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Tuesday Patriots Catch-Up

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It’s that time again for a random bunch of Pats notes that I’ve been kicking around or getting into arguments about. With so much in motion at this point in the preseason, it’s impossible to cover everything in every article we put up, so here’s some catch up thoughts as we are just 19 days away from the opener.

— Few people pointed out that I was crazy for leaving Vincent Valentine off my 53-man roster so let’s talk about that a bit. First, I have to disclose that I didn’t get the pick then and I don’t get it now. Not that I don’t understand picking a guy because of the Planet Theory, but when you have two pretty well-paid veterans that are roughly the same amount of huge, not to mention a first-round pick from last season who will rarely leave the field and Valentine was already looking uphill at any kind of significant role this season. Then add in that my untrained scouting eye just wasn’t all that impressed with him from the crappy YouTube highlights, nor has he done much of anything to stand out in two preseason games, nor can I recall a single mention from any training camp practices. So yeah, I see a big body that’s hard to find but that’s about all I’ve seen so far. No, he probably won’t get cut, but does anyone want to bet he gets an “injury” sometime in the next two weeks. A red shirt year this season, then see what happens with Branch/Knighton next year and then the time might be right for Valentine.

— DJ Foster and Keshawn Martin were back in full pads on Monday and they’re two guys we should keep a close eye on over the next two weeks. I have Martin as pretty much a roster lock (Yes, I caught some flack for this too on my 53-man). Why? Because he’s a serviceable backup to Edelman and Amendola, can return kicks/punts, and did show some progress in his first year in New England. Martin’s just a classic BB player — no one’s that impressed with him but he sticks around because he can do a lot of things pretty good. The Pats also gave him a two-year, $3 million contract last year. They wouldn’t throw that money around to a JAG.

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53-Man Patriots Roster Projection 2.0

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With yesterday’s injury news on Shaq Mason, Sebastian Vollmer and Dion Lewis, along with two preseason games under our belt, it’s a good time to do a quick 53-man roster projection. The unfortunate bonus of having injuries like those popping up is that they potentially open up two more roster spots. Vollmer and Lewis can remain on the PUP list, costing them a minimum of the first six weeks of the season, but allowing the Pats to hang on to a couple guys they might’ve had to cut.

It’s also important to note that at this point, Monday August 22nd, the Pats have two open roster spots. So additions could be coming that will make these 53-man roster projection a little tougher. And even with the extra spots there’s still some tough decisions.

Here’s where I”m at with the R

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Patriots Injury Buzzkill Sunday

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After two off days, the Patriots had media access on Sunday morning and the Boston Globe’s Jim McBride broke a trio of bad injury news updates concerning Shaq Mason, Dion Lewis and Sebastian Vollmer.

These are the first significant injury blows of the 2016 season with potential long-term ramifications.

Let’s break them each down one by one.

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Pats Posits: Jimmy Lights It Up, Brady Gets Cut

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Okay, Brady got cut with scissors, but if you’re reading this blog you are probably well aware of that already. The Patriots offense came to life against the Bears, with Jimmy Garoppolo turning in an impressive performance (16/21 181 yards, 1 TD), behind an offensive line that didn’t allow a sack (though one was negated by a penalty).

The Patriots defense on the other hand showed some holes early, negating two third-down  stops with penalties on Patrick Chung and Justin Coleman. Still, as they often do, the Pats plugged up the early holes (Hoyer in for Cutler sure helped) and the Pats got a meaningless 23-22 win.

Here are the Posits as we hit the mid-way point of the preseason!

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Long Brothers Reunite on Field in Foxboro

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It will be a family affair at Foxboro on Thursday when first-year Patriots defensive end, Chris Long, squares off against his brother, and three-time Pro-Bowl guard for the Bears, Kyle Long.

Their only previous meeting, in week 12 of the 2013 season, was certainly one to remember. Back when Chris was with the Rams and Kyle was a rookie with the Bears, the two were involved in a wild fracas which resulted in Chris leaving his team’s bench to pull his brother out of a scuffle. Kyle was fined just under $8,000 for his role in the incident.

This week, in a case of history repeating itself, Kyle, 27, was weary of his 31-year-old brother during another skirmish on the football field. After a dust-up in joint practices on Monday, Kyle was quoted as saying, “I was just making sure [he] wasn’t coming to dropkick me. I turned around and, of course, he was making a beeline for me.” Note to readers who can’t detect sarcasm, he was joking. Regardless, it will be interesting to see if there is any sibling rivalry on the field in Foxboro come Thursday.

Neither is expected to see considerable playing time as both project as starters for their respective teams, but hopefully we’ll see some reps where the two square off directly. I went back and watched the tape from the last two times these guys played each other and a couple of things stood out to me:

  • Chris Long looked freakishly athletic at times. Long absolutely decapitated McCown on this play. Long was a problem and drew double-teams all game. Was really fun to watch him work. He is obviously older now and has had to deal with some injuries in his career, but watching this tape you understand why he was drafted second overall.
  • I was hoping to see if Chris would rush to the inside on Kyle in these games, however, Chris lined up almost exclusively over the Bears tackles in this game. I only saw one play where they went head-to-head, and Chris worked off a stunt. To be fair, it totally fooled his brother, although he couldn’t finish with the sack.  Long shot (see what I did there?), but maybe BB will draw something like this up in the game today.

Chris and Kyle’s father, NFL Hall of Fame member, Howie Long, was born and raised in Charlestown, MA and attended high school in Milford, MA. It should be a fun night for the Long family tonight, and certainly a match-up on the field that warrants Patriots fans’ attention.

Review/Preview: 5 Things We Watched & 5 Things to Watch

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Last week, I asked these questions about the Point-least Game ever. Here’s what I came up with for answers.

terrance-knighton-nfl-new-england-patriots-minicamp-1

Credit: Winslow Townson – USA TODAY Sports

1. What the hell is happening on defense, specifically at LB?
A: Um, a whole lot. For a more philosophical look read Mike’s piece on BB’s defense 2.0. Also Doug Kyed touched on it in his mailbag.
This defense is jacked with talent, more importantly versatile talent, quick, smart, instinctive guys who will play through the whistle. Shea McClellan looks the part, he was in on nearly everything when he was out there. In front of him, the DTs were able to push into the running lanes early and often; really nice depth there and I think Alan Branch could be cut. Also Pot Roast’s gut is as advertised.

How is that guy a pro athlete?

The player that I was most excited to see was Kamu Grugier-Hill. He looked lost, not a surprise for a 6th round pick, but multiple times he was too anxious to go after his coverage assignment, even if they were staying in to block and even when his assignment was pointed out to him, he got caught up in the wash somehow. His coverage skills apparently stand out in practice, but he doesn’t possess the size at LB to make significant contributions in the running game, as evidenced by his several back-tapping assisted tackles. It is an intriguing enough idea (a coverage specialist LB), but the dude needs time. And protein.

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5 Patriots To Watch vs. Bears

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It’s preseason week 2, and yet again all I truly care about this week is staying healthy. Aside from that it should be an interesting game, as a number of significant players are dealing with seemingly minor injuries that should hold them out of action. That means the trickle down effect should give quite a few under-the-radar types a chance to shine in more prominent roles.

Here are the five guys who I’ll be watching most closely.

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