An Independent Patriots Blog
Work ethic of Patriots’ Solder starts at home – Sports – The Boston Globe
Great story on Solder’s background. Really excited to see what he can do at left tackle this year. Usually it’s a scary proposition for any team when they replace someone like Matt Light who locked down Tom Brady’s blindside for numerous huge wins over a decade, but Solder should be up to the task.
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski isn’t simply an elite player. He also has changed the way defenses operate.
Gronkowski has broken several NFL and Patriots records. Last year, the Williamsville kid caught 90 passes for 1,327 yards and a league-leading 17 touchdowns. The yards and touchdowns were the most in NFL history by a tight end. He also scored a rushing touchdown and topped the AFC in non-kicker scoring, the first tight end to lead a conference.
As a rookie, Gronkowski had a relatively modest 42 catches for 546 yards and 10 touchdowns. But his two seasons put together were historic. No other tight end amassed 20 touchdown receptions faster. Gronkowski did so in 26 games, breaking Mike Ditka’s record of 31 games.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/new-england-patriots-tight-end-rob-gronkowski/
New England Patriots Sign Tight End Visanthe Shiancoe (by MrHurriicane)
Well this is an interesting way to get your Patriots news… while watching a merciless drive against the Jets? Yes please.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/new-england-patriots-sign-tight-end-visanthe/
Patriots Practice Squad Possibilities for 2012 | NEPatriotsDraft.com
Good stuff here from our friends over at NEPatriotsDraft.com. The funny thing about the practice squad is that it’s always easy to project during camp, but then Labor Day weekend hits and there’s a ton of activity and all of sudden you’ve got a bunch of new guys that weren’t even in Patriots camp. Still, there are some promising prospects listed…
Nothing gets me more hot and bothered than a defensive depth chart and I always love how Greg Bedard puts his together. It’s not one of those run of the mill/paint by numbers/3-4 defense ones.
Interesting things to point out here is Ninkovich’s move to left end. I’m sure he’ll be standing up sometimes, but it would be a departure from even last year if Pats are less concerned about stopping the run with a big Ty Warren-esque left end?
This is clearly more of a nickel front based on that, but as we’ve been saying all off-season, nickel is the new base. I think the run stopping front seven version of this looks as so:
Fanene-Love-Wilfork-Deaderick
Ninkovich-Spikes-Mayo
Or how about the 3-3-5 front. Something like this maybe:
Fanene-Wilfork-Scott
Hightower-Spikes-Mayo
Question on that one is who comes off, Ninkovich or Hightower?
For the 4-2-5 nickel I think you pull Hightower or Spikes, unless you put Hightower with his hand in the dirt to rush off the left end. Then you pull Ninkovich.
It’s not a direct position battle but there is definitely some role battles between Hightower and Ninkovich. And Carpenter I guess, but I’m really not expecting him to be a big contributor just because he was out there in mini-camp.
(via Setting the depth chart: Defense – Extra Points – Boston.com)
https://www.patspropaganda.com/nothing-gets-me-more-hot-and-bothered-than-a/
I’ve never been a part of a team where I’ve hung out more with guys off the field than I have here. Little things like that you can’t take for granted,” Arrington said. ”Not having names on the jerseys was definitely a good thing. You never question Bill. If he does it, it’s defnitely for a reason. I mean, it almost felt like ‘Remember the Titans,’ when they had to write a brief biography on each other. It was one of those moments.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/ive-never-been-a-part-of-a-team-where-ive-hung/
Pic from Pats Practice via Barstool I still can’t wrap my brain around the fact that Danny Woodhead is an NFL player. And a badass one at that…
