Ups and downs for the New England Patriots – ESPN

Good list. Overall it’s hard to really read too much into this performance and what it means for the 2014 Patriots. Though there are some key depth spots where I was hoping to see some better performances.

Overall, the play of the linebackers was a little disconcerting, along with no real stand outs at defensive end. Michael Buchanan and/or Will Smith will likely be counted on as a third defensive end and neither wowed.

There’s still time though and a lot of these guys are just getting their feet wet coming off major injuries. We’ll see how they progress in coming weeks.

Obviously Jimmy Garoppolo was one of the guys who will get the most hype in the next week. Garoppolo has been up and down in camp, so it was a bit of surprise to see him play so well. But it does speak to how good of a fit Garoppolo is for the Pats’ offense. He showed promise.

Malcolm Butler made some good plays and showed good jump on the ball. Sounds like he’s been doing this a lot in camp. He is pushing to pick up a roster spot in the secondary. Special teams will be key for him.

Not much time to think about this one, it’s on to the Eagles and I’m looking forward to getting a closer look at some of these guys in person next week.