PATRIOTS TRAINING CAMP Training Camp Day 7 - July 30

[Ring 6]

When a WR comes out of college with 3rd or 4th round level talent, sometimes he needs to be evaluated by coaches who know what they are doing.

I am 100% fine with him being cut. HOWEVER, I expect that consensus was right and Polk has enough talent to justify trying to develop him. You think that we can tell that he is the worst pick evah by watching him play on one of the worst offenses evah.

We simply have to wait and see what Vrabel does. If he keeps Chism or Baker instead, I'll come here and admit I was wrong.

Im sorry, I dint remember you telling us all camp and season last year that the coaches didn’t know what they were doing.

He was literally the worst producing WR ever based upon playing time and snap counts.

You realize he was a big reason it was a terrible offense, right?

He may make the team. My comment was if he plays like he did last year anybody would be better. You decided to meander to “how do you know he will be as bad this year”. My response was it’s not my job the coaches, and the odds are long, which you have somehow twisted into my argument being something different than my argument really is.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

It's one day.

Bradbury is going to be there anyway.

But when Strange came in and started over Brown last year, the OL play immediately improved and even popped off several 150 yard running games.

Strange played in 3 games last year, in which the Pats rushed for 126; 96; and 77 yards. An average of 99.7 yards per game. Maybe want check facts before posting something so wildly inaccurate.

 

[Rob0729]

Wasn't the issue with him that he had little experience at center in college? Maybe they think he can make an immediate impact at LG while it will take time for him to learn how to snap the ball. I know there were a lot of dropped snaps early in camp. I think he was under center for them.

 

[Rob0729]

Kind of a silly take to say LG competition is "over" after 3 padded practices and zero preseason games.

He did say "for now".

 

[PScottman]

One step closer to him being off the roster. Granted, it is early, but it looks like Jared Wilson is the leader in the clubhouse at LG, and Ben Brown is currently viewed by the staff as the backup center. Seems like Strange might be left without a chair when the music stops.

Or the coaching staff merely wanted a guy Maye was most comfortable with at center today. Or the offensive staff know what they have with Strange and wanted to see more reps with Wilson. Or they wanted a day with Brown with the ones because HE'S on the bubble after Wilson's showing so far. There are a dozen what if cards that can be played as viable as the Strange is traded tomorrow line.

The definitive fortune telling after a single practice remains super strong at PatsFans.

 

[Brotherblues]

Wasn't the issue with him that he had little experience at center in college? Maybe they think he can make an immediate impact at LG while it will take time for him to learn how to snap the ball. I know there were a lot of dropped snaps early in camp. I think he was under center for them.

Teams value guards more than centers, particularly at the higher tiers. Don't take my word, look at the position salaries.

So we might get more benefit from Wilson becoming a stud LG than a C.

 

[Steve102]

Kind of a silly take to say LG competition is "over" after 3 padded practices and zero preseason games.

 

[Ian]

To @RobertWeathers point, I think the joint practices are going to be the deciding factor. Some of these guys might be showing up against their teammates. Curious to see how they fare against other teams' players, which is obviously more important.

 

[203Pat]

Or the coaching staff merely wanted a guy Maye was most comfortable with at center today. Or the offensive staff know what they have with Strange and wanted to see more reps with Wilson. Or they wanted a day with Brown with the ones because HE'S on the bubble after Wilson's showing so far. There are a dozen what if cards that can be played as viable as the Strange is traded tomorrow line.

The definitive fortune telling after a single practice remains super strong at PatsFans.

Wishful thinking I guess.

 

[upstater1]

Strange played in 3 games last year, in which the Pats rushed for 126; 96; and 77 yards. An average of 99.7 yards per game. Maybe want check facts before posting something so wildly inaccurate.

I got the year wrong. It was 2023 when they ripped off 3 150 rushing games in a row. That stat was much quoted here which is why I mentioned it. The games were Indy, Giants and Chargers all in a row.

The fact is, if you go to the game threads last year, people mentioned Strange's playing the C position was an improvement over Brown. Brown had allowed 4 sacks in 10 games.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

“Was It Over When the Germans Bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell No!”

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Strange was not with the 1s. Brown was at C and Wilson was at LG

Strange was with the 1s every other day. And was the top sub today. Either way he is not the 10th OL.

 

[signbabybrady]

Strange was not with the 1s. Brown was at C and Wilson was at LG

I think he meant he has been with the 1s prior so probably premature to cut him even if Wilson has indeed passed him at LG which seems to be the case. Also they can like Brown at center more too but that seemingly would still leave Strange as the top backup at guard.

They also could just be mixing and matching to give guys different opportunities and looks and it might be a little early to make definitive statements.

