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Hello Injuries: Patriots Wounded in the Trenches

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Bright Spots

The first day of camp was extra special for Patriots left tackle Nate Solder. It was the first time he was able to share a football field with his son Hudson. Both father and son have battled extensive health issues in the last year. Seeing Dad in uniform and Hudson present certainly made the first day of practice special.

Another long time Patriot reappeared out of retirement in hope of improving the offensive line. Dante Scarnecchia is back and he brings extensive coaching experience in the trenches. There will be some tight position battles and Scar will be in charge of improving the unit that protects Brady.

Rookie offensive guard Joe Thuney has come into camp and captured attention immediately.  Jeff Howe and other members of the media cited his strength engaged with defensive opponents and his finish on every play. Since Thuney is a strong fundamental offensive lineman he can potentially work on playing tackle in addition to guard. Many suspect that is already the plan.

First Impressions

The first offensive line group consisted of Solder-Thuney-Stork-Cooper-Cannon. During camp these starting groups are subject to change every day. There will be injuries and various reasons that cause the first group to fluctuate.

Joe Thuney and Jonathan Cooper are favorites to win the starting guard job according to some Patriots analysts. Sebastian Vollmer and Nate Solder as expected to return to their starting roles at tackle. The center position is up for grabs between David Andrews and Bryan Stork.

 

Tackle Health

The main positional weakness of the offensive line in 2015 still remains; it’s not injury. It’s the tackles that protect the edge of Brady’s pocket.

Nate Solder has returned to practice. Sebastian Vollmer has not. Solder tore his biceps in week five of this past year and was placed on the season ending IR. It appears that the big money tackle has recovered from his injury. Solder’s cap hit in 2016 is $10,322,666.

Sebastian Vollmer’s situation is concerning. At age 32, Vollmer has opened camp on the PUP list. If he is not activated by the end of camp, Vollmer misses the first six weeks of the season. The right tackle enters 2016 on the last year of his contract with a cap hit totaling $5,208,334. There is no heir apparent at right tackle. It is unlikely Vollmer is resigned in New England at his age.

Marcus Cannon returns after a highly criticized campaign in 2015. He was simply ineffective throughout his season. If Thuney cannot capture a starting guard role, it’s very possible that he beats out Cannon as the swing tackle.

Cameron Fleming, LaAdrian Waddle, Keavon Milton, and Kerbyson Kyler are also listed as tackles for the start of camp. Fleming and Waddle will battle on the bubble with Cannon. Fleming offers more cap flexibility than Cannon ($4,100,000 lower) and has played both sides of the line.

The Patriots will likely only keep a total of three tackles on their active roster. Solder and Vollmer are locks if healthy. The battle for third will likely feature Cannon, Waddle, and Fleming. Milton and Kyler appear to be long shots.

Strength at Center

One of the most interesting position battles of the offensive line is likely at center. Bryan Stork and David Andrews have both been outstanding in the majority of their starts. There has been mixed signals so far as to who would take over reigns when both players were healthy.

Stork’s health appears to be hindering his ability to battle for the position. Andrews returned to Patriots camp and captured the off-season conditioning award from the coaching staff. His play has also been strong since Stork dropped due to an unspecified issue or injury in an early practice.

At some point the Patriots will have to make a decision at this position. Right now it appears the goalposts are narrowing with Stork’s absence. Andrews is taking all of the work with the ones, putting in the dirty work as Stork continues to miss time.

Crowded, Injury Riddled Group of Guards

As mentioned before, Thuney and Cooper were mentioned as favorites to win a starting guard role. There are several other guards battling for the position including Shaq Mason, Tre’ Jackson, Josh Kline, Ted Karras, Chris Barker, and Jon Halapio.

Usually a team only keeps nine offensive linemen on a game day roster; right now the Patriots have nine offensive guards in camp. Thuney, Cooper, Kline, Jackson, Mason are the linemen with the highest probabilities of landing on the roster.

