Official Minicamp Day 3 Discussion

[SeanBruschi54]

Players not practicing: Richard Seymour, Chad Jackson, Asante Samuel, David Thomas, Brandon Marriweather, Eric Alexander

---

James Sanders is practicing

-Tom Casale

Day 3 Minicamp Blog

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Is Maroney practicing or hanging out?

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Is Maroney practicing or hanging out?

Does not say yet.

Patriots new QB?

After going through positional drills, QB's were practicing tossing some deep fades. At the end of the drill Reche Caldwell stpeed in and threw a beautiful spiral that hit his target dead on from about 40 yards out. Perhaps he is the new Patriots emergency QB?

-Tom Casale.


Kind of cool to hear that about Reche.

 

[37Harrison]

Is Maroney practicing or hanging out?

Casale blogged that he is present but still limited. He's not partaking in any RB drills (although he is practicing just not at full speed) and is basically just joking around with his teammates.

 

[zippo59]

Is Maroney practicing or hanging out?

Hanging out.

 

[satz]

Wes dropped a pass
Reche looks like he might make the team.....

people are going to pass out.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

Kind of cool to hear that about Reche.

I love the fact that Reche is trying to do whatever it takes to be on this squad. Granted, it's mini-camp, but this guy is a classic overachiever. 100-1 he makes this team and contributes greatly this year.

He gets a lot of sh!t and he ain't the most talented guy, but he emerges more and more with those Patriot qualities we all love.

 

[37Harrison]

Wes dropped a pass
Reche looks like he might make the team.....

people are going to pass out.

I have been saying from day 1 that Reche will make the team. He is the most familiar (out of the WR's) with Brady and besides the AFCCG, he helped out last years team as much as if not more than most of the guys on the team.

He was thrust into the #1 spot last year (something that he never had to do before) and the pressure that was on him, along with others, to get the job done in the passing game was immense. I think he showed last year that he can be a solid #2.

WR's I think will make this team: Moss, Stallworth, Welker, Caldwell, Brown (if he re-signs), Washington/Gaffney with Jackson starting the season on PUP. Not sure about Washington or Gaffney. I think Washington (based on my limited knowledge of him) is a little better than Gaffney but Gaffney's experience with the system and familiarity with Brady may put him over Washington.

 

[37Harrison]

I love the fact that Reche is trying to do whatever it takes to be on this squad. Granted, it's mini-camp, but this guy is a classic overachiever. 100-1 he makes this team and contributes greatly this year.

He gets a lot of sh!t and he ain't the most talented guy, but he emerges more and more with those Patriot qualities we all love.

I love Caldwell and I think he was more important to the Pats success last year than what fans give him credit for. People remember the last thing that you did and unfortunately for Caldwell, that was the AFCCG.

Is he an overachiever or is he just in the right situation now to display his talents?

 

[zippo59]

I love Caldwell and I think he was more important to the Pats success last year than what fans give him credit for. People remember the last thing that you did and unfortunately for Caldwell, that was the AFCCG.

Is he an overachiever or is he just in the right situation now to display his talents?

I wouldn't call him an over achiever because he was a second round pick, but I do think he is with a team who will put him in the best position to succeed.

 

[zippo59]

Casale has high praise for Randy Moss.

 

[BB_dynasty]

It looks like it is going pretty good. 3 days and his first dropped pass. I think that Mills is showing some good stuff to.

 

[37Harrison]

I wouldn't call him an over achiever because he was a second round pick, but I do think he is with a team who will put him in the best position to succeed.

I was replying to Patriot_In_NY but I agree, I think he has come into the perfect situation here with the Pats.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I haven't had any use for Casale's writing or for himself after the infamous "I'm Ron Borges" behavior, but to give the devil his due, his emulating Mike Reiss in his blog worked well and he did a good job.

For his closing thoughts:

http://officialnewenglandpatriots.wordpress.com/2007/06/07/final-mini-camp-thoughts/

- Moss, Stallworth, Welker, and Caldwell top the WR pack with Washington and Gaffney battling for 5th place.
- Kyle Brady is being nicknamed "the beast" for his size and red zone presence.
- LB is healthy (barring an injury run).
- RB is shaky.
- Geno stays at FS and will not be playing CB for more than spot duty.
- Evans is a versatile high effort player who has the respect of his peers (this matches with the leadership role I felt I was seeing last season from Heath).
- Mills is making a positive impression and is one ot watch as Training Camp progresses.
- Josh Miller showed some of his old form/leg today after struggling the past two days (he'll need it, Danny Baugher is looking good in NFLE).

