The key with discerning what’s important at minicamp is knowing where to look.
Last year, for instance, provided a number of scenes that would prove telling during the season. There was cornerback Ellis Hobbs stepping forward as a more vocal presence and memorably admonishing free agent corner Eric Warfield, “Catch the (expletive) ball, E, or don’t ever step on my field again,” after he dropped an interception. Warfield was cut and Hobbs emerged as a dependable corner.
There was a first glimpse into the Laurence Maroney-Corey Dillon dynamic, which proved surprisingly collegial. Dillon made a reporter read his resume, Maroney wouldn’t consent to an interview until Dillon OK’d it, and the two embarked on a largely peaceful coexistence that lasted all year.
Rookie kicker Stephen Gostkowski was asked to make the first pressure kick of his career and end practice early, drilling a 45-yard field goal with Mike Vrabel making like a crazed zombie from 28 Days Later in an attempt to ice him. Months later, in the RCA Dome for the AFC title game, Gostkowski proved every bit as cool under pressure.
And then, of course, there was quarterback Tom Brady, pumping up Reche Caldwell at every turn, screaming his name to the point that it echoed around the practice field after every catch. The work the two put in last June ultimately paid off down the stretch, with Caldwell becoming a serviceable target.
The question now is what to watch for this year. The Patriots feature no shortage of subplots entering their first mandatory practice sessions tomorrow as prohibitive Super Bowl favorites.
