***THE OFFICIAL 2014 New England Patriots training camp thread***

Marinlik said:

Not saying all day. But they did have Collins cover tight ends in man coverage, both at the line and outside the numbers. Look mainly for the colts game where he had some man coverage on the tight end and did very well doing so. To say that a safety has to cover a tight end in man coverage is old/stiff thinking.

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You said "They let him follow the tight end all over the field". I assumed you meant consistently and not on a play or 2. If I misunderstood, disregard the response.
There were very few plays where Collins was man on man with the TE. As I said, it can happen in a blitz package, it can look that way in combo coverage, and his zone is one that TEs frequently venture into.
Its just silly to say that you are going to favor putting a LB man to man on the TE when you have a safety with no one to cover.
Not sure how covering with your best coverage guys is old thinking.

There is a reason to play a very athletic large linebacker against a tight end. I believe that linebackers like Collins can be the answer to the new wave of big and very athletic tight ends. He is big, he is fast and he can move well.

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And that is why you will often see a SAM jam the TE and play under him especially the RB doesn't show. That is far from the same thing as playing him man to man all over the field.

Zuri Berry ‏@zuriberry 3m
According to the transaction wire, Patriots RB Roy Finch passed his physical. #PatsCamp

Deus Irae said:

I love Mayo in the middle, but I figured the Patriots would essentially use Hightower as the Spikes replacement.

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There were certainly times where I would think the same, Deus--although the more I thought about it, I think I may prefer Mayo's experience and ability to "QB" the front seven. I think his natural instincts may be better suited for the role as well, although that is debatable when you factor in Hightower's possibility to take over for Spikes (as you said).

Of course, this could also change in the future, as many have noted. EDIT: just saw Zolak's comments where he feels this will be the look for the reg season.

Brady6 said:

I was overseas for most of 2000-2005 so I was more of a casual fan. I was excited for 2012 and 2013 defensive units but not to this level. I thought Talib was a very good CB but I didn't have confidence in him being on the field. Having Revis is a game changer.

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The defenses in 2003 and 2004 were top notch. Even 2001, while not quite on par statistically with '03 and '04 was very good as well.

supafly said:

EDIT: just saw Zolak's comments where he feels this will be the look for the reg season.

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Can you give the link to that?

supafly said:

The defenses in 2003 and 2004 were top notch. Even 2001, while not quite on par statistically with '03 and '04 was very good as well.

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And I think this year has the potential to be that good. Let's hope

Brady_to_Moss said:

And I think this year has the potential to be that good. Let's hope

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As long as they can hold a lead in the last 2 minutes of a game, that's all we need. If we had a defense like that the past 3 years, we would have a SB. Also missing gronk and a certain drop also added to the damage of no SB.

OT; but its funny, the last 3 years, anything that could go wrong went wrong. It took several bad luck moments to take us away from at least 1sb

Marqui said:

Can you give the link to that?

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Sorry, Marqui--I cannot. I believe his comments were made on the radio, if I'm not mistaken.

I saw that Deus had referred to it at the bottom of the previous page (post 160).

Marqui said:

Can you give the link to that?

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It was on the radio. The best I can do, as far as a link, is this:

According to NE Patriots Draft’s Mike Loyko, 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Scott Zolak that he’s “hearing” Mayo will kick inside as the team’s starting middle linebacker next season with Collins taking his place on the outside instead of simply replacing Spikes as the “MIKE”.

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http://nflspinzone.com/2014/07/24/new-england-patriots-rumors-jerod-mayo-start-inside/

Folks weren't that overly jacked & pumped 2003 pre-season because the Pats had missed the post season in 2002 and they couldn't stop the run. The rent Ted Washington for a year Run D fix had yet to happen.

Let's hope a healthy DL with Wilfork & Kelly fixes some of those problems with run D.

uh....I may be a near dead old horse now but before 2003 I can attest to the fact that I was STILL a megamouthed, jacked, pumped ,greased and tweeked Pats fan...raging and roaring "PAY TREE OTTS!!!@@!!@#" at every game for decades. I got jacked for seasons that followed 2-14 debacles, which I was also pumped and jacked for. I am a goddamned PATRIOTS FAN!!!! Always stoked no matter what.

Is that really you?

A question for training camp. I am going saturday. I have gone 5 years in a row. My first time bringing a cooler with drinks and food, would they allow that?

ddanny1992 said:

Is that really you?

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no...my nose is bigger and my head is wider...

Deus Irae said:

It was on the radio. The best I can do, as far as a link, is this:



http://nflspinzone.com/2014/07/24/new-england-patriots-rumors-jerod-mayo-start-inside/

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Well damn. I wonder what that means for Hightower; I really, really don't want to watch another season of him getting thoroughly beaten in coverage.

Brady6 said:

I think you make a great point, alignment does not always dictate coverage. Good call on the LBs - you were ahead of the game with the alignment; you have been suggesting this alignment for months.

On a side note, I have never been this excited about a Patriots defense.

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How quickly we forget. The Patriots defense with Ted Washington at nose, Brusch & Johnson at LB and Ty Law at CB was the most dominating Patriots D I have ever seen or are likely to see. Offenses could not run against the Teds, but it was dangerous to pass.

KDPPatsfan85 said:

A question for training camp. I am going saturday. I have gone 5 years in a row. My first time bringing a cooler with drinks and food, would they allow that?

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No coolers and no booze.

Brady6 said:

I think in this scheme it would be –

E – Ninkovich
T – Easley
N – Wilfork
E – Jones
S – Hightower
B – Mayo
W – Collins
C – Revis
C – Browner/Dennard
$ - Harmon/Wilson
S – McCourty

This would put Hightower in a downhill position to either stuff the run or blitz, the $ safety would take the TE 1on1, and McCourty would play centerfield.

I could be way off, and at this point I am probably point the cart far before the horse.

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OK B6 I need to know how you drew your board. Is it an ap, or something you have to buy? Let me know please. You don't know how long I have wished to have this ability.

It comes from an NFL defenses web site, Ken...there's a ton of them out there..here's a Pats specific one..

http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2013...the-new-england-patriots-defensive-front.html