The hype for Jonathan Cooper would not last long. He would be carted off with a right foot injury in one of the first practices. Cooper is apparently battling plantar fasciitis. This situation may be related to his condition according to Ian Rapoport. Cooper was a high draft pick and has experienced an injury riddled and disappointing career. He was acquired in the deal that sent Chandler Jones to the Cardinals. If he cannot get back to health his career may come to a premature end.

When Cooper dropped out due to injury rookie Ted Karras was promoted to the first offensive line group. In my draft analysis Karras appeared to be a lineman who needed a season of practice squad work. He is a tough player but not yet fundamentally sound. Much like any other NFL rookie at this point.

Shaq Mason and Josh Kline have not been cleared to participate in team drills. Both are recovering from injuries from this past year. Mason battled through a knee injury in October 2015.  Kline had shoulder surgery during the off-season and Jeff Howe reported it was, “unclear when he’ll be ready to practice”. Tre’ Jackson is also still on the PUP due to injuries from last season. This leaves a total of four guards unavailable to Scarnecchia.

The Walking Wounded

When a rookie guard is your standout offensive lineman in the early days of camp it’s a testament to where the position group is as a whole. With or without Dante Scarnecchia, this group still has work to do. Kline, Mason, Jackson, Stork, Vollmer, and Cooper are not cleared as full participants for practice. This leaves two rookie guards (Thuney, Karras) playing on the first offensive line group.

Pretty much an offensive line coaches’ worst nightmare early in camp. When the group is low on bodies, more stress weighs down on the healthy players. They battle more and more in camp, and are susceptible to wear and tear.

Right now Scarnecchia is at least getting the chance to evaluate his young players. With a mass of linemen out due to injury it forces the young guys into the spotlight early in their careers. It appears Joe Thuney gets the picture. He’s played hard right through the whistle in every practice.

The Bottom Line

It’s simply too early to judge much of the play through this point in camp. Some Patriots lineman still haven’t returned from last season’s injuries.

Nate Solder appears to be the only definite starter on the offensive line. It’d be a shock if Vollmer isn’t the bookend on the right side of Brady’s pocket. Cam Fleming, Marcus Cannon, and LaAdrian Waddle battle for a third roster spot.

Guard is a mess but returning Patriots veterans should have the upper hand over Jonathan Cooper. He is already out due to injury and Josh Kline and Shaq Mason are close to returning. Rookie Ted Karras should be bumped back down in the rotation immediately. Joe Thuney has likely given himself a shot to remain with the ones due to his strong, passionate play on the line. Tre’ Jackson will also return at some point and provide further depth at the position.

It might be better for the Patriots long term if Thuney doesn’t win a starting job at guard. It would give him the opportunity to work at Tackle and potentially allow the Patriots to release Marcus Cannon. Thuney’s strong play could provide roster flexibility further down the line.

The job at center is highly contested. Right now it’s a one man job due to unspecified reasons. Bryan Stork left practice in an earlier season and hasn’t appeared since. David Andrews has been strong at center and could win the job. Stork’s injuries have begun to add up.

My early guess for the first group is Solder-Mason-Andrews-Jackson-Vollmer.

Tweets of Note: Patriots Training Camp Practice #4

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The Patriots were back on the field in full pads and under pouring rain for their fourth training camp practice on Sunday. The injuries continue to add up, though it would appear they’ve avoided any season-enders so far.

As always, injuries are the great equalizer that no one can ever see coming. We spend all offseason wondering how certain new additions will contribute and then boom, a few days into camp and down they go. We’ll continue to monitor those situations as guys return and/or disappear.

Here are the tweets that stood out today:

 

Minor buzzkill here. Hopefully it’s nothing more than a stinger and not something like a low grade separated shoulder that’s going to linger all season.

