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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.Good to see Edelman showing up. I'm convinced he just hasn't had a chance. Kid doesn't get on the field cause Welker won't leave it.
I found it interesting when Reiss was talking about Vereen as he made it seem like there would be one main RB. This set of RB's to me (and I mean no disrespect) seems like they would be better suited as a committee. I wonder if we will ever see a true #1 RB in again in the Belichick era?
Yes it is very good to see. I still believe that Edelman can be one of the better players of the future, particularly if Welker is not here next year. I do not believe that they are on the same level, but Edelman has certainly proven to be shifty--much like Welker. He is younger, will come much cheaper if/when re-signed, and may be able to be the slot guy of the future.
Yes, there will likely be a dropoff, but that's to be expected as Welker is a very special talent.
One of the keys (as we've all heard) is getting rid of the player a year early, rather than a year too late. This is particularly true when the player is making 10 million dollars a season. Production in the slot may slip, but we have also seen Edelman make the most out of the few chances that he's had, specifically in the playoff game vs BAL in the 2009 season.
Edelman has not shown a great talent in running intermediate routes, therefore he has not produced when given limited opportunities. The same holds true for why he has not gained TB's trust. That situation may be different however, if asked to run quick, shallow routes out of the slot, as he seemed to do just fine in the playoff game.
The point is that I still believe that Edelman is the kind of guy that Belichick likes to have on his team, I still believe that he has more upside than we've seen, and I still believe that he may even take over some of the slot duties next year. Hernandez will likely play a bigger role too, so the duties may be split between the two, but in my opinion I never once saw Edelman "on the bubble" as some here claimed in the offseason.
The coaches are cognizant of Dont'a Hightower's power. It showed up - despite advance warning - when tight ends were doing a blocking drill and Gronk almost got flipped over backwords.
1. Taking a temperature on the Patriots' defense three days into training camp, there looks like legitimate hope and promise for a stronger front seven with multiple encouraging pass-rushing options. But the lingering question of whether enough reinforcements were added in the secondary remains.
2. I think defensive lineman Ron Brace quietly has put together his best start to training camp with the Patriots. The 2009 second-round draft choice forced a fumble on Friday, and I watched him give Dan Connolly, arguably the Patriots' best lineman to date, fits in a one-on-one drill Saturday. It hasn't all been perfect (Brace jumped offsides at one point), but he's caught the eye.
7. Patriots defensive end Jermaine Cunningham, the 2010 second-round draft choice who dipped in 2011 after a promising rookie season, looks more explosive than he did last season (on Saturday, I saw him get the edge on Marcus Cannon and bend to the cone that would have been the quarterback). He's not going down without a fight, working at left end in the team's four-man line. It seems like a good fit for him in the defense the Patriots have been running.
I agree with everything outside of Edelman is not on the bubble (theoretically anyway). Wr's galore, db help, plenty of young bodies fit for st play. ..Edelman and Slater both have plenty of competition this year. While I think bb has a soft spot for Edelman, I think it is certainly within the realm of reason that he doesn't make the team. Don't get me wrong, I love the kid and hope he is our next troy brown type mediocre-plus, versatile, pats lifer.
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This tidbid from Curran had me a bit giddy:
Postcards from Camp: Day 3
My God. Sounds like Hulk vs. the Abomination:
Also nice to see Dowling and Chung playing physical as well in going after Ridley.
Maybe they are the Wonder Twins?
The two players who practice the hardest on a daily basis are Patrick Chung and Stevan Ridley. The go full speed in each drill and are consistantly the first ones to finish sprints. Their paths collided on Saturday when Ridley was tackled to the ground after the play by Chung. It was one of the bigger hits in camp and Chung had to run a penalty lap because of it.
On consecutive plays, Stevan Ridley got banged to the ground by defenders. Ras-I Dowling's hit at the end of a running play seemed incidental. Patrick Chung hog-tied Ridley and threw him down. Bill Belichick told Chung to go run around the opposite goal post after that hit.
Dowling sounds very physical. IIRC, there was a report the other day that he stood up Gronk with his press coverage, not an easy thing for a CB to day.
This tidbid from Curran had me a bit giddy:
Postcards from Camp: Day 3
My God. Sounds like Hulk vs. the Abomination:
Dowling was a first round lock his Junior season, the kid has real talent, coming out of a good program. His injury was the only thing that shunted him down, and even then many thought he might still have gone in the first round. He's a H/W/S guy with ball skills. I just hope he can stay healthy.
Awesome. Made my morning.
Maybe a future nickname? Dont'a "the Abomination" Hightower kind of has a ring to it, no?
Maybe a future nickname? Dont'a "the Abomination" Hightower kind of has a ring to it, no?
Edelman's chances of making the roster, which already were high, are higher yet with Welker not being signed long-term.