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Setting stage for New England Patriots’ mandatory minicamp – ESPN Boston

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Setting stage for New England Patriots’ mandatory minicamp – ESPN Boston

Getting a late start here at Pats blog central, but it’s a good week and the last one with a glimpse of the team until training camp opens next month. Prepare yourselves for The Void!!

Good primer from Reiss on storylines to watch. More than anything it’s just about who’s out there because we won’t get much schematic or depth chart insight. The injured guys are the ones to watch and it should gives us an idea of who are likely to land on PUP to start camp.

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[W]e took note during Thursday’s practice that Hightower was playing a bit more on the line of scrimmage, sometimes rushing off the right edge. When considering a starting linebacker trio of Jerod Mayo, Jamie Collins and Hightower in the base defense, I’ve previously projected Hightower to the middle in a Brandon Spikes-type downhill thumper role. But the Patriots coaches might see it differently, preferring to keep signal-caller Mayo in the middle, flanked by Collins and Hightower. That would give Hightower a chance to play on the line of scrimmage at times in an outside linebacker/defensive end-type role, and potentially rush the passer more. That could be best suited to his skill set, even though we haven’t seen Hightower do much of that the past two years.

Quick-hit thoughts around NFL & Pats – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston

https://www.patspropaganda.com/we-took-note-during-thursdays-practice-that/

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If he is not a guy in the starting five, which I do think he’€™s capable of, but if he’€™s not, then would he make a good jumbo tight end? Absolutely,” Bloomgren said. “He’€™s a great athlete and he has the ability to do some really cool things.

It Is What It Is » For Stanford double-major Cameron Fleming, learning Patriots playbook shouldn’t be difficult

Good read on Cameron Fleming.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/if-he-is-not-a-guy-in-the-starting-five-which-i/

Hightower: ‘Green dot’ like conscience | Comcast SportsNet – CSNNE.com

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Hightower: ‘Green dot’ like conscience | Comcast SportsNet – CSNNE.com

Interesting little bit from TEC talking to Hightower. I can only imagine how much information overload can happen pre-snap. Also really impressed with how well-spoken Hightower is. Reminds me a bit of Willie McGinest. That’s a very good thing. What a great trio of starting linebackers in Hightower, Mayo and Collins.

I feel with the current roster barring major injuries (which are always a possibility during the grind of an NFL season) expectations as always are at their very highest this year for Patriots fans. What is it going to take for this team to get over that final “playoff hump” that has ended at the hands of the Jets, Ravens, and Broncos just to name a few within the last decade or so since their last Super Bowl win?

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Comes down to two things as I see it: Injuries and Finishing. Neither are very predictable.

Look at the Pats teams that went to the Super Bowls. All had a remarkable ability to stay healthy at the key spots, of course the Gronk AFCCG injury in 2011 was devastating, but the 2007 team really only lost Rosevelt Colvin and they had the LB depth to overcome that.

But the biggest difference between the three teams that won the Super Bowl and the two that didn’t was simply a matter of finishing. Both the 2007 and 2011 teams had a lead late in fourth quarter. Neither could make that last stop on Eli. The 2001, 2003 and 2004 made those late clutch plays to close the game out.

Does the 2014 team have that ability to close out the biggest game on the biggest stage? It certainly appears they have the talent at the right spots to do so. But it’s a game of inches and it’s impossible to know who will get that crucial bounce or make that impossible play (hello Brady’s final drives to set up Vinatieri’s GW FGs in 2001 and 2003, Rodney Harrison’s interception of McNabb in 2004, David Tyree’s helmet catch and Eli’s pinpoint throw to Manningham).

If this team stays healthy, especially Rob Gronkowski, they have to be considered to be neck and neck with the best teams in the NFL on paper. We’ll see how they look on paper come January, but I certainly like their chances and their experience across the board.