Starting to believe Nink to LB is more than rounding our emergency depth. He played some outside linebacker in his first couple years with the Pats, so it wouldn’t be that much of a departure. Still wondering how they use him with Hightower and Collins since all seem to be more OLBs and I’m praying that Jonathan Freeny isn’t still set to play a significant role at MLB.


  Keshawn Martin better get back quick, he’s at the bottom of the 53-man as it is and Dobson and Carter are both standing out early. Stork’s inability to make it through a training camp without getting dinged is growing worrisome.

This is going to be fun this year. If the Pats get full seasons out of both Gronk and Bennett I don’t see how they’re not in the Super Bowl come February.

Excited to see Carter in preseason games. He’s going to get a ton of playing time. Dobson stood out today as well and he’s another one to see how he looks in a game. I don’t need to harp on him every day with “he looked good, but he’s looked good before and then drops the ball or falls down or gets hurt.” You get it by this point. We’ll see.

Recurring theme of the coverage from camp is how Thuney has stepped right into things and looked like he fits. Would be nice to get some consistency out of the guard spot. Since Mankins left there really hasn’t been a consistent anchor on the inside.

Mitchell was out of practice yesterday but back today, so that’s a good sign for him. He, Thuney and Cyrus Jones have all garnered positive attention from the rookie class. 

Looking forward to hearing Faulk’s speech tomorrow night and we’ll have Rick Starke there to cover it for the blog.

And lastly, late-breaking tweet…

Tweets of Note: Patriots Training Camp Practice #3 (with pads on)

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The pads came on today and guess what came with them? Our first injuries! Boo. But that’s how it goes.

Here are the tweets that stood out:

Enjoyed this bit of insight from former Patriots receiver T.J. Moe into Aaron Dobson. Dobson stood out again, but as I said yesterday, he’s always stood out when it comes to one-on-one drills and in the red zone. But when there’s more field to work with he struggles to separate himself/stay standing up after he catches the ball. We’ll see. Always a tough climb when you don’t play special teams and you’re not one of the top two receivers on the team.

We’ll see how this plays out, but…

Hey, it’s not a season-ender, but it doesn’t sound like he’s going to be fully healthy any time soon. So even when he’s back this is something that will have to be managed, and with a ton of young depth at guard, you wonder how patient the Pats will be with Cooper.

First, congrats to Courtney Fallon on the new gig for NFL Media covering the Pats. Not only does she share a birthday with me and Bill Belichick, but she’s been grinding for a while before now landing this dream gig. Nice to know we’ve got someone we can trust in this job.

Never rule out a tight end like this with Belichick. With Bennett possibly only here for a year it would be smart to do everything they can to keep Williams in-house this year.

#Blessed

My goodness, this front seven is going to be moving all over the place. Good luck identifying who’s who pre-snap. Hopefully this means more chance for Hightower to get after the quarterback.


My expectations for Donald Brown are non-existant but it looks like he’s going to get every chance there is to be a significant part of this team.

Nice to see Hogan showing up.


I love Stork but man, the guy is constantly getting dinged. Makes you wonder how much injuries will factor into this key competition.

Another camp practice tomorrow, then we’ll have Rick Stark covering the in-stadium practice on Monday night along with Kevin Faulk’s induction. August is almost here!

 

 

Tweets of Note: Patriots Training Camp Practice #2

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The Pats were back at it today, still in shells and helmets. Tomorrow the pads come on and that’s what we’re all really looking forward to.

Here are the tweets that stood out most from Friday’s practice:

My money’s on Ben Volin who asked this question of Garoppolo could take Brady’s starting job. Classic Belichick response. And I still just don’t get idiots who purposely ask questions that they know will draw BB’s ire. I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ve heard of these kind of questions either. Just imagine if Jimmy does look really good in the four games.

And yes, Belichick is once again rocking the 2013 hoodie that he had on yesterday. The sleeves are incredibly short. Considering he didn’t wear a cutoff hoodie at all last year this is quite the development. I have a feeling this is the same mock 2013 sweatshirt he busted out late last season. Then he had only cut out the collar of it. Now it looks like he really let his sleeve-cutting freak flag fly.

