PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

5 Patriots Who Could Break Out Tonight

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After six long months (and change), the New England Patriots football team finally takes the field once again tonight to start their journey on the 2016 campaign. Ah, it felt good to write that. And I can’t lie, the loss in last seeason’s AFC Championship to Denver is still really chapping my ass. Maybe that’s because it’s the second time in three years that’s happened (along with a Super Bowl win of course), or more likely it’s because I still can’t believe the Patriots lost to that anemic offense, that they missed a gaddam extra point that cost them at least overtime and that Peyton beat Brady the last time they’d play.

Whatever. The new season is here and it’s time to really turn the page. The Patriots have certainly evolved this offseason, though half of that battle was just getting some of their important pieces back fully healthy. Still, there are plenty of new veterans, young players looking to make their mark and rookies who are about to get their feet wet for the first time.

While we can’t read too much into any preseason game, there’s always something special seeing our favorite team take the field and bang heads with an opponent.

With that in mind, here are five Patriots I’ll be most curious to see.

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Video: Attempting the Patriots Conditioning Test

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I am an NFL-caliber athlete! Okay, maybe not. But what I can claim is that I ran the Patriots Training Camp Conditioning Test.

Little disclaimer, it is not for the faint of heart.  The test is a set of sprints that players do upon arriving to camp.

Let’s break it down:

  • The test that I ran was 3 sets of 10 sprints
  • Each sprint was 40yds
  • Each sprint has to be completed in 7 seconds
  • I get 30 seconds of rest between sprints
  • I get 3 minutes of rest between sets

After a morning involving the gym and a massive pancake breakfast (Tilly’s Diner, shoutout to you) I decided that it was the perfect time to run more than I’ve ever ran since high school. I also decided to forgo stretching or warming up remotely because that’s for the weak. I’ve never regretted anything more in my life.

The moral of the story?

The 300-pound man with a belly the size of a yoga ball is probably in better shape than me.

Brady’s Best Shot? A Look at Present and Future Patriots

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Leading up to the first preseason game is always an interesting time to analyze what your team looks like. That being said, this roster will be very different opening night at ‘Zona, but for now let’s work with what we think we know.

On paper, this is arguably the most gifted Patriots’ squad since ’07. Forget about the Brady led offense for now; I first want to focus on the depth and talent on the other side of the ball. The defense is loaded with more than capable playmakers at every level. Up front, there’s about 1,000 pounds of force between the expected 3-man rotation at D-tackle, 2nd year breakout candidate Malcom Brown, veteran Alan Branch, and newcomer Terrance “Pot-Roast” Knighton.

These are versatile and talented big men that will allow Belichick/Patricia to mix up 3 and 4 man looks up front. Rookie Vincent Valentine and/or ex-Giant Markus Kuhn should provide quality depth behind the aforementioned trio. On the edge, I’m not as worried about the loss of Chandler Jones as the next guy.

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Tweets of Note: Patriots Training Camp Practice #12

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After Julian Edelman went down yesterday I went through a similar range of emotions as when Rob Gronkowski was writhing in pain on the field in Denver last season. You quickly run through all the stages of grief, accepting that Edelman was very possibly done for the year.

But then, just like Gronk, the news was actually better than expected. Then Edelman suddenly appeared at practice today, and though he wasn’t a full participant, it’s an incredibly good sign. Especially when I had already basically accepted I wouldn’t see him on a football field until the winter at the earliest, if not 2017.

The news wasn’t as great on Rob Ninkovich, but four-to-six weeks from early August is nothing. Just like the Jimmy Garoppolo experiment, Nink’s absence should ultimately be a good thing for the Patriots. They can develop Shea McClellin and Tre Flowers, while also giving looks to Geneo Grissom and Rufus Johnson.

Ninkovich is in the last year of his deal and is 32 years old. While I think he’ll return on a new deal next season, the end is coming, just like it is with Brady. Getting the chance to throw some young guys into the fire at this point will ultimately help the Pats in the long run.

Here are the tweets from Wednesday’s practice that stood out, and, oh yeah, THERE’S A GAME TOMORROW!!

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Report: Rob Ninkovich Tears Triceps, Won’t Need Surgery

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And here we thought we were losing Julian Edelman today. Nope, turns out it’s Rob Ninkovich that had the more significant injury, tearing his triceps according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com.

Ninkovich has been an ironman for the Patriots since signing with the team in mid-August of 2009. Since 2010 he’s played in every game and been a true stalwart in every sense of the word. Losing him for any length of time is a big blow, both off the field and on it. But with no surgery required, Ninkovich could be back as early as October which will give the Pats a chance to develop more depth at a critical position. 

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Tweets of Note: Patriots Training Camp Practice #11

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By now you’ve probably heard, Julian Edelman left practice on Tuesday after throwing his helmet down in frustration with an apparent injury. Trainers were looking at Edelman’s left foot, the same one that he broke last season. Edelman did walk to the locker room under his own power, a better sign than if he was carted off, but it appears he’s suffered a setback, though Ian Rapoport is reporting that it’s not serious (phew?)…

That wasn’t the only injury buzzkill on Tuesday, as Rob Ninkovich also left practice with trainers looking at his upper arm. Arms are usually less worrisome than feet when it comes to injuries, however Nate Solder was lost to IR last year due to a torn biceps.

So we hold our breath and wait to hear what the prognosis on both is. Unfortunately, since it’s training camp, we might not get any immediate answers. Edelman and Ninkovich will likely be missing from practice tomorrow and we’ll have to wait for sources to leak what’s going on before Bill Belichick will tell us anything.

Here are the tweets of note if you want to re-live the first shitty practice of training camp.

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Training Camp Update: Patriots Depth Chart Reset

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Patriots Depth Chart

The Patriots and Saints will get underway with joint practices this morning. This is always a great way to get a new look at the players who have settled in over the last 12 days of training camp. It’s hard to believe it’s going by so quickly!

But in that time we’ve had some definite movement on the depth charts. The Pats have been fairly lucky so far with injuries, but that can change quickly. Still, the overall depth is promising, since there hasn’t been much juggling on the low end of the roster. That means we should see some quality performances out of the guys who are under-the-radar.

So before things get crazy with joint practices and games, let’s take a quick look at how the depth chart looks here as we stand on August 9th, just 33 days away from the season opener in Arizona!

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