2015 Patriots 53-man Roster & Practice Squad Watch
- Thread starter Ed Hillel
- Start date
https://twitter.com/PhilAPerry/status/629118843785453568
Bill Belichick had the entire defense run a lap late in practice. Coaches too. Matt Patricia ran his with his headset on.
https://twitter.com/JamesPalmerTV/status/629117052343713792
Jimmy Garoppolo took almost all QB reps in team drills 2night. Asked him if he knows workload B4 practice"No never. It's always a surprise."
Jabaal Sheard feeling right at home.
Bill Belichick had the entire defense run a lap late in practice. Coaches too. Matt Patricia ran his with his headset on.
https://twitter.com/JamesPalmerTV/status/629117052343713792
Jimmy Garoppolo took almost all QB reps in team drills 2night. Asked him if he knows workload B4 practice"No never. It's always a surprise."
Jabaal Sheard feeling right at home.
One of the more exciting elements to yesterday's practice notes was that Jerod Mayo is flying around. This LB core could be really nasty if all stay healthy through the year and can allow some pretty crazy depth. I think we forget with how good the other linebackers were last year how incredibly good Mayo has been. Here's hoping he has an injury free season and shows what he's capable of once again.
But in "todays base" IE the Nickel we only need 2 LBs and Mayo is a bad fit for that duty. HT and Collins (esp) are much better matchups. HT because of his size (With 1 less run defender you need a bigger guy to "eat space" and hold up against any runs out of the nickel) and Collins because he is a missile who can run with pretty much any TE in the league.
Mayo is good sideline to sideline.....but Pass coverage is not his forte.
I get your point though....you can never have too many good players....and Mayo is a good player.
Mayo is good sideline to sideline.....but Pass coverage is not his forte.
I get your point though....you can never have too many good players....and Mayo is a good player.
bakahump said:
I was petrified last year when Mayo went down and they were left basically with Collins and Hightower only. I figured one of them surely would get hurt. I was absolutely amazed to see them survive till the end. And, as we know, Hightower was playing with a significant injury.
It'll be nice to have quality depth.
bakahump said:
We should be past talking the Patriots playing out of any base defense by now. We all know that week to week they are going to play something different to play to their strengths vs. the offense's weaknesses. At the end of the year, they very well may end up with a nickel Defense having the greatest % of snaps played, but there could also very well be entire games or long stretches of multiple games where they play with three LBers on the field. I am going to guess that at the end of the year, assuming good health for all three, that Mayo, Hightower and Collins all end up playing a fairly similar % of defensive snaps.
Even in they are playing mostly in two LB sets it will be nice to be able to rotate three competent players through so they arent gassed by games end. Hopefully same thing works on the defensive line too, Nink and Chandler Jones have played stupid amounts of snaps over the last two years (a little better last year, but still, better pass rush come games end if these guys arent dog tired)
Stupid question: if they are rotating do both Dante H and J Mayo wear helmets with the green dot/communication equipment and it's only turned on for whomever is the designated playcaller for that play? Or...how does that work?
The rules make it sound pretty hard to transition, per the following:
That's from 2008, so maybe that has been refined a bit so not so difficult to rotate out a guy with the green dot?
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d809f61c6/article/nfl-installs-new-coachtodefense-communications-system
The rules make it sound pretty hard to transition, per the following:
That's from 2008, so maybe that has been refined a bit so not so difficult to rotate out a guy with the green dot?
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d809f61c6/article/nfl-installs-new-coachtodefense-communications-system
The Onion is all over it:soxfan121 said:
http://www.theonion.com/article/patriots-tired-jimmy-garoppolo-beginning-every-hud-51022
Ryan Hannable @RyanHannable now
LeGarrette Blount limping off the field with a trainer. Apparent right leg injury.
LeGarrette Blount limping off the field with a trainer. Apparent right leg injury.
Jeff Howe @jeffphowe 17s18 seconds ago
Bryan Stork and Malcom Brown didn't finish practice due to injuries. Blount went down earlier.
Bryan Stork and Malcom Brown didn't finish practice due to injuries. Blount went down earlier.
It's that time of camp where the hitting starts and the injuries pile up. Let's just hope that it's just minor tweaks and pulls.
My cousin is a season ticket holder and said Jimmy looked pretty rough. Anyone else there to see how he threw?soxfan121 said:
Blount out 6 weeks, sprained MCL.
Jonas has his second chance.
https://twitter.com/shalisemyoung/status/629845382533660672
https://twitter.com/shalisemyoung/status/629845382533660672
link to tweet
Jonas has his second chance.
https://twitter.com/shalisemyoung/status/629845382533660672
https://twitter.com/shalisemyoung/status/629845382533660672
link to tweet
A little /more/ zip? I have only seen Jimmy G a few times but comparing him and Brady on the slant or quick out has been the opposite. Brady fires those in with heat and Garoppolo leaves more arc on them.soxfan121 said:
Do other people agree?