But even if we take it for what it is and say Wilson has passed him that might not mean the end of Strange until depth emerges but he seemingly is a little closer and I'd be a little nervous if I were him.

 

[RobertWeathers]

To @RobertWeathers point, I think the joint practices are going to be the deciding factor. Some of these guys might be showing up against their teammates. Curious to see how they fare against other teams' players, which is obviously more important.

Yep it's another set of conditions to evaluate the player. In hearing BB talk in the past about joint practices, they provide coaches with more scenarios and focused time to evaluate to see how players respond under close-to-game conditions but also in drills in which they are going up against different players with varied skill sets beyond what they see from their teammates.

For instance if during the joint practice with WASH, Wilson is stoning a guy like Daron Payne in drills and in scrimmages and Strange and Wallace are getting manhandled, then we'll have more confidence in making statements like Bedard's.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Strange was with the 1s every other day. And was the top sub today. Either way he is not the 10th OL.

OK so you agree he was demoted.

 

[Ross12]

Here is how I view the Left Guard / Center situation.

Cole Strange was the original starter at Left Guard because that's his long term position, he's worked hard and it made the most sense to use him as the baseline.

Jared Wilson has talent but needed to prove it first. Center is also a hard position to take in mentally for a rookie, so the team probably likes the idea of playing him at guard first for some period of time to get used to the NFL. He obviously has shown he has the talent to be the starting Left Guard, which displaces Strange.

Strange then becomes the backup LG, but if he's a backup, he may as well be a versatile one - so he's getting Center reps. But, he's still a pretty new to the role so it makes sense that he would be behind Bradbury and Ben Brown on the depth chart, who are pure Centers. Bradbury's hurt, so Brown started and Strange was behind him. However, if Strange works hard at it then he can potentially pass Brown with practice.

Long-term, Strange is a free agent after this year. If the team likes what they see out of him at Center, and since Bradbury is very average, I could see a situation where Wilson stays at LG and Strange becomes the starting C.

 

[DaBruinz]

I didn't go today.

Surprised to hear Bradbury missed today. I thought he looked ok after the initial scare. Hopefully still minor but now we'll have to wait and see.

Signing a back up center is also concerning but that might have already been in the works due to some poor snapping.

Also I continue to be baffled by Vrabel's opinion on Strange. If I had to guess I don't think it's very high but then we read he was an off-season award winner. Now they are giving Brown reps over him maybe that has more to do with keeping him at guard and Wilson looking good but also not snapping the best so getting him first team reps but at guard. I guess at a minimum If I were Strange I'd be a little nervous but there's plenty of time and even if he's not a starter I'd be really surprised if he's not the top back up.

Bottom line is I think OL is still one of our weaker units and we have a lot to work through still. I think we can bank on better tackle play and hopefully that can help the interior play better but someone needs to step up and actually do it.

Take a step back.
For the previous 6 practices, Brown has been taking snaps JUST at center. Strange hasn't seen much, if any snaps at center and been primarily a LG.

The signing of Lidstrom and another offensive player tells me that the injury to Bradbury could be serious enough to land him on the IR.

So, moving Strange to 2nd Center to get him snaps while moving Brown to 1st is pretty significant. It means they think they're going to need Strange as a Jack of all trades and possibly as the back-up center.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I think he meant he has been with the 1s prior so probably premature to cut him even if Wilson has indeed passed him at LG which seems to be the case. Also they can like Brown at center more too but that seemingly would still leave Strange as the top backup at guard.

They also could just be mixing and matching to give guys different opportunities and looks and it might be a little early to make definitive statements.

But even if we take it for what it is and say Wilson has passed him that might not mean the end of Strange until depth emerges but he seemingly is a little closer and I'd be a little nervous if I were him.

My overall point is positional battles/competitive situations are fluid during camp - especially in July and early August.

As of right now, Brown is ahead of Strange at C. Strange right now is the 4th center behind Bradbury, Wilson, and Brown.

As of right now Wilson is ahead of Strange and Wallace at LG. Right now Strange could be the 3rd, 4th or 5th guard. If Big Mike's backup can play LG better than Strange, Strange is at best the 4th guard.

That would potentially make Strange the 9th or 10th OL.

Someone gets hurt, he could move up. Someone plays better, he moves down.

Same goes for Wilson being deemed by Bedard as the winning for the LG competition on July 30th.

As of right now, Strange is fighting for roster spot.

 

[DaBruinz]

Pretty sure Callahan meant Starting LG not RG.

 

[Water Boy]

Hopefully Mazzoula is telling Vrabel to go for the 2 pt conversion every time, going for every 4th down and foregoing field goals for 3rd and 15 hail Mary attempts based on the analytics.