Updating Patriots’ Key Position Battles Halfway Through Training Camp
Here’s our Monday B/R piece, updating where we’re at with some of the bigger position battles. All still very fluid, but here are guys that are rising to the occasion first.
What’s next for the Patriots? – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston
What’s next for the Patriots? – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston
When looking closer at the Patriots’ rotation at defensive end on Friday night, it caught the eye that 2013 seventh-round pick Michael Buchanan came on before 2012 third-round pick Jake Bequette. Buchanan, who looks the part at 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds, caught our eye with a nice combination of speed and power off the defensive left side. He got sucked inside on a Matt Barkley quarterback keeper for 8 yards in the second quarter – which was a good learning experience for him when it comes to discipline in maintaining the edge – but otherwise showed up with some solid work. He’s a player we want to see more of this week.
They came in there talking. They had a lot of jokes, and (he-hes) and laughs, a lot of dirty plays that were going on. So there was a reason behind what I did, there was a reason behind the madness. At the end of the day, I still got to do things the way coach wants me to do it, and I understand that. But it definitely would have been a different situation if it was in Baltimore. It wouldn’t have been a fun practice for the Patriots, I can tell you that.
The Blitz with Jeff Howe & Karen Guregian | Boston Herald
Jeff Howe summed it up well:
To recap: Williams, who has barely practiced due to a hamstring injury, didn’t like the way the Patriots handled themselves on the field during 1-on-1s and 7-on-7s and willingly got himself and the Patriots’ second-round pick ejected when 11-on-11s started. Williams returned to practice today after missing the rest of the week with the hammy issue.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/they-came-in-there-talking-they-had-a-lot-of/
Quick-hit thoughts around NFL & Pats – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston
Quick-hit thoughts around NFL & Pats – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston
It was interesting listening to Eagles players and coaches share their experience from three days of joint practices with the Patriots in Philadelphia. There was one common theme and it came back to one player: Tom Brady. Almost everyone we talked with marveled at the way Brady looked at age 36. Some expressed surprise at his size (6-4, 225), maybe not fully aware of how big he is and how well he takes care of himself physically, while others felt the level of competitiveness he showed was at a higher clip than they were accustomed to. Both the Patriots and Eagles got a lot out of last week’s joint practices. For the Eagles, the chance to be in Brady’s presence, in that type of setting where the clubs totaled nearly 7 hours and 30 minutes of practice time, appears to have left an indelible impression. Hearing this from the Eagles also served as a reminder that it’s something that might be taken for granted at times here in New England.
Awesome. That’s all you can say,” Vermeil said. “I’ve coached against him three times when I was with the Chiefs, but to see him on the practice field and see him throw the ball like that is really spectacular. You almost don’t believe somebody can throw the ball that accurately.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/awesome-thats-all-you-can-say-vermeil-said/
We’ve seen Benard line up at defensive tackle in practice, and he’s played well in the role Jermaine Cunningham occupied in 2012, but it was interesting that Marcus Forston was not the choice in that regard; he was instead the top choice on the second-team defense. At 260 pounds, Benard is not the ideal frame for plugging the middle, but his activity at defensive tackle was hardly limited to third downs; he was spotted lined up on the inside through the second quarter.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/weve-seen-benard-line-up-at-defensive-tackle-in/