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Pats send Mallett to Houston for a conditional 6th-round draft pick

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Can’t say I’m surprised and really, just happy we got anything for him as I was ready to release him. And it’s only a 6th-rounder if he plays 40 percent of the snaps. Otherwise it’s a 7th-rounder.

That shows you where Mallett’s value was around the league, with Dallas also interested in him.

Garoppolo would have some ups and downs but is a far better fit for the Patriots offense.

Mallett overcame any concerns of “character issues” and was a solid back-up for three seasons. Luckily he was never needed. I wish him the best.

There’s some speed at wide receiver that could accommodate Mallett’s game in Houston. We’ll see if he can develop more touch.

Now we can sign some long snapper and we’re on to Miami!

New England Patriots 2014 Training Camp Superlatives and Awards

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As another training camp for the New England Patriots comes to a close, it’s time to take a look back and hand out some awards for those who did or didn’t stand out for the right or wrong reasons.

Undrafted Rookie Star: An undrafted rookie makes the team almost every year and this year certainly won’t be an exception due to the exceptional play of cornerback Malcolm Butler. Rarely did a practice or game pass where Butler wasn’t making plays on the ball. Butler is a near-lock to make the roster.

Biggest Surprise(s): The immediate return to health of Vince Wilfork and Rob Gronkowski has been one of the nicest surprises of camp. Usually players coming off major injuries like a torn ACL or Achilles start out on the PUP list, but both of these major injury concerns appear to be on track for the season opener. Wilfork still shows great get-off and almost appears refreshed after the season off.

The “They are what they are” award: What can you say about Tom Brady and Darrelle Revis that hasn’t been said. They are two of the best players in the NFL today and they continued to prove it this summer. It should be a thrill to watch these two this fall.

The “Brady’s Window Storyline Killer” Award: I never really subscribed to Tom Brady’s window being a major impetus for the decisions the Patriots make. Now with Jimmy Garoppolo showing real promise it should put that angle to rest. Now it can just be about building the best team possible for now and the long term, regardless of when the Brady-to-Garoppolo transition happens (which is how it kind of always was anyways).

The “You’re Not Helping Yourself” Award: Stevan Ridley put the ball on the turf against the Eagles and though it may or may not have been a fumble, he’s certainly not helping himself to put his ball security questions behind him. Mike Reiss even speculated last week that Ridley could be cut. That’s a long shot, but Ridley really needs to hold on to the ball this season if he wants another contract from New England.

The “Will Someone Please Step Up” Award: Seems like heading into the regular season the door is still wide open for the safety spot next to McCourty. It seems to make sense that some combination of Duron Harmon/Patrick Chung/Tavon Wilson will rotate depending on circumstances, but right now this looks like the weak point in the Pats starting defense.

The “Buzz Kill” Award: Last year at this time Chris Jones and Sealver Siliga were not even on the roster, yet by January they were important cogs to the Patriots defense with long-term potential. Both sustained injuries that don’t appear to be serious, but they were pencilled in to be important parts of the Pats’ DL rotation. Siliga has been back at practice while Jones remains out. Once both are back up to speed the Pats defensive line will get a major boost.

The “Look Out NFL” Award: I’m giving this one to Jamie Collins and Dominique Easley because these two players are exactly what the Pats’ defense has been missing. They embody what every defense needs these days – athletic linebackers who can cover and explosive interior defensive linemen who can cause instant chaos in the quarterbacks lap. If both live up to their potential these two guys could be huge keys to the Pats’ fortunes.

The “It’s About Time, But Still Too Late” Award: Ryan Mallett hadn’t shown me much in his previous preseasons, but against the Eagles he finally showed the potential I’ve been looking for. He’s still not a great fit for the offense New England has built, but he certainly looks like he’ll get a shot somewhere else next season. Unfortunately it didn’t come sooner to help the Pats trade him while he still had value to them. I remain skeptical that Mallett will make the team.

The Giant Question Mark Award: We didn’t seen much out of Aaron Dobson after his breakout game against the Steelers just before the bye last season. Can he live up to his draft status? Rumors are that the Pats still have high hopes for him, but can he make a Year 2 jump? It’s still a huge unknown that will have great impact on the Pats’ offensive potential. He really needed that touchdown grab that he got against the Giants and looked strong and decisive. Opponents might not know what’s about to hit them with a new and improved Dobson.

The “Don’t Get Hurt” Award: Gotta split this one up five ways between defensive ends Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones and linebackers Jerod Mayo, Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower. Depth behind all five is pretty thin, especially at defensive end and losing any one of these five will be cause for concern. It’s frighteningly similar to the defensive tackle spot last year and the unthinkable happened there. Hopefully that won’t happen for a second year in a row.

The “Boyce Brigade” Award: This goes to all the huge Josh Boyce fans out there who are assured he’ll make the team. I have no horse in the race. I’d love for him to be good, but I just haven’t seen anything out of him in the last year that gets me excited about him in any role on offense. But he certainly has his fans out there, so this one’s for you.

