A different view of Training Camp..

[Marqui]

looks like he agrees more with my take on Dowling yesterday than Bedard's:

Patriots Planet - New England Patriots Forums and Message Boards - View Single Post - 2012 Training Camp Thread

AWTEs reports/opinions are the only one's I trust nearly 100%. I respect Bedard a lot as well but he's not always right. Everyone else I take with a handful of salt.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

Don't know how many of you stop by the Planet but AWTE has been attending camp and his observations tend to be second to none among amatuer NFL analysts (he is a coach locally I believe). He goes into the detail the media isn't allowed to go into about specifics being focused on in these practices.

Here is a link to the thread containing a couple of his camp reports including for yesterday.

2012 Training Camp Thread - Page 18 - Patriots Planet - New England Patriots Forums and Message Boards

Wow, that's some of the best reporting I have ever read. Puts to shame the stuff I read by those in the pro media world.

Very much appreciated as I am unable to get out to camps.

 

[patfanken]

No question Mo, but this All World TE guy rocks (pardon the semi-pun) This was one of the most detailed observations of a practice I have ever seen. Full of information with not a lot of speculation or personal opinions. In other words, lots of MEAT. This guy needs to be recruited or have a blog here or something

BTW- his stuff on Dowling was what I was suspecting was happening and bodes REALLY well for the future of the secondary.

 

[JackBauer]

Hernandez so far is uncoverable by anyone on this team. He was a dominant presence on the field today. He changes direction so quickly that not only can't anyone stay with him on his breaks, they lose him after his catches as well. The guys who tried the destroy tech were embarrassed by him and any LB who had him in coverage today was just overmatched. Mayo had him in coverage over the middle in a Skelly period today where AHern gained separation but had to leap for a high throw. He came down on his plant foot and burst out completely in the opposite direction leaving Mayo grasping air in his jock. It was a ridiculous display of athleticism. He uses his size to dominate any CB who tries to cover him in the slot. I'd like to see him matched up one on one with Dowling a few times. The Pats should offer him the same deal they gave Gronk right now because he's about to explode on this league.

Sheds some light into the whole Welker situation.

 

[TyronePoole]

On the Welker front, one thing he doesn't mention, which I found notable, was that before Brady went to the far end and timed himself running sprints he spent a good 20-30 minutes with Edelman running deep routes into the EZ just the two of them. They were talking for a while and then re-running the same route over and over again while a few players signed autographs and a everyone else stretched in groups or left.

I find this notable because the last TC I went to last year he was doing this with Hernandez after practice who is obviously a key piece of the offense. Clearly they want Edelman and Brady to get some chemistry going, and Brady was really taking telling Edelman what he wants in the route seriously (his body language and hand signaling etc. were almost identical to how he interacted with Hernandez last year).

Although it's just one practice I really doubt he would spend this much time and effort on someone who is going to be ST and emergency D only. I wouldn't be surprised if they start trying to rotate him into Welker's role a bit as they prepare for life post-Wes.

 

[Advil]

thanks for awte's input. this is interesting stuff.

 

[ausbacker]

That's exactly what the NFL needs... Aaron Hernandez going nuts.

 

[borg]

Now that's what I call a detailed camp report. AWTE should sell ads next to those reports.
Liked what he had to say about Dowling. Loved his AHern positivity. AWTE caught on to a vulnerability of the LBs that I noticed last season....biting on play action. I always felt our LBs biggest weakness was RB pass coverage and it often looked like the RB would get ignored as he released across the LOS. Can't wait for his next write up.

 

[NEGoldenAge]

Now that's what I call a detailed camp report. AWTE should sell ads next to those reports.
Liked what he had to say about Dowling. Loved his AHern positivity. AWTE caught on to a vulnerability of the LBs that I noticed last season....biting on play action. I always felt our LBs biggest weakness was RB pass coverage and it often looked like the RB would get ignored as he released across the LOS. Can't wait for his next write up.

I think biting on play action is a universal problem early on. It takes time to get good at avoiding it, and not everyone figures it out.

 

[Kontradiction]

Sheds some light into the whole Welker situation.

Hernandez did the same at Florida. I said as much in my interview with BradyFTW! when Hernandez and Gronk were rookies. He uses his speed to get separation from LB's and uses his size to overpower corners and safeties. Unless he's double teamed (which he shouldn't be with Lloyd, Welker, and Gronk on the field), he's pretty much uncoverable.