PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Mike Dussault

Patriots Positional Preview: Offensive Line

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Thuney in his first NFL game vs. Calais Campbell

Today we’re on to one of the most important positions on the roster, the guys who keep #12 safe and open up all those holes in the running game — the offensive line.

After losing Nate Solder in 2015, it was clear how vital the veteran left tackle was to the offense. His return to health in 2016, coupled with the return of Dante Scarnecchia as well as great luck injury-wise, gave the Pats some of their best play upfront in recent memory.

Marcus Cannon emerged from the depths of his 2015 season to have the best year of his career. It was one of the most unexpected turnarounds from an oft-maligned player.

The interior of the line has a great young core, with David Andrews, Joe Thuney and Shaq Mason. Thuney stepped into the starting LG spot and was a stalwart ala Logan Mankins in 2005. That trio should only get better as they enter their second season together.

Reinforcements arrived this offseason as well, with Tony Garcia, perhaps the future at left tackle, drafted in the third round. The team also added Conor McDermott, an athletic tackle in the sixth round and a pair of undrafted rookie tackles.

An extension for Nate Solder could still be possible, but more likely is that his replacement will be groomed this season. The team has thrown enough at the wall that someone should emerge, with Garcia likely stepping into the backup swing role that should get him onto the field early.

The only other question is the interior depth where rookie Ted Karras was solid in spot duty as a rookie. He won’t be handed the job this year and will face plenty of competition for his roster spot this summer.

Let’s break down the entire line.

 

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Pats Swag Giveaway: Nima Bluetooth Helmet Speaker

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Thanks to the folks at Nima for sending me two of their awesome Bluetooth Helmet Speakers to give away! Head over to Twitter and retweet this tweet for your chance to win!

As I’ve just got finished re-establishing the Ministry of PatsPropaganda in a new office, this Patriots helmet speaker was the perfect addition. Obviously, it’s a Patriots helmet, so it fits in seamlessly with all the rest of the Pats stuff that adorn the walls and shelves.

The set up was easy, you can either do it over bluetooth or use an app that allows you full control of everything and the sound is great. You can also pair two of the speakers together, and it can be used as a speakerphone as well.

Now my pregame mixes and blogging music will all be played through this sweet piece of technology. Good luck to everyone entering the twitter contest. Winners will be picked at random on Wednesday.

Pick one up for yourself here.

Patriots Positional Preview: Cornerbacks

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Patriots Cornerbacks

Today we’re taking a look at one defensive position that will look a bit different this year — cornerback.

For the last two seasons, Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan have been fixtures at cornerback. We were all a bit panicky when they were the two to replace Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, but the duo ably replaced that Super Bowl-winning duo with a Super Bowl victory of their own.

Ryan departed for the Titans this offseason, a departure few Patriots fans would’ve ever thought they’d find disappointing after Ryan began his career with two seasons of being a favorite target of pundits. But Ryan emerged as a consistent player with outstanding tackling skills who could match up with bigger receivers.

Ryan’s ability to shift into the slot is a role not easily replaceable. That is one of the bigger questions facing the defense this summer.

Of course it helps that the team signed Stephon Gilmore, a soft spoken, man coverage corner who seems to be fitting in great. However, Gilmore is an outside corner, as is 2016’s third corner, Eric Rowe. Who replaces those vital snaps Ryan gave them inside is not easily apparent, and plenty of guys were getting looks in the slot during OTAs, including last year’s special teams rookie standout Jonathan Jones and 2016 second-round pick Cyrus Jones.

Regardless of how the slot plays out, the team has really solid depth, including a trio of undrafted rookies who should all make some plays during training camp. At the top there’s plenty of talent to not only replace Ryan, but to be even better, though his physicality and consistency will certainly be missed.

Here’s a closer look at all the corners.

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Patriots Positional Preview: Wide Receivers

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This year’s wide receiver corps is arguably the best the Patriots have had, at least since 2007’s fireworks. There might not be that single Hall of Fame talent like Randy Moss, but there’s more depth and diversity than even the record-setting 2007 offense.

Acquiring Brandin Cooks was the highlight move of the offseason on offense, but extending Julian Edelman and re-working Danny Amendola’s contract once again, ensured continuity with Tom Brady’s most reliable targets. With Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell entering their second years in New England, they should also make some significant strides. Both receivers accomplished the rare feat of instantly clicking with Brady and the offense, and should only improve with experience.

Free agent signee Andrew Hawkins might be the sixth man on the depth chart, but he can still play. He’s 31 but consistently produced in his stints with the Bengals and Browns. It might take an injury for Hawkins to sneak on the roster, but he’s great insurance at a position where there’s rock solid depth, including a trio of youngsters who all have some promise.