 

[zippo59]

I haven't had any use for Casale's writing or for himself after the infamous "I'm Ron Borges" behavior, but to give the devil his due, his emulating Mike Reiss in his blog worked well and he did a good job.

For his closing thoughts:
- Moss, Stallworth, Welker, and Caldwell top the WR pack with Washington and Gaffney battling for 5th place.
- Kyle Brady is being nicknamed "the beast" for his size and red zone presence.
- LB is healthy (barring an injury run).
- RB is shaky.
- Geno stays at FS and will not be playing CB for more than spot duty.
- Evans is a versatile high effort player who has the respect of his peers (this matches with the leadership role I felt I was seeing last season from Heath).
- Mills is making a positive impression and is one ot watch as Training Camp progresses.
- Josh Miller showed some of his old form/leg today after struggling the past two days (he'll need it, Danny Baugher is looking good in NFLE).

To expand on the running back point, he said that he doesn't think they have anyone outside of Maroney who can carry the load full time. He said keep an eye on Chris Brown because he is still out there and would probably fit the bill.

He also said that in mini camp Sammy Morris was being used a lot like Faulk as receiver and he looked very smooth.

 

[ClevTrev]

I haven't seen much mention of Gutierrez in any mini-camp account or blog. Anyone hear any news? I assume he's throwing in drills; yet, I'd like to get an idea of how he's doing. Any feedback?

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

I was replying to Patriot_In_NY but I agree, I think he has come into the perfect situation here with the Pats.

It's actually a fair point. He was a second rounder. I guess I meant to say "it nice to see him overachieving here, after underachieving a few years in SD".

 

[marty]

I haven't had any use for Casale's writing or for himself after the infamous "I'm Ron Borges" behavior, but to give the devil his due, his emulating Mike Reiss in his blog worked well and he did a good job.

For his closing thoughts:
- Moss, Stallworth, Welker, and Caldwell top the WR pack with Washington and Gaffney battling for 5th place.
- Kyle Brady is being nicknamed "the beast" for his size and red zone presence.
- LB is healthy (barring an injury run).
- RB is shaky.
- Geno stays at FS and will not be playing CB for more than spot duty.
- Evans is a versatile high effort player who has the respect of his peers (this matches with the leadership role I felt I was seeing last season from Heath).
- Mills is making a positive impression and is one ot watch as Training Camp progresses.
- Josh Miller showed some of his old form/leg today after struggling the past two days (he'll need it, Danny Baugher is looking good in NFLE).

Of Washington/Gaffney, Gaffney gets my vote 'cause his wife just "loves" Brady!!

 

[37Harrison]

It's actually a fair point. He was a second rounder. I guess I meant to say "it nice to see him overachieving here, after underachieving a few years in SD".

I think that's pretty much the perfect way to say it.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/patriots/

I wish the Herald would individually link each post from Breer and Tomase.

Here's Breer's highlights, there's more there for anyone not too lazy to click the link.

June 7th, 2007
On the field …
Posted by Albert Breer at 3:30 pm

- Mike Vrabel is the Sam (LOLB), Rosevelt Colvin the Will (ROLB), Adalius Thomas the Mike (SILB) and Tedy Bruschi the Jack (WILB). Aside from nickel situations, where linebackers are often used as rush linemen, there was little deviation from this first-team unit over the three-day camp. When Junior Seau did come in, he’d take the Mike, Vrabel would slide to the Will, and Thomas would go to the Sam.

- S Rodney Harrison was employed today as a nickel linebacker. James Sanders — who returned to practice after missing the camp’s first two days — was used in the same way during training camp last year.

- The Patriots seem to be spending a ton of time working on blitz packages. Without giving away too much, let’s say that there are some calls where there is no more than one down lineman on the field, which allows the staff to mask where the rush is coming from, and would be more likely to spring defenders on free run-throughs at the quarterback.

- S Rashad Baker’s presence on the field at the end of last year became a running commentary for some on how depleted the secondary was. But guess what? He seems to be worth something in the eyes of the coaches.

- Scott, meanwhile, continued to work as the first-team left corner, with Ellis Hobbs opposite him. Most often, Gay was the nickel corner.

- For what it’s worth, the receivers working most often with Tom Brady were Gaffney, Reche Caldwell and Wes Welker, while Randy Moss, Donte’ Stallworth and Kelley Washington were placed mainly with Matt Cassel’s group. This, likely, is an effort to make the new guys earn their spots and, also, have a smoother-running first team, with two of Brady’s three targets being holdovers. And say this about Gaffney and Caldwell: if their roles are minimized with all the new guys, it won’t be for lack of effort.