open by Nate Solder, and has done really well to this point in the summer. I’m going to be interested to see what happens if he continues on this ascent (he’s a free agent after this season), but for now, he looks worthy of being Brady’s protector for 2018. Just barely beats out Danny Shelton.
Bedard — OT Trent Brown: Have a feeling Shelton will be the better newcomer when all is said and done, but there’s no question Brown has been better to this point. From what we’ve seen so far, he’s going to be better than Solder, who make about $22 million this season. Brown will make $1.9 million this season.
Most consistent player, defense
Price — CB Stephon Gilmore: There are a few guys on the defensive side of the ball who are more important (like Hightower, for example), but the corner was consistently the best and steadiest defensive presence for New England since the start of camp. We’ve said this on several occasions, but he certainly looks primed for a big year.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Bedard — DT Lawrence Guy: I could have easily gone with Gilmore, which was a good pick by Chris, but after his poor preseason opener, I’m going with the Guy — pun intended — who does the dirty work and gets little credit. He’s just a good football player and is the same day in and day out.
Most consistent player, offense
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Price — RB James White: Talk about a security blanket. White was already going to have a huge role in the 2018 offense, regardless of Edelman’s status. But the fact that Edelman will be out for the first four games and the steady hand White has displayed to this point in the summer only underscores his importance. It wasn’t a huge surprise he was a regular this summer when it came to the Tom Brady’s Circle of Trust. But really, when it came to offering a consistent and steady option, he was there for whatever quarterback was under center. Not sure he’s going to surpass the franchise record for most catches in a season by a running back (77, set by Tony Collins in 1986). But if he stays healthy, he’s going to come pretty close.
Bedard — OT Trent Brown: White is a really good pick and I agree with everything Chris said about him, but Brown was the team’s best pass and run blocker in camp and the importance of his position is obvious. I shudder to think how we’d be viewing the Patriots if Brown was a flop and we were deciding between Wynn and La’Adrian Waddle to block Brady’s blindside. Wynn has completely taken the biggest question mark entering camp and make it a non-issue (right now). That’s amazing.
Most memorable moment
Price — When Brady punted the ball into the stands late in Monday’s practice, it was a “What The Hell?” moment that caught many by surprise. Was he frustrated by the offense? His own misfires? The fact Danny Amendola is in Miami? Brady said Tuesday it was simply a byproduct of his own approach. “I think I’m generally frustrated,” he said. “Generally, frustrated would be a very typical term for me out here. So I think there’s a lot to do and a lot to get done, and hopefully we can have the urgency.” Brady takes this award ahead of Phillip Dorsett, who went down late in Tuesday’s practice and had to be helped to the medical tent. It turned out to be no big deal, but the heightened level of concern around his situation drives home Dorsett’s importance when it comes to a smaller receiving corps. We’ll also toss in Joe Thuney for barfing multiple times in practice earlier this week.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Bedard — Two things from Mr. Kenny Britt, my Rutgers brother who is either going to be the next Randy Moss or he’s going to get cut soon and never be heard from again. A couple of firsts for Patriots players as far as I can tell. First, he took the field with a pair of headphones on (see photo above). I mean … what does he do with them once he’s on the field? Does he just hand them to somebody? Who does he think he’s playing for? Have never seen that before. And then, while the entire team was hard at work with 11-on-11 team drills, Britt walked off the field as part of his rehab and then … stopped in front of the family section to play with his kids on the field for about five minutes. I almost wanted to walk down there and save Britt from himself, which seems to be needed on a daily basis. Good luck with that.