It’s difficult projecting how the snaps will play out this season with so many weapons at the position, but it will sure be fun to watch.

Let’s take a look at each receiver on the roster!

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Patriots Positional Preview: Linebackers

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Today we’re breaking down one of the most interesting positional groups on the roster this year, the linebackers.

After Jamie Collins‘ shocking trade last season, the Pats had to manage with in-season acquisition Kyle Van Noy, run stopping rookie Elandon Roberts and free agent acquisition Shea McClellin. After Dont’a Hightower, there just wasn’t a three-down linebacker on the roster.

So Van Noy slipped into a passing down role, where he would cover and occasionally rush the quarterback, while Roberts caught attention for his heavy downhill hits in an early down role. It wasn’t as ideal as the Hightower-Collins duo seemed to be, since they never had to leave the field (at least that’s what we thought in 2014 and 2015), but they got the job done.

While heavy reinforcements didn’t arrive this offseason, the addition of David Harris should take enough pressure off of Hightower to help keep him fresh or keep the boat afloat should the captain miss any time. How the rest of the group plays out will be fascinating to watch in camp.

How much of a second-year jump does Roberts make? Will Belichick-favorite Jonathan Freeny step back into a defensive role despite Roberts’ emergence? Can coveted rookie Harvey Langi show enough versatility to carve out a rookie role? Is McClellin on the bubble?

It’s important to note how fluid the edge and linebacker positions have become. Technically Hightower, Ninkovich and McClellan shift between those roles based on the situation, but for the preview purposes we’ll keep them separated. Just know that nothing is set in stone and the ability to move players all over the formation is what makes the Patriots’ defensive front so potent. Just try not to get caught up in the minutiae of positional labels at this point.

Let’s take a closer look at each linebacker.

 

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Patriots Positional Preview: Running Backs

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Today we’re taking a look at the Patriots’ running back corps, one of the most intriguing positions on the roster.

With the departure of LeGarrette Blount, who set a team record with 18 rushing touchdowns, things will look a little different in 2017, but the approach should remain the same. The biggest question is of course, who takes those short yardage carries, especially on the goalline where 11 of Blount’s TDs came from just one yard out.

The favorite to be the early down/early game pounder is Mike Gillislee, a restricted free agent the Pats signed away from the Bills and whose one-cut, hard running style is a perfect fit for what the Pats need. But free agent Rex Burkhead, who saw just 13 carries in his first three seasons with the Bengals before getting his shot in 2016 and putting up 4.6 yards-per-attempt, has size and versatility to take some of those carries as well.

As Pro Football Talk pointed out, Gillislee and Burkhead are football analytics all-stars.

Analytics website FootballOutsiders.com ranked Gillislee as the most efficient running back in the NFL last year, and Burkhead as No. 2. Analytics website NumberFire also had Gillislee first and Burkhead second. Analyst Warren Sharp’s metrics had Gillislee first and Burkhead second in success rate, and Burkhead first and Gillislee second in the fewest “missed yards per attempt,” or how close they came to being successful on the plays that weren’t quite good enough to quality as successful.

No matter how the replacing of Blount shakes out, the Patriots have the entire spectrum covered at running back. James White put up an MVP-caliber performance in the Super Bowl, while Dion Lewis, now a full year removed from tearing his ACL, could return to the electric explosion he showed prominently in early 2015.

With battering ram James Devlin leading the way, and a couple young potential practice squad members, there’s nothing this group lacks.

Let’s take a closer look at each.

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Patriots Positional Preview: Defensive Ends

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With the 4th of July in the rearview mirror, it will be just a few short weeks until training camp is upon us and Patriots football is back. These are the hardest days of the offseason, the final days, when all the football people are on vacation and there’s a vacuum of information.

Still, we’re so close we can all taste it.

Today we dive into another excerpt from my Season Preview (available here for just $5!), focusing on one of the most interesting positional groups on the roster — the defensive ends. While most of the team returns intact, this group is one that has undergone some significant transition.

Trey Flowers emerged as a breakout star in 2016 but after him there are a lot of question marks. How much does Rob Ninkovich have left in the tank? Can Kony Ealy assimilate? What about rookies Derek Rivers and Deatrich Wise?

With the departure of Jabaal Sheard and Chris Long, some of these new players will be playing significant roles and how they perform could decide whether the defense takes a step forward or back.

Here’s my breakdown of the edge players, whether you want to call them defensive ends or outside linebackers.

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