Garoppolo has quite the quick release and anyone who thinks he can’t get the job done in the first four games of the season is kidding themselves. He should know the offense at this point and has two of the best tight ends in the game at his disposal. I’m really looking forward how he does. And not really in the preseason. I want to see him in the regular season with a full gameplan designed around his skillset.

Lewis is the one to watch but they should of course be smart with him. I think we’ll see him mid-camp and they’ll ease him back in slowly.

That’s a good sign. The season-long health of those two is critical.

Harper ready to put his muff in Denver behind him? Very curious to see how Hogan looks compared to what we saw from LaFell in 2014.

One of the under-the-radar guys that we need to keep any eye. I continue to believe developing a “get-open-quick” guy behind Edelman and Amendola is vital, even if someone like Carter or Harper are on the Edelman-esque four-year development plan.
 

Back and forth and back and forth, all summer long we go.

This one will be going back and forth all summer. Gotta admit I’m rooting for Stork just because he’s such a Belichick weirdo type. Short shorts. Great beard. Zero to say to the media. He’s as close to Logan Mankins as we’ve got right now.

Tweets of Note: Patriots Training Camp Day #1

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And we’re off! The long, cold offseason is over and the Patriots are back on the field. Truth be told, I have a love/hate relationship with training camp. I can’t see anything for myself because I’m not there. Thus we have to rely on the reporters who are there and take their collective opinions and observations to get a sense of how things are shaking out.

But football is back and it’s hard to really complain about anything at the moment. Here are the tweets that stood out most from practice number one.

This was to be expected and I still think that Ninkovich will skew more DE while McClellin will skew more toward LB. The hard thing for offenses will be identifying who’s who before the snap, especially if the Pats throw some changeups at them. Know how a quarterback always picks out the “mike” before the snap? Yeah, we still have no idea who the Patriots mike will be at this point.
 

 Strange subplot but likely nothing. Tom E. Curran mentioned it was not contract related so Collins must be working through some minor issue they don’t want to exacerbate at this point in training camp.


  Gotta love the support from Belichick and the Patriots for Ebner’s Olympic pursuits.

 Kline, Mason and Jackson are all working their way back from offseason injury issues so this is far from written in stone. Still, it wouldn’t be a bad combination to enter the regular season with. Logan Mankins stepped right in at left guard as a rookie, maybe Thuney can do the same. 

Yeah, Dobson making impressive catches in the red zone is nothing new. He’s got good size and uses it to his advantage. Where his game has traditionally fallen apart (aside from when he’s hurt) is in the other 80 yards of field where he has demonstrated little after-the-catch playmaking ability. Even last season, his third year as a pro, he continued to catch the ball with arms, often double-catching it, and rarely making anything happen in the open field. So no matter how many nice catches in the end zone he makes, he still has a lot to prove if he wants to make the roster.

 Everyone seems so concerned with how the quarterback reps will play out. Seems kinda pointless to me. Obviously both guys need work with the 1s and I’m sure Belichick and McDaniels will know how to divide up the reps so they both are comfortable with all the receivers. Tracking who plays with who when seems like an exercise in futility, but so does a good chunk of football coverage these days.

This is going to be one heck of a position battle to watch. Never have the Pats had so much interesting depth at cornerback. They’re well prepared to deal with injuries. And with Logan Ryan in a red no-contact jersey, we’ll see a lot of rotation both outside and inside, with the probably exception of Malcolm Butler.

The A-B-Cs of 2016 Patriots Training Camp

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Patriots training campMaybe it’s because I just had a kid, maybe it’s because my dog just pooped all over said-kid’s alphabet mat, but I feel like we need to define the ABCs of 2016 New England Patriots camp.

