malcolm mitchell

Pats Posits: Countdown to Camp is On!

July 9, 2018 by Mike Dussault

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:

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…

Patriots Training Camp Battle Preview: Wide Receiver

July 2, 2018 by Mike Dussault

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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Pats Posits: Mini Camp Week

June 4, 2018 by Mike Dussault

Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski will be back on the practice field at Gillette Stadium this week as the Patriots host their three-day mandatory minicamp.

After choosing to spend their optional OTA days training on their own, the critical eyes will be closely monitoring the two Patriot stars for any signs of rust. Yes, as Tom Brady winds down his career on his own terms he’ll be increasingly under the microscope, especially as he crosses 41 this summer.

At least the “Where in the World is Tom Brady” storylines will be dead for this week. (Instead, we’ll get a Brady-missed-a-pass and Gronk-had-a-drop WHAT DOES IT MEAN!?!?!-athon)

My actual football thoughts in the Posits.

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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!

Five Most Intriguing 2018 Returning Patriots

February 14, 2018 by Mike Dussault

As we slowly start to turn the page to 2018, it’s hard not to get excited about the number of players the Patriots have already welcomed back to the roster off of IR. It was a banner year on the injury front which is always a terrible thing, but it can pay off down the line as young players get additional playing time and have a chance to develop at an accelerated pace.

With a number of significant free agent holes, that start at left tackle and running back, there are also quite a few positions where the Patriots suddenly have some impressive depth, and the number of intriguing players who will take the field this summer is already high before we’ve even touched a free agent or a rookie.

Here’s a quick list of the five guys I’m most interested to see re-integrated into the team this summer.

Patriots Gameplan: Week 17 vs. New York Jets

December 29, 2017 by Mike Dussault

Ah, the final gameplan of the season. These are always my favorite pieces of the week to write, and now as I sit here in California on my final day of vacation, preparing myself to return to the arctic cold of Boston, I can’t help but feel a bit relieved that the regular season prologue is nearly behind us.

Let’s be honest, at this point it’s hard to move the needle for Patriots fans. Looking back on 2017 it’s hard to recount much more than the Steeler game and the injuries. Wins are relief. Losses are catastrophic. Then we get to this point, where the Patriots will hopefully wrap up the first seed, and none of it really matters.

So here we are, staring down the barrel of another 13-3 season. A meltdown loss to the Jets at this point would be beyond surprising. Our 5-10 pals from New York adjacent are closing out a disappointing season, but they still gave the Pats trouble back in October, with the Pats getting a 4th down stop at their own 49 yard line to preserve the 24-17 win.

Considering the circumstances now, with the Pats needing a win to assure themselves of homefield advantage and the Jets ready to mail it in to the offseason, not to mention the bone chilling cold which this game will be played in, all signs point to the Pats rolling.

Here’s the gameplan…