Finally a Gronk off-season activity I can get behind. Ankle must be 100% right?
In drafting Dont’a Hightower at No. 25 overall, the Patriots found a player whom many viewed as a great fit for the team’s defensive principles. What is less clear, however, is what role precisely he will play and how that could affect Brandon Spikes. With Rob Ninkovich having moved to a role that seems to involve aligning most commonly as a defensive end, the door has been opened for a potential trio of Spikes, Hightower and captain Jerod Mayo as the starters.
Scout’s notebook: 4-3 OLBs – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston
Echoing what I wrote about this weekend in what I’ll be most excited to see in training camp.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/in-drafting-donta-hightower-at-no-25-overall/
What will be the response in the continuing chess match between offense and defense? Traditional linebackers will find their roles — and snaps — significantly reduced. There will not be a place for them against offenses that feature five receivers with multi-dimensional abilities to attack all areas of the field. We will likely see more teams employ the Houston Texans’ model. They played dime (six defensive backs), not nickel. That allowed them to field better athletes with more scheme versatility and greater body flexibility and agility to play in space, i.e., coverage. It was not an accident Houston had one of the best defenses in the NFL last season.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/what-will-be-the-response-in-the-continuing-chess/
Brady is outstanding in so many areas, but what really stands out is his total command in the pocket. Few quarterbacks in NFL history move within the pocket better than Tom Brady. Pocket movement is an essential attribute to play NFL quarterback at a consistently-high level. Think of it this way: the ability to move within an area no larger than the approximate size of a boxing ring. Sometimes it’s a strain, just a step here or a step there. Other times, it’s more pronounced. The corollary, and it’s equally as important, you must maintain your downfield focus while you’re moving. You cannot look at the rush. It’s a far more important trait than running out of the pocket. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more comfortable pocket quarterback than Brady. There have been times over the years he’s literally been a statue in the pocket — static, stationary, motionless. I can tell you from experience that’s a rare trait. Everything is happening very fast. The ability to slow down your body like that, that’s remarkable.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/brady-is-outstanding-in-so-many-areas-but-what/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SeopIMHD9s
Now here’s a Pats video to get you through Monday. Football is coming… (by mpslacrosse8)
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
https://www.patspropaganda.com/now-heres-a-pats-video-to-get-you-through-monday/
The deadline for the Patriots and franchise player Wes Welker to get a longer-term deal done is next Monday at 4 p.m., and after a time when it looked like a longshot something might get done, now things are starting to look up. While the two sides have been in different places as far as guaranteed money, it is believed that the main hurdle is a third year and how to structure it. The Patriots have been reluctant to go to a three-year deal with the 31-year old receiver, who in five seasons with New England has recorded 554 catches, just three shy of the franchise record set by Troy Brown over 15 years. Via a league source, it is expected that the two sides will be working hard this week toward getting a deal done.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/the-deadline-for-the-patriots-and-franchise-player/