Amendola’s spot in the offense (like all spots) will be an open competition. His cap hit is now as low as can go and he certainly is uber talented going up and getting the ball. But he’s the Pats’ Montgomery Burns out there: a stiff breeze might shatter his hip (I know, tough talk from a guy like me who can’t jog without pulling a hamstring). Anyway, it will be interesting to see him in an open competition with Washington and Martin. Hated the Martin in motion crossing routes last season, but like his potential.

Big Back: we’ve been down this road before, but that might mean it’s really important. Related B’s: Blount, Bolden or Brown, I’m all about the B-B-Backs of the running variety. Bolden is a core-four special teamer and is serviceable in a pinch, also doesn’t fumble the ball, so I think he stays (but maybe we’re now overvaluing special teams contributions), but Brown and Blount seem to be competing for one spot. I’m leaning Blount, but Brown is a talented back who could excel in the right offense. I’d expect Dion Lewis to be the primary back in a rotating backfield, so this may not be as big of a deal as I think it is, but they may decide to bring him along slowly, in which case, it’s a real Big deal.

Also Buy Mike’s preview. It’s $4, it is excellent! Covers the entire roster and, no, I do not have a gun to my head as I say this, it’s really, really GD good.

Competition. Total cheat with such a generic C, but this roster is extremely deep and camp is going to decide a lot of the 53. RB (see: ‘B’), swing tackle, WR, CBs, OG, DT and most especially LB. Special teams participation could be the impetus for a lot of surprising cuts, but I think the Center competition (there’s a C!) is worth watching. Stork vs. Andrews, both are competent, both are good at sight adjustments. Is there one that works best with “il Grappa” (new way better nickname alert!)? Is there one that can play well enough to make the other expendable? I think, yes.

Defensive front: Don’t expect much downward trend from a defense that hovered around the top-10 of DVOA all year. Adding Long with Sheard, Valentine, Brown, Branch and Pot Roast (Will address Nink later) this will be a good front-7. They are a veteran, disciplined front line that will not miss gap assignments. Are they slower on the edges without Chandler Jones? Maybe, in the passing game, but the run D should be stout. Will be interesting to see how teams attack to the outside and how Malcom Brown’s 2nd year leap goes.

Edelman is Elite, that’s it, full stop!

Fans Frustration: Bill Simmons noted (9:56 min. mark) that Brady didn’t thank the diehard fans who backed him during Deflategate, I know he wants to get past it for the team. But fans have been defending the wall for a year and a half, alienating friends and family because, well, because we’re insane. I expect the team to acknowledge this with some TB12 armband on every player’s sleeve or something to at least show the fans how much they and Brady are appreciated. But I’d love a real acknowledgement from Tommy that the NFL screwed the pooch and the fans are the best in the world, because we are. Even if some of us got a little bent out of shape.

Gronk, Manimal. The obvious answer was Garoppolo, but this is 2016 and no one ever goes obvious. I’m sticking with Robert “Danger (to himself and others)” Gronkowski. Bennett’s getting the pub, but we’ve been spoiled by the most productive career for a TE ever to start a career. With health being a key: pencil him in for 65-80 Recs, 1,200 yards, 12 TDs.  Right between the butt cheeks y’all.

Hogan, Chris: An undervalued pick-up, who will appear overrated until the offense is churning behind TB-12 (wk. 6 or 7). Hogan is a bigger version of Edelman and like Edelman, he has position versatility: he can play the X on the outside or the Z in the slot. This receiving corp is extremely interesting with Edelman, Amendola, Hogan, Martin, Bennett and Gronk who can all play multiple spots. It’s possible Hogan crowds out Amendola and finds room on the roster for Washington or Martin. I hope that the Hogan drops don’t prevent he and the QBs from developing chemistry.