So obviously this is injury related. Flynn wasn't going to play on Thursday night. He may or may not be back depending on what happens with Brady.
That being said, what is the plan for Thursday night? Brady has to be in NY on Wednesday, but that doesn't mean he can't play on Thursday night. Historically Brady hasn't played in the first preseason game, but that could potentially be a little different this year if some/all of his suspension sticks.
What do others think - should we expect to see Jimmy wire-to-wire on Thursday night? If so, who is the backup QB? Would they just have Edelman hand the ball off the rest of the game if Jimmy got hurt? Or have Brady do that? Does anyone think Brady will play at all this week?
That being said, what is the plan for Thursday night? Brady has to be in NY on Wednesday, but that doesn't mean he can't play on Thursday night. Historically Brady hasn't played in the first preseason game, but that could potentially be a little different this year if some/all of his suspension sticks.
What do others think - should we expect to see Jimmy wire-to-wire on Thursday night? If so, who is the backup QB? Would they just have Edelman hand the ball off the rest of the game if Jimmy got hurt? Or have Brady do that? Does anyone think Brady will play at all this week?
tims4wins said:
We need to wait for the details on the transaction to be sure it is injury related, as he'll most likely get some kind of settlement on his way out. Reiss or Miguel will eventually reveal it, as it has (very minor) cap implications.
I do expect JG wire-to-wire unless Garrett Gilbert* is walking through that door. No one else would know the playbook, unless the Highlander has been cut since I last checked**.
* Still on Detroit's roster.
** Still with Miami.
Well he was on the active/NFI list with a hamstring injury, and hasn't really practiced, so he is definitely injured. You are right that he will likely receive a small settlement.
crystalline said:
Ah, I am guilty of being imprecise with the terminology. JG's ball has more zip, as in he has less touch. Brady delivers a low ball (or wherever the best location to keep a defender away from making a play) whereas JG's delivers a ball that's more on a line, quickly.
I should have said touch and explained it better. Brady's delivery is almost always tailored to the customer; JG's less polished, more rushed and less deft.
tims4wins said:
True, but it might have been that he was showing nothing in the film room. If he hooks on with another club before the end of camp, he was "injured". Far more likely, you are correct and his inability to get over the hammy is the reason.
ETA: I'm most interested in whether he was "waived-injured" or just flat out "waived". It's a small, stupid detail. Sorry for being overly precise.
Yeah. Count me worried about Jimmy G. I don't think he's the answer. We will see.soxfan121 said:
crystalline said:
If this is based on numbers and practice reports, I think Jeff Howe's numbers (and the corresponding number of drops and/or blown-up plays by the defense) need to be considered.
Brady's clocking in around 80% in the preseason; JG at 63% (last I checked). Is tht 17% because the (near) 17 years of practice Brady owns over him? I think it's a big part. "Tailored" is a pretty good term here - Brady knows exactly how to cut and sew: JG is still measuring and checking the manual.
ETA: And anyone would look bad in comparison to the GOAT. If you want some laughs, check the Buffalo practice reports for the numbers of Cassel, Manuel & Taylor. WOOF.
I'll trust the opinion of the PFW guys on this, as they tend to be very even keeled in analyzing practice performance, even if they're team employees.soxfan121 said:
None of them have been very impressed with Garoppolo so far, saying he's holding the ball too long and being very indecisive in general. They don't seem worried about it, as he hasn't been downright bad by any means and it's normal for quarterbacks to go through growing pains, especially with his best receiving options being out, but they are a bit puzzled with some of the praise he received, especially early in camp.
I haven't been to a single practice, so I have no clue how accurate that assessment is, but I don't know if completion percentage is the best stat to judge quarterbacks by in practice.
He looked absolutely terrible(worse than how he's looked this year) in practice last training camp yet came out in the games and shined. I wonder if he simply hasn't learned yet to bring his A-game every day in practice yet. He better start doing so however.
No I haven't seen any practices this year, and I hadn't seen the numbers (which, being football numbers, I wouldn't weight strongly anyway.)
What I've seen in the past is that Jimmy G's arm strength isn't as good as Brady's. If he's looking indecisive too, then well, woof. The arm strength difference was a surprise to me when I saw them last year. It may just be a positive reflection on Brady that at 38 he still has a cannon which he uses to his advantage on those quick routes.
On the other hand Brady looked very raw too when he started out.
Edit: I didn't think Jimmy looked good in the preseason games last year either. He looked inaccurate.
What I've seen in the past is that Jimmy G's arm strength isn't as good as Brady's. If he's looking indecisive too, then well, woof. The arm strength difference was a surprise to me when I saw them last year. It may just be a positive reflection on Brady that at 38 he still has a cannon which he uses to his advantage on those quick routes.
On the other hand Brady looked very raw too when he started out.
