Official Rookie Mini Camp Thread

[zippo59]

What's the story on Matt Gutierrez? He was supposed to be the starter at Michigan but got hurt and transfered to Idaho State. His stats weren't very good but I heard his name a few times before the draft. The Patriots said they really liked him. Does he have a pretty good shot on making the roster as the third QB?

 

[unoriginal]

What's the story on Matt Gutierrez? He was supposed to be the starter at Michigan but got hurt and transfered to Idaho State. His stats weren't very good but I heard his name a few times before the draft. The Patriots said they really liked him. Does he have a pretty good shot on making the roster as the third QB?

Yes. This is because currently he's the third QB on the roster.

One option would be to bring in a veteran QB for training camp. That didn't happen last year, probably won't this year.

Second option is that there will be no third QB on the roster out of training camp, the team preferring instead to carry an extra defensive back/wide receiver/punter/whatever. As the IR list grows longer (and it will...) a vet QB is brought in off the street, or Gutierrez is activated from the practice squad.

Gutierrez's performance in camp will dictate whether he's (1) protected on the roster (like Cassel was), (2) put on the PS, or (3) cut. I don't think they'd redshirt him; he's not Kliff Kingsbury, he's got all the tools.

 

[BelichickFan]

I would guess they'd like to get Gutierrez on the practice squad, save the roster spot and bring Vinny back when a few vets have been IRed and there's less usable players they're interested in.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Reiss...
http://www.boston.com/sports/footba...newest_patriots_receive_a_handful_of_lessons/

When Belichick covered the crown of the silver helmet on Oscar Lua's head, he was explaining a characteristic of the team's pass defense. Lua needed to turn his head to find a receiver, then turn it again to find where he needed to provide help, then turn back to locate the receiver he was responsible for.

For Lua, a seventh-round draft choice out of Southern Cal, it was almost like learning a new language.

"That's very different," he said. "In all the defenses I've run before, I really don't look around. I have a specific objective, a specific drop, and I have to get there and do it. It's a bit odd [here], but that's the whole process of learning the system and adapting to it."

Gasper...
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/05/12/meriweather_has_strong_suits/

Meriweather said Wilfork has given him a brief overview of the New England landscape.

"[Vince] just told me this town right here is a great town to be a player in," said Meriweather. "He was telling me how Rodney [Harrison] and Tedy [Bruschi] and Tom Brady and all of them were real great leaders and that if I ever needed something, I could always come to him and that he's here for me."

Together in the Notebook...
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/05/13/ride_just_beginning_for_them/

Former Patriots linebacker Don Davis, now an assistant strength and conditioning coach, ran through drills to give linebackers a better look in pass coverage.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Brown...
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070513/SPORTS/705130376

Using both of his hands with some help from the forearms, former B.C. cornerback Larry Anam clutched the unwieldy red tome Saturday in the Patriots locker room, eager to read its contents, which for him represent the key to the NFL.

"This is my pillow now," Anam said. "Hopefully when I wake up, some of this will stick to my brain."
-----
Anam, the Eagles' No. 2 tackler with 69 stops last season, said he'll have to arm himself with football knowledge, because skills and physical talent will only go so far in his bid to play pro football.

"The playbook is a whole lot thicker," Anam said, comparing it to the one he used in college. "You just have to know a lot more things, a lot more details and you've got be a student of the game. Everybody is as good as you are, maybe even better. So, you have to know the system or you're not going to play."

According to head coach Bill Belichick, the minicamp isn't about playing for the Patriots. It's about learning how to play for the Patriots, so the Patriots can learn if they want any of these rookies to play for them.
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Matt Gutierrez, an undrafted quarterback out of Idaho State who transferred from Tom Brady's alma mater, Michigan, threw for 2,237 yards last fall. He said it was imperative to learn without trying to do too much.

"There's plenty to learn for everybody, especially the guys who just arrived here," Gutierrez said. "I think if you really try to stand out, you really make a name for yourself in a negative way."
-----
Nose for news tackle

The best reporter in Foxboro is 6 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 290 pounds. He also has an assortment of colorful tattoos across the vast canvas of his body and ranks No. 2 all-time among Miami defensive tackles with 20½ sacks in his college career.

If fourth-round draft pick Kareem Brown doesn't make the Patriots, he'll probably find a job in the media.

As a pack of reporters gathered around Meriweather on Saturday, Brown perched himself on a chair and took notes as a favor to an accredited journalist. When other newsfolk realized the gigantic scribe was Meriweather's Miami teammate, they gave him the chance to ask a question.