Interior Lineman: A big part of the problem last year was tackle play, but with the two starters back, the interior will be an area to watch. Kline, Jackson, Shaq Mason, Thuney, Stork, Andrews will be competing hard for spots on this team. Also what the hell do we get out of–

Jonathan Cooper. Pats gave up Chandler for this former first round pick. Is he worth anything at this point? If he is, we all assume Scar will get the most out of him, but after seasons of decline is it already too late?

Kraft, Jonathan and Robert: How can they get Goodell away from the NFL? It needs to happen. Like years ago. The league has begun to publically diminish his role, but is there anyway Goodell will let his grip off this league. His tenure has been an unmitigated disaster not just for Tom Brady, but for everyone who doesn’t want former players in their 30s and 40s killing themselves to preserve their brains for research. (Seriously, we’ve gotten to a bad place when players are depressed and suicidal enough to kill themselves and leave their families, but rational enough to say I don’t want this to happen to someone else, I’ll donate my brain to science!!!) And Goodell backed out of the study trying to determine CTE before people die. He came in as a pinch runner and thought he had hit a triple. The Krafts need to build a coalition that realizes the future of the league is without Goodell and without PTSD and CTE, a symptom of military service in war zones. All right, sorry about that. Training CAMP!!! WOOHOO!!!

Linebacker depth: Forget the offensive line, this is by far the biggest area of concern on the team. Collins and Hightower are all pro (and Nink, more below), Shea McClellin is interesting as a depth option, but I wonder if a trade for a functional I-LB might be in the offing. What this really means is Hightower is in the same position as McCourty after Revis left, very high leverage. I hope the Pats capitulate because they’re sort of SOL otherwise. Behind those four are more unproven lbs than comprise the Ryan brothers. (Because their fat losers, I don’t care if lap bands have been introduced!).

Martellus: The Black Unicorn is going to transform this offense as much as any player other than whoever the starting Quarterback is. How does he fit in? My bet is perfectly. Also he will really strongly enhance the running attack.

Ninkovich entering the final season of his contract now finds himself working with the linebackers. He’s a versatile player, has worked there before and should fit in, but this really points out the Patriots lack of depth in the middle of their defense. Color me, super flapping concerned.

Offense: In the early stages, we’ll see a conservative offense, however when defenses start packing the line, expecting run or selling blitz to try to rattle “il Grappa” (It’s a delicious Italian brandy), I can see McDaniels with some built-in alternatives: Quick slants, hits to the flat, Edelman’s speedy fake the inside slant and out… and a few play-action chances downfield on the seams for Gronk or Bennett. Also wonder if Martin’s silly motion, crossing action actually opens things up a bit drawing LB help. I’m fascinated to see this play out. All I know is it is going to be moving at light speed and that might not be good for the young QB.

Parity: will there be any competition in the AFC East? I hope not, but at some point the dam has to break and 4 games without the GOAT may be the most opportune time. Maybe this is the year for the Fins? Maybe? Bills? Maybe? Maybe the Jets, maybe? None of it feels right, but Maybe.

Quick twitch: this is the year of the juketacular New England Offensive player. Edelman, Hogan, Amendola, Lewis… these dudes juke for a living. Hopefully the field is littered with laundry from opposing defenses and not ACLs.

Also QB: With Brady being away from the facility for the first 4 weeks of the regular season, do the Pats turn the reins over to him the moment he’s back? (Yes.) Is there going to be some lag in terms of missing that time? (Probably, who knows.) This is as confusing a time to be a Pats fan as ever. Usually at this time, we’re penciling in the bye (people say this too much, but it’s true). This year, it’s a total toss up. Heckuva job, Rog!

Roster: The only “advantage” of not having your best player for the first 4 weeks of the season is the roster size is essentially 55 players (along with Ebner). Belichick and Caserio will have a chance to evaluate talent and maximize their roster well into the season, unlike the other stupid teams with their stupid starting QBs who haven’t been suspended for acts of nature. (I’m still working it out.)

