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http://news.bostonherald.com/blogs/patriots/
August 2nd, 2007
Teams get work
Posted by Albert Breer at 10:56 am
The Patriots spent the balance of this morning’s practice in special teams drills, meaning if you’re looking for your Jabar Gaffney fix, you’re in the wrong place. Here’s some stuff:
– On the lower practice field, trainers put WRs Troy Brown and Chad Jackson through the paces. The two, both on the PUP, looked good from afar. Both worked with bungee chords and ran through cone drills while catching the ball. Jackson, by the way, looks like he’s well on his way back, the way he cut around the cones and displayed agility. There’s still the matter of building strength and confidence in the knee, though, and that can take some time in an ACL recovery.
– The first snaps taken on the field goal team were by Matt Cassel. Why is this is significant? Well, if Cassel shows proficiency in this area, and he certainly did in last year’s playoffs, then it levels the playing field in the battle to punt. Josh Miller later took some snaps, and Stephen Gostkowski nailed all three attempts he took with each holder. Danny Baugher — Miller’s competition at the position — looked very, very strong today, and his booming leg would serve him well in the wind-swept confines of Gillette. He looks to be, at least, even with Miller right now. Tom Malone, on the other hand, looked shaky, firing off a pair of wounded ducks that made this seem like a two-horse race.
– There was a lot of kickoff work, both of the onside and traditional variety. An interesting story last year was the contribution that Mike Wright made on that unit, since defensive linemen rarely do. Le Kevin Smith has been working there too, and looks like he could be a devastating force once he reaches top speed, although his agility to engage cover men would have to be examined first.
– Ellis Hobbs, it says here, is clearly the best kick returner on the team. But there’s another guy who shows the requisite burst, shiftiness and decisiveness to excel in the role: Gemara Williams. Yes, at corner, he’s a long shot to make the team. But remember, at the bottom of the roster, doing these types of things well is what earns jobs. Bam Childress also got some reps there.
– Bill Belichick’s presser is coming soon, and we’ll pass along what we got from there as soon as it comes.
FRIDAY CHANGE: Tomorrow’s practice, originally scheduled for 9 a.m., has been pushed back. It will now be held between 10:30 a.m. and noon.
