Patriots Camp Preview: What to watch for
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Is it football season already?
Based on the calendar, you might still be making trips to the beach, planning vacations, or following the Red Sox in a now-heated battle for first-place in the American League East.
Which is all fine and perfectly normal, according to the calendar.
What the calendar fails to tell you - but football fans know all too well - that the dog days of summer also signal the start of another football season. Training camps are opening around the NFL, and the New England Patriots officially welcomed their players back to Foxboro Wednesday with camp physicals and the traditional conditioning run. Passing the conditioning test is not optional, unless you like getting on Bill Belichick's bad side at the start...which is not a good idea, especially for younger players hoping to make the final 53-man roster.
"We’ve been away from each other for a few weeks, but the quarterbacks have been here for four days, the rookies here for four days already," Tom Brady said to his media throng Thursday morning on the Gillette Stadium practice fields. "Coach Belichick will have his time with us. Hopefully we can go out and do something our community can be proud of."
The Patriots have had the distraction of all distractions - a player shockingly charged with murder - during the off-season, so the Training Camp kick-off is undoubtedly a welcome respite for the organization as it tries to get back to the business of football. Add to that another player charged with DUI and a probation violation, plus star players not-yet-ready for primetime due to injury...and you can see there is an unsettled landscape on the immediate horizon.
It hasn't exactly been an environment conducive to business-as-usual.
"It’s a fresh start for all of us," Brady said. "The last six weeks have been distracting for a lot of people. It’s a tragic thing that happened when someone loses their life, but the players here, we’re not a part of that situation. It’s a terrible thing that happened…these are things you wish never happened to anybody. There is a human element of compassion involved, and we as a team need to try to move forward with better awareness and understanding of these kinds of things and that it never happens again."
"We’ll try to do that the best way we can, we’ll do everything in our willpower to stay focused to the task at hand," Vince Wilfork added. "When we walk through this door we have a sign that says put the team first and do your job. I'm pretty sure I will and I think we all will. We’re going to have to move forward, work as hard as we can and try to win ball games."
In football parlance, let's focus on four downs - four areas of concern or development that bear watching as camp begins its grind. The first pre-season game is August 9 at Philadelphia, following two days of joint practices with the Eagles at their training camp. The Patriots will return the favor with Tampa Bay coming to Foxboro on August 13 and 14 for joint practices, prior to the pre-season home opener against the Bucs August 16.
The roster can total up to 90 players, with the first cut to 75 on August 27. The final 53-man roster will be decided on August 31, with the season opener at Buffalo on September 8.
1st Down
Off-the-field fallout: The organization, to its' credit, decided to meet this challenge head-on by having Belichick address the media concerning Aaron Hernandez Wednesday - two days before the players hit the field. It was an unprecedented move for a coach who normally says very little, is very guarded and even cryptic with his media moments - and the right move to make. Following last year's captains meeting with the media Thursday, how many questions on non-football-related items will remain? The Patriots are hoping by addressing this early, the questions and distractions pass over quickly. How the team is able to focus on football could be a storyline to follow for some time.
2nd Down
Who does Brady throw to? It's a great question. No Rob Gronkowski (back surgery, not expected to return until after the season starts)...no Hernandez...no Wes Welker (signed with Denver)...no Brandon Lloyd (unsigned)...no Danny Woodhead (signed with San Diego). Those five players accounted for more than 80% of last years' receiving totals - and they're all gone. In their place are Julian Edelman (returning from injury), Danny Amendola (signed from St. Louis) and rookies Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce, plus TE Jake Ballard. Ballard has missed the last year and a half since tearing up a knee in the Super Bowl while playing for the New York Giants against the Patriots. Could someone else emerge in this group? They'll probably have to, for Brady to have a Brady-like year.
3rd Down
Ground and pound: It seems natural to assume that with so many questions in the passing/receiving game, the Patriots might try to rely a bit more on running the football...especially with thousand-yard-rusher Stevan Ridley (1263 yards) as an anchor in the backfield. He's added some bulk to his upper body in the off-season, ostensibly to better absorb the pounding from more carries in the coming season. 300+ rushes (he had 290 last year) certainly isn't out of the question, provided he stays healthy. Shane Vereen's health will be watched closely - his ability to stay on the field may determine his immediate future as a player in the NFL. Leon Washington and LeGarrette Blount (a former 1000-yard rusher) were added in the off-season, and don't forget Brandon Bolden, who had a couple of great games a year ago before a league suspension. Rookie George Winn from Cincinnati was signed as a free agent in June after rushing for 1334 yards in his senior season with the Bearcats, and hits the hole in the line with abandon. It's a deep group, and they can't/won't keep them all. The competition should be fun to watch.
4th Down
The best offense is a good defense: An oft-maligned defensive unit over the past two seasons did show some improvement through the mini-camps and OTA's held by the team in the spring. They weren't dressed in pads and didn't do any real hitting, however. DT Vince Wilfork and LB Jerod Mayo should continue to provide their talents as anchors and leaders in the middle. It's the outside and in the secondary where the concern remains. DE Chandler Jones and LB Dont'a Hightower have a full season under their belts (Jones less so, thanks to injury), and will need to show why the Patriots made them top picks a year ago. Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick are gone, but Tommy Kelly and Armond Armstead were signed as potential starters on the line. Rookie LB/DE Jamie Collins can make a name for himself early if he can pressure the opposing QB. And the secondary? Whoa. A real sore spot the past couple of years, they have not managed to finish a season with the same corners as they started the season with since 2009. Aqib Talib is back, but will Alfonzo Dennard (off-season troubles, DUI) be able to join him? Safety Adrian Wilson (from Arizona) was signed to bring some "thump" to the backfield. Watching to see if the Patriots do their own thumping as a unit, or if they're again thumped by others.
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