Scar. This might be the biggest 2016 FA acquisition Belichick made. Line is where championships are won and lost. Wish he’d been here last year.

Tackle: Solder, how does he come back from his injury. Whether or not it’s seamless, I expect to see him tested pretty early with his old practice buddy, Chandler. Sea Bass is there, but where do we go from there? Not Cannon or Fleming. (More on Waddle in a bit)

Undrafted Free Agents: This may be the year we don’t see a UFA make the team because the depth on the roster is really good: Bryce Williams, TE, Steve Scheu, TE, DJ Foster, RB, Woodrow Hamilton, DT, CJ Johnson, LB, V’Angelo Bently, CB, Cre’Von Leblanc, CB, Jonathan Jones, CB… head the list. We’re all hoping DJ Foster lights it up, but these guys may all have the practice squad as their ceiling. Also Cre’Von Leblanc has the best name in the NFL, book it.

Veteran WRs: Martin and Washington. Can the Patriots get something out of these guys? Martin reminds me of Jeff Green on the Celtics, he has all the physical tools, but somehow that doesn’t translate in games. Washington is a guy in the last chapters of a pretty stellar career, he has good straight-line speed and if the QB is given time, he thrives at getting open in the deepest quadrant of the field. He’s a guy that makes 40-yard passing plays look routine.

Waddle, LaAdrian: Can he be a viable replacement for Solder or Vollmer if they go down? We saw what happened last year and a repeat is in the offing unless they’ve found their fit at Swing Tackle. Cannon is much maligned and with good reason, Waddle only gave us a glimpse last year, but could hold up if Solder or Vollmer miss a few weeks.

X-Factor: 3 skill position players at 3 separate offensive positions: Lewis, Bennett, Hogan all have the potential to make this offense a juggernaut. We don’t know how things will shake out with il Grappa (this feels right), but these guys will allow the offense to bust up any attempt of a defense to try to play straight. Expect defensive blitzes to be areas where these X-factors excel.

whY does Tom Brady have to be away from the team’s facilities for the first 4 weeks of the season??!! No contact with coaches? I think this is a bigger kick in the tip than the suspension. Do they think he might sneak around deflating footballs? There are so many aspects of this punishment that are hard to take but this is like the stupid cherry on top. (I’m tapped out, this is the season of vengeance, Brady will serve and destroy.)

Z-receiver spot: the Patriots currently have a versatile group who can play outside and inside and this should allow them to move Hogan, Edelman, Amendola and Martin around formations, which should allow the QB to further identify the defensive match-ups. Edelman and Gronk should draw the top CBs in man to man and being able to move them around should help identify exploitable match-ups.

This is a great time to be a Pats fan and the interesting thing is we don’t know what will happen! On to Training Camp!

Patriots Training Camp Positional Battles

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Patriots Training Camp

Unlike many teams in the NFL, the Patriots don’t really care what players have done previously or how they were acquired. At the start of training camp, it’s a blank slate for all and the players who stay healthy and perform are the ones who earn the jobs. Nowhere is this more apparent than the undrafted rookie free agents who make a seemingly stacked team almost every single year, and often play significant roles during the season.

This year there wasn’t a ton of roster turnover so the true competition spots are mostly in backup roles, but you can’t rule anything out with how the Patriots level the playing field each summer.

Here’s a list of interesting position competitions to keep an eye on.

(Note – the following appears in the 2016 PatsPropaganda Season Preview Book. You can pick up a digital download of the full 40-page preview here.)

LaAdrian Waddle vs. Marcus Cannon – Backup Swing Tackle

Cannon has a $4.75 million cap hit in this, the final year of his contract, and he’d cost just $1.07 million in dead cap space if they were to cut him. That contract, along with his up and down performance last year certainly puts a target on his back as the swing tackle. Waddle can play both sides as well, and though we didn’t see much of him in game action last year, the Pats thought enough of him to give him a two-year, $2.4 million deal this offseason. This season Waddle is making roughly one-fifth what Cannon is due to make and that could give him not only the inside track on the swing role this year, but possibly a shot to take over as the starting right tackle in 2017. Waddle was at left tackle in minicamp, while Cannon was on the right side with both Solder and Vollmer out.

