Some comments on the comments:
1. I am REALLY disappointed to hear that Stork is still dealing with concussion issues. After the 2015 season I strongly felt that he was going to be a "special" OLman, in the manner of Logan Mankins. But while you can come back from ACL's and Achilles Tendon tears, etc; if he's prone to getting a concussion at any time, he will never become what the Pats value the most, and that is a DEPENDABLE contributor.
Looking back on it, it seemed odd to me that the Pats once again loaded up on OLmen in the draft. But with Tre Jackson still on PUP with what might be a congenital knee problem, and the reports of Stork's concussions it makes a lot more sense to me now. But it still doesn't make it any less sad.
2. Back when I had my brief 2 year attempt to be an NFL player (70-71), TC was few weeks longer and included at least a full month of 2 a days, around 85% of which were full pads and full speed contact work outs. (at least that's what I remember in my dotage). Now it's important to understand that back in those days there were no off season programs or mini-camps. Everyone was on their own and you mostly showed up in early July and used the longer TC's to simply get into football shape. Also the season was only 14 games then, but since I never got that far; its not really part of the story.
The point of all this is that we are all making judgements about players who now have had 5 practices with pads on, and in those 5 the contact was very carefully controlled. Back then, we probably had over 20 full contact practices before the first guys were cut.
I have my binkies just like everyone else, but I can't image having to judge players on such a small dose of work. You may be able to judge a player's athletic ability while he's in shorts and t-shirts, but the BEAUTY of football is that the most gifted athletes, aren't always the best football players.
This lack of practice time I believe is just ANOTHER horrible mistake that the NFL has made recently. And is a reason my love for professional football will never again stray beyond the narrow confines of the Patriots. You just have to watch the horrible tackling technique that is now common in the league as an example of how far the league has slipped. Every weekend I watch so called professionals using poor tackling techniques that I wouldn't have allowed my HS kids to use. And that just one area of the game.
Want to know why the Pats have been so consistently good, you just have to look at they way they practice and prepare. It must kill Bill to have such little time to actually COACH his players, but he and his staff still do it just a little better than everyone else. Pat Kirwan's podcast points out just how much the Pats get out of the very limited practice time that is put in.
Oops, I guess I'm ranting again....sorry
3. I want to echo those that have point out the effect Devlin's loss had on the running game last season. I also want to note that before he went down, he was becoming a very consistent pass catcher as well.
4. It's all about the OL in the end guys. I like the talent, but the question of if they will become `the consistent 2 way group we are hoping for won't really be answered until early October. The good news is, I guess, is that by the end of the season, the bar has been set pretty low. So I have decided to trust in Dante and not agonize over something until it actually starts to prove to be a problem.
BTW- as things stand right now with the Stork thing, my Binky OL would be Solder, Tuney, Andrews, Mason, and Volmer.
5. It seems pretty clear to me that both Edelman and Amendola are being held back to reduce the threat of injury to them. Getting them back after, say, the Saints pre-season game sounds about right. For Vets like themselves it's probably enough time to be ready for 9/11.
6. I've been a big Dobson defender to a degree, but the fact is that he has to stay healthy and produce on the field in these exhibition games if he wants to show he can have an actual impact on the team. His real problem will be getting looks. Think about it. Even if he starts opposite Edelman on the outside, he'll STILL be the 5th option at best behind Gronk, Edelman, Bennett, and Lewis. Hard to make an "impact" when you are getting only 3 or 4 looks a game.
7. If you are one of those guys who like to speculate on who will make the final 53, I don't envy you this year. Just guessing how many Bill will keep at each position group is going to be daunting, let alone who the players will be.
8. I love the way this team is setting up. There might not be a lot of so called "elite" players, but there ARE an awful lot of very good ones. Many years ago a very wise former coach of mine gave me what proved to be some very sage advice after I got my first HC'ing job. He said, "Football is a numbers game".
You can pencil in all your so called starters and compare them with your opponents all you want. But in the marathon that is a football season, especially in the NFL, it will be the quality of the back half of the roster that will often determine the outcome of your season.
The good news is that Bill has proven to be a master of the "back half of the roster" over the years, and it shows up in the results. Last season, the only team that came close to matching the level of injuries that the Pats did was the Ravens. DESPITE the injuries, the Pats came within a missed extra point from going to the superbowl, while the Ravens, under similar circumstances, suffered a 5-11 season.
Hopefully there will be fewer serious injuries this season, but even if that doesn't happen, I'm feeling the Pats will be a deeper team that even last season's squad.