The Underdog Award: Roy Finch joins an illustrious group of undersized but explosive playmakers trying to carve out a role in the preseason. It’s hard not to root for Finch, but is he ready for an NFL-size pounding? A year on the practice squad might be best for him, but he could use a big performance in the last two preseason games.

The “Stop Teasing Us” Award: This one goes to Kenbrell Thompkins, who had plenty of buzz once again this offseason, yet continues to be inconsistent. Thompkins needs to put it all together and start playing with confidence. If he does that he could be a breakout star on offense. But his inconsistencies might hold him back just enough to let Dobson or Brandon LaFell pass him on the depth chart. 

The “No Idea” Award: I just have no idea what to expect out of Michael Buchanan this season. He could play significant snaps and be a rotational third defensive end, or he could be stuck in a special teams fill-in role once again. Haven’t seen a ton out of him this preseason to get me excited, but there’s really no one to challenge him. Zach Moore seems a year away to me despite a solid showing last night. Jake Bequette is a close second for this award. 

Patriots 53-Man Roster Prediction: Final Prediction

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I haven’t had a chance to take a look at last nights game yet, but after reviewing all the observations I feel okay about making a final roster prediction. 

Lot of tough decisions to make, especially at safety, defensive end and offensive line. And I’m sure there will be a surprise cut or two that throws this whole thing off but oh well, we’re just 9 days from Patriots football.

QB (2) Brady, Garoppolo – Garoppolo might’ve come back to earth a bit last night, but I still think I’d rather roll with him if Brady were to get dinged. Would there be growing pains and inconsistency? Sure. But his release and deep ball are so intriguing. 

RB (5) Ridley, Vereen, White, Develin, Bolden – Not sure where Bolden’s been, but I’m keeping him, especially after White seems more and more suited as a passing back. 

WR (6) Edelman, Thompkins, Amendola, LaFell, Dobson, Slater – Tyms sticks around as well through Week 4. Great showing by Dobson last night and in the limited footage I’ve seen of him he looks a lot more decisive and stronger.

TE (3) Gronkowski, Hoomanawanui, Wright – Using an OL in blocking situations is fine and once Gronk and Wright can be out there at the same time, look out.

C (2) Wendell, Stork – Would love to see Stork take the job from Wendell in-season, but I think it’s Wendell’s to start.

G (3) Connolly, Kline, Halapio – Kline should be fine, but could there still be a veteran addition tomorrow? Possibly. Halapio needs time.

T (4) Solder, Vollmer, Cannon, Fleming – Really solid group.

DE (3) Jones, Ninkovich, Buchanan – Scariest position on the roster and Buchanan’s injury issues from last night are not what was needed. I like Moore and he could sneak on as could Bequette if Buchanan’s injury will hold him out.

DT (6) Wilfork, Easley, Jones, Siliga, Worthy, Vellano – Maybe not the most proven group but I love their potential. 

LB(6) Hightower, Beauharnais, White, Mayo, Collins, Fleming – Not great depth but the starters plus Fleming are very solid. 

CB (5) Revis, Arrington, Dennard, Butler, Ryan – Browner starts on the suspended list. These other five should get mixed and matched all over the field. Very curious if any of them actually see time at Safety in the regular season. That would be an interesting schematic evolution.

SS (3) Chung, Wilson, Ebner – Maybe I’m crazy to keep Wilson and Chung but given injury history and the lack of depth at linebacker and it makes sense to keep two in-the-box types.

FS (2) McCourty, Harmon – two good back end guys with solid range, Harmon would be okay in the box as well.

ST (3) Gostkowski, Allen, Aiken

Total players: 53
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New England Patriots Premiere 2014 | Sarah Fit

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New England Patriots Premiere 2014 | Sarah Fit

Check out my sister’s account of attending the Patriots premiere this past Monday on behalf of the blog. I’m pretty jealous she got to meet a ton of the Pats and take a lot of pictures with them.

I’ll have an exciting promotional partnership to announce soon that will include a ton of awesome giveaways for my readers this season. This was just the first part of it!

Pats Posits: Notes on the rewatch of a Patriots team that looks primed

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Had a chance to go back and look at last nights game on an actual TV instead of a jumpy internet feed and I liked what saw even more. 

Here’s some random reflection on what I liked and what’s concerning heading into the season. It’s hard to be too critical, this team is stacked.

Offense

Brady is still Brady. Yay.

Brandon Bolden missed this one, I’m so back and forth on him. One day you’re reading how he’s a core special teams guy, the next he might be injured again. I think the Pats will be fine with Ridley/White/Vereen and it seems like Bolden is what he is.

Hard to believe the offense was this good while completely ignoring the tight end spot. The White-Vereen backfield set will be tough to defend.

I’m 90 percent sure Kenbrell Thompkins is going to have a breakout season. I’m 100 percent sure he’ll have some drops.

