What Pats Are Getting PUP’d?

 

Excitement is in the air this Sunday morning as Patriots training camp opens this week! But before we get to see some football there’s the inevitable gut punch that always accompanies the start of training camp — the announcement of the PUP list.

The PUP list can include anyone still getting over an injury or anyone who has failed the vaunted conditioning test. Any player on the PUP list can come off at any time, but if a player remains on the list for the duration of training camp he’s eligible for the regular season PUP list, which means they’re sitting out the first six weeks of the season at least.

This can be a useful way to store a player and save a roster spot, especially if you see value in having them return when the football matters most.

There always seems to be a couple surprises as to who isn’t quite ready to go. Based on what we saw more than a month ago at OTAs, let’s take a look at who might start the summer on the sidelines.

The trio of Dont’a Hightower, Alan Branch and Malcolm Mitchell were all spectators during OTAs, a sign that all were recovering from offseason surgeries or bumps and bruises that hadn’t quite healed yet. In the case of Hightower and Branch, there probably isn’t much to worry about even if they do continue the trend on the PUP list. Both are battle-hardened veterans who will have no problem slipping into then lineup without missing a beat.

In some ways it might be beneficial to give the group of younger linebackers and defensive tackles some more reps early in camp. Vets like David Harris and Lawrence Guy (who did miss two OTA practices himself) will be learning the system, and youngsters like Elandon Roberts, Harvey Langi, Vincent Valentine and Woodrow Hamilton would benefit from extra time with then top defense.

As for Mitchell, it would be a minor setback for him to miss time in his second training camp, especially with how stacked the receiver position. Still, he’s pretty much a roster lock regardless. Hopefully he’ll be able to shed the bulky arm brace he had to wear last year after dislocating his elbow in the preseason and that recovery is what is temporarily holding him back.

Rookie Andrew Jelks, undrafted out of Harvard, missed all of OTAs, and would be in serious jeopardy if he can’t get on the field. You can’t make the club from the tub and that is even more true for undrafted rookies.

Kony Ealy left the final OTA practice, walking off the field alone and under his own power. For vets like Ealy and Guy, it’s also important to get out there asap.

There’s sure to be a few more surprises on the PUP list when it’s released in the next couple days. For the vets who have been around it shouldn’t be a problem, unless things deteriorate like they did last year with Sebastian Vollmer, who opened on the PUP list and never played a down all season.

But you want the new additions and youngsters to get out there as soon as possible to learn the systems and earn a roster spot.