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Mike Dussault

Patriots OTAs Access Today!

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Patriots OTAs

Wes Welker at 2010 OTAs five months after an ACL tear.

Today the media gets access to the Patriots OTAs so we’ll get some pictures and observations to help quench our thirst for football here as we prepare to enter the worst part of the offseason, aka The Void.

It’s important to understand that as much as I’ll be ready to dissect every minute detail, at this point it’s about teaching, not competition. So as much as we’ll want to read into who’s playing where and when, jobs aren’t being won or lost at this stage of the offseason. If anything it’s a chance for everyone to get on the same page and get a fundamental understanding of how business will be done when training camp opens in two months.

However, it will be interesting to see who is participating. If there’s one thing we will get a good sense of, it’s who’s still in recovery mode and not quite ready to make it onto the field, even for light practices.

Some injured guys to be on the look out for:

Dion Lewis – Wes Welker was at OTAs in 2010 after tearing his ACL just five months earlier and while he was still managed into training camp and the regular season, it was an incredibly positive sign that his recovery was quickly headed in the right direction. Dion Lewis is almost seven months removed from his ACL tear, and with reports coming in that he’s on schedule to be ready for the season opener, his presence on the field would be a big step forward.

Julian Edelman – Edelman was spotted in a walking boot just a couple weeks ago after having a “cleanup procedure”. It seems unlikely that he’ll be on the field so soon after, especially since everyone knows what he’s capable of and there’s no need to push him.

Dont’a Hightower – Hightower had knee issues that bothered him last season, reportedly a sprained MCL that he hurt against the Broncos, then re-injured against the Titans. Hightower should be fine but with his physical style of play he could be one who has a lot more going on that we know. It’ll be reassuring to see him back in the mix, especially after his extended recovery from a torn labrum last season.

Nate Solder – Solder tore his biceps last season, but has popped up in various team photos in recent weeks. I’d expect him to be a near lock to be back at his starting left tackle spot, a welcomed site indeed.

LeGarrette Blount – Blount’s 2015 season ended with a hip injury but avoided surgery. However the Pats must be concerned with his durability as his new one-year deal includes a split if he gets injured. If he didn’t need surgery, Blount should be out there.

Aaron Dobson, Trey Flowers, AJ Derby and Darryl Roberts are other interesting players who ended their seasons on IR and worth monitoring for their attendance. Of course, there’s always a surprise injury absence or two as well. Guys who had surgeries that were never reported. That’s just how the Pats roll.

But at least it will be nice to see the team back on the field, a small nibble that will have to help get us through the upcoming worst part of the offseason

New England Patriots RB Dion Lewis (ACL) on track for season opener – Reiss/ESPNBoston

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The Patriots will take a patient and conservative approach with running back Dion Lewis’ recovery from a torn left ACL, but things are going well.

Source: New England Patriots RB Dion Lewis (ACL) on track for season opener – New England Patriots Blog- ESPN

Obviously this is good news for a player who came out of nowhere to be a critical element for this year’s Super Bowl hopes. I can’t help but imagine how differently 2015 would’ve unfolded if Lewis didn’t go down in Week 9. You need to look no further than James White’s stat line in the AFC Championship — 16 targets, five catches for 45 yards. That was the game where the drop off from Lewis to White was crystal clear.

We’ve seen it plenty of times with past ACL injuries, the Pats will bring him along slowly just like they did with Welker in 2010 and Gronk in 2014. The hope would be the same as it was with those two players in those two seasons — that by December they’re ready to go.

The hard part is assuming Lewis can be just as electric as he was through those first seven-plus games in 2015. Never before has a castoff journeyman stepped in and looked like an all-star quite like that. How did a guy who hadn’t played an NFL game since 2012 slip through the cracks like that? And can we just assume that that’s the player he’ll be once he’s fully healthy? Whatever level Lewis can get back to will determine just what the ceiling for the 2016 Pats offense will be.