Edit: I didn't think Jimmy looked good in the preseason games last year either. He looked inaccurate.
soxfan121 said:
Flynn wasn't hurt practicing with the Pats, so I don't think he is entitled to any kind of injury settlement. Plus if he has an injury settlement, the Pats can't re-sign him for 6 weeks, which kind of defeats the point of Matt Flynn. Waived/injured means he's going on IR; I don't think that will happen, and they could just leave him on the NFI anyway.soxfan121 said:
I was at practice on Saturday and I saw indecisiveness and hesitation, too, but it should be noted that the WR group is really banged up and all the DBs are practicing. It's one thing to hold the ball because you don't know what's going on; it's another to be holding the ball because you're waiting for Jonathan Krause to get off Bradley Fletcher's press or Chris Harper to shake Malcolm Butler. But in general I think this is the part of Garoppolo's game that needs the most work - he's really quick and accurate when he's in a rhythm and can just rock and fire out of the shotgun, but start throwing good initial coverage at him combined with muddy pockets and you don't really know what you're going to get.rodderick said:
As for arm strength, Brady hums it in there with more velocity but he generally uses his whole body; I wouldn't be surprised if Garoppolo has better pure arm strength. Jimmy showed a tighter spiral on the deep balls. That stuff's all pretty overrated compared to general accuracy and a nuanced understanding of what the offense and defense are doing, of course.
2nd year guard as a UDFA out of Wisconsin. Started 3 games for the Bears last year. 6'5" 320 lbs. In college, he saw playing time at every single OL position as a 4-year starter plus saw some snaps at fullback blocking for Montee Ball.
Some of us were speculating last year that Googe likes big OL, hence starting guys like Marcus Cannon (6'5" 335) and Jordan Devey (6'6" 320). 2014 draftees Jon Halapio (6'4" 320) and Cameron Fleming (6'6" 325) also fit that mold, as do Groy and Tre' Jackson (6'4" 330). But as Josh notes, Shaq Mason (6'1" 300) is on the small side, and Ryan Wendell (6'2" 300) started 15 games last year, and Josh Kline (6'3" 295) was one of the key backups, so who the hell knows.amarshal2 said:
The Patriots under Scar liked to bring in smaller, versatile, and athletic OL. Look at guys like Dan Connolly, Stephen Neal, and Dan Koppen as examples of interior linemen who weren't very big. It make some sense that they'd draft guys like Mason still because Scar does a lot of predraft scouting for Belichick.Super Nomario said:
Plus, Shaq Mason is pretty much unproven as a pass blocker. Georgia Tech utilizes virtually zero shotgun plays, runs options, and is as old school as you can get.
Besides the measurements, it has always been a huge question whether Mason can fill out one of the guard spots in year 1.
Besides the measurements, it has always been a huge question whether Mason can fill out one of the guard spots in year 1.
RedOctober3829 said:
So now Brady is going to have to come right back from a 4-game suspension into an intense, 3-way QB controversy.
SeoulSoxFan said:
The Mason pick was always a little strange going as high as he did--his size makes more sense at center but why bother drafting another center with Stork having just finished a year? I assume they thought he was just potentially really special despite his size--maybe they saw a young Brian Waters type (waters was 6'2" 280 at the combine) who could be your FB/6th OL/blocking TE/lineman on kick returns as a rookie and then grow into a starting spot as a second year.
End-of-roster moves:
http://www.patriots.com/news/2015/08/10/patriots-sign-rb-tony-creecy-te-logan-stokes-release-te-mason-brodine-lb-chris-white
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced today that they have signed rookie free agents RB Tony Creecy and TE Logan Stokes. In addition, the Patriots released TE Mason Brodine and LB Chris White.
http://www.patriots.com/news/2015/08/10/patriots-sign-rb-tony-creecy-te-logan-stokes-release-te-mason-brodine-lb-chris-white
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced today that they have signed rookie free agents RB Tony Creecy and TE Logan Stokes. In addition, the Patriots released TE Mason Brodine and LB Chris White.
Chris White? He was a core ST player last year, was he not? Even got penalized in the Ravens game IIRC. Bodes well for the other LBs like James Morris.
Yeah, and the fourth round is actually pretty high for an interior lineman, especially one that wasn't invited to the Combine. I suspect you're right and they really liked him.Shelterdog said:
Fourth on the team in ST snaps, just behind Tavon Wilson, Slater, and Bolden and just ahead of Ebner. Good for the other LBs, but also for guys like Wilson and Ebner who figure to contribute more on fourth down than on defense. Josh Boyce is another guy who could benefit - he's having a good camp, has returned kicks in the past, and in practice Saturday he got some work at gunner on the punt team. Special teams contributions might give him an edge over Dobson, Tyms, and Gibson for that fourth WR role.tims4wins said:
Yup. He was waived with a failed physical designation per the official transaction wire.SeoulSoxFan said: