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jordan matthews

Video: Patriots Training Camp Report 8/1

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It was a cool, overcast morning with a reduced crowd and I was able to get a seat in the sideline stands to get a closer look than I’ve had in any of my previous three practices. It was another pads session with a variety of special situations getting worked on, including bad field goal snaps and running back route running at the goal line.

In my latest video I have my five big takeaways, but perhaps the biggest dropped while I was editing — that Jordan Matthews was released after sustaining a serious hamstring issue. I spent most of the summer getting excited about Matthews, but just like that, not only a week into practice, he’s off the team. Riley McCarron was the beneficiary of extra snaps with the top team, but I’d bet there’s another receiver signing soon. Eric Decker, a big slot receiver like Matthews, makes a lot of sense.

Other nuggets that I forgot to mention in the video:

— Tom Brady and Bill Belichick spent a good minute talking at midfield before practice. Belichick was animated, appearing to explain something football-y? All the “are they having fun, is Brady-Belichick still mad” takes are pretty silly but maybe them talking pre-practice helps?

— Rookie JC Jackson and second-year corner Ryan Lewis continue to get second-team reps as well as significant looks on special teams.

–Bojorquez continues to outkick Ryan Allen, at least consistently in distance. He didn’t get any reps holding the numerous field goal tries with the top team today though.

— Burkhead is taking punt returns but muffed one. McCarron was consistent, Berrios was as well.

Patriots Open Training Camp!

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Was planning on being there at the first day of camp today, unfortunately, a sick kiddo is keeping me home, but I’ll be there on Friday and can’t wait to get a first look at the 2018 Patriots.

Yesterday’s kickoff Belichick press conference was predictable as Dan Shaughnessy, claiming to speak for the fans, grilled the head coach about 2017. Of course, I saw this coming down the pike a mile away and Belichick’s parries were just as predictable. It gives rise to that group of Patriots fans out there who are eager to flush 18 years down the toilet because the coach didn’t play Butler in the Super Bowl, and won’t ever be true fans again until Belichick explains why or the Pats win another Super Bowl.

Yes, that’s how deep loyalty lies after five Super Bowl wins in eight appearances.

I stopped taking the bait from guys like Shaughnessy a while back so that’s enough about him trying to steal spotlight from what is usually the most exciting time of year — the opening of camp, when hope springs eternal and for the last time, most of the team is healthy.

Here’s a quick rundown of my training camp preview articles and some quick hits of specific positions and players I’ll be watching in the early days of camp.

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Patriots Off-Season Football Review

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The 2018 offseason was workmanlike for the Patriots, sticking the same philosophy they’ve mostly gone with over the last 18 seasons. There wasn’t a seismic free agent pickup like Randy Moss or Darrelle Revis,, nor did they roll the dice on a former star veteran in search of a title like Chad Johnson, Albert Haynesworth, Fred Taylor and others.

They watched some steady and beloved players walk to lucrative contracts and traded their way out of having to watch the same thing happen next offseason with Brandin Cooks.

The subtractions, including Nate Solder, Dion Lewis, Malcolm Butler and Danny Amendola stung on multiple levels and will leave the 2018 Patriots with significant questions about who will replace them, but there is good overall depth that should make for good competition for those spots. There is a lot of potential in this 2018 Patriots roster that has not been tapped.

The additions and draft picks were surgically targeted at places of weakness but now those new players must take advantage of the opportunity and that all starts Thursday. There are still questionable areas, but with the best coaching in the league and high standards there will certainly be some new faces that excite us.

For those of you who checked out during the offseason, or just want a clean and easy football-only review of the comings and goings, here’s a quick run-thru of the Patriots’ offseason.

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Pats Posits: Countdown to Camp is On!

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With the 4th of July in the rearview mirror, all focus now turns to Patriots training camp, which opens in just 17 days. It was an annoying offseason, watching some important and beloved players walk and hearing constant chatter about internal discord. I’m ready for all that to be over.

