PatsPropaganda

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

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Patriots Super Bowl 36Before we review preview, one thing I’m monitoring:

No contract extensions… … …

First, I love that Bill Belichick gets extensions done with players that strengthen the overall team in the least evaluated area of the game, special teams. It reminds me of the moment before Super Bowl XXXVI when they were announced as a team and that gives me chills and anything that does that is good. The Patriots for a decade and a half have been the ideal of a working organization, each piece doing their part (or job, to turn a phrase) to serve the greater goal.

But the marquee extensions of Matthew Slater (1-year) and Jonathan Freeny (2-years) don’t exactly make me feel good about the most important unit of this football team, the defense. Jamie Collins and Hightower (and Sheard and Butler) are huge cogs that play their parts extremely well in what could be an all-time Patriots defense and I’m beginning to fear we’re going to lose one of them. There’s always the chance that if nothing materializes in contract talks, one of them is on his way to Jacksonville or Detroit for a 1st or 2nd round pick. At this point, the best-case scenario is to hang on to them and go the compensatory pick or franchise-tag route.

All I can say is, I’ve got my prepper kit and a season’s worth of provisions in the bunker in anticipation of the Huckster Hurricane should Belichick pull the trigger. I urge Jim Cantore to get his LL Bean parka because level-5 “Shaughnessy Shitstorm” is building strength off the Atlantic coast.

On to the Review/Preview…

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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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Report: Patriots signed Clay Harbor

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Adam Caplan reported today that the Patriots signed Clay Harbor, their second free agent tight end signing of the offseason. Harbor now joins Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett atop the Patriots’ depth chart.

Patriots sign Clay HarborF-TE Still a Need

The combination of Gronk and Bennett should be deadly as the Pats have never had two top “Y” tight ends who can both block and catch. Harbor is more in the “F” tight end mold, and can be moved around the formation both as a fullback or H-back. With only second-year player AJ Derby as the other move tight end, this signing makes sense.

If there’s on joke that can stick on Bill Belichick’s tenure with the Patriots it’s his attention to tight ends, often to the point of what feels like overkill. When it works, like it did with Benjamin Watson and Dan Graham, and Gronk and Aaron Hernandez, it can be devastating. They’ve certainly built another group with the potential to be devastating this year.

Derby has good size at 6’5″, 256 pounds, but was out of commission for all of last season and has a lot to prove as a former quarterback who had only played a single season at tight end at Arkansas. He still did well enough for the Pats to take him in the sixth round, and he will now have both a mentor and competition in Harbor.

But realistically any “F” tight end, H-back, Fullback or slot receiver is going to have their snaps eaten into by the presence of two great Y tight ends.

 

 

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Big, physical and fast. Athletic in space with ability to create some separation out of breaks. Has speed after catch in open field. Posted impressive 54-yard touchdown catch and run against Alabama secondary that struggled to catch him. Can line up all over the field. Natural pass-catcher. Had only one drop during 2014 season. Showed willingness to catch throws over the middle and take the punishment. Unique perspective after playing quarterback and linebacker before move to tight end.

NFL Draft Participants – NFL.com Mobile

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