 

Report: Patriots interested in Arian Foster

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Patriots Arian FosterArian Foster was in Boston this week. Friday evening,  Foster posted a photo to his Instagram account of his smiling family standing outside Fenway Park before the Red Sox-Indians game. fam at fenway. A photo posted by feeno (@arianfoster) on May 20, 2016 at 3:38pm PDT According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Foster’s visit to New […]

Source: The Patriots reportedly have ‘preliminary’ interest in Arian Foster, who was spotted at a Red Sox game

It’s no secret I’ve thought the Patriots really needed to add an early-down back this offseason yet one never came, so I’d be totally fine with bringing Arian Foster aboard. We know he’s coming off a significant injury — a torn achilles — one that players often never fully recover from.

But we did see Vince Wilfork bounce back to form in 2014 after tearing his in 2013, so it’s not impossible that Foster could have something to offer this season.

The Pats would have to put him through a bunch of medical tests long before signing him, so it’d make sense they’d have him in to check him out at this point. Ideally, they could start him off on the PUP list, bring him along slowly and then hopefully have him ready for the playoff push.

Of course, this doesn’t solve any problems for early in the season, where Brandon Bolden and James White are the only guys who’ve played in the system and aren’t coming off an injury. But the Pats are usually all about feeling things out early in the season anyway, with an eye toward pushing all the right buttons when the games really start to matter.

Depending on how the medical tests went this week (assuming that’s why the Pats had him in), we could see Foster signed to a one-year deal that would be good for both sides, just don’t expect any significant contributions before November-ish.

Patriots take closer look at safeties Vinnie Sunseri, William Moore – ESPNBoston

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The Patriots already have a solid group of safeties, but that won’t keep them from kicking the tires on William Moore and Vinnie Sunseri.

Source: Patriots take closer look at safeties Vinnie Sunseri, William Moore – New England Patriots Blog- ESPN

Patriots safetiesNot really that surprised that the Pats are keeping the emergency safeties list up to date. Although Tavon Wilson wasn’t destined for a significant role on defense, his departure this offseason does leave a bit of a void as far as an experienced veteran who could step up if Patrick Chung were to get hurt.

Chung’s had two excellent seasons since returning to the Patriots, primarily playing as a “robber” in the Pats oft-used Cover-1 man scheme. This places Chung in box, usually as a run stopper but sometimes in coverage on tight ends as well. This suits him far better than the Cover-2 deep safety and slot corner roles he was often found playing in his first stint with the Pats.

Chung’s also avoided the biggest deterrent in his first go-round, injuries. If he were to get hurt now, the Pats don’t have an experienced safety who could easily fit into his role. Duron Harmon is a deep free safety, and while Devin McCourty could shift into some of Chung’s duties, it’s not exactly the best use of his talents.

One of the big questions I’ve wondered this offseason is whether Jordan Richards is ready for that kind of role on defense if he was called upon. He showed some promise last year, but I’m still not sure what his best fit is and inserting him into the important role Chung plays could be a bit dicey.

Knowing where veterans like Moore and Sunseri are at gives the Pats some fall back options if they weren’t quite ready for Richards to be playing significant snaps on defense.

 

Flip Side of the Coin: Brady’s Suspension

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Let me start this post off by saying Tom Brady should not have to sit any games for the whole charade known as Deflategate. There’s no scientific proof the footballs were ever deflated. There’s no evidence Brady was the mastermind of a Deflation scheme. The whole thing was just an excuse to finally get back at Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick, Brady and the rest of the Patriots for both winning too much and the previous charade known as Spygate.

Boil it all down and you have shoddy science supported only by select text messages and the NFL’s skewed slant they did everything they could to sell to the public by any means necessary.

Brady having to sit out games for what the NFL put together in The Wells Report would be an injustice and a travesty…

But…

…if Brady were to sit out the first four games would it actually be in the best long-term interest of the Patriots organization?

