PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

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the-destroia:

“TB let it be known that he would love to have me back and part of the team. But Tom’s also a good friend of mine, one of the guys that’s helped me develop into a professional in this league. He also told me that I would have to take care of myself and my family. He just kind of mentored me through the process. It’s going to be a very tough decision. It was definitely a very tough decision that [I] had to deal with, but TB was right there behind me if I would have left or if I would have stayed. I couldn’t leave the guy, he’s my dog.”

https://www.patspropaganda.com/the-destroia-tb-let-it-be-known-that-he-would/

Patriots Only Seven Round Mock Draft 1.0 :Derek’s Patriots Blog

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Patriots Only Seven Round Mock Draft 1.0 :Derek’s Patriots Blog

Really like this mock from Derek Havens at PatsFans. As I wrote about today at B/R, I think the time might be right for the Pats to take another defensive end in the first round.

The general feeling is that Wilfork could return now and with Kelly restructured the need at defensive tackle is not as glaring as we thought it might be. They’re set at corner and likely wide receiver at least at the top of the draft.

Why not try to really take the pass rush to the next level?

Can silga push the pocket? Cause quite frankly, if he can, this is depth at D tackle we need to be a top 5 defense. Has Vrabel made any comments about the kids coming out of OHIO state? Last year, reporters raved about Cannon at guard, now its ” he’s a tackle”.. what gives?

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I’d like to do an extensive study of Siliga because he’s got a lot of buzz around him with knowledgeable Pats fans this offseason. 

With Chris Jones and potentially Armstead and Tommy Kelly, I’m not as concerned with how well he pushes the pocket. If Wilfork comes back and we have Siliga too, it gives us five diverse defensive tackles that can rotate and mix and match to execute any gameplan.

Siliga is most promising because he’ll be able to either spell or at least try to replace Wilfork. Let’s say Wilfork comes back, I’d vote for a 60-40 rotation with him and Siliga. This also doesn’t include heavy passing games where those two might play just 40 percent of the overall snaps.

The days of playing Wilfork 80-90 percent of the game are over regardless. It will be a “by committee” approach now and I think that is for the best.

Do you see Jamie Collins starting when the pats go nickel next to mayo

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Absolutely. I think Collins might never leave the field this year. A lot of people are still thinking the Pats need to find a “money” dime linebacker, a role that usually goes to a safety like Adrian Wilson (five years ago), but I think that role now goes to Collins.

He’s just as athletic as those kind of safeties and that small step he might lack on them in speed, he’ll make up for with his size and strength. Usually that guy covers tight ends anyways and Collins matches up well against those kind of guys.

We got just a taste of it in the playoffs last year, but I think this year Collins could be the Pats breakout player on defense. They’ll have him doing everything from blitzing to covering, he’ll really excel with great coverage on the outside that takes away the quick passing options.

Not really an Xs and Os type question, but why do you think people are so infatuated with Kenbrell Thompkins? He did really well at the beginning of the season but seemed to fall off and out of favor with the coaching staff while Dobson and Boyce were getting more playing time. People are convinced he’ll have a bigger role on the team in 2014, but I don’t see it. He’s going to be 26 (LaFell will only be 27) and showed little development. I see him as a 53-man roster cut.

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I haven’t really seen these people who are infatuated with him, but I agree that he’ll very much be in a fight for his roster spot. He had quite the interesting rookie year. He burst onto the scene in training camp, with everyone there singing his praises. We all thought he was going to be a big part of the offense.

He flashed a bit early in the season and I liked some of what I saw, especially his quickness off the line where he could beat press man, a rare feat for most rookie receivers.

But the drops started to add up and he kept seeming to leave his feet every time he even caught the ball. Good stat from Nick Underhill of Masslive.com:

Thompkins left his feet on 22 of the 48 passes thrown his direction (Thompkins has been targeted 56 times, but I removed the passes he no chance on). He also used a “double catch” on seven passes. It’s hard to tell if those dives were necessary, but at least a few were the result of Thompkins putting himself in poor position to receive the ball. 

He was a non-factor after the bye despite six catches against the Broncos in November.

Perhaps no other player is more at a crossroads this season. Can he live up to the training camp hype of last season? Or was that just how he looked in practice and in reality there was a reason he wasn’t drafted – that he’s really just not that good.

Last season, despite the complaints all around and the different injuries, lost of receivers, the Patriots finished second in the league. Personally, I think Amendola and Edelman together would work; but what do you think would be the Patiots offensive blueprint going forward? Do you have a full article coming on that? I particularly liked your Offseason Outlook last year when you’re probably one of the few who outlined a “No Return for Welker” plan that would make the team better.

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Generally I think the plan is always the same, attack all areas of the defense with the pass and have a diverse backfield to do different things.

From that perspective, I think they need to add another back, hopefully it’s Blount, but if he walks I won’t be too upset. Ridley and Vereen are in contract years, so they’ll want to hang on to the ball and not get hurt, respectively. But there needs to be someone under contract past this year and I’m not longer that high on Brandon Bolden, even though I was last season.

As for the passing offense there are some good pieces in place, especially if Gronk comes back. Then you have Edelman/Amendola to control the middle of the field and LaFell/Dobson/Thompkins as the potential outside guys. Maybe Boyce even takes a big step forward.

I’m not sure how it will all pan out with injuries and competition, but the depth is there for guys to emerge. I think the biggest question is how much of a step Dobson (currently rehabbing after foot surgery)/Thompkins /Boyce take. That could very well determine the offense’s ceiling, along with how well LaFell assimilates.

The offense was good last year despite turnover and injuries, but they still lacked much explosiveness.

  • 20+ plays: 15th
  • 30+ plays: 8th
  • 40+ plays: 21st

They can be better. Protection upfront also is a big part of it and I was not satisfied with their interior OL play.