Donald Brown vs. Tyler Gaffney – Early Down Running Back

Unless Dion Lewis is ready to go in Week 1, it’s probable that there will be a new running back in the mix at the start of the season. We’ve been waiting on Gaffney for two years now, and while Brown had a disappointing stint in San Diego, his overall versatility could make him a better fit in New England. Both can catch the ball, but have the size to take some early down punishment as well. James White’s job is far from safe as well, as it seems the Pats consider him just a receiving back and almost completely refused to hand the ball off to him last season. Undrafted rookie DJ Foster, could also be in the mix, but he fits the receiving back mold as well. It seems like it’s Brown vs. Gaffney at this point.

Cyrus Jones vs. Justin Coleman – “Star” Cornerback

The competition at cornerback this summer should be fascinating from top to bottom. I don’t think it’s a lock that Logan Ryan gets handed the starter’s spot opposite Malcolm Butler (the only lock), despite having a really solid year last season. All nine of the corners on the roster are feisty and physical, and capable of playing man-to-man. The easiest place to monitor first will be in the slot, where last year’s starter Justin Coleman will get a tough challenger in Cyrus Jones. Neither have an overwhelming physical advantage so it will boil down to who is showing up most consistently in practice. And really, you can’t rule any of the other corners out of the mix either. Depth in the secondary is always of vital importance and though most of them are thin on experience, their schematic fit is unquestionable across the board. In minicamp, Coleman was on the outside, while Jones was in the slot.

Tre Flowers vs. Geneo Grissom vs. Rufus Johnson – 4th DE

As I wrote earlier in the player previews, one of these guys really needs to emerge this season. Ninkovich isn’t playing forever and there’s no lock that Jabaal Sheard can definitely be re-signed, so this season must be about grooming at least one potential starter replacement. All three of these guys have their strengths – Grissom the most athletic, Flowers the toughest, and Johnson the biggest. How will it all play out in camp is tough to tell, but there’s potential here and hopefully one of these guys can begin with some pass rush time, followed with some long looks at defensive end. Preseason snaps will be critical for all. Another piece is replacing the 30 percent of special teams snaps that Chandler Jones played.

All the Young Guards – Starting Guards

There at least five guards who could be starting for the Patriots in Week 1. Factor in the versatility of center Bryan Stork and David Andrews and the options only expand. So it’s impossible to know how it will play out, especially at a position where injuries happen a lot. Mason and Jackson played well as rookies, but each has their issues (size for Mason, injuries for Jackson). Kline was the best guard last season but what’s his ceiling and how soon will he be back and healthy? Then there’s Cooper, the most gifted of all of them, but he was a big disappointment in Arizona. Can he recapture the magic that had him being the best guard in the 2013 draft? What about rookie Joe Thuney who played all over the line in college? This whole group, except Jackson, has played both guard spots and that complicates things even further.  Throw Dante Scarnecchia back into the mix and this is one of the most fluid camp battles we’ve seen in a long time.

Bryan Stork vs. David Andrews – Center

Assuming Stork and Andrews do stay permanently at their natural center position there might only be room for one of them. This is the most clear head-to-head battle and that was confirmed in minicamp where both players saw time with the top unit. Stork played a number of different spots in 2015 and that boosts his chances for making the team. The loser could be a trade candidate but you’d love to hang on to two great young players who can both do the job.

Other Battles to Watch:

Vincent Valentine vs. Markus Kuhn – 4th DT

AJ Derby vs. Clay Harbor – 3rd TE

DeAndre Carter vs. Keshawn Martin vs. Chris Harper – 5th WR

Jonathan Jones vs. Darryl Roberts – 5th CB