How does it all translate onto the football field? We’re about to find out.

I’m especially ready for this 2018 Patriots train to leave the station. Edelman and Hightower will be back out there and they’re a huge boost. And yes, we get to watch Tom Brady play football for another season. Savor every second.

The end looms so every new moment of Brady-Belichick will be thrilling and uncertain. Fingers crossed they got another run at this thing in them, it will be historic and crazy no matter how it turns out.

In case you missed them I posted some camp battle previews :

Training Camp Battle Breakdowns:

  1. Left Tackle
  2. Defensive End
  3. Wide Receiver
  4. Running Back

Also, a pre-camp 53-man roster projection. All of it generated some good areas to discuss so let’s hop in with some Posits…

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Patriots Training Camp Battle Preview: Wide Receiver

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After left tackle, there’s no more interesting position on the Patriots roster than wide receiver. After a major turnover in 2013, the Pats are once again looking at another evolution in 2018. Tom Brady hasn’t ever blinked before, managing to win even when those catching his throws had unimpressive names like Reche Caldwell, Kenbrell Thompkins and Brandon Lloyd.

Now, at 40, Brady will once again have to find a new set of go-to targets after the departures of Danny Amendola and Brandin Cooks, the pending suspension of 32-year-old Julian Edelman and the recurring absences of promising 2016 rookie Malcolm Mitchell. The Patriots have done well to prepare for this transition, going back into last season, but who clicks with Brady and can stay healthy is a near-impossible thing to predict.

Here’s a rundown of the wide receiver camp battle and who the favorites are to become the next clutch receivers.

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Five Key Patriots For Third-Straight Super Bowl Trip

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As we settle into the void and mentally prepare for the coming Patriots campaign, it’s hard to be too reflective about the team without getting sucked into a meaningless direction. There’s just so much noise — the centerpieces of the Patriots current dynasty are in the middle of it all — Belichick, Brady, Gronk and Edelman are pretty much the only employees in Foxboro that get any attention these days and most of it is of the shit-stirring negative kind.

That leaves the great majority of the 2018 Patriots team somewhat in the dark. Coming off a Super Bowl loss is always so painful and strange. Yes, you had a great season and came within inches of the goal, but the ending was a painful car crash that easily overshadowed most of how impressive the 2017 team actually was.

When the Patriots experience the kind of injuries the 2017 team did, they usually fall short. 2005 they didn’t make it out of the divisional round, 2013 and 2015 they bowed out in Denver. Going toe-to-toe with Philly was more impressive and unlikely than most would give them credit for.

Is there any questions that Dont’a Hightower and Julian Edelman (cough, or Malcolm Butler) could’ve swung a third Super Bowl title in four years the Pats’ way? Thems the breaks when you’re in Patriots Nation at this stage.

The Patriots were the same old Patriots in 2017. There’s plenty of chatter about what was going on both in front and behind the scenes last season, but what we once again saw on the field right till the end was a resilient, tough football team that took a 60-minute perfect game to defeat.

There’s little reason to think that won’t once again be the case this year. The Patriots are healthy and have added a number of interesting free agents. All that adds to an influx of intrigue at a number of positions.

Here are five guys that I’ve been focusing on as I twiddle my thumbs counting down till training camp.

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Patriots Stocking Brady’s Potential Weaponry with Matthews, Niklas

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The Patriots continued to round out the middle portion of their roster this week with three moves, all on the offensive side of the ball, starting with offensive linemen Luke Bowanko and TE Troy Niklas, and ending for now with wide receiver Jordan Matthews.

Matthews was a second-round pick in 2014, was traded to the Bills last preseason but ended the year on injured reserve, meaning the Patriots got him a good discount. He works primarily out of the slot, which makes him a good candidate to help replace Danny Amendola. However, Matthews isn’t exactly the quick-open kind of guy that Amendola or Julian Edelman are. He’s a bigger slot receiver but with good hands and a good feel for getting open.

More on him and Niklas as we get closer and closer to the draft!

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