The longshot who caught your eye
https://d2lzcnyuvtotl1.cloudfront.net/uploads/2018/08/*******s_Pats_080918_Richins_67_1135-jackson-800x533.jpg
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Price — CB J.C. Jackson: The undrafted rookie out of Maryland picked off Brady earlier this week, and added a pair of pass breakups during the same practice. Basically, even though the odds initially appeared to be against him, he hasn’t backed down from anyone since he arrived this spring. The back end of the cornerback depth chart remains muddled, but Jackson has certainly made his case to be included when it comes to the 53-man roster. The only question? If there’s a roster squeeze, has he played too well to be snuck through to the practice squad? At this point, that’s probably the case.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Bedard — RB Ralph Webb: Got off to a very slow start to camp, but he’s taken off in the past week as he’s understood what is going on. Reminds a little bit of former Giant Dave Meggett in his stature and running style in the open field. Wonder if Belichick sees it the same way…
Biggest Surprise
Price — TE Jacob Hollister: It’s not a huge surprise, but the second-year tight end caught everything that was throw at him over the course of the summer. He’s not going to knock off Rob Gronkowski when it comes to the starters’ job, but he’s going to get significant snaps this season for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is the fact Edelman will be out the first four games, and he’s going to be one of a few guys who is going to be asked to pick up the offensive production.
Bedard — Brady’s light workload: You figured after the Summer of Tom’s Contentment that Belichick would make up for lost time — which was needed with this group of receivers — and ramp up the reps to get everyone caught up with TB12. Instead, Brady went almost a week-and-a-half with barely any competitive reps. It was likely a health thing, but you have to wonder how that sat with Belichick. The Patriots look to be pretty far behind with the pass game.
Biggest Disappointment
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Price — RB Sony Michel: We’re not necessarily putting the blame on the rookie’s performance. It’s more of a case of attendance. He certainly had plenty of good moments over the course of the spring, and had a memorable catch-and-run in the early days of training camp. But an inability to get on the field after Aug. 1 because of knee issues and an occasionally underwhelming summer overall got us to this point. Maybe he’s capable of flipping the switch when he returns to action? He was an electric performer in college once he got cranked up. But to this point, it’s been a less-than-impressive summer for the first-round pick out of Georgia.
Bedard — RB Sony Michel: Like Chris said, it’s not his fault — the Patriots knew about his knee — but with the way his camp was going, he was still going to be in this spot even before the injury. This was a major disappointment in this camp, so Michel gets the nod over Britt, Decker, M. Brown and Shaq Mason.
Best player of camp (and no, you can’t pick Tom Brady because he wasn’t)
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Price — TE Rob Gronkowski: There were a lot of possibilities here, including Brown, Gilmore and White. I’ll just say this — when he’s been out there and a full-go, it’s hard not to pick Gronkowski. I know this summer has seen a muted (relatively) Gronk, but if you’re just looking at the bottom line, he’s been really impressive. Yeah, the offseason was a messy one. And there were some things he shouldn’t have done. But when it comes to the on-field work, he remains in a class by himself.
Bedard — OT Trent Brown: He was just completely dominating from the first day of camp. It’s hard to overstate how much of a development he was. I mean, he went from being in a competition to being perhaps the surest thing on an offensive line full of returners. What a coup and feather in the personnel cap of Belichick and Nick Caserio. We’ll get into exactly how they were gifted a starting left tackle some other time…
Biggest takeaway of camp
Price: Maybe we’re just focusing on the reduced workload of the quarterback for much of the offseason. But the tamped-down intensity — at least compared to many Patriots’ training camps in year’s past — has left me with less of a real handle on this roster at this time of year than I’ve had in many years.
You like to think you know what you have with the likes of Brady, Edelman, Gronkowski, Hightower, Gilmore and Devin McCourty. Their track record suggests that as long as they stay healthy, that core should be good enough to make them a final four team at the very least. Right?
But there are big-picture questions about whether or not the middle class of this roster can help get them over the top, just because we’ve seen so little of them in real football situations. Part of that is because of the absence of padded practices, which turned out to be a really good measuring stick for this team heading into the regular season.
Ultimately, because of the practice restrictions, everyone steps off the ledge and into a certain unknown at the start of the season, including the Patriots. It’s no secret New England often looks at the first few weeks of the regular season as an extension of the preseason when it comes to personnel moves and combinations. But with the way the summer has unfolded in Foxborough, it’ll be interesting to see how the approach this summer impacts the product when the regular season rolls around.
