cyrus jones

Tweets of Note from Patriots OTAs

May 22, 2018 by Mike Dussault

The media was allowed to peek behind the curtain today, sadly I was not there and thus must rely on their accounts of what went down. First, credit to Doug Kyed for figuring out the riddle behind the rookie numbers.

Gotta credit @DougKyed for his Robert Langdon work figuring out #Patriots draft picks are wearing numbers in 50s in order of their selection. That’s how Etling got 58. Well done.

— Andy Hart (@JumboHart) May 22, 2018

Always have to love when Belichick devises a new coaching scheme to remind players that it’s a new year and all that matters is what you do now.

Let’s jump into what went on at practice!

Pats Posits: The Preseason Is Over. Here We Go.

August 31, 2017 by Mike Dussault

The Patriots’ 2017 preseason is over. We can stop worrying about premature injuries (we actually got a couple of those this year) and focus on the real football campaign which the team is about to undertake.

Yes, it’s September and as Bill Belichick says “it’s football time.”

The preseason finale against the Giants, featuring a full 90-man Patriots roster, was actually a fun game, albeit one that we’ll all instantly forget. The Patriots fell into a big hole, clawed their way back only to give up a game-winning field goal in the final seconds, losing 40-38.

Though a meaningless loss, there were some real issues to come out of this one. Unfortunately an injury to Cyrus Jones could cause significant problems when the Pats open up against Kansas City in less than a week. Without Julian Edelman and very possibly Jones now, the Patriots are missing their top two punt returners.

The mostly-scrub defense turned in another gross performance early on, picking up where they left off last week. At this point at least it makes a good chunk of the cuts a little easier. Jacoby Brissett, who was treading water as a possible cut in some people’s minds, turned in a roster-locking performance. His touchdown throw to Devin Lucien was a thing of beauty and it was a reminder how much promise Brissett showed in 2016 when he was thrust into the fire.

Otherwise, we can pick out a few players to focus on, but chances are most of those who played against the Giants are on the outside looking in.

Let’s wrap up the preseason with a final look at those who showed up in finale.

.@JBrissett12 finds @D_Lucien15: pic.twitter.com/PpeOrTqnT4

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 1, 2017

5 Do or Die Patriots in Detroit

August 24, 2017 by Mike Dussault

We’re just two weeks away from the kickoff of the 2017 regular season, but those two weeks are going to be jam packed with two more preseason games and plenty of roster moves, at least a couple of which should make our collective heads spin.

The immediate focus though is on week three of the preseason, the most hyped game of the summer where we can expect to see the starters play into the second half. Disclaimer — don’t get carried away with the results. The Patriots have had good week threes and bad week threes and neither result ever really told us anything about how the team would be in the regular season.

However, for individual players, there’s a lot on the line in Detroit.

Let’s take a look at five Patriots who are very much on the bubble and could solidify their position on the roster (or depth chart) based on their showing in this game.

Patriots Positional Preview: Cornerbacks

July 11, 2017 by Mike Dussault

Patriots Cornerbacks

Today we’re taking a look at one defensive position that will look a bit different this year — cornerback.

For the last two seasons, Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan have been fixtures at cornerback. We were all a bit panicky when they were the two to replace Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, but the duo ably replaced that Super Bowl-winning duo with a Super Bowl victory of their own.

Ryan departed for the Titans this offseason, a departure few Patriots fans would’ve ever thought they’d find disappointing after Ryan began his career with two seasons of being a favorite target of pundits. But Ryan emerged as a consistent player with outstanding tackling skills who could match up with bigger receivers.

Ryan’s ability to shift into the slot is a role not easily replaceable. That is one of the bigger questions facing the defense this summer.

Of course it helps that the team signed Stephon Gilmore, a soft spoken, man coverage corner who seems to be fitting in great. However, Gilmore is an outside corner, as is 2016’s third corner, Eric Rowe. Who replaces those vital snaps Ryan gave them inside is not easily apparent, and plenty of guys were getting looks in the slot during OTAs, including last year’s special teams rookie standout Jonathan Jones and 2016 second-round pick Cyrus Jones.

Regardless of how the slot plays out, the team has really solid depth, including a trio of undrafted rookies who should all make some plays during training camp. At the top there’s plenty of talent to not only replace Ryan, but to be even better, though his physicality and consistency will certainly be missed.

Here’s a closer look at all the corners.

Pats Posits: The Cold, Dead Offseason

February 20, 2017 by Mike Dussault

We’re now two weeks removed from the Patriots’ Super Bowl 51 victory and the reality of the offseason is starting to sink in. The other thing that is sinking in? How much that Super Bowl 51 victory meant and its place in Patriots history.

From here on out with Belichick and Brady, it’s all icing on the cake. You know that they’ll take at least a couple more major swings at number six, and maybe the team will stay healthy enough to get it. But they got number five, in uber dramatic fashion, and there’s simply no denying the greatness of this run, no matter how hard anyone wants to bang the ‘Gates drum.

As we slip into offseason mode there’s a certain calm that comes after winning a legacy-cementing Super Bowl. Yeah there are a bunch of free agents and a bunch of cap space, but at this point, it’s like whatever, BB’s got this.

All we know for sure is that it will be interesting, maybe more so than usual.

More on the coming offseason and the rest of the Super Bowl fallout in the Posits.

Notes (and GIFs) on the Pats-Cardinals Re-Watch

September 12, 2016 by Mike Dussault

Took another look at some of the key moments of last night’s game. Overall it was a very good start but there are certainly some areas to focus on. Here are just a few leftover thoughts and a few of the big plays that stood out to me. For my full thoughts make sure to check out the Posits.

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5 Questions Looming Over Patriots

August 25, 2016 by Mike Dussault

One week from today the Patriots will play a mostly meaningless last preseason game, relying primarily on the 23 players who will either be on the practice squad or the street shortly after.

But there are still plenty of questions looming. Position battles to be won. Final roster spots to be claimed. Make no mistake, the 2016 Patriots are still far from set.

Yes, tomorrow will be a fascinating test (despite the lack of gameplanning as BB pointed out this week) and the competition is still tight at a number of spots.

Here are five areas that will have to be figured out in the next eight days.