Kenbrell Thompkins

[tonyto3690]

Guy looks like a stud. Good size, reliable hands, and seems to be very bright and hard working. I think it's worth noting he was pulled with the first team starters (along with Amendola) while Boyce, Edelman and Dobson stayed in the game.

Appears to be a lock for the roster and a near lock as the starting X receiver. I hope by midseason Dobson takes Amendolas spot. Amendola is a good player, but he's injury prone and not suited for the outside.

 

[Ozymandias]

He's definitely a lock for the 53. No doubt about that.

What I like most about him is the instant chemistry he has had with Brady. Every receiver that has had some form of success with the Patriots had Brady's trust right away and those who didn't usually never had that trust right away or ever. So for Thompkins, as an UDFA, to accomplish such a feat is a testament to his work ethic so far. You don't gain the trust of a demanding QB like Brady without being on the same page as him and seeing what he sees. That doesn't happen over night, it shows you that he's been really absorbing his playbook like a sponge.

Even though he doesn't have very many 'wow' physical tools, he's not Desean Jackson fast, he doesn't possess Calvin Johnson's size, and he doesn't get tremendous amounts of separation, however I like the way he gets open. It's almost like he realized those deficiencies and worked hard on his footwork and body position to get into the right spots for the QB even if he's well covered.

I'm greatly impressed with him and it seems that Brady and the coaching staff are as well. He was often Brady's first read on pass plays. That tells you all you need to know about how far he's come along.

 

[RI Patriots fan]

Not only is he a lock for the 53, but unless something goes wrong, I see him starting beside Amendola.

 

[Claremonster]

Guy looks like a stud. Good size, reliable hands, and seems to be very bright and hard working. I think it's worth noting he was pulled with the first team starters (along with Amendola) while Boyce, Edelman and Dobson stayed in the game.

Appears to be a lock for the roster and a near lock as the starting X receiver. I hope by midseason Dobson takes Amendolas spot. Amendola is a good player, but he's injury prone and not suited for the outside.

That would be sweet if all the rookie wr's pan out well! :rocker:

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

The chemistry with Brady was undeniable, and the variety of routes that he ran showed his versatility and strong route running ability. It was also nice to see a guy with the the number 85 making plays - that number has some baggage. Speaking of baggage, Thompkins, has a shady past with several (allegedly 7) arrests.

His story is quite interesting and definitley worth a read: Everything To Prove: The Kenbrell Thompkins Story - The News Record: Sports

I'm not bringing this up to discredit him, I'm really hoping that he becomes a star.

 

[JMC00]

Isn't he Antonio Brown's cousin?

 

[Ozymandias]

Isn't he Antonio Brown's cousin?

Yes, he is. Brown played a role in Thompkins turning his life around specifically helping him get in touch with Cincinnati coach Butch Jones after the Tennessee Volunteers' issue.

The Globe wrote about the connection and story in an article last week:

The Blitz with Jeff Howe & Karen Guregian | Boston Herald

 

[JDot]

It's time to get on the Thompkins train Pats fans..

 

[Demosthenes]

The chemistry with Brady was undeniable, and the variety of routes that he ran showed his versatility and strong route running ability. It was also nice to see a guy with the the number 85 making plays - that number has some baggage. Speaking of baggage, Thompkins, has a shady past with several (allegedly 7) arrests.

His story is quite interesting and definitley worth a read: Everything To Prove: The Kenbrell Thompkins Story - The News Record: Sports

I'm not bringing this up to discredit him, I'm really hoping that he becomes a star.

Yes, he is. Brown played a role in Thompkins turning his life around specifically helping him get in touch with Cincinnati coach Butch Jones after the Tennessee Volunteers' issue.

The Globe wrote about the connection and story in an article last week:

The Blitz with Jeff Howe & Karen Guregian | Boston Herald

Great reads, thanks for posting the links.

 

[supafly]

Thompkins, Dobson, and Amendola all looked totally fine for their first outing with Brady. It's obvious that they've been putting in a lot of work and will continue to do so.

I think we'll see a lot of Boyce too, who should've had an easy TD and was completely wide open. We'll be seeing more from Boyce in the next couple of games for sure.

Sudfeld, Ballard, and Fells all looked fine to me--even good at times.

The RB's aside from Washington's poor blitz pickup/blocking also looked just fine. It's looking like Vereen will be the 3rd down back, with Washington likely being more of a STOP.

And we still have Edelman (hopefully...) and Gronk. I think the offense will be almost as good as last year, with a possibility that the scoring average will "only" be in the high 20's/low 30's.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Tavon Wilson did NOT have a bad game. Frequently the scrub CBs he was playing with were not doing well in coverage. A helper Safety needs the other guy in the right position and Logan and Price were sometimes very poor or late in coverage.