Bedard: Similar to Price, the pace and lack of overall intensity of camp was the biggest thing I came away with. I noted it last year — with two joint practices (there was one great day with the Texans) — and the team got waxed at home in the opener and started 2-2.
This year, the pace was even slower, Brady’s workload was much less and there were no joint practices. So where does that leave us? I have no clue. Is the season lost? Heck no. I’ve learned to completely disregard the first month of the season (remember: at 2-2 I still said they would go over 13 wins) but I feel like I have much less of a handle on this team than ever before. I mean, in 2014 I took a few looks at the Patriots in camp and I said they were going to the Super Bowl, if not winning it (they won it). If you just went off this training camp, you’d say they were headed for a disappointing finish. Is that in the Super Bowl or AFC Championship Game? Will that happen? I have no clue.
- Dec 27, 2014
- 35,524
- 78,113
Bentley having a night 
- Sep 29, 2012
- 576
- 506
Wynn injury aside, that was an encouraging half.
Defense looks so much more aggressive and improved. Bentley and Clayborn looked incredible.
Offense and Brady look like they haven’t missed a beat.
Just gotta hope Wynn can return at some point this season.
Defense looks so much more aggressive and improved. Bentley and Clayborn looked incredible.
Offense and Brady look like they haven’t missed a beat.
Just gotta hope Wynn can return at some point this season.
- Apr 30, 2008
- 5,406
- 1,534
Wish this was this was the outcome on February 4th 2018 
GG overall, Im interested in what Patterson do, Sweet feet is gonna eat with no DLew, Ima miss Jules for the first 4 weeks, hoping for the best for Wynn
That defense looks a lot better
GG overall, Im interested in what Patterson do, Sweet feet is gonna eat with no DLew, Ima miss Jules for the first 4 weeks, hoping for the best for Wynn
That defense looks a lot better
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,240
- 53,425
Bentley having a night
lot to be excited about with this kid. seems to be in the right place at the right time. can shoot into the backfield. showed some ability in coverage. hope he ignores the early hype and keeps working. love what we've seen so far
tough break with Wynn. hope it's minor and the cart was precautionary.
my dude Crossen had a rough go tonight
Sam with nice heads up INT
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,240
- 53,425
offense looked good with Brady considering no Gronk or Allen at TE. kinda sure, but not sure what to think about Decker not getting any time in the first half. looked REAL soft on his drop and given how much he's dropped the ball in practice, i bet he gets cut soon.
Patterson looks like he's going to contribute nicely. Killing dudes on those slip/WR screens
James Sweet Feet White
Patterson looks like he's going to contribute nicely. Killing dudes on those slip/WR screens
James Sweet Feet White
Last edited:
- Dec 27, 2014
- 35,524
- 78,113
Hope the twitter sports doc is wrong about Wynn. He thinks it's an achilles 
Another doc thinks it's an ankle.
Both those are diagnoses based on what they see on TV though.
Either way, pulling for him. Injury didn't look good.
Another doc thinks it's an ankle.
Both those are diagnoses based on what they see on TV though.
Either way, pulling for him. Injury didn't look good.
- Mar 16, 2010
- 147,410
- 180,003
Wynn 
Looked like it was a decent night outside of that all things considered. Just need TB to be bubble wrapped until the season starts now...
Looked like it was a decent night outside of that all things considered. Just need TB to be bubble wrapped until the season starts now...
- Dec 15, 2017
- 17,811
- 43,327
Sup, guys!
Big night for me last night. I was given the opportunity to cover the preseason game, and I gotta say that it's one of the best assignments of my life!
Quick thoughts:
- Our defense is something special this year. Bentley is the goods and hopefully he sticks around. LB corps
- Claiborne's a beast. DLs are quite versatile this year.
- Foles sucked
- Brady's wearing a new helmet. Like a RevoSpeed?
