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Health of rehabbing players will be key story line as Patriots open training camp | Sports – Patriots | providencejournal.com | The Providence Journa

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Health of rehabbing players will be key story line as Patriots open training camp | Sports – Patriots | providencejournal.com | The Providence Journa

There’s nothing like the gut punch of the random guys who end up on the PUP list to start training camp. The Pats have multiple guys coming off ACL injuries this year – Gronk, Easley, Kelly and Will Smith, along with Vince Wilfork’s Achilles. Those are major injuries and it wouldn’t be out of the question for the Pats to hold them out in the early days of camp.

There’s also the notion of winning the war, not the early season battles. As much as you’d love to see all of these guys out there in Week 1, it’s important to make sure they’re fully ready to go in January.

There’s also a certain advantage to having a couple guys on the PUP list to start the season to open up some extra roster spots. Brandon Browner’s suspension provides a little advantage in that regard as well.

Patriots Training Camp Preview: Running Backs

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Running back is one of the most intriguing positions on the New England Patriots’ roster this training camp. The headline of the offseason was the loss of breakout player LeGarrette Blount, but the Pats didn’t make a veteran addition to replace Blount, leaving the spotlight on fourth-year veterans Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, both of whom enter contract years.

With a diverse set of rookies also on the roster, this could be one of the most competitive position battles in training camp.

Our Training Camp Preview series continues with a look at the running backs.

It would be easy to pencil in Stevan Ridley as the early-down starter and Shane Vereen as the passing-down starter, with Brandon Bolden spelling both. But things are never that simple with Bill Belichick’s Patriots.

Both Ridley and Vereen have their respective baggage. For Ridley, it’s fumbles and for Vereen it’s injuries. Ridley has had four fumbles in each of his last two seasons, and while that total isn’t egregious, Belichick does not take kindly to “error repeaters”.

Vereen played just eight games in 2013, but continues to brim with potential. The effects of a first-game wrist injury in 2013 haunted him for the rest of the season, yet he still possesses elite pass-catching skills. 

Surrounding their top two options there are a lot of “ifs”. IF Ridley can hang on to the ball… IF Vereen can stay healthy… Both are good players, but the NFL is loaded with good players and if they can’t stay on the field the Patriots will move on to find running backs who can.

Brandon Bolden returns for his third season after nearly-identical stats in his first two years. Bolden is a better fit as a base-down running back, but doesn’t get many yards-after-contact and was miscast filling in as a receiving back for Vereen. 

Could he be due for a breakout year in 2014 where he challenges Ridley for early-down carries? That might be expecting too much.

Behind Ridley, Vereen and Bolden are a group of rookies who cover the spectrum. 

Stephen Houston is 6’, 230-pound power back. James White is a fourth-round draft pick much in the same mold of Vereen as a pass-catching threat. Roy Finch is a 5’7", 180-pound scatback who turned heads in OTAS. Jonas Grey rounds out the group as another power back after spending his rookie season on Baltimore’s practice squad.

Projection:

There’s at least one open spot on the roster for a running back to replace Blount – Houston or Grey would seem to be the favorites for the short yardage/change-of-pace duties behind Ridley, but nothing is set in stone.

With the evolution of the game toward more passing offense, there’s certainly an argument to be made for the kind of value that White and Finch could bring as well.

Finch especially should be a preseason fan-favorite. He’ll get plenty of carries and likely splash some shifty explosion.

If Ridley or Vereen falter, the Pats could have an entire new look in their offensive backfield this season but they’ve got some promising talent that should do fine running behind a veteran offensive line and lighter boxes that are respecting Tom Brady’s passing game.

Previously:

Quarterbacks

Year of Growth: Revisiting the Rookie Seasons of Patriots Wideouts Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins | NEPatriotsDraft.com – 2014 NFL Draft

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Year of Growth: Revisiting the Rookie Seasons of Patriots Wideouts Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins | NEPatriotsDraft.com – 2014 NFL Draft

Nice read as always from Oliver Thomas. These two guys should have one of the more intriguing training camp battles. I’d expect Brandon LaFell to be in the mix as well.

Patriots Training Camp Preview: Quarterbacks

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Welcome to part one of our Patriots Training Camp preview that will feature an in-depth look at each position on the roster and what we’ll be looking for in training camp along with our expectations going into the season.

Another Patriots season is upon us, here we go!

The New England Patriots’ offense underwent changes and injuries in 2013. With multiple weapons in their second seasons with Tom Brady, as well as their two top running backs entering contract years, the Pats’ attack is primed be better in 2014. 

Tom Brady has gone through multiple phases of offense during his Patriots career. There was the efficiency years of 2001-2006, the Randy Moss years of 2007-2009, then the high-speed blitzkreig of 2010-2012 with Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Deion Branch and Wes Welker.

Now Brady enters the twilight of his career with two highly-drafted young quarterbacks behind him. Brady should have a few more sure-fire seasons left in him, but what can we expect to see out of Ryan Mallett and Jimmy Garoppolo?

Our training camp preview series kicks off with the quarterbacks.

Quarterback

Of course, this is where we get to talk about Tom Brady. As always, there was plenty of media fodder surrounding Brady this offseason. From reports saying he was on the decline, to others saying he had the most impressive year of his career, there is never a lack of discussion surrounding the future Hall of Famer.

At this point in his career some decline if inevitable. But Brady’s strengths – reading defenses and making quick throws to the open receiver, should give him a chance to play possibly into his forties. But Those waiting for Brady to suddenly start throwing bombs downfield left and right will be waiting until Brady retires. That’s not Brady’s game, but that doesn’t matter.

With another year to develop chemistry with his young weaponry, including Danny Amendola, Brady should have a better year statistically in 2014 than he did in 2013. Expect another season of Brady being Brady – sound quarterbacking, some last-minute wins, and another appearance in the playoffs.

The real intrigue at the quarterback position will be between backups Ryan Mallett, entering the final year of his rookie deal, and rookie second-round pick Jimmy Garoppolo.

Garoppolo is the ideal fit to execute the Tom-Brady-version of the New England offense. He’s probably not going to beat out Mallett this summer, but in the long term, as he gets more comfortable playing under center, Garoppolo could very well be a legitimate challenge to Brady by his third year.

Mallett has a superlative arm, but he’s shown lackluster development in the preseason. He just can’t seem to find the touch necessary to make the easy underneath throws that good NFL quarterbacks have to make.

If something were to happen to Brady, the New England offense would have to be tailored to Mallett, with Josh Boyce and Aaron Dobson running Go routes every play.

Garoppolo has a superlative trait of his own – his release. With minimal wind-up and compact power to go with his ability to read defenses, Garoppolo should develop into the kind of quarterback who can excel with receivers like Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola.

The “dink-and-dunk” method of offense can carry a negative connotation, but it’s extremely effective, especially when run at a brisk pace.

Projection:

Brady will see limited time in the preseason, with Ryan Mallett giving the Patriots and 31 other teams a long look.

Mallett can’t sleep on Garoppolo, though it’s still too soon for the rookie to have a legitimate shot at winning the back-up role. Expect the Pats to carry three quarterbacks this season, with Mallett moving on after the season.

Garoppolo fits the Pats’ offensive philosophy better than Mallett does, but Mallett’s experience is too valuable should the unthinkable (cough 2008) happen for this season.

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jerodmayo:

“There is an old saying about the strength of the wolf is the pack, and I think there is a lot of truth to that. On a football team, it’s not the strength of the individual players, but it is the strength of the unit and how they all function together.”

https://www.patspropaganda.com/jerodmayo-there-is-an-old-saying-about-the/