The scary part is we don’t even know what Dobson can do. At worst they’ve added a sizable red zone target in LaFell and if Dobson turns out to be be as advertised all the better. Throw Gronk in there too and this is a tough team to defend.

Really have no clue how the offensive line is going to play out. With the injuries it might just make the most sense to start the year off with the line that has started the last two seasons. They have their flaws but they’re pretty reliable. Hopefully one of the young guys elevates in-season and pushing for playing time.

Defense

Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones are two players to be excited about. Both had impressive games. I really can’t wait to see the creative ways Collins is deployed.

Amazing that Wilfork and Tommy Kelly don’t even look like they were injured. So impressed with how they’ve bounced back and it’s a huge relief considering the injuries to Siliga and Jones.

It’s incredible how good Revis is. I am going to enjoy watching him play football this season.

I will not be surprised to see Butler see immediate time in sub-packages.

Chung and Harmon will likely rotate but I could see games (vs. Broncos esp.) where Chung doesn’t see the field. But he’ll be useful against the more physical teams like the Jets.

Small sample size but I liked what I briefly saw of Worthy. I have a roster spot for him, at least until Easley and Chris Jones are back up to speed.

Vellano probably sneaks on too, but just until Siliga is back. Seeing a Wilfork-Kelly-Vellano rotation with Worthy on passing downs to start the season, smattering of Easley and the Siliga and Jones’ returns should be a real boost.

The backup linebackers showed up to me last night – James Morris looked good in space, not taking a lot of false steps, Ja’Gared Davis delivered a big hit, and Darius Fleming looked strong on the end of the line. Steve Beauharnais had an interception and looked solid.

James Anderson seems like a lock, but had another missed tackle in space. But with Collins and Mayo there might not be much chance for him to see the field.

What can we say? The Patriots are once again very good, and how far they go will depend on how healthy they stay. Now let’s just get through the final game without any injuries and get started on the 2014 campaign!

Patriots up front with flexibility | Boston Herald

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Patriots up front with flexibility | Boston Herald

I feel obligated to post any defensive scheme article even if it’s kind of missing the forest for the trees. When I started writing about football it was the defensive schematics that really interested me. Watching how Bill Belichick would rebuild his defense post-2007 was a huge impetus for me to follow and study the team.

Now, seven years later, I feel like I have a pretty good handle on what Belichick does on defense. Around 2011 I realized that 3-4 or 4-3 is not really that big of a deal.

Here’s the simple facts…

1. From 2000 to 2009 the Patriots spent a good chunk of their defensive snaps in the Fairbanks-Bullough 3-4 defense. This 3-4 is a “read-and-react” defense, where the front three “build a wall” by two-gapping and allow the linebackers to make plays. (There are 3-4s like Wade Phillips’ and Dick LeBeau’s that are more “attacking”.)

2. As the game evolved, and passing offenses became more prevalent, the amount of time the Patriots spent in the 3-4 decreased. The pure Fairbanks-Bullough version of it slowly became a specialty package to stop the run. Since 2010 the Patriots are in “sub” defense, with five or more DBs, around 60-65% of the time.

In 2011, due to the lockout, there was limited time to teach the 3-4 defense, so Belichick just used the nickel front (which of course looks like a 4-3) as his teaching defense since that is what they would be in a majority of the snaps anyway.

3. However, the 3-4 remains Belichick’s teaching defense. So it’s what the Pats run in the preseason and training camp to help teach communication and responsibilities. The preseason defensive game plan is as vanilla as it can get, so seeing them in a 3-4 in the summer means little as to what we’re going to get in the fall.

4. The Pats will still run a 3-4 defense but it bears little resemblance to the Fairbanks-Bullough version. Instead of the three down linemen two-gapping, we now have a combination of guys playing single and double gaps. Read this article for more on this.

5. This current “base” defense (which really makes no sense now that we’re really talking only 30-40% of the snaps) is more of a 2-5. This is an effort to get more athletes on the field to stop the pass, instead of big bodies to build a wall and stop the run.

What matters most is gap responsibility, so whether you want to call Ninkovich and Chandler outside linebackers or defensive ends, it doesn’t really make a difference. They are end of the line players and their job remains basically the same whether they’re rushing the passer or dropping into coverage.

The ability to morph between fronts is where the Pats give themselves and advantage.

The game has evolved and so has Bill Belichick’s defense. What has been missing in my estimation is explosive one-gapping defensive tackles like Easley and Jerel Worthy. They had DT’s one-gapping, but often times they were more nose tackle-ish like Wilfork and Kyle Love or defensive end-ish like Tommy Kelly, Brandon Deaderick and Gerard Warren.

Now the Patriots defense has the personnel to literally play any front, or combination of fronts. Believe me when I say this is the first time they’ve EVER had this kind of flexibility. So there’s some truth to the linked Herald to the article.

But still wondering about the 3-4/4-3 debate is an extreme simplification about a minority of the defensive snaps.