- Jeremy Hill > Gillislee (though I think Mike gets the spot since Burk has a slight tear in his knee
- Brady got heated a bunch of times cuz of the drops and some receivers still couldn't get open. Dude dropped many F-bombs people in the front row could hear
- Great overall performance. It's good to see TB12 still got the juice. Defense should be great this year
- Harmon wearing #21
Big night for me last night. I was given the opportunity to cover the preseason game, and I gotta say that it's one of the best assignments of my life!
Quick thoughts:
- Our defense is something special this year. Bentley is the goods and hopefully he sticks around. LB corps
- Claiborne's a beast. DLs are quite versatile this year.
- Foles sucked
- Brady's wearing a new helmet. Like a RevoSpeed?
- Jeremy Hill > Gillislee (though I think Mike gets the spot since Burk has a slight tear in his knee
- Brady got heated a bunch of times cuz of the drops and some receivers still couldn't get open. Dude dropped many F-bombs people in the front row could hear
- Great overall performance. It's good to see TB12 still got the juice. Defense should be great this year
- Harmon wearing #21
- Dec 27, 2014
- 35,524
- 78,113
Dope shot!
Did you got to school for photojournalism?
Did you got to school for photojournalism?
- Dec 15, 2017
- 17,811
- 43,327
Thanks,
getback
Yep, I did in the Philippines. I actually wanted to become a sports writer but when I signed up for the school paper, they were short of photographers so they assigned me to become one. The rest is history
getback
Yep, I did in the Philippines. I actually wanted to become a sports writer but when I signed up for the school paper, they were short of photographers so they assigned me to become one. The rest is history
- Apr 30, 2008
- 5,406
- 1,534
Wynn out for the season...
Sony Michele looking like a bust...
There goes our first rnd boys smh
Sony Michele looking like a bust...
There goes our first rnd boys smh
- Dec 27, 2014
- 35,524
- 78,113
Unbelievable. Feel bad for the dude. Being 22 will work in his favor during the recovery process.
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,240
- 53,425
Sharpshoeter13
that is ******* awesome, man. good for you Wynn news is a KILLER. thank god we got Trent Brown in the off-season. bubble wrap his ***, pls
- Dec 15, 2017
- 17,811
- 43,327
Thanks,
DeadsetAce
Saw Wynn yesterday on a cart. Usually when someone's brought in on it, it doesn't look good.
Trent Brown holding his own, though. TB12 praising him in some occasions.
DeadsetAce
Saw Wynn yesterday on a cart. Usually when someone's brought in on it, it doesn't look good.
Trent Brown holding his own, though. TB12 praising him in some occasions.
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,240
- 53,425
assuming tonight goes as a normal 3rd pre-season game dress rehearsal, i'd like to see:
- NO ******* INJURIES
- Brady play a quarter and half and get the eff outta the game
- Brady show some good chemistry/connections with Edelman, Dorsett, and Decker.
- Hogan, James White, and Gronk in bubblewrap
- Jeremy Hill to really show us something early and then come outta the game
- Defense to play all starters for a quarter and half and then come out
- Jason McCourty to show us something more
- NO ******* INJURIES
- Brady play a quarter and half and get the eff outta the game
- Brady show some good chemistry/connections with Edelman, Dorsett, and Decker.
- Hogan, James White, and Gronk in bubblewrap
- Jeremy Hill to really show us something early and then come outta the game
- Defense to play all starters for a quarter and half and then come out
- Jason McCourty to show us something more
- Dec 15, 2017
- 17,811
- 43,327
Decker NEEDS reps
Heard on the radio regarding rumors about a Demaryius Thomas trade
Heard on the radio regarding rumors about a Demaryius Thomas trade
- Dec 27, 2014
- 35,524
- 78,113
Decker NEEDS reps
Heard on the radio regarding rumors about a Demaryius Thomas trade
Heard that on the way home too. More help at WR would be lovely. Brownie points to someone who can read a playbook.
- Dec 27, 2014
- 35,524
- 78,113
I'm yelling at the TV every time Hogan or Jules try to stretch a play out. Like naw, just go down.
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,240
- 53,425
