An Independent Patriots Blog
Willie McGinest elected into Patriots Hall of Fame
Another induction I can get behind. When we talk about the original “Patriot Way” there are only two players who really come to mind – Tedy Bruschi and Willie McGinest. Those two guys set the tone for the dynasty and held the entire team accountable through the early-2000s. Now that both those guys are in we can turn to guys like Vrabel and Rodney Harrison, but these two were the foundation.
Patriots Depth Chart as roster hits 90 players.
Here’s where we’re at with today’s signings of Dane Fletcher and Zack D’Orazio, a big slot receiver who went undrafted. I’m still leaving a spot for Dan Connolly, because if he hasn’t signed with another team at this point, he’s probably coming back to the Patriots and just enjoying an extended offseason. For someone with a lengthy injury history like Connolly, it’s understandable he’d take some extra time to heal up a bit.
The dichotomy between the defensive front seven and the secondary is quite interesting. There are so many pieces up front that could be put together so many different ways, while on the back end it’s hard to say what we have outside of Devin McCourty.
It’s a good bet there will be plenty of rotation at all areas and it’s important not to read too much into it. Though there are some specifics we can watch for like which corners stay on the outside and which work the slot consistently.
Bringing back Fletcher and Spikes gives them enough linebackers with experience to set the tone. I am still not convinced of the long-term value of either, though I like both players and could see both sticking on the main roster. But their ceiling could be determined by just how healthy Dont’a Hightower and Jerod Mayo are.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/patriots-depth-chart-as-roster-hits-90-players/
Five things to look for in Patriots OTAs
The Patriots are back on the field this week and while it’s tough to read too much into what we’ll see, there are still things to be on the lookout for. Some reminders – the 34 is the teaching defense. They’ll be in the 34 and that will send a number of Pats writers scurrying to write their yearly “going back to the 34 defense” articles. Also, guys in the secondary get moved all around to build depth and versatility at this time. So if one guy sees some snaps at safety it doesn’t mean he’s changed positions (see Logan Ryan 2014).