"What kind of a car do you drive?" Brown asked.

The question produced the most interesting Meriweather material to come out in two consecutive days of interviewing.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Breer...
http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1000997

Gutierrez wound up spending 2004 and ’05 backing up Henne, then transferred to Idaho State. Signed by the Patriots [team stats] as an undrafted free agent, he’s now vying to play behind fellow Californians Brady and Matt Cassel. Yesterday, he seemed a bit embarrassed by the notion that he and the two-time Super Bowl MVP traveled similar paths.

“I’ve heard people talk about it before, but you can’t compare me, undrafted free agent, to a guy like that,” said the 6-foot-4, 231-pounder. “He’s very accomplished and, if anything, he’s just somebody that I aspire to be like. I like the way he plays the game and he carries himself well off the field.”

Tomase...
http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1000996

“Here’s a kid that basically chose us,” McInerney said. “We didn’t do any recruiting. Sometimes you take a 1-A player and they come in big-headed thinking they’re better than they are. Justise was never like that. He was a joy on and off the field.”

He was also dominant. McInerney made him earn featured-back status, but it didn’t take long. Hairston finished with a conference-record 1,877 yards and set an NCAA record with 197 yards in the first quarter against St. Francis.

“That wasn’t even his best game,” McInerney said. “The Georgia Southern game was way better. They’re six-time national champions with more money in their video budget than our entire budget. They’re fully funded at 63 scholarships. We’ve got 21 scholarship and two coaches.

“He goes out there and rushes for over 100 yards in front of 20,000 people, the biggest crowd ever to watch us play. We beat them 17-14 and he got all the tough yards. It was quite obvious then that he could play.”
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It’s not the end. Hairston parlayed his 1-AA dominance into a shot with the Pats, who may have an opening in the backfield following the departure of veterans Corey Dillon and Patrick Pass.

For the 6-foot-1, 210-pounder to stick, he’s likely going to have to make a name for himself on special teams. Hairston joked yesterday at how mammoth the playbook is and how focused he’s had to be on learning it.

Guregian...
http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1000941

Carroll believes Lua possesses several Patriot-like qualities, especially when it comes to the protypical, 3-4 inside linebacker. More importantly, he believes Lua has traits Bill Belichick favors.

“He’s tough, he’s smart, he can handle a lot of different defenses, a lot of different schemes, and bring a great attitude with it,” Carroll said Friday night, on the eve of the Pats’ minicamp. “He’s real fiery, he’s a big hitter. You can count on him to make big plays on short yardage and goal-line situations. He can throw his body around. He can leap up over the top of a pile. He’s a guy they’re really going to like.”

Is he Ted Johnson-like? A run-stopper who will meet opposing guards head on?

“That’s exactly what he’s like,” Carroll, the former Patriots head coach, said.
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According to Carroll, the Pats spent some time with Lua -- specifically, linebackers coach Matt Patricia -- and were convinced he would be able to tackle all their complex schemes within the base of a 3-4 defense. The Trojans used a lot of 3-4 alignments last season, so it’s not completely unfamiliar territory.
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“It’s a little bit of the Matt Cassel story,” Carroll said. “Competition is a beautiful thing, we have some positions here like that. But Oscar was still captain his senior year, and he deserved it. I still think he’s going to be a heck of a player.”

Tomase...
http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1000993

A guest at rookie camp, Hannah gravitated to the corner of the practice bubble where Scarnecchia barked at a series of low draft picks and free agents.

“Look, he’s lifting his leg too much,” Hannah said while fifth-round pick Clint Oldenburg practiced pulling to his left. “It’s costing him speed.”

Moments later, Oldenburg aced the same drill.

“See there? See that?” Hannah said. “See how much lower his foot was and how much quicker he was? That was a nice job.”
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He also happily explained the concepts of line play to his fellow onlookers. For example, Hannah described his approach to pulling, a skill that helped lead him toward Canton.

“It’s like somebody’s got a knife in their hand (and) they’re trying to stab you,” Hannah said. “You’ve got to find a way out of there. The issue isn’t how you do it, it’s that you do it before you get stabbed. There are certain fundamentals you have to know, but ultimately you’ve got to do whatever’s fastest for you.”
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Hannah said a big change occurred when the league outlawed the practice of offensive linemen leading with their helmet.

“That’s how you’d get control of a guy,” Hannah said. “You’d get into him with your hands and helmet, and then drive the helmet up under his chin.”

