PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Uncategorized

Patriots pre-camp roster projection

by

As we enter Training Camp 2020, many questions remain regarding many different positions. So, for a bit of fun, I’ve decided to try and predict the Patriots 53-man roster.

I totally expect to get a bunch of these wrong, but here goes… At the time of writing, I’m up to date with all opt-outs and PUP listings that were released today. I’ll be doing a final roster projection just prior to cut day at the end of camp, so we can see how accurate I was!

Quarterbacks (3)

Cam Newton, Jarett Stidham, Brian Hoyer

Cut (1)- Brian Lewerke

BB told us on Friday that everyone will have a chance to compete, including those at the QB position. Cam will be the obvious favorite to top the depth chart, but the only competition he’ll face is from Stidham, I see Hoyer playing the 3rd string mentor role, similar to Cody Kessler last season. 

[Read more…] about Patriots pre-camp roster projection

Belichick Conference Call – We’re on to Training Camp

by

Fresh from his yearly postseason break in Nantucket, Bill Belichick graced fans and reporters with his presence during a conference call this afternoon. It’s been the first time we’ve been able to hear from the HC since the Draft in April. Let’s recall what’s happened since we last heard from Bill.

Firstly, James Develin’s decision to retire in late April, the shock Cam Newton signing, and more recently, the six players who decided to opt-out of the upcoming season.

Players weren’t the only changes, this past week the team announced it’s coaching staff adjustments for the new campaign, one of which included Bill’s son Brian, who has been promoted from assistant coach, to take over the safeties position.

I can’t wait for the envy in teams to grow, it’s hard enough planning to get the upper hand on one Belichick, let alone three.

So what were the conference call talking points?

Bill Belichick during his conference call 07/31
[Read more…] about Belichick Conference Call – We’re on to Training Camp

The 2020 Patriots have a lot to overcome defensively

by

Patriots: Dont'a Hightower, Marcus Cannon among opting out of 2020
Image: USA Today Sports

The Patriots had an offseason that resulted in a great deal of turnover, and the turnover has grown over the last couple of days. This offseason the Patriots lost Jamie Collins, Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts, Danny Shelton, and of course Tom Brady in free agency. They traded Duron Harmon to the Lions. They lost James Develin to retirement, and now they notably have lost Branden Bolden Patrick Chung, Marcus Cannon, and Dont’a Hightower to COVID opt-outs.

So, that’s a total of 11 impact guys on the field as well as in the locker room. In total, those 11 players have a combined 30 Super Bowl rings. Losing Tom Brady would have been a monumental loss in itself, but losing all those pieces defensively sets up a difficult challenge ahead for Bill Belichick. On top of having a major roster turnover, the pandemic has forced the NFL to cancel the preseason, which will make it difficult for Bill Belichick to fully assess his roster. Training camp will surely look different this season with all of the COVID restrictions.

Bill Belichick has pulled rabbits out of his hat before, but overcoming all of this is a new challenge in itself. This season was supposed to be the season in which Belichick proves that he was not a product of Tom Brady. But, at this point, the loss of Tom Brady isn’t even Bill Belichick’s biggest concern moving forward. The Patriots of course added former MVP quarterback Cam Newton, and they still have Julian Edelman, James White, Mohamed Sanu, N’Keal Harry, Sony Michel, and are getting David Andrews back at center.

As crazy as it sounds, I think the offense is in decent shape heading into training camp. If Cam Newton is indeed healthy, the offense will look different, but it should still be effective.

But, when it comes to the defense, Bill Belichick will have work cut out for him.

The Patriots defense was one of the best units in the NFL last season. The defense was the dominate unit for them last season, but it’s unlikely that they can get the same level of production for the unit in 2020. Losing substantial talent on all three levels of the defense will make it really difficult for the Patriots to overcome.

Starting with the defensive line, the Patriots lost Danny Shelton in free agency, as he reunited with former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia in Detroit. One of the few weaknesses, the 2019 Patriots defense had was stopping the run. Everyone remembers how Derrick Henry ran all over them in the wild card round last season. Shelton was the best run defender the Patriots had, and I believe that they will in fact miss him.

The Patriots added former Tampa Bay Bucs nose tackle Beau Allen in free agency, and he is the logical replacement for Shelton. Belichick can even move Lawrence Guy inside as a run stopper. With Adam Butler being primarily used as a pass-rusher. Getting the run defense figured out should be one of the biggest concerns for Bill Belichick.

However, when it comes to the linebackers, it won’t be as simple. In particular, replacing Van Noy, Collins, and Hightower is something that is not realistic. According to Pro Football Reference, Kyle Van Noy has played more than 80% of the defensive snaps over the last two seasons. Collins played 81% of the defensive snaps in 2019, and Hightower has been a part of three Super Bowl teams, and has been an anchor on Bill Belichick’s defense for almost a decade. Hightower wears the green dot on defense and is often considered to be the quarterback of the defense. So, the Patriots are basically entering the 2020 season with a whole new group of linebackers. A group that will depend on the jump of second year linebacker Chase Winovich, the emergence of Ja’Whaun Bentley, the readiness of rookies Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings, and the hope that Brandon Copeland will pick up the Bill Belichick’s complex defensive system.