Tavon has good speed for a SS with good size. He is developing pretty well and will be a starter in 2014.

I agree the Pats need help in reserve for Wilfork and Kelly; but isn't it delightful we are worrying about reserves on the DL and in the secondary rather than moaning about the starters.

Armistead may solve the problem, but if he isn't ready, he should be PUPed. I'd save the retrievable IR for a more critical player lost to injury.

 

[DarrylS]

Did not know that Thompkins story, really hope he makes it now..

Guess the good thing, is after he left Liberty City.. he has not encountered any legal problems... confident that the Pats will offer him a lot of support so he does not regress.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

One of his most impressive plays last night actually occurred in warm ups. I couldn't tell if it was Mallett or Brady threw a long pass to him on a "go" pattern down the left sidelines while he was going what we thought was full speed. Mid-pattern he must have realized that the pass was going to be overthrown because he turned on the afterburners catching up to it and making it look like an easy catch.....

 

[TB12_laser designator]

It's time to get on the Thompkins train Pats fans..

 

[BigMike]

Im so onboard the KT train I have my conductor uniform on and Im selling tickets to other passengers. This kid looks like a star in the making.

 

[patfanken]

He's definitely a lock for the 53. No doubt about that.

What I like most about him is the instant chemistry he has had with Brady. Every receiver that has had some form of success with the Patriots had Brady's trust right away and those who didn't usually never had that trust right away or ever. So for Thompkins, as an UDFA, to accomplish such a feat is a testament to his work ethic so far. You don't gain the trust of a demanding QB like Brady without being on the same page as him and seeing what he sees. That doesn't happen over night, it shows you that he's been really absorbing his playbook like a sponge.

Even though he doesn't have very many 'wow' physical tools, he's not Desean Jackson fast, he doesn't possess Calvin Johnson's size, and he doesn't get tremendous amounts of separation, however I like the way he gets open. It's almost like he realized those deficiencies and worked hard on his footwork and body position to get into the right spots for the QB even if he's well covered.

I'm greatly impressed with him and it seems that Brady and the coaching staff are as well. He was often Brady's first read on pass plays. That tells you all you need to know about how far he's come along.

I was in the car and missed most of the game, but I think the best comparison I've heard about Tomkins came from the always informative, Matt Chatham, who compared Tompkins to Deon Branch Like Deion, Tompkins is a precise outside rout runner who has great hands. Like Deion his greatest physical asset is his ability to accelerate out of his breaks to create separation. Unlike Deion he is a bit bigger and stronger and can be a factor on contested balls as well.

Evidently the kid's personal problems where serious enough that 32 teams passed on him in the draft because of them. (BTW- personally, I have no idea what they are) Here's hoping he's cleaned up his personal life, because as a player, he has an opportunity to have a nice career in the NFL.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I hope by midseason Dobson takes Amendolas spot. Amendola is a good player, but he's injury prone and not suited for the outside.

do you really think they are going to bench a 7.5 million dollar a year player? amendola's the one receiver outside of edelman who has real NFL experience. dobson isn't suddenly going to become an all pro after week 8.

 

[patsinthesnow]

It'll be interesting to send him deep in the next preseason game. Reporters have commented he's one of those, "runs a 4.5, plays a 4.4" type of players.

 

[fair catch fryar]

I was in the car and missed most of the game, but I think the best comparison I've heard about Tomkins came from the always informative, Matt Chatham, who compared Tompkins to Deon Branch Like Deion, Tompkins is a precise outside rout runner who has great hands. Like Deion his greatest physical asset is his ability to accelerate out of his breaks to create separation. Unlike Deion he is a bit bigger and stronger and can be a factor on contested balls as well.

Evidently the kid's personal problems where serious enough that 32 teams passed on him in the draft because of them. (BTW- personally, I have no idea what they are) Here's hoping he's cleaned up his personal life, because as a player, he has an opportunity to have a nice career in the NFL.

Totally agree with 2 things: 1) Matt Chatham is great in commentating and 2) Tompkins reminded me of Deion as well.

On a side note and after reading the stories about Thompkins, it just goes to show how hard a team scouts a player on and off the field you just never know who you're going to get. I get annoyed whenever someone brings up Hernandez and says, "how come the Pats couldn't see this coming?" Any player with a shopping cart of red flags is a gamble. Here's to hoping that Thompkins turns into a legit star because it's really hard not to root for him especially after watching him and Brady last night.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

interesting tidbit on Thompkins....his cousin is Steelers WR Antonio Brown. Hopefully he has the same genes.