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Toland...
http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070513/NEWS/705130646/1009/SPORTS

“The Patriots wouldn’t have drafted me if they didn’t see something in me,” Brown said yesterday on the first day of rookie minicamp at Gillette Stadium. “I’m here to do a job. I’m going to learn from Seymour and Warren and Vince, and I’m going to take everything I can from them.”

Brown, the University of Miami’s 2006 Defensive Player of the Year, already has spent a lot of time talking to fellow former Hurricane Wilfork.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Thanks for all these links, Box!

Isn't it wonderful when all our baby geese are still swans in the making!

 

[Pats726]

Great stuff!!! I love it all!!

 

[sebman2112]

Brown...
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070513/SPORTS/705130376

I love Meriweather's response, and you can also tell they (Kareem & Brandon) have a good relationship.

 

[PatsMyBoyz!]

Great info Box,thanks!
I love this new QB,and Lua sounds exactly right. I remember reading a story on Lua's injury,specifically about how he willingly mentored his replacement. When asked how it felt to be teaching his probable replacement he said he just wanted the team to win. His replacement added he couldn't have done it without Lua's help.
I'm psyched about this group! The only one who sounded iffy is the one whose conditioning seemed doubtful. Doesn't bode well for him but otherwise the future is looking bright indeed.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Some great info in this thread. Well the hell have i been.

Good job fellas.

 

[sg14]

When I read this earlier this AM, I was impressed.

"When Belichick covered the crown of the silver helmet on Oscar Lua's head, he was explaining a characteristic of the team's pass defense. Lua needed to turn his head to find a receiver, then turn it again to find where he needed to provide help, then turn back to locate the receiver he was responsible for."

What hands on teaching, Lua will never forget that lesson. It's like the coaching you can get as a young boy. To say BB is hands on is not a pun, but just awesome

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

When I read this earlier this AM, I was impressed.

"When Belichick covered the crown of the silver helmet on Oscar Lua's head, he was explaining a characteristic of the team's pass defense. Lua needed to turn his head to find a receiver, then turn it again to find where he needed to provide help, then turn back to locate the receiver he was responsible for."

What hands on teaching, Lua will never forget that lesson. It's like the coaching you can get as a young boy. To say BB is hands on is not a pun, but just awesome

The thing I liked about it was how Lua, who played in a pro-style defense at USC, gave us a glimpse into how much more complex BB's 3-4 is compared to Carrol's 'college' version.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Ingoldsby...
http://patriots.scout.com/2/643588.html

No small issue beating out Tatupu, the son of ex-Patriot Mosi Tatupu, considering his college career and that he is now a star linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks. But the competition at linebacker was nowhere near being over for Lua, as described below.

A USC contact characterized Lua as a good all-around guy and hard worker, who was always positive. He noted that when highly regarded middle linebacker Rey Maualuga arrived two years ago, Oscar helped tutor him while fighting to keep his own starting job. But Oscar was open about the competition and understood it would help the team, even as Rey's increased playing time was reducing Oscar's. Oscar just kept working to earn every snap he could get, be it on defense or special teams, and was a true team player, the Trojan added.
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And in that locker room may be yet another familiar face. "I can't believe that my childhood idol, Junior Seau, has his locker only 15 feet away," Lua said looking just to his left at the former USC linebacking legend's locker. "I have met Junior, and I know he will be back," he said in reference to Seau returning from his broken arm that prematurely ended his stellar season last year with the Pats.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Shalise Manza-Young confesses to using Kareem Brown as a stringer: film at eleven...
http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/PatsBlog/

Elsewhere in the locker room, Meriweather's former and current teammate Kareem Brown got in on the act interviewing him, standing on a chair and taking a pen and notebook (from yours truly). Brown asked Meriweather how happy he was to have Brown as a roommate.

 

[PatsMyBoyz!]

Ingoldsby...
http://patriots.scout.com/2/643588.html

Yes,that's the article! Really speaks to his ethic and where his priorities lie.
This kid sounds like a tremendous pick up.

 

[since67]

OK...I'm primed for some football now...

 

[patchick]

"I can't believe that my childhood idol, Junior Seau, has his locker only 15 feet away," Lua said looking just to his left at the former USC linebacking legend's locker."


It really is amazing to think about. Oscar Lua was only 6 years old when Seau played his first game with the Chargers, and 18 when he played his last! The kid literally spent his whole childhood watching Seau play the position as he learned to play it himself, and now he gets a chance to line up beside the guy. I can hardly imagine what that must feel like.

 

[PushnPencils]

Reiss Mini Camp Day 2:

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/

Kareem Brown's doing a nice job marketing himself.

The Pat's version of Brentson Buckner if anyone knows what I mean.