The linebackers will likely be the Patriots’ biggest weakness of defense, but the secondary which is considered to be the biggest strength of the team took a massive hit when Patrick Chung opted out of the 2020 season. Chung has been a staple for the Patriots’ defense since 2014, and is the most versatile player in that secondary. The Patriots drafted safety Kyle Dugger in the second round of the draft, and he seems to be the logical replacement for Chung on the defense. But, it is far from a perfect fit. Dugger’s potential is clearly unknown, but a jump from NCAA Division II football to a starting safety in the NFL doesn’t seem very plausible. The Patriots also signed safety Adrian Philips in the offseason, and still have Terrance Brooks on the roster. I could see a situation in which the Patriots convert a cornerback to safety. The Patriots are very deep at cornerback and maybe can move a guy like Joejuan Williams to safety. But, they will miss Chung’s leadership and his grit as being one of the toughest guys on the field.

If you add up all the departures on defense, it’s obvious that this defense will go through a serious makeover. With a plethora of question marks, it’s tough to project who will even be on the field come week 1. Bill Belichick has certainly dealt with adversity when it comes to building a defense, but losing all of this talent days ahead of training camp is setting up a great challenge for him.

The hoodie will have his hands full when he begins to craft this Patriots defense…

Let’s talk Fullbacks

by

Following the retirement of James Develin this offseason, the hope would have been for Danny Vitale to help fill the void in the backfield. We all know how Belichick can use the position to great effect. Whilst the offense may look different this season, the Patriots Fullback position will still be a vital need for the run game.

So who’s in contention?

Jakob Johnson

  • (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Clearly, Johnson would be a safe bet to fill the role if he continues to improve and can stay healthy. The 6-foot-3, 255lb German became part of the roster under the NFL’s International Player Pathway system in 2019. He was only able to make three starts last season before being placed on IR with a shoulder injury.

[Read more…] about Let’s talk Fullbacks

The Hits Keep Coming

by


The number is currently at 6 Patriots players opting out of the upcoming season. As it stands, Marcus Cannon, Dan Vitale, Najee Toran, Brandon Bolden, Dont’a Hightower, and now Patrick Chung have all made the decision to sit out this year due to Covid-19 pandemic concerns. This is completely understandable and a personal decision that I’m certain was not easy.

It obviously frees up tons of salary cap space and of course it will be fascinating to see what Bill Belichick does with that, but seeing what is happening right now in baseball with the Marlins as an example of what can go very wrong very fast makes even the most determined optimist question how realistic our hopes for an actual full NFL season really are.

My 15 year old commented “Tank for Trevor (Lawrence)”, the Clemson quarterback most are projecting as the top pick in next year’s draft, but I just don’t see it for a Bill Belichick team. He is way too much of a competitor and historian of the game, who I believe is chasing Don Shula’s record for most games won in his career. Bill knows he only has so many games left to accomplish this. Its hard to imagine him wasting a year of potential wins to maybe get a player of the future. Not to mention, what a challenge for a coach who loves to make adjustments. Is this not the ultimate test for a head coach, to somehow pull off a winning season under the worst possible conditions and the first post-Brady?

Its very much a fluid situation right now, so we’ll stay tuned and try to stay optimistic. We really need sports as a distraction from everything else going on around the country and globe, so everything crossed it can be done safely.

Two Patriots opt-out of upcoming NFL season

by

As reported first by Jarrett Bell for USA Today, newly acquired FB Danny Vitale is opting out of the upcoming season over Coronavirus safety fears. Guard Najee Toran has also taken the option to sit out the year.

To be honest, it’s hardly a surprise that Patriots players have exercised this option, but now the concern for coaching staff will be if more players follow. I hate to speculate, but rumors are also circulating that Marcus Cannon is considering his options regarding an opt-out.

Under the agreement, players who decide to opt-out of the season will be paid a stipend salary of $150,000.

The first NFL player to opt-out was Chiefs starting RG Duvernay-Tardif who has given up around $2.6 million to sit out the season and help the fight against COVID-19 in his local community.

By no means can you blame any player that decides to sit out the season, it’s a crazy world right now and football certainly isn’t the most important thing.

But as a football fan, it will be worth keeping an eye out for any further movement on this leading up to the opt-out deadline on August 3.

Hello from (Old) England!

by

Growing up in the UK, you’d need to go out of your way to find the NFL.

I first discovered the Patriots during the 2012 season, It was the first time I’d followed a team for more than one regular-season game. The first game, a win over the Jets in OT thanks to a Stephen Gostkowski field goal. The second, a 45-7 thrashing over the St Louis Rams when they played at Wembley Stadium. Oh, and do you remember Gronk’s changing of the guard TD spike before 84,000 British fans in London? I do, I was hooked.

Gronk spike at Wembley in 2012
Jamie McDonald/Getty Images

You know those awkward icebreaker introductions at the start of a job interview? Yep, here it comes.

I’m Tom Shaw-Mellors or ‘TSM’. I’m from Nottingham UK, home of the mighty Notts County FC (soccer fans if you look them up, yes, I’m aware they’re not very good). I’ve been away from writing since I finished my degree in Sports Journalism back in 2018. University was a great time for me to follow and understand the sport in greater depth, I also played 3 years for my college football team as an offensive tackle.

Due to the current situation going on in the world, I’ll be working from home until 2021. Luckily enough, I’ve been given this great opportunity to offer you all new Patriots content as we head into the 2020 training camp!

I’ll be providing content on current/future international players on the team, as well as offering an alternate viewpoint on the organization as a whole. We’ll also be covering breaking team news as it happens, because, as you all know, there’s never a dull moment following the Patriots.

You can follow me on Twitter @ShawMellors, and make sure you follow @patspropaganda for all of our content as soon as it’s posted!

2020 Season – L F G