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2014 preseason

Patriots Annual Shocker: Logan Mankins sent to Tampa Bay for TE Tim Wright

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If you’ve been following the Patriots for long, you might be familiar with their penchant for stunning trades during the last week of preseason, usually over Labor Day weekend. The most famous example came in 2009 when they sent Richard Seymour to Oakland.

The trend continued today with the Pats sending starting guard and captain Logan Mankins to the Tamp Bay Buccaneers for move tight end Tim Wright and a fourth-round draft pick.

The move also opens up a bunch of cap space for the Pats.

As that tweet speculates, this could very well be a precursor to an extension for Revis, but the Pats were going to have to deal with Mankins’ contract at some point and they tend to cut ties a year too early rather than a year too late.

The Pats were razor-thin at tight end and really had no move “F” tight end on their roster. Wright should provide another weapon for Tom Brady after picking up 54 catches and five touchdowns as a rookie in 2013.

There is definitely a role for Wright on the Pats.

As for the offensive line, my bet would be that they stick with Connolly at right guard and Ryan Wendell at center as they have the last two seasons, while Josh Kline slips into Makins’ left guard spot. Kline did well there in 2013 against the Ravens and the Pats have never been shy about getting their young offensive linemen in the lineup.

Bryan Stork, Jon Halapio and Jordan Devey should continue to develop and could challenge for starting spots not too far down the line.

Shocking trades and personnel moves are nothing new to Bill Belichick. The first was the famous release of Lawyer Milloy in 2003 and this move with Mankins fits the mold of those that came before – high-priced veterans whose play and value don’t quite match what they’re making.

All eyes should be on Wright this Thursday against the Giants, as well as what the offensive line looks like.

Ups and downs for the New England Patriots – ESPN

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Ups and downs for the New England Patriots – ESPN

Good list. Overall it’s hard to really read too much into this performance and what it means for the 2014 Patriots. Though there are some key depth spots where I was hoping to see some better performances.

Overall, the play of the linebackers was a little disconcerting, along with no real stand outs at defensive end. Michael Buchanan and/or Will Smith will likely be counted on as a third defensive end and neither wowed.

There’s still time though and a lot of these guys are just getting their feet wet coming off major injuries. We’ll see how they progress in coming weeks.

Obviously Jimmy Garoppolo was one of the guys who will get the most hype in the next week. Garoppolo has been up and down in camp, so it was a bit of surprise to see him play so well. But it does speak to how good of a fit Garoppolo is for the Pats’ offense. He showed promise.

Malcolm Butler made some good plays and showed good jump on the ball. Sounds like he’s been doing this a lot in camp. He is pushing to pick up a roster spot in the secondary. Special teams will be key for him.

Not much time to think about this one, it’s on to the Eagles and I’m looking forward to getting a closer look at some of these guys in person next week.

2014 NFL preseason schedule – NFL.com

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2014 NFL preseason schedule – NFL.com

Here it is, in all it’s anticlimactic glory:

Week 1: at Washington Redskins
Week 2: Philadelphia Eagles
Week 3: Carolina Panthers
Aug. 28: at New York Giants

I do like that they’ll face the Eagles. That will likely mean joint practices and a chance to face a unique and troublesome offense. Always good to stress your defense in the preseason like that.

The Week 3 game is often one where the starters play their most significant snaps. The Pats had a great game last year against the Panthers, so this should also be another good test.

And of course, the finale with the Giants in NY. I always just love seeing Elijah and friends.