I’m just asking the question because at this point, is anyone’s opinion on Deflategate going to change? If the courts finally rule he must sit and he does, will that suddenly mean he really was guilty? Or if it goes all the way to the Supreme Court and they throw the whole thing out, will that mean Brady was innocent?

Nope. Nothing that happens from here on out, no matter how long Deflategate continues to drag on, will change anyone’s mind about what did or didn’t happen. And really everything in the courts now is about process anyway. So if that’s the case is it okay to root for what’s best for the Patriots and (perhaps) Brady?

The benefits are easy.

The Patriots get four manageable games to see what Jimmy Garoppolo’s got. 2017 will be the last offseason the Patriots could move Garoppolo and get compensation for him. Let’s remember that even with Tom Brady, the Patriots aren’t world beaters in September. It’s just as easy to see a 2-2 start with Brady as it is with Garoppolo.

And though the first four games are against teams with some excellent defensive pieces, three of the four (excluding Carson Palmer and the Cardinals) are going to be adjusting to new pieces or new coaches. With the Patriots returning almost everyone on defense we should expect them to exert their will in these games and make them all winnable games for the offense.

The second thing is keeping Brady fresh (and pissed off). Giving Brady the first four games off will not only ensure that he’s rested and healthy come October, but chomping at the bit to get back out there and take his job back.

Brady knows how this works and what can happen when a young “fill in” quarterback seizes his opportunity and leaves the coaching staff with no choice but to stick with him. I’m not saying Garoppolo has that in him, but I’m sure Brady doesn’t want to leave it to chance.

But let’s ponder for a moment, what if Jimmy Garoppolo plays out of his mind? Benching Bledsoe was one thing, but keeping Brady on the sideline? That would be difficult to say the least, but it would be fascinating to see where Patriots nation falls between their beloved TFB and their franchise that will continue on long after TFB is gone. That might be a problem we don’t want to face yet.

I’m hoping Brady never misses a game for the Deflategate nonsense, and it sounds like chances are good he won’t have to, but if things break badly for him in his next appeal attempt it won’t be hard to find some silver linings that should benefit the Pats long term.

Edelman and Amendola Recovering from Offseason Surgeries

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Edelman SurgeriesFor some reason, bad injury news always seems to come in bunches and that’s been the case in the last week with reports that both Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola going under the knife during the offseason. Edelman had a “cleanup procedure” on the foot he broke against the Giants last year while Amendola had surgeries on both his left knee (that he sprained last season) and on his ankle (bone spurs).

Word is that both should be fine for the upcoming season, even if it potentially means opening training camp on the PUP list. I try to avoid the doom and gloom here on the blog, but it’s hard to just shrug off our two best receivers going under the knife. Amendola will be 31 this winter while Edelman turns 30 this coming Sunday.

This is just a reminder that just like Troy Brown and Wes Welker before them, inside receivers in New England are a good time for not a long time. The mileage adds up quickly after thirty and the end often comes before you know it. Troy Brown said he was never the same after knee surgery in the early 2000’s.

Not saying this is the beginning of the end for Edelman and Amendola, but it illustrates just how important it is to keep the receiver pipeline fresh. Malcolm Mitchell and Chris Hogan are really important pieces and it’s reasonable to think that to avoid last year’s offensive slowdown that happened without Edelman last year, one of those two newcomers must emerge as a trusted target.

The insurance is the lethal tight end combo of Gronk and Martellus Bennett. Bennett should not only give Brady another good target working the middle of the field, but also take away some of the attention that Edelman and Amendola get inside.

 

Patriots Defense Outlook: Huge D-Tackles, Man Coverage Corners

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Patriots Defense OutlookWe’re closing in on the worst part of the offseason, aka “The Void”, a time to marinate on the roster and start putting together a Patriots defense outlook, among other things. One great thing about having 90 guys on the roster, there’s always something to analyze.

Aside from the usual “are the Pats going back to a 3-4?” question that drives me nuts, it’s easy to read the tea leaves on how the Pats’ scheme will evolve a bit this season. The two easiest areas to start — defensive tackle and cornerback.

Let’s take a closer look at how things have shaken out at those positions this offseason.

Where’s the Beef? The Pats DTs have it

The last couple seasons it appeared the Pats were transitioning to more of a versatile defensive tackle group. Since 2011, when they started going with more even (four-man) fronts, they’ve always had a soft spot for size, but it wasn’t until 2014 and the selection of Dominique Easley where they actually seemed at all interested in penetrators. And it wasn’t just Easley, they kicked the tires on a number of guys who weren’t 300 pounds-plus, like Jerel Worthy to name one.

But this offseason the defensive tackle position came into clearer focus. They jettisoned Easley and Chris Jones, re-signed Alan Branch, signed Terrence Knighton and drafted Vincent Valentine — three guys whose combined weight is over 1000 pounds and all generally fit the same body type.

In the old days of the traditional 3-4, all these players would likely be five technique defensive ends, but now the Pats will mix-and-match them with Malcom Brown, who should be the new Vince Wilfork — playing almost every down and doing a little bit of everything. Brown isn’t the same mold as the others and has excellent lateral movement skills that should make him one of the best playmakers they have up front.

Schematically, the objective seems clear. Occupy the three interior offensive linemen with just two man-mammoths, opening up one-on-one matchups for the defensive ends against the opposing tackles. This should also make trying to run up the middle quite the challenge.

The bigger question becomes what happens on obvious passing situations, especially third-and-long. This was Easley’s sweet spot when he was healthy the last couple years, or sometimes Geneo Grissom in a fill-in role. I believe they’ll use Brown in this role now unless it’s a pure pass rush situation, in which case we might even see four defensive ends.

So look for a Ninkovich-Brown-Long-Sheard front in third-and-medium and then swap in Grissom or Flowers for Brown for third-and-longs.

The defense was torn apart by early-down passing in 2010-2013 and that’s why it will be imperative for the defensive ends to win their one-on-one matchups, especially if the tackles in the middle are not getting push. But the good news is that they can rotate the big men and shouldn’t have to run them into the ground like they did with Wilfork.

Man Coverage is Here to Stay

Last year when Revis, Browner and Arrington were all sent packing the common sentiment was the Patriots must be moving back to more zone coverage. This drove me insane, because I truly believe you can’t play good defense in today’s NFL with a zone-heavy coverage scheme.

Of course, these fears were unfounded when we discovered the Pats still had every intention of sticking to a heavy Cover-1 Man Robber scheme and Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan and Justin Coleman did far better than anyone expected.

This draft only reinforced the fact that man coverage is here to stay, as the Pats used their first pick on a man-cover corner and signed three rookie free agents who can all do the same.

Check out these scouting report tidbits from NFL.com:

Cyrus Jones: Press corner with good build and strong lower half. Plus play strength. Confident and tough. Able to reroute and maintain positioning on receivers.

Jonathan Jones: Man cover specialist with springy feet and ability to shadow his man. Usually near the throw. Has closing burst and ball skills to be aggressively disruptive at the catch point.

V’Angelo Bentley: Shows very good awareness to pre-snap movement and gets his secondary aligned with good communication. Actively attempts to redirect receivers in their routes from zone and sifts through combination routes quickly.

Cre’Von Leblanc: Plays with exceptionally strong hands clutching and challenging receivers from press. Allowed just 34.5 percent completion rate in 2015. Impressive mirror and match footwork to stick to his targets and stay in position to make plays on the ball.

The free agents were all undersized and that’s why they went undrafted. Bentley is the only one whose scouting reports don’t implicitly mention his man coverage skills, but he, like the others, check all the other boxes — fearless tacklers, smart and tough.

Add in last year’s seventh-rounder Darryl Roberts (Can change directions on command and has desired stop/start quickness. Has long arms and is aggressive with them in press coverage.) with what we already know about the corners who played all of last year, and the Pats’ secondary seems primed for more aggressive man coverage in 2016.