Patriots: Off-day Assessment - Is Time On Their Side?
Monday, August 08, 2011
It’s almost here.
The day no one was sure would get here this year – the NFL pre-season opener – arrives this Thursday in Foxboro at Gillette Stadium. Are the Patriots actually back to “business as usual,” like in any other season?
Not quite.
The team has been through 12 practices to date, after having Sunday off. And that’s not so much a “reward” for their hard work as it is part of the new CBA between players and owners limiting the number of daily practices – especially those in full pads with full contact. This past week, Tom Brady was open and honest with his assessment about where his team is right now – “There's a lot of work to be done, in all honesty,” Brady said. “We've missed a lot of practices this spring, we missed a lot of practices this summer. The time we have on the field is so valuable. We can't afford to make mistakes and get behind because we're already behind. There's a lot of ground to make up.”
Sometimes, in an effort to make up that ground, hamstrings get pulled, knees get tweaked, bodies get bruised…more so than usual. The latest big move with free agent defensive end Shaun Ellis coming to the Patriots from the Jets was made with an eye towards depth and durability on the defensive line, as much as it was made to upgrade the pass rush. Ditto for the pick up of former Chicago Bear and Houston Texan Mark Anderson. Playing a 4-3 front, which by all indications seems to be the way the team is moving, simply requires more personnel. It also means taking away from possible depth at other positions on the team, at some point.
With an always-fluid roster in motion, here is where the Patriots stack up health-wise at the present time:
Albert Haynesworth, Mike Wright, Brandon Spikes – each player has missed the last two practices, with their injury situations largely unknown. But they have not been seen on the field.
Kevin Faulk, Brandon Deaderick, Matt Light, Ron Brace – these players, while not officially listed as such by the team, are considered active but on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. They can begin practicing at any time. In Faulk’s case, he may stay here for the immediate future, as a player on the active/PUP list must remain on it for six weeks if he is not active once the regular season begins. This would afford the team, and Faulk, more time to assess his abilities coming off of his knee injury of last season.
Brandon Tate, Ras-I Dowling, James Sanders, Josh Barrett – were seen in t-shirts and shorts Saturday, but did not participate in practice.
Eric Kettani, Shane Vereen, Ryan Wendell, Marcus Cannon, Ross Ventrone – not spotted at practice Saturday. In Vereen’s case, he pulled a hamstring during the Wednesday season-ticket holder practice in the stadium. Cannon continues to work out at his own pace, following treatment for non-hodgkins lymphoma.
Thad Turner, Kyle Hix – cornerback Turner, on the practice squad last year, and undrafted free agent Hix, an offensive lineman from Texas, were both waived by the team Saturday. Hix had not practiced over the past week with an undisclosed injury, and if not picked up by another team on waivers, he will be placed on the Patriots’ injured reserve list.
It’s an unofficial count, but at least 16 active players have some sort of physical ailment that is keeping them from practice – and valuable time on the field in order to make the roster. With the addition of Ellis, the Patriots roster currently stands at 89 players, one shy of the maximum of 90 allowed by the NFL. The first roster cut to 75 players will occur by August 31st, with only 53 players making the final roster. The final cut down date arrives September 4th.
The injury numbers will continue to grow, as the time until the regular season kickoff grows shorter. The saving grace here – is that other teams in the league face the same problems. Those teams that adapt the best, and create depth, are the teams you should see at the top.
Call it a “war of attrition,” or last man standing. And it’s almost here.
Training Camp Notes
The Patriots’ picture on the defensive line is quickly coming into focus. Or is it? Jermaine Cunningham and Eric Moore have been lining up with the first team at end, with Albert Haynesworth and Vince Wilfork at tackle. Add Mark Anderson and Shaun Ellis to the mix at end, plus Mike Wright, Ron Brace, Kyle Love, Brandon Deaderick and Myron Pryor to the mix at tackle…not to mention eight additional rookies and/or free agents still fighting for a spot on the defensive front. The field just got more crowded. Literally…
Special teams coach Scott O’Brien this week mentioned that kicker Stephen Gostkowski has no limitations in practice, even though he hasn’t yet performed kickoffs during practice. Gostkowski is taking things cautiously after tearing a quad muscle last season. “He’s going out -- every day and there are a certain number of kicks that he would normally do as a specialist. Every specialist tries to get a number of quality kicks after they warm up, which requires a lot of other kicks just to get ready to perform. He’s at his numbers and he’s increasing his numbers like he would anytime.”
Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien met with reporters for the first time since camp began on Saturday, and while he seems to share some of Tom Brady’s sense of urgency about “making up ground,” he’s a little more reserved overall. “I would say that the difference in this year from last would be the offseason: the players weren’t here. But other than that, I would say that training camp is going about as it would go at a normal pace for the situation that we’re in this year. I think at this point it’s going well. We’re trying to be fundamentally strong in what we do and we’re progressing. It’s training camp – it’s a grind.”
Receivers coach Chad O’Shea (no truth to the rumor Bill Belichick is changing his name to O’Belichick to keep pace with his assistants) mentioned that Chad Ochocinco is getting up to speed on things for a couple of reasons – he’s a veteran, and he’s being helped by veterans. “Having two veteran football players, Wes Welker and Deion Branch, has greatly helped Chad’s development here early on learning the offense. It’s very important that they have open communication on the field, which they have had. They’ve done a great job in the meeting room with Chad. They’ve done a great job on the practice field. We’re all working together to get better and that’s what they’ve done.”
Training Camp Schedule
Monday
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm Patriots Experience open to the public
1:30 pm – 4:00 pm Practice open to the public
Tuesday
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm Patriots Experience open to the public
1:30 pm – 4:00 pm Practice open to the public
Wednesday
Schedule to be determined
Thursday
7